//------------------------------// // Chapter 20: Almost There // Story: Unmarked // by Croswynd //------------------------------// Chapter 20: Almost There Novell grimaced at the guards patrolling the cavern from behind the rocks he and the others were hiding behind. There were three of them, all Griffons. Two of them stood near the ramp that led onto the Southern Belle’s deck. Their needle-shaped polearms gleamed in the sunlight that streamed through the airship’s rigging. Where rays didn’t pierce the cavern’s dim interior, torches were interspersed. There were no shadows to sneak through. A good thing we’re not planning on sneaking, Novell thought. He squirmed and tried to keep an eye on the third guard. The last Griffon patrolled the large rift in the mountain’s side that the Belle floated over. His leather armor creaked as he moved and the polearm he carried clinked against the stone floor with every pace. Novell shifted his attention to the airship and grunted with satisfaction at the repairs. Fresh timber patched the hole in her hull, and the silver engines hung silent at her sides. Wind blew into the cavern and caused the ship to creak and sway as if she were straining to break away. Only the ropes tying her to the makeshift dock held her in place. Up to us to cut her free, he thought. Out loud, he whispered, “Why are there only three guards?” Rell eyed him. “Most of the griffons left with the Matriarch. What they left behind were those who couldn’t fight in a war. See that one patrolling the edge? Crippled wing.” “If they can’t fight in a war, they should be easy to overcome, no?” Pensive asked from the narrow crack they’d entered the cavern through. “Even a weak griffon can put up a fight,” Kalyn said from Novell’s left. “It’s best if we can talk our way through this.” Motion at the edge of the cavern caught Novell’s eye. “And there’s our speaker.” Captain Skycrasher, now recovered from her hangover, marched into the cavern with an air of command. Rigs and Clank flanked her, marginally less sober than their captain. The two unicorns weaved when they walked. “Hey, you with the feathers!” Skycrasher called. The lone griffon turned, iron armor creaking. Now Novell could see what Rell had meant; the griffon’s wing was as shriveled as Captain Skycrasher’s. “Yeah, Captain?” the crippled Griffon replied easily, a smirk visible on his beak. Skycrasher smiled at him and stopped a few paces away. “I need to leave, Dren. Business is calling.” The guard shook his head. “You know I can’t do that, Sky’. You’re grounded. Matriarch’s orders.” “Oh, come on, Dren,” Skycrasher replied and walked by him, brushing her good wing against Dren’s. “You know orders have never stopped me from... having my way.” “That’s the truth,” Dren replied, his eyes straying to her flank. “On duty, though. Don’t have time. Still can’t let you go, either.” Skycrasher pouted. “I need to leave, Dren. If I don’t, I lose money. Won’t be able to come around here anymore if you keep me from getting paid. Courier business pays, but only because it’s so expensive.” Dren sighed and brandished his pike. “If it were up to me, I’d let you go, Sky’. I doubt you’d have anything to do with the ‘rebels’ the Matriarch supposedly imprisoned, but you did bring them. That means you can’t go until we finish with the... with what’s happening outside.” Novell frowned at the reservation he heard in the Griffon’s voice. Obviously Kalyn and Rell weren’t the only griffons to disagree with the Matriarch’s war against the Hippogryphs. Skycrasher’s voice brought him back to the present. “Look, I get your Griffon honor. I do,” Skycrasher said, changing tack. “But what’s going on outside is something that affects more than just you and I.” Dren’s face grew impassive. “You sound like you have more than just a professional stake in this, Sky’. I’ll forget we had this conversation if you leave right now.” Skycrasher stared into his eyes. “I’m not leaving unless I’m on my ship, Dren.” Sadness flashed across the Griffon’s face. “Then I guess we’re done talking. I’m sorry.” Faster than Novell could blink, the pike sliced down, its blade turned to knock Skycrasher unconscious. But the captain was no longer there. Instead, she was in between Rigs and Clank, her wings unfurled and a deadly expression on her face. “Dren—” Dren wasted no time acting surprised by Skycrasher’s dodge. He drove forward with his pike and stabbed toward the captain. Just before it could pierce her chest, the weapon stopped. Skycrasher stood her ground. Beside her, Rigs’ and Clank’s horns were glowing. The two engineers’ faces grew dark as they ripped the pike from Dren’s talons and levitated it above them. “Now that’s just plain unfair, don’t you think?” Rigs said. Clank’s leg hissed with steam. “Fightin’ a mare all by her lonesome? ‘Course not! ‘Specially when it’s the Captain. But with a weapon longer than she is tip to tail? That’s low.” “And we like to play fair, don’t we Clank?” The skinny unicorn pulled a wrench out of his apron pocket. Clank did the same and eyed the other two griffons approaching with weapons bared. “That we do, Rigs.” The two engineers rushed forward, the polearm held between them in a web of combined magic. They swung the weapon in a smooth arc, neatly knocking one weapon out of the first guard’s claws. Novell turned his attention back to Skycrasher. Dren and the mare were already back in the fight. Skycrasher ducked under a swipe of the Griffon’s claws and swept her good wing to direct a stream of dirt into her opponents eyes. Dren reared back just in time to avoid a hoof to the chest. The Griffon quickly swiped at his eyes and darted to the side. Skycrasher’s front hooves slammed into the ground where Dren had been. Meanwhile, Clank and Rigs were jeering at the other two guards. They parried blow after blow from the last Griffon’s polearm with their wrenches. In between blows, Clank managed to swing his metal leg around in an arc to catch the weaponless Griffon in the beak. The guard fell and didn’t get back up. “Fighting well, aren’t they?” Rell said grudgingly. “They definitely don’t need our help,” Novell said. He turned back to the rest of the crew; they were watching the battle with a fixed interest. “Time to take back the ship. Pegasi, scout ahead and see if there’s any more Griffons inside. The rest of you, follow me. Maybe we can get the Griffons to surrender.” “Be good to be back on the Belle. Come on, lads!” one of the pegasi called out. The pegasi darted into the air and flapped toward the airship while the few crewmembers who couldn’t fly jumped to the cavern floor. Novell hopped into the air after them and watched as Rigs dispatched the other guard. As soon as the engineers guided their wrenches back into their aprons, the small group of ground-bound crew rushed over and tied up the unconscious Griffons. Now there was only one guard left standing. Novell turned to see how Skycrasher was doing. The two were still in the middle of a pitched fight, both breathing heavily. Skycrasher had suffered a small cut on her left shoulder, while Dren favored one of his front claws. As he watched, the Griffon guardsman rushed forward with help from his wings, his shoulder raised for an impact. Skycrasher jumped. Her wings fanned out, both good and bad, and for a second, Novell could see a look of ecstasy on the mare’s face. The moment passed and Skycrasher fell awkwardly to the ground, her injured wing tucked protectively back at her side. She recovered even with her clumsy landing, sending a powerful hind hoof into Dren’s side. The guardsman fell and curled his body around the blow. “Sa—,” Skycrasher panted, “Satisfied that... blasted honor yet?” Novell alighted beside the captain with Rell hot on his heels. “I’d say his duty has been kept,” Rell said archly. “Further punishment would render him useless to the Matriarch. Is that not so, Dren Sheerwing?” The wounded Griffon raised a grimacing face. “I’d say so, Rell.” He winced. “Could have gone a little easier on me, Sky’.” Skycrasher chuckled and then coughed from the effort. “Not our first brawl. You should know better by now. ‘Sides, it’s your job. Can’t hold a grudge against that.” Rell let out a disapproving whistle. “I would have preferred to release your ship without undue conflict, Captain.” “I tried. Dren here’s just too stubborn for his own good,” Skycrasher replied glibly. “Of course, I’m still a little tipsy from earlier and that’s always made me a mite hotblooded. Makes for interesting stories later if you pick a few fights.” “Right as a rivet, that,” Rigs confirmed, suddenly beside them with a rope in his mouth. “Last time we made port, the Cap’n got involved in a hoof-fight with a camel and two deer.”         Clank grunted and lifted a leg to help his buddy tie the last guardsman up. “Oi, I remember that. I couldn’t sit down for a whole week after that deer bucked me right in the—”         “Let’s just hurry,” Rell interrupted as she flapped her way toward the deck of the airship.         Skycrasher chuckled. “Touchy, ain’t she?”         “We’re all under a great deal of stress here, Captain,” Kalyn said and nodded to the ship. “When can we be underway? I don’t imagine our scuffle here will go unnoticed forever.” The captain squinted up at the crew’s progress detaching the Southern Belle from her moorings. “Two shakes of a tailfeather, seems like. You two should board now. I’ll be along shortly.”         Novell nodded and left the captain to her crew, walking with Kalyn to the rickety boarding ramp that led to the ship’s deck. The griffon went first, looking down with a slightly nervous expression on his beak. Despite that, the injured tinker scrabbled his way across with little difficulty.         Kalyn glanced back at the ramp when the pegasus joined him. “I never thought I’d be afraid of heights.”         “Neither did I, the first time I injured my wing,” Novell replied, extending his wings to feel the pull on the tendon. It was almost ready to fly, a fact he felt would surely be tested soon. “Just don’t think about it and you’ll be fine. Or you could stay here.”         The tinker shook his head adamantly. “No, I can’t. Besides, I have a few ideas that might make the difference between keeping this ship afloat long enough for my wing to actually heal.”         Novell raised an eyebrow, wondering what the griffon had cooked up now. “Like what?”         Kalyn grinned, winking and patting the large leather pouch he had brought with him. “Early stages yet, but I brought a few things the Captain might find interesting.”         “Whatever you can do to help,” Novell replied, wishing he felt well enough to grin back. The truth was, he was terrified of what was coming next. Not only were they about to fly into a warzone, but they were going to attempt quite a few things that could fail just as easily as they could succeed. And if one thing fails, the whole plan collapses, Novell thought glumly. We will not fail, Pensive’s thoughts filled his head, the unicorn’s tranquil presence soothing his worries, if only a little. Before Novell could reply, Skycrasher made her way on deck with her two engineers bringing up the rear. The unicorns seemed pleased with themselves, aprons filled with a variety of tools that Novell couldn’t imagine the use of bouncing against their chests. A keg the size of a baby pony levitated between them, vibrating slightly and rumbling like a yeti’s growl. “Is the Belle ready, ya blue footed boobies?” the captain yelled at her crew, her presence and manner suddenly commanding. One of the pegasus crewmembers poked his head out from the topside of the balloon. “All’s a fair sight better than she was a day ago, Cap’n!” The blue mare nodded in reply, her eye scanning across the deck. “Very well then. Cast off, lads! We’ve a wind to catch and a war to stop!” “What’s that?” Novell gestured toward the keg held between the two unicorn engineers as the rest of the crew buzzed around the ship. “A surprise for this Havoc fellow you’ve told me about. It’s full of a special concoction I cooked up myself. Inside that little barrel is a miniature thunderstorm straining at the seams. Drop that on anypony,” she said with a smirk, “and they’ll have a pretty bad day.” Novell stared at her for a moment before his eyes slid to her flank. “I see where you got your cutie mark from, then.” The captain laughed heartily, draping her good wing around him and steering them both toward her cabin. “It was a fun bit of experience earning it, I won’t lie. Now how about you tell me where I’m steering my ship?” ***** “We’re heading for the ancient ritual grounds the Hippogryphs use for their rites of passage,” Professor Search explained, his hoof pointing at the mystic map Darkmoon helpfully provided. Novell gazed at the council of war, their faces dour in the soft light of torches. It was a smaller group than the one that had occupied the embassy less than an hour prior, consisting of Darkmoon, Rell, Quills, the Professor, Skycrasher and Novell himself. The others were outside, preparing in their own ways for the coming battle. And that’s what it is, the pegasus thought uneasily. It’s a battle, one in which I might lose a number of my friends. I can’t let that happen. Our plan has to work. Skycrasher was nodding. “I know the place. We’ll make for it as soon as we clear the Invention Aerie’s air space. We don’t want any overzealous guards attacking us from behind when we try this. It’ll also give us a chance to keep the wind from the approaching storm at our back. Even with the engines, the Belle moves faster when we’re not fighting the air currents.”         “A good plan,” Quills complimented, her eyes focused on the map. “Do we know where the Matriarch is located in the camp?” Rell pointed at a location just on the other side of the river where the ritual grounds were situated. “My mother will be in the center of the griffon encampment here, ready to fly with the rest of her warriors at a moment’s notice. It is covered by the trees, so the hippogryphs cannot attack them with their magic as easily as if they were on the plains.” “The forest will make it difficult for us to find her, as well. Perhaps we should wait until the battle is joined in earnest?” Professor Search suggested. Novell glanced at the old unicorn in shock. “We’re trying to stop the war, not wait for it to start, Professor.” “If we can save the most lives by waiting for the fighting to start, then it is worth it,” Rell replied, one eye trained on the pegasus. “Your heart is noble and the plan you’ve put forth is one I agree with, Novell, but the reality of the world must be taken into account or it is doomed to fail. We may even arrive after the war begins, regardless of our intentions.” Novell shook his head doggedly. “As much as I am thinking of the lives at stake, there’s also the fact that this kind of chaotic action would feed Havoc, making him more powerful. We have to strike before everything kicks off or we won’t be able to stop him at all. That’s been his plan this whole time.” “Novell’s right,” Quills put in. “We can’t let Havoc grow more powerful than he already is.” Professor Search frowned. “I... hadn’t considered that.” Skycrasher cleared her throat. “So, we have to get this Hippogryph son of yours,” she nodded to Rell, “from a heavily guarded area near the Matriarch of the entire Griffon race, convince the Hippogryphs that he’s a long lost relation and do it all before the Matriarch decides to attack an army that can level a mountain with the magic they command. That sounds... fun.” “As difficult as it seems, it is possible,” Darkmoon said from the corner of the room. “We simply must do it. Let us focus on the answers to our problems, rather than the problems themselves.” “I assume flying the Belle over the Matriarch’s encampment is out of the question.” Skycrasher worked a hoof under her eyepatch up to rub her eye. “I don’t fancy the Belle’s balloon coming in contact with Griffon claws, even if it is warded to be tougher than the scales of a dragon.” Rell whistled quietly through her beak. “A small team might be able to make it through the patrols to find my son and free him. No more than myself and another.” Quills tapped her hoof against the floorboards. “Meanwhile, we could create a distraction with the Southern Belle. How many Thunderbombs do you have onboard, Captain?” “Three,” Skycrasher replied, “though I’d like to keep at least one in reserve if we’re going to use them as a distraction.” “Fair enough,” Novell said, turning his attention to the griffon. “Whisper can go with you. She’s the strongest out of all of us and she’s quiet when she wants to be.” Professor Search snorted, but he nodded anyway. “Indeed she can be. Ever since her wing was healed, she has become a bit more graceful.” “I can accept this arrangement,” Rell said. “Though I would have preferred another Griffon, it seems our options are limited. Whisper is a fine warrior.” “The rest of us can help with the ship’s defenses,” Novell continued, his mind filled with questions on how exactly they would be able to. “The Griffons, at least, will investigate, but the Hippogryphs may attack. Does anyone have ideas on how to protect the ship?” Darkmoon stepped toward the map and his wrinkled face was lit by the magical display. “I can cast a simple duplication spell on this vessel that can serve as a decoy. The false Belle should draw some of them off on a wild cloud chase, even if it’s nothing more than an image.” Skycrasher paced behind her desk. “There are some mountains nearby that could serve as a cover, too. The clouds gather around their tips and should be big enough to cover the Belle.” “How will you see?” Rell asked with a frown on her beak. The captain grinned at her, winking. “Most of me crew are pegasi. They can sense their way through a cloud bank as thick as hay soup. We could even use their wings to keep a cloud around us once we leave the protection of the peaks.” “Then the only question that remains is how fast we move once we return with my son,” Rell pointed out. “Chances are once my mother finds out we’ve taken him she’ll attack, thinking the Hippogryphs took him instead.” Professor Search tapped the logbook’s spine against the table with a flick of magic. “We bring him to his people as soon as we recover him and hope they recognize the blood he carries. Rez has to know the truth of Havoc’s machinations, seeing as how he was in the crypt with us and responsible for the release of Havoc’s stone. Pensive’s fusion with him would have left some residual memories, either way, based on what the lad’s told me of the experience.” “Alright, then, let’s prepare as best we can,” Skycrasher said as she walked to the door. “I’ll talk the plan over with my crew as we go. We’ll be close enough to launch the extraction team in about thirty minutes, so hurry up and prepare in that time.” The map disappeared in a haze of sparks, all the motes gathering into a singular ball that shot toward Darkmoon’s horn. Novell and the rest filed out into the steadily darkening day, spreading out toward their respective groups to get ready. Wind was beginning to blow across the deck as they stepped out, causing the ropes to creak and clatter against the balloon. The turbines continued their spin, their buzzing whirrs muffled by the spells the two unicorn engineers had cast before the Southern Belle had left port. The slightly electrical smell of a thunderstorm wafted passed Novell’s nose. Whisper caught sight of him as he exited the cabin and walked over with Swirley sleeping soundly on her head. “Hey, how’d it go?” Novell breathed in a lungful of the frigid air, gratefully spreading his wings enough to let the air flow through the feathers. “We came up with a plan. You’re a member of the most important part of it.” The two pegasi walked closer to the edge of the zeppelin's deck to gaze down at the mist-shrouded valleys below. A rumble of thunder echoed through the air, a sharper breeze picking up and setting the trees below to rustling, the sound audible even over the magically-muted engines. “What do you want me to do?” the mare asked after a moment. Novell met her eyes, noticing not for the first time how brilliantly green they were. “You’re going to rescue Rez with Rell.” She frowned. “Just the two of us?” The stallion nodded. “It’s a job that requires stealth, so only two of our little band can go. You’re one of the strongest fighters on the team, so you were chosen.” “Do you... trust me to be stealthy?” There was a hint of doubt in those emerald eyes. Novell furrowed his brows. “Of course I do. You’re not the quietest mare when you try to do all your little tricks, but the way you manipulate air currents to sneak up on me like you did back in Hoofington is more than enough for this. Your ability might even end up helping Rell if she makes a mistake.” “I suppose I am pretty awesome when it comes to sneaking up on ponies,” Whisper replied, setting Swirley down beside her hooves. “But this is real, Novell. Rell could die, Rez could die. Even... even I could be the one who doesn’t come back.” Novell frowned at her. “You’ll make it back. I thought you died back on Havoc’s mountain but you survived that. It won’t be any different this time. Nothing can stop you.” The orange pegasus shook her head and chuckled. “It’s weird, being the one told that. Usually I’m the strong one in these types of situations. I mean, I’m so scared my wings are shaking.” “Well, that makes me feel a little better, actually,” Novell replied, surprised to find a smile creeping across his face. “You’re right, Whisper, we could die. But I’m going to do my best to make it so none of us do, just like you always have. You’ve gotten us through everything so far, taking all those Nightvines on by yourself back in the mountain, fighting every step of the way through this journey to keep me and the others safe. It’s what I admire about you.” Whisper leaned against him, her bobbed mane warm under his chin. After a moment, she said, “Thank you.” Novell extended a wing around the mare’s body, dreading her departure even more. “I love you, Whisper. I never got to say it, back in the mountain when you kissed me.” “I know,” she replied, a hint of joy in her voice. “I was wondering when you’d want to talk about that.” The white pegasus fumbled for words. “Uh, do you love me, too?” Whisper pulled away and stared unamused into his eyes. She slugged him in the shoulder. “Of course I do. Celestia, you’re thick. Why else would I kiss you?” “Because we were about to die?” he replied, unsure. “Novell?” she asked, glaring up at the unmarked pegasus. “Um, yes?” “Shut up and hold me.” ***** With the wind from the storm at its back, the Southern Belle made swift progress across the Griffon Kingdoms. The large airship’s engines chugged along, watched closely by the engineers below while the rest of the crew prepared for a fight. Extra supplies were being brought up from the lower decks to fix anything if the airship came under attack. Novell and Whisper watched it all, Swirley having climbed back to his normal position atop the mare’s mane. They didn’t speak; instead, they simply enjoyed each other’s company, more feelings exchanged between them in the silence than in any of the words they’d shared since then. Eventually it came to an end when someone cleared their throat behind them. “You two seem relaxed.” The two pegasi turned, their wings flattening back to their sides, to see Quills standing next to Pensive with a small smile on her face. The unicorn was staring off to the side, over the railing. Novell shook his head. “Not really. We’re just waiting. I’m kind of nervous, actually.” Whisper snorted. “I couldn’t tell. It isn’t like you weren’t fidgeting every five seconds or anything.” Novell frowned and glanced at the mare with unease. “I didn’t notice that.” Quills smirked at him. “Better to just stop where you are, Novell.” “You’re no fun.” Whisper stuck her tongue out at the young mare. “So what’s up with you two?” “Quills was showing me how to sew,” Pensive said matter-of-factly. “It is a difficult process with hooves, but she is adamant I not rely on my magic.” Novell cocked his head. “I suppose that makes sense. You’ll need all the magic you can get for what we’re about to get ourselves into.” The teal-colored unicorn looked him in the eye. “Is there ever a time when it is otherwise?” “I suppose not,” Novell replied, giving his friend a smile. He turned to Quills. “Are we near the distraction team’s drop point?” Quills nodded, pointing behind her with one hoof. “Rell wants to talk to Whisper about what they’re going to do, but she’s talking to Kalyn right now, so I figured I’d wait a little bit.” The white pegasus glanced over the young mare’s shoulder to see Kalyn and Rell speaking softly to one another, their tails twitching anxiously. “It looks like they’re about done. Better go speak with her, Whisper.” Whisper bumped up against him. “Be careful, okay? I don’t want to have to be the one saving you this time.” “We’ll try not to go down in flames,” Novell replied with a smile. “Good. I need you to watch Swirley, too,” the mare said, pulling the snail off her head and giving his shell a quick kiss. “Make sure he...” she paused, looking into Novell’s eyes, “...take care of him, okay? A leaf a day.” Novell took her pet, who was struggling to move back to his master’s side. The movement mirrored the helplessness he felt. His breath caught in his throat at the thought of losing her again. He stared into her eyes. “You’re coming back.” “I know that,” Whisper grinned, the same simple smile that sent excitement shooting through his body. “I just want to make sure you don’t overfeed him or anything while I’m gone, since I haven’t fed him today.” She left, trotting across the deck where Rell was waiting. The griffon was looking out over the other side of the railing now, Kalyn gone from her side. She looked up when Whisper arrived and beckoned the mare over as she walked into the corridor that led into the bowels of the ship. “She’s worried, isn’t she?” Quills asked sadly. “Aren’t we all? How about you, little guy?” Novell sighed, looking down at Swirley. The snail was staring at him, eyes boring into his own as the shell shifted through several colors. “Swirley says he’s not afraid. He just wants to go with her,” Pensive translated, his horn glowing through a variety of colors in return. “He also wants you to put him on your mane, so he can see.” “Oh, sorry,” Novell said to the snail, putting him carefully on top of his head. It was a strange feeling, but the snail was surprisingly light. “Better?” Pensive smiled. “He says you’re taller and that he likes you for that.” Swirley’s eyestalks appeared in front of the pegasus’ face, staring at him with a gleam of intelligence. Novell raised an eyebrow at the snail’s antics, looking to Pensive for another translation. The unicorn’s smile grew wider. “He’s asking for food.” Quills snorted. “I’ll go get a leaf out of my room. Whisper left some on the desk in there when we were on the way to the Invention Aerie.” “Days old food. Oh, joy,” Novell replied, the look in Swirley’s eyes suggesting he was thinking the same thing. “It’s better than nothing,” the earth pony shot over her shoulder before disappearing into the belly of the ship. Novell shared a small smile with Pensive. “She’s happier.” “Her mother is safe with Ambassador Steelfeather,” the unicorn replied blandly. “Her twin is aboard the ship with her. And she is with her friends.” The pegasus sighed. “It seems like she’s the only one, though. How are you doing?” Pensive blinked and then looked up at the pegasi working to retie one of the ropes around the balloon. “I am confused.” “About the plan?” Novell asked. The unicorn shook his head slowly. “No, it is another matter entirely. I feel... hollow, sad. I believe I know why, but I do not understand the point of it, especially when my mind is aware and objective of the reason.” The pegasus flexed his wings, looking for clues in the mental link he shared with the unicorn. There was nothing but confusion and, now that he was looking for it, sorrow. “Is there anything I can do?” “That is a difficult question to answer.” Pensive met his gaze. “Through our bond, I can sense the feelings you feel when you look at Whisper. Yet just now, when she went away, there was a... shot of pain in that warmth you feel toward her. It is similar to my own.” Novell furrowed his brow and frowned. “I feel concerned for her, since she’s leaving. Is that what you felt?” “No.” Pensive hesitated, looking away momentarily. “It... the warmth that you feel toward her is love, yes?” “Yes,” the pegasus replied honestly. “Then why does it hurt me to look at you?” the unicorn replied, holding a hoof to his chest above where his heart would be. “I love you, but I hurt. It is the same hurt that you felt when Whisper left.” Novell froze. “Uh...” Pensive frowned, tears forming in his eyes. “It hurts because you do not look at me that way, feel the same feelings that you do toward her. Why is that? Is it because I am not a mare?” The pegasus’ mind was blank, all attempts at finding a suitable response ending in failure. The unicorn’s horn glowed, a shower of soft, ghostly magic encompassing him. Echoes of bells accompanied the soft, teal light. Pensive’s form disappeared in it, becoming incandescently white. Novell closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his mind refused to make sense of the image before him. “I can be one now, Novell,” a beautiful unicorn mare said in sorrowful dulcet tones, a hoof held to her heart. Her mane was nearly identical to Pensive’s, almost like it was carved from ice, yet smoother and more rounded. Large, expressive eyes stared at him with tears gathered at their edges, the same color as the stallion’s that Novell had saved from Havoc. Even the cutie mark was an exact replica of Pensive’s own. She stepped forward, tears thickening. “The transformation stone lets me be anything I want, Novell, as long as I have an ingredient to meld with. But I realized that there was one shift that could be made without such a combination requirement. This one.”         “Pensive...” Novell started, at a loss for words. What could he tell his best friend? How did anypony deal with a situation like this? What do I do?         The mare tentatively took another step, brushing her hoof against his and hanging her head. “I can feel what you feel. There is warmth there, the same I felt when you gave me my cutie mark. I know what my talent is, Novell, after thinking on it. I want to help you get yours. I want to be there when you experience it.” She sniffled, a sound that melted the pegasus’ heart. “I don’t know how to say it. I don’t know what I’m talking about. I just want to be warm. I can’t be cold anymore. It hurts too much.”         Just like that, a thought crystallized in Novell’s mind. “Pensive.” He lifted her chin with a hoof until he met her eyes. “You’ve been with me since we left that mountain. You’ve saved me more times than I can count. We share a connection that I can’t ever share with another pony, griffon, hippogryph or anyone else. You don’t ever have to be alone, because I’ll always be there, through that link. Feel what I feel now. You’re more than just my friend. You’re a part of me that will stay there forever.” The unicorn held his hoof to her chin, glancing down at it with tears streaming down her face. “I know that. I know you’re there. But my chest... it feels like the emptiness that I was faced with as just a thought of Havoc’s mind.” “You’re my best friend, Pensive. You always will be. And you don’t have to change who you are for me to enjoy being around you.” Novell grinned at her. “Even though you are pretty handsome either way. Anypony would be lucky to have you. You just have to find them.” “Thank you, Novell.” The mare drew back, drawing in a staggered breath and wiping at the tears. “It still hurts, but your words make me feel less cold, less alone.” Novell shrugged, patting Pensive on the shoulder. “I know, I can feel it. Just remember I’m always here if you need to talk like this again. You’re still a foal in some ways, even though you’ve grown up so fast, so you haven’t exactly experienced much of life.” A small grin played on her face. “So exploring a dangerous forest, meeting with a princess, plumbing the depths of a forbidden mountain and stopping a war is just a little bit of experience?” “That’s all normal for ponies,” Novell nodded sagely, sharing the smile. “And I can tell you right now that love is a lot harder than anything else we’ve done so far. It’s kind of unfair, really.” “So I seem to be figuring out,” Pensive replied, her eyes darting above the pegasus’ head. She smiled, continuing, “Swirley says I should try to impress others and not give up.” Novell glanced up. “Huh, I forgot he was there. But he’s right. And like I said, if you ever need anything, just send me a thought. I’m always here.” The unicorn nodded, looking down. “I worry about that as well... what if one of us does not come back from this? What if Havoc... does something to me to manipulate me against you? What if he—” “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the last couple of weeks, its not to worry about things like that,” Novell said comfortingly. “It’ll just make you go crazy with all the possibilities. I should know, I can see most of them already.” “Hey, I found some leav—” The two ponies turned around at the sound of Quills’ voice. The earth pony was staring at them, her mouth half open, the leaves she had been carrying dropping to the deck to twirl in the wind. Her eyes darted between Novell and Pensive for a second before her face paled, then colored, then paled again. She closed her eyes, raising a hoof to her forehead. When she opened her eyes again, she asked, “Pensive?” “Yes. Hello, Quills,” Pensive said blandly, her voice soft. “Why are you...” she blushed again, dropping her eyes to the deck, “a mare?” “Because I wanted to tell Novell that I lo— The pegasus covered the mare’s mouth with a hoof, laughing uneasily. “He, uh, wanted to tell me he could... shift forms to make Havoc... confused! Yeah, that’s all.” Quills looked up, suspicion dancing in her eyes. “O-okay. Well... please change back, Pensive. It’s... weird to... see you like this.” The unicorn peeled Novell’s hoof off her face, her brows furrowing. “But Novell said I was handso—” The pegasus extended a wing and covered the mare’s mouth again. “Um. Leaves. You got the leaves for Swirley, right?” “Yeah, right here,” she said, still gazing suspiciously at the two ponies. “I’m... just going to leave them here and go talk to Scrolls for a little while. I think the Professor wanted to talk to you, too, Novell. He’s in his cabin. And make it fast, because Whisper and Rell are about to leave. We need to make that distraction happen.” Novell nodded, smiling woodenly. “Yeah, thanks. I’ll see you then.” The earth pony walked away, blushing again when she looked at Pensive. Novell continued smiling until she made her way to where Scrolls was waiting near the other end of the airship. When she began talking, the stallion let the smile drop. “Why did you stop me from speaking?” Pensive asked, still holding the pegasus’ hoof against her cheek and looking up at him. Novell sighed, gently pulling away. “Because you can’t just blurt stuff like that out. It’ll create misunderstandings.” “Oh,” she said thoughtfully. “Another case where the truth can hurt somepony, like the Professor talked about?” The pegasus nodded. “Something like that. Anyway, I’m going to go ahead and go see what he wants. Go ahead and change back to your... male form and see if the captain needs any help.” “Okay.” There was a flash of light, abbreviated and swift, as Pensive transformed back into a stallion. Novell turned to leave, but three leaves were suddenly levitated in front of his face, suspended by magic. “Don’t forget Swirley’s food.” The pegasus grabbed the leaves with his mouth. “‘fanks.” ***** Novell knocked on the open doorway. “You wanted to see me, Professor?” Professor Search looked up at the noise. “Ah, there you are, lad. Come in, come in.” The pegasus walked in and sat down beside the hammock the unicorn was resting on. Swirley’s eyestalks fell down into Novell’s face with an evident plea. Novell held up another leaf, feeling the gentle pull of the snail’s mouth taking it away. “She let you have Swirley, then?” the Professor asked softly. “Yeah, just until she gets back.” He met the unicorn’s eyes. “She will come back.” The Professor held up a hoof and nodded. “I never said she wouldn’t, lad. I was just mentioning... well, nevermind. Novell, I  just wanted to thank you for what you’ve done for me. You didn’t have to help me save Amber.” “Of course I did.” Novell titled his head and tapped a hoof against the floorboards. “If I didn’t, Quills would have killed me. Speaking of which, you seem to be tolerating each other better.” “Ah, indeed.” Professor Search nodded with a small smile. “It seems my offer to sacrifice myself, while embarrassing to think of now, convinced her that I’m not such a bad pony after all. Though sometimes I wonder if it would have been better not to have involved myself with Amber in the first place.” “She would have ended up in that mountain regardless of whether or not you knew her, Professor,” Novell consoled the unicorn as he glanced around the room. He spotted a comfortable cloud-hammock and clambered onto it, continuing, “Besides, if you hadn’t known her, no one would have saved her and Havoc would have one more piece of his power back.” Professor Search furrowed his brows. “I suppose you’re right, my boy. Strange how interconnected everything we’ve done has been.” “Life’s just a puzzle,” Novell said with a sigh, closing his eyes and imagining he was suspended over Hoofington on his favorite cloud-spot. “If you stop and look, you’ll notice a lot of connections between everything. Ponies, griffons, dragons. All of us. I mean, if I hadn’t have saved you from that Yeti, I would have never left Hoofington and met Pensive or the twins. We wouldn’t have gone on this adventure and I wouldn’t be anywhere close to finding my cutie mark, like I am now.” “And Havoc wouldn’t have been released,” Professor Search said softly. The pegasus opened an eye and frowned. “For some reason, I don’t think he would have stayed in his prison much longer, regardless. I can’t be the only pony in Equestria who could have figured out the key to opening the trap Discord made. Havoc would have found them eventually and this whole mess would have still happened. I mean, if it wasn’t for us, Havoc might have gotten all the pieces already.” “You have a point, I suppose.” The Professor cleared his throat and pulled out his logbook with a flash of magic. “You know, I’ve always wondered where you pulled that book from,” Novell said with a  gesture at the small book. “I’ve never seen you carry it around and you don’t have anywhere to put it.” Professor Search smiled through his bushy mustache. “If you must know, my boy, it comes out of a personalized pocket of space I made myself. I came across the spell quite by accident, actually, since it’s somewhat related to Clover the Clever’s Dimensional Rift Prison spell. Unfortunately, my version is nowhere near powerful enough to actually act as a trap, so I just use it to carry my book.” “Oh. I thought it would be something more difficult to understand. Something impossible.” “Hmm,” the Professor said noncommittally. “Well, as much as I would like to discuss impossibility theorem with you, we are short on time and I did call you here for a reason. If we manage to rescue Rez and restore him to his people, the Hippogryphs will, of course, turn on Havoc. But that will only manage to delay him, at most. If we convinced them to help us, on the other hoof, we could perhaps cast a single spell powerful enough to defeat him, similar to how Discord was defeated by the Elements of Harmony not so long ago.” “Do you think it would work like the Elements?” Novell asked doubtfully. “They are awful powerful, based on the stories.” Professor Search sighed. “I don’t know that it will work, but at the very least it would further delay Havoc from his ultimate goal. Of course, to do this, we would still need to convince the Hippogryphs to listen to a pony. Not something they’ve done since Starswirl the Bearded first met with them to learn their particular spells.” “I like the idea of it,” the pegasus replied, absently feeding Swirley another leaf. “But it may be best just to let them do what they want without our intervention. Aside from bringing them Rez, of course.” “Yes, well, they might actually listen to you.” The Professor coughed awkwardly. Novell looked up. “What do you mean?” The unicorn nodded to his logbook. “Do you remember the letter we found in the Canterlot library? The one that whisked us to the Whitetail Wood?” “Yeah... it was from... The Warden of the Str—” Novell’s eyes widened. “That’s who Tombfeather said timelocked the egg!” Professor Search nodded. “The one and the same. If you mention this entity’s name, they might listen to you closer.” Novell frowned. “But the letter was spell-locked to you, wasn’t it?” “Ah, yes, but then this appeared in my logbook after we we met with the dragon.” He turned the logbook’s pages in Novell’s direction. “I never told you because it seemed unhelpful at the time, but now... read the bottom.” “‘The Professor must obtain this letter or the Blank One will not complete his quest’,” Novell read aloud after skipping a few paragraphs of illegible writing. “The Blank One? You think that means me? And what about all the other stuff? I can’t read it.” Professor Search frowned. “Neither can I. As for what you read, yes, I believe you are the Blank One and I am, of course, the Professor. It would be rather unlikely that something as specific as that would be directed toward anyone but us.” “Maybe,” Novell started to say when the sound of drumming hooves stopped at the door. Scrolls’ head popped into the room, his face grim. “Whisper and Rell left. But we have a problem.” Novell frowned. Why didn’t Whisper let him know she was leaving? “What’s wrong?” The sound of an explosion roared above their cabin and the room tilted bizarrely. All three ponies fell to the floor as the ship began to right itself. The ever present sound of the engines was cut in half, a whining screech piercing the din. Scrolls yelled over the cacophony, “That’s what’s wrong! Someone sabotaged the engines!” “Attention, crewmembers and other ponies, griffons and whatever else I happen to be carrying today,” Skycrasher’s voice came from a magical speaker situated on the wall. “We appear to be falling out of the sky. That is all.” Novell glared at the loudspeaker and moved toward the door. “Why are we still level?” Skycrasher’s voice came on again. “Oh, also, we’re being kept aloft by magic and pegasus power, so if any of you other ponies, griffons and whatever else feel like helping us drift down to the ground for repairs, please make your way to the deck.” Professor Search raced into the hallway after Novell and Scrolls, all of them running for the exit to the deck. “Well, I suppose a plummeting airship could serve as ample distraction for Whisper and Rell, at least.” “Won’t help us much if we’re all a pile of wreckage when they come back!” Scrolls retorted. “How did this happen anyway?” Novell asked as they turned a corner. “Don’t know exactly,” Scrolls gritted out. “I was in the engineering room with Clank when he started screaming about the engines. From the way things looked, I assumed sabotage.” “Griffon?” Scrolls shook his head. “Doesn’t really matter who it was, but I’d put my money on the Matriarch. She knew we came in on the Belle.” The three ponies galloped up to the deck, where the sound of squealing grew louder and smoke filled the air. Novell’s eyes immediately shifted to the left, where the massive engine attached to the side of the airship was belching black smoke. A small fire blazed below an emergency raincloud, resisting the downpour. The pegasus crewmember on top of the cloud was bouncing up and down for all he was worth, drenching the engine in rainwater. A few more were attempting to patch a hole in the balloon where shrapnel from the engine’s explosion had punctured. “Professor!” Skycrasher’s voice came from the upper deck, where the captain was grinning and holding the massive wheel that steered the ship. “Go help my engineers keep the blades spinning! Novell, get behind the balloon and give us some more push! We’re making for a clearing at the base of that escarpment ahead!” “What do you want me to do?” Scrolls yelled back. Captain Skycrasher cackled as lightning filled the air, the black stormclouds behind her rumbling ominously. “Pray you don’t have to fly! I heard you earth ponies aren’t too good at that! Come to think of it, neither am I.” Her face grew serious and she gritted her teeth against the sudden wind. “But if you want to help, Scrollsy, get up here and help me with the wheel.” Novell opened his wings and lifted off while the others ran to their stations. His injured wing felt strong despite the subtle pull of pain, but he was too happy to be back in the air to care. He spared a moment of thought for Skycrasher’s mangled wing, glad she was able to fly on her airship, even if it wasn’t under her own wingpower. His happiness fell away as he shot off the deck and flew by the working engine on the port side of the ship. There were already several pegasi crewmembers near the back of the Belle, expressions of concentration written across their faces as they attempted to keep the large airship aloft. Novell dove toward them, flying toward a larger pegasus who was gesturing at him. “Where do you need me?” Novell asked, adrenaline already flowing through his veins. He felt Swirley shift on his head and suddenly realized he’d forgotten about the snail. It was as if Swirley weighed nothing. The large pegasus nodded toward the group at the bottom. “I need you down there to help keep the Belle up. The wind from the storm is pushing us along near well enough, but we don’t have near the amount of lift we need to keep her on course for the clearing.” As if in answer to his pronouncement, a peal of thunder rent the sky. The uncontrolled clouds of the Griffon Kingdoms were a frightening, unpredictable beast all their own. Novell gulped, nodded at the pegasus and flew to join the other pegasi giving all they had to push up on the underside of the airship. “Glad you could join us,” one of the crewponies yelled over the airship engine’s piercing whine. Novell grunted in reply, adding his wingpower to the fold. Flying as swiftly as they were moving and still sending enough air into the bottom of the ship was more difficult than moving a stormfront, but with the seven or so pegasi all working together, they managed to keep it moving in a diagonal line rather than straight down. Even so, Novell was beginning to tire after a few minutes, and all the other pegasi were equally out of breath. Bit by bit, the Southern Belle moved into a steeper dive. “Griffons! Griffons to port!” one of the crewmembers gasped out between heavy breaths. The ship lurched forward as the pegasi momentarily lost focus. Novell gritted his teeth, spotting dots coming toward them at high speeds. That was all they needed. He wracked his brain for some kind of plan, because the one they had was going down with the ship. Pensive? Novell threw the thought toward his friend. We’ve got griffons approaching from the northeast. We see them. The Captain says she has an idea, Pensive replied. Any hints on that idea of hers? the pegasus asked, breathing heavily. I do not know, but I believe she wants you and the other pegasi to stop. We’re almost to the clearing she has picked out and she wants to be prepared with everypony onboard to meet the Griffons. Novell looked down. The trees were a lot closer than they had been before. A ways ahead, he could see the clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. That had to be the spot Skycrasher was thinking to land on, but it seemed a great deal smaller than Novell had been hoping for. “Skycrasher wants us on the deck,” Novell yelled to the other pegasi. “She said that, did she? When?” one bit off in retort. A loudspeaker on the bottom of the boat suddenly clicked on. “All pegasi to the deck, I repeat, all pegasi to the deck. We’re about to land. There’s nothing else you lads can do down there.” Instead of waiting around and gloating, Novell gratefully ended his attempts at keeping the Southern Belle aloft. He beat his weary wings, leading the rest of the pegasi up as the ship suddenly lurched forward again. Novell landed in the area below the wheeldeck. Quills and Kalyn were already there, looking up at the captain expectantly. Both wore expressions of unease, though Quills’ face was a slight green at the airship’s unsteady descent. “Alright, since we’re about to land a mite harder than I originally thought, I need all pegasi to pick up the non-flying members of the crew and evacuate the Belle,” Skycrasher yelled over the increasing storm winds as she and Scrolls battled the wheel. “And make it fast.” “What?” Rigs was the first to question her orders, his horn still levitating the sealing material for the hole that had been patched in the side of the balloon. “But Cap’n—” “Look, we don’t have time to argue. Just follow my orders for once, all of you.” Her eyes softened. “Your concern is noted, but as the Captain, it’s my job to keep my crew, and my ship, as safe as possible. So get to it.” The pegasi crewmembers hopped to their jobs all at once, teams of two picking the Professor, Pensive, Darkmoon and the two engineers keeping the blades spinning up and off the ship. Another few teams grabbed Quills, Kalyn and Scrolls, taking them away without a word. “Putmedownputmedownputmedown!” Quills screamed as she was taken away, her voice quickly lost in the whine of the engine. Novell lifted off, too, maneuvering his way to land next to Skycrasher and yelling to make himself heard. “What about you? You can’t fly.” “Nice of you to remind me,” the captain replied, flashing a smile at him. “Don’t worry about me any, cutie. A good captain always goes down with her ship. Besides, better chance of saving her if I stay.” The ship tilted alarmingly to the right, startling Novell into the air. “Captain!” “I’ve got it!” Skycrasher growled, fighting the wheel to keep it from turning toward the cliff itself. “Get to safety. I can’t guarantee landing this thing in one piece. When I set down, you and your friends need to get to where you need to be. Me and my crew can serve as a distraction for the griffon search party. Take one of the Thunderbombs with you. No use here.”         Novell glanced at the swiftly approaching griffons, their forms becoming more distinct. They were minutes away. He glanced back at the Captain, gritting his teeth. This wasn’t part of the plan, but there didn’t seem to be any choice.         “Good luck,” he said grimly.         “Bah, luck never did me good.” Lighting flashed as the mare turned back to the clearing in front of her, less than a minute away. “Now get outta here, Novell!”         He jumped into the air and darted for one of the Thunderbombs strapped to the deck. One of the ties had come loose, and it was enough for him to wiggle out the smallest keg. He grunted under the weight and let the wind take him away from the ship. Novell saw Skycrasher fighting the wheel before his vision was obscured by the smoke billowing from the engine. Using the smokescreen as cover, the burdened pegasus made his way toward the escarpment where one of the crewmembers was standing atop a large rock. The other pony nodded at him and returned his attention to the Southern Belle’s descent.         “Captain stay with her ship?” Rigs asked, darting forward to meet the pegasus.         Novell nodded and felt Swirley shift again. “Yeah. She’s trying to land it.”         “Consarn it,” the skinny engineer growled and threw his hat on the ground. “I should be on that boat. She’s my baby as much as Sky’s.”         Clank stepped forward. “She wanted us to be safe, Rigs. Just like she’s always done. You know we all feel the same as you do right now. Besides, if anyone can land the Belle, it’s her.”         As if in response to his statement, the sound of cracking timber and screeching metal echoed through the rocks. It went on for a few seconds and then ended as swiftly as it began. The crewmembers shifted uneasily, their gazes drawn up to the pegasus posted as lookout.         “She’s landed,” the pegasus on the rock reported unnecessarily. “Can’t see the Belle right now, but the Captain’s angle was good. Griffons are already starting to circle over her.”         “Sod the griffons,” Rigs replied, picking up his hat and marching out of the rocks. “Somepony bring me to the Belle. I need to see if she’s okay.”         The pegasus on top of the rock looked down uncertainly. “Captain’s orders—”         “Sod her orders, too! I’m the engineer and when something happens to the ship, I’m in charge,” Clank declared with a belch of steam from his leg. “Starfly, Rudder, pick me up and get me to the Belle. That’s an order! The rest of you lot get down there and see if the captain’s alright.”         The pegasi crewmembers sprang into action while the head engineer looked back at Novell and the others. “You comin’?”         Novell shook his head. “Much as I want to, the captain told me to stick to the plan. We’re heading to the rendezvous on our own.”         Clank nodded and held out his hoof. “Well, good luck to you. Can’t say I understand what’s all going on, but if you can stop a war, do it.”         The pegasus gave the engineer’s hoof a shake. “We’ll do our best.”         “All anypony can do these days,” the burly unicorn said in reply. He walked out of the rocks to join the rest of his crew.         Darkmoon coughed. “I believe I will join the crew, young Novell. My old joints can’t handle the punishment of the pace you must keep.”         The pegasus turned toward the old unicorn. “Will you be okay with the Griffons?”         There was a twinkle in Darkmoon’s eye. “Of course I will. Being an ambassador, even one who might have broken a few rules, has its advantages. At the least, I can shift the captain’s blame to me.”         Quills walked over to give the unicorn a hug. “Stay safe, Darkmoon.”         “I would say the same to you, but events suggest you will do the opposite,” Darkmoon replied as he extended a foreleg around her shoulders. “To that, I reply, ‘good luck’! He separated from Quills and smiled at the group. “Believe in yourselves, all of you.” With that, the old unicorn walked toward the two impatiently waiting pegasi and left.         Novell turned toward the rest of his friends. They were all there, save Whisper and Rell. It came as a surprise to the pegasus that he thought of the female Griffon as a friend, despite her harsh exterior. Still, as the Griffons say, battle brings the flock together. And what a flock we are, Novell thought grimly as he assessed their injuries.         Kalyn stared at him expectantly, his wing still bandaged to his side. Quills glanced between Novell and Pensive, unconsciously lifting the foot she’d singed in the mountain. Professor Search and Pensive’s eyes were filled with determination, despite magical exhaustion. Scrolls was the least hurt of any of them, but even he had bags around his eyes. It reminded Novell of his own exhaustion, but he brushed it away with an unconscious flick of a wing.         “We’re heading toward the rendezvous,” Novell said grimly and looked at each of them in turn. “After that, we’ll head toward the Hippogryph encampment as we planned, if the other team was successful. I know you’re all tired, hurt, battered and bruised, but we’re together. That is the most important thing. Without each other’s help, we wouldn’t have been able to escape from Havoc’s mountain. We wouldn’t have found the clue that would lead us here.”         The pegasus paused. “We saved Amber from a glowing crystal. We bested one of Havoc’s lieutenants doing so. We escaped a prison and somehow managed to find ourselves here, on the last stretch. Havoc’s out there, watching this, waiting for us to make a mistake. We will make mistakes.”         Before anyone could object, Novell let a self-deprecating smile play across his face. “I’ve made mistakes before. We all have. But we’re together. If there has been one thing I’ve learned throughout this dangerous, exciting, tragic, and magical adventure, it’s that I would have no other pony, griffon,” he grinned as Swirley fidgeted on top of his head, “or snail at my side. All of you are my friends and I have no doubt we’ll always succeed if we’re together. Whatever happens, I’m so happy I met each of you.”         A glint of amusement danced in the Professor’s eyes at that. “As much as I do love your impromptu little speeches, my boy, perhaps we should move toward the rendezvous? I would hate to keep our fiery, little mare waiting.” Novell half expected to hear Whisper chime in from beside him, saying something about how he was pretty good at making friends for somepony who hadn’t made one before leaving Hoofington. But when he turned, she wasn’t there. She was absent and in danger. Away from the group.         That thought bothered him more than he let on to the others. ***** Despite the crash, Captain Skycrasher and her airship had carried the group fairly close to the place they would meet Whisper and Rell. With the Southern Belle’s crew distracting the griffons sent to investigate the airship, it was little trouble to bypass them. The group moved down the road-like escarpment until they found a path to the forest floor. Even with Kalyn’s broken wing and the exhaustion everyone felt, the group made it into the forest in good time. Professor Search and Pensive lead the way, their magical defenses and attacks more likely to protect the rest of the group should they run into trouble. Unlike Everfree, the forest they were wandering through this time was brighter and less mysterious. Kalyn and Rell had spoken of the valleys between the mountains as ancient, given over to the Hippogryphs freely once they had been subdued centuries ago. Even so, they did not contain nearly the amount of beasts and monsters as the Everfree, unless one counted the Hippogryphs themselves as such. For this reason, Novell flew just below the canopy, carrying the Thunderbomb in between his forelegs. His eyes scanning the trees and his ears twitching this way and that to pick up any kind of threat. If they ran into any of the Hippogryphs, they would need to run, but the bomb would be a nice decoy. Kalyn had said that Hippogryphs would not listen to ponies trespassing in their forests, especially accompanied by a Griffon. Novell glanced up at the sun glistening every so often between the gaps of the foliage, marking the sun’s progress across the steadily darkening sky. There was still an hour and a half before Whisper and Rell would be considered late. Hopefully they’ll be there before us... They will be fine. You must have confidence in them, Pensive’s thought came, calm pouring into the pegasus’ mind and sweeping away his anxiety. I do have confidence in them, Novell replied reluctantly. I just wish they didn’t have to do this. I wish none of us had do this. Somepony has to. If not us, who? Isn’t that always the question? the pegasus answered sourly, his wings beating a steady cadence. Reassurance flooded through the bond, the equivalent of a mental hug, and Novell turned his attention back to his surroundings. The run through the forest was surprisingly pleasant, despite the circumstances. It was a strange peace, one that made the pegasus’ nerves begin to fray even with Pensive’s calming presence. The longer events moved along without something happening for the worse, the larger the worm of uneasiness in Novell’s stomach grew. Wind rustled through the leaves all around them, grass and shrubs waving in its current and the clouds above still withholding their deluge. The smell of oak and pine was strong, a pleasant odor that seemed to fill Quills and Scrolls with confidence if nopony else. Earth pony connection to the world, I suppose, Novell thought absently while darting below a low-hanging branch. The two twins were talking quietly with one another. Novell tried his best not to listen in, but with how attentive he was forced to be, it was impossible not to overhear. “So you kissed a Griffon?” Quills asked archly, her words strong and steady despite the near gallop she was maintaining. Scrolls nodded, grinning roguishly at his sister. “I did. It was a heat of the moment kind of situation. Imminent death, possible politically fracturing problems and such. The usual. She was rather attractive, though. For a Griffon.” “I can’t imagine kissing a beak.” “Oh, I bet. You were probably more distracted with wanting to kiss somepony else.” To Novell’s surprise, Quills actually blushed, her eyes held carefully ahead. “I was not.” Even the pegasus saw through that. He wondered grimly if he had another infatuation to deal with. Pensive had been difficult enough, but Quills... Scrolls chuckled darkly and bumped up against his sister. “Does he know you’re interested?” “Of course not,” his sister replied with a scowl. “Besides, it wouldn’t be proper.” Scrolls rolled his eyes. “If you won’t tell him, I will. What’s the worst that could happen?” “He could say no,” Quills said softly, almost too soft for the pegasus to catch. The tone in her voice almost made Novell’s heart break. He swept down close enough to let the two know he was there so he could distract the earth pony. “So are you two sure about these texts? You think the Hippogryphs will actually listen to Rez, especially if he’s with two Griffons?” Quills didn’t look up. “You’re not fooling anypony, Novell. You heard us talking. If I weren’t running, I would pound you.” “Wh-what?” Novell didn’t need to feign surprise. Scrolls grinned up at him, showing a vast disrespect for the tricky terrain of the forest floor. “We heard you gasp when I said she was interested in somepony. You’re kind of loud.” The pegasus grimaced, not attempting to deny the accusations. “Let’s focus on the situation at hoof. You can both knock me silly after we get through this. The texts.” “We’re as sure as we can be, given the nature of them,” Scrolls replied lightly. “The Hippogryphs respect bloodlines and if you’re right about who Rez is, then they should follow him because of that. Especially because of that.” Novell frowned. “What do you mean ‘especially’?” Quills answered with a grunt as she jumped over a root. “He’s a living relic. Hippogryphs pass heirlooms down throughout the generations, placing almost more importance on their items than their lives. Think about how you would react if you found out you were related to Commander Hurricane and he decided to stroll down to Hoofington and ask for your help.” The thought was perfectly ridiculous to the pegasus, but he saw her point. Still, he needed to be sure. “Commander Hurricane was the leader of a nation. A hero, despite his part in the Hearth’s Warming tale. Rez was just an egg.” “An egg given to the Griffons as part of a pact that would save both races,” Scrolls reminded him gently. “Even though he wasn’t born at the time, he’d still be a hero in their eyes. Or rather, his bloodline would, for making such a sacrifice. Add to that his mysterious reappearance after being thought dead...” “I hope you’re right. I hope we’re all right, actually.” Novell glanced up at the two unicorns in the lead, Kalyn close behind them. “I don’t know what we’d do if they just ignored us and decided to fight the Griffons anyway.” “Havoc would win, the Hippogryphs would be extinct, the Griffons would be weakened and the Kingdoms would fracture,” Scrolls listed out blithely. Novell glared at the young pony. “Thanks. You make me feel so much better.” “I’m not here to make you feel better, Novell,” Scrolls said cheerfully. “That’s what my sister’s here for. I’m just around to point out the obvious.” The pegasus grunted. “If you come up with any flaws in the plan, let me know.” “Oh, there are several already,” Scrolls replied. “But nothing we can do about right now. Look, the clearing’s coming up.” Novell shot the earth pony a pained glance before turning his attention to the break in the forest’s canopy. The last remnants of the sun’s light speared through the clearing, glistening off of the grass and weeds. A few rabbits and a skunk chittered at them angrily when they walked out of the forest. Professor Search turned around with Pensive and glanced at Novell. “Seems we’re here.” Novell landed and peered into the forest. Neither Rell nor Whisper were in sight. The sunlight faded and disappeared behind the heavy, roiling clouds above. “We should wait for the others at the edge of the forest,” Kalyn suggested. His feathers were ruffling in the increasing wind. “No sense giving our position away to anyone with a pair of wings.” “Good point,” Novell admitted and nodded for the others to hide at the edge. He followed the others with a sense of unease that had nothing to do with the coming storm. The time Rell had estimated they would return was still an hour away, but he still couldn’t keep the possibilities out of his mind.         Rain began its pitter pattering rhythm against the canopy’s leaves, slowly at first and then with an increasing torrent. Lightning flashed and bleached the clouds a vibrant white. Thunder grumbled its discontent in reply. Novell watched the clouds from underneath a series of leaves Kalyn had weaved together into a makeshift shelter. The weather in the Griffon Kingdoms was often left unattended by the griffons themselves and often bled into Equestria where the local pegasi would attempt to corral the wayward storms. It was a new experience for Novell, one that set his wings twitching involuntarily as if they wanted to regulate storm all by themselves. The thought reminded him of Whisper. He prayed for her safe return. ***** Ten minutes after the deadline, the other team had still not shown themselves. Novell shrugged the delay off with a minor sense of unease. Anything could have happened to rationalize the reason for their tardiness, from having to wait for passing patrols to being forced out of the sky. At thirty minutes passed the deadline, the pegasus began to calculate the amount of time it would take for the others to return from the Griffon encampment. If they flew, it would take them no more than ten minutes to arrive. If they walked, it could take them upwards of forty-five minutes to an hour. It was an hour later when Novell finally admitted to himself that something had gone wrong. “They should be here by now,” Kalyn voiced the thought on everyone’s mind. “I’m inclined to agree,” Professor Search replied, standing and staring into the rain-swept wood. Novell was just about to reply when something moved in the corner of his eye. He motioned for the others to remain silent and stood. For a moment, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was the same forest Novell had been staring into for the past hour; he had even memorized every hanging vine and branch in an attempt to take his mind off of the waiting. He was about to pass it off as a trick of his eye when one of the vines moved. A strangled gasp startled in his throat and he lurched back in surprise. His mind immediately assumed to Nightvines, but they weren’t the right color. These were white, nothing like the sinister black cords he’d met in the forbidden mountain. A flash of orange appeared through the bush. Novell’s heart raced at the color and he squashed the urge to rush forward and investigate. It could be a Hippogryph, for all he knew, since they came in a variety of colors. “There’s something moving, out there in the brush,” Novell said, realizing his friends were still waiting for an explanation. Kalyn immediately arrowed in on the movement. A rustling sound came to their ears. The Griffon growled deep in his throat and fell into a ready stance, his wings and neck feathers fluffing up to make him appear larger. The others likewise grew more alert, their ears cocked toward the noise that was just audible over the rain. “That sounds like a Hippogryph,” the tinker whispered with an agitated swing of his tail. Novell and the rest of the party tensed. “Hello?” a voice whispered in an odd squawk. They all turned their heads toward the noise. Novell felt his pulse quicken and his mouth dry out. Fighting a Hippogryph was something he wanted to avoid. But why would the Hippogryph give away his position? “Kal’?” Pensive stiffened beside him. “That sounds like Rez.” Quills turned to him and hissed, “How do you know?” Another rustle came from across the clearing, very close. “Pensive?” “Here,” Pensive’s voice called out, echoing weirdly, as if in a cave. Novell saw the unicorn’s horn alight. “What are you doing?” Novell asked incredulously, barely managing to keep his voice low. Trust me, Pensive thought back. The unicorn stepped out of his hiding place. Novell gritted his teeth at Pensive’s action, but kept his thoughts to himself. Whoever’s out there knows somepony’s here anyway. The strange white vines appeared behind a bush after a moment of stillness. They tilted to the side. “We are safe?” “Yes,” Pensive replied softly. “Rez?” A large beak appeared around the bush and an intelligent eye glanced at them. “Mother said to go here. Help us.” Kalyn moved into the clearing, his tail lashing from side to side. “Where’s Rell?” Rez squawked inarticulately and stepped out from behind the bush. His wings cradled something on his back. “Mother is caged and this one is hurt! Help us!”         Novell’s heart thudded in his neck when he saw her. Everypony rushed forward at once, magic instantly pulling Whisper from the Hippogryph’s back. Quills was calling out orders, but Novell felt deaf and dumb. Dozens of cuts crossed Whisper’s body, some still bleeding. Her wings hung limply at her sides and her breathing was shallow. She opened her eyes when the Professor laid her on the grass, tears and a grimace on her face. She focused on him for a moment, her expression softening. With a sigh, her eyes fluttered closed and her chest fell still. Novell’s world collapsed around him.