Urohringr

by Imploding Colon


Alas, Ponies of a Feather...

Pilate's head turned, his ears twitching.

Kera glanced up from where she and Ebon were peering over the edge of the Noble Jury's top deck. "Pilate?" She waddled over and tapped his fetlock. "What is it?"

"I..." Pilate shifted uncomfortably. "I think I heard something."

"Jee, could it be one of the millions of indeterminate animals hiding away in this bush?" Ebon sighed, slumping against the edge of the ship. "Mmmmf... I still don't know why Eagle Eye dives into these things."

"He's good at bouncing back with a smile, Ebony!" Props exclaimed.

"Besides, his coat's a few good shades away from red," Zaid mused, stifling a yawn as he leaned against one of the skystone masts. "He'll come back safe. Don't worry."

"I'm serious, everypony," Pilate said, trotting down the center. "I heard... something out of place."

"Did a tree sneeze or something?" Zaid cocked his head to the side. "It's not very windy."

"It almost sounded like an explosion," Pilate claimed. "Or rocket fire."

"Well, Roarke is with them!" Kera exclaimed.

"Then just what does that mean?" Props remarked.

"If we're lucky?" Ebon muttered. "They found a giant rampaging beast and Roarke's just won us some steak dinners for the next month."

"What is every boomer spitting about?" Floydien stuck his head out. "Floydien sees nothing but mist mist."

"Pilate's getting one of his funny feelings again!" Kera exclaimed.

"It's not funny." Pilate briefly frowned. "I'm just... feeling a bit uneasy."

"Relax, stripes!" Props trotted towards him, smiling. "It's okay to be worried about Belle, but she's come back from shadier places than this!"

"Yeah, besides, they've got the comfort of Whizzball not that far away," Zaid said. Just then, a huge shadow woooshed by, rocking the ship slightly. He blinked dumbly into the metal bulkheads. "...speaking of whizzing."

"Wh-what in the heck was that?!" Ebon exclaimed.

"See what I mean?" Pilate spun about, ears pricked. "We're not alone out here!"

Josho galloped up the rear stairwell, breathless. "What just rocked the ship? I thought we were stationary!"

Something wooooshed by again, this time causing the vessel to rock back and forth.

"Yeepsies!" Props squelched, grabbing onto Zaid for support.

"Floydien does not like this glimmer," the elk muttered.

"Hey!" Kera peered over the port side, grinning. "That's so awesome!"

"No no no, little larva boomer. Wrong spit."

"Nah..." Kera turned as she pointed towards several approaching shapes. "I'm talking about the huge flock of nightmare-black creatures soaring our way!"

"Buh?" Ebon craned his neck, and his eyes widened. "Buhhhhhhhh!" he stumbled back onto his flank.

Just then, the rest of the shadows arrived, their scaled bodies glistening in the morning sun. Cartiligenous "fins" rippled in the air, pivoting their bodies so that they sliced right past the Noble Jury with long leathery tails whipping behind them. They resembled enormous manta-rays, even down to the dual cephalic extensions at the front of their triangular bodies. Instead of gills, they possessed large porous pouches that consistently belched fumes of light gases from the lateral edges of their fleshy bodies. Dull bass purring notions emanated from their gaping mouths as they roared just inches off the Noble Jury's hull, one by one.

To say the least, this rocked the vessel heavily, nearly flinging Floydien and his fellow crew ponies off the sides in the first fly-by alone.

"Gaaah!" Kera yelped, suddenly being flung into the green space beyond.

"Kera!" Pilate hollered.

In a flash of telekinesis, Josho caught the filly and floated her back to where he stood, gripping a mast. "Elk! Get us the buck out of here!"

"Floydien... grnnngh... is trying!" Floydien clawed his way back towards the cockpit in futility. "Stay still, Nancy!"

"Guys!" Ebon whimpered, peering past the stern with wide eyes. "More of them are coming!" He gulped. "They're going to hit us!"

"Floydien, we have to move!"

"It's too late!"

"Everypony grab onto something!"

Just as the creatures were about to bear down on the ship, the air filled with the chorus of eagle and osprey calls. Tiny, colorful shapes darted in and out of the flock of leathery creatures, herding them northward so that they avoided the Noble Jury by mere feet. The airship rocked less and less, hovering once more to a stand-still as the beasts soared harmlessly northeast over the jungled basin.

"What... what...?" Ebon stood upright, panting. "What just happened?"

"Did a bunch of birds save us?" Zaid remarked.

Pilate's metal brow furrowed. "Friends... I do not think that those are actual birds."

Ebon glanced back, frowning. "Then what the hay made that sound?" Th-Thud! A winged stallion landed on the ship's railing in front of him, staring the cook in the face. Ebon looked up and immediately flailed backwards. "Gaaaaie!"

"Ledo's girdle!" Josho stammered.

Dangling in his magic field, Kera grinned upside down. "Cool!"

"Uhhh..." Zaid and Props craned their necks to look better. "Did Rainbow Dash get a sex change...?"

The light-blue stallion turned his head about, wide red eyes peering intently like an owl's. The bulk of his mane hung down the back of his head in a dark green braid, but two separate locks hung down past each ear—one blue and the other red. Around his head there dangled a necklace comprised of multi-colored feathers and songbird skulls. His fetlocks were bound with fossilized talons wrapping all about, and a smattering of thin scars blemished his otherwise shiny coat.

"Somepony, please..." Pilate murmured aside. "...tell me what just landed on the ship."

Floydien squinted. "Floydien wishes he could say..."

"Uhhhh..." Props trotted up, smiling nervously at the stallion. "Hey there, bright eyes! Welcome to the Noble Jury!" She leaned forward, blue eyes blinking. "Do you have a name?"

The stallion squinted, sniffed the air between them, then tilted his head skyward. His muzzle opened, letting loose a loud, hawk-like shriek.

Props fidgeted. "Uhm... I-I'm not sure I can pronounce that."

The wind kicked up, accompanied by several flapping feathers. The Jurists glanced up, gasping to see that they were surrounded by five... ten... twenty... over thirty pegasi, all hovering above the ship and staring intently down at it.

"Hoooooo boyo..." Zaid gulped, eyes darting from one winged pony to another. "Talk about Alfred Haycock presents..."

"I'm so confused," Pilate wheezed.

Josho leaned in and whispered, "Lots... and lots of pegasi."

Pilate's blind eyes twitched. "...undead?"

"Nope." Josho winced. "Creepy nonetheless." He jumped as one pegasus landed not far from him.

Then another pony landed. Then another.

The whole ship rocked as—one by one—the bulk of the pegasi made contact with their hooves, trotting over the top deck and running their hooves across the various metal surfaces. They cooed and made birdsong with clicking tongues, smiling at one another.

"Hey! Hey!" Floydien snarled, shaking a cloven hoof. "Get your feather glimmer and chicken spit off my Nancy!" His antlers began sparkling. "Floydien means it!"

"Mr. Floydien!" Pilate called out, stretching his hoof blindly. "Whatever you do, please don't—"

"Ooooooh..." A stallion gasped, eyes locked on Floydien's antlers. "Home in on those gold lights!"

"By Valkyrie's shout," another said, flying towards Floydien.

"Grnnngh!" Floydien fired a volley of energy.

"Handsome, no!" Props shouted.

It was too late, the male pegasus took the brunt of the energy blast. His body toppeled backwards, but hovered to a stop in the air off the port side.

Every Jurist winced.

"Hnnnngh!" The stallion shook the pain off, tossed his mane, and grinned. "Again!"

"Wooo!"

"Ha ha!"

The air filled with whoops and cheer as pegasi flew in tight circles around the confounded elk.

"Do me now!"

"I'm first born! I can handle it!"

"No! Do me! Do me!"

"Beak it in, Jagold, you'd only puke up eggshells."

"Nuh uh!"

"Uhhhh..." Floydien backed up until his haunches were planted against the cockpit's doorframe. "For the first t-time, Floydien is c-confused..."

"Just relax, Mr. Floydien, I... I don't think they mean us any harm—" Pilate stopped in the middle of his speech, for a pegasus was hovering right in front of him, tapping the runes of his metal plate.

"Look at this gull!" she said. "Valkyrie silver becomes him!"

"And here as well," another pegasus crouched low, tapping the O.A.S.I.S. sphere. "Hmmmm..." He smirked. "I wonder if all his balls are shiny."

"Hahahaha!"

"Please..." Pilate gently shoved their hooves away, backing up into Josho. "That's quite enough, thank you."

"Look!" A mare squatted low, beaming as she stared Kera in the face. "This one glows all over! And she's got a rod in her head!"

"Heeheehee..." Kera smirked. "You ain't seen the half of it, lady!" She lifted a coil of roap with her magic and made it twirl like a serpent in the air. "Tadaaaaa!"

"Aaack! Aaack!" The mare and several other pegasi fled skyward, perching frightfully atop the skystone and peering down. "Gold lights! Gold lights!"

"Not a very good idea, pipsqueak," Josho muttered aside.

"What?" Kera glanced up, smirking. "Better than shooting your boomstick at them!"

"I'm almost tempted..."

Suddenly, an eagle shriek flew across the top deck again. Most of the pegasi cleared a path across the top deck in an instant. The stallion with the colored locks and bird necklace trotted down the center, approaching Pilate.

"You are not of the Valkyrie's flock," he said. "Tell me." His red eyes narrowed. "Are you from beyond the greens?"

"Uhm..." Pilate cleared his throat. "If you mean to ask if we are outsiders, then I do believe the answer is yes."

"You manage to make Valkyrie silver fly," the stallion said, his bone necklace rattling. "How?"

"It... is certainly a long and complicated explanation," Pilate said, smiling nervously.

"Hrmmm..." The stallion's lips curved. "Fortunate for both of us, Durandana does not favor long and complicated things." He leaned in close, sniffing the flinching zebra's mane. He leaned back. "You have a mate?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do."

"Good." The pegasus smiled. "That means through your gullish stripes, you are still a pony." His wings outstretched, nearly knocking Ebon and Props off their hooves from the sheer gust. "I am Sivrem, First Born of the Central Tower. This is my flock. We are all warm lovers and fighters of the Valkyrie."

"And... uhm... I am Pilate, faithful navigator of this ship, the Noble Jury."

Suddenly, Sivrem lunged forward, snapping his teeth just an inch in front of Pilate's face. The other jurists flinched—but Pilate didn't. Sivrem's red eyes widened. "You are blind?"

"That I am, sir."

"And yet you home?"

"I... suppose I do?"

"Heh... heh heh heh heh!" Sivrem let loose a booming laugh. "The Gray Feathers will never believe this!" He turned and smiled at the other pegasi. "I've not imagined such wild things! Even in the Gold Lights!"

The pegasi laughed and whistled shrilly.

Just then, a half-dozen more winged ponies flew in and touched down on the ship's bow.

"Sivrem!" a stallion with a gray coat spoke with a rattle of his bird-bone armor. "The leatherbacks have been herded back to the raked earth. I sent two ponies to home in on Jerrio." He paused to gawk at the ship with a dumb smile, his green mane billowing in the wind. "By Valkyrie's shout... it's even shinier up close!"

"Where are the feathers on these ponies?" asked a yellow-coated mare with shiny blue hair.

"Smythe... Jagold..." Sivrem whistled, summoning the two pegasi at his side. "These are ponies from beyond the greens."

"Beyond the greens?" Smythe trotted in, sniffing Josho's muzzle, then immediately reeling back with a forelimb stretched before his wrinkled muzzle. "Nnnngh! Eggshells! You take us for gulls, first born?"

"By the Gold Lights, it's true!" Sivrem said, smiling proudly. "The leatherbacks almost reduced them to down. I do not believe they can fly."

"Well, one of us can!" Kera said.

Josho cleared his throat.

Smythe blinked quizzically. "What's that, little sparrow?"

"Jerrio's group hasn't shown up at Central yet," Jagold said. "Maybe they met more of these gulls?"

"We're simply passing through," Pilate said. "We had no idea that there were actual ponies living in this place. When our leader saw fruit trees below, we decided to stop and stock up on supplies." He gulped. "Please, forgive us for intruding. We meant no offense."

"Offense? Intruding?" Sivrem laughed loudly. "Does the gull know that Durandana's skies are free to all ponies, Valkyrie's flock or not?"

"You mean..." Ebon bit his lip. "You don't want to tear us limb from limb?"

"Hmmmm..." Smythe trotted over, sniffed Ebon's mane, and smirked coyly. "That remains to be seen."

Ebon sweated nervously. "Uhhhh..."

"Relax, sailboat," Josho grumbled. "These hippies strike me as harmless..." Josho nevertheless batted two curious mares away. "Among other annoying adjectives..."

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... guys?"

Everypony looked over.

By this point, the majority of the pegasi had flocked around Props, all forming a tight circle. Several hooves poked/tapped her face, cheeks, leg muscles, and even her cutie mark. She broke an awkward smile, giggling breathily.

"Okay... okay! Heehee! That tickles! Smokestacks! You guys are really, really friendly, aren't you?"

"By Valkyrie's shout! She even sounds like silk."

"Why doesn't a mare so airy have feathers?"

"Is..." One stallion batted at her dangling tail. "...is it actual gold?"

"Heeeeeeeeee!" Jagold leaned in, hovering upside down as she nuzzled-nuzzled her head deep into Props' mane. "I could just sleep in this for daysssssss!" The other pegasi chuckled and laughed.

"Heehee! I bet you could!" Props sing-songed.

"Okaaaaaaaaaaaay..." Zaid stealthily trotted his way in, ushering the tight circle of ponies to spread apart. "Petting zoo hours are over. For realsies, even birds build nests. Personal space, much?"

"Oh Zaidy waidy, they're only saying 'hello,'" Props said with a smirk.

"I hate to see how'd they say 'good bye.'"

One mare leaned in, sniffed Zaid, and pointed at him. "This one smells like a leatherback cave!"

"Hey!" Zaid cackled. "My mother was a saint!"

Kera giggled. "Isn't this awesome?"

"That's an operative term," Josho mumbled. His eyes scanned the eastern mists. "Speaking of which..."

"Our leader would be very... very interested in seeing you and your fellow ponies, Mr. Sivrem," Pilate said. "Is there a chance you could... uhm... allow us a chance to meet up with our fellow friends again?"

"If they are in Durandana, then I assure you that they are safe."

"That... that's nice to know, but even still—"

"You cannot mask your own scent that easily," Sivrem said with a smirk. "Anxiety clings to you like a plague. But don't worry. I will send Smythe to fetch your friends. His homing is a solid gift from the Valkyrie." He whistled at the stallion in question. "Go and seek the other outsiders, so that we may commune as one."

"But Sivrem!" Smythe winced slightly. "First Light is upon us!"

"Then these outer gulls shall bear witness and rejoice in the Gold Lights."

"What will the Gray Feathers say?"

"The Gray Feathers only need to know what we sing to them." Sivrem winked, then chuckled. "Now gust, already."

"Yes, First Born." Smythe leapt off the Noble Jury's side and glided out into the mists. He whistled over his shoulder.

"Whoops!" Jagold backflipped and flew after him. "He needs his wingpony." She winked and blew a kiss at Props before diving out of sight along with three other pegasi.

Zaid glanced at Jagold, then did a double-take at Props as the mare pleasantly waved back. "Oye... I don't know whether to feel sick in the good or bad way."

"Hold your eggshells in," Sivrem said, trotting leisurely across the top deck full of pegasi. "And tell me more about the land beyond the greens."

"Well, uhm..." Ebon scratched his chin. "There's a lot of death and mayhem and wars and—"

"Ahem..." Pilate calmly blushed aside and approached Sivrem with a smile. "Allow me, Mr. Mane."

"Fine. Handle every multicultural first contact, then."

"I believe I shall. You, on the other hoof, can think about cooking them a complimentary meal."

"Hoo boy..." Josho groaned. "Then they'll have a real excuse to go to war with us."

"Hey!" Ebon squeaked.

Kera and Props giggled.