//------------------------------//
// After the Wind Dies 
// Story: Odrsjot 
// by Imploding Colon 
//------------------------------//

	"Best to boom out of here before the storm arrives with its gush gush," Floydien muttered to himself as he zapped energy bolts from his antlers into the various instruments of the cockpit's console.  "Nancy's getting rusty enough as it is by just sitting in this damn valley of the spit and rain."

"I don't think we have long to wait, handsome!" Props said in a bubbly tone as she stood behind him.  "Ebon just saw Rainbow and Eagle Eye walking up to the ship!"

"Is that right, sailboat boomer?"

Ebon stepped in from the open deck.  "They're on board, guys."  He gulped.  "We... we can take off now."

"Yes yes yessss..."  Floydien flipped a lever, and the ship vibrated as the hangar bay door slid shut at the stern.  "About the time and damning!"

"Sure, it was a town full of old farts and mud," Josho muttered from where he stood in the doorframe to the cockpit.  "But, all things considered, it wasn't all that bad."

"Speak for yourself," Zaid droned.  "For a proverbial valley of 'milk and honey,' it's doing a damn good job lacking both."

"Why do we even keep you around, anyways?" Josho asked, squinting.

Zaid smirked.  "I always put the seat down."

Josho sighed.  "One of these days, you'll say one wrong thing too many, and you'll become Roarke's new winter coat."

Zaid drooled.  "Oh, Goddess, if only...."

Rainbow Dash and Eagle Eye finally stepped up.

"Looky looky!"  Props jingled.  "We've got Dashie!"

"Hey."  Ebon Mane trotted across the group and placed a hoof on Eagle's shoulder.  "You okay?"

Eagle Eye exhaled, then smiled weakly.  "I will be."

"Well, Rainbow?" Roarke trotted towards the cockpit, her eye-lenses still.  "What do you think?  Are we done here?"

Zaid glanced at Roarke after she spoke, then looked at Rainbow.

Rainbow took a deep breath.  "Yeah," she muttered in a dull tone.  "We're done.  Nowhere now but east."  Her tail brushed against Floydien as she trotted back out onto the open deck.  "Let's take off, already."

Roarke silently watched her exit the cockpit.

"Blessed horizons, beloved Nancy," Floydien droned as he activated a few crystal diodes and brought the ship into a low hover.  "Skim those mountains like breakfast, swift swift."





With a dull hum, the landing struts of the Noble Jury retracted into its hull.  Glowing lights sparked through its skystone core, while the body of the ship dangled rigidly beneath it.  Then, with a sharp climb, the bow pressed against the winds, angling the vessel east as it launched itself towards the mountains.

A few familiar faces lined up along the starboard side.  Ebon, Eagle Eye, Zaid, and Props waved merrily, calling out to the ponies standing below—but mostly three in particular.

"Bye!"  Belle waved and shouted.  Pilate stood waving beside her while Kera bounced up and down.  "Best of luck!"

"Safe travels!"

"We love you all!"

"Cherish you in our hearts and minds!"

At last, the Noble Jury throttled beyond ear shot, losing itself in the gray drizzle of the valley.

Belle's and Pilate's forelimbs hung down at their sides.  Kera settled to a stop beside them as they all faced east, watching with soft eyes.

A sniffling sound escaped Belle's lips.  "How long do you think they'll stay together, beloved?"

"With Rainbow Dash by their sides?"  The zebra smiled.  "As long as she'll let them."

Belle gulped.  "And as for her?"

Pilate leaned in and kissed the mare's cheek.  "She was supposed to have perished before meeting us.  And yet... we gave her something to live for, didn't we?"  He smiled softly.  "Well, so will they.  Have faith."

Belle nodded quietly.  "That's something I have in abundance..."  She took a deep breath and put on a brave smile while looking down at Kera.  "Now, then, I think you said that you and Beau had worked out a place for us to stay for the first week?"

"Totally!"  Kera smirked, waving the two on as she scampered towards the heart of their new home.  "These fisherponies in the north edge of town have a huuuuuuge guest room!  It's really nice!  I know—because I've seen it!"

Beau chuckled as he trotted alongside the couple.  "Her enthusiasm is admirable.  It may be spacious, but it's still humble.  It'll be a while before we can build you three a house worthy of being called a home, much less strong enough to withstand the storms."

"Speaking of which, my little ponies, I think it's best that we get inside swiftly," Golden Happenstance said as he urged the two along.  He gestured towards the thickening clouds along the northern horizon.  "This is undoubtedly going to be a windy evening!" Hap said.

"Well, you weren't exagerrating when you said that this village has its fair share of excitement!" Pilate remarked.

"I know!  Isn't it cool?" Kera chirped.  "Race ya to the apartment!"

"Slow down, darling," Belle said with a sweet smile.  "One step at a time..."





The three new Lerringtons trotted calmly into the heart of town.  In the meanwhile, the Noble Jury had become a distant speck along the eastern sky, disappearing into the jagged mountain range.  Thunder rumbled once again in the north, sending gusts of air across the tall grass of the sweeping plains.

Some of the wind ripped through the weeds blanketing a hilltop west of Lerris, overlooking the township.  The breeze picked up, rippled, and then came to a dull, whistling stop.  In the ensuing silence, a cold hush fell over the landscape's western edge.

This lasted for several seconds, until a humming noise pierced the air.  The rusted chassis of a managlider skimmed to a dead stop on the hillside.  Steam vented from the heart of the machine, forming a cold mist.  The haze parted ways as a gray, bloodstained hoof touched down onto the pliable soil of the valley.