//------------------------------// // Taking Off // Story: Shadowed Skies // by Pennington Inkwell //------------------------------// "That's my airship." Pennington Inkwell didn't notice Tempest's declaration, limping his way to the airship in question as quickly as he could. "That's MY airship!" Tempest repeated herself, trotting to catch up with her new mentor. "That, my dear, is the S.S. Tornado! The New Lunar Republic's newest addition to the fleet!" "That's MY AIRSHIP!" Moonstone turned around on Pennington's back, shrugging her shoulders. "To the victors go the spoils, Tempest. Equestria beat the Storm King, so we got what was left of his fleet! That's kinda how this stuff works." "Princess TWILIGHT and her friends beat the Storm-" Pennington stopped in his tracks, pivoting perfectly on one hoof to spin around and bring them face-to-face in an act of surprising dexterity for a pony in his beaten condition. "Alright, rookie! If I'm going to teach you how to be a field agent, let me inform you of rule number one!" His attempt to intimidate her was slightly undermined by the fact that Tempest was taller than him. "You do not bring up Twilight Sparkle unless I do, first! Got it?" Tempest's eyes narrowed, and she considered challenging him. Even after all the harassment he had given her over the course of her initiation, she still had no idea why Pennington hated Princess Twilight so much. This was obviously a personal grudge that he was taking out on her, but there was little she could do about it at this point other than to grit her teeth and bear it. "Yes... sir." As Pennington turned and began limping his way towards the airship again, Moonstone turned around on his back, giving her an apologetic shrug. Tempest raised an eyebrow and mouthed two words at her friend. What happened? Moonstone shook her head, and Tempest knew what the little wyvern's response would be before she even mouthed her reply. Long story. Those two words had been like a brick wall she had run into over and over again every time she asked a question about the Senior Field Agent. Moonstone had tried to give her explanations for his aggressive behavior now and then, but most of Tempest's questions were simply met with a shrug and a repeated mantra of "It's not my story to tell." "Hey! Rookie!" Pennington called, standing at the doorway into the airship. "You said this used to be yours, right? Tempest sighed, nodding and picking up her pace to catch up to him again. "Yes, this is- WAS... my airship." "Good! Then you can fly it, right?" "Yes, but she requires a full crew in order to fly properly. Even a skeleton crew would require at least twelve ponies to run it." "No worries! She's gotten the full NLR treatment!" Moonstone chirped happily. "A full array of automation spells, a silent, environmentally-friendly moontide engine, and even a crystalline stealth array! She's not the same clunky bucket-of-bolts that carried out into Canterlot like a freight train on a megaphone, she's a warship that'll destroy your opponents before they even know you're there!" She pounded one fist into her hand for emphasis before taking off into the air, flying straight for the upper deck. "Come on, let's get this baby in the air for a test run!" Tempest felt a bemused smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. As impressive as all those upgrades sounded, it was far more entertaining to see how excited Moonstone was. She'd gotten so used to Moonstone's stone-faced maturity she'd almost forgotten that the dragon was still very much a child. "Poor girl, she's been going stir-crazy stuck underground in the training facility," Pennington muttered. Despite him thinking it was hidden with his back to her, Tempest undoubtedly caught a smile of pride on his face. "She really needed to see the sky again." Guess he really does have a heart... somewhere in there, deep down. The smile was gone by the time he turned to face her, however, returning to his perpetual terse frown. "There's a situation on Mount Aris that needs to be addressed before we can begin your training in earnest, rookie. I want us there within twenty-four hours." "Well, provided that this 'moontide engine' is as powerful as the old one, that SHOULD... be... possible." Tempest trailed off as he ignored her words, turning and disappearing into the bowels of the ship. "Get us in the air, rookie!" Very, VERY deep down. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite the fact that she had been left completely on her own, Tempest quickly found that Moonstone had been right: the entire ship could now be run by a single pony, if necessary. It did require several trips down to the lower decks to set certain mechanisms in motion and open up fuel lines, leaving Tempest feeling as though she had just finished a marathon by the time that they had finally begun to rise into the air, but she was admittedly impressed with Equestria's magitech. Once they were in the air, she made her way to the helm, only to hesitate. Somehow, despite all of her efforts to leave her old life behind her, she once again found herself at this helm, the same place she had stood as she had led the Storm King's forces into Canterlot. She could practically see herself only a few short strides away, standing beside a caged Princess Twilight. Face it, Princess. Friendship has failed you, too... Tempest's thoughts were interrupted as a familiar weight came down onto her back. "An awful lot of changes for such a short time, huh?" Moonstone asked, leaning against the back of her neck. "I don't know if I'd even say she's the same ship she was when she came here!" Tempest pondered the words, then smiled, placing her hoof on the steering wheel and taking a tight grip. "Yeah... it's amazing how much can change in a couple weeks." Tempest allowed a yawn to overtake her, spotting the brightening colors of the rising sun in the distance. "Guess we're going to be headed to bed soon, right?" Tempest sighed, making little effort to hide the eagerness in her voice. "Sun's rising, and it looks like the heading-lock still works just as well, so we won't get blown off-course while we sleep." "Eeeeeeeh..." Moonstone sighed, making an uncertain gesture with her hand. "Actually... Penn and I work on a diurnal schedule. We changed for the last couple weeks because we THOUGHT we were just training you for the Night Guard, but since we're all going to be working together in the field, we're going to have to adjust back." Tempest blinked, trying to process the information. "So, you're telling me that... everything I went through to adjust my sleeping schedule at the New Lunar Republic... was for nothing?" "Well, not for NOTHING! I mean, now that you know you can do it, it'll be half as hard the second time!" Moonstone chuckled nervously. "Moonstone?" "Yeah?" "Run." "Yeah, one of these days I'm going to go see that coming..." She muttered before taking off into the air, only barely dodging a halfhearted bolt of magic from Tempest's horn. Tempest leaned against the steering wheel, bracing herself for what was going to be a VERY long day. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tempest stifled yet another yawn as she raised another bite of hay pasta with tomato sauce to her lips. The pantry of the ship, once a wide array of foods to accommodate the Storm King's omnivorous crew, now stocked a fully herbivorous menu for the pony crew that was planned to work on the ship. It was an odd change, Tempest had grown so accustomed to being able to only choose from a small section, and now had almost more options than she could make a decision with. Pennington had declared that they would not be following the traditional Equestrian tradition of eating together, declaring meals "every mare for themselves" before locking himself in his cabin with several packets of instant noodles. They were less than an hour from Mount Aris, now, and it was nearly noon. She felt as if she could barely keep her eyes open. She looked over at her bunk, trying to figure out whether or not she could get away with a short nap without Pennington finding out. Her question was answered as, a few seconds later, the door to her quarters creaked open, Moonstone slipping inside and shutting it behind her. "A bit better than cafeteria food, huh?" She grinned, trying to put on a happy front despite the bags under her eyes. Tempest thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm a lousy cook, I think I preferred the cafeteria." Moonstone's smile faded slightly. "Well, getting to pick out your own bunk's pretty nice! Having our own rooms? This whole ship is all ours! Field work's where it's at, huh?" "It's certainly not making a good impression with having to pull an all-day shift and change my sleeping schedule for the second time." Tempest muttered. "It's just going to take a few days to adjust, you're going to love it!" Moonstone chuckled. "Just remember, Twilight, Quick Strike and I all believe in you! So just hang in there for a few days, it'll get better." Tempest sighed. "You three are giving me a lot to live up to, you know that? It's exhausting." "Heh, well you've already impressed us!" Moonstone chuckled, reaching over and snatching a noodle from Tempest's plate. "Penn, too." Tempest snorted, nearly choking on her food. "HIM? Ha! I'm sure I impressed him with my ability to turn a steering wheel." "No, seriously!" Moonstone gave her a gentle punch on the shoulder. "I mean, do you know who the last person he voluntarily worked with was?" Tempest thought for a moment, then looked at Moonstone expectantly for an answer. "No, I'm seriously asking! Because I don't know!" "What?" Tempest raised an eyebrow. "But what about you? You two seem like you get along pretty well!" "Heh, you'd be surprised." Moonstone rolled her eyes. "The only reason we started working together was because Princess Luna ordered him to! Our first mission ended with him locked in stone, myself captured in a work camp run by a power-crazed unicorn, and both of us having to get rescued by Princess Twilight." She sighed, shaking her head. "Seriously? Guess getting rescued by the Princess of Friendship must have been a pretty big wound to his pride. No wonder he's got a grudge." Moonstone snickered, helping herself to another noodle. "First of all, this was BEFORE Twilight was a princess. Second of all, his pride was a little hurt, but he was mostly just happy to see his girlfriend." "Oh..." In her drowsy state, it took a moment for Tempest to process what she had been told. "WHAT?" Moonstone chuckled as Tempest's jaw dropped. "You mean that he... and the PRINCESS... they were together?" Moonstone nodded, though Tempest could detect a hint of melancholy in her smile. "It was a long time ago. Five years, actually." "So, all of this... drama... everything he's put me through, is because I'm friends with his ex?" Moonstone's expression fell, pulling into a tense frown. "It's... more complicated than that." Tempest raised an eyebrow, feeling her temper beginning to rise. "Okay, seriously, Moonstone? You drop that kind of information on me, then stonewall me behind 'It's complicated!' That's NOT acceptable!" Moonstone sighed, and Tempest could feel her wanting to relent. "Sorry, but you're just going to have to go to Penn for more details. I REALLY shouldn't have told you they used to date, but I feel like you deserved SOMETHING after all this time." Moonstone shrugged again. "But to get back on topic, Penn and I were forced to work together, and it wasn't easy to get used to each other. We didn't work well together until after the changeling invasion of Canterlot, after I helped him through the... aftereffects." "Even Twilight had to force her way into his life, and all of his old colleagues I've met were either childhood friends or fellow students from HIS days as a rookie!" She smiled and rose to her feet, walking towards the door. "What I'm saying is, he's giving you a hard time, but you are the first pony I've seen him ever have ANY interest in working with as a voluntary team." Tempest rose to her hooves, trying to shake off the sleepiness that had settled in from sitting still to eat. "I thought you said you'd have to pull rank on him to force me into this?" Moonstone stopped, giving her a grin. "You'll have to learn something if you're going to work with us. Penn never listens to anyone directly, he's disillusioned with authority figures. If you want him to do something, you've got to make him think it was his idea." Reaching into her scales, Moonstone produced a familiar scroll: it was the letter that had sent her and Pennington both rushing for the airship at the NLR. "Here. Consider this your mission briefing for when we reach Aris." She tossed the scroll to Tempest before slipping out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Tempest looked down, scooping up the scroll in her front hooves and sitting down to read. To Written Word, President and CEO of Front Page Publishing, It my my regretful duty as Chief of Police to inform you that there has been what appears to be a case of arson at your publishing company. At approximately 22:47 on the night of the 23rd, calls came in reporting your printing factory as being ablaze. While emergency services did the best that they could in a swift and efficient manner, there is little left of a building full of paper and binding glue that was set on fire. Ordinarily, this would have been considered an industrial accident. However, come morning, we found the site desecrated and marked with a message. We were informed by your secretary that you will not be returning for at least another week, however we need you to return at the soonest possible opportunity for questioning. Enclosed are several photographs of the scene, including the aforementioned message. I feel as though I should also remind you that your business visa here comes with caveats, and a failure to establish contact within 72 hours will obligate us to legally seize your business assets under suspicion of possible terrorism, and we both know that we don't want it to come to that. Sincerely, Tailwind, MAPD Turning over the first page, Tempest was met with several photographs of a large building that had been reduced to complete ash and rubble. At first, she had to agree that it looked like what she would expect if a publishing company burned down. However, as she moved on, a photograph near the end revealed the truth. A piece of steel stabbed into the ground to stand upright, with a small sack hanging off the end, and more pieces of rubble spelling out a message in front of it. FOUND YOU WE HAD A DEAL NO RETIRING Tempest didn't know why, but the message sent chills down her spine. Whatever this was, it was personal, it was deliberate, and it was coming for her teacher. Color me intrigued, I suppose...