Wisps of morning mist still clung to the mysterious floating island as the group of flyers prepared to leave their current home, the Equestrian airship EAS Harmony, currently stranded on the far side of the storm wall. Their mission would be creature control: specifically the small and very bitey creatures the first expedition had found lurking deep in the forest. Gathered in a small circle was a trio of tough looking birds: a sharp-clawed, battle-scarred griffon hen, a pegasus mare in shades of deep purple with empty, unblinking eyes, and a grey hippogriff sporting a magnificent pink crest and tail. The later was bedecked in his long, slender wingblades: priceless heirlooms from his family's martial tradition, that he might even know how to use. Around them assorted crewponies and the odd non-pony got on with repairs and other duties.
The griffon, who went by the name Grenelda, held Melonwater's map in one claw, studying it intently. "This stone bridge in the middle, the one closest to the pit," she said, "Should be able to land there, then it's just a short walk to where those ponies got jumped."
“And what do we do at the pit?” the pegasus once named Cloud Cutter said, making a couple of practice swings with her much smaller and utilitarian-looking wingblades. Her emotionless tone, cutie mark of a cloud sliced into three pieces and softly glowing, featureless white eyes combined to make her a rather unsettling presence.
Grenelda appeared unfazed; “That’s up to the good doctor here,” she replied, looking up at the hippogriff stallion, Reef Skimmer.
Reef had been fidgeting his wings nervously; not that the weapons are particularly heavy, just that he always felt self-conscious with the showy things strapped on. At the mention of the mission, his wings snapped back to his sides as he addressed the griffon. "Why, capture a sample of course! Intact if possible, if not then the least damaged." He waved a claw at his flank, where a bundle of wood tied with rope was sticking out of one of his bulging leather saddlebags. "Collapsible cage right here, assuming the blighters don't chew right through it... in which case we may have to go for dissection in situ. Rest assured, I'm prepared for that as well."
His gaze shifted to the pegasus, where it lingered for a long moment. "Now Cloud Flutter, are you quite sure you're ok to fly? No stiffness in the wing muscles? Nothing feeling too heavy, or too light?"
"Wow, you're gonna stew them? That's pretty ballsy," Grenelda said, with an eyebrow raised. "Guess we could find out if they're good to eat. I’m not takin the first bite though."
Not particularly commenting on that, Cloud Cutter answered the doctor in an even voice, “Nothing stiff. I can fly for sure. What do you mean, ‘too light?’”
"Well my dear, pegasi rely on their magic to fly, even more so than us griffs you know." Reef lectured, seemingly unaware that this was junior flight camp material, if that. "I regret to say we, which is to say, I've engaged the finest minds on this ship to work on it... but yes we, collectively, still haven't pinned down the specifics of your... curious transformation." The hippogriff paused for a moment, suddenly realising this probably wasn't very reassuring for the patient. "What we do know is that you're infused with a strange magic unlike any pony or griff has previously encountered... and lived to document at least... so, umm, be on guard for... things perhaps working differently than you're used to?" he finished vaguely.
While Cloud Cutter stared at her spread primaries and tried to digest that, Reef glanced back to Grenelda and stage-whispered "Now now, biological science first, culinary science afterwards."
“But, you just said...” Grenelda trailed off, looking down at a claw in consternation.
Looking Reef Skimmer in the eyes now, well sort of, Cloud Cutter said flatly, “There was a weird storm. I was knocked out. I turned purple. That’s all I know,” as if she has said that to a certain someone several dozen times over the past two days.
“What colour were you before?” Grenelda asked curiously.
Finally something that could crack Cloud's calm facade: a slight pause, then she turned to the griffon and replied in a surprised tone, “W-white. White and... blue. Blue mane. I had two stripes of blue, not just purple and... more purple.” Her mane and tail were a little darker than her fur, but otherwise she was now in painted solely in shades of purple.
Reef rolled his eyes; ponies were so touchy about their colours. Purple seemed like a perfectly good crest colour. Maybe the mare was concerned about looking so similar to her fellow transformed pegasi? But then they all had those personal flank pictures so surely there was no danger of being confused with each other. Shaking his head, he said "Indeed. Very well then." and turns back to the hen and half-spread his wings. "By all means, my dear, lead the way."
A brief flurry of wingbeats and the trio were airborne, climbing swiftly above the meadow until they disappeared over the treeline.
Below them the dense forest expanded in every direction, until abruptly ending at the shores of the sky island they crossed. The three soar together on gentle skies with the tall tops of the trees far below them. The vegetation steadily progressed from subtropical near the ship to full-blown jungle on the far side of the landmass. The thick canopy only breaks in two spots, one immediately below where the trees circle tightly around a swampy lake, and one further away where a hilltop pushes up out of the woodland, a second body of water glimmering just below the rocky summit. At first it seemed like neither the ruined village nor its adjacent stream will be found within the endless trees.
Reef Skimmer banked and bobbed through the air, giving his wings a nice stretch and enjoying a good flap around after a week confined to the ship. The hen in front was quite striking in that stereotypical, old-school griffon way, all rough edges and fierce predator. She reminded him of that one time he'd managed to... well, let's say griffons didn't seem to have much concept of foreplay, and while she'd been intrigued by the notion for a few minutes it turned out she didn't have much patience either. Alas, it was out of the question here; Reef had been looking forward to the hen turning up for her physical, only to have Gustus appear in his sick bay instead. The tiercel had made it quite clear they were a mated pair and somewhat less clear exactly what horrible fate would befall any creature who might intrude upon that.
Ah well, he thought. In any case, the hen had the map; Reef could only try to recall its layout, and scan the jungle for any break that might be a recognisable landmark. There was a section of younger trees that might be... yes, most likely squarish forms were the overgrown buildings of the village. The bridge they were heading for was supposed to be upstream of that, now if only he could spot said stream through the dense branches and vines.
The dark grey griffon had either paid closer attention to the map or was gifted with sharper eyesight, because she was soon descending towards the isolated stone arch, threading through the narrow open space above the river. The hippogriff doctor followed with some difficultly, his wider wingspan catching a few branches on the way down, while the empty-eyed pegasus smoothly glided in behind him. Grenelda settled onto the bridge and pre-emptively shushed her companions with a talon to her beak. “Voices down," she murmured quietly, "We don’t wanna attract the things.” Stealthily, the three followed the path into the jungle, approaching the monster pit with utmost care.
Thick foliage leaned in from either side of the path, as if the jungle wished to reclaim the meagre open space or perhaps conceal what lay ahead. It made a few lazy turns then descended abruptly into a large, shallow pit. The roughly circular cavity was in no danger of surprising wary travellers though: at least a dozen metres across and completely barren of vegetation, this was obviously the place the ponies had spoken of. No creatures could be seen in the pit though, much less green, chomping ones; the scene was quiescent and still.
Reef Skimmer looked around, wide eyed, gazing at the surrounding vegetation. None of it was familiar! Many of the plants were outlandish in proportion and colouration. Even the species that seemed to be Equestrian, on closer inspection, had some subtle detail that set them apart. This was a treasure trove of new biology. He could only wonder about the bird song they were hearing and whether it was coming from similarly undiscovered species.
Shaking his head, he focused on the pit: this was the mission, there would be time enough to study the surroundings later. "Hmm, curious. No bodies, scraps or even skeletons. Scavengers must have carried them away, or else decomposition is supernaturally fast." the hippogriff mused, scratching his crest feathers with a claw. "No obvious burrows either. Plenty of roots..." Looking to his companions, who were pacing warily around the perimeter of the hole, he asked "Do you see any tracks leading to the pit, or even any spoil from digging it out?"
Cloud Cutter had been stepping lightly around the edge, stopping to peer into the jungle. The purple pegasus glanced back at Reef, saying "Nothing trampled or broken. I don't think anything bigger than a squirrel could have pushed through." She looked back at the route they'd taken. "That trail is the only way to the sinkhole, or whatever this thing is." Regarding the far side, she concluded “It looks like it continues on the other side of the pit. I could fly over there and check it out.”
Grenelda backed up, her avian gaze darting from one tree to the next. “Just watching our six,” she said dismissively to Cloud, “I don’t hear anything. Not anywhere near this, at least." Turning to the hippogriff, she asked "So what is it, doctor? Some kinda giant’s footprint? And where are all the chompers, or whatever they’re called?”
Reef looks up from a particularly interesting flower he was studying. "What's that? Chompers?" He gives the little clearing another quick scan. "Oh yes, well: no remains, no burrows, no spoil from digging, no trails through the undergrowth... and barring unseen magic they didn't sound like a stealthy bunch." The hippogriff looked at the eerie pegasus and gave a quick beak-grin. "I think Cloud Splutter has the right idea, this is most likely a natural sinkhole, the beasts probably just saw two trapped prey and thought it was a free lunch. I imagine they thought our colleagues were particularly colourful sheep."
The two griffs seemed amused by that, although Reef quickly looked away as Cloud Clutter gave him another of her unblinking, silent stares. "Well, yes, in any case, they must have come down the path, so... we may indeed find their lair on the far side. Let us proceed."
"We should cross together," Cloud said distantly, eyes returning to the trail leading deeper into the jungle. "If those things come at us..."
“We run,” Grenelda cut in, “We’re not here to be heroes. The way Blue Type was going on, there was no end to the things.” She looked increasingly unhappy to be stuck under the dense canopy.
“Just... ‘cmon, let’s go,” Cloud Cutter said, spreading her quite modest wings which unlike the griffs had no trouble opening wide in the confined area of the trail. “And be ready for a fight.” She leapt into the air and drifted easily over the pit, shortly followed by Reef Skimmer, then Grenelda bringing up the rear. A growling, scarred griffon, a sleek pegasus with head down and blades bared, and a hippogriff stallion who looked from one to the other, before trying to make a show of baring his wing blades too.
The foliage only got denser as the group continued, the path literally excavated from the dense tangle of choking vines, branches and ferns, snaking from side to side as it went around the largest trees. All sound was muted by the foliage, even the omnipresent birdsong sounding distant and muffled.
Reef trotted cautiously down the path, starting to become nervous. There was nothing obviously threatening, but then, that was kind of the trouble wasn't it? Summer's group hadn't seen anything dangerous in hours of wandering about, until they were surprised by a horde pf bloodthirsty beasts. "Look lively now, if that was a cover-collapse sinkhole... well, there's no telling what else might give way under our weight," Reef whispered. "Still no sign of large animals..." The path seemed to go on and on, all view of the pit already lost due its twists and turns; by now the group was at least a kilometre from their landing point.
"Cover-collapse... what?" asked Grenelda in annoyed tone; geology was not one of her strong points. “You know, uh... I don’t see any green critters over here,” the griffon said, peering around Reef’s stately posterior to scan the trail ahead. "Maybe it was some sort of trap? Set up by whoever is keeping this path clear? But yeah could be more of them."
“Oh no, we can’t fall into a pit,” Cloud Cutter said emphatically to the gryphon, “How would we ever get out?”
A beat, then Grenelda responded flatly, “That was a joke, wasn’t it.”
Cloud Cutter just smiled back in amusement; it was the first time she'd shown emotion since they left.
“I'm saying there's no point going back.” Grenelda said, rolling her eyes, “We’re past the pit. Let’s see where this trail leads!”
Reef frowned and nodded, "Not a bad idea, I have to say. This path was built by someone, it must go somewhere they thought was important. Even if that hole was a trap, well, it couldn't have been intended for us, we just arrived. Besides... look at all this." He gestured at the surrounding greenery. "I could fill every jar and pouch I brought with samples and still only scratch the surface. Even if we don't find those bitey beasts, we'd hardly be returning empty clawed. Aha!"
Spotting a particularly interesting bright blue slug, the hippogriff reached into a saddlebag for one of said jars, set it on the ground with top unscrewed, then reached out delicately with a claw to snag the creature... and SQUAWKED as a tiny flash of electricity jumps from the slug to his leg. The charge was only mildly painful but it was enough to fluff all his feathers up.
"Damned bloody awful little..." Reef's shouting trailed off "...which is to say, hmph, got a little carried away there, one ignores proper procedure at one's peril you know." he finished in a sheepish voice. Extracting a pair of tongs from the other over-filled saddle bag, he grabbed the slug, which is now a rather duller shade of blue, and stuffs it in the jar. Within seconds the whole lot was stowed back in his bag. "So, where were we?"
The trail continued for another three kilometres, with no hostile encounters other than Reef’s brief delight as some slinky beast went rushing across the trail and crashing into the brush just ahead of them. A single side path to the right was thoroughly overgrown and duly ignored; none of the winged creatures felt like pushing into an even more confined space. Finally the woods begin to open up, with light streaming through the branches as they approached the edge of the island: the undergrowth grew sparser but the great trunks only grew taller, towering overhead in a chaotic mass of twisted branches and hanging vines.
At last the group reached the edge, where the land dropped away entirely to reveal a vista of open sky dotted by clouds and the floating island's distant siblings. Many of the enormous trees seemed to have fallen on their side, massive trunks stretching precariously out into the void. Instead of dying however, leafy branches sprouted and flourished upward into trees of their own right, extending the jungle beyond the boundaries of the land that supported it.
Reef Skimmer peered over the edge, letting his gaze follow a particularly large trunk that could have stood in for one of Canterlot's smaller towers. It slanted down a hundred metres or more, before terminating on new ground below. It was an entirely new island, floating adjacent to and below the first, obscured from view until now. The forest didn’t even hesitate at the edge: the eager plants bridged the gap like some kind of living waterfall, stretching all the way down to where a second forest, no, the same forest continued beyond.
The slanted trunk had been hollowed out at some point: they could see the entrance to a substantial passageway, travelled down inside of it, presumably leading to the lower island. The way down was barred by a substantial wrought iron fence and gate, built all around and over the opening, held tightly shut by an impressive brass lock.
Hanging from the lock was a neatly drawn sign, featuring two lines of runes that were completely incomprehensible to the newcomers. Fortunately the four pictograms below the strange writing were rather more comprehensible: a key, a house, several small circles and an arrow pointing right. Indeed to the right of the gate a small side path lead along the side of the island, then up through a small clearing to end at an ordinary looking cottage, just sitting there in the middle of the jungle.
Reef Skimmer spent some time staring in awe at the aerial jungle, before his gaze settled on the locked gate. "What in Equus... I can't imagine the sheep made this." Walking right up to the barrier, he examined the metalwork, the giant keyhole and alien writing of the sign, then cocked his head at the sight of the cottage. Stepping close to Grenelda, he said in a quiet voice "It doesn't look abandoned, but I don't see anycreature around either. Do you suppose there's something else on this island still drawing travellers, wingless ones at that? Anything on that map that might warrant visitors?"
“Why are you asking me? I’m just here to beat up monsters,” the griffon replied vaguely, looking up and all around at the cathedral-like branches as she strutted around.
“I would guess that means 'ask at that house for a key',” Cloud Cutter said, pointing a hoof at the sign, then in the general direction of the cottage. “Those might be coins, indicating payment? You don’t suppose there’s anybody living here?”
“Probably, I mean, someone must be keeping this trail clear.” Grenelda observed. “Well 'cept for that pit we were supposed to be looking at. Unless they were the one that dug it out in the first place. Either way, let’s go see if anyone’s home.”
As the griffon hen took a step forward, Reef put a claw on her shoulder. "I admire your curiosity, my dear: not to mention bravery, given that it could very well be another trap." Grenelda gave him an angry glare that softened only slightly at the compliment. "But assuming there is some civilised creature in there..." the hippogriff continued "...don't you think we should have the ponies present, for first contact with a new culture and all that?" He glanced at the undead pegasus standing stock still nearby. "We're hardly the diplomats... or the friendliest looking... of the crew."
"We're just going to talk, not contact them. What do you think I am, a pervert?" Grenelda asked Reef irritably, “You can go touching strange creatures all you want, but leave me out of it!” she snorted.
“No, he’s... right. I think,” Cloud Cutter said, looking nervously from the cottage to the edge, “I don’t even think we were supposed to be out here. Just a quick trip to the pit, right? How long have we been walking on foot?”
“The sky is right there,” Grenelda replied, pointing a claw at the island’s end, “So you can just go ahead and fly right on out." She turned back to the hippogriff. "I don’t really get that whole ‘culture’ stuff though. You mean we should steal the key instead, so they don’t see us or anything?”
"Certainly not!" Reef hissed. "There will be no stealing on my watch! I mean, aside from the fact that we aren't dishonourable knaves or diamond dogs, why would you risk hostilities for a key we don't even need? We can fly the ponies down there easily enough." He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "What we truly need are allies that can help us with supplies, repairs... and maybe there are creatures in there who fit the bill, or can at least point us in the right direction. Look... I'm going to... head back that way, collect a few more samples, and report back to Set Sail, I mean, the senior junior research pony Sunset Scribble. This is a major discovery! No need to hog all the glory."
“Fine! Whatever. I was just curious, okay?” the grey griffon said, tossing up a foreleg dismissively and stomping away from the gate. “So we could’ve just flown around here the whole time. What’s the point? I didn’t think this trail would go all the way to the other end of the island! Forget this, I’m going back to camp.”
She struggled up over a big branch and leapt off the edge of the island, catching the wind as her wings spread and soaring swiftly away. Reef just watched her go; he was pretty sure arguing would just turn frustration into anger, and while angry ponies could be kind of cute, angry griffons were always trouble.
“...I think that went rather well,” Cloud Cutter remarked, drifting silently up beside Reef Skimmer. He tensed and began to spread his wings, before parlaying the motion into a kind of shrug; he wondered if the pegasus used to sneak up on creatures before she turned purple, or if it was a consequence of the transformation.
"Hmm, well, can't be helped I suppose, on edge and expecting a fight for the last hour, must be disappointed that we didn't see any action." Reef stared into Cloud Cutter's blank expressionless eyes for a moment, before looking away. "Might be a predator thing. So! As I say, I'll just be collecting a few more samples... if you wouldn't mind, err, keeping an eye out while I do so?" The big grey bird-pony took s a tentative step down the path, back into the forest. It still seemed peaceful... but the overhanging canopy was starting to feel oppressive, and he couldn't shake the image of being overwhelmed by a sudden tide of chomping mouths. He didn't want to be all alone out here.
"I will be with you as long as you like, Reef Skimmer,” Cloud Cutter said smoothly, following his lead as she trotted along behind him, heading back into the jungle. “But don’t wait until it’s too late to escape the nightfall. We wouldn’t want to get caught out here in the dark.”
Reef nodded at this: "Oh indeed, I would hope we'll be back for afternoon tea much less nightfall". The odd pair make their way back down the mossy path, the hippogriff constantly stopping to poke around in the jungle while the pegasus stood motionless, her eyes searching through the trees for any sign of trouble. One by one Reef's jars were filled by various insects and, after a particularly lucky pounce, some kind of rodent. Various pouches were stuffed with seeds, fruits and cuttings of plants. Perhaps two hours later, the two creatures found themselves back at the pit.
The shadows were beginning to lengthen, as the sun sank in the sky, casting the bottom of the pit into twilight. The hollow was still barren of life, even tree roots; nothing moved in the depths. Once again the sounds of animal life were muted, as if everything was avoiding this place, leaving a suspicious stillness that was broken only by the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. Perhaps that was why the feathers on the back of Reef's neck were standing up.
"Right, here we are again then... and nothing. Not drawn by sound, or scent it seems." the hippogriff looked perplexed. "Although, if they're burrowing... vibration perhaps? Hmm..." Curiosity getting the better of him, he located a sizable rock and strained to pull it out of the ground. The stone was the size of a pony's head, and got significantly easier to carry once the hippogriff had spread his pinions. Struggling to keep them clear of the overhanging branches, he flapped up and hovered over the centre of the pit, before releasing the rock.
The rock plummeted to the bottom and embedded itself in the smooth dirt. Reef thought he caught a glimpse of something else moving, but with the shifting shadows it could have been his imagination. The lump of stone just sat there, and no green creatures came to investigate.
Reef stared into the pit for a few more seconds, before looking back to Cloud Cutter and attempting a smile. "I can only assume that after that licking Azure gave them, the beasts are avoiding the area! Perhaps smarter than they seemed? In any case, nothing for it now, let's head back." He glided down to the far side of the pit, the point where they'd first arrived, and added "Oh but if you don't mind, I'd like to check in with the other group on the way. They might have, erm... something?"
Cloud Cutter followed after, and nodded silently as she landed beside him. She wasn't sure what he meant, but checking in on the other team was a sensible precaution. Crossing the river and travelling on foot into the western forest, the two took the very overgrown southern detour to the abandoned village, slowly being reclaimed by the jungle. Here they would find Azure Feather, Summer Scribe, and the other ponies who'd spent the day sifting through the ruins.
Reef Skimmer trotted into the cracked central square, surrounded by the vine-choked ruins of former buildings. He immediately spotted Azure, sitting on the roof of one of the more intact structures and keeping a watchful eye on the various unicorns scattered around the settlement. Her folded butterfly wings shimmered in the late afternoon light. "Azure!" he shouted, "Good to see you again. No luck with the chomp beasts but plenty of specimens, and oh, guess what we found at the far end of that path? An honest-to-Novo toll gate!"
Azure's stance was a relaxed one, as she maintained her vigil over the ponies investigating the various ruined buildings, but there was still a sense of frustration, judging by the increased tension in her wings, not to mention the quiet muttering. At the doctor's shout, though, her head rose back to attention, and couldn't help but tilt at the mention of the toll gate. "Hmm. Suggests something actually intelligent lives here, then. Promising, at least. It's... been pretty dead here." she called back. She rose to her feet, indulged in a quick stretch and shook out her mane before adding "No hostiles to report."
Walking up to the building she'd chosen as her perch, Reef said "Ah... probably for the best, you still need to heal up you know," lingering concern in his voice. "But yes... does look that way, a little cottage and a neat sign, not that we could read the writing but there were these pictograms... asking for a toll, most likely. Grenelda... you know, the griffin hen... she wanted to go in right there and then... but you know what those unicorns are like, first contact protocol and all that. Best have the actual diplomats to do the talking, I have to admit."
Azure shrugged a bit at the mention of healing. "Honestly, I wouldn't have minded one or two hostiles to make sure the darn things don't bother us again, I've done nothing all day but stare at ruins... but you're right. Is everything okay, though? I notice your squad is down to two members..." she noted, concern in her own eyes now.
"Oh, once it was obvious there wasn't going to be any action, she just took off, in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Didn't have your patience or dedication, it seems." Reef said, in his most charming tone. "Although, speaking of the ruins..." The hippogriff flapped up to get closer to the unicorn, continuing in a quieter voice "err, did you find anything, you know, as we discussed?"
Azure frowned, recalling the various finds of the day. "The ponies down there seem interested by some... box, with brass bits sticking out. I haven't gone down there for a closer look, but from here it just looks like a fancy wardrobe."
"Wardrobe?" Reef looked confused. "That doesn't sound very..."
Azure gave a quick nod before cutting him off. "Not your average wardrobe. Not with the horn and the glass bits." She shrugged slightly with her wings. "Believe me, if I knew the slightest bit about this place, it might make more sense to me. I think it does fit your criteria though. Maybe that's why the creatures down there are so interested too?" Turning away from the hippogriff, she gave the area another scan, looking for any sign of hostiles, before gesturing with a hoof at the far side of the central square.
"Is that so?" Reef quickly located the relevant artefact, sitting in the middle of a small collection of items in front of one of the larger ruins. "Indeed, that does look appropriate!" The hippogriff bobbed his head in a sort of flying bow. "Thank you!"
He glided down to a landing, eager to take a closer look. Rusted pots, half-rotted books and a great many pottery shards surrounded the artefact, which was clearly the prize find. Formidable in size, festooned with odd protrusions, and seemingly little affected by the passage of time save for a surface patina, it might be just what Reef was looking for. Glancing from side to side, he verified that the ponies were all busy investigating other buildings or uncovering buried objects.
Running his claws over the seasoned wood of the artefact, the big griff moved around to the rear... and discovered a panel, flush with the surface. A quick pry with his talons had it open, and what he found inside confirms his hopes. "Yes... this will do nicely." he muttered. Taking the thing in his claws, Reef struggled and flapped... by Novo the thing was heavy... and finally managed to wrench it into the air, where it suddenly became a bit more manageable albeit still very cumbersome. It was at this point that he looked up, and realised the flaw in his plan.
'Well, at least some creature's happy' Azure thought, nodded with a bit of a smile as she watched the doctor fly towards the weird object, and judging by his reaction, yeah... he was looking forward to this. Though flying with it in tow... and... oh goodness. Didn't doctors stay away from risky, unhealthy ideas? Not today! Azure quickly spread her wings and took off to try and help Reef Skimmer. Was he actually going to carry this thing back to the ship? "Doctor, last thing we need is you injured... let me help you carry this!" She lit her horn and began to wrap her magic around it; it was indeed heavy, too much weight for her to carry alone, but... at least they could take this home together, right?
Registering Azure's presence again, Reef clarified the problem: "Azure, err, thanks for the offer... honestly though... not the weight... that's the issue... once you're airborne." he said, breathing heavily "You've seen... air carriages... right? That canopy though... damned inconvenient... don't suppose... you could arrange... a way through?" Reef looked upward at the tangle of branches and vines forming a dense canopy over the ruined square.
Azure blinked, initially surprised when the doctor declined her offer to help, but it seemed her quick take-off would not be for nothing... clear the way? It's true that flying in the forest was a challenge even for the pegasi, and with his much larger wingspan there was no way the doctor would be weaving his way through the maze. There was no way he was going to carry that artefact back... unless she could clear the way.
"It's true that the quickest place from one point to another is a straight line... and there may not be hostiles, but this'll do just fine!" she called out happily, forgetting her injuries for a moment as her magic came alive in her unicorn's horn. She charged and shaped it into the same beams that she used to annihilate the hostiles last time, intent on cutting a path to the ship... only to get much more than she'd bargained for. Her horn grew painfully hot as the magic built and built, before bursting out in an enormous glowing torrent that smashed into the jungle, erasing the offending foliage from existence.
Reef almost dropped the artefact as waves of light, sound and flying splinters hit him. Maybe this pony really was an alicorn? "Thank... thank you!" he shouted, staring at the tunnel of total destruction sloping gently up through at least a hundred metres of jungle canopy, ending in a circle of sky with the distant EAS Harmony visible at the lower edge. "Most impressive! Take care!" With that the hippogriff flew off, flapping laboriously down the newly created tunnel until he emerges the into open sky. Such was his eagerness to depart, he failed to notice Azure's stunned expression or the steam rising from her horn.
Down on the ground, ponies came charging out of various digs and ruins. "What is it, what's going on? I'm ready!" shouted a certain Summer Scribe, horns lit. Seeing Azure, in flight and framed by a swathe of devastation behind her, she asked desperately "Is it an attack? Where are they? Wait, did you... vaporise them?"
With a distinct clang, the hatch leading from the engine room to the main deck opened, admitting a light grey hippogriff struggling with a pony-sized wooden cabinet. Reef had already dropped his saddlebags, but the wing blades were still strapped on, occasionally clinking against the walls and scratching the metal. Grunting with exhaustion, he pushed the thing over the deck plates into the open space between the boilers.
It stood on a wide brass plinth with four substantial feet, with a circular glass feature on the front and protrusions to the sides, the largest resembling a speaking tube adorned with a lightbulb. The artefact was crowned by two metal rods, linked by a piece of curly wire, the insulation aged and cracking off. "Nutmeg?" the hippogriff asked, panting. "Has anyone seen her? Thought she might... want to take a look... at this."
"Hey hey hey what the hay are you doing?" an off-pink mare shouted roughly, running up the causeway to the hippogriff and his ill-gotten goods, "Is that a... why the hay are you bringing in... the largest radio I've ever seen!? You think tunes are gonna broadcast this far from Equestria?" At Reef's question, she tilted her head, saying, "She's in the back. We found some tin sheets so we're welding the pipes what we can. Why you want her to look at a giant radio? She's very busy ya know."
Reef looked down at the unicorn, unimpressed. "Why? We just found evidence that not only is there industry and technology here, but there might be a way to communicate with the natives without even having to find them! Assuming this even is a radio and not some technology completely alien to us! You don't think that might be of interest to the chief engineer?" he huffed, anger and voice rising at having lugged this thing all the way here only for the ponies to act as if he had it in his cabin the whole time.
"What... what?" she replied in fretful confusion, "Look, I... don't know what you mean but just hold on I'll go get her." She went galloping off into a service corridor.
Seconds later a redheaded Kirin sprang out, saying "Hold on, I'm coming!" Nutmeg fells to a walk upon approaching Reef Skimmer. "You put the fear of Celestia into Sprocket, Reef," she chided, "She almost sounded like she was saying you found some alien technology." The brown furred mare stopped before him, looking to her right at the new machine, then back to him, adding in confusion, "What's a radio doing here? It's huge! I didn't even know we had one of these on board."
Looking at the fluffy kirin, Reef closed his eyes and let out a long, long breath. Calm, stay calm, surely this was a good idea, even if it had gotten a bit out of hand. Finally, he opened his eyes and said dryly. "We didn't. This is from the village. Honestly I'm not sure if it was a radio or not, but it's definitely a complex bit of technology, that seems native to these islands. Thought... you might like to take a look."
Nutmeg squinted at him, then looked at the radio: rusty antenna, warped casing, cracked dial, it had definitely seen better days. Another glance at Reef, then another squint at the device, before saying "Seriously? They had radios here? I mean I... guess I could take a look." She looked at the radio thoughtfully, "I'd have to drill out the screws though... unless this panel here opens... huh." The rear panel came away at her touch, and the kirin stared at the guts of the machine for a long while, before looking at Reef again in disbelief. "They really found a fluffing radio in that village?! This thing's almost intact! It must be a fake or... or a prank or something."
Laughing humourlessly now, she looked away before adding, "Ha ha, yeah you got me good there. It almost even looks like it came from a ruin. Were you the one who lugged an old trashed radio all this way just for a prank, or is someone else watching me freak out here?"
Reef's claws tightened, making an unpleasant chalk-on-blackboard screech as his talons scratched the deck plates, while his feathers fluffed up and his ear tufts flattened. His barely held cool evaporated as he said angrily "I go out of my way to lug this bloody thing back here, out of the foolish notion that perhaps you'd like something interesting and technical to sink your fangs into, and you have the nerve to call me a liar! Well, Chief Engineer Inferno, you've made it quite clear I needn't have bothered! Hmph. Good day to you!" With that the hippogriff turned tail (Nutmeg leaning back instinctively this time to avoid the pink feathers in the snout) and stalked out of the engine room, disappearing into the bulk of the ship.
Nutmeg stares in shock after the hippogriff storming out. Then she looks at the oversize radio again, still sitting heavily there in the middle of the engine room. "He was serious?" she declared faintly, falling to her haunches before the aged machine.