Borealis followed the clumsy movements of the violet mare that was slowly melting together with the night in the far distance. First he was actually considering to fly after her and make sure that the Princess would not suffer from a fall or perhaps something worse. Once he was sure that she vanished in her house the batwing stretched his wings that were still aching from the travel. The stallion’s eyes were literally feasting upon the sight of the upside world, following each movement of no matter what. His ears listened to the slight whispers of the winds and other sounds it managed to bring from near and far.
Although everything was covered in the delicate gown of the night, and the most inhabitants were already in the land of dreams, everywhere one could find events and activities during the reign of the night. From above Borealis had a great view at the surrounding area. Despite the darkness he was able to see everything without any problems because the eyes of his kind were quite adaptive. For some reason the stallion hoped not to find darkness in the wide open world, but it seemed like it was a companion that could be found everywhere.
< Our worlds are so different and yet there are things they share with one another. >
Animals were quietly moving through the grass or flying in the air in their search for food, hoping that they would not end up being food for the relentless predators. They were merely shadows that tried to remain unseen to the world. Far more fascinating and beautiful acts were within the local flora. The batwing witnessed that certain plants were showing themselves only if the moon touched them gently with its light.
The petals of the lovely flowers, which names he sadly did not know, were catching the light of the moon making them look like they were made only out its light. Bugs of all shapes and forms were attracted by the faint glow that cut through the dark. Even the night active animals seemed to be allured by it, but unlike the bugs that had a symbiotic pact with the plant, the animals ate the flowers to Borealis’s great disappointment.
According to the many books he has studied during his youth the night was supposed to be very silent yet his tufted ears were proving that the authors of the books were either wrong or not blessed with the sharp senses of the batwings. The wind did not only gently touch his cheeks with is subtle touch but also brought sounds that lost their power with each league, turning them into silent whispers. There were sounds Borealis found familiar yet noises sounded different in the great depths of his homeland. Here they were merely sighs that have been ripped apart by other sounds and the wind itself.
There were various sounds the stallion could not recognize despite all the effort he put into identifying them. The very mass of sounds scattered in the wind were simply overwhelming and often not making any sense. He could hear the remnants of the thundering sounds of waterfalls mixing up with a sound that seemed to be made out of three other sounds. From time to time the wind was kind enough to bring full sounds, which could only mean that its very source was not so far away from his own location.
Once Borealis recognized the sound of mating which is why he quickly moved his ears slightly away, giving the probably hidden couple their privacy while condemning himself with hot cheeks and inappropriate thoughts. In that very moment the sounds have been literally pushed aside by a source that did not belong to the part of this world. It was the second natural way of communicating of the Batwings: Echolocation.
Unlike the bats which use the calls to listen to echo of nearby objects Borealis’s race is not only able to use the echolocation to communicate with their kind but also use it as a weapon if circumstances would demand it. While his ears tried to determine the location of the individual that was sending the sounds the stallion also struggled to make out sense of the message. Due the other sounds hidden in the wind it was nearly impossible to understand what the other Batwing wanted from him.
It was mere luck that he managed to find the location of his messenger. Borealis took a deep breath and tried to measure the power of his voice which would fight against the winds of Equestria. He waited for the right moment and open his mouth. If somepony would have watched him now it would look like he let out a very long and unusually looking yawn. His prediction turned out to be correct for the sound he has unleashed simply overwhelmed the chaotic sounds which were trapped in the wind.
With certain amount of pride he made himself comfortable and simply waited for the things to come. For his message was simple in its nature but it was also an order.
Come.
The Delegate of Nocturia did not wait long. In the distance one could see shapes dashing through the sky. Like shadows they swept over a small group of clouds slightly changing their position while passing by. Soft sounds of their wings filled the air and announced their coming long before their shapes became clear for eyes. Two Batwings were directly flying towards Borealis with great speed and balance while maintaining grace that would have shamed even the best dancers. Two heartbeats later the two Pegasi were maintaining their flight in front of the Delegate and bowed traditionally showing him the respect he deserved.
“Why have you called after me?” Asked Borealis and pointed at the nearby clouds. The Pegasi took the clouds that were fitting their size and landed on them gently. Though they were wearing armor it barely made any sound and while they wings were about to take their place the armor’s runes reflected the shine of the moon in the most gorgeous way. The ponies who came to him were mares which have recently reached the blossom of their marehood. Their armor was not taking any tool on their beauty. In fact it enhanced each well shaped curve and form of their body like it would actually be part of one being. While it was always a nice sight for an sore eye to look upon the twins the light of the moon made them look like beings that were not from this world.
“Mylord.” The elder twin smiled at him prettily and allowed herself to take of her helmet. Right away the hair was caught by the wind and she chuckled happily about it. “Please forgive me and my sister that we left our hideout… but we simply could not stay in one place and let the chance of a life time pass us by.”
“We made sure that nopony would see us mylord. Before we went out to seek you my dear sister called for a meeting with the others.” The younger twin followed the example of her older sister and also took her helmet off. Her hair was not as long but it had a very interesting shine that nearly instantly lured one’s eyes upon it. Diamond powder was truly a great innovation of the Diamond Dogs.
“Our entire group agreed that none of us will ever have a chance to witness this world again. Which is why we dared to come to your grace and ask for your permission to experience the beauties upside world as long as possible.” She smiled honestly and warmly. For a moment Borealis remained silent but soon he smiled back at the mares and spread his wings fully. He felt the nice and warm wind coming from the east and enjoyed its touch upon his leathery weave. The younger mare let out a slight gasp at view of his wings and tried to hide her slightly purple cheeks.
“I understand your feelings very well.” He took a few steps back and winked at the ladies with both his hooks. They understood the message and without using their wings the twins landed in front of him exactly in the same moment. Borealis turned around and offered his wings for them. Smiling the mares placed their wings upon his and he led them to the other end of the cloud where they could look upon the magical land of Equestria.
Their gasps were not surprising him actually they only made him grin brighter.
“Everything is running according to the plan… for now. Tomorrow we will hopefully be able to be on our way back to Nocturia. Go back to the camp and let the others know that you have my permission to explore the beauty of this world.”
The girls cheered quietly and as usual they both made dance like moves like they would be one being. “Fly with my blessings and do not do anything that might cause trouble to us and the subjects of this land.”
“Thank you mylord!” The twins literally yelled at him making his eardrums vibrate unpleasantly.
“Are you ready?” He asked and did not await any answer. Borealis performed a mighty swing which the mares knew by now. The power behind it and the quick reaction of their wings threw the girls into the air. Once more the Pegasi became one with their element.
“One more thing!” The voice of the Delegate echoed through the air. “Call me Mylord one more time and I will have to punish you!”
The mares chuckled at him and made some impressive looking acrobatic moves before they departed. Before they departed the stallion was able to catch up one sentence before they were out of reach.
“I am sure you would like him to spank you.” Said the elder sister to her twin who undoubtedly turned purple on her face before she smacked her sister’s back with her wing. The Delegate only shook his head and humming a song his mother once sung for him he fell asleep.
And after so many years he did not dream of the things that were haunting his homeland.