Connections
A solitary earth pony sat at the top of a hill overlooking a sheltered bay, with a single tree provided some shelter from the noonday sun. The pony's nearly-empty saddlebag was tossed haphazardly aside. He was panting, drenched in sweat, and covered in dirt and grime. Although he longed to wash away the filth in the clear water that was agonizingly close below him, his instincts told him to wait.
Like usual, his instincts were spot on. Not half a minute later, the earth pony heard a violent whoosh of wind scream overhead, with an accompanying gust of air that almost pushed him down the hill. After searching briefly, he spotted the perpetrator: an off-white pegasus that almost blended in with the clouds. Had the pegasus' mane not been bright orange, it might've.
The pegasus circled around for a landing. Flaring its outstretched wings as it neared the ground, the pegasus frantically flapped to slow down from the bone-shattering speed that it had been going. Just when the pegasus was about to hit the grass, the earth pony looked away, certain that the pegasus was going to crash.
After hearing no painful crunch, the earth pony cautiously opened his eyes. To his surprise, the pegasus had somehow managed to land by literally hitting the ground running. He wasn't entirely sure how that was possible, but he witnessed it first hoof, so there was no denying that it happened. When the pegasus slowed enough to take off in a controlled manner, it did so, casually soaring into the air to land beside the earth pony.
"Nice landing," the earth pony commented.
"Thanks," was the reply. The voice was definitely feminine. She coughed. "I got a lot of practice the last few weeks. Have anything to drink?"
"There's a flask of water in that saddlebag over there. Help yourself."
Murmuring another thanks, the pegasus found the flask and took a long drink. "So," the earth pony began when she was done, "what brings you here?"
"Same reason as you, I'd imagine." The pegasus put the now nearly-empty flask back in the saddlebag and sat down beside the earth pony. Quietly, she asked, "Where did it appear for you?"
"The walls. The ceiling. The floor. Any flat surface, really." He sighed. "It got so bad that I almost locked myself up with the ponies I guard."
"Where do you work?" was the inevitable question.
"Placebo Mental Institute, in Manehattan."
"Ah."
"What about you?"
The pegasus ran a hoof through her mane. "The clouds. And before you say anything, I live in Cloudsdale. Kinda hard not to see clouds." The earth pony nodded. He knew exactly how she felt.
"Before I forget," she continued, "can I ask your name? Mine's Cirrus."
"You can call me Brink." They shook hooves. "Nice to meet someone who understands."
"Likewise."
The two ponies sat, chatting about topics that didn't matter while they waited for the others to make themselves known. They didn't have to wait long.
"Do you hear something?" asked Cirrus.
After listening, Brink replied, "No. Why, do you?"
"Yeah." She cocked her head while her ear rotated, searching. "I'm not sure what, though. It sounds big, and—" Cirrus cut off mid-sentence and looked towards the nearest mountaintop, mouth agape. Brink followed her line of sight.
Emerging from the apex of the ice-capped mountain was a medium-sized, bright silver zeppelin that seemed to scrape the sky. Four propellers attached to the underside were the source of its propulsion.
"I didn't think any of those had finished being built yet!" Cirrus exclaimed.
Brink swallowed, his throat suddenly becoming dry. "That's because none of them have."
They watched in stunned silence. The passenger-blimp had fully cleared the mountain, and it became clear that it was heading straight for them. The buzz of the propellers soon overrode all other noise. All Brink and Cirrus could do was wait, watch, and hope that it didn't land atop their hillside.
"It looks kind of like a fish!" Cirrus mused as it came closer and closer. She had to yell to be heard.
Brink said nothing.
Thankfully, it landed beside them, on the same grassy plain that Cirrus had used as a landing pad. Floating amicably above them, the zeppelin turned as it slowed, moving with the same grace and speed as a whale. Either the blimp was surprisingly easy to control or the driver was very experienced, because it was ground-bound on the first attempt. The propellers were shut off, restoring the peace.
Without a spoken word, Cirrus and Brink stood up and walked down the hill to greet the mysterious somepony who was operating the vessel.
Brink knocked on the only door of the metal and wood undercarriage.
"Give me a moment!" called a male voice from inside. After a flurry of locks being clicked and slid into place, the door opened and out walked a beaming, golden unicorn. A pair of glasses rested on the bridge of his snout, and his forest green mane was cut short. He sighed happily when his hooves touched the wind-blown grass. "Ah, it's good to be back on Equestrian soil!"
Brink and Cirrus shared a look.
"What?" the unicorn asked.
Cirrus was quick to reply. "That's a very nice airship you've got there, mister...?"
"Silly me, I forgot to introduce myself." The unicorn cleared his throat. "My name is Gold Leaf, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I trouble you for yours?"
"I'm Cirrus."
"Brink."
After hoofshakes were held, Cirrus asked, "Where in Equestria did you get this zeppelin?"
Gold Leaf smiled. "I built it."
"You built it?!" exclaimed both Cirrus and Brink at the same time.
"Indeed. Building the Cloud Buster was my only chance of escape, so I took it."
Brink and Cirrus shared another look. "You saw it too, didn't you?" questioned Brink.
Gold Leaf's eyes went wide. "Too? You saw it t—?" He stopped and began again. "Of course you did. Why else would you be here?" He muttered something about fate.
The earth pony, the pegasus, and the unicorn all looked at each other.
And they all smiled.