Aether trembled as she fought against her restraints. Her hooves were raw from thousands of escape attempts. She was barely conscious of the cell around her—the lack of food left her in a daze. Canary, how could you? Aether bit her lip as the thought returned for the hundredth time: Why would she betray us!
The continual drip from the ceiling pounded at her mind; each droplet of water sounded louder than the last. Why don't they just kill us already? They have nothing to gain! Aether sighed, and her mind wandered off into a half-dream.
Aether imagined herself standing on a hill, with a shadowy figure standing before her.
“I wish I were dead,” she thought. “I have nothing left to gain.”
“You are my daughter,” it said. “You have an infinite potential. You have everything to gain.”
“How can that be true? Without my wings, I have no future.”
“Keep your wings open. Only then will you be free.”
Aether fell into a dreamless sleep.
“Keep your wings open.” The thought kept echoing through her mind.
Aether scowled. Are you mocking me‽ How am I supposed to do that with these mangled things on my back! You can hardly call them wings any more. Aether squeezed her eyes shut, clearing her mind of thoughts. They're clamped down anyway. It's impossible. Her mind wandered off into the distance.
She imagined a warm breeze flowing around her. She stood on a mountain peak at dawn: the morning sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains. The cliff at her hooves had its base in a pine forest below, which spread for miles. As the sun rose, a wave of light rippled from her head to her toes, gently warming her body.
“A wind will come.”
A breeze came from the forest below her, carrying its leaves and warmth to the peak. A tingling filled her wings, and they began to heal, with each gust of wind adding new feathers, repairing broken tendons and missing bones. Aether squinted as a tingling filled her wings. The breeze felt so real, she could almost imagine her wings whole again. Aether peered back at her wings in a half hope, attempting to open them.
ZZKT! A sharp pain shot through her body and fresh blood dripped to the floor.
No, she thought, it could never happen. It's just my imagination. Aether furrowed her eyebrows. But then, she thought, pressing her wings against her side, I did feel something. I could have sworn I felt something. Was that even real? I can't tell any more . . .
The pegasus closed her eyes again and listened. Her heart leapt and sank rhythmically, as if it caught the ebb and flow of some ethereal wind. Aether smiled. It really felt like a wind was passing her by, pushing at her heart. “Focus exclusively on this wind.” Aether exhaled. “Push out the physical pain.” Aether imagined her pains blown away with the wind. Gradually, they faded to the corners of her mind. “Push out the emotional pain.” The image of Canary flashed through her mind, causing a flurry of hatred in her heart. No, I have to push it out. Ignore it. Focus on the wind—just the wind—only the wind. Push everything else out.
The breeze pulled her gently forward, and Aether let her body sway along with it. “Keep your wings open,” she heard again. The wind reversed, pushing her back. Smiling softly, she allowed her body to sway gently backwards with the breeze. Is this real? Aether wondered. Then, laughing to herself, she realized she couldn't care less. Though the chains restrained her, she had felt something for just a moment—the joy of flight. As she let herself be pushed this way and that by the wind blowing through her heart, she could feel the ethereal form of her wings. She imagined them open fully, catching the blowing wind.
I will always listen, she promised herself. I will keep my wings open.
Click. Aether didn't bother looking up.
“Dinner,” called a familiar voice.
Canary? Aether lifted her head and looked up at her old friend. Her bright yellow coat nearly glowed in the mosslight. The yellow mare walked casually into the room, carrying a pot of soup.
Aether struggled to speak, but found her voice. “Why?”
Canary blinked in confusion. “What?”
Aether felt herself try to cry, but she'd run out of tears long ago. “You know what! Why did you betray us! What are you doing, working for the Cloud?”
Canary blinked in surprise. “What are you talking about? I've always worked for them.”
Something in her voice made Aether squint. “No! You were my best friend! What have they done to you!”
Realization spread across Canary's face. “Ah! No. I'm not your friend.” A ring of green fire zipped around her friend and engulfed her completely.
“Canary!” Aether's eyes were wide with worry.
“You see,” a deeper voice said from the flames, “this isn't my usual form.”
Aether gasped when the flames subsided; a bat with a deep blue mane stood in Canary's place.
“You . . . You're a changeling!”
The bat nodded.
“I know the stories of your kind—taking the place of the dead!”
The bat lifted an eyebrow. “True—this one's been dead for years. I've actually grown quite fond of the form.” The bat turned to leave, carrying out the soup.
“Wait—” Aether called out, “—I'm ready to eat.”
Just a little further, she thought. Reality kept tugging at her mind. Aether felt her eyes warming, just barely beginning to glow. Can I really do this, she wondered. The image of her lifting up her hoof persisted in her mind. No! Ignore the chains, and just— “Gah!” The pain in her hoof jerked her from her concentration, leaving her painfully aware of her captivity. I'm so close, I can just feel it~ and yet every time, in nearly the same spot, the chains would rudely distract her. I need to push out pain if I want to hear the wind in my heart. Aether smiled to herself. Heartwind, she thought to herself, I like that.
For the last week, her mind focused on one task: escape. Ever since she first felt the heartwind, she could feel it pushing her forward towards the door. But I can't even move! Sighing, she rebuked herself. I could. If I only could ignore my self, and listen to the wind.
She let out a breath to clear her mind and focused again. The same image filled her mind: she imagined herself raising her hoof to match the image planted in her mind when a muffled scream pierced the air. Her concentration shattered. Was that StormChaser?
Slam! Aether tilted her head, trying to listen. A minute later she heard a faint click, followed by another scream. Cirrus! Slam!
Click, Pause, Scream, Slam—the pattern kept repeating. Chartreuse, Angel . . .
An answer dawned in Aether's mind, springing new tears. “They're losing their wings.”
Aether dropped her head. What's the point?
Days passed, and Aether had given up on listening. The heartwind kept blowing her forwards, but she sighed. How am I supposed to follow that, she wondered. Again, Aether felt it pushing her onwards, stronger than ever. Aether closed her eyes and tried to push the prompting from her mind. Escape is impossible.
She opened her eye in surprise when she heard a voice: “I will always listen.” It was as if her past self were correcting her. She grumbled. “Okay. Fine. I'll give it one last go.”
Aether took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Letting out the breath, she cleared her mind, as she had hundreds of times before. Her heart leapt again at the feeling of the wind, though this time it felt as if it blew at her foreleg. She saw it clearly in her mind's eye: she stood on a mountain's peak. She picked up her right foreleg and took an entire step forwards. The scene played again in her mind. She could see each muscle moving in harmony to lift the leg. It played a third time, and as it did, Aether lifted her hoof in unison, placing it in front of her. Her other three legs followed: Back left, front left, back right.
CRASH. Not daring to open her eyes, she saw another image. Her wings flew open, fully healed. Her eyes were open wide, with a golden glow. “But I can't,” she started. “Keep your wings open,” retorted her own voice.
Aether emptied her lungs again. “I will always listen.” Once more, she image came to mind, and she mirrored: she flung her wings open with her eyes, blazing in a golden fire. Another crash sounded behind her, and she dared a look. Warped pieces of metal lay twisted and torn on the rocky floor: the remnants of her restraints. Aether smiled wide at the sight of her wings: on her back were firely wings with feathers made of sunlight. Before she had time to celebrate, she saw her next movement in her mind's eye. Aether placed her hoof on the door's lock and gently pushed.
KKRRRCCHHTT. The metal felt like butter to her hoof, though the door screamed in protest. Its hinges ripped in half as the door flew away, down a bottomless pit. Aether stared down the hole. Thump. Aether corrected herself: Nearly bottomless.
The pegasus found herself in a massive chamber pocketed with hundreds of caves. The ceiling and floor extended out of sight. The only order were small pathways erected against the walls, winding along the cavern's sides. There were no markers or signs to point the way. No wonder the guard said escape was impossible. Even now . . . A heartwind blew from the left, making Aether look down the thin path to her right. Onwards, she thought. She ran with the wind, hugging the wall closely. She had no interest in falling.
A sinking feeling overcame her, as if the wind had stopped. Aether took a few steps backwards and felt it's lift again. On her right sat a large door she had missed, framed by a natural cave. A similar scene came to mind, and Aether placed her hoof near the door's hinge. KKRRRCCHHTT, BOOM. The door tore off its hinges and fell hard into the room.
“Aether!”
The duet of voices was music to her ears. “Hello.” Aether ran in to hug them.
“Your wings!” Skye and Lilac gaped in awe.
“Temporary,” Aether remarked. “My wings were cut in the battle—I didn't think they'd gotten anyone else,” she remarked with a grimace, eyeing their bloodstained wings.
“It was only a few days ago,” Skye mentioned.
“But it doesn't matter,” Lilac continued, “the Storm still lives! The bats will fall!”
Aether smiled. “That's all I needed to hear. Let's get out of here!” Her hoof glowed gold as she stomped down on their chains, pulverising the links to dust.
“Since when have you been able to do that‽” Lilac asked.
“A few minutes ago? It seems that Avondale herself wants us free. I keep having these images come to mind, and every time I follow them, they happen.” Aether giggled. “It's amazing!”
Skye shrugged. “Well even if this is a dream, it's a good one. Let's go!”
Cirrus, Angel, Twist, Mint, Chartreuse, Coral, Blitz and Aria now followed Aether as the Wind led them out. Their doors had fallen as easily as her own, with her every movement directed by the heartwind. She snapped their bonds with equal ease. Out of the remaining Storm, only Cirrus had been bolted to the floor—most of the Storm only had a single chain tethering them to the wall. Aether smiled. They think I'm that dangerous? Her eyebrows lowered. They underestimated me. The Storm were surprised, to say the least, when they saw her wings. She could only imagine how the Cloud would react.
Aether smiled. She trusted the Wind with her life. To be fair, she thought, I don't have much else to trust at this point. It had been pushing them all onwards, clockwise up the thin pathway. They'd passed several other doors, but the Wind urged them on. The wind ceased and began blowing left, towards a large oaken doorway. Closing her eyes again, Aether saw herself place her hoof on the door. ZHKKKT! The door's lock splintered on the opposite side, allowing the doors to swing open. Aether glanced back and gave a quick smile to the Storm before bolting through the opened doors.
“Aren't we going to get Canary?” came Coral's voice.
Aether paused, looking down. Before she knew what she was saying, the Wind pushed out her response. “She's not with us any more.”
Coral eyes were wide with fear. “What do you mean‽”
The Wind pushed urgently at Aether, willing her through the door. “She's been gone for a long time—I'll have to explain later.” Aether bolted up the path, running from the question.
The hallway was dim and narrow—there was hardly enough room to walk side by side. The path ahead forked. If this is really a labyrinth, then which way do I go? Aether paused and listened for the Wind. In her mind's eye, she saw herself going down the left path, but after a moment's hesitation, she saw herself going down the right. But which one? The right one stood out for her, so they began down that fork.
They'd hardly gone ten steps when a wave of exhaustion passed over Aether. She could nearly hear the words. “Other path.” Frowning, Aether thought to herself: But I've already started down this way! The Wind directed me this way! In the same tone as before, she heard the words. “Other path.”
“You alright?” asked Cirrus, always on point with reading emotions.
Pausing to think it over, Aether responded, “Yes. I'm fine . . . Just double checking.”
Cirrus rose her eyebrow. “You don't look too great . . . ”
No, she thought, maybe it's just me . . . Maybe it wasn't the wind . . .
CLINK. An image filled Aether's mind: three guards, fully armoured, sprinting down the corridor to meet them. “Other path.” Eyes widening, Aether yelled out in a whisper, “Turn around NOW!” She urged the pegasi on, herding them back down the path.
Left. “Are you crazy,” Aether asked, “that's just the way we came!” I don't have time to doubt it. Shaking her head, she barked out, “Left!” The troop carried on through the crevice, heading back towards their cells. Another image flashed through Aether's mind, and she motioned for the Storm to position themselves on either side of the doorway, just around the corner.
Three Storm guards galloped through in full armour, their metal claws reflecting the low mosslight. CRASH! The band of pegasi jumped on the bats. In a second, they were knocked out cold. Again, the ethereal wind blew Aether into the doorway. Glancing back, images of an armoury came to mind. So that's why . . .
“Alright! Let's get out of here!”
The dim hallway was riddled with forks, a labyrinth to keep prisoners in and their saviours out. After a few turns, the wind blew straight right, leading them into an armoury. Peeking in, Aether saw no one. “Those guards must have been from the armoury,” she noted. “Arm yourselves!” The twelve pegasi scanned their wares quickly, donning light armour and various weapons. Aether paused in front of a set of midnight metal claws. These could be the ones that took my wings. After a minute she shook her head, banishing her thoughts. It's too late now. Aether donned the destructive weapons and followed the rest of Storm back into the hallway.
Left. Left. Right. Straight. The commands felt as real as if she had heard them with her ears. Duck. Crawl. Quiet. Straight. The walls were getting wetter as they went on, and grass was growing on their sides. Grass? “We're nearly there!” In a hurried scamper, the flock of pegasi breached the surface. The Storm members let out a whoop, seeing the sky for the first time in what felt like months. StormChaser nuzzled the damp grass and the others joined him, rolling happily on the dewy green.
Aether twitched in pain as her eyes stopped glowing. She glanced back at her wings—or where her wings were. By the morning light, she saw the short nubs, stained red by her dried blood. Without the golden light tipping off her wings, fresh blood had begun trickling out again. Did I do something wrong? she wondered to herself. She stared back at the nubs on her back, biting her lip. Come back!! A new thought crossed her mind: Maybe that was it for now. She sighed. Maybe they'll return later.
The Storm's laughter slowly brought her thoughts back to the clearing. Her little flock lay in the grass, enjoying the sunlight for the first time in weeks. Aether's heart broke at the sight of their mangled wings, now amputated nubs like hers. Though they'd lost their wings, seeing the sun was enough that they could forget for a moment.
Then one question silenced their jubilee: “Where's Canary?”
Aether bit her lip. “She's dead.” The entire flock fixated their eyes on her.
“What! How do you know?” cried out Coral.
“Have you heard of changelings?”
Blitz spoke up, as always. “What are those?”
Cirrus nodded in agreement. “That would explain why she started acting so funny.” A few eyebrows raised. “You see, they would kill your friend and take their face, allowing them to take your friend's role in society. There have been a few times that they've found the body, and were able to rat out the changeling, but most towns aren't so lucky. The changeling drains the energy from everyone around them, turning their former friends into husks. When they're done, the citizens are withered remnants of the ponies they once were, with no emotions left.” Cirrus trembled, squeezing her eyes shut.
Blitz spoke up, “What makes you so certain it was a changeling, Aether?”
Lilac jumped to the defence, “Canary wouldn't have betrayed us in a million years! She would travel through Tartarus and back before she would even think of betraying us!”
“Why would a changeling be working for the Cloud, anyway?” asked Angel.
Aether halted their musing, as a growing sense of unease filled her. “In the prison, I saw Canary enter the cell. When I spoke to her, she transformed in front of me, turning into a bat. So the changeling works for the Cloud. It said she had been dead for ages.”
The Storm was silent.
Coral furrowed her brow. “I could have sworn I heard her scream when they were taking our wings . . . Did no one else hear that?”
After a moment, Aria spoke up. “I did, but that was after they took my wings. It could have just been my imagination . . . ”
Aether shook her head. “Changelings take faces and voices. It couldn't have been the real Canary. I agree, the real Canary would not have betrayed us.”
The realization sunk into the Storm's hearts with each heartbeat. It felt like a void was opening in their hearts.
“So where do we go from here?” asked StormChaser, breaking the silence. All eyes focused on Aether.
Aether closed her eyes and listened to her heart. Thump thump, thump thump. Rightwards. It was only a slight push, but it was definitely there. Aether looked back at her friends, and noticed her wingtips were starting to glow.
“There's more to flying than having wings,” she said. “there's also a wind that blows in your heart. If you listen for it, it will lead you on. Keep your wings open for that wind, and we can win this war.” She turned right, facing downwind. “Let's go.”