“Can we get an escort for Mrs woods?” I asked over the radio a moment or two following shutting everything down. We were down and secured. The engines were off, and I was about as worn out as I’d ever been while still upright. Spitfire had stayed with me up to this point and I heard her breathe a sigh of relief. “Wouldn't want her falling through the clouds for real. Leastwise not before we can throw her in Tartarus. After a fair trial of course. Also, we are going to need additional personnel and an investigation team, no, I’m not going to say over the radio, just send medical. I’m signing out, Commander Spitfire can relay updates.” I got up from my chair even though that was the last thing I wanted to do, and Moonie jumped onto my back. “Let’s go see about this cargo.”
“Right behind you,” Spitfire stated as she followed. Though to be sure I didn’t understand why she hadn’t gone first.
A moment later I’m looking at the guards in the corridor. “So, um, Scootaloo, how’d I not get you too?” I ask as I look at the pile of out cold pegasi.
“Actually you did,” Scootaloo offered. “Really strange and tingly. For whatever reason, it was like your magic knew not to blast me.”
“Must be the kitsune magic mixed in,” I mused, and then made my way towards the back.
The lounge area came first and had all the outward appearance of a place people had been living in. And yes, it was a mess. How any pony could live like this was beyond me. Garbage was everywhere. If they cared this little why was it they never just chucked it all out the door? Beyond were the staterooms all but one was opened and all as bad as the lounge. Beyond the staterooms were toilets, showers, and a ramp that went up into the canopy of the primary superstructure. Above me were supports and gasbags. In front of me, I could see a series of chambers presumably for crew or cargo. There were also a number of ramps leading upwards towards the center at various intervals.
“This way,” Thunderlane offered. He proceeded up past the rooms to a large area that was more or less open save for the presence of bamboo cages each barely large enough for the pony within. A baker’s dozen of foals, mostly fillies, filled thirteen cages already, and all had hackamore bridles that were made from heavy rope tied around their muzzles in such a way as to prevent them from simply chewing through the bamboo. It was sinfully efficient.
And there was a filly I knew.
“Diamond?!” My hooves carried me to where she was.
“Don’t touch that, it’s evidence.”
Only now did I realize that two of the city guards were back here.
“Unless you want the same treatment I gave your friends I’d suggest you start breaking bucking locks!” I’d still enough energy to flare though, to be honest, I really wasn’t sure if blasting anyone in there was a good idea. We were way too close to the gasbags. Maybe they were full of cloud material, and then again maybe they were full of hydrogen. Hydrogen had a nasty habit of exploding in a bad way.
“I’d suggest doing as she says,” Spitfire said in a tone that advised they’d no choice. The two also seemed rather suspicious to me. When exactly did they get here? “You guys see any keys?”
I turned from them as they tried to find some way to start opening cages and set about getting Diamond out of the cage she was in. “Can I ask who you two officers are?” I inquired as I fiddled with the lock on the cage door. Getting the tumblers to line up to spring the lock proved deceptively easy. Behind me, Spitfire is calling in a report on her radio being very careful to use code. Next came freeing Diamond from her bonds.
“Cloudsdale City Patrol. Came in through the top,” One of the officers offered. “Already called this in. We were to wait for backup.”
I gave a quick glance to Spitfire.
“Different agencies. We are all working on different frequencies, and apparently, no pony is sharing what they are doing,” Spitfire replied apologetically.
Diamond never said a word while I undid the halter that had her bound. Nor did she move an inch the whole time. She just sat there motionless with her head down.
“Come on Diamond, talk to me,” I pleaded as I worked to remove the bridle. The reality is that she really couldn't as any attempt would be too painful. The top of the muzzle was a very sensitive place and the binding was really tight.
Finally I had the bridle off of her. “That’s better, come on…”
“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Diamond asked softly. She’d made no attempt to move.
“No, not this. Not even close to this. I wouldn't even wish this on the ponies that did this.”
“But Sunset, and the way I behaved. The way I treated everyone.”
“To be perfectly honest, Sunset never had an opportunity to do anything. Your parents torpedoed themselves.”
“Tor…”
“Torpedo, like a rocket. Used to sink ships. Or in this case, ponies engaging in self-destructive behavior. Your mom threatened Royal guards who took their orders directly from Princess Celestia, and your dad tried to bribe Twilight Sparkle's brother. He’s a bigger stick in the mud than she is.”
“Nova?” Rumble asked. “We can’t get the locks. There’s no key and they are too solid to break with what we have.”
“Alright, I guess I’m the key.” I gave Diamond a wing hug and then went to the next lock.
Emergency medical showed up after I’d unlocked three more. They got out bolt cutters and started cutting locks. Just as soon as they got a cage open they'd cut off the bridles with some fancy cutters. They looked me over as well and I had to assure them I wasn’t one of the victims. I’d merely overexerted myself. Merely, probably the understatement of the year.
“Princess, there’s a team here to collect Mrs Woods,” Spitfire offered. “Every pony here will need to go to the hospital.”
“Right, you need Moonie so they can get at her.”
“Nova, are you alright?” Rumble asked.
“Tired. Worn out. Upset. I never knew ponies could be so…”
“Horrible, ya, I know. It’s kind of hard to take in.”
“I better get going,” I offered and began to make my way forward. My hooves felt like they had lead shoes on.
🚪
I returned to the forward cabins a short time later where a security detail was waiting along with a couple of Wonderbolts. “Officers. - Moonie, go ahead, open the door, release her, and then I think you can go into sleep mode for a bit.”
Moonie let out a sigh as a noticeable click came from the door, and then she vanished like so much mist.
“Princess,” offered a member of the security detail. They then proceeded through the door, roused the sleeping occupant who immediately attempted to bolt for the door only to be tackled.
“What is the meaning of this?! Let me go this instant!” Daisy blustered.
“Your co-conspirators outed you,” I offered. My face was deadpan with no outward appearance of emotion. Heck, I was so weary I probably couldn't show emotion at that moment. The detail gave me a funny look and then smiled. There was no way she’d know I wasn’t telling the truth or not.
“Does Celestia send a filly to do her dirty work?” Daisy asked as anger boiled.
“And why would she dirty her hooves with the likes of you any further than she already has?” I offered. My tone is cold and full of disdain. “She trusted you. Though it’s probably a good thing she hadn’t trusted you with the full truth. Oh, the money you could have made had you known the full truth, but no, you dumped her daughter in an orphanage. By any chance are any of the foals in the back from the same orphanage? Was that how that deal was supposed to work? Dump the unwanted in an orphanage and then trickle them out to buyers? You know your partners are going to try to cast all the blame on you, so you might just as well start talking.”
“They would too,” Daisy spat. “Fine, that’s exactly what that little operation was about. Except they got greedy. Let's go to Flight Camp and help ourselves to some more foals. Bound to be plenty of unattended foals running around at an event like that. Disguised themselves as guards and just boldly went wondering about Cloudsdale. Not like any pony would stop them. Not with all the extra guards.”
“Officers, those guards I blasted…”
“On it!” one of the Wonderbolts exclaimed and rushed out the door.
“Might be a good idea to verify those two in the back too.”
🌟
Of course it would make sense that there’d be more than one group wondering about Cloudsdale. Later on, I’d learn that they had several safe houses set up, and the officer whose basement they had moored to was going to have a lot to explain. And those reckless guards who’d boarded while passing through the shield had in fact been members of the crew who on seeing their ship cruising down the boulevard had gone into a blind panic. The two in the hold turned out to be an actual patrol who’d been on overwatch patrol. They’d boarded before the shield was up, and Rumble had missed them the first time into the back. Rumble had gone back that way when he saw ponies coming in the door and just sort of panicked.
“Hi mom,” I offered as I exited the Drumlin Hay. Daisy had been loaded into a cloud sled by this point. Mom had just landed and was looking about hesitantly. “Did you rescue Kenta?”
“We did,” She replied and walked over to me. “And and they’d three more with them. Care to tell me what you’ve been doing?” Mom asked.
“Captured an airship, one Mrs Daisy Bellis Woods, and rescued thirteen foals. I also blasted some Cloudsdale guards that are now under suspicion of being fakes.” I looked back at the airship noting the mottled gray paint job that looked like an attempt at camouflage. Not that it hadn’t been effective. It also looked like there were gun ports all up and down the canopy.
“Blasted some definitely fake guards myself,” Mom offered. “But who’s counting.”
“I’m claiming 'Right of capture' - 'Réttr handtaka' of the airship,” I announce as I turn back to her.
“I don’t think modern law works that way. It will likely be impounded.”
“When the investigators are done with it. At which point I’m claiming salvage rights.”
“It will default to property of the crown,” Spitfire offered as she and Scootaloo exited the airship.
“And what were you going to do with an airship anyway?” Mom asked.
“I don’t know? Maybe fly it out to our old home and load up on anything that’s still salvageable. Getting in and out isn’t exactly easy.”
“Please tell me you didn’t go out into that forest?” This time it was Spitfire.
“Getting out of that forest was bad enough,” I informed her. “I started at the old palace. I had no idea what had happened. I found myself waking up there, the place in ruins. It was disorienting and frightening.” OK, it was kind of thrilling too but Spitfire didn’t need to know that detail.
“I, I’m so sorry,” mom offered, came over to me, and hugged me.
“Mom, we kind of need to get out of the way,” I offered as ponies came in with cloud sleds. “And I don’t blame you for what happened. Nothing that has happened is any of your fault. None of it. I blame greedy ponies. The ponies that set everything into motion over a thousand years ago were no better than the ponies who were foal-napping foals.” I offered as we moved out of the way. “Diamond Tiara is in there too. She was supposed to go to a good foster home until her parents got their act together, and she ends up as cargo. As cargo!” My voice caught in my throat as the reality of the situation hit me. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't let myself. I had to stay strong.
When they started bringing out the foals mom and I went to reassure everyone that they were safe now.
When Diamond left Rumble went with her. He wanted to reassure her and the others that everything was going to be fine, and just didn’t want to let her go by herself. And yes, I was feeling both envious and hurt that that he hadn’t stayed with me. Sure I had Luna, Scootaloo, and Lofty would presumably show up soon enough. It’s just that I wasn't firing on all cylinders and all my mind could think was that I’d lost him to Diamond.
After they’d all gone we were joined by Lofty and Rainbow Dash who’d finally managed to get away from whatever it was that had kept them. I suppose the rest of our camp group and they’d left them with Soarin.
“I’m not one of the captives!” Scootaloo protested from the doorway into the airship.
“Hang on there, she’s with me!” I shouted. “She’s one of the rescuers.”
“So where’s every pony going?” Scootaloo asked as she stepped out.
“They are all going to the hospital to get checked,” Spitfire offered. And then to the ponies inside, “That one’s mine.”
“I’d kind of like to go see how they’re doing,” I suggested.
“Something tells me the two of you need to be debriefed first,” Spitfire cautioned. “And then we can all go see about the captives.”
“Fine, let me know when. I’m taking a nap.” And so I did. Right there where I was. Clouds were mighty comfy. So was the warm feeling of mom’s magic engulfing me as I drifted into slumber.