Chapter 11
“Get back!” Captain Song yelled as the crystalline golem began to charge towards the Royal Sisters, letting out another warbling wail.
I guess we know where that stolen crystal went, Nova thought as he charged forward, his horn lighting with magic. How in Tartarus are we going to stop this thing? As if in answer, both the Princesses lowered their horns and unleashed their magic, twin beams of energy lashing out from their horns and smashing into the golem's chest. The impact knocked the creature to a standstill, and it let loose another warbling wail as it fell to one knee, a modulating tone that made Nova’s ears hurt.
“Get everypony out!” Nova could hear the captain calling to the Princesses. “We’ll handle the golem! Just get everypony else out!” Ponies were still scrambling about, screaming in a mad panic, rushing for the various exits to the hall. Nova could see Guard already rushing in some of the doors, mainly pegasi who could fly over the exiting tide.
The crystal golem gave another warbling scream and launched itself forward, tucking its upper body low, one arm to its chest. Both of the Princesses looked on in shock, then teleported just as the golem reached the other side of the hall's central table. The table gave way with a mighty cacophony of cracks, the wood splintering into tiny pieces as the golem swept through it, crashing through the thick wood like it wasn’t there.
Nova didn’t even think. He just reacted as the crushed remnants of the table flew through the air, jagged pieces of wood flying across the room right at him and everypony nearby. A burst of magic surged through his horn, a barrier wall of pure yellow light winking into existence around him and several nearby ponies. He felt the impacts of the wood through his horn as they slammed into his shield, nearly knocking him back. He let out a surprised grunt.
“Everypony get out! Now!” he called, adding his own voice to Captain Song’s own calls as he let his barriers fade. “Go!”
The golem let out another wail, twisting its body in all directions as if searching for the Princesses. Then it spun around, spotting them amongst the running ponies, their horns flashing as they teleported as many members of the fleeing audience as they could away.
“Dang it!” Nova said as the golem crouched low for another charge. There has to be a way to—bingo! He lashed out with his telekinetic magic, grabbing one of the large tapestries that was hanging from the ceiling and giving it a sharp downward yank. The tapestry ripped free, rocketing towards the ground in the yellow grip of his magic—and landing right on the golem just as it began its charge.
The golem shrieked, stumbling to a stop as Nova wrapped the thick tapestry around it. Seconds later the captain slammed into it, delivering a flying buck to the golem's arm that sent it spinning to one side. For a moment it held its balance on one foot, its arms outstretched even as Nova took the opportunity to tighten the tapestry further, and then two pegasi Night Guard struck from above, their hooves striking against the golem's shoulders. The golem fell to the ground with a crash, the stone shaking underfoot.
“Hold it down!” Shining Armor was calling. “Unicorns, detain it!” A myriad of glows lit up all around the golem as unicorn Guard all around the room wrapped it in their telekinetic grips.
“Uh-oh,” Nova said as the golem sat up, the magic rolling from its surface like water. “It's magic resistant!” he called, hoping the Guard would pay attention to his words. “You won’t be able to hold it if it fights back!” The golem shrieked, waving one arm blindly and brushing one of the pegasi with its elbow. He spun out of control with a yell, crashing into the ground.
Captain Song let out a roar and leapt on the golem as Nova began running towards the pair, cursing the fact that he was running towards the monstrosity instead of away. The green stallion was pounding down with his hooves as hard as he could, letting out wordless yells with each strike, the golem flailing beneath him. Behind the golem Nova could see the Princesses teleporting the last of the audience members from the chamber. He wasn’t sure what they could do to help, but hopefully they’d be able to do something.
With a loud tearing sound the golem's fingers grasped a loose end of the tapestry, ripping the thin cloth from its body. Captain Song had only a moment to brace himself before an outstretched hand swept him from the golem's shoulders. To his credit, he landed on his hooves, his muzzle set with grim determination.
Of course he would, Nova thought as he fired an experimental bolt at the golem, only to watch it reflect into the ceiling, sending down a shower of sparks and creating a burn mark that would pain the Royal staff for days to come. That’s his skill isn’t it? Being some sort of resilient protector? Something like that. He grabbed one of the nearby chairs in his magic as the golem rose to its feet, sweeping a fist at a Guard that narrowly dodged out of the way. Nova gritted his teeth, willing the chair forward, pouring his magic into it.
The fast-moving missile splintered against the back of the golem, causing the construct to turn toward him even as it casually backhanded a pegasus Guard from the air. The Guard hit the far wall, metal colliding and crashing against the marble surface, and then sank to the floor in a limp heap. Another magic bolt bounced off of the golem’s arm, narrowly missing an oncoming Guard as it reflected across the room.
“Stop shooting!” Nova yelled as another bolt ricocheted across the room. “It’s resistant! Resistant!” He could hear more Guard echoing his yells, even as the golem—apparently deciding that the newcomers rushing into the room were the largest threat—began to charge at the largest group, one shoulder down as it built up speed.
The squad scattered as the golem rushed towards them, some of them still firing the ineffectual bolts of magic out of habit. The bolts bounced from the golem’s body, flying around the room haphazardly and adding to the chaos of the scene.
“Any ideas on how to stop this thing?” the captain asked as he came up alongside Nova, matching his speed as they galloped down the court hall. Up ahead the golem swung its fist down into the floor, the marble cracking under the force of the blow and sending several nearby ponies reeling from the force.
“You mean besides either beating it ‘till it cracks or breaking that crystal in its core?” Nova called back. Steel shot him a glare, and Nova rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ll try and trip it up with those tapestries, but we’ve only got so many of them.”
“Good plan!” came Captain Armor’s voice from his other side. “Let’s try and keep it contained in this room! The last thing we want is this thing rampaging through the palace!”
Further conversation was cut short as the trio reached the golem, the captains breaking in separate directions while Nova skidded to a halt, looking for something, anything that he could—There! He reached out with his magic, grabbing one of the benches that had been sitting alongside the edges of the hall and swinging it at the golem. The bench cracked in two as it collided with the construct’s shoulder, but the impact was enough to draw its attention away from the small trio of guards who were falling back in front of it.
“The Princesses are out!” Captain Song called as he ducked under the golem’s arm and bucked it in the knee. “Close the doors!” It swung at him again, missing as Captain Armor leapt onto its back, throwing it off balance. He began pounding down with his hooves on the crystal surface just as Captain Song had been doing earlier, eliciting an angry wail from the golem.
Nova wrapped the doors in a telekinetic grip, slamming them shut while his eyes turned skyward. There were two tapestries above the door, the thin cloth rippling in the wake of so many disturbances. He grabbed one of them, pulling it down.
“Blindfold incoming!” he yelled. Both the captains heard his yell and jumped back, Captain Armor even managing to erect a shield over a group of slow-moving Guard as he arced through the air. The golem’s fist crashed against the shield with a sharp crack but the barrier held, the ponies beneath it scrambling back from the crystal behemoth.
The golem let out a sound that almost sounded like one of surprise as the tapestry fell over it, Nova wrapping it around the golem as quickly and tightly as he could. Then the golem’s hands grabbed one end of the long cloth, pulling against it and tearing part of it off. Nova found himself fighting against the golem, tightening the cloth and moving the loose ends as it blindly groped for anything it could use to pull the obstruction away.
“Now! While it’s blind!” Nova called. The two captains charged, raining blows down on the golem's legs as the rest of the Guard followed suit, emboldened by their commander's success. The golem let out a screech and lashed out with one of its legs, hitting one of the Guard ponies in the chest and sending him crashing across the marble floor. He stayed down.
“Watch the legs!” Captain Armor called as the golem made another kick, this time impacting one of the Captain’s shields with a ring that made the hair on Nova’s neck stand on end. The golem’s hands were still grasping at the cloth, it was only a matter of time before something caught and the one obstruction it had would be torn to shreds.
At least the Princesses got out, Nova thought as a blind backhand clipped another Guard. He ran his eyes over the room, looking for anything solid enough to use as a club of some kind. His gaze settled on one of the decorative pillars that stood alongside the walls. Maybe ...
A tyrannic ripping noise echoed across the court, and he snapped his eyes back. The golem had gotten one hand under a seam, the cloth separating as the construct tore at it again and again. Then it turned, some of the tapestry still hanging from its shoulders, and threw a massive fist at Captain Armor. There was ring that made Nova’s teeth ache as the Captain’s hastily formed shield took the blow.
As Nova reached out with his magic wrapping a nearby column in a faint yellow glow, the doors to the hall crashed open, a blue-maned streak shooting through the opening like a comet. There was a resounding crack as it shot past the golem, the creature letting out a howl of pain. The attacking pegasus did a quick backward loop, coming to a halt in the air and letting out a whoop of joy.
“Eat that, you crazy pile of rock!” Sky Bolt called, raising a heavy metal wrench in her hooves. She let out a laugh and dove back down at the golem, her grey crystal armor gleaming almost the same shade as the construct.
The golem spun to face this newest threat, a large crack running down one arm. Bingo, Nova thought. Hit it ‘till it stops moving. Not the most elegant solution, but he wasn’t about to complain. Sky Bolt swept past the golem again, rolling around its arms and swinging the wrench again. The second blow lacked the impact of the first, but there was still a solid sounding crack as the heavy metal met the golem’s crystal body.
“Captain Song!” came a cry from the doorway. “Catch!” Sabra was standing there in his own mottled black-and-white armor, the new staff that Sky Bolt had made for him slung across his back and a pair of heavy looking saddlebags gripped in his teeth. He tossed the saddlebags the moment Captain Song looked his way. Steel snatched them by the straps as they flew by, ducking away and putting some space between him and the golem. Sabra had begun running as soon as the bag had left his mouth, and Nova watched as he leapt into the air, his body tucking into a flip as his staff extended.
Alright! The team's here! he thought as Sabra began flipping and rolling across the shoulders and arms of the golem, jumping from arm to arm as his staff met again and again with the creature's surface. Dawn must be tending to Hunter out in—aha! He felt something give under his magic, and he let more pour out of him, the yellow glow around his horn growing brighter and brighter.
The golem began to step his way, swinging its arms as it tried to fight off the combined assault of Sky Bolt, Sabra and Captain Armor—who was doing his best to throw the golem off balance by summoning barriers around its feet. Nova began to step back, keeping distance between him and the rampaging golem as the column on the far side of the room began to shift, twisting under his grip.
Captain Song let out a roar and charged at the golem, twin, heavy gauntlets now shrouding his forelegs. He let out another shout as he leapt to the attack, long metal spikes snapping out from the ends of his forelegs. Chips of crystal flew as he pounded at the golem’s legs, dodging left and right as the golem let out a screech of annoyance.
Why am I the only one without a weapon? Nova thought, still stepping back as the golem made its way closer. Come on, come on ... he coaxed at the pillar, tugged at it—and with the faint crackling rumble of aged mortar breaking, the column slid free in his magic. He could feel the weight of it pressing down on his horn, and he willed more magic up and through his body. Yellow sparks began to fall from the tip of his horn as he gave the pillar an experimental swing.
Perfect. My turn. “Everypony get back!” he yelled. He could feel his mane waving on his head under the rush of pure magical energy coming from his horn. It wasn’t the most magic he’d ever used, but it was a lot. And it was constant. “Everyone get off of it!” He could feel the strain now, a burning sensation inside of his horn. Sabra was the first to pull back, sheathing his staff as he ran up the golem’s arm and leapt into the air, Sky Bolt grabbing him as she flew past. The two captains fell back next, first Captain Armor and then Captain Song retreating to opposite sides of the hall. For a moment the golem turned between the two of them, as if it wasn’t sure who to pursue.
Its contemplation ended as Nova swung the marble pillar right into its back. He could feel the impact through his horn, a jarring motion that made him grit his teeth and almost made him lose his grip on the large piece of stone. The golem fell forward, landing on its knees, marble cracking beneath it. Nova poured more magic into his horn, drawing the pillar back and swinging it once more.
The golem fell forward under the impact, slamming into what was left of the red carpet with a loud crash. It rolled, pushing itself over onto its back just in time for Nova to bring the pillar down on top of it, shaking the entire room.
His horn felt like it was burning now, a flame scorching it from the inside out. He gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face as he pulled the pillar back, then shoved it down a second time, and then a third. Deep cracks began to spread across the chest of the golem and the pillar both. The construct began to raise its arms to ward off the next blow, and Nova brought the pillar’s side down, crushing its arms against its chest. He pressed down, pushing against the golem and hearing sharp staccato cracks as they echoed around the hall.
He pulled the pillar back into the air. Sparks of magic streamed from his horn in a torrent, but he didn’t notice them. His eyes fixed on the golem as it began, slowly at first but then with purpose, to sit up. Nova let out a wordless yell of fury, pulling the pillar all the way to the ceiling and then shoving it down as hard as he could. The pain in his horn was almost blinding, pure yellow light bursting from the tip. The pillar shot down as if fired from a cannon, tilting as it fell, Nova turning its base towards the golem.
The creature raised one massive hand as if to ward the blow off, and then the pillar slammed into its chest, driving the construct back to the floor with a sickening crunch. The golem's chest broke apart, small bits of crystal shooting off under the force of the impact and bouncing from the walls. The pillar let out a sharp crack as it split down the middle, the two halves sliding apart and falling to the floor with a crash as Nova released them. He fell to his knees, horn still burning even though the magic was gone, his chest heaving in-and-out under him.
“And ... that ...” he said, pushing himself back up on hooves that were shaking like leaves. “Is how ...” He paused, rubbing sweat from his face with one hoof. “You hit it until it stops moving. Sir.” There was a faint crackle as a few bits of masonry fell from the pillar halves. The Dusk Guard were looking at him with expressions that ranged from respect to outright surprise, while the remaining Guard in the room were looking on in awe.
There as a sudden flash at the far end of the room and both of the Princesses appeared, wings outstretched and horns glowing. “Where is the—oh!” Princess Luna said, her eyes going wide at the sight of the smashed golem, her horn growing dim. “Thou hast destroyed it already?” Nova blinked and then rubbed his eyes, staring at the Princess. She was clad in an ancient set of ornate, cobalt-blue armor, much like what her Night Guards wore. Behind her Princess Celestia was looking on in surprise. Unlike Luna, she was still clad in her regalia alone.
“We have, your Highness,” Captain Armor said, stepping forward and giving the pair a small bow. “Although it was the Dusk Guard who did most of the work.” He shot a grin at Nova. “A pretty impressive bit of work too.”
“Then you may stand down,” Celestia said. “The threat is contained, and the safety of those ponies and delegates who were here has been seen to. If you don’t mind—” she said, turning towards a trio of Guard who were carefully lifting one of the injured ponies onto a stretcher. “Allow me,” she said once she had gained their attention. Her horn flashed once and the pony vanished, teleported away, presumably to an infirmary. Princess Luna’s horn began to make its own flashes, and within moments the injured members of the Guard were gone.
“Your highnesses,” Captain Song said, giving them both a respectful nod of his head. “Hunter is secure outside, the notebook he brought as evidence with him.”
“He has our thanks,” Luna said. “Without him, we would have lost—well, I cannot say what just yet.” Nova wiped his forehead again. At least he’d stopped breathing so hard. But his horn still ached.
“Begging your pardon Princess,” the Captain said, stepping forward. “But may I assume that things are well enough in hoof here for my team to leave?”
“Leave?” Princess Celestia asked. “What for?”
“Because this isn’t over yet, your highnesses,” Nova said, speaking out of turn. Captain Song gave him a pointed look but said nothing, and Nova ignored it. I earned the chance to speak here, I think, he thought as he stepped towards the Princesses. “Which means that our mission isn’t done yet either. We still need to arrest those two.”
“But,” Captain Armor sputtered, pointing at the golem. “They teleported, how are you going to find them?”
“Because they’ll go to ground,” Nova said. “They’re running back to the one place they know, the one place where they think they’ll be safe. Right, Captain?”
Steel nodded. “Nova is correct. We know exactly where they’ll head, at least for now. Which means we need to go immediately if we’re going to catch them.” He looked at Nova and they both opened their mouths at the same time.
“Baltimare.”
* * *
“At long last,” Sky Bolt said to herself as she slid into the pilot seat of The Hummingbird. “You’re gonna fly baby. You’re gonna fly!” Her wings twitched with excitement as she looked down at the array of smooth, polished metal controls in front of her, the needles and gauges just waiting to come to life. It was like she was seeing them for the first time.
She put one hoof on the power regulator lever and let out a sigh of pure joy. Months of work, months of design, months of effort, and Hummingbird was ready. Sure, the inside was still a little underdeveloped. The team had only crash seating to sit in unless they were laying on the floor, none of the storage lockers had been installed yet, the deployment doors hadn’t been hooked up, and none of the tactical equipment that Steel had requested had been installed. Worse yet, at least as far as Dawn had been concerned, the ship's only bathroom, while functioning, didn’t have any walls for privacy.
But still, The Hummingbird was ready. She could feel it in the cool of the metal under her hooves, the warmth of the wooden control console that her forelegs were resting on, even in the seat underneath her. She could see it in the envelope that stretched overhead, curving up quickly enough to give her a view of the still-closed roof overhead.
Oh, right, she thought, glad no one could see the embarrassed grin on her face. I’ve got no way of opening that from in here at the moment, do I? She ran her hooves over the console one more time. She could feel the ship fighting against the ground. It was already gently bobbing up and down with the movements of its occupants, a motion so subtle she doubted some of them had noticed.
Then again, she thought as she looked out through the wide glass viewports at the workshop, they’re a pretty sharp bunch. She put her hoof on the main lever, giving the locking mechanism at its base a click with her other hoof. She looked first to the left, and then to the right, taking in the view of the workshop through The Hummingbird’s prow. The triangular shape of the cockpit was comprised of as much glass as she had been able to reliably work into the design, and as a result the only portions of the cockpit that she was unable to see through were the wall behind her and the ceiling overhead. Even the floor underneath her hooves—aside from the portions that her seat and the console were attached to—were made of heavy glass, giving her an almost unprecedented view.
Or at least it would, once it was more than just rows of workbenches, half complete projects, and the landing cradle underneath the ship. She was proud of that last one, she’d built it while the gondola had been resting on it. That had been a project!
“Well, here goes,” she said, pushing the regulator forward with a slow, practiced movement. There was resistance—she’d designed it that way after all, nopony wanted to bump a power regulator by accident and lose all power—but not enough to keep her from moving the lever forward until it was at about the halfway position. Underneath her hooves, she knew, cables and gears were moving all the way back to the superboilers in the back of the airship. The needles in front of her began to rise, mirroring her own rush of glee as the superboilers began to rapidly heat up, producing the superheated steam that would power the ship.
Now to get those doors, Sky Bolt thought, dropping from her seat. She made one last check of the needles, making sure that everything was holding steady. It was the ship's first flight after all.
“Something wrong?” Captain Song asked as she exited the cockpit, leaving the door open behind her as she stepped into the main compartment. The Captain was sitting in the center of the floor, one foreleg held in front of him as Dawn ran her horn over it.
“No, just powering up,” Sky Bolt said, giving him a happy grin. “If you listen, you might be able to hear it!” She fought down the urge to give an excited squeal. “Anyway, I’m going to open the roof, and we’ll be on our way!” She gave her wings a small flutter, lifting her across the room towards the entryway. Eventually, the large space that the Guard were currently spread across would be several smaller rooms, but Steel had wanted The Hummingbird ready to fly before all else, so she was.
As soon as she was outside of the ship she spread her wings, flying around the outside of the ship and admiring her hoofwork. The triangular envelope was full, swollen with liftgas and gently pulling the gondola against the docking clamps. She let out a squeal of excitement as she dashed around the prow of the ship, past the glassy cockpit she’d just been inside, and headed for the roof controls on the far wall.
With the hiss of rushing air the pneumatics came to life. The ceiling overhead split in two as the twin halves of the roof separated, folding upward and back. A growing shaft of sunlight fell across the top of The Hummingbird, and Sky Bolt made a momentary grimace as the sunlight threw the unpainted surface of the airship into harsh relief.
“Ah well,” she said, giving a small shrug as she began circling her way back towards the entry hatch. There’ll be time for paint later, she thought as she dated inside the ship, pulling the hatch shut and making sure that it was locked behind her. And maybe another entryway on the other side of the ship. In fact, maybe several.
The crew was still spread out, although Captain Song was now on the other side of the room from where he had been, assisted by Sabra as he fit himself into his own, dark green armor. Neither of their armor sets included a helmet however; the armorers just hadn’t had enough time to finish them. Oh well, she thought as she moved into the ship. Another time. Her own armor was sitting in a corner, waiting for her return.
“Is everything ready?” Hunter asked as she flew past. Dawn had already healed most of his injuries, although Hunter had elected to have the less important bruises untouched to keep her from using too much of her magic reserves. He was wearing his armor now, the same tan crystal that he’d struggled into the night before.
“You bet!” Sky Bolt said, spreading her wings and striking a pose. “The doors are open, the ship's ready, and any second now we’re going to be in the air!”
“Hey, Sky Bolt?” The query came from Nova. He was now sitting on the floor where the Captain had been, Dawn’s current patient. Sky Bolt saw him wince and flinch as Dawn’s horn made another pass over his own.
“Flinch again, and I’ll stun you,” Dawn said in annoyance. “I mean it.”
“I heard you the first time,” Nova said, although his neck muscles tensed in response. His eyes flitted back to Sky Bolt. “So, is this thing safe?”
Sky Bolt cocked her head to the side while she thought of a response. The ship was. In theory. Granted, it had never actually flown, but they didn’t have time for a test flight and all the in-shop tests had come out fine. She looked back down at him.
“Of course it is,” she said, giving him a grin. “And if it isn’t, well, I’ve got wings!” she snapped her own wings out for emphasis and turned for the cockpit, stifling a laugh as Nova sat up in horror, his mouth open in alarm.
“I warned you!” Dawn yelled, the pink mare finally losing her patience, a flash of dull orange magic lit the compartment. As she slid the cockpit door shut, Sky Bolt heard the rest of the team burst out laughing, and she started chuckling on her own.
That’ll teach him, she thought, hovering above the pilot's seat and checking the needles. Every gauge was holding exactly where she’d expected it, just as they had in every single test. Except that this wasn’t a test. This was the real deal. She stopped flying, sliding down into the seat and feeling its cool surface against her coat. She took a deep breath. It was time.
She slid one of her hooves into the control yoke she’d rigged up and slid forward in her seat slightly, her other hoof against the switch that would release the docking clamps, letting the ropes that tied The Hummingbird down fall away at last.
There was a knock at the door. She turned as it slid open, Sabra stepping into the cockpit beside her. “Habari?” he asked. “Naombo kuangalia?”
“Bila shaka,” she said, giving him a smile as her hoof flipped the switch. There was a sudden jerk from underneath the ship as the docking clamps released, the ropes falling from her underside. Sky Bolt felt a gentle pressure across her body as the ship began to slowly climb, as if somepony were gently pressing her down. She was familiar with the feeling from when she flew, but there was a difference here. This wasn’t just her, this was the ship. Her ship. Flying.
She started laughing as the cockpit cleared the roof of the workshop, the other Guard barracks and the training fields stretching out before her. She reached out with one hoof, adjusting the altimeter as the ship continued to climb. Sabra was looking all around, his eyes full of wonder and his jaw open, a complete departure from his normal, calm demeanor.
"You’ve never flown I take it?” she asked as the ship rose higher, the graceful spires of the palace coming into view on one side.
“Hakuna … kamwe,” Sabra said, one hoof against the glass as he stared at the towers of the palace. It was almost as if the palace, the mountain, everything in front of them was simply sliding away.
“Just wait,” Sky Bolt said, sliding her other hoof into the control yoke and giving it a tug. The Hummingbird responded under her touch, the airship slowly turning as it rose, until the entire city of Canterlot itself was spread out before them, its white stone surfaces shining in the afternoon sun.
“It’s ...” Sabra took a small step forward. “Ajabu.”
“Yeah,” Sky Bolt said as the tops of the palace spires went by. “It really is.” She looked at the zebra as his bright purple eyes ran over the scene in front of them. “So,” she said after a moment. “Think you’ll ever forget this? I know I never forgot the first time I flew.”
He gave his head a small shake as a smile grew across his muzzle. “No, I don’t think I ever will,” he said, turning to look at her for a moment before turning back towards the brilliant blue sky spread out before them. “Kwa kuwa mimi asante.”
Sky Bolt gave her lips a little lick. Her throat felt dry and her heart was pounding, and it wasn’t just from the rush of The Hummingbird’s first flight. “Yeah,” she said, leaning forward in her seat. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget this either. That said ...” She leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on Sabra’s cheek. “I hope that means you’ll never forget that,” she said as the surprised stallion turned and looked at her, his jaw slack.
“If you don’t mind, could you go back there and tell everypony to brace themselves?” she asked, trying to look as calm and nonchalant as possible as she slid herself back into her seat. She could feel her heart drumming so fast it was almost a buzz in her ears. Or maybe that was a buzz in her ears. Her head seemed a little foggy. “I’m about to hit the throttle. Boss said he wanted us in Baltimare as fast as I could get us there. That ok?”
For a moment Sabra just stared at her, the same shocked look on his face, and she could feel her heart pounding harder and harder. Finally his jaw closed and he nodded, turned and, wide-eyed, trotted out of the compartment.
I hope that wasn’t a mistake, Sky Bolt thought, stopping the airship's turn and putting her hoof on the throttle. She waited a few moments, counting down in her head and trying to steady her breaths. Satisfied that she’d given everypony enough time to get ready, she pushed the throttle forward. From the back of the airship she heard the propellers begin to spin with a faint rumble that quickly became a loud hum, and then a dull roar. The Hummingbird began to move forward, its motion slight at first, but then with increasing speed.
Sky Bolt was pushed back into her seat, watching as the airspeed indicator on the control console began to climb. Her nervousness began to fade, replaced by pure elation as The Hummingbird picked up speed. She gave the control yoke a soft pull to the left, letting out a peal of laughter as the airship banked slightly in response. She moved the yoke right, then pulled it back, and then left again, laughing as The Hummingbird soared through the sky in accordance with her demands.
“She’s doing it!” she called out in excitement as she leveled the airship out. “The Hummingbird soars!” She laughed, sitting back in her seat as the clouds began to move past. They’d taken down a golem, she’d kissed Sabra on the cheek, and now her ship—her love letter of so many years of work to her parents—was flying at last. She let out a satisfied sigh, pushing the power regulator up a few more inches and locking it in place. And we’re on our way to Baltimare to arrest a couple of conspirators, she thought. How much better could this day get?
She reached for the small ring assembly around the ship's compass, setting it on the heading for Baltimare and locking it in place. The autopilot took over, the ship's systems making a small adjustment as it centered The Hummingbird on a direct line. Nothing to do now but wait and keep an eye on things. She sat back with a contented sigh. She flies.
Something off in the distance caught her eye, a purple shape sliding through a distant patch of clouds, and she grabbed a pair of binoculars from underneath her seat. Sure enough, it was The Alicorn, the huge cruise airship she’d helped build, returning to Canterlot after its two-month maiden voyage. The ship her parents were on. She smiled as she dropped the binoculars from her eyes.
“And I’ll have a story to tell them,” she said to herself, pushing the throttle to the halfway position and watching the needles rise as the ship picked up more speed. “Forward to Baltimare!”