Florenway was a small village on the western border of Equestria, with vast open fields flanked by mountains, it was a bustling agricultural settlement known for growing crops and medicinal herbs.
Mist Veil landed just outside of the village entrance. Her pale gray fur long enough to give passing locals pause as she pulled her flight goggles up to rest on her head and put on the pair of glasses waiting in the glasses case within her well-worn saddlebags. The pegasus mare paid them no mind, reaching back with a wing to adjust the simple hairtie keeping her long, washed-out orange mane in a low ponytail. After checking the contents of her saddlebags, she walked calmly into town.
As she made her way through town, past quaint cottages and immaculate flowerbeds, she caught snippets of conversation from a several groups of far more vibrant ponies that she recognized as the local gossips.
She reached a larger building, stopping to pull out a short list of items.
A mare and her friends stood chatting nearby. "See? She shows once a week to buy food and leaves! Does she even have a job?"
"Can't you see she has monochrome syndrome, I heard that really tires a pony out..." her friend replied, looking over at Mist in embarrassment.
The mare scoffed, waving a hoof. "Pfft, that's no excuse!"
Mist looked at the brazen mare. "I can hear you." she deadpanned.
"Whatever..." the mare led her friends away, clearly annoyed.
Mist blinked. "Okay then..."
Putting the encounter out of mind, Mist walked into the building, the sign above the door read Apothecary. The interior was dark polished wood, a reception desk, and a several seats by the front window. Mist walked over to the desk and pressed the small bell sitting on top of it.
"Coming!" A voice called out from the back room behind the counter. A second later, a unicorn mare with her mane tied up in a bun stepped out. "Hi Bluebell, how can I help you?"
As she leisurely walked to her next destination, Mist's wings ached from the strain the ten minute flight to the village had put on them, and the weight of her saddlebags put pressure on her sides that her chest did not appreciate as it ached dully in protest. The cool spring breeze was a welcome relief for the headache pounding above her eyes. In the scant few minutes it took her to reach the bakery near the middle of the village, she felt drained, longing to collapse into her armchair at home and relax.
Almost done...
Walking in, she approached the counter.
Stars... There's so much stuff I can't eat anymore... At least I have one silver lining.
Mist noticed she was being served. "Hi, can I get a carrot cake please?"
"Sure, that will be ten bits."
After paying and placing the boxed cake in her bag, Mist left the bakery. She took off her glasses, the world going slightly fuzzy until she replaced them with her goggles. She checked her bags wre secure and took to the air.
Finally I can go home...
There was smoke in the distance, Mist propelled herself forward, and headed towards it.
Is it a dragon?
Minutes ticked by, the plume of smoke growing in size as she got closer. She could see something large and red sitting at the end of a long strip of torn up ground. A crash site and as she approached it, she could tell it was some sort of hulking, metal airship. The front badly dented, the four propellers in the wings spewing smoke and a large crack in the front windshield. She flew up to the windshield, peering through the glass.
She pulled out a pocket knife from her saddlebags, chipping away at the cracked glass until it gave, crumbling into a pile of shards and a hole large enough for her to fly through. A figure was passed out at the controls, they wore black gloves, a white button up shirt under a black vest and a gold chain around their neck with a bedazzling gold dollar sign hanging off it.
"Hey? Can you hear me?" she called out, flying over.
She heard a strange click from further in.
A rough voice growled "Don't move."
Mist looked past the individual passed out in the pilot's seat. Standing upright, gaze trained on her, a firearm more sophisticated than anything she'd seen before held in his left hand, was a figure wearing steel-toed boots, light brown pants, a buttoned shirt under a dark brown vest and a wide brimmed top hat.
He paused once he got a good look at her, surprised. "What the 'ell?"
Mist hovered away from the chair, moving slowly and deliberately as she kept her eye locked onto the weapon pointed at her. She quietly landed on the wooden floor, carefully placed her knife on the ground, and kicked it towards the wary bodyguard for good measure.
"My name is Mist Veil, I have experience working in search and rescue," she explained calmly, clearly. Old habits clicking back into place. "Your friend, he's not responding, I can't tell if he's hurt or not."
Her attacker's eyes narrowed, but he clicked something into place on his weapon and returned it to the holster attached to his hip. He walked over, carefully inspecting the still unconscious male.
"Looks like he banged his head on the controls..." he muttered, carefully picking up his cohort. He shot her a stern look. "You, follow me."
Mist nodded and followed him deeper into the ship, trotting to keep pace with the brisk walk of the other. They reached a room with several plain, simple beds spaced out along the walls, an operating table and equipment in the back right corner and a fridge and several cabinets of medical supplies and medicine in the far left corner. The orange mustached gunman placed his friend on a vacant bed, removing the two top hats and placing them on a nearby table.
Right Hand Man wasn't sure what to make of the creature but that could wait, Reginald was his top priority. He walked over to the cabinets in the back of the infirmary, grabbing bandages, disinfectant, and a pack of cotton balls. He placed them on the bed and went back to put on a pair of rubber gloves, he wouldn't take any chances with his boss.
The creature, Mist, stood far enough away to give him space while he parted Reginald's styled mop of brown hair and got a better look at the head injury, just a bump, and with a curt nod he began applying first aid. Now if the Toppat leader would just wake up. Right had training as a field medic, most of the Toppats knew at least the basics, but Right wouldn't be relieved until his friend was awake and alert.
"Is he alright?" Mist asked from behind him.
"Just a bump on the head, wouldn't say he's out of the woods yet," Right said. "Still, the boss has been through worse, should wake up soon."
He secured the bandages, put everything back where he found them and dumped the gloves in the rubbish bin. Right dragged a chair over to Reginald's bedside and sat down, watching Mist as she took off her saddlebags. He could see signs of fatigue, subtle as they were. The tense way she stood, the stiffness in her wings, the fact that her fur looked paler than before, but her poker-face was convincing.
"What are you supposed to be then?" he asked gruffly.
Her surprise at being addressed was brief and her answer cordial. "A Pony, specifically a Pegasus. You?"
"Human," he replied catiously. "Never seen a pony like you before."
"Never seen a Human before," Mist replied, absentmindedly rubbing her chest.
"Go pull up a chair girl, you look like you need it." Right said with an eye roll.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm not repeatin' myself."
Mist dragged a chair over to sit next to him. He sat back in his own chair and waited.
"So, why'd you 'elp?" Right asked.
"I saw the crash site and didn't think about it, just moved." Mist replied.
"That wasn't just search an' rescue training, you had a weapon pointed at you an' you kept your head. Who are you?" Right asked.
Mist, as calm as ever, replied. "Mist Veil, I worked as a mercenary under the alias Bluebird. Stealth and rescue specialist, I was the mare sent to steal or negotiate when all other avenues aren't an option."
Right nodded. "You know where we crashed?"
"In the plains between my house and Florenway, on Equestria's southwest border."
"An' where on Earth is that then?"
"Where is Earth?" she replied.
Right Hand Man was starting to get annoyed. "Look, I'm not going to listen to your cock-and-bull story, I'll admit you tried to 'elp the boss, but don't take me for a fool. Where the 'ell are we."
"In relation to where you were before? No idea." Mist shrugged.
Right was losing his patience. "I aught to throw you in the brig..."
She looked at him quizzically. "I haven't done anything wrong, did I say something wrong?"
Right sighed. "Just shut up an' stay put."
Reginald Copperbottom awoke with a pounding headache and the feeling of bandages wrapped around his head. He sat up, the last thing he remembered was wrangling the airship into a smooth landing after something had ripped them from above the New Mexico Desert and repositioned the ship elsewhere, damaging it in the process.
"Reg!"
The Toppat Chief looked over to see the ever trustworthy Right Hand Man sitting on a chair by his bedside and the strangest, oddly adorable, pegasus he'd ever seen in the seat beside Right. Much to his shock it was a living, breathing creature.
"...I believe I hit my head harder than expected..." Reginald said slowly.
Right shook his head. "The pony's real boss, smashed the windshield to 'elp you."
"Hello." the pony said respectfully.
"Really? Well then," Reginald nodded politely at the pegasus. "I'm grateful for your assistance. I am Reginald Copperbottom, leader of the Toppat Clan and this, is my second-in-command, Right Hand Man."
"What do we do with her Boss?" Right asked.
"If her intention was indeed to just get us to safety, we can't lock her up," Reginald mused. "Right, do you have any idea where we are?"
"The pony said we're in Equestria or somethin'. But I can't be sure, we won't know for sure 'til nightfall."
Reginald sighed. "I need to see the extent of the damage and check on the rest of the clan..."
"Not with a head injury you're not." Right stated firmly. "An' I'm not leaving you in 'ere alone with her."
Reginald rolled his eyes, reaching over to his two top hats, he pulled his revolver out from its hidden compartment. "Then tie her up or something, I can just shoot her if she tries anything."
"I'm right here you know." Mist deadpanned.
"See? You have nothing to worry about and one of us needs to check on the others." Reginald added.
Right didn't look convinced, but stomped out of the room anyway. Reginald relaxed slightly, turning his attention, and his gun, towards the pony. "So, mind answering a few questions?"
Reginald studied the mare as she explained herself. Her fur and mane showed only the barest amounts of care had been put into them. She was thin, not alarmingly so but he could see her ribs slightly showing through her fur. Behind her goggles, her left eye was somewhat milkly, unfocused and her right eye was trained on him. He took note off how still she was in her seat, almost doll-like. Despite her run-down state, there was something about her, a bit of fight left in her, and Reginald was intrigued.
It was clear her initial concern for him was genuine, if the Airship Division truly was stranded here, he'd need to build the clan up again, reclaim their empire, and this mare could help him achieve that. He wouldn't let the Toppat Clan die now.
And Reginald was impressed by her selflessness. "A mercenary eh? I'm afraid to say it but we could use all the help we could get. Would you be interested in becoming a member of the clan?"
Mist sat stunned for a moment. "You... You want someone like me in your gang?"
She couldn't believe it, surely he was joking. A weak thing like her? Impossible, it wasn't like she quit her job as Bluebird because she wanted to. She'd give anything to go back to doing what she loved.
Her body wouldn't allow it.
"Gang?" Reginald chuckled. "We Toppats are a high-class organisation that steal the finest treasures and riches known to man! A family of skilled combatants, researchers, and people from all walks of life! We're far superior than some common street gang."
"Even so, I'm retired," Mist stated. "Not by choice but you don't need someone like me. I'm a liability."
"Who says I'm recruiting you for your physical capabilities?" Reginald retorted. "Right now we're sitting ducks in what could be enemy territory. You know the area, you handle yourself well in a crisis, and I'm holding you at gunpoint. If I offer you a place in the clan, you should take it," he smirked, aiming the gun at her head. "I could have you locked up you know, give you no say in the matter..."
He grinned cheekily, setting the gun on the table. "But that wouldn't be all that honorable, you alerted Right to my condition and a Toppat always rewards a good samaritan such as yourself."
"If I refuse your offer?" Mist asked catiously.
"Then I'd owe you a favor at a later date, or negotiate a deal of some sort," Reginald shrugged. "It's the principle that matters, Toppats are loyal to their own, honorable in their ways, and I, as their leader, uphold the clan's values."
For the mare, it was too good to be true, too tempting. Her life before was like living in a daze, ignoring how isolated and lonely she was, days of pain and monotony blended together and her only company was her drive to get out of bed, to do something, even it amounted to her listening to the radio all day, it was still something.
Mist mentally prepared herself. "Will you take my health into account? I'm not well..."
"Is it a medical issue? We can adjust your accommodations or provide specific meals but I doubt any of our medical professionals can help." Reginald said.
Ears splaying back in embarrassment, Mist explained. "Wheat intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome... I get fatigued easily and I... also have monochrome syndrome," seeing he didn't recognize the term, she continued. "The first two are fairly obvious, can't eat wheat or I get a sore gut. Monochrome syndrome is when a pony stops using or expressing their special talent, the magically enhanced skill unique to that pony, due to trauma or extreme changes in their physical or mental state. Visible signs are the dulling of color on the pony and trouble using their innate magical abilities. Pegasi use their magic to fly so, I have to rely more on my wings to stay aloft. Unicorns and Earth Ponies are affected differently though."
Reginald held up a gloved hand. "I'm sorry, did you say unicorns?"
"Yes, there are three different types of ponies native to Equestria. Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns." Mist explained.
"Fascinating, and your special talent is separate from the magic that allows you to fly?"
"Yeah, our special talents are something we enjoy doing to the point that our body enhances our skill with it magically," Mist said. "I've been working towards being able to fly without my magic though," she smiled, a small, hopeful one. "All of my health problems aren't an issue are they? I understand if they are though..."
The Toppat Cheif waved her off. "We'll keep you out of combat and put you down as having a wheat allergy, nothing we haven't done before. You'd be primarily working with Right or Myself as we get a feel for this place."
"You're taking the whole stranded in Equestria thing fairly well." Mist noted.
"Well I'm sure we'll find our way back eventually," Reginald replied, grinning as he extended a hand out to her. "So, what do you say Miss Mist Veil? Want to join The Toppat Clan?"
It was a gamble and she knew it, but the Toppats didn't have the assumptions others had about her or her skills. In fact, she could say Reginald was seeing her at her worst, sore, tired and uncomfortable as she was. What else did she have left to lose?
At least I can still be of use...
Mist nodded meekly, shaking his hand with a hoof. "I'll join."
The two of them looked over towards the door as Right walked back in, the man ignoring Mist in favor of addressing Reginald.
"I got Thomas looking after the crew, a few cuts and bruises but so far you're the only one with significant injuries," Right reported. "As for the ship, the propellers need to replaced, engine's busted so we've only got the emergency power, an' the front of the ship is pretty banged up, looks like we hit a building or somethin' in the crash," he looked at Mist as he flatly said. "the windshield needs fixing too."
At the mention of the ship hitting a building, Mist felt her a pit form in her stomach.
Reginald looked thoughtful as he gave Right his orders. "Once everyone's healed up we'll focus on patching up the windshield and the hull, the backup generator runs on a separate system so we won't have to worry about power for a bit, and I'll look at the engine myself once I'm free to move around but make sure no one starts poking around the ship's electronics. I don't want someone accidentally starting a fire... As for that building, I noticed a house just before we crashed and presumed we missed it..."
Mist ran a hoof through her mane and sighed. "Ponyfeathers... That was my house..."
Reginald and Right shared a look. The Toppat Leader cleared his throat as he smirked at the annoyed pegasus. "Well it's a good thing you've decided to join us then, Right if you could show her to an available room in the Living Quarters?"
Right nodded. "Alright girl, this way."
"Ok," Mist said and quietly kept pace with the Right Hand Man as he walked with purpose down the hall.
Hours later, Mist was called up to the bridge of the airship, her saddlebags in her room and her flight goggles replaced with her glasses. She found Reginald and Right Hand Man looking up at the night sky.
The two of them turned to face her as she approached, Reginald stepping forward and looking much better than he did earlier in the day and his two top hats back on his head. "It appears we owe you an apology... You were right about our current location. Between Right Hand Man and myself, we could travel anywhere even with a damaged navigation system but this?" he gestured at the soft purple hue of the night sky. "We can't recognize any stars, we have no idea, geographically, where we are... This isn't anywhere near Earth."
Mist felt for them, Reginald looked grim and Right, impassive as he appeared to be, was more focused on his boss than the pegasus. Mist was apologetic as she spoke. "I've been all over the world and I've never seen anything as advanced as this ship or your weapons. And experimenting with dimensional rifts and portals has been banned for over a thousand years, it's simply too dangerous. I'm so, so sorry Sir, but there is no way to return you all home."
"What am I going to tell the rest of the clan?" Reginald groaned and sighed. "...We should get the ship operational first..." he dismissed her with a gesture. "Thank you for your concern, I'll see you in the morning."
"Yes Sir." Mist nodded and headed towards the door.
From behind her, she heard Right snicker. "Aw, she's takin' a likin' to you Reg. Sir, that's cute."
"I'm making you go with her for her first mission..."
"... Fair enough. 'Least I can keep her out of trouble."