//------------------------------//
// Turn Back Now 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Gerardo was the first up to the deck, since Shinespark was still slowed and Valey wasn't about to ditch Nyala for the second time in a row. Everyone else was right behind, with Felicity peering over her shoulder through the open door to the bridge.

Three newcomers stood on the deck, and from the expressions of nervousness and uncertainty they wore, they weren't here to battle. The leader was a small mare about Grapejuice's height who was so rotund she was almost spherical, and while all were either awed or shying away from the harmony comet, she was the most confident of the three.

"Greetings, citizens," Gerardo said, bowing and offering a talon. "We've no quarrel with you. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

All three of them looked awkwardly at him, and the mare tried to say something before giving up, speaking in a heavily-accented voice. "Easy words?"

"Oh, someone else take this ship's controls and let me get out there!" Felicity called from the bridge. "Mistvale has their own language!"

Shinespark quickly hovered into the bridge, freeing Felicity to head out to the deck. All the visiting batponies had previously stopped to stare hopefully at Valey, but when she cleared her throat and announced something in a squeaky, trilling language, all three of them relaxed considerably. The mare quickly said something as Starlight and Maple joined the crowd alongside Amber, and even Jamjars slipped in out of sight.

Felicity's ears fell at the mare's pleading tone. "She's asking us to please go away," she translated. "Turn around, pass on through, just not stop and land here. Doesn't sound like there's much they can do about it, but they're asking very nicely."

Maple blinked. "Well, we weren't planning on stopping here, were we?"

"Why?" Amber asked, taking a step forward. "Is something wrong with this place? Is there something bad here?"

"Bad," the round mare answered, the two stallions echoing her. "Bad, bad."

"Before anyone offers to help," Valey warned, glaring at everyone. "Felicity, what's the bad stuff?"

Felicity translated, and the visitors' nervous shuffling increased. A few more words were exchanged, and she looked up and sighed. "It's not a secret, but they don't want to tell us because they think it will make us not want to leave."

Everyone looked to each other, and Gerardo shrugged. "Well, it sounds to me as if the easiest and most-straightforward course of action is to simply pass on by, no? Unless we're close enough to the grand temple that any good deeds done here could build us favor by reaching their ears..."

"What did I just say?" Valey raised an eyebrow at him.

Felicity cleared her throat, saying a few more things that seemed to make the visitors even more nervous. "They're... err... They really don't trust us, darlings," she apologized. "Valey, unless you wanted to do your thing and 'pull rank' as it were, I really think carrying on our way is the best way to curry favor."

Below, a faint colored light flashed, illuminating a thin patch in the curtain of cloudy mist.

Gerardo's headcrest drooped as he looked down over the railing. "There's something going on down there, alright..."

"Bananas, I really..." Valey walked to the side and looked down as well, the light continuing to flicker. "Do you guys seriously want to become involved in the first random thing someone politely asks us not to become involved in? Let's be chill with the batponies, please."

The visitors seemed to figure out she was advocating for leaving, and started to relax again.

"...Everyone?" Slipstream hesitantly cleared her throat, also looking down. "I hate to weigh in like this, but that flashing light is a pattern that's internationally recognized as a maritime and aviation distress signal."

Felicity folded her ears. "Oh dear."

Valey gritted her teeth and sighed. "Okay. What's this about pulling rank?"

The mare chittered something at her, and she tilted her head. "Yeah, uhh..." Valey pointed at Felicity. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to go through her. I don't speak batpony."

Felicity translated again, and all three visitors gave her nearly a strange enough look that they stopped being worried. One said something, and a few more words were exchanged, the trio growing more incredulous as Felicity spoke.

Eventually, Valey nudged Felicity's shoulder to get her attention. "Hey, uhh, whatever you're saying isn't working. I think the dude on the left wants to punch me." She gestured with a wing.

All three sarosians started chittering among themselves, growing slightly more animated, and the mare fixed Felicity with a look. Felicity sighed. "Trying to demonstrate your... erm... rank, darling. Which is difficult when these three are very antsy and are certain they're being tricked."

"Alright! Executive decision, we keep flying!" Valey called, standing up and turning to everyone. "Whatever's up, we don't need to know about it and will find out later if it's major. No antagonizing the local bats."

Maple's ears drooped. "Valey, if it's a distress signal..."

Felicity was already translating. The visitors markedly brightened, actually bowing to Valey, and the mare gave her a grateful, friendly smile. "Thank you," she said in her thick accent, adding something more to Felicity before leaving with the stallions in tow.

"...She said she's very grateful, darling," Felicity told her. "And told us if we really want to help, we should find a mountaintop city and tell them there's something going on here."

"So we're leaving?" Maple asked, stepping up alongside them. "Even though that's apparently a distress signal?"

"It is," Shinespark agreed, trading places on the bridge with Gerardo and floating back out. "Every Sosan learns that pattern almost from birth. But we have no idea what's down there, and I'm sure they're watching us to make sure we leave."

"Yep," Valey added, strolling to the railing herself. "Which is why we get sufficiently far away before diving back below the clouds and sending one or two of us to go check it out."

Amber blinked. "Wait, you're going to...?"

"There's something dangerous down there," Valey insisted. "This whole thing reeks of weirdness to me, and at the very least I wanna know what's going on. But we're also going to be stealthy and nice about it and not bust any heads. So I say we get two or three hours away... maybe that mountain peak... and then touch the mist and send someone back to check it out."

Shinespark bit her lip. "Are you sure? Just after you told them you'd leave?"

"Look, it's just for scouting," Valey insisted. "Me for detecting danger and finding our way back with Starlight, and you for translating just in case." She pointed a wing at Felicity. "We bail the moment we know what's up and catch up, with you guys flying slowly so we don't get left behind. What could go wrong?"