Rarity sat upon her throne within the Castle of Friendship, a lonesome pout slowly forming frown lines on her face. Once upon a time, for what seemed like far too little time, she and her friends had spread the magic of friendship throughout Equestria, hearing friendship problems and helping those in need right here inside this grand crystal chamber. The light filtered in through the leaf green windows, falling on five empty thrones and one filled with forlorn unicorn, her heart feeling heavier than iron.
One by one her friends had found other things to do, and over time their hearings had grown less and less common. Applejack found a husband, and soon raising a family and caring to her orchard both became much more personally important to the farm mare than anything needing to be done at the castle. By the same token, Rainbow Dash was so busy between her work and her new position on the Wonderbolts that she could hardly hang out with her friends, much less sit on the friendship council each and every day.
It was once both of them were gone that things had really gone downhill. First Twilight was being called away on official Princess duties, then Pinkie Pie started getting requests more and more for parties far and wide, and she was never a mare that could resist a party. Even Rarity was guilty of spending more time than she should have in her boutique, creating fashions and ensembles that dazzled both the clients and Equestria as a whole, until she barely had time for her weekly spa visits, much less some silly, nearly empty, uncomfortable throne room...
That had left poor Fluttershy all alone to try and help everypony who came with their friendship problems. Try as the dear pegasus might, she simply was never meant to be in front of that many ponies all alone, and one day she simply stopped showing up as well, hiding inside her house where all of those pleading eyes couldn't find her. From that point on, the castle had sat dormant, a few guards keeping ponies out apart from scheduled tours of the fantastic crystal building, and otherwise little more filling the halls than the light that came through the windows.
Rarity looked over the other thrones, wondering how all of them could have drifted so far apart. Perhaps that was why the war had started, with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie seemingly betraying them. Perhaps, if they had all just met and explained the situation to each other, things could have been different. Perhaps, if just a little more time had been spent outside of her boutique, Rarity wouldn't be sitting here alone, not even her little (though not so much, anymore) Spikey-Wikey to keep her company.
She sighed heavily, reclining on her throne like she would her divan at home, one hoof swinging idly off of the edge. Ever since the war had reached its full swing and all of her efforts to aid it had proven futile, she had made it a point to hold hearing hours every day. Surely there were friendship problems to be helped, right? It was a war, after all! The definition of uncivilized behavior! Somepony had to have their nose bent about something.
And plenty of ponies did, she knew in truth, but not over the little things that she could help with. When families were split down the center and ponies were fighting each other on a daily basis, what did it matter if somepony didn't share something you needed, or a hedge out of place had started a silent treatment between neighbors? Towns were emptying of every able bodied pony with frightening rapidity, and those left behind knew how important it was to band together, not tear what little they had apart.
Anything Rarity could help with, if it hadn't been gone before, had definitely gone up in smoke just over a week before, along with the entire city of Cloudsdale. Rarity hadn't made it as a sorceress, she didn't have the knack or temperament to swing a weapon, and despite looking fabulous, her new designs for the army's armor had been a flop. On top of that, her designs for civilians, while following the pulse of fashion as diligently as ever, were seen by many as traitorous now. They had been featured in Manehattan, after all! Anything those secessionists liked couldn't be worn by true blue Equestrians!
Attitude like that had, briefly, caused Rarity to look at possibilities within the New Lunar Republic. There hadn't been anything particularly stopping her from joining, either, it just hadn't seemed the right place for her. And, now that her designs were burning in the shops due to their creation by not only a loyalist, but a unicorn, it definitely was no longer worth trying to eke out a living there anymore either.
That didn't stop others from doing so, though. Coco Pommel still was doing wonders for the fashion in the Republic, and Rarity had gotten all of the updates until the mail had stopped flowing between the countries. Her sister, too, was still in Manehattan, though Rarity worried if that was still the case. Sweetie Belle was a singer, true, with a voice that had held all of Equestria in its sway for over a decade now, but she was still a unicorn in now hostile lands. Every time Rarity thought about her little sister out there, her heart ached to be stuck where she was. Though, due to whatever force had stopped her from aging, her 'little' sister now looked older than she did... On happier days, she liked to keep a hold of that thought in a feeling of pride. Today, however, she simply wished her baby sister well and safe.
She let her head rest on the arm of her throne, bringing a hoof to her forehead as she pictured all of the things that could be happening out there. It wasn't fair that a mare of her standing could be simultaneously so 'in the loop' and yet know so little. Even after the mail shutdown, Rarity had more than enough connections to get every fashion magazine, every important piece of news, and even some juicy gossip of celebrities completely unknown on this side of the border. It was part of her job as a designer, after all, and she would be remiss if she didn't have her hoof on every pulse in Equestria, under Celestia's rule or not.
But what good was knowing which colors were in season, or what styles were hot right now, if she couldn't use her knowledge? And, more importantly, what good was knowing anything about fashion if it didn't keep her friends together or her sister safe and sound? Blasphemous as it sounded, right now there was something more important than fashion, and she had to do something about it!
The question was, what? Sure, she had contacts in every city on the map, and yes, perhaps she did have a mind that could juggle fifteen different items in her magic while simultaneously designing two different season's worth of clothing and sewing three different dresses for important clients, and maybe she did have a few ideas buzzing about her mind on how she could utilize all of these things, but realistically she simply didn't-
The doors of the throne room were flung open, a haggard looking unicorn stumbling in and destroying the silence as she threw them shut behind her. She breathed heavily as she crept towards the center of the room, leaning against the back of Fluttershy's throne and slumping to the floor. She looked like she had traveled for miles, her hooves covered in mud and her foreleg bandaged where there must have been a very nasty cut. She seemed to think she was alone, as she had been since entering the building. There weren't even guards on this old tourist site now that there was a war raging, just a single Rarity to keep the place nice.
Rarity sat up quickly on her throne, not wanting to look like her surprise guest wasn't important. “Hello, dear. May I help you? What brings you to the Castle of Friendship?”
The unicorn jumped up, spinning around the chair and entering a defensive stance, her horn glowing momentarily. Then she saw that she was being addressed by Rarity, and her aggression disappeared. “Oh... Excuse me for barging in, madam. I did not realize anypony was here.”
With a gesture of her hoof Rarity offered the throne the mare was hiding behind. “Understandable, darling. Please, sit down and let me know if there is a friendship problem I can help you with.” The mare looked dreadful, in all honesty, her mane out of sorts and her fur matted and dirty, but Rarity felt saying as much probably wouldn't help things right now.
The unicorn took the seat with a little hesitation, settling on the solid white stone throne with some discomfort. “A friendship problem? Well... all of my friends suddenly turned on me after the attack on Luna, so if you could fix that...” Rarity offered a sorry look, which told the mare everything, so she continued. “The only ponies who treated me as friends were those of the Peace Corps, sitting on the border in Empire tents... Ex-Empire medics, greeting me with open arms when my own friends tried to have me shot...” She slid down in the throne, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “My own country... my own Republic, kicking me out like I was worthless. Like I was a monster.”
Rarity tutted understandingly, shaking her head at what she heard. “A sad business, but I'm afraid I can't change the minds of entire nations. I will do everything I can to make sure you are welcomed here, though. Refugee or not, everypony is welcome in Ponyville, so long as you keep your head low.”
Ponyville was in a unique position in the conflict between the two nations. While most of the border line was in flux, there was one place that ponies on both sides refused to fight: the Everfree Forest. It still sat in Empire territory, but there were no attempts at taking it, no incursions through it... It was revered and feared by ponies on both sides of the border, and more than that, it was a 'safe' place for ponies to slip unnoticed between the countries. This had made Ponyville the perfect transition town for years now, though it hid it well. Anypony willing to go through the Everfree was wise enough to keep their head down, and either left soon for other pastures or lived a quiet life where nopony could notice the newcomer.
However, something this particular newcomer said intrigued Rarity. “You mentioned a group called the Peace Corps, but I'm afraid I have never heard of them. Would you be willing to enlighten me?”
The mare nodded, her face growing soft, almost reaching a smile as she talked. “They popped up just recently, a group of ponies dedicated to helping both sides of the war. They heal all of the injured from a fight, no matter which side they were on.” Her near smile quickly turned into a scowl. “I'm surprised the Empire hasn't set them on fire yet...”
Rarity couldn't quite take offense at that comment after hearing about what happened to Cloudsdale. She had never much liked Princess Celestia's recent take on politics, though Princess Luna's nation had its own flaws as well.. That was quite possibly the worst thing about this war: it didn't sway her one way or another. She cared too much for ponies on both sides to pick one to back. And that was what made this Peace Corps intrigue her so. “What pony would be so willing to throw this challenge in the face of both nations?”
The mare nearly smiled again. “It was started by the Element of Kindness herself, Fluttershy.”
Rarity gasped, hardly able to believe the shy pegasus would take such a risk. “Fluttershy? Are you sure?” Looking at the mare, she could see that the unicorn wasn't lying. Rarity's eyes drifted up to the to the cutie mark engraved on the throne the other sat on, the three butterflies there glinting in the sunlight. “Fluttershy...”
Fluttershy, even more than her other friends, was Rarity's very best friend. She was a pony Rarity clicked with, who she could confide in, talk with, and look up to in some ways, while Fluttershy did the same to her. They could always understand each other like nopony else could, and she had been a treasured friend for all of their shared time in Ponyville. One of the saddest days of Rarity's life was when Fluttershy went off to join the war, the last friend leaving her behind...
And she had gone out there and done wonderful things, while Rarity had sat in some throne room and... what? Languished in her misery? Worried for her loved ones while doing nothing to help? Fluttershy, when her nation had turned against her, continued to give everything she had to aid the ponies around her... It was up to Rarity to follow her example.
But how could she actually help? With all of these ponies fleeing, obviously there was still a need for the connection of the two countries, despite the block they had created. And information like this, in the right hooves, could help so many ponies. This was something simple... if she could get deeper knowledge, or a wider information circle, centralized around-
Rarity's eyes widened, a dangerous, creative, brilliant solution to all of her thoughts presenting itself to her whirring mind. It was only the presence of the other mare that stopped her from yelling 'Idea!' to the room in her usual singsong way, though it did cause her to jump from her throne and startle the visiting unicorn. “Excuse me dear, but there is something I must do. Go to Mayor Mare at Town Hall, tell her I sent you. She will surely help you get settled.” It took all of Rarity's willpower not to gallop from the room, making sure that her visitor had left the castle before closing up the building, her mind whirring all the way back to the boutique.
An hour later Rarity left Carousel Boutique with her saddlebags packed, almost completely forgoing accessorizing in her haste, a hat purely fashioned for utility purposes the only thing gracing her form. It was going to shade her on the long trip out of town, into the rocky wastes beyond, where she used to hunt so often for the gems for her outfits. This time, however, held no gem hunt. Quite the opposite, as she had brought gems along for the trip.
Rarity trekked into the gem fields many times over the next few days, returning each day with an empty bag and a haggard, but pleased, expression. Only a week after meeting with the mare in the Castle of Friendship, on one last trip to the gem fields, Rarity disappeared from Ponyville completely, vanishing without a trace.
Once again, the Castle of Friendship was dark.
Steam Cloud's head jerked upright, her eyes shooting open at the feel of a hoof gently touching her side. She scrambled to her hooves in panic, nearly toppling over when she didn't expect the weight of the Ready Wings on her back. She was saved, however, by the very hoof that had awoken her, an amused Wind Key helping her keep balance. “Woah there, Steam. No need to freak out, it's just morning. Homeward says we need to move.”
Steam's heart was racing as she cursed herself mentally for falling asleep, and again for letting her friend get the jump on her. She knew Wind meant no harm, she was amazingly innocent in that regard, but that didn't mean Steam's cheeks didn't burn in embarrassment anyway.
She had spent all of the night keeping watch... or, really, most of the night, since it all got a bit fuzzy after midnight. She remembered the fire slowly dimming, the cool of fast approaching winter seeping into her fur and making her shiver. She'd lay down, curling up for heat and watching the spot where Homeward had been perched. He hadn't moved once the entire night, as far as she could tell, keeping watch just like he said he would... it didn't mean he was off her watch list, but he was definitely closer to trustworthy.
Her focus was brought back to the early morning sunshine peeking between the mountains to the east, the light spearing through the trees and lighting the whole forest up around them. In the valley below, Timbucktu twinkled in the early morning light, though smoke was already beginning to rise from its industrial district, signaling the start of another work day.
Steam looked around the campsite, groggy mind slowly accepting that, yes, this really was her life and the day before hadn't been a nightmare cooked up by her own spiteful mind. A mind she cursed once more for not warning her sooner. Of course she was about to be found out! Wind had even said that Clockwork had seen her at her workplace. The second she was fired mysteriously should have raised a million red flags, but what had she done? Gone home and ignored it to work on that stupid project, because she was too thrown off by having somepony to vent to to actually think about the issue at hoof.
Steam closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. That wasn't fair... the project was anything but stupid, and, again, Wind had only meant to help. In fact, if they hadn't finished the wings when they did, they never would have escaped Timbucktu to begin with, so... it was probably good that they were as distracted as they were... Logically, she knew that made sense, but in reality she just couldn't fully accept it.
As she took in her deep breath, she noticed two things. First was an odor hanging that she couldn't place, but brought to her mind pictures of deserts and far off lands. Second was that there was something draped around her neck. She reached for it with her magic, peeking out of worry of what she would see.
It was a scarf, old, worn, and caked with the dust of the road, but beneath all of that there was a hint of quality and style that even time couldn't fade. Just as she was about to question it, Homeward Bound walked up beside her, still hidden beneath his traveling cloak. “You looked cold last night when the fire went out. I don't think I'll need it today, if you want to keep it on.”
Steam shook her head, unwrapping the deep red scarf and offering it to the older stallion. “No, I'll be alright... though... thanks, I guess.”
Homeward said nothing, simply nodding and tucking the scarf under his cloak before walking away from the rising sun. “We have a long way to travel to get to the border, and I don't trust us in the air during the day. But I also don't like being this close to Timbucktu. We're going to go west on hoof until we're out of the city's sight, and then we'll figure out a flight path from there.” This morning, under the scrutiny of the light, Steam could clearly see the wear on the revealed part of the stallion's face, as well as the no-nonsense, determined look on his muzzle. “I wish we could afford time for breakfast, but we haven't any food anyway, so we'll just have to see what we can do about food as we go. Are you two ready?”
Wind nodded, looking surprisingly chipper for how early in the morning it was... then again, they had gotten an early night's rest the night before. Or, rather, one of them had, as Steam's eyes ached from tiredness, her nod coming much more sluggishly
Homeward turned back to the untouched forest before them. “Follow me, and try to keep quiet. This is going to be a long day.” With that he set off, Wind and Steam following behind.
The temperature climbed as the sun rose, the mountains warming while clouds gathered as they naturally did within the valley, wreathing Timbucktu. For a short time, the trio was level with the rainclouds, seeing the rolling, calm majesty of the dark cushions and the deluge they were dropping beneath. However, as their path took them a little higher, they were able to spot the dark, dirty brown spot in the clouds, marking their city's location with its stain upon the air. It wasn't so visible on clear days, but now, it was striking just how much the city affected the world around it.
And, at least to Steam, it seemed like the world was fighting back. The trees and the thick underbrush snagged at Steam's fur, Wind and Homeward seeming to shrug off the brambles. Within a few hours of setting off, Steam's mood was incredibly dour. She had never been a pony for travel, or even the outdoors if she could avoid it. Her only exception to that rule had been cloud walking, because that was a truly amazing experience that almost made her like it outside.
In front of her, Wind Key was talking with Homeward about... something. Steam was far enough back and too absorbed in her despising of the roots she kept tripping on to focus on what was being said, but it had been going on for quite a while. Wind had only really stopped when Homeward had shushed her, usually pointing to some flying shape that was a little too close for comfort. But once it was gone, he had given her permission to speak, and she had continued on like nothing had happened.
Another twig snared itself in Steam's curly mane, immediately getting so horridly tangled that the only option was to break it off if she wanted to keep up, the wood sticking out at an angle from her white fluffy mane. And to make matters worse, she could hear her stomach growling, bemoaning all of the work without any sort of fuel. She glared at the pegasi that continued to walk through the undergrowth like it was nothing. Did Wind even care about her friend struggling behind her? Would she ever stop talking to that stranger? Even if he'd been nice so far, there was no reason this couldn't all be some elaborate trap. He could be dangerous! He-
A loose stone slid out from under Steam's hoof, and before she realized it her chin had slammed into the dirt, the wings clattering to the ground along with the rest of her body. But the worst part, she decided in that split second that the pain kicked in, was not the throbbing ache that was now going to be in her shoulder and her jaw, but the fact that the mud she'd face planted in didn't have the decency to be cool. It baked almost immediately to her cheek, clinging to the sweat on her overheated body and making the cool, stark interior of a dungeon cell seem lovely. If her punishment had been as lenient as that, she might have been willing to give up the chase...
As Steam started to push herself up, Wind ran back to help her, offering a hoof to steady her back onto her own. Steam let it go as soon as she got up, rubbing the mud off her cheek and trying not to look into Wind's concerned eyes. Unfortunately, this brought her to Wind's unblemished coat and untangled mane, only the thinnest band of sweat beneath the mare's bandanna giving any signal of discomfort at the situation.
Wind looked her friend over, worried that the traveling might have been too much on her. “Steam, are you alright?”
Steam glared at her friend. “What do you think?” She started off through the brush again, but was stopped by Wind running in front of her.
“I'm sorry, stupid question. Are you going to be okay?”
Steam considered the question for a while, thinking about her jaw, the sweltering heat, the twigs in her mane and tail, the scratches on her sides, the backpack weighing her down... Eventually, she came to a decision. “No, I don't think I'm going to be okay.” Wind was taken aback by the answer, but Steam kept going. “I don't think I'm ever going to be okay. I lost everything! My apartment, my magazines, my job, my home... And I was kicked from the city I was born in! Instead of being nice and happy in my home, I'm hiking out of it in the sweltering heat, watching the rain that's right over there fail to cool me off, and I don't even have my gem grinder to see me through it!”
Wind looked down at the ground, trying to keep a positive outlook despite the Steam's ranting about losing the grinder Wind had bought her as a gift. “You've got your life, and you've got me and Homeward to see you through to-”
“Oh, great! A life that's over and two pegasi that completely forgot I was here until a couple seconds ago.” Steam snorted angrily, kicking at the rocks she'd slipped on and nearly tumbling again when they shifted. “Do you know what would be really nice right now? Some food, for one. Maybe my home not having been set on fire, that'd be cool. I mean, I don't even really have you anymore, do I?” Her tone turned accusatory at the end. “Just giving your life story to the stranger like nothing bad could possibly happen, ignoring your friend struggling right behind you. Look, I know I said we were in this until the wings flew or we ran out of ideas, and I know that I'm out of ideas and the wings flew, but-”
“Don't talk like that.” Wind moved forward, trying to hug Steam, a friendly smile on her face. “You may have promised we'd only be in this until they flew, but I didn't. I'm seeing this through to the end.”
Steam smacked the extended hooves away, looking incredulously at Wind. “That wasn't the end?! The two of us almost being burned alive wasn't the end? We went on an air chase through the skies of Timbucktu, for pony's sake! On the wings of the only goal we'd had since day one.“
Wind rubbed her hoof, trying her best to calm down her friend. “We have a new goal. We're getting out of here and going someplace where the work we've done will be appreciated.”
Steam stomped on the ground, splashing mud around with the force of her hoof. “That's just it! I never wanted to get out of here! I was perfectly happy in my apartment until you had to come in and ruin everything with this crazy flying contraption.”
Wind took a step back, looking as though she'd just been hit. “Steam, what are you saying?”
Steam looked Wind straight in the eyes, her face harsh and the bags under her eyes only adding to the sternness of the tone. “I'm saying that working with you was the worst decision that I ever made! Ever since we met there has been nothing but trouble. I wish I'd never caught you!”
Steam was looking Wind straight in the eyes when she said those last few words, which meant that she had the perfect stage to see the joy in them break down, replaced with nothing but hurt and sadness, followed quickly by tears. Steam had never once seen Wind cry, not when she'd cut her hoof while shaping a piece of metal, not when she had fallen out of the sky, not even when she had showed up, bleeding heavily, having just been kicked out of Clockwork's workshop. Seeing them well up on her friend's face was the worst feeling in the world. A feeling only amplified when Wind scrambled a few steps away, then bolted into the air, disappearing down the mountain, leaving only the tears that had formed behind her to fall silently to the ground.
The moment that Wind was gone, Homeward Bound was in the air, tracking where the distraught young mare had gone. When she was out of sight, he landed in front of Steam Cloud, a harsh look on his muzzle. “Do you have any idea what you just did?” Steam hardly even reacted, causing Homeward to turn around, looking where Wind had gone off to. “This world is hostile enough without ponies turning on each other in times of need. Sure, you just lost everything, and I can sympathize with you, but so has she. She told me, right near the start, that she had been thrown out, lost her job, her home, most of her things, all because she'd pursued her wild dream to work with you and make those wings on your back.”
His cloak turned, looking at her through the shadow. “That was hours ago, and since then Wind has done nothing but talk about you. How smart you were, how kind you were, how talented and clever and understanding. How you saved her life and made every minute of working together a joy, how you had been so selfless to take her in when she was in need and spend all this time on her dream... She was just telling me for the third time how she hoped this would begin to make amends for it when you had to go and do that.”
Homeward shook his head. “She trusts you, she cares about you and holds you in such high esteem... And this is how she is repaid.” He took off again, looking the direction she had gone in case she decided to fly further. “You stay here and think about that while I go see if this mess is salvageable.”
Steam watched Homeward fly down the mountain, the storming grey clouds behind serving as a perfect backdrop for how she felt. Because, as much as the sadness had creeped into her at seeing her friend hurt, it hadn't been enough to get her to chase after Wind. It hadn't even been enough to make her raise a hoof and ask her to wait. Steam had just stood there, watching her friend leave and accepting the end she had wished for.
But, as she truly thought over her words in the light that Homeward had given them, she realized that almost every one of them had been false. It was true that she had never wanted to leave Timbucktu, but... the time spent together, the meaningless days brightened up by Wind's visits, the way that innocent pegasus trusted her so much, thought so highly of the mare that had saved her life... Even when Steam came back to her apartment to see it in shambles, littered with all of those copper jackets, Wind grinding away at the crystal in the center of the room...
There was only one time when she might have been happier, and that was a long, long time ago. She had been so young when she watched her parents go, convinced that she could survive in the city alone... Something had been lost then, something that Wind had captured so beautifully, and yet Steam couldn't seem to do anything but try to rip it out of her with paranoia and cynicism. This mood she was in, this self-induced rage of pity and confusion, had to stop, and not just for her sake.
She waited quietly in the woods, where she had been left, going through scenarios in her head. Possible reactions, what would be found, what she would do if she'd gone past the point of no return... if Homeward came back alone. However, all of these plans vaporized the moment she saw the two pegasi flying up the hill, touching down just in front of her. Immediately Steam ran to them, nearly tripping on a root as she went, but not letting her stumble slow her down for an instant. She ran right past Homeward Bound, wrapping Wind Key in a big hug and holding her close.
“I am so, so, so, so, so sorry for what I said. I wasn't thinking at all and it wasn't right and no matter how many excuses I make it really doesn't make up for the fact that I didn't mean a word I said when I snapped at you.” Steam pulled back, catching her breath and looking Wind in her eyes. “You're the best friend I've ever had, no matter what the consequences have been. I'd rather be stuck out in this mess with you than think for a moment that I would be happier how I was.”
Wind was initially startled by the hug, but she had gotten over that, about to hug back when Steam pulled away. Wind's eyes were red, and there were streaks in the dust on her fur from where the tears had been, but otherwise her ivy eyes were lit up at the possibilities held in Steam's words. There was just one thing. “... You wouldn't really have let me fall, would you?”
It took Steam a moment to realize she was talking about that test with the old wings all those months ago, but as soon as she did she laughed. “Of course not. Best friend or not, I would never let a pony be hurt if I could stop it.”
Wind smiled at that, her fears assuaged. “Good. You're still the pony I thought I knew.” She hugged Steam tightly, nuzzling her friend affectionately. “Apology accepted.”
It took the trio most of the day to reach a distance where they felt safe, though luckily, whether it was the rain or a lack of pursuit after their disappearing act, the skies remained almost entirely clear of flying forms. Still, they made their way far out of the sight of the city before finding a small clearing to rest in while Homeward got his bearings. By this point, all three stomachs were grumbling, so Homeward made a quick run of the area looking for food and landmarks. After a short flight, he returned with some berries and good news.
“I know where we are, and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be out of the country in just a few day's time.” He looked to the two young mares, both of whom were busier eating the food he'd scavenged than paying any attention to him. He sighed, reaching up a hoof and firmly readjusting the hood of his cloak, using the action to center himself. “I think it would be better to move under cover of darkness. The heat during the day can get grueling, making tempers short, and we would be harder to spot hiding among the stars than against a clear sky. Until then, I say we rest until nightfall and save our energy for the flight ahead.” There was a silent nod of agreement, nothing more, but at least they'd responded.
Both mares found it surprisingly easy to nap beneath the shade of the trees, the traveling, combined with any exhaustion the two felt from the night before, bringing a gentle sleep to them amid the lightly rustling leaves. As the sun began to set, however, they were roused by Homeward and made ready to take off. Darkness descended soon after and the moon slowly began to rise, along with three figures flying from the clearing, entering the cool night sky.
Flying the day before had been a harrowing adventure for Steam Cloud, her life hanging in the balance both from the pursuit and her own worries about an unstable machine. Tonight, however, having proven the Ready Wings were more than capable and having checked to make sure they were prepared for another run, only a small amount of winding needed to bring them mainspring back to taut, the prospect of flying was altogether different.
The first time she had properly flown, not just hovered along while standing on a cloud, was on Wind Key's back on the day they'd first met. On that night, she hadn't been in control, and the fear that any second Wind's wings were going to give out and send them both crashing to the darkened forest below had made the whole thing completely unenjoyable. Even now, that seemed like a very stupid decision for Steam to make, but she was definitely happy she had made it to meet the mare flying next to her.
Tonight she reveled in defying every rule of gravity, galloping across the open air as the plains rolled by beneath her, the silvery glow of the moon shining brightly off of the river the trio was following. She might not be in complete control of the situation, still depending on something else to keep her airborne, but she was as close as she could get, even starting to pick up the subtleties of the Ready Wings after the first hour of flying. She might not be the one flapping her wings, but she was driving the machine that did it for her, as well as the one sailing through the sky with the wind flowing through her mane and nothing around her but the infinite expanse of stars above and the gently curving ground far, far below.
Well, the sky wasn't really as empty as that. She held her hooves out in front of her, banking off to her left, where Wind was flying. Wind's pace was a little slow, to match that of the mechanical wings, but that didn't stop her from enjoying every minute of it as much as Steam was. The grin plastered to her face as the cool, crisp night air threatened to whip the bandanna off of her mane spoke volumes of the joy every pegasus must feel when they take wing.
Wind saw Steam approach and waved, a gesture Steam tried to reciprocate. Unfortunately, with the controls as they were, waving her forehoof sent her into an awkward spin, which she was able to stabilize, but left her quite a way beneath her friend. Wind laughed at the sight, diving down so that she was next to Steam, the moon and the stars glinting off of her eyes. “How does it feel?”
Steam looked confused for a moment, galloping in the air to set the contraption on her back flapping again. “What do you mean? If anypony should know, I would think it was you.”
Wind shook her head, flipping over so that she was flying upside down. “That's not what I meant. I've been flying forever, I know it's amazing. You've spent your whole life on the ground. But this, right here... would you do it again?”
Steam didn't hesitate for a moment. “In a heartbeat! It's beautiful up here, and... I just...” Steam thought for a moment, her movements slowing and causing the wings to slow a bit as well.
Wind righted herself, slowing down further to move alongside Steam, worried that perhaps something had finally gone wrong on their prototype. “Is something the matter?”
Steam shook her head. “Not at all. Up here... The troubles of the world are so far behind. It's like I could just float away from it all... the Republic, the war, everything... ”
Wind smiled, looking out at the sky, the moon sitting overhead, gracing the entire world with her gentle light. “It's tempting, isn't it? To think you could just fly right off of the planet and all of its troubles? But that isn't the case, I'm afraid. Everypony eventually has to land. Even the pegasi who never touch the ground need a cloud that they can call home, and if Cloudsdale and the sky over Timbucktu were able to speak, they'd tell us even the sky isn't trouble-free.”
She rolled so she was flying upside down beneath her friend, looking up from under the unicorn galloping across the sky, and seeing Steam look down at her as well. “We can all run from our problems, but I've always found it better to focus on where you're going, not where you've been. You can fret about your past all you want, getting mired in things that were and who did what, but if instead you follow your dreams, eventually, you can't help but see it become as real as anything you may have left behind.”
Steam frowned down at her friend, feeling she was flaunting her flying ability and control beneath the relatively static unicorn. “You know, it is a charmed life you lead, Wind, that you can say things like that... Still, you have a way of making me question if you might be speaking the truth.”
Wind flipped back over, matching heights with her friend again. “It's not all been fun and games, Steam. I just don't spend all my time with a cloud hanging over my head.” There was just a moment where her smile faded, a flash of that sadness Steam had sparked earlier, but it was gone just as quickly as it came, replaced with a playfully stuck out tongue and the touch of a hoof on her flank. “Tag! You're it!”
Wind veered off to the right, almost instantly seeming to disappear as a speck against the hills below. Steam glared that way, shouting after the pegasus. “Hey! No fair! My wings don't work as well as yours!” However, her lips revealed her true feelings, a smile curling them up at the edges. She veered off after Wind, determined to tag her back at least once before the night was out.
Meanwhile, Homeward Bound flew steadily onward, keeping his focus set on their destination. As they two young mares began to roll and zip through the air all around him, however, he slowed down, a warm smirk showing up on his muzzle. For a little while, he even got involved, transferring the tag and showing his own speed and agility in the sky, an aggravatingly unfair experience for the machine-bound unicorn. But eventually he stopped, returning to his set course and keeping the two mares generally on track. After all, it was their escape. Who was he to say they couldn't have a little fun with it?