//------------------------------// // 269 Albie // Story: Tales from a Con // by Admiral Biscuit //------------------------------// Albie Silver Glow got up from the table and trotted over to the window, taking a short flight to get herself on hind legs.  She looked out over the ocean, a broad expanse of blue-green that was like the sky but also not like the sky.  It was dangerous and she was not allowed to fly over it or swim in it unless Mom was watching. “Finish your breakfast, please.”  Mom was spoon-feeding Spindrift, her little sister. “I’m not hungry any more.” “Two more bites.” “I don’t like alfalfa.” “It’s good for you.” “Fine,” Silver huffed and then sat back down at the table.  Spindrift burbled happily, her muzzle stained green with mashed peas.  ‘Can I go flying after?” Mom nodded absently, and concentrated on trying to get most of a spoonful of peas into Spindrift’s mouth rather than on her muzzle. Silver leaned down and took two more bites of her alfalfa—rules were rules—and then pushed her plate aside.  “Okay, I did it.” “Thank you. Stay close to the house, okay?  And where other pegasi can see you.” “I will.” Silver nuzzled her Mom in the withers and then picked up her plush albatross. It showed all the signs of a filly’s love—some of the plush was worn down, and one eye had been lost, replaced with a gentle dab of paint.  “Come on, Albie, let’s go flying.” Albatrosses were the best birds, they could fly forever.  Even over the ocean, they could just soar and soar.  All the other birds had to land sometimes to rest their wings. She had to land sometimes to rest her wings.  She’d graduated from being towed by Mom to free flight, and she was getting good at it, but didn’t have the endurance older ponies did. One day she would; one day she’d fly with the weather patrols and ship patrols.  One day she’d be big enough to fly over the ocean or all the way to Baltimare or maybe even Canterlot. She hop-flew out the front door and looked around to see where other ponies were.  She and Mom used to spend more time together, before Spindrift came.  Silver had mixed feelings on her little sister—she demanded a lot of attention, but she was cute and nuzzly and the two of them often took afternoon naps together. Silver picked a cloud that wasn’t too far away, a feral one that had drifted in between the cloudhomes.  Maybe a leftover from the morning fog that had coalesced.  She knew to be careful on feral clouds: they didn’t always support a pegasus like a proper cloud would. She crouched down and then hopped off her cloud, flapping her wings furiously as she dropped then stabilized, her focus locked on her target. There were lots of things she was still figuring out.  Straight and level flight wasn’t always the best, sometimes it was easier to fly high and glide down, and other times it was better to dive and then climb up, getting the momentum early and letting it do some of the work for her. Dropping down had its disadvantages, though.  If she couldn’t make it back up, she’d have to circle to the ground and wait for one of the older pegasi to rescue her. She gently banked to the left and glided—her target cloud was sinking.  Or maybe it was dissipating.  Mom had a cloud book for foals which she’d outgrown, and several cloud books for adults which she sometimes puzzled her way through.   The cloud was soft and squishy underhoof, and she had to keep flapping her wings for balance.  It wasn’t much of a cloud; if she looked down, she could see a hazed-out Chonamare through it. Silver Glow turned around and stuck her head all the way in the cloud, looking in the direction of the ocean.  It was also hazy and fuzzy, just like seeing it through fog. She pulled her head back up and shook off the cloud-fluff that was sticking to her mane, then she picked up Albie and nuzzled her.  “One day we’re gonna fly over the whole ocean,” she said. Her cloud perch was getting more and more insubstantial by the minute—her hooves had started to sink in.  She looked off to the west and found a new cloud. As launches went, it left a lot to be desired.  The feral cloud provided no pushback, in fact it tried to grab her and pull her down.  Silver Glow wobbled over the edge, Albie held tightly in her mouth, and struggled to get back on a good course. It was too early in the day to get a good thermal to help push her back up.  She flapped furiously and started gaining altitude, finally making it up to a neighboring cloudhouse. After a brief landing to catch her breath, she took off again, this time to the north.  There was a longer gap between houses, but that was a good thing, that would help her build strength. She alighted on the cloud and sat on her belly, then picked up Albie with a forehoof.  Could she actually fly? [CHOICE] >No, of course not, she’s just a plushie (hero) >Maybe, anything’s possible (chaos) [CHOICE A: Hero] Maybe if she somehow got magic powers.  Silver had a picture book where a stuffed bunny came to life and protected the mare who loved her, but that was just a book.  That couldn’t really happen.  Especially not with a bunny, they were silly little things.  Hopping around and darting away when she flew overhead. She nuzzled Albie just the same, and then picked her back up with her mouth as she regarded a nearby cloud.  While they didn’t have parks like Chonamare did with swingsets and see-saws and trees and grass, they had clouds where foals could play and a bunch of her friends were over there, enjoying the day. A couple of adults were setting up an obstacle course, shaping cloud tufts into rings and towers. Silver Glow tensed her legs and then lept off her cloud perch, dropping and gliding until she was close, then circling around a couple times as she picked up altitude under the watchful eye of Sky Flower. A moment later, she landed, dropping into the fluff.  She set Albie aside in a safe spot near the edge of the cloud—she could watch—and then she trotted over to the cluster of fillies and colts, giving Sweet Bolt a nuzzle first. [CHOICE B:Chaos] Silver picked her up and walked to the edge of the cloud and threw Albie, then leapt off to follow her. Except Albie couldn’t fly; she dropped down to the Earth instead. Silver watched in horror as Albie fell into the treetops and then vanished from sight. She circled around and landed back on the cloud, waiting for Albie to fly back up, but of course she didn’t. Tears started welling in her eyes—what would she do without Albie?  And then a sense of determination overtook her.  Crying wouldn’t bring Albie back; she’d have to rescue her herself. Silver Glow knew that clouds drifted, and knew that by the time she flew back home and got Mom the cloud she was standing on would have moved on, and if it did, they’d never find Albie.  Most of the trees looked the same from above. She’d already lost sight of the tree that Albie fell into, but knew about where it was.  Without a second thought, she jumped off the cloud and started to dive, focusing back to what she’d learned in her short time flying. Trees weren’t soft like clouds; nor did the top branches support a pegasus—not even a filly.  She landed, sort of, and tumbled down into thicker branches.  That was a minor setback; she looked around the tree but didn’t see Albie.  It wasn’t the right tree. She worked her ways through the branches, until a short flight landed her on the ground.  Flying up and telling Mom what had happened was still an option, but she knew how to do searches over the ocean.  She’d overheard pegasi at the tavern discussing it. The copse of woods wasn’t that big.  Silver scraped an X in the dirt beneath the tree she’d landed in, and then started walking patterns, keeping her eyes up. After she’d walked the entire area, she took a break, nibbling on some wild timothy grass, then she used the clearing to her advantage, taking flight and circling the perimeter of the woods.  Albie wasn’t near the edge, not unless she’d bounced off several trees. But it was smart to define a search area.  Once she was above the trees, she found a distinct one.  She knew it was the wrong one, but it was a good marker, a good centerpoint of increasing circles. ••• It took her three flights to find Albie.  Her albatross had fallen through the crown, landing several feet down.  She’d caught it with her eye on a previous orbit, but kept her discipline in her search circles, not flying into the tree until she was sure. Her landing knocked Albie further down.  She kept her eye on the plushie, crashing through the branches until she fetched up on the same branch Albie had. Silver hugged the plush to her, then dropped through the branches to the ground—something she’d gotten good at. Her wings were aching and she still had to fly back home. Or she could walk to Chonamare and maybe somepony would be willing to fly her back. She looked at Albie and then up at the clouds.  She’d made it this far, and she’d make it back home with her own wingpower.  Silver Glow hopped up and aimed for the nearest cloudhouse, riding a gentle thermal for as much altitude as she could get. It felt like forever, but she finally landed in front of a cloudhouse.  Not her own, but she could see it. After one more cloud hop, she trotted around the edge, only to be suddenly face-to-face with Mom. “Where have you been?  I was so worried!” Silver Glow wrapped her Mom in a big hug.  “I dropped Albie and flew down to get her.” “You should have gotten me—everypony’s been looking for you. I called you for lunch but you weren’t there.” “I’m sorry,” Silver said. “It’s okay, I’m glad you’re safe.”