//------------------------------//
// Revisiting Skyfreeze 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Darkwind's 'landing area' turned out to be, Starlight quickly realized, exactly where the ship had once laid before, out of power and borne down on by a swarm of icy windigoes. The raised glass tunnel that used to form passage between Skyfreeze and the skyport was shorn completely through several support columns away from the tower, and while the area below was littered with shards of glass and twisted beams of metal, the broken tunnel served easily as an impromptu dock.

"Everyone who's getting off and can't teleport or fly, with me here," Shinespark commanded, standing on the deck and levitating the gangplank into place with her telekinesis, Gerardo remaining on the bridge and holding the ship steady. "Then we'll moor the ship on the ground so it doesn't drift away."

Starlight shrugged, crossing into the remains of the tunnel surrounded by Maple, Amber and Willow. This was the first time she had seen Skyfreeze up close; her previous trip with Valey had been done blind, and she hadn't paid the structure any mind while teleporting around with Hestia after the storm. It was tall, golden, gleaming, and showed little sign of external damage despite the intensity of the event it had been through. Probably some unicorn's enchantment, she figured.

Sheet upon sheet of curved metal reached for the sky, interspersed by panoramic windows that seemed almost random, yet had a strange harmony to their placement, like the tines in a music box. It drew the earth ponies' eyes as well, and Starlight watched as their necks craned up and up, looking to see the top... Even Maple seemed taken by it. Then again, she wouldn't have been in any condition to appreciate it earlier, either.

"And this is what it looks like after it's been blown up," Amber whistled. "Always knew the world contained things like this. Always wished I could see them. Never understood what that would be like, though..."

Shinespark gave her a slightly mournful look, clunking up in her cast. "Skyfreeze tower was built within the last ten years, after the city's economy was transformed by airships. It's modern and artsy, but doesn't have the soul of a lot of the city's other architectural feats. A lot of those are gone now, but I hope enough survived that I can show you before we leave what Sosa could really do."

"I can imagine how you feel," Willow gently whispered. "But remember, we are Riverfall mares who have never seen the world. All I know is that I'm finally getting to change that, and this is what it looks like."

"You wanna know what's missing from this picture?" Valey nudged Maple's shoulder with a grin. "Bad guys. Politics. Weapons. Explosions. Drama. That stuff. I'm actually feeling nice and cushy about this place for once. Looks like we don't have a welcome wagon, either." She glanced down the empty tunnel, all the way to the tower entrance at the end. "Wanna invite ourselves in and make ourselves at home?"

Harshwater cleared her throat from behind them, hovering upright with rapid flaps of her wings. "We're your welcome wagon, thank you very much."

Valey nodded appreciatively, eyeing her dangling form up and down. "I'd welcome your wagon, if you know what I mean."

Harshwater's face lit up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ha ha ha..." Bourbon chuckled pleasantly. "I don't think Harshwater's wagon welcomes itself that way, unfortunately."

"There's a filly right there, you know..." Rainstorm interjected, frowning and pointing a hoof at Starlight.

Valey stepped between them so she was the one being pointed at, stuck out her tongue, and put on a pout. "Nyaah. I am too an adult."

"Girls." Darkwind interrupted them as Gerardo and Matryona caught up, the ship successfully moored behind them. "No need to trigger Harshwater by reminding her which way her wagon is welcome." His words came with a twinkle in his eye, and Starlight realized he was messing with her, too.

"Oh, boo!" Harshwater made a pouty face and zipped away, leaving a fading trail as she disappeared inside the tower lobby.

Awkwardly, Maple smiled and tried to join the conversation. "For a group of professional mercenaries, you certainly tease each other a lot. Are you always like this?"

If any of them noticed she was the same mare who teleported away their entire attack team with a burst of overcharged harmonic magic, they didn't seem to care. "Yes," Rainstorm replied, nodding and giving Gerardo a look. "They are. It's nice, most of the time. Our company travels whenever Kero calls for it, usually with little no no warning save for making sure we're all on the ship. Forming attachments with the locals is almost impossible, as a result. All we have are each other, and it's every one of us that will watch our backs to make sure we make it through as many missions as possible. So in addition to being colleagues and comrades in arms, we are also friends, siblings, parents and even lovers. And many of us show that by teasing one another."

"It must be nice," Maple murmured. "Being able to take your entire home with you wherever you go, yet having that home hold all the friends you need to be happy."

"For the most part, yes." Rainstorm glowered at Darkwind. "Even if we all have personal limits that need to be and occasionally aren't respected."

Amber looked concerned. "That sounds a little passive-aggressive... What happened? Or should I not touch this?"

Darkwind sighed. "Rainstorm came within inches of her life during the storm, nearly freezing to death when she flew too high attempting to navigate a barrier. I told an embarrassing and somewhat personal story about her time in Varsidel where Gerardo was listening to goad her and keep her from falling asleep," he explained. "Doing so likely saved her."

"I'm aware." Rainstorm nodded, craning her neck to make eye contact with the pegasus stallion. "And I'd have done the same for any of you. But..." She glanced back to Gerardo and grinned. "I promised I'd live so I could tell one of your less-glamorous tales back, remember? One involving prison, sarosians and Mistvale?"

"Hold," Gerardo requested, raising a talon and looking intrigued. "An embarrassing and personal tale concerning Varsidel? I'm not quite sure I recall this."

Rainstorm huffed. "Well, it's not getting told again with any males in the room, so you can go ahead and keep not recalling."

Darkwind was still grimacing from her earlier suggestion. "That was not one of my better moments, Rainstorm..." He exhaled, relaxing. "But it's fair."

But telling stories would have to wait, because they were reaching the end of the tunnel, where a familiar yellow form stood waiting, accompanied by two more mercenaries and smiling faithfully. Starlight waved a hoof. Amber tripped when she tried to, and Shinespark started running forward, leg cast making a racket against the ground. "Arambai!"

"Hello again, Shinespark," he said fondly, tousling her mane when she bowed her head. But his eyes were fixed on the back of the crowd, where an exotic pegasus followed the group silently and was now gliding her way toward him, gently moving the mercenaries and Riverfall ponies out of her path.

They caught in an embrace that lasted for nearly a minute, culminating in a deep sigh from Arambai. "Ahhhh. Matryona..."