The buckles clicked and the straps snapped. The clickers buckled and the snapping strapped. The convoluted leather vest with its metal pulleys and strings was one of the most aggravating things Donut Joe ever had the misfortune of having to figure out. The artificial, metal wings clanked and grinded as Joe attempted to figure out where his hooves went.
When he finally did get the infernal contraption on, he noticed that the wings were not as uncomfortable as they appeared. The straps and buckles did not tear into his skin and the joints of the wings moved fluidly with the even the slightest contractions of his foreword muscles as, he assumed, any biological wings should do. The wings were folded against his body and so he decided to make an attempt at opening them. He flexed his shoulders in a way that he naturally believed would do the trick and sure enough the wings flared open.
Joe felt a tinge in his horn and realized it wasn't his exaggerated contortions that opened the wings. To test his theory, Joe stood perfectly still and imagined the wings folding back down again. They did just that. Joe recounted The Doctor’s words about the wings connecting to his horn or some other such silly nonsense. Joe concentrated further and made the wings flap once. At first they just mechanically jolted up and down but as Joe practiced, he got the hang of commanding the individual joints that ran along the wings. He could feel a cool draft at his hooves as the wings caught the wind and manipulated the air flow. Joe’s mind was already racing at the very thought of flight.
Joe stood on a hillside a few miles outside of the city. The grassy field atop the hill presented a perfect view of the night sky eternal. It was the perfect spot for star watchers and astronomers. No such ponies were around that night. Joe was alone with a pair of false wings strapped to his back, facing a sheer drop off cliff about twenty hooves off the ground. Just a few miles away the starry sky was disturbed by the blue glow of the cloudscape, the center of which sat the ancient and proud city of Cloudsdale.
Looking at dark bulging clouds in the distance reminded Joe of the Great Storm Cloud that hung high over the Griffon Nests. He remembered the constant feeling of dread that hung over his shoulders during his visit. His mind turned to a young pony named Roseluck that he had met in the nests. He lamented the fact that they didn't get to see a lot of Manehattan while they were last in the NLR. He wondered what Rose would think of these clouds. They were nowhere near as dark and foreboding as the Great Storm Cloud. On the contrary, the light of the pale full moon reflecting off of the floating cotton looked beautiful. Perhaps one day he could bring her back? No, Joe thought, she was probably crammed behind some desk in some office somewhere lending her talents as some sort of clerk. She didn't need him back her life complicating matters.
Joe realized he was procrastinating. Every second he stood reminiscing, Nightfeather was flying deeper into the clouds. Joe could delay the inevitable no longer. He took a deep breath and steeled his will as he prepared to jump off a cliff. He erected his new, mechanical appendages and lowered his body into a running stance. A slight breeze danced through Joe’s mane from behind and he knew he wouldn't get a better chance.
Joe charged forward and galloped against his survival instincts that demanded he stop this foolishness. Joe reached the end of the cliff and jumped out into the open air.
Gravity took over. The added weight of the contraption of Joe’s back became apparent as he plummeted into a twenty hoof free fall. In his mind he cursed and screamed and laughed at the absurdity of his ultimate demise. Joe scrunched his eyes shut and waited for his inevitable meeting with ground below. But that meeting never came.
Joe opened his eyes and looked down. Instead of growing steadily closer, the ground below was moving to the side. The wings had caught the breeze. They arced in the wind and Joe could no longer feel any weight associated with the contraption. He was steadily gliding fifteen hooves above the ground. His eyes widened with amazement.
Invigorated by the surreal sensation of being detached from the earth, Joe decided to take the next step. He focused a command into his horn once again. The wings obeyed as would any part of the natural body. They flapped and the air under his command lifted Joe higher into the sky. He was above the cliff that he once stood on. He flapped again. He rose higher than the trees. Joe looked to the stars above and he was fueled with euphoria and a surge of freedom. The distance between him and those twinkling stars felt so trivial. Like all it would take was one more flap and he could reach out and hold a star in his hoof.
And so he flapped again. The edge of the cloudscape was before him. The fluffy field before him were not the ominous funnels of chaos as he remembered from the Griffon's Nest. It was a welcoming highway constructed of cotton candy and pillows and whatever other ridiculous sounding analogies came to Joe’s foalish mind. His mane and coat and tail whipped wildly and he loved it.
He entered the clouds. The cloudscape was not just a collection of random clouds. The Pegasi had meticulously carved the cloudscape to reflect the pride and beauty of their tribe. Sculptures made of clouds depicting famous Pegasi heroes floated in midair. Parts of the clouds below him were shaved flat to resemble a road winding its way down a horizon of rolling hills made of clouds out of which trees made of cloud sprung out and bloomed with brilliant cloud blossoms.
The excitement drove Joe to test out the limits of his new aerial abilities. Using his horn to command his wings, Joe started by banking left, then right. Turning was so simple, it was mindless.
Joe got brave. He looked down at a fluffy patch of cloud below him. He drew his wings close to his body and tilted forward. He dove towards the cloud like a falling javelin. His body punctured straight through the cloud. The swollen, plush texture of the cloud softly brushed against him. They were plush and, to his astonishment, rather warm and comfortable like blanket. He rose and darted out out of the clouds further on and continued to follow the carved path.
Joe needed more. The unrivaled adrenaline that coursed through his veins was addicting. He wanted to try a do complete loop. Joe angled his body down and immediately pulled up. The resulting G-forces squeezed his cheeks.The sudden surge pulled at his heart and it felt amazing. But then, at the height of Joe’s trick, his vision blurred red. The rush of blood made Joe lightheaded. He could no longer feel his horn. The wings buckled and clumsily flapped out of sync. Immediately, gravity took hold once again and Joe found himself tumbling towards the clouds below. He had yet to try walking on clouds. He didn't know whether or not they would catch his fall. Joe fought against the fog in his head and concentrated. Blood flowed back into his horn and the wings expanded once again. A draft of air slowed his descent and he allowed the wings to glide him down.
As Joe slowly approached the ground at a more manageable speed, he stretched out his hooves to a landing position. He quickly prayed to whatever Alicorn may be listening and touched terra firma. Terra cumulus? Nimbus firma? hell, Joe thought, I’m on a bloody cloud.
The cloud felt plush and cottony beneath his hooves. It felt like standing on top of a tower of worn out pillows. It was solid enough to hold his weight, but still seemed unstable and he had trouble balancing. Joe tried to rip a small wad of fluff from the cloud floor but it wouldn't yank. He figured the wings’ magic wouldn't allow him to manipulate the construction of the clouds like a real Pegasus. Weather control was likely out of the question as well.
Joe took a few deep breaths and vowed not to try any more stupid stunts. Joe checked his watch. The Soliton Radar was able to analyze the structures of the cloudscape. He pinpointed Nightfeather’s yellow dot. The chariot wasn't moving too fast. He could likely tail it easily enough.
Joe collected his bearings-- which proved more difficult than he anticipated-- and determined the direction of the chariot. Joe took off and flew straight towards the signal.
As Joe flew deeper into the cloudscape, he noticed the clouds were getting thicker. The heroic statues and tree structures must have just been made for the entrance to look pretty. Now the clouds were actually shaped like clouds; rough and without reason. No longer was there a straight path to kindly lead the way for visitors. He tucked and rolled through the stray clouds. Joe cursed to himself that the design wasn't very friendly to non-Pegasi. He then laughed upon realization.
The thickness of the clouds also made the area much darker. The clouds were arranged less like a rolling plain and more like a dank dark cave. No longer could he see stars to light his way. But occasionally, a break in the clouds revealed a column of blue light that illuminated the area. Through these breaks Joe could see and admire the full moon that bathed the NLR in everlasting night. Joe could remember back to when Cloudsdale was still considered an Equestrian Territory. The city had always considered itself more independent than other Equestrian Territories and probably sought to achieve the same state of sovereignty as their sister city, Pegasopolis. However, the constant expansion of the Griffon Kingdom’s borders forced the city to make a plea of protection and it was decided that they would join the NLR in order to be protected by the night shield.
Joe imagined what the cloudscape must have looked like back when they still had daytime. He figured that in this untamed wilderness in the sky, there would have been beauty to behold during both the day and night.
“Come to think of it,” Joe said aloud, “I keep forgetting to ask. If Princess Luna raises the moon every night for the rest of Equestria, why is the moon always visible inside the NLR’s shield? I’ll have to ask her the next time I see her.”
Joe mentally filed away the thought. As he flew further into the maw of the cloudscape, he could see a tiny dot against the purple-blue glow. As the dot grew closer and gained shape, Joe confirmed that it definitely was the chariot. He could make out the black paint and silver wheels.
Flying right next to the chariot was a small mass of bubbling smoke. Comparing Larry’s composition to the natural clouds all around further emphasized how unnatural the creature truly was. His smoky body wasn't still and fluffy. It was twisted and chaotic like a thunderhead swirling over heads of the ponies below, ready to unleash a deluge or tornado or some other nasty disaster. A Nightling, Joe scoffed. Never in his years in Equestrian Intelligence had he ever heard of such a creature.
“Move it, grandpa!”
Joe’s foreboding thoughts about Larry drifted away like clouds in the breeze. His mind was trying to process if he truly just heard--
“Hey! Learn to fly, slowpoke!” the voice rang out again.
Joe looked behind him and saw a Pegasus mare flying behind him almost right on his tail. Her veins were bulging in anger and her wings itched to go faster. She gritted her teeth and her eyes were scorching death rays.
Joe called out to her, “Hey, I’m new at this, alright? If you’re in such a rush then go around!”
“Into those black clouds!?” she screeched like a banshee, “Are you insane!? I can barely see as it is!”
Joe looked ahead. Nightfeather’s chariot was still a ways away but he figured it would be easy to catch up with his Soliton.
“Alright, Alright! I’ll fly lower!” Joe knew enough about Pegasus mares that when they were in a hurry it was best to let them take the lead. He carefully studied the roughly cut clouds below him and entered a steady descent to pin his landing exactly. Just as he was getting low enough so that he could calculate his landing just right, a powerful slipstream of air rushed him from behind. The Pegasus zoomed passed Joe at blinding speeds and nearly rammed into him. He lost his precision and toppled into the clouds. He brushed the loose vapor off of his suit and looked to the mare that was speeding out of sight.
“Discipline, Con Mane, discipline.” he chanted to himself. Joe took to the sky once again and looked at his watch to confirm his target's position. The yellow dot was stationary and not too far. Nightfeather had stopped for some reason.
Joe flew towards the given coordinates and slowed to a halt when he saw it. The Lunar Guard had parked the chariot onto a small cloud plateau upon which sat a small booth carved out of cloud. Outside the booth, a Pegasus was directing Nightfeather’s attention to a series of large cloud baskets all filled with a variety of fruit. a sign on top of the booth read, ‘Land Fruit. Fresh from the Surface. 2 bits.’
Night feather seemed to be enjoying a rather brightly colored banana while Larry weighed an apple in each hand. Joe quietly flew up to a tiny cloud that sat high above the booth. He kept himself low as he peered over his vantage point and watched Nightfeather share some fruit with his soldiers and pay for the meal. Joe’s vigil was interrupted by a low rumble. He looked around and stared up just in time to see a great flash of light. Joe jumped from his cloud just as it was struck by a bolt of lightning which disintegrated it. Joe looked up at the direction of the bolt and saw a tiny thundercloud. Standing on top of the cloud was the Pegasus mare from earlier. Joe could see her slightly better now that she was standing still, but she was still quite a distance away and quite higher up. He could see a vaguely purple coat and a vaguely white mane. From atop her thundercloud, she glared down at Joe with fiery eyes.
She reared her forelegs into the air and Joe could tell she was preparing to launch another bolt. Joe focused his attention on the cloud and his horn glowed red. The cloud also turned red and the Pegasus quickly jumped off of it. she rubbed her burning hind hooves and blew at them.
Joe turned back to Nightfeather. Apparently he and his entourage did not hear the thunder. Nightfeather returned to his seat and the Lunar Guard took off with Larry following behind. The Pegasus jerked her head in what Joe assumed was a curse and flew off as well. Joe checked his watch. The little yellow dot was moving once again.
“I can follow the chariot anytime.” Joe thought aloud, “First, I want to know why this mare wanted my flank fried.”
Joe took off in the direction of the Pegasus. It wasn't long until he could make out the light purple of her coat. She was still flying incredibly fast, although her style was detrimented by a sort of awkwardness. She took great efforts to avoid the clouds and her feet were tucked into her body apprehensively. Joe used this to close the gap. He flew through the clouds that she took the time to avoid. By doing this he cut enough corners until he was in a position to fly ahead of her.
Joe tilted to the side and flew right in front of her as close as he could. The mare suddenly back peddled and greatly slowed down to avoid collision. He could hear her growling in frustration.
“Hey, you cut me off!” she screamed.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Move over, you idiot! Move it!”
Joe did his best to hide his smile. “Oh, you want past? Then fly around!”
The Pegasus looked to both of her sides in a nervous sweat. The surrounding clouds were very thick and clumped together. Her fear of the clouds reverted back into her hatred of Joe. “Move!”
“Alright, then I’ll fly lower!”
Once again Joe descended slowly and cautiously. He waited until he was at the altitude that he knew she would take advantage of and soar past. As expected, the mare darted forward, but just then Joe pulled back up and he collided with the Pegasus. The two ponies tangled into each other and spiraled down into the clouds below. The mare took the worst of it as she landed wing first. Joe had the presence of mind to make a comparatively more graceful landing. Joe ran over to investigate the crashed Pegasus.
“Hey, I’m sorry! Are you alright? You know, you’re lucky you landed on this cloud.”
Joe reached out and grabbed her foreleg to help her up, but she ripped her foreleg away from him. “No thanks to you!” she barked, “You should have pulled over more! Ouch!” as yelped in pain as she tried to stand up. She reached a hoof out to her wing which was limp and twitching. “My wing hurts!”
Joe took the wing in his hooves and, even though she winced and protested, he did a check on all the joints along the wing. “Nothing broken. Looks like you just sprained it.”
Joe took a moment to get a good look at his would-be assailant, and for a brief moment he was sure he recognized her. Her coat was a very peculiar color. It was a deep hue of off-purple-- almost like a lilac. It was such a strikingly odd color that Joe convinced himself that there was no way he could have ever seen a coat similar to it, but it was no doubt familiar. She wore her hair in a very unique style that was most likely done by some overpriced hairdresser glamorized in an issue of Horse Famous. The large, white pony tail was heavily spiked and highlighted with periwinkle. Or was it the other way around? Her Cutie Mark, he couldn't help but notice, was a shooting star.
“And I just had these feathers professionally preened!” she whined.
“Just be glad it was only your wing. You don’t like the sort of filly who should get ditched.”
Joe was rather proud of that line but he did not have time to relish in it as the Pegasus, without warning, climbed onto his back.
“Just shut up and carry me.” she demanded.
Joe’s speech was restrained by both shock and the added weight on his back. “Excuse me!?”
“There’s a weather patrol outpost a mile from here. I used to work for the weather team and our outposts carry medical kits for Pegasi.”
Joe chuckled and gave in to the absurdity. The Mare wasn't that heavy and the firmness of her abdomen was very enjoyable on his back. “Certainly, it’d be my pleasure. My name is Mane. Con-- Oof!”
“And carry my saddlebags! As quickly as possible.”
“You know I can only carry so much weight, right?” Joe looked to the white bags that now hung from his sides. Like most personalized saddlebags, they were distinctly marked with a Cutie Mark. However, these bags were not embroidered with a shooting star. Instead, they were marked with three dragonflies. Joe realized why everything about this mare seemed so familiar. But as the pieces fell into place, more questions scratched at Joe’s brain.
“My talent is high wing power.” the mare remarked, “Even with one wing i can keep you stable enough that the weight won’t matter.” She sure was proud and confident of herself.
“Alrighty then.” Joe sighed, “Comfy?” Joe once again prayed to whoever may be listening that the Doctor’s wings could handle the extra weight. It was then that Joe realized that this mare had yet to make comment about his bizarre wings or the fact he was a Unicorn. He figured she was either very clueless, or very distracted by whatever she was in such a hurry over.
Joe jumped off the cloud and flapped his wings hard. He could hear them squeaking under pressure and were refusing to lift off. Then the Pegasus flapped her one good wing. A current of air jettisoned Joe into the sky.As promised, the weight of an extra pony and her bags became redundant. So long as she flapped in unison with Joe, he soared almost as easily as before. With a point from the filly’s hoof, Joe made for the weather outpost.
“What’s your name, by the way?” Joe asked.
The mare seemed hesitant at first but eventually she answered, “It’s Stormwalker.”
“I like your colors, Stormwalker. I knew a friend with a similar coat and mane.”
Stormwalker reacted. Joe could feel her shifting uncomfortably on top of him.
“Just keep flying!” She managed to say.
Joe could feel how uncomfortable the topic was through her tightening legs. He decided to push his luck further. “I couldn’t help but notice your Cutie Mark is a shooting star.”
“So?” she barked in defense.
“But your saddlebags. They’re marked with three dragonflies.”
Stormwalker took a moment to search for an answer. “I like collecting dragonflies. I came to the NLR to gather some.”
“Lovely hobby. Where do you catch them?”
“Firefly Fields, naturally.”
“I thought all nocturnal dragonflies were in hibernation this time of year.”
Stormwalker was so flustered, Joe could feel the heat radiating from her face. She stumbled around for whatever words she could find but the lump in her throat kept her silent. Just as Joe thought she was finally going to crack, she quickly thrusted a hoof forward and pointed out a small wooden building built into a cloud foundation. The building was marked with the official symbol of the Cloudsdale Weather Patrol. Joe landed and helped Stormwalker off his back.
“I can head inside on my own to get my wing mended.” She said as she removed her bags from Joe.
“No, please, don’t bother thanking me.” he retorted dryly after she hurried into the building. Now that he was alone, Joe checked his watch. The yellow dot looked to be several hours away, but it was stationary. He switched the watch off just as Stormwalker came back out with a splint bandaged to her wing. “All bandaged up?”
“It will take twenty-four hours until I am allowed to fly again. There’s a sky hotel nearby.”
Joe sighed heavily. “Alright. Hop on.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“You sure? I’d hate to leave you out here all alone in the dark.”
“I can take care of myself!” She scrunched her muzzle in offense and turned her flank against Joe.
“Yeah, I bet you can. Well don’t forget to write.”
She had already trotted back into the outpost. A lingering chill in the air made Joe shudder. Still, Joe had a feeling that he would be seeing Miss Stormwalker again. So Joe took to the skies and wasted no more time in flying to where Nightfeather was waiting.