The Equestrians had now spent a week in the Cloudbreak Islands, and while they were still stranded in a strange and uncharted part of Equus (if this even was really part of Equus), the initial shock of the crossing had worn off. As had become customary, an hour after sunrise most of the crew could be found assembled on the upper deck of the EAS Friendship, attending an informal meeting lead by the acting Captain, Set Sail.
"Okay... we've had a little bit of a rough start, but we're doing okay-ish," Set Sail said to the surrounding creatures, "The balloon isn't leaking anymore. We have a good source of food and water. There's not a lot of attention on this island, and the stallion who owns it is on our side, mostly. The bad news is our engine is barely functioning, but... if there's a toll bridge here, then there must be a lot more civilization than we expected. We should be able to get supplies, and make repairs, but on the other hoof you might have to deal with the natives."
"I know we're not a diplomatic team but we should try not to piss anyone off too bad. If they need work to pay for repairs or supplies, then we work. If they come after us, well... we still need a better idea what kind of pon— creatures live around here. So I think we're at the point we can start sending out scouting parties. There are islands past this one that need to be surveyed, before we drop everything and try to drag the ship over there. We need to know who's friendly, and who's... hostile, and what sort of challenges we're up against. So, anyone interested in taking a long flight?"
She raised a brown feathery wing, adding, "Oh you have to be a flyer though. As I said the ship's not going anywhere fast."
Summer Scribe listened intently, nodding her head and then chipping in: "We know that there's at least two different sapient species around the Cloudbreak Islands - it's likely there are even more! - and that the capability to build airships and technology hereby unknown to us exists here. Or existed until fairly recently, at least." she conceded. "Given that we're just one ship's worth of ponies, our contact should always start with peaceful diplomacy! We're here to learn and explore, and the better the terms we can be on, well, the better!" She nodded her head again and smiled at the crew.
"I'm not a flyer, so... I guess I won't be going on aerial scouting team... but I trust that whoever goes in my stead can carry out the principles of Friendship and Harmony!" the little unicorn said emphatically, before blushing and pushing a hoof into her mane nervously. "Uh, yeah, and in the mean time I'll be continuing my explorations of the machine and the surrounding locale..."
Azure Feather stood silent and motionless while the captain and the senior researcher made their speeches. So it was finally time to shine some light on the uncharted regions of the Skylands, hmm? Goodness knows there was a lot of sky to cover... The butterfly-winged unicorn gave a curt little nod: "Well, I can help with two things... first and foremost, I can be a part of the expedition, and if there's a creature that wants to be a part of this and can't fly, there's always these..." She half-spread her wings for emphasis; despite being a unicorn, she could certainly fly, and with some effort, she could bestow that gift on another.
Concern flashed across Summer Scribe's face; she waved a hoof at Azure, as though she needed to be given binding advice in her absence. "Now, remember: no blasting people unless diplomatic negotiations have already broken down! We don't want to get a reputation for blowing up critters at the slightest provocation!"
"Now Summer, one would be a fool not to bring our only combat-trained spellcaster on such an expedition, no telling what creatures we'll run into..." Reef Skimmer said, looking approvingly at Azure. Then the hippogriff frowned "...awfully generous of you with the wings spell, but I have to ask, isn't that rather exhausting? We need you in top form if we're going into unknown skies."
Azure looked fairly pleased at the compliment, but slumped a little when her proposal to cast the wings spell was pretty easily shot down. "Call it me just trying to see if any creature wanted in despite not being a flier." She knew from years of personal experience how badly a grounded pony might want to join her fellows soaring above. "The spell is a bit tiring, though, Doctor, and you're right in the end..." Well, that was that option done; turning to Summer, she admitted: "As much as I hate to say it, my diplomacy is only slightly better than that wooden plank here." She gestured at the deck with a hoof for emphasis. "Reconnaissance is a thing I'm decent at, but diplomacy, not so much."
“Well fantastic, I was gonna ask if you didn’t volunteer,” Set Sail said to Azure with a smile, “We need skilled ponies like out there, where it’s gonna be dangerous.” Her smile dipped a bit as she added, “We don’t want too large a scouting party though. But thanks for offering to use that amazing magic of yours on somepony else. Let’s see how many natural fliers want to go first.”
Nutmeg Inferno stayed back in the crowd; the kirin looked thoughtful rather than dismayed, thinking intently about what was the scouting party was likely to find out there. Her train of thought was interrupted by a green earth pony clumsily bumping her as he maneuvered through the crowd. The young stallion trotted up to Set Sail, looking a little shy, a roll of paper held carefully in his mouth. Melonwater gave the pegasus a bashful look, before enthusiastically thrusting the paper forwards: "Here. It's a new map, just what I could see through the telescope, but.. better than nothing right?"
Summer Scribe steps closer, peering at the map and giving a quick smile and nod to her, well, underling... she still wasn't exactly used to having ponies to boss around rather than the other way around! "Oooh, excellent work, Melonwater!" Summer said, grinning at the teenager, "Seems like we'll be relying on your map making expertise for the rest of the expedition! Were you thinking of going with or staying here, by the way?"
A certain griffon hen squawked and looked less enthusiastic about the prospect. "Didn't you hear the captain? It's bad enough babysitting one unicorn, at least she's got some practice with the wings." Grenelda was scowling, but nodded curtly to Azure: after the chompy pit she had a certain respect for the mare. "I'll go but I'm not waiting around for any newbies getting their first taste of magic flippy-flaps."
Reef Skimmer's ear tufts perked up. "Good show, Grenelda." he said, "One is keen to assist of course, no doubt there are many more novel species waiting for us out there."
Meanwhile Azure's curiosity had drawn her closer as well, examining the map carefully and then giving a slight nod and smile to Melonwater. "Useful thing, especially for us."
The young stallion beamed at the praise, though he glanced nervously at the griffon. "Thanks Summer, err, Senior Researcher I mean... yeah yeah I was trying to survey with my theodolite, it didn't have enough magnification, then..." The earth pony looks over his shoulder into the crowd, where a blue pegasus mare is smiling and giving him an encouraging look. "Bluebell saw me on the deck; she took me up to the crow's nest, let me use the spotting scope. Then, um, we... erm, we went on a little trip, to the far end of the island? I hope that's ok." he concludes nervously, looking at Set Sail.
"...wait, ...going did you say? Oh no, I'm not trying that spell, those things look horribly fragile and how do you even steer I'd just crash!" he said, eyes wide and backing away from the mares. "Look maybe if the scouts make sure there are no, uh... giant flying monsters..." he gulped "...then I could go, uh, in the cart. You know, to make another map. Yep."
Summer giggled: "It's ok Melonwater, yeah, you can come with me in the cart, once it's safe."
Cloud Cutter probably should have volunteered. If only she wasn't standing there silently looking at Set Sail with an unblinking stare, along with another of the pegasus storm piercer crew, now as purple as she, by her side. Could the spooky mare be asleep with her eyes open?
Reef Skimmer had joined the circle of creatures staring at the map, which was now unrolled on the deck, cocking his head before looking at Summer Scribe, then Azure Feather. "Any particular destination? Or just out and back, in the general direction of that arrow there?" He gestured with a claw. "I must say that 'floating water' sounds like an interesting biome. Now those small islands, if those really are chains that suggests large-scale construction... did anyone ask the troll, erm, Abernacky?"
Summer Scribe shook her head. "Abernathy. ...and no, it didn't come up. I'd suggest that we prioritize signs of civilization, past or present; as good as impressive terrain is, we'll have plenty of time for that after we get the critical repairs done!"
“Worst comes to worst, we can dismantle those chains and use the metal to fix the engine,” Nutmeg pointed out cautiously, “Assuming there isn't a huge monster guarding it or something. We'd need to build a forge too, to reforge them, but I have some ideas there.”
“If they even are chains,” Melonwater said, rolling his eyes at the engineer, “I couldn't see what they are in detail. They looked like chains, with what might have been links, and they were drooping down between the islands like chains. But... for all I know they're made out of papier-mâché.”
Summer Scribe considered the interesting notion of dismantling the (hypothetical) chains. "Well, assuming we should be doing that at all? Maybe they do something structurally important and we should leave them be? I guess that should be part of the survey, huh?"
Meanwhile Azure was taking stock of the creatures who had volunteered. The doctor seemed very interested, the griffon Grenelda was ready to fly, yet there was one pony Azure was kind of hoping would speak up, and with a quick look around the meeting room, there she was, seemingly staring blankly: Cloud Cutter. For now she held off on pushing the other mare to volunteer, instead getting a better look at the map.
"How about this: we split up into smaller units; two, three creatures at most per unit, then do a scouting flight over each island, without landing. While we've got no shortage of combat-capable creatures, diplomats are in far shorter supply." Leaning in for a closer look at the map, she began muttering a little. "One... two... that's it." Moments later, she would look around at the group. "There are two islands within easy flight, potentially four if we really have a good number of creatures joining..."
“No dismantling the chains!” Set Sail said nervously, “That’s right, not until we know what we’re dealing with. We don’t want to bring whatever can chain whole islands together down on our heads.” Tilting her head at Azure, she said leerily, “We can’t spare too many pon-creatures. We’re still barely enough crew to maintain this ship. We could have a couple of survey teams I guess, but there’s no hurry or anything.”
"So we'll check it out, maybe take down a giant monster, the doctor can haul you over once it's safe, right?" Grenelda broke in, pulling her head out from under her wing where she'd been giving it a quick pre-flight preen. "Let's just go already."
"You know I'd come, 'cept that somegriff has to stay and stop the ponies crashing the ship." a male griffon replied to Grenelda, beak open in a grin.
"Ya lazy bastard," Grenelda growled playfully at him, elbowing Gustus in the side.
"Alright, alright, look, enough with the hypothetical talk, let's get some proper numbers, okay?" Azure said. "I'm in, that's for certain, I..." She trailed off, looking back to Cloud Cutter. "Hang on..." She clearly looked at least a little torn as she headed over to the purple pegasus' side. "Hey, Cloud Cutter... you alright there?" She asked, sounding concerned...
Summer Scribe perks an ear, looking over at... oh, one of the spooky pegasi. She had to admit she'd been so busy that she hasn't spent much time looking into the creepier side of the ship's crew. If Azure was taking the initiative to handle that, she'd leave her to it!
“I’m fine, why?” Cloud Cutter asked without missing a beat, tilting her head to give the winged unicorn a curious look. “Do I not seem fine?”
"You'd look like you'd fallen asleep, that's all. You've been here the whole time without saying anything..." Azure replied, looking a little unsure of herself. "So what do you think? Heck, I'd trust you to either lead one of the scouting teams, or hay... you and I scouting one of the more dangerous islands? Maybe that desert one to the north? Don't trust these wings in a volcanic environment, but..." She suddenly blinked, sighing. "Though I don't want to leave a team without a top fighter..."
“Oh, sure I would love to,” Cloud Cutter replied with an empty smile, “It would be kind of silly if I just stayed here.” She looked off to the distance, saying, “Plus we might find somepony who knows more about my... our... condition.” At Azure’s praise, the purple pegasus revealed that she could close those eyes, saying frankly, “I’m not a top fighter. I’m just a scientist with some wing-blade training for self-defence. But I might be very effective at killing anything we encounter.”
Azure couldn't help but chuckle. "Just a scientist with some wing-blade training? You could have fooled anyone seeing you against those chompies." With a nod, she spoke up again. "Alright, last call, who's in the expedition team?" She turned back to Cloud Cutter. "Come on. Let's go see just where we can go, hmm?"
“Well I am curious about those chains,” Cloud Cutter said with a shy smile, “As much as I'd like to explore a desert, focusing on the places we can get assistance... does seem like a good idea, doesn't it?”
Reef Skimmer half-spread his wings, eager to get out of the sickbay again. "I trust you can handle things for a few hours Bluebell?" Seeing the pegasus nod, he smiles and begins "Righty-o then, let's... erm..." seeing Set Sail looking his way, he finished "...just go get our wing-blades, then."
Gustus watched the hippogriff disappear down the ramp into the belly of the ship then discreetly padded over to Set Sail. "Captain, I don't like it. The doctor and Grennie on their own. What if... he gets hurt or something. Grennie can't haul his big hippo ass back on her own."
"Oh so now you're the one thinking about hippo ass?" the hen retorted, teasing her mate. Several crewponies blushed at this.
“You know, I hadn’t considered that,” Set Sail says with notable concern, “We certainly wouldn’t want anything untoward happening. Maybe Dr. Skimmer should stay here, instead of going out on his own...”
“What?” squawked Grenelda angrily, getting in the captain’s face, “You saying I can’t take care of myself?”
“No no, I!” Set Sail stammered, backing up at the griffon’s sudden fury, “I just... think maybe it’s better if you s-stick together with Cloud Cutter and Azure. We’re not fighting a... a war here. We don’t have to sneak around like this is some kind of... like we’re doing anything wrong!”
Set Sail stomped a hoof at that... then blushed, adding, “We don’t have to be foolish, but... I think we don’t have to keep scouting parties to only two ponies, especially a male and a... I mean, it’s just... um...”
"Are you saying she needs three ponies to take care of her??" Gustus demands coming up beside Grenelda. Blinking, he added angrily, "Two and a half ponies?" Set Sail found herself facing two angry eagle faces and flinched. "Or are you saying males can't be trusted?" Gustus accused.
Just then Reef Skimmer re-emerged onto the deck. "Very well then, let's get..." He frowned as he saw his fellow griffs apparently trying to intimidate the captain. "Now what's all this? Back off there, show some discipline! That's Captain Set Sail and we're going to follow her orders." he says angrigly, coming up to stand beside Set Sail, spreading his wings (one right over her) and ducking his head, glaring at Gustus then Grenelda.
Azure couldn't help but shake her head a little at what's going on. One minute she's trying to get scout teams together, the next, everything seems to be going as well as things did when Azure tried flying this blasted ship. Taking a step back to ensure she wouldn't get a screeching gryphon in her face, she decided to stay quiet and wait for things to calm down...
Summer Scribe helpfully facehooves on Azure's behalf, standing near her. "Need any help getting this under control?" She said, hopeful that she doesn't actually have to do anything... but it was only polite to offer!
Set Sail quivered there under Reef's wing, and as Gustus looked her way his expression softened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any harm in saying," he says.
Grenelda doesn’t look as mollified, but said in a more even tone, “If Azure doesn’t want us to go with her, then I don’t wanna go with her, reasonable or not. I don’t see what the big deal is though. The... the captain’s right. This ain’t a war zone.”
Azure just looked to Summer Scribe after her offer and couldn't help but facehoof as well. "I've got nothing against any creature in here or on the ship. I initially thought that we could cover two islands at once, but... the captain has a point... maybe there is safety in numbers after all. One squad of four members, and Cloud Cutter mentioned possibly looking at the chain island. Every creature all right with that?"
Reef's stare softened as he he drew his wings in, snorting. Looking at Azure, he said "Very good. We'll follow your lead then," before fixing his gaze on Grenelda again, waiting for her confirmation.
"I'm fine with whatever you want," Cloud Cutter said neutrally. "Safety in numbers is a good idea."
"If you want it, fine. I just want a decision already. Nobody made me captain," Grenelda states, scuffing her hind leg on the ground.
Set Sail looked between them all before confirming, "Okay then... you four will go take a look at those chains. Once you come back with more information, then we can think about splitting up and searching around further islands. Is that a good enough decision?"
"Fine by me," Grenelda grumbles, folding her scaly forelegs.
"As you say, Captain." Reef acknowledged, impassively.
Summer Scribe tried to ease the tension, saluting the brave volunteers and saying cheerfully "Best of luck to the flyer team!"
"Let's take the first step then and figure out what's on the chain island. Then we can re-assess the situation, once we have an idea what we're dealing with." Azure seemed... a little frustrated, but able to keep it in check.
The quartet of flyers is soon airborne and climbing over the first island: a griffon hen out in front, a hippogriff stallion flying just behind her, then a blue butterfly-winged unicorn with a purple pegasus flying along side. Their wings beat slowly as the group pace themselves for a long flight; save for Azure, whose wings are flapping fast to keep up, though she has the benefit of magic to mitigate the strain.
The team soon passed over the linked islands the troll called 'Blissful Pastures' and headed on into open sky; looking down they see only roiling cloud and mist, far below. It's another beautiful sunny day with only scattered clouds to obscure the view.
Ahead the curious structure on Melonwater's map can be seen as a massive array of floating rocks: a scattering of larger ones nestled within a vast cloud of smaller specks. Thin arcs join the larger islands, segmented in places and irregular in others. As the group closes the distance the details become clearer; the dozen or so larger rocks are the size of Canterlot Castle, roughly spherical and each crowned with a modest copse of trees and an array of spindly, metallic spikes. They are surrounded by hundreds of house-sized islets, each of a more flattened pancake shape. Each appears to feature a pool of water ringed by a few low bushes. The arcs linking the large islands are revealed to be huge chains, apparently of bronze, largely covered in moss and vines. They appear to lead to a central landmass, peanut-shaped and perhaps three kilometres long.
Now she was getting a closer look, Azure's seemed a little surprised at the state of the place. "It's like someone decided to fire a shattering beam at a huge floating boulder and this is the result..." she mused out loud. Her wingbeats slowed as she surveyed the scene, weighing her options before speaking up. "Alright, logically, we're starting out, maybe going to the heart of this island... yes, the largest landmass is the best option, then we can work our way outwards, perhaps splitting up, but safety in numbers to start..." It had just occurred to her that she was actually leading this unit; a troubling thought.
Grenelda stilled her wings, dropping back a bit to fly parallel with Azure. "Didn't quite make that out. You wanna head for that big rock in the middle?" She peered into the distance; they're about five kilometres out now so the features are beginning to resolve. "Looks like some buildings on there, various sizes, and something jutting out, might be more docks."
"It's our best option. If we find friendlies there, we can learn more about this if some creature can... sound friendly?" Azure began, shaking her head. "On the other hoof, if there are hostiles... this is going to be a long day... but if it looks inhabited, then... definitely start with the heart of the formation. Thank you for the information, Grenelda."
The flyers banked slightly, adjusting their flight path to head straight for the central landmass. From their current position this would entail passing a couple of the mid-sized rocks and flying through the outer layer of smaller, flattened islets.
Cloud Cutter sensed it first; an unseen force pulling her off-course. She tried to correct, flapping hard to pull away, but the effect pulled her sideways through the air. The two griffs were caught in it seconds later, screeching in alarm as they tumbled and skidded sideways through the air. Azure Feather had a few more seconds to watch her crewmates being dragged away before the force grabbed onto her as well, reeling her in like an invisible fishing line. She was still heading down, but now on a definite slant away from the central island.
Surprise turned to confusion and then alarm, as Azure watched Cloud Cutter banking off course, followed by the screeching griffs. Of course she did her best to fight the pull as well, but sure enough... it was far too strong, and goodness knew where it was coming from. It felt a lot like telekinesis; not that many unicorns had the capacity to lift another pony, but she'd met a couple in her adventures. If so there was no coloured aura, and... she looked around frantically... no sign of any creature that might be casting it. All she could do was try to avoid being pulled too far away from the rest of her squad.
Their destination soon became clear; each flyer was being pulled towards one of the smaller rocks, heading straight for the centre of the upper surface. The two griffs flapped and struggled but had no more luck breaking away than Azure; once it became clear they weren't getting away, they held their wings in a gliding position and let the unknown magic run its course. Cloud Cutter seemed strangely resigned to it, holding perfectly still and letting the force pull her down.
"Ponies, any bucking idea what's going on?" came a panicked shout from Grenelda.
"It's almost like telekinesis, but not quite! Something's got a hold of us and it's dragging us down! Don't fight it, we're not getting out of this quite yet!" Azure cried out, at least she knew where the other members were, but... it was clear the four would be separated... Celestia knew what was pulling them down, though.
As the flyers approached their landing sites their courses diverged slightly, each being pulled down to their own islet. Up close it's clear that the rocks are topped with shallow crystalline bowls, several metres in diameter and holding a hoof-depth of rainwater. With thuds, clops and splashes the two griffs are each forced to land, separated but within shouting distance. Cloud Cutter and Azure Feather followed a little way behind.
"What in Tartarus..." Reef Skimmer bellowed angrily. "More inexplicable magical nonsense, no doubt."
"Now the first question is... can any of us travel between islands..." Azure mused, before trying to spread her wings and fly to Cloud Cutter's little island. At least, if they could get to the same island, it'd be a start, right? Alas, as she spread her wings, the unseen force intensified, pushing her down until she can barely stand... instinctively she closes them again, and the force slackened off. Her hooves still felt kind of... sticky? ...but she was able to walk around the little pond with minimal difficulty. On their own islands the two griffs had resumed their flapping and struggling, Reef forced down to his knees, while Cloud Cutter is just standing there, wings folded, staring at their surroundings.
Azure shook her head, calling out "No good, we're stuck!" Way to state the obvious, guard... and way to make another stumble. There was nothing else left to do other than study the island and the water they'd landed in; perhaps that had an answer for her?
There was little to see on her rocky prison; a smooth shallow bowl of light grey... crystal of some sort? embedded in a flattened lump of stone. Rainwater had pooled in the depression, and a few weathered bushes and tufts of grass clung to the cracks around the perimeter. Floating around her group were many similar rocks... and a few hundred metres away, the rounded shape of one of the larger masses. An oversized brass chain emerged from one rock face, arcing away to connect the larger rock to one of its fellows, a kilometre or so in the direction of the central island. Not a lot to see... closing her eyes for a moment, Azure concentrated on the invisible. The magical force was definitely coming from the crystal bowl, but it did not itself seem like a source of power; more like a passive conduit, or perhaps a reflector.
If only Azure Feather had continued her studies, she thought, she would have been in a better position to figure out what this place was... "This entire structure seems to be a network of prison cells... but the magic that pulled us down has a source..." She then turned her attention to the giant brass chain, trying to feel for power flowing through it. "...one I'm going to bet is on that central island, perhaps distributed through the chains... now as far as getting out of here goes..."
The unicorn pointed her horn one way, then the other, trying to sense the flow of the unseen magic powering their imprisonment. A stream of energy was definitely coming from the larger rock, energising the crystal pad she was standing on and presumably those of her fellows as well. Without specialist training she couldn't be more specific, but there did seem to be a new shine to the giant brass chain, despite its weathered and overgrown surface; not to mention a flicker of light around the metallic spikes projecting from the top of the mass.
"Can you feel it?" shouted Cloud Cutter. "An elaborate trap, it seems."
"Well figure it out, ponies!" Grenelda yelled out, "because we've got incoming!" Now that she'd folded her wings away the griffon was able to point a claw in the direction of the central island, where she'd spotted movement. Something mobile had detached itself from the side of the mass and was heading their way, a flickering dot at this range but making a distinct whirring sound.
"Incoming?!" Azure turned towards the sound, nodding. "Remember the captain's orders! Diplomacy first!" she cried out, recalling Summer's advice... not like they really had much of a choice. Best case scenario was that they could actually talk to someone and possibly get out. Worse case scenario was, well... they wouldn't get out at all...
"Diplomacy!" squawked Grenelda. "How about you shut down this magic junk and then we can talk about diplomacy. We're totally exposed here!"
"Much as I support your sentiment," Reef shouted back "...Grenelda does have a point. If it comes to a negotiation, our position is hardly enviable."
"Then I can employ the fruits of my studies and hope for the best!" Azure replied swiftly before beginning to charge up a wind blade spell, levelling her horn at that chain. She didn't like the idea of blasting an unknown artefact, but she didn't feel she had much of a choice, with potential hostiles on the way. Magical force gathered and focused around her horn, before leaping forward as a bolt of condensed elemental energy. Unfortunately while devastating at short to medium range, the shot steadily lost cohesion as it travelled to the distant rock. By the time it reached the giant chain, made of forged links each bigger than a pony, it had defocused into a blast of gale-force wind that merely stripped away the vegetation. The chain itself creaked and gently swayed, its structural integrity unaffected.
Meanwhile the whirring dot had become the shape of a small ship, supported by a pair of rotors spinning above it and driven forward by smaller propellers to the sides. The hull was a patchwork of weathered wood and ugly iron plates, festooned with assorted spikes and blades that did nothing to suggest peaceful intent. Green shapes could be seen moving about on the deck, the details still indistinct.
Grenelda tried raking her claws across the crystal bowl, which produced nothing but scratches and a nasty screeching, oddly muffled by the shallow water. Following her lead, Reef Skimmer kicked at it with his hooves, which produced cracks and a lot of splashing but no apparent reduction in the force preventing him from taking off.
'Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Great.' Azure thought. She looked at the struggling griffs, then sighed; she couldn't fix any other creature's problem without first fixing her own; the tried pounding a hoof on the crystal bowl. It seemed thin enough, and maybe with a little force, say, another wind blade, she could shatter the thing; that would be a start, wouldn't it?
Summoning her magic again, Azure slammed an ethereal blade into the crystal just in front of her. Immediately she was doused in blinding spray as the intense wind blew the bowl dry of water. A sizeable crack snaked across the structure, which started to emit a wavering humming sound. The sticky feeling in her hooves was still there, but now pulsing and fluctuating. Meanwhile the flying vessel continued to approach, the crew now clearly bipeds but much shorter than Abernathy, perhaps half his height with even more prominent pointed ears. Several of the creatures are visible, wearing helmets of some sort.
Blinking away the spray, Azure snorted in frustration as her attempt cames up empty again, her anger rising at the builders of the trap. A few cracks wasn't good enough; she spotted a heavy rock nearby, a makeshift weapon at best, but grabbing it with her telekinesis, she's soon hurling it directly at the cracks. If she can shatter this, it should break the spell...
Swinging the boulder with her magic, Azure smashed in into the crystal bowl again and again until her projectile shatters, only to be immediately replaced by another rock as she continued her assault. The relatively thin crystal disintegrated under the pounding, giving off a weird oscillating warble as it starts to vibrate and shakes apart. Chunks of stone split away from the sides of the islet as the whole thing threatened to fall apart under Azure. The restraining force surged, flickered and disappeared, while in the distance Azure spotted a flash and crackle of energy around the metal spires crowning the large, chain-linked islet.
Her eyes soon lit up as the force was released... and Azure finally knew what she had to do! "That's it, shatter the crystal! That'll release the prison!" It only took her... way too long to figure it out, but she did... although elation was immediately replaced by a sinking feeling as she realised there was nothing to stop another of the bowls grabbing her if she tried to fly away. Still, it was better than nothing; Azure spread her wings, intending to fly over and release Cloud Cutter. Unlike the griffs, the pegasus had neither grasping claws nor telekinesis; the unicorn was her only hope of getting free...
In a small cluttered office, tucked away in a corner of the EAS Harmony's engine room, Nutmeg Inferno pored over a schematic. It was mostly just scribbles on top of some geometric shapes, growing more complex as she worked on it, lit by the warm incandescent lights still running on the old backup generator. The kirin was sitting at her drafting table, scritching around with ink and quill; next to her hovered one of the strange rocks they'd found at the edge of the island, floating serenely above the table despite the lack of visible support. The mare sneezed; dust was a constant irritant in the engineering spaces.
Summer Scribe was preparing to do some exploration of her own around the lower island; she'd been all over the machine, but perhaps further secrets lurked in the surrounding forest. After rounding up Melonwater and Blue Type... the former wanted to spend the day helping out in the sickbay for some reason... she gave her own little pep talk and got her team down the gangplank, ready for another day of exploration.
She'd trotted as far as the stone bridge, considering whether to head up towards the mountain lake and investigate the water cycle or sweep the rest of the second island (and trying to avoid thinking about the sheep incident, at this very spot), when Blue Type suddenly spoke up. "Erm, that doesn't look like a... a pegasus. Or a griffon." the older mare said.
Summer followed her gaze upwards and sure enough, a lithe bat-winged shape was gliding over their heads, with a triangular head and long tail. It fell to Melonwater to state the obvious: "That's a dragon!"
"Woah! There are dragons, here?" Summer Scribe gaped as she turned in a circle to follow it overhead, whipping out her sketchbook, trying to hastily get something down! "Do you think it noticed us?"
It was hard to tell for sure from the quick overflight, but the dragon seemed relatively small, bigger than the average pony but not by much. It headed straight for the ship, getting within a couple of hundred metres then... disappearing! In a literal puff of purple smoke no less. None of the crew seemed to notice.
"Hmm, seems relatively close, not huge and far away, looks like it's heading towards the... bwuh?" Summer's quill dropped from her telekinesis, as her jaw dropped in shock! "I believe we just witnessed a draconic vanishing act!" She thought for a moment... then stared at her sketchbook, that mystery left hanging in the air. "Say, the dragon looked an awful lot like some of those statues we saw in the village... I wonder what significance they have to the locals?"
"In ancient Equestria, there's evidence some of the largest dragons were actually worshipped as..." Blue Type began, only for Melonwater to interrupt "There it is! Look, it's on the ship..." Sure enough, the purple dragon could be seen crouching on the deck of the ship. A thin, barely visible trail of purple smoke connected the point where it had disappeared to its current position. As Summer watched, it waited for a moment (possibly until it was sure the crew weren't watching) then slipped inside the door to the engine room.
Summer Scribe gawked! "Woah, good spot! I thought it disappeared out of sight, but it actually just teleported forward!" She watched closely to see what it does next... "It's on the ship! We need to get back and warn them; who knows what it's planning! Come on!"
"Maybe... huff it's just... huff curious?" said Blue Type hopefully, galloping behind Summer.
Melonwater was less optimistic, wailing "Dragons! Why did it have to be dragons!"
"Oh, it can be curious all it wants to! But dragon curiosity often ends in the subject on fire, and we've only got the one ship!" Summer Scribe forced out between breaths as she headed for the gang-plank.
The intruder managed to spend several minutes undetected in the engine room, demonstrating an uncanny awareness of where ponies were and where they were not looking as the dragon snuck from one hiding spot to the next. Ultimately it was Sprocket, emerging from a service crawlway, who caught the creature unawares. Intending to trot back to Nutmeg and ask about a pressure reading, she was greeted by the sight of a scaly tail lashing back and forth, as the intruder sat on a catwalk, apparently watching the kirin work. "Du.. Dra... Dragon!" the unicorn shouted.
In her office, Nutmeg was redrawing a wing shaped protrusion on her design, subtly changing the geometry. Hearing the shout, she bolted upright, leaping over the table and out the door. "What? What's going on?!" she asked, hooves planted against the metal floor as she looks wildly about.
Meanwhile Summer Scribe, with Melonwater and Blue Type in tow, had reached the ship and rushed into the engine room. "Dragon intruder! Show yourself!" she shouted dramatically, flourishing a hoof out as her eyes scanned around to look for anything out of place... only to hear Sprocket's cry out "Help! Up here!"
Looking in the direction of Sprocket's shout, Nutmeg's gaze immediately went to the creature sitting on the catwalk, its intense blue eyes looking directly at her. The dragon was the size of an adolescent, but with the fully quadrupedal stance and wide wingspan of a mature specimen. It stood a little taller than a pony, covered in smooth, dark purple scales which contrasted with magenta belly plates. Its physique was thin and lithe, its movement fast and fluid. The head was adorned with numerous horns of various sizes, all tapering to sharp points, while the tail ended in a razor-edged blade. In the centre of its forehead was a strange marking of four grey triangles; similar detail could be seen on the shoulders and hips. Combined with the prominent claws and spiked silver collar and bracelets, the creature projected an aggressive, combative appearance.
"Dragon?!" Nutmeg squawked, "Where's the dragon? I don't see a... dragon?" She squinted up at the catwalk, saying, "Oh. Huh. Dragon. Why is there a dragon in the engine room?!"
The dragon whirled around, glaring at Sprocket (who squeaked and forced herself backwards into the crawlspace), and then at Summer Scribe on the lower level. "You're responsible, aren't you." she said, in a distinctly female voice with just a trace of crackle and hiss as she pronounces the words. "You interferred with the nexus, made it send that signal." Not a threat exactly, but her tone was not reassuring.
"We saw it flying towards the ship!" Summer Scribe panted out, as she ran over to Nutmeg. "And we came back as fast as we could. We don't know anything about its intentions or desires, so hopefully we can establish a friendly rapport! But if not, I'm ready to do what I must!"
Turning back to the dragoness, she narrowed her eyes and stood firm. "So what if we are? It's not a weapon, it just sends a signal! What's the big deal about that?"
The purple dragoness stared at Summer Scribe for a moment, before responding "Do you even know what you did?" She takes a few paces along the catwalk, looking at Nutmeg again, then back to Summer. "There have been no unicorns in Skylands, since... ages past. Where did you come from?
Ah! Time to establish interspecies contact! ... Again! Summer made a wide gesture with her hoof, pointing in various direction, pantomiming. "We came here, from Equestria, far down below past the Storm Barrier, on a mission of scientific discovery and exploration! We are ponies: earth, unicorn, pegasi, even kirin and hippogriffs... and we come here peacefully!" She nod nodded! "And, I mean, we fixed a machine that was broken for goodness knows how long! Where's the crime in that? We put together old things all the time: it's what archaeologists do!" She gave Nutmeg another tentative hoof-bump. "And engineers, in this case!"
Another long silence. "Nothing can get through the barrier. Everyone who tried, died." The dragon snorted in contempt... no hint of flame or smoke, Summer wasn't sure whether to be reassured by that. "Equestria? Is that part of the Outlands? The whole region was thought lost in the calamity, but perhaps a part survived. Perhaps... yes, you tried to get through the barrier, and your ship was carried along the wall until it was thrown out here. Foolish. You're lucky to be alive."
Summer Scribe squinted and gestured at herself like 'hello, I'm right here?!'. Man, no one understands the ingenuity of Equestrian science and engineering around here! "The Out Lands... The Calamity? Are you saying that the Storm Barrier came into existence in your living history? Huh." Something to look into the records for later... "Anyway, we didn't come here escaping anything! Our land; it's called Equestria, not the Outlands; has everything we could ever want! We're here just to explore, like I said!"
"So uh, what have we done?" Nutmeg asked the purple dragon, walking up with a glance Summer's way. "Don't worry, she's just being an archaeologist. You said something about do we even know what we did. Because all I did was try to fix a broken machine, and fail, since the receiver is also broken, and we're nowhere near that thing. Do you know something about that machine? What do you need us to do about it?"
Again, several seconds of silence as the dragon seemed to consider the situation. "You fixed a tech nexus, disused and ruined. You could only do that if..." She stared at Nutmeg. "You're a tech elemental, aren't you. Fully aligned, or... a natural talent." Her lips curled upwards in a smile. "That's just what we need."
Summer Scribe perked up. "A tech elemental... Huh, of course! That must be the gear thingy, one of the ten elements..." She still didn't know if she represented anything, but Azure seemed to be Wind. Curious! She tilted her head, regarding Nutmeg curiously. Looks like it's the kirin's time to shine!
"A what now? Gear thingy?" Nutmeg asked, tilting her head in confusion, "If you mean an engineer, yeah. Everybody who works in here is an engineer. I wasn't the one who fixed it. My team was! You saying you have some misaligned gears you need fixed? We're not too busy here, but we're kind of land locked at the moment. You... wouldn't happen to know where we can get some engine parts do you? Because if so, then I'll do whatever you want."
The dragoness looked confused by this. Another pause, then she said "You don't even know... An elemental that doesn't understand elements! You're right though, you will do what I want." In a deadpan, emotionless voice she stated "You're coming with me. For... the good of Skylands. One way or another." The dragoness stared at Nutmeg, body tensed and ready to leap from the catwalk.
Meanwhile Summer Scribe had a look like 'wait wait wait' on her head, shaking her head and stepping in front of Nutmeg. "Now hang on, dragon! You can't just sneak on board our ship and kidnap our head engineer! We're willing to help out, but you gotta ask first! What's this 'good of Skylands' stuff, anyway?"
Nutmeg peered warily around Summer, staying put to keep the dragon talking, but also keeping in mind how sturdy the door to her office was. Might give her enough time to put together a counterattack.
The dragon's gaze went back to Summer, noting the other ponies now beginning to crowd around her. "I'm a Skylander. That's what we do, defend Skylands from... Darkness. Invaders. Barbarians. Threats of all sorts." Her eyes narrowed. "Including mutant unicorns, if necessary." Seeing Summer's confused look, she lamented. "You don't know about us either, do you? I can't say I'm surprised. So many have forgotten."
Summer blink blinked. "How could I forget about you? We don't have 'skylanders' back where we came from, and you've never seen us before either." She tilted her head. "We must LOOK like something you've seen before, I guess... hmm. But... we have seen statues celebrating your type! You're a hero in the flesh, huh?"
Another stare, then the dragoness actually gave a dry, throaty chuckle. "Yeah, that's me, a hero in the flesh." Then the humour was gone and she turned away from Summer, leaping off the catwalk and landing on the metal deck directly in front of Nutmeg with a loud 'clang'. "You will be... rewarded. You'll have all the parts you want. After you come with me."
Oh gosh, she got a chuckle from a living legend! Squee! Ahem. Summer Scribe consoled herself... before blinking as the purple creature leaps past her mighty bodyguard positioning, turning to watch with a gape! What will Nutmeg say?
“I’d like some assurance of that,” Nutmeg said warily, backing slowly away from the dragon towards a steam pipe behind her, “A second ago you looked like you were just going to grab me in the name of... whatever it is you think rules these sky lands.”
"It's for the greater good!" the dragon said, advancing towards Nutmeg with slow paces. "Not that you have a choice. Any true Skylander can out-fight a hundred trolls, you think a few unicorns can stop me?"
"You bet they can!" Summer Scribe objected, grinning! The dragon had been given a chance to listen to reason, but now was the time to protect her friends! She assessed her surroundings, quietly picking up a loose wrench in her magic and preparing to bringing it down on the dragon's head from behind!
“You still haven’t told me what we did by fixing that machine,” Nutmeg told the dragon sceptically, half hiding behind the narrow pipe with her forelegs curled around it, “If your greater good is so great and good, then why don’t I have a choice? Not like I would choose the poorer bad, right? Also-think-fast” With that she yanked the pipe free of its very weak and unsound patch job coupling, blasting hot steam in the dragon’s face, before high-tailing it for the relative safety of her office.