//------------------------------//
// Departure 
// Story: A Broken Warrior 
// by Stonehearth 
//------------------------------//

Two months have passed since Luna and Nightmare Moon began their weekly talks. From the slight change in mood that Nightmare has had as she traveled back and forth between minds, Skystrike would say it's going well. The two of them haven't talked about it much, nor has he pushed for info. They would tell him when they were ready.

Celestia and Luna returned from their impromptu vacation feeling better than ever. Well, mainly Celestia, who hasn't had a break in a millennia. They thanked him for it, even bringing him a gift from their trip to Las Pegasus, it being a large globe of the city in the clouds. He appreciated it, and decided to put it on his nightstand.

As for what Skystrike has been doing, for the past couple months, he's been doing a lot of work. The sleepless nights fueled by caffeine and sugar finally bore fruit. His new armor was finally done, and fully enchanted. Nothing crazy, as he didn't want to become reliant on his armor, but a few lightweight enchants here, some durability enchants there, and it was all good. His new armor had some major differences compared to his last one, the most notable feature being a mana circuit. It pulled in mana to power the enchants, and also allowed him to release any stored magic in case of an overload.

Skystrike also decided that he wasn't the only one who's arsenal in need of an upgrade. Thanks to the transmutation of materials from Zecora, he had more than enough to work with. He was also glad that he could just go to Rarity for everyone's measurements. 

Starting with Zecora, she wished for something mobile, while also being flexible and durable. Skystrike had to admit, she had a pretty interesting fighting style from her homeland. Seeing it over the years, he realized the similarities it had with Tahtib, an Egyptian martial art from his world. I guess this was just in horse form. The zebra also helped with the design process, wanting some roman-like inspiration. Her culture was really confusing. Her specifics were a bit hard to bring to life, mostly because leather was a bit immoral here. But then he remembered he had the dragon bodies. took some descaling and leather work, but Zecora's armor came out lovely. Bracers, greaves, a cuirass, and a battle skirt, all with a forest green finish. To cover her face, she wore a decorative mask with several shades of green with gold accents, highlighting her strong cyan eyes. She still had her golden neck rings for her own personal touch. 

Zecora still had her staff from her homeland, as well as her blade whip, holding sentimental value to her. She didn't want to replace those. But she did complain about how it was hard to prepare potions for every individual event. This gave Skystrike an idea for her: a mobile brewery. And it wouldn't be too hard, now that he has the elemental stones. Fire, earth, water, wind, lightning, and ice. Each was hidden under her battle skirt, allowing for ease of access. Took a bit of testing, but the two of them got it to work. By putting an enchant on each of her bracers, she could extract some of the essence from each stone to use or combine for the wanted effects. Zecora tested it as soon as the prototype was done. A simple way to test if the brewery worked was to of course, brew a potion. Taking water and a little fire, she boiled the water. Then with earth, lightning, and wind, she molded the elements into a swiftness potion and put it into a bottle. Skystrike wished he knew how to do that, but he was more than happy with her smile.

Next was Tethys. She wanted her armor to be medium in weight and guard the important parts, as to not weigh her down as she flew around. Besides, her scales were strong enough for most things. But Skystrike didn't want to wait for the off chance of something or someone breaking through her scales. For her, Skystrike made a chest plate, wrist guards, thigh guards, bracers, shin guards, and ankle guards to protect her joints, and any place a being would aim at first to take down a dragon. He also put a few pieces of metal and leather between her wing joints and on her wing bones for at least some protection. He gave them all a silver finish in a hope to bring out her scales. 

She was never a fan of weapons, always preferring hand to hand combat. That's why Skystrike wanted to test something else. The same way he is able to focus his magic out of his extremities, he wanted to find a way for Tethys to do so. Skystrike made her chestplate similar to Zecora's brewery, having magic stones on the inside. Tethys only needed three of the elements though, as she only knew ice, wind, and lightning. Through weeks of testing, it took time to learn how to use it, but it worked wonders. Her elemental breath started within her esophagus, near the lungs. Magic was generated, then forced out of her mouth. By putting the magic stones near the organ, she could transfer the flow of magic. Tethys had to get used to the feeling of preparing to breathe the element, yet not expelling it as it was transferred to her arms or legs as she wished. She could force the element of her choice out of her hands and feet. But what Skystrike was most surprised about was how quick of a learner she was, being able to surround a claw in hardened ice, or even her jaws to hit, or bite, harder. She couldn't wait to try it out. But it was crude. She needed to practice.

Lastly, Elytra was next. In the hive, she was a stealth operative, trained to stay in the dark. She was adept in sneak attacks, so Skystrike decided to focus on that aspect of her as he designed the armor. Something light and mobile, but needed to be able to take a few hits if she was ever in that scenario. Using the leather from the dragons, Skystrike spent a lot of time to finish Elytra's armor. It took him more time than he was willing to admit, since it was his first time making high quality armor for stealth. It was a dark blue, form fitting body suit with metallic black shoulder plates, a chest plate, bracers, and shin guards. The armor parts could be removed if she wanted to wear clothes over it and look casual, though he realized there was no need for it after the fact. Since you know, ponies. Her helmet had an opaque silver faceplate that allowed her to hide her face in case she was ever seen, but she didn't need to worry about that thanks to the special gimmick of her armor. Thanks to the magic circuitry within, it increased the proficiency of illusionary spells, allowing Elytra to go invisible for short periods of time, rather than having to transform into something inconspicuous.

Skystrike also made her a new rapier, nearly the exact same model as her last one, but with a fire stone implanted into the butt of the hilt, allowing for even the shallowest cut to cause an ignition if Elytra wished. As for her second weapon, Skystrike decided for something experimental. Magelight, that unicorn he killed a while ago and who's horn he took, would finally have a use. A horn, not specifically a unicorns, is used to transfer mana from the body, focus it into magic, then cast a spell. So, that made Skystrike wonder, what if he could artificially create magic? By generating a stimulus mimicking the nervous system using a circuit, he could make the unicorn horn generate magic. However, since it wasn't connected to a body, the output was embarrassing. This is where Echo came in handy. It took three days to make the blueprint, and another week to actually create it, but the two made a mana extractor. Casta would be a mix of worried and jealous at it, though their models were different. Casta's would take the mana from a specific target, while his would take in the latent mana from the surrounding area. Attaching the orb-like device to the broken end of a unicorn's horn and it worked as intended.

With the power source dealt with, now all that was left was making it useful. Skystrike realized that out of their team synergy, with Casta, Jeshan, Celeano, and Alder not here, they lacked any rangers. And with a stealth focused team member, and her permission, he had the perfect chance to fix that hole. Using Magelight's horn as a basis, and his stake launcher as inspiration, he made a smaller, more mobile version. A parallel pair of conducting rails would accelerate the projectile, being a charged ball of magic from Magelight's horn. Like a railgun, electricity would travel from one rail, through the magic projectile, to the other rail, accelerating the blast at immense speeds. The currently dubbed Magic Railgun was secured to the side of Elytra's armor at the waist, and was linked with her helmet to aim where she was looking. The trigger was right on her tail, a wire connecting it to the railgun. With a flick of her tail, the weapon would charge, then fire.

The three girls tried on their new arsenals in Skystrike's living room. Tethys was rolling her wings and giving light flaps as she got used to wearing armor again. Zecora was testing her brewery, smiling as new ideas came to mind with each element she switched to, and finally being able to use magic. Elytra was looking over her railgun, as well as the manual that Skystrike gave her. 

Elytra flipped to the next page. "Hey Sky, you sure it's ok to give this to me? When Celestia sees it, and she will, she's going to probably throw a fit."

Skystrike nodded. "I already took care of that, so don't worry." He assured her as he did a few stretches in his own new set of armor. "And I hope you aren't too uncomfortable with the body suit?"

The changeling nodded. "It fits nicely, though it's a bit... too snug in the rear. I'm gonna have to hide it with my tail."

Skystrike raised a brow. "Well you could... you know, wear underwear? I wear it so my balls don't touch my under armor."

Stardust blinked. "Oh, right... I forget those exist. I don't really wear clothes... How fast do you think I could get a few sets from Rarity?"

Tethys rolled her wrists to get the feel of her bracers. "Uh, she's pretty fast about it so... It's morning, and you don't need anything fancy. She could probably get them done by tomorrow. I need to stop by to pick up a few pairs myself."

"If what you're saying, Tethys, is a fact, I might follow your words on that." Zecora took off her mask. 

Skystrike nodded. "Yeah, I'd recommend getting used to wearing the armor, just in case we're attacked during our travels. In my experience, sometimes you forget you're wearing it."

Zecora chuckled. "No offense, my dear Skystrike, I don't wish to relate to or experience the like."

They all laughed at that before Skystrike continued. "I'm glad you all are enjoying the armors so far. You all have only seen a fraction of the work I've done."

"I believe it. You made all of these in like three months, right?" Elytra asked.

Skystrike shook his head. "I started building these three months ago. Being honest, I made these blueprints after we split up, save for Elytra's railgun... Helped me stay sane."

"Aww, you missed us!" Tethys teased him a bit before hugging him. "To be honest, I did too. You're one of the three ponies that I can say that about."

"Damn, buck us I guess." Elytra laughed.

"Are you and Zecora ponies?"

"...Fair."

"Oh, right, before I forget, I have names for all of our armor and weapons I made. You want my names, or you girls want to name them yourselves?" Skystrike began taking off his armor. He could feel the difference in weight as he took it off.

Elytra cringed. "Er... Skystrike, I'm not going to lie to you... your names are kinda... bad." She forced the words out of her mouth, Zecora and Tethys nodded in agreement.

Skystrike's posture deflated as he heard that. "Oh... I... I see..." He finished taking off his armor and patted at his under clothes.

Tethys was a bit surprised. "Skystrike are you... are you sulking?"

"No..." He sighed. "I just thought my names were good, but apparently not..."

Zecora felt a bit bad now. "Skystrike our intent wasn't to bring you dismay. We didn't grasp the significance of names, I must say."

"It's... fine. It just... hits a bit close to home. I'm not blaming you, but I guess you guys forget that I gave myself this name. It just... makes me a bit self conscious." 

"Oh..." Tethys went. "...You know, you never told me that, but in hindsight, I should've realized. I'm sorry, Skystrike."  She crouched down and put a hoof on his back. "If you still want to, I am interested in the names you made for our armor."

Skystrike's ears perked up a bit. "Well, I named your armor 'Isveig' because of the whole ice aesthetic. Zecora's is named Lavoiser after a French chemist, and Elytra's is named Chimera, just because I had to combine a lot of magic to make it."

"You see, you should name all of your things like that. Those are great."

Zecora nodded. "With such great a name, it will have us drowning in fame!"

He cracked a smile. "Thanks girls. Means a lot." Skystrike said before standing up. "You three go get everything you need in order. I'm just going to do one last round on the ship. Make sure everything is ready."

"You sure? I don't mind staying." Elytra asked.

Skystrike nodded. "Yep, we already moved everything over that we need to. Just need to check if everything was installed correctly one last time... Admittedly, I'm a bit paranoid."  

"I mean, I get it, but you've tested everything already."

"Maybe I have, but just want to make sure everything is calibrated correctly." 

The girls took the hint of wanting him to be alone and let him go to his ship. It still held the same design as it did when he first got it, but it was no longer a civilian passage ship. It had plated armor, allowing it to take a beating if needed. From an outside observer, it was longer too, sporting some attachments to the bow of the ship.

Skystrike got onto the Wind Waker and went to what he deemed the most integral part of the ship. Where once was the magic engine that powered the ship like it's sister models, in its place was a mana extractor, several times larger in scale than the one used for Elytra's weapon. Of course, it worked the same as the smaller model. Surrounding the extractor was layers of steel, to make sure any intruders couldn't get to it easy. The extractor seemed to be in shape, and working in low power mode to give energy to the ventilation system.

Aside from that, the main thing that he focused on was the speed of the ship. Wind Waker was held afloat by the giant balloon, but was moved by flapping its wings. He could make it to Canterlot within two hours, much faster than the train, but he planned on going across the ocean. Thus, he made it faster, replacing each of the four wings with propellers. Sure, it required more power like this, but he's made sure to account for that by increasing the output of the reactor. Now, the speed was increased by four times, and they can turn much faster.

The second thing he focused on was the lack of weaponry, since it was a civilian ship. Pirates were a common thing as you neared and left Equestria's borders. And what was even more dangerous were the many beasts that roamed the skies and seas. Sure, the four of them could take them, but it'd be hard to do while confined to the ship. So, to make sure they could handle those dangers, he made two more Stake Launchers and put them on the deck of the ship to handle anything heavily armored. The only danger would be anything that could take more than a few shots from them. Thankfully, he decided to make several types of ammo. No harm in over preparing.

The Wind Waker sat in the makeshift dock that Skystrike made. Two days until departure... He was excited to go through the skies, see his old friends again. But a part of him was nervous as he was afraid they wouldn't accept him back. They all have their own lives to live now, and he didn't want to intrude. Questions for later.

He went to the Bridge of his ship, looking over the wheel and  giving it a playful spin. Then he looked at the map on the table next to it, showing a detailed map of all of Equestria and its territories, marking every major city and landmark. With the help of Zecora, Tethys, and Elytra, the four of them were able to draw the rest of the known world with a pencil. 

East of the Dragon lands and South East of Griffonstone was the Dragon Seas, Tethys's homeland. The sea was massive, double the size of Equestria itself, only dotted with a few landmasses, most likely formed from underwater volcanoes. A small set of islands were marked as Tethys's home for their destination. 

Further east of Griffonstone was Diamondia, the homeland of the Diamond Dogs, and probably where Jeshan would be. While they don't have the exact location of it, they have the general area in mind. West of a large set of mountains.

South of the Dragon seas was Hippogriffia, where Skybeak and the rest of the Hippogriffs would be. He settled down, so it's his best bet on finding him. Ornithia was on the complete opposite side of the world, north of the Dragon Seas and east  of Diamondia, but Celaeno was never one to stay in one place... it'd take a chance encounter to see her again.

And southwest of Diamondia was Farasai, Zecora's homeland in Zebrafrica. He had it on the map in case Zecora wanted to visit while they traveled. As for his travel plan, Griffonstone was first, then Diamondia, then Hippogriffia, then the Dragon Seas. The entire trip was expected to take two months, spending about a week in each of the countries they were going to. Skystrike already prepared a lot of pickled and canned food, warm clothes, and money for their travels. Thankfully, bits became the world currency a few centuries ago, so there was no need to worry about the exchange rate.

Casta also came by in the past month to finish what she started, setting up a long range teleportation circle within the Wind Waker. They were able to make it work, though with one caveat. The ship couldn't be moving while someone was trying to teleport onto it, just so some poor soul wont end up combined with the floor or wall. As a safety precaution, anyone who wanted to teleport would have to send a letter first. Tethys, Zecora, and Elytra would be able to travel to and from the Wind Waker to his house as they willed. Skystrike just couldn't because he cant use teleporters.

He would explain it to the rest of his friends traveling with him another time. For now, Skystrike was tired. He walked off his ship and onto the grass... it felt so damn nice. He didn't realize how long he stayed up, or how much work he truly did. He stayed up for days on end, week after week, with only a few days of rest in between as he prepared for this trip. Skystrike could feel the bags under his eyes with each blink. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to rest his eyes for a few minutes... The pegasus rolled up in a ball and dozed off.



Morning soon turned into noon. While Tethys, Zecora, and Elytra were still out on the town to finish things, Skystrike was still asleep, sprawled out in the grass. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were in the area and decided to check on him, standing around him as he snored.

"Ay look who fell asleep first!" Rainbow poked Skystrike.

"Prank 'em, Dash!" Applejack grinned.

"Ay, you already know!" Rainbow Dash pulled back a hoof to slap the shit out of Skystrike, but was stopped by Fluttershy holding her hoof back.

"Um... I don't think that's a good idea..." Fluttershy went. "Look, he was so tired he didn't even put on his helmet. Look at the bags under his eyes."

Rainbow looked at the puffy skin. "Damn, you're right... Fine, I'll get him next time."

"Y'know, in hindsight, I also don't think its a good idea, RD." Applejack admitted. "Did he ever get ya back fer those brownies?"

"Oh... Shit..." Rainbow put down her hoof. "Well... he leaves in two days so maybe he forgot about it?"

"Eeh, I doubt it... Remember when Applejack told us he got her new horseshoes?" Fluttershy thought back.

"Yeah, I remember that." Applejack nodded. "I barely even remember when I told him I got a new set is passin'. But six weeks later, he said he could make me a new set." She showed off her hooves. "Works like a charm too! Best set I've had in years!"

"Damn, he made you a set himself?" Rainbow asked.

"Eeyup! Put em' on too!" Applejack gloated.

Rainbow chuckled a little. "You know, I would congratulate you, but I don't think he knows what that gesture means. Heh, I remember having to explain to him what 'ride my tailwind' means."

Applejack couldn't help but laugh at that, though was slightly embarrassed as well. "Heheh, well... guess I misunderstood his gesture. Colts are confusin'."

Fluttershy spoke up, fitting into the conversation. "Had me worried there..."

Applejack gave her a look. "What, you like 'em?"

"AJ, half the town likes Skystrike. It's really easy to figure out who." Rainbow sat down, realizing that the three of them were going to be here for a while.

Applejack and Fluttershy sat down too, both having small expressions of embarrassment as the girl talk started. "W-well... Maybe?" Fluttershy answered. "He's... one of the nicest guys I've ever met, but I've never... liked a pony before."

Rainbow snickered. "You only know like, three. And one is your brother, and the other is your dad."

"I mean... that's one more than you." Fluttershy clapped back, making Applejack laugh. "But I don't know what he likes, or... what competition I might have."

Rainbow laid down, putting her head on Skystrike's side. "Well, from what Tethys told me, who heard from Stardust, Pinkie is going for him. You could probably figure out something with her... and Zecora and Tethys have a history with them. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to shoot their shots."

Applejack thought about what she said. "Damn, that is quite a bit of competition... Think ya can be a wingmare, Rainbow?"

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. "...Normally, I'd help you and Fluttershy out, but I don't want to be on the bad end of whoever loses between you two and Pinkie."

Applejack stammered. "I-I never said anythin' about me."

"AJ, he told me he hyped you up like two months ago, yet every time we have talks about colts we like, you don't name anypony. Like I said, it's really obvious to tell who likes him." She leaned in more on Skystrike. "...You know, he's really comfortable... reminds me of when we were younger."

"Oh right, I remember you said something about you bein' his foster family." Applejack laid down too. "I only met him briefly at some camp. What was he like as a foal?"

Fluttershy thought back. "Well, he was really quiet... Almost as quiet as me. He was also really... well, I wouldn't say angry, but... easily annoyed? It makes since, knowing what we know now. But he always looked out for me an Rainbow." She giggled a bit at a memory. "I remember one time that I forgot my lunch at home and he gave me his."

"Well, that's nice an' all, but I don't get how that's a big deal?"

Rainbow chuckled. "Have you seen how much this guy can eat? Food is like gold to him..."

Fluttershy laughed. "He almost cried when he gave it to me."

Applejack and Rainbow laughed along side her. The former wanted to git back to the girl talk though. "You know, Fluttershy, if yer serious about Skystrike, we could help each other out~."

Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair. "W-well... I'm... not against it. But what about Pinkie?"

"We've got plenty of time to figure that out."

Rainbow Dash joined back in with a yawn. "Well, I wish you girls luck. But... if you want my advice, I'd say wait until after the gala. Because... you know... Blueblood." The three of them sighed as they remembered what Skystrike told them about him, and his plan for revenge. 

"...I'm just gonna ask the obvious question, ya think we should stop him?" Applejack asked as she moved over next to Rainbow Dash, taking the one chance she'd probably get to cuddle.

Rainbow thought on it for a little while. "Well, knowing everything that Blueblood did to him, his family, and his friends... personally, we should ask if we should stop him, and if we could stop him."

"Y'know, he never told Fluttershy and I the full story 'bout what he did. We just know that if Skystrike hates him, he must be pretty bad." Applejack took her hat off and put it on her chest.

"Yeah, I'd like some more context too. If you know, I mean..." Fluttershy looked to Rainbow.

"So, from what he told me, basically he tried to kill his family, which is why he fakes his death, then later, tried to kill his mercenary group."

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash in disbelief. "Ya serious?" Rainbow Dash nodded. "I ain't stoppin' him then... if anypony came after mah family, you'd have to peel me off of 'em..."

"Shitty part about it is that because Blueblood is royalty, he got away with everything. Apparently Skystrike has some grand plan to make him spill the beans."

"Well... I won't stop him either... I don't know enough to truly judge what's right or wrong here." Fluttershy admitted, trotting over and curling up next to the three. "...This is nice. I get why he fell asleep." Applejack and Rainbow Dash yawned with Fluttershy. The three talked for a bit more before drifting into a short nap.



Skystrike awoke in the early afternoon, surprised at Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy lying on him. He chuckled to himself. Even asleep, he had dat rizz. But now he had two problems. One, if he moved, he'd wake up the girls, and two, his legs fell asleep from the three lying on them. He imagined that this is what TV screen static felt like.

With perfect timing Tethys landed nearby and the two made eye contact. She gave a knowing smirk. "You like... girls~!"

"Nuh uh! Nuh uh!" Skystrike said before the two started laughing. Then Skystrike yawned. "Well, I can tell from the sun that I slept for like five hours... and I'm still tired."

"Can't you use your magic to make yourself not tired?"

Skystrike yawned again. "I've been doing that... more specifically, I speed up my metabolism so all the food I eat gets converted to energy faster. I still need sleep... and honestly, I've been up for the past four days..."

Tethys laid down next to him. "It is a beautiful day... I don't blame you for dozing off." She put her hands behind her head. A long but comfortable silence let itself in as they stared at the clouds. She pulled on her sweater neck a bit. "...Hey, Skystrike, serious question... Why did you help me those years ago? Most creatures would've just... ended me there and bought home a boat load of money."

Damn, that was a serious question. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I don't mind telling you, but can I ask what brings up this question all of a sudden?"

Tethys hummed. "Well... my race, and especially my clan, is very prideful. Survival of the fittest and all of that. It took me a while to learn from you all to accept help, and even longer to ask for it. But... you just did it to someone you've never met. It goes against my nature, I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it."

"Well, I kinda get that. To answer your question, I didn't really need a reason to help ponies. It's just my philosophy, to leave this world better than I found it. If I see someone that needs help, and I have the ability to help, why not help?"

"And you... didn't do it to expect something down the line?"

Skystrike shook his head. "Of course not. It'd go against everything I stand for... Whole reason I came here was for that chance at freedom. I wouldn't deny it from another being, lest they were like, straight up scum." The two laid in silence for a bit longer before Skystrike spoke again. "Well, I didn't tell you the whole truth... I also saw a bit of you in me back then. Someone with nowhere to turn to, feeling as if the whole world is against them. Didn't want you to go through that alone like I did."

"Oh, well... thanks, Skystrike. It means a lot. You know, I always ask you all of these questions, but you barely have any to ask me." Tethys rolled on her stomach.

He looked at her. "I mean... yeah you're right. Just figured that I'd ask when the topic came up. Hell, I didn't know you were a mammal until like, three months ago."

"I have boobs, dumbass." Tethys teased.

"I mean, we don't have dragons where I'm from. The closest thing we have to you would be like, a komodo dragon or a Tegu lizard. The former is the only warm blooded lizard to be discovered... Actually, you, and a lot of other races, were just myths and legends."

"Really? How close am I to those legends?"

"Pretty spot on in modern terms." Skystrike snickered. "In the past, people wanted to discover dragons, prove their existence. Now, you'll find more people who fetishize them..."

Tethys made a face of mild disgust. "Ew... why?"

"Well, as society's morals fall down into the depths of hell, sexual degeneracy rises rampantly... Honestly, they're about the same as here, but... you know, you and every other race here is real, and not a figment of imagination."

"Eh, to each their own." Tethys shrugged and laid her head on her arms. "I'm going to take a nap too."

"Cool. I'm still sleepy." Skystrike said as he went back to sleep.



One day until departure. Skystrike and Spike were currently having their guy time, sitting in the sauna at the spa. How the dragon was able to shrug off the heat was astounding to Skystrike, and honestly, he was a bit jealous about how he could do it so naturally.

"Hey Nebula, do you think that you could bring me back something cool from your travels?" Spike asked.

Skystrike sat up and raised the hot towel off of his eyes to look at the dragon. "Yeah, what do you have in mind?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought that far." Spike admitted. Skystrike laughed as the baby dragon continued. "Uh... I like board games. Maybe some from different places... Oh! Maybe some dice too! I've been starting a collection."

"Sure kid... Hey, you still got my house key, right?" Spike nodded at his question. "In the living room, the new rug I got actually has a built in teleporter. You can set the destination to be the mage tower in Canterlot, or the storage area in the Wind Waker. Under the rug is a manual that Casta Spell wrote. If anything happens, or you or our friends just want to visit, just use the teleporter."

Spike poured water onto the coals. "Alright... At least I can visit you then. You said you'll be gone two months?"

"Uh huh, three at the longest." 

"I'll miss you." Spike admitted.

"I will too, but don't worry, I'll be back before the Gala." Skystrike pat Spike on the head.

The two talked about the mundane for a bit more, continuing through the massage and hooficures before the two left, satisfied. Skystrike walked Spike home, but then Spike stopped at the door. "Hey, can I ask you for something?"

"Shoot."

"Can we spar? We haven't in a long while. I want to see if I got better."

Skystrike could tell by the look in Spike's eyes that he was serious. And moreso, he had something to prove to himself. "Sure. And just so you know, when you challenge someone, you have to decide the place. So, where will it be?"

Spike thought for a moment. "Well... how about in front of town hall in an hour?"

Skystrike nodded. "So, you want to put on a show. Alright then. I'll see you in an hour then. And remember, the most important part of duels?"

Spike smirked. "The intro!"

"You're god damn right." Skystrike said as if he had the power of an old white man with a goatee. 

No more words needed to be shared between the two as Skystrike flapped his wings, taking off towards his house. He had to admit, Spike has grown so much. It felt like when an older brother first teaches the younger brother a new game he's a pro at. Of course, Skystrike was going to hold back a lot. Had to give Spike some confidence. But he couldn't hold back too much, else Spike would notice. He gave Tethys, Stardust, and Zecora quick run downs on what was happening. The three left quickly to get spots in the crowd that would soon come.

Skystrike put on his armor and grabbed one of his swords, fastening the scabbard around his waist and sheathing the blade. He rolled his neck and began walking back to town. Each pony he passed gave wary, yet interested looks as they followed him. Damn, word gets around really fast.

Skystrike stopped his walking right in front of Town Hall. He could've sworn half the town was there to watch. "So... you've come..." He heard a voice. He looked around to spot it, triangulating the voice by looking up at the very tip of the building. Spike stood, his cape flowing in the wind as he held his staff in one claw. 

Holy shit, Skystrike had to admit, he looked fucking cool. "You already know. You got your lines?"

Spike turned to face him. "Hmm... the wind is in our favor today..." Spike extended the blade in his staff, throwing the now scythe up. Once the spinning weapon reached its peak, the baby dragon jumped into the air. Crescent Moon dug its blade into the ground. Spike breathed his fire breath as did multiple front flips before landing on the hilt. The fire vortex around him dissipated as he stood up straight. He pumped a fist, as an hour of trial and error allowed him to land that. The crowd stomped their hooves for him "Now then, ready?"

"Yeah, but you gotta say your intro quote." Skystrike made the ok hand with his metal arm. "Nailed the intro, don't get me wrong, but these ponies watching are gonna remember how hard your quote goes."

"Hmm..." Spike understood what he meant, quickly thinking of one. He pulled his scythe out the ground and twirled it in his hands, stopping with the blade pointing at Skystrike. "Might as well stop breathing... you wont be needing that anymore!"

Skystrike chuckled himself a little. "Alright Spike, I can tell you're serious... Pray to whatever god you must, but know..." Skystrike drew his sword with his right forehoof, and stood up. He swung it several times, the speed being so fast that one could miss it if they blinked. Finally, he held his sword straight up, blocking his eyes with it before turning the blade to stare down Spike. "I won't be listening."

The crowd roared at his quote. "OH MY GOD, THEY'RE'S SO BUCKING COOL!" A filly shouted, then a loud thwack was heard as a hoof collided with a head, making the crowd laugh.

Spike chuckled a bit too. "Well, if you don't mind..." Spike dashed forward and swung his scythe. "I'll be taking the first move!"

Skystrike put his sword out in front of him, the two boys clashing blades. They looked into each others eyes as they smiled before pushing off of each other. Spike was glad he could put his practice to use, shooting fire balls at Skystrike. The pegasus slashed through each, and was a bit surprised, but mostly impressed that Spike used the smoke from the explosions to get closer, jumping into the air and slashing at Skystrike's neck. He ducked under it and went for an upwards slash of his own, but Spike used his tail blade to parry it, jumping backwards.

Skystrike clapped his hooves together. "Pretty good, Spike! Now, let's see what you can really do!" Skystrike dashed forward and swung down at Spike, making the the dragon narrowly dodge it, spinning and trying to hit Skystrike with the blunt of his weapon. The pegasus had to jump over it and pull his sword out of the ground, then did a spin to slice at Spike. Spike was ready though, and put out the handle to block it.

With the opening he had, Spike breathed fire at Skystrike. He had to block it with a hoof before he jumped back and waved off the heat. Maybe he was a bit too lax on how he was dealing with Spike... He always taught him to use his mind first, and his weapon second. Skystrike stood up straight and focused a bit more, rolling his neck before taking it more seriously.

Skystrike lunged at Spike with a heavy overhead swing again. Spike was a bit surprised at him using the same move twice, side stepping and preparing to counter. But what Spike didn't expect was the faint. Instead of Skystrike's sword digging into the ground, he spun on his hoof and the blade collided with Spike's chest. Spike slid back a few feet, then looked up at Skystrike before tightening his grip and coughing. The two stared down each other for a few moments. 

Then Spike began walking towards his opponent. "Nebula!"

"Ho? You're approaching me?" Skystrike spread his forehooves our wide.

"I can't beat the crap out of you without getting closer." Spike answered.

"Oho! Then... come as close as you like!" Skystrike laughed as he began taking steps towards the dragon.

They both gave off a menacing aura, the crowd even thinking they saw purple characters floating around them. The two stopped in front of each other, analyzing one another. "ORA!" Spike slashed at Skystrike, only for Skystrike to knock it back with his own blade. The two clashed several times over, sparks flying as they shouted at each other. "ORA ORA ORA!"

"AHAHAHAA! USELESS!" Skystrike laughed as their clashes continued. 

The two boys rushed at each other and clashed again. The vibrations in both of their wrists made them both drop their weapons, flying into the air before digging themselves into the dirt. The crowd went silent as the two stared at each other. The black borders narrowed around their eyes to show the seriousness of the situation. At the same time, each dove to the side, grabbing the closest weapon to them. Spike grabbed the sword, while Skystrike grabbed the scythe.

The two realized their mistake as they gave each other small smirks. Spike could barely even hold Skystrike's blade as it dragged along the ground, while the scythe Skystrike held was too small. Even trying to hold it with two hooves, his hooves touched, so he just awkwardly held it like an ice cream cone. Despite this, the two charged at each other with battle cries. When they awkwardly clashed, there wasn't even a satisfying sound. The two took a small break.

"Switch?" Skystrike offered.

"Haha! Yeah!" Spike nodded.

Spike and Skystrike threw each other their weapons back. They danced around each other for a time, feinting, parrying, and blocking each others attacks before pushing off each other, and once again, having a stare down. Skystrike could tell that, although tired, Spike was getting a bit cocky. That smile of excitement never left his face- hol up.

The crowd around him began cheering for Spike as he emoted. He clapped his hands together, then moon walked in place as he moved his hands up and down. Then he pointed at Skystrike before crossing his arms. This motherfucker just default danced on him. Skystrike couldn't help but laugh at the taunt as ponies around them pushed Spike to keep going.

But he also wasn't going to let it slide, busting a move of his own, the Gangnam Style. The crowd cheered for him too, laughing at the two jokesters. They decided to go back to their fight, Spike spewing fireballs at Skystrike, who gracefully dodged them with back flips, cartwheels, and spins. Then, he landed in front of Spike and parried the swipe at his legs.

Spike wasn't done yet though, jumping up and wrapping his body around Skystrike's head. Spike opened his mouth to charge the biggest fireball he could above the two of them, it being almost double the size of the baby dragon. "KAMIKAZEE!!!" Spike yelled at the top of his lungs before biting downs on the fireball.

Skystrike let out the manliest scream he could muster, as the scream turned into laughter as the two exploded. The watchers backed up from the heat and the smoke with baited breath. Once the smoke settled, the onlookers saw as the two boys were lying on the floor. Skystrike got yamcha'd, curled up in a ball the crater next to Spike, who looked like he died in a family guy cutaway gag. The two groaned as they slowly pushed themselves off of the ground.

Skystrike shook his body to get the dirt of and slowly, painfully turned to look at Spike. "...There's only one way to end this..."

Spike coughed as he did the same. His voice was coarse from all the fire he breathed. "...Guess you're right..."

The two limped over to each other and pulled back closed fist. "ROCK! PAPER!! SCISSORS!!!" They shouted at each other as they threw their choices forward. Skystrike threw paper, and Spike threw scissors. The dragon grinned at his victory as he made a flicking motion at Skystrike's chest. The pegasus, in all of his acting glory, made a show to throw himself backwards, rolling on the ground a bit before stopping on his side with a skid.

The ponies cheered and laughed at the act, laughing even more when Spike shuffled over and held him down with a single finger. After a moment, Rainbow Dash jumped in and did a belly flop as she slammed a forehoof on the ground, signaling the end of the dual. They all roared with laughter at the best thing they've seen in a while.

Skystrike got up and held Spike in the air at his victory. "Damn kid, you did great! Was not expecting the kamikaze. While risky, it was smart, and pretty effective! You learn quick too! First time I've used a parry on you and you immediately started doing the same!"

"Yeah, I've... been practicing with Tethys and Stardust. They're really good sparring partners. Are you ok by the way?"

Skystrike chuckled. "I'm fine. I'll be sore for a bit, but you didn't do any serious damage. I'd be more worried about Twilight talking our ears off... I did hit you a few times and... you did blow us both up."

"SPIKE!" The two heard Twilight yell with a stomp of her hoof.

"...Nebula, get me out of here!"

"Spike, this was your idea. All I did was enable it... Fuck, that doesn't sound much better. Besides, if we ran, you're gonna have a shit time when you get home."

"Yeah I guess..." Spike said as Skystrike let him down. The two got ready for a lecture.



"I figured you let him win." Mayor Mare said as she looked up from her drink. Skystrike sat with the normal group of Mayor Mare, Cheerilee, Snowheart, and Redheart. Then she laughed. "Must say, that was a great show. Exciting and funny."

Skystrike nodded. "Yeah, you think I'd beat up a child?" He took a sip of his own. "But Spike has potential. If he wanted to, he could be a guard or something."

Snowheart joined in on the conversation. "You know, I could see him being a guard. Surprised you don't want him to grow up and be like you?" The way she said it was more like a question.

Skystrike shook his head. "I'd rather him not turn out like me. There was a lot I had to go through to get to this point, and this job."

"If I can ask, why did you decide not to be a guard?"

He thought about Snowheart's question. "Well, it's... a bit... well, not difficult to explain, but... I don't know the word for it."

Redheart jumped in. "Don't need to explain if you don't want to, Nebula."

Skystrike chuckled. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine." He took another sip of his drink. "I'll sum it up so we don't have to stay on a sad subject for a while. I used to want to be a guard actually, but a pony I knew used his own political power to make them bend to his will, through bribes and threats and the like... Then that guy tried to kill me. So yeah, corruption. As a bounty hunter, which after a few government requests, counts as a civil servant, I barely have any rules to follow, and no red tape to walk around."

"Damn... I'm sorry you had to go through that." Cheerilee looked up from her food. "But it must be nice, not having to go through the legal route all the time."

Mayor Mare thought about it for a moment. "Well, sometimes, but it's best to keep it under wraps... but you didn't hear that from me." She whispered as they laughed.

Skystrike nodded. "It has it's risks too. You all know by now how I end some beings if needed, or if I deem it necessary. I can give you an example I had to deal with years ago. There was a unicorn in Manehattan that was using an abandoned factory to hide her necromancy research. Of course, that meant that she needed bodies."

"Eesh... what did you do?" Redheart asked. 

"That's the thing. She started by just defiling the local cemetery. If she stuck to just that, it would've just have been a matter of taking her to the guards station for the proper legal process. But then she murdered somepony, as she needed a 'fresh' body. That's when I decided to make her past tense."

"But... you had the chance to keep her alive? Also, make her past tense? Really?" Redheart asked.

Skystrike laughed. "Well I wanted to be creative. But yeah, I had the option to keep her alive. But at that point, I needed to decide if the risk of keeping her alive was worth it. If she was willing to kill a pony, it was only a matter of time until she got out of prison and did it again. Cut it at the bud, you know?"

"I... guess that makes sense." Cheerilee hummed. "But, you don't really seem phased about it."

Skystrike sighed. "Well... I've been surrounded by death since I was a foal. It takes a lot to phase me. I more saw it as destiny. Originally, I did feel bad about what I had to do, but then I saw the mare's cutie mark, and it... made me think about a lot of things differently."

"What do you mean?" 

"Well... you for example, Cheerilee. Your mark represents that you want your students to 'bloom' and be happy. Or Mayor Mare's, showing her ability to lead and create different laws and rules for the ponies who live under her. Your cutie mark doesn't define who you are, but it defines what you're best at, or what you wish to happen."

Mayor Mare looked up at him. "Uh, where are you going with this?"

Skystrike swirled the glass in his hoof. "Well, the mare I had to end, her cutie mark was a conjuration rune with a blue flame, signaling necromancy. I don't condone her actions of course, but... I couldn't help but feel bad for her. It's what her talent was, and she was shunned for it. When I fought her, it more felt like she was playing a role, instead of actually being a bad pony. If she just didn't kill a pony, things may have turned out different for her."

Redheart nodded. "I think I get what you're saying... You know, wow, I did not think of it like that. Is a pony really evil, or are they just doing what they're destined for?"

"Yeah... that's a bit of the reason why the job sucks sometimes." Skystrike exhaled through his nose. "Some ponies cant help it. But they can help how they let that destiny lead them."

Cheerilee couldn't help but think at what was said earlier. "...Oh my gosh, that puts SO much into a different perspective now!" She held her head. "I knew a colt that just had this insane ego, but now thinking of his mark... well he's still an asshole, but maybe he couldn't help it!"

Snowheart held her head too. "...Dear Celestia, I think you're right! I think I'm having an existential crisis... Doesn't that mean that... some ponies are just... born to be destined for something?"

Skystrike shook his head. "I wouldn't necessarily say that... even though it could be true. But as I thought about it, two questions came to mind for me. One, why do only ponies get cutie marks? And Two, why does one's mark often correlate with their name? You think the ones who raises the sun and moon were just coincidentally named Celestia and Luna?"

They all had looks of a deer in head lights, then snapped their heads to look at their marks. "OH MY GOSH!"

"Yeah, freaky isn't it?" Skystrike finished his drink. "Honestly, I wouldn't think on it too hard. I got nowhere with my theories."

Snowheart stammered. "But-... But that just-... There's so many questions I have to ask! So many that I want to know! If I had a different name, would I have a different mark? Is it really destiny, or is it just... some predetermined fate? Do I just... coincidentally like what I'm talented at?"

"Trust me, I ask myself those last two things all the time." Skystrike used his napkin to wipe his face. "But hey, good to see you girls before I go on my travels. I got a few more things to do before I head to bed. Had a good couple Fridays with you all. I'll miss you all, but I'll be back before the gala." He stood up and rolled his joints. "I'll make sure to bring you all back something nice."

"Damn, just gonna leave us like this?" Snowheart said with a giggle. "Alright, thanks for stopping by. When you come back, it'll be on us." They all gave their respective goodbyes with a wave as they continued their conversation. He'd have a lot to ask about once he got back.

There was one stop he had left before bed. Didn't need to visit the main 6, since they could visit him any time... Vinyl was more than likely home, working on something. She was a night owl after all. Already said bye to Bulk Biceps yesterday, said he was going to visit his mom out of town. Made him think about visiting his mom, Paprika. They write to each other every other week, same with the rest of his siblings, but last he visited was a couple months ago. Skystrike would make sure to visit before the gala.

He knocked on the door to Vinyl Scratch's home. Upon listening closer, he could hear faint music playing, so she probably couldn't hear him at all. Luckily, for moments like this, she told him of the key hidden under her doormat. Not a smart place to hide it, but easy to remember, and quick in case of emergencies. With a turn of his hoof, he opened the door to Vinyl's home. Instantly, he began to squint at the number of flashing lights in his eyes. It was painful at first, but as his eyes got used to the mini rave in the house, he saw Vinyl Scratch head banging to the bass boosted music she was playing. 

How she was able to see Skystrike through the flashing lights, he didn't know, but as they made eye contact through her glasses, she turned off her music. "Oh, Nebula! Thanks for stopping by! Sorry I couldn't let you in."

"All good. You were having fun. Just wanted to see you before I left for a while." Skystrike smiled at her and walked up to her DJ setup. 

She smiled sheepishly at him and straightened her glasses. "Well, thanks dude. Means a lot... We don't really hang out much, I was kinda under the impression that we were more business partners..."

Skystrike thought about what she said, and what his previous actions came off as. He put a hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. "Well, let me clarify. I see you as a friend. A good one. If you want to hang out more, I'm up for anything."

Her ears perked up. "Ah! Well, if you're free now... well, nevermind. There's not really much for us to do in here..." Vinyl's ears went back down. "I don't... know enough ponies well enough to have them over."

"Vinyl, we don't have to do anything. I'm more than happy to just spend time with you." Skystrike said in an attempt to make here feel better. 

She smiled a bit at that. "Thanks, man... Can... can I hug you?" Skystrike chuckled and pulled her into a big one. She hugged him back.

But Skystrike knew there was more to it than that. He looked down at the mare. "Vinyl, be honest with me, and I promise I wont make fun of you. When was the last time you had a friend? A genuine one, not one you talk to because of convenience."

She sat there for a bit before answering. "...Middle School."

Skystrike sighed. "I get it... Guess I never told you my whole story, and I don't truly have all the time I need to tell you tonight but trust me when I say that I understand how one can get comfortable with loneliness." He sat down, still holding her. "You know, you're welcome to stop by and hang out with me and my friends. And you know Pinkie, she always wants someone to play with."

"You already have such good friends. I don't... want to feel like a burden."

"Vinyl, you'll never be a burden. Friends aren't burdens, bro. But hey, originally, I just came to drop some stuff off and say goodbye, but I got time to talk about some stuff." Skystrike reached into his saddlebag and pulled out some sheet music. "Something we can talk about. I tried mixing in your style of heavy bass instrumentals and my own style of rap and story telling. I hope for this to be a three part series, but, it gets more interesting with each part. From smooth lo-fi, to synth up beat, to a fast paced high octane synth pop."

"That's... a lot. And you plan on rapping over all of that? Actually, hold on. Let me see if it's even possible." She used her magic to float over the stack of papers. With a quick flip through the papers, she hummed. "Well, it is possible, but will be really hard to do. We're still starting out, man. Wait like, I don't know, a year? Gotta perfect the craft."

"I completely get it. I haven't even made lyrics yet, I focused on the instrumental."

"Well, if that's the case, yeah, this is great. I can probably finish the first one by the time you get back... Going to be a bit lonely without you here."

"Well, if you really want to visit, tell Spike you want to see me. He has a key to my home, and there's a teleporter that goes to and from my airship. I don't have magic, so I can't use it, but you can. And I'll make sure to send letters."

"...I appreciate that." Vinyl smiled.



It was the dawn of the day he was to leave. After spending the later hours of the evening with Vinyl, he decided to just stay  up instead of getting two hours of sleep... He should really fix that habit of staying up days on end. Anyway, Tethys, Elytra, and Zecora were finishing packing and moving their stuff onto the ship.

Tethys didn't have much, but she wanted to move her hoard onto the ship, it consisting of gold, silver, gems, bits, and a few  sentimental items that she gathered over the years. The first set of armor Skystrike made for her, the empty flask of the first potion Zecora made and used on her, oddly, a peace of Elytra's molt, and the like. Skystrike was surprised, and a bit grossed out at that last one.

Elytra didn't have much to bring with her, but she had a few choice items. A bean bag chair she got months ago from Pinkie Pie, her royal guard armor and the clothes she had Rarity make, and collection of different potted plants. One that stood out from the rest was a bonsai tree of an english oak, though... twisted, for lack of a better word. Elytra says it helps her stay close to the hive... even if the two were banished. He'd make sure to ask Elytra about it.

Zecora bought few things, some decorative masks from her homeland, her cauldron, and some ingredients to make some potions the traditional way. What she was excited most for was all of the new ingredients she could gather and grow from their travels, so she spent the last several days making stacks upon stacks of crop plots in preparation.

Skystrike already loaded his stuff on. A few back up weapons just in case his break, a shelf of books from Twilight's library to read to past the time, and to further his understanding of magic. He realized he slacked heavily on the subject as he hid his identity. He also bought a few instruments, including his magic piano he bought months ago. He meant to learn to play, but it just gathered dust. Maybe he and his friends can all do something together. But what he bought that was most important, besides his friends obviously, was his cooking set. Pots, pans, knives, bowls, plates, utensils, seasonings, everything he'd need to make a good meal... He should teach those three how to cook.

But that was for later. Right now, Skystrike was looking over the turbines to make sure they were properly calibrated. They were connected correctly, and had armor around the weak points, so there shouldn't be any danger there. Each turbine was a set of two fixed pitch propellers, rotating opposite of each other. Plus, in case there were problems, as long as any two worked, he could still steer the ship. He also double checked that he had replacement parts just in case.

"Damn, it took you two months to finish all of this? How'd you do it?" Twilight said from behind him.

Skystrike jumped at her sudden appearance. Was he that focused that he didn't notice one mare? Wait, it's everypony! "Damn, I did not hear you all coming... nor was I expecting you all this early."

"What, you thought we'd let you leave without saying goodbye?" Rarity said, looking over his ship. "Though, I do wish your ship was more... fashionable. Where are you going exactly with this... intimidating thing?"

"Intimidating, sure, but it looks sick as Tartarus!" Rainbow Dash flew around the ship. "Black and blue always goes hard! But yeah, I don't think you ever told us where you all were going?"

Skystrike stared off into space. "Oh shit, I didn't... I could've sworn I did, my bad. Basically, I'm going to see a lot of old friends. From my mercenary group. They all went back to their homelands, and only one of them I could get to from train. I'm going to Griffonstone, then Diamondia, then Hippogriffia, then the Dragon Seas. Might take a few stops for pleasure here and there, but I plan to be back before the gala."

"Damn, you think you can get to all of those places in two months?" Pinkie asked. "I suck at geography, but even I know those places are far. Griffonstone is at least 5 days by train!"

Skystrike slapped the haul of his ship. "Wind Waker can make it to canterlot in two hours. If the wind is in my favor, I can make it to Griffonstone in two days. The main problem is that I don't exactly have set distances for each country."

"We'll miss ya, sugarcube." Applejack sighed. "Make sure to take care of yourself."

He blinked. "Oh, shit, I really didn't tell you girls anything. Spike has a house key. There's a teleporter in my house that goes from here to the Wind Waker. I may not be able to use it, but you all can. Just send a message through it first, because teleporting on a moving target is dangerous."

"Oh... well, that's nice." Fluttershy said. "Then I'll try and visit every once in a while." They all gave their voices in confirmation.

Then Skystrike noticed how Rainbow Dash was nervously shuffling in place. "Yo, RD, you good?"

"Y-...yeah?" She tried to lie.

Applejack called her out though. "She's been anxious the past few days. She thinks ya have some elaborate plan on gettin' her back fer the brownies."

Skystrike chuckled. "Wait, seriously? Heh, well she's right."

Rainbow's wings froze in place. "Wh-what did you do?"

"Nothing yet." Skystrike said as he reached into Pinkie's hair and grabbed her harmonica.

"Wha-" Before Rainbow could ask what he was doing, she gagged from the instrument stuffed into her mouth. As she tried to spit it out of her mouth, Skystrike slapped her on her back, right between her wings. A high pitch note came from the harmonica as she screamed into it.

Skystrike laughed the hardest he had in a while. "Oh man, that was GREAT!"

Twilight couldn't help but laugh a bit. "That was your grand plan?"

"Oh, no. I didn't even plan on getting her back, but I was reminded, and the chance was there." Skystrike kept laughing. Then Pinkie slapped Rainbow on her flank, causing another high note, making them all laugh.

Rainbow finally spit out the harmonica. "What was that for, Pinkie!?" She rubbed her back.

"I wanted one of those brownies too."

All of the girls slowly turned to look at her. Even Zecora, Stardust, and Tethys leaned over the railing of the deck of the ship. Rainbow quickly jumped back with the harmonica still in her hands. She groaned at the slight sting from Pinkie and Skystrike's slap. "Ugh... Skystrike, Pinkie, Imma get you for that... You aren't ready for what's gonna happen, because if you two think I'm letting things go after you hit me from behind-"

Rainbow realized what she said as there where collective snickers. Pinkie Pie even manifested a hoop and a ball, dunking it with a loud vine boom as she said it. Rainbow Dash looked into the distance with a thousand yard stare. She rubbed her face, trying to pretend it didn't happen as she reworded her statement. "...After you slapped on my ass-

The snickers grew louder as Pinkie dunked again, even hitting a pose that'd go on a shoe. Rainbow Dash held her head and looked off into the distance again. It looked as if her soul left her body. She tried again to rephrase. "...After you shot on my back-" She gave up as Pinkie did one final dunk, throwing the harmonica onto the ground in rage. "I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"

What a time to be alive. Skystrike almost fell on the floor laughing. "Ah man... thanks for stopping by, I know it's early. You all know I'm not too good with goodbyes." He pushed in the loading dock and closed the shutter door. "I'll make sure to bring everyone back something nice." Before he could fly up to the ship deck, Pinkie pulled him into a hug. Soon after the rest joined in. Though in the grand scheme of things, it'd only be for a moment, the pain of a goodbye still hurts the same. "I'll miss you all too. Promise to stay safe, and I'll stay safe too."

"You got it, Sky! We won't keep ya any longer." Applejack said for the group, trying not to show her sadness.

No more words needed to be said, they made their feelings clear. With that, Skystrike jumped into the air and flew onto the deck of the ship, then walked to the bridge. Several levers and buttons were in front of him as he sat down to drive. He pushed a button, giving power to the engines. With a small lever in front of him, hot air was released into the blimp above, raising the Wind Waker off the ground. Two levers on each side controlled the turbines on the respective sides of the ship. Clenching the triggers on each lever, he pulled on the left and pushed on the right, turning the ship once he was high enough above the trees. 

Normally, one would have someone spot anything in the way, but that's what he had cameras for. Sure, this world had their own versions of cameras, but the civilian grades were magic based, thus not very good. Had to make his own. There were three cameras, one port, one starboard, and one on the rear. The only blind spot was under the ship, since the bridge let him see everything above deck. 

Once finished turning, Skystrike pushed both arms forward, starting the first step of his journey. He had a few test flights, but still didn't fully trust the auto pilot mode. Even if he tested it, he was still surprised how fast the Wind Waker was. It's barely been a minute, and Ponyvile was in the distance. Tethys, Zecora, and Stardust, who changed into Elytra, All stood with him as they departed. 

"Oh shit." Skystrike clicked his tongue.

"What? Elytra asked. 

"I never asked if you all get motion sick... If one of you do, we'll stop by a city and get some medicine." He let go of the triggers on the lever and released more hot air into the blimp, raising them higher into the air. "I'm going to do this slowly. Your ears will more than likely pop, the air will get cooler, and it may take a little while for your lungs to get used to the thicker air. Tell me if any of you get light headed."

Skystrike let go of the triggers on the levers, locking them in place. He let go and took off his sweatshirt, and turned into his human form, stretching in his chair. The sweatpants got tighter, and much shorter, showing the lower half of his shins. He shook out his hair a bit and stood up.

Elytra looked over him with her bug like eyes. "You know, I forget how big you've gotten. Hard to believe you were this tiny little guy no taller than here." She held out her hoof just below her head. "Let me tell you, when I saw you again, I did not expect some giant!"

Skystrike couldn't help but snicker at the memory. Zecora smiled a bit too. "I yearn to glimpse his visage of yore, do you possess a picture to explore?"

Elytra nodded, quickly running off, then back with a small picture book in her magic. Now Skystrike was a bit interested. "How'd you even get pictures of me? I barely remember we had cameras?"

She changed her grip from her mouth to her magic. "Magic imaging. Works the same as cameras in a sense. A changeling has to see something, then projects that memory onto a surface. I did it a lot when we grew up. The hard part is getting a third person perspective from a first person memory."

They all gathered around Elytra to see the pictures. "We didn't know Skystrike's birthday, so we just had it be on the day he came to the hive." She pointed to one. "This was on his first birthday in the hive, being about nine." She pointed to a picture with herself hugging a human Skystrike, surrounded by changelings, a younger Chrysalis, and Khrusalis, the former queen. 

It bought him back. To better times. "Man, that was... 17 years ago. Time really do be passin' by... Heh, good times."

Each of them did a double take, then a triple as they looked back and forth between him and the picture. Tethys grinned. "There's no way that little guy in that photo is you! You were so cute!"

"I know! Just look at those cheeks aglow! And that tiny nose, oh so dainty in tow!" Zecora looked closer at the image.

"It's a bit weird, seeing how different I look back then." Skystrike nodded. "Damn, there's some old faces I haven't seen in a while."

Tethys flinched a bit. "Elytra, I don't mean to sound racist..."

"But?" Skystrike and Elytra said before laughing.

"...You changelings all look the same to me." Tethys admitted. Zecora sheepishly nodded with her.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Elytra laughed some more. "Skystrike had the same problem for a while when he came to the hive. If you want to know how we tell each other apart, we do it by scent. Each changeling has a different smell, so we just memorize who smells like what."

Tethys leaned down and sniffed Elytra with her large nostrils, taking in a few whiffs. "Hmm... I never noticed. I'll just remember that you smell like flowers."

Elytra sniffed her self in embarassment. "Huh, well thanks. Good to know I smell good." She laughed at a memory. "As a foal, Skystrike said I smelled funny."

They all snickered. Skystrike put his hands up. "In my defense, I didn't learn about what flowers were until like, a year after I said that."

Zecora giggled. "How could you not know the scent of a flower's delight? It's fragrant aroma, a wonder to alight?"

He stared at the Zebra. "Zecora, I'm not upset or anything since you didn't know. But everything in the lab was simulated. I didn't even know what the sun was until I broke out."

"Oh... I'm sorry." Zecora didn't even bother to rhyme. 

"Don't worry about it. I never told you. Moving back on topic, changeling's sense of smell is dozens of times stronger than mine, so It was very hard to tell the changelings apart. I had to start playing really close attention to tell." Skystrike picked up  the book in his hand and began pointing at each changeling. "Next to me is Elytra, who's band things on her belly are further apart than the normal changeling. Next to her it Thorax, his fangs are a bit longer. Teeko has a thicker horn, Nimble has a longer neck fin."

"I'm surprised you still remember all their names." Elytra said.

"Doesn't matter what happened between us, or what they blame me for, they're still my family... Honestly, even I'm surprised how many names I remember. I remember almost every one of their names."

Elytra shook her head. "No way! There were like 200 of us in just our subsection of the hive!"

"Subsections?" Tethys asked.

"Oh right... Sorry, I forget how much of isolationists my kind are. So, Skystrike and I were part of the Royal section, so the changelings around us were the most loyal and trusted by the former queen Khrusalis. We got their through our rankings, our achievements, and of course, immediate family. On the lower levels were the Canopy, Under Story, and then the Shrubs. For a pony equivalent, I guess it's like... nobles, upper class, and lower to middle class. The lower the class, the more changelings."

Skystrike nodded as he continued her explanation. "We mostly spoke with the Royals and Canopy changelings. Though from time to time, I would go to the lower levels and see what all happened. Khrusalis told me it was best to mingle with those of lower class, since they're the same as the rest of us."

Elytra sighed. "Sad to say, after her passing, and before I was sent to get you, I noticed that all the changelings in the Canopy were... I was told they 'left' but they were kicked out to the Shrubs. They were still loyal to Khrusalis, and you."

Skystrike sighed with her. "Damn... I'm grateful they did but... wish they didn't put themselves in danger. Wonder what happened to them."

"Most left the hive, hoping to find a better life outside the walls of pulp... Actually, I helped quite a few integrate into pony society. For safety reasons, we keep in contact through code, but from my memory, they're in the smaller towns and cities. I don't remember all of their names, but a few moved to Trottingham, Dodge City, and Sire's Hollow."

"Oooh, we're actually going to fly over Trottingham on our way to Griffostone. Want to see if they're still there?"

"Sure!" Elytra beamed.

Zecora nodded. "I haven't journeyed north in this vast land's sweep, but I'm keen to explore, to take a peep."

Tethys shrugged. "Sure, I'm down. Hopefully the welcome isn't like the last... few..."

They all gave a annoyed groans. As individuals, and even more so as a group of misfits, they weren't given warm welcomes when they were together. Skystrike shook it off. "We'll be fine. I asked Celestia and Luna for a royal pardon. They can't deny us service anymore."

"That's kinda scummy, but fair. But hey, lets go back to the pictures. Elytra, you got anything embarrassing?"



They spent time with each other for a while longer until it turned to late evening. They just passes Fillydelphia four hours ago. They'd be at Trottingham by noon the next day. But for now, Skystrike and Elytra were on the hunt for dinner. They were finally able to eat meat without hiding it, and Skystrike wanted to make something special for their first trip. Tethys and Zecora were with the ship, it suspended in the clouds above them, out of sight from any onlookers.

The human and changeling both had their armors on. Skystrike remembered how light and mobile it seemed on his human form. He really missed being able to walk sideways. He was also glad he took into account his human body shape as he made his pony armor. While he wasn't as heavily armored, as his shoulders, hands, lower torso, and ankles were showing, they were more than offset by the mobility and flexibility he had.

Elytra was giving her new armor a test, using her magic to go in and out of invisibility while buzzing around in the air. "Damn, Skystrike, you know how to make armor. I couldn't imagine anything this nice in the guard or the hive." She climbed onto the side of a pine tree.

Skystrike carefully moved forward to not make any sounds as he whispered back. "Thanks, glad you like it. Honestly, I forget you like meat. You don't have to eat it to survive. But remember, this is for a meal, and to test that railgun."

She looked to the long hunk of steel on her back, watching it turn as she turned her head. "Oh, right... How... powerful is this, exactly?"

"I made it strong enough to take down anything the size of a Ursa Major in one shot on a full charge. You'd need to be on all fours and on stable ground to handle that recoil. Lucky for you, you can charge it partially, so there'll be much less recoil... Let's test it."

"Wh- Right now?"

Skystrike jumped onto a tree in the distance, about 100 meters away from where Elytra hung on a tree. At Skystrike's position, he picked up a stone and surrounded it in a small light before jabbing it into the side of a tree. Jumping back, Skystrike picked up Elytra and bought her to a thick branch to sit on. "See where that light is? I'll teach you how to hit it, just work with me."

She took in a deep breath. "Alright... what do I do?"

"First, we're going to start off by just making sure you have the stance right. Since you're a changeling, I took into account all terrains. Plant all four hooves on the ground, then look at the target." Skystrike said. Elytra got into position, though jumped slightly at Skystrike touching her legs. "Back legs should be a bit farther apart, shoulders down slightly, and back straight. All the recoil is going to be distributed through your hips, so prepare for that."

She stood there for a moment, making sure she had the stance down. "Alright... I think I got this part."

Skystrike nodded. "Great, now, this is just for safety. The railgun goes 1,000 meters per second uncharged. As you get closer to a full charge, that speed grows exponentially to 8,000. That means it's going to take 0.1 seconds to hit that tree. Literally, if they blink, they'll feel the magic hit them before they can process what hit them."

"Exponentially? You know I was never good at math." Elytra huffed.

Skystrike looked at her. "Well, sounds like we have something to do while we travel." Elytra cursed under her breath. "Basically, it means that the rate at which the bullet speed grows increases itself the longer you charge it. If you still don't get it, then it's time for a field test. Aim at the tree, then flick your tail- er, tail fin downward."

Elytra took in a deep breath and focused on the tree, hearing the whirring of her weapon as it turned toward the marked tree. She focused her breathing, making sure she was on target before flicking her tail fin. A small ball of raw magic formed between the rails of the railgun, while simultaneously, the rails charged the magic with electricity, accelerating the magic down the rifle at amazing speeds. Like Skystrike said, before she could even blink, the weapon fired a hole straight through the rock next to the tree. "Damn..."

"You were off by about 5 feet. Remember that your railgun is on your right side, so you have to aim slightly left."

"Yeah, just... Not used to using magic without my horn, let alone the magic not being centered at my forehead." Elytra made the same motions and shot again. This time, she at leased grazed the right side of the team."...Getting better at least."

"Don't beat yourself up over it." Skystrike patted the back of her neck. "I see your problem though. You're changing the position of your hips before you even fire. Don't tense up too much." He helped her git into position again. "Ready... aim... fire."

Elytra did so, hitting the glowing rock, shooting a hole straight through the tree. "Yyyyyyyaaahoo!"

Skystrike couldn't help but try and hide his laugh from her little celebration. "N-nice job! Pfft- you got the hang on it pretty quick!"

"Thanks to you, Sky!"

He rubbed her neck. "Ready for the real thing?" Elytra stopped to think about it, then hesitantly nodded. "You know, never asked. Have you ever killed something before?"

"Yeah, I'm not a green horn." She smirked.

"Good, didn't really want to have that talk now..." Skystrike stood up straight on the branch they were on. "Follow me, I saw tracks of an Ophiotaurus." He said before jumping to a neighboring tree.

Elytra flapped her bug-like wings to follow him. "An Ophio what?"

Skystrike jumped silently between the trees. "Upper body of a bull, lower body of a serpent. Think of a Medusa version of a Minotaur."

"This seems... interesting. Is it sentient? Nevermind, we wouldn't be hunting them unless they weren't... Does it turn from beef to reptile meat gradually, or is it like, a cut off?"

"Actually, I was surprised when it was beef all the way through. We're going to play it safe. They're highly agile, and they travel solo. They aren't the apex predators here, so they will be on their guard." The two traveled a bit farther before Skystrike motioned for her to stop. "Straight ahead, roughly 200 meters." Elytra looked at the creature. It's black scales made it blend in with its surroundings as it crawled along the ground, sniffing for it's next meal. It stood up straight to look around, showing it's bright orange underbelly. "Take the shot if you think you can land it. Your safety is off, and it's in lethal mode. Aim for the head, we don't want it to suffer."

Elytra focused once more, positioning herself to make sure she didn't miss this time. Inhale. Exhale. Tense up, but not too much. Spread the legs apart, aim... and then she fired. She made sure to watch as the head of the Ophiotaurus popped off. She was slightly off put by how easy it was... No, she was more disgusted by the lethality of it. "Guh..." She gagged. "Weren't joking about it being lethal..."

Skystrike jumped down an ran up to the body. Blood and brain matter was scattered on the forest floor. He thanked the beast for the use it would have, from its hide, to its flesh, to its bones. Focusing wind into his hands, he made an air vacuum at the exposed neck of the once majestic beast. It drained the liters of blood out of the beast before Skystrike reached into his bags and put some of the blood into an empty jar. Zecora would use it for some potions, or at least have fun studying its properties. 

He pushed down his hands, using magic to cover the rest of the blood and splattered organs in a few feet of dirt. With some rope, he tied up the corpse to carry back to the ship in his arms. Elytra looked back at where she killed the beast before talking with Skystrike. "Hey, what was that prayer you did? Didn't take you to be a religious one."

Skystrike sighed. "It wasn't a prayer to any specific deity, more so to the Ophiotaurus itself. I was never one for needless death. Though it wasn't exactly needless, since we need to eat, I still do it. The creature deserves at least some kind of send off, and a thanks for the use it will have for us. It's why I like to make things quick for those who deserve it. It was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"...You know, you've changed a lot since you were a foal. Well, human foal or whatever word that is. It was... Imma just say it, really unsettling how used to death you were, and your complete disregard for life back then. But... you've grown. Things aren't black and white anymore. You see the value of the lives you take, no matter how little." Elytra flew up and and wrapped her hooves around the back of his neck. "I'm proud... my baby brother's really grown up."

He couldn't help but crack a smile. "Thanks, Elytra. I'm glad too. Thanks for sticking with me for this long, for believing in me, through thick and thin."

"It's what I'm here for. What we're here for. I just wish I could've been there for more."

"Don't worry about the past. We got a future to focus on."



Skystrike, Elytra, Zecora, and Tethys all sat around a large open fire. Skystrike pushed at the coals to make the fire spread as the upper half of the Ophiotaurus spun over it. Of course, Skystrike made sure to remove the organs before seasoning it, putting the entrails aside for later use, along with the snake-like half of the beast. The griffons would enjoy the parts. The skin wasn't exactly edible with how tough it was, so he and Tethys skinned it too. While Skystrike and Elytra watched the beast cook, Zecora and Tethys worked on making the side dishes, some fruits and vegetables they gathered prior.

Zecora continued the small talk they were having as she cut up the vegetables. "The question unasked, now let us unwind. What is each one's favorite dish to find?"

Elytra hummed in thought. "Well... I'm not sure you all can relate, me being a changeling and all, but Love, specifically from platonic relationships for me. The ones from romantic relations are a bit too sweet and gooey for me."

Tethys blinked. "Wait, different emotions have different tastes?"

Skystrike looked at her too, leaning on his leg. "Yeah, I wasn't aware of this either?"

Elytra nodded as she explained. "Yeah. Like... sorry, trying to think of equivalents. They all range, depending on how strong the emotion is. Sadness tastes... watery? Like if you're drinking fruit punch, but you have a little left all the ice melted and mixed in. Envy tastes sour, anger tastes spicy, and happiness tastes sweet."

Tethys chuckled. "Why was sadness so specific, but makes so much sense? Also, I don't think I've ever seen you actually eat emotions?"

"That's because I go out of my way to hide it... It's... not something I show to beings. I literally drain the magic out of a being. I'll show you if you want?" Tethys and Zecora nodded. "Skystrike, can I...?" Skystrike nodded too, walking up to and kneeling down in front of the changeling. Elytra opened her eyes wide and her mouth wider. Her fangs glistened under the moonlight as a light pink energy left Skystrike's body to enter her mouth. Elytra made sure to get her fill, feeding for a few long seconds before closing her mouth.

Zecora was wide eyed. "Did... I just see your jaw break free? Or was it a trick of the eye I see?"

"That was unsettling as Tartarus, but also kinda cool, I'm not even going to lie. But yeah, I get why you don't show it." Tethys put a hand over her heart. "Damn... you're one of the first creatures to creep me out, girl! Damn!"

Skystrike had a thought. "Wait a minute... Oh my god! Why didn't we think of this before!?" He face palmed before picking up the changeling. "Elytra!"

She hung there, confused. "Y-yeah?"

"You can drain my mana!"

Slowly, one by one, they all realized what that meant. "By the Pantheon this is amazing!" She put up her hooves to hug him. 

Tethys picked both of them up in her arms. "You're damn right it is! Who knew the solution was right under our snouts!?"

Zecora jumped on Tethys' back, making them all fall over. "This is great, and to find out not a moment to late!"

Skystrike couldn't help but hug them all back. They laid there for a few moments before he broke the silence. "...My favorite dish is prime sirloin." There was another silence, then each one of them broke out into a long laughter.

"You're so fucking stupid!" Tethys slapped hear tail on the ground. 

Skystrike laughed some more before clearing his throat. "Elytra, don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for what we just found out, but lets not immediately jump into it. I don't know what overfeeding will do to you, or what feeding on me specifically for a while will do."

She shrugged as she looked through the trees at the starry night sky. "Well, we changelings can't exactly overeat. But legends say that the last changeling who overfed on one they deemed close was able too molt, and gain enough power to rival the queen at the time. But that was... I don't know, over twenty generations ago? Either way, you get to live longer."

"And... you're ok with potentially becoming a queen of a new hive?"

"Who said anything about a hive?" Elytra looked at him. "I just want you alive. If I get a new form, so be it."

Skystrike sighed. "I just... don't want you to do anything you could regret."

"That's life, man. You've sacrificed enough. Let me help you out at least." Elytra said as she got up. "Now can we eat? My meat stomach is growling, and I want to try this Ophio."

Skystrike chuckled as he got up, grabbing a knife and cutting off a rack of ribs for the changeling. He forgets at times that they also need physical food to survive. Elytra quickly ran up to him and sat down, holding a plate up with her magic. He put the ribs on her plate, and Zecora her fruits and vegetables.

They waited until everyone was served. Both Tethys and Skystrike got themselves the arms of the Ophiotaurus. Even Zecora got a few small cuts of it to try. They all sat down around the fire and began to eat, thanking each other for helping with the cooking.

As the flames danced and flickered, casting shadows against the darkened forest, the four sat in a circle around the crackling fire pit, their faces illuminated by its warm glow. The scent of sizzling beef and roasted vegetables filled the air, mingling with the earthy aroma of the surrounding woods. They eagerly scarfed down the tender pieces of meat and colorful veggies and fruits, chatting animatedly about the mundane.

Between bites of savory food, they reminisced about their separate childhood adventures and shared tales of laughter and mischief. Each memory sparked laughter and nods of recognition, evoking a sense of nostalgia that enveloped them like a comforting blanket. Amidst the crackling of the fire and the chirping of nocturnal creatures, their bond grew stronger as they relived cherished moments from years gone by.

Skystrike tore the flesh from his meal and chewed. "Oh, Elytra, before we left Ponyville, I remember you packing a small tree. What was that about?"

"Right, you weren't too keen on history. It was a bonsai tree I've been taking care of for the past few years. Apparently, the elders say that long, long ago, an acorn, a rotted black gem, fell into a lake or arcane energy, the toxins in it corrosive to the touch. The acorn did not melt though, and instead thrived, using the lake to grow into an Ebony Oak. It was a twisted tree, with bark as black as coal, and leaves a cold blue. With branches twisted and jagged roots, as if reaching out to any who dared to come close. It was the only tree of its kind... a cursed tree. One day, something broke the bark of that tree... and out poured the first hive."

Skystrike, Tethys, and Zecora all looked at her. "You came from an acorn?" They all asked.

"Well when you put it like that, it doesn't sound as interesting." She giggled. "But in the simplest sense, yes. Back to your question Skystrike, it gives me something to do, taking care of that tree. It's also sacred to us Changelings, as it holds a deep connection to the Ebony Grove. The one I have specifically is a descendant of the tree of King Lazarus the Righteous. It helps me remember home, the family there, and the oath I swore to the former queen Khrusalis."

Zecora's ears perked up. "Oath?"

"On the blood of those who've come before, on the blood of those who will come after, I swear to do what is right until my dying breath. Through pain and sorrow, I will make sure to leave this world better than I found it. That was the oath I made with Lazarus as my witness."

Zecora then turned to Skystrike. "Do you have one?"

Skystrike nodded. "On the blood of those who've come before, on the blood of those who will come after. I promise to fight for the good of all, no matter the race, no matter their history. My bones may break, but my will will not. With Khrusalis the Golden as my witness. All Changelings of age must make an oath relating to their specialty. Elytra was more of a care taker than a fighter, so hers is more vague about that aspect." 

Elytra nodded. "And even if we're banished, the oaths are still in effect. But lets continue this tomorrow, I'm sleepy." Elytra yawned.

Skystrike chuckled. "You all can go ahead and head up to the ship. I'll clean up." Skystrike stood up and put out his hands, making a large ball of water. He used the water to wash the dishes, then put all the trash in the still burning camp fire. After watching the fire flicker for a little more, he put it out by suffocating it with the surrounding dirt. All that was left to do was pack up and cover his tracks. The former was easy, the latter was a bit difficult. He brushed around some leaves over their prints and kicked over the stones surrounding the pit, then covered it all with a small layer of dirt. Not needed, but a force of habit. He climbed back onto his ship and prepared for sleep, only after saying good night to his comrades. 

Tomorrow is another day.