Trinity - Nature

by Ice4smaster

From the sky she fall

From the sky she fall

Special thanks to Alexstrazsa for editing the story.

It was the third day. The third cursed day that they floated on the large chunk of wooden plank. There was no fresh water and there was no food. Drifting in and out of consciousness, a batpony mare weakly lifted her head and looked up at the horizon. The sun was rising, but she saw the one thing that she desperately hoped for. Just barely peeking over the horizon, bathed in the flames of the morning sun, the tip of a mountain was visible. She blinked to clear the painful sunspots from her vision, then looked again, and indeed, the peak was there.

“Miss Cloud Counter! I-I see land!” She shouted, with a huge grin. Then, she looked to her side, as only the sound of the ocean greeted her. In a moment’s time, all happiness had evaporated from her face and tears began rolling down. The elder pegasus, who she shared the broken plank with, had passed on. It was evident that her body couldn’t handle the stress of being on the open ocean for days.

Midnight closed her eyes and tried to collect herself. She grieved for the pony she barely knew and vowed that she wouldn’t die, not like this. She cursed the fact that she had to leave the body to be claimed by the ocean’s depths, as countless souls had done days ago. Visions came back to her, and the screams of doomed ponies rang in her ears, among flashes, the roar of lightning, and brutal winds.

No, she would not be claimed by the ruthless ocean. Even if cost her life, she was determined to reach soil again. She fought her fatigue and took to the air, eyes locked on the sun and the mountain on the horizon, and she never looked back.

Octavia slowly woke up, feeling like she was in heaven. It was very comfortable and warm, but as the fog of sleep began to clear, she registered that a hoof was working her back. Somepony sitting on top of her began quietly calling her name.

“Hey there, Octi. Morning, hehe. Sun’s shining on us all.”

Octavia blinked slowly, processing the situation, but she didn't panic. She was far too relaxed, and it felt nice to get a good massage, especially after the tiring days she’d been through. After a time, she replied, “Good morning, Vinyl. Mmm... thank you.”

Vinyl chuckled as her friend relaxed. She found it fair to return the gesture from the other day, and Octavia certainly needed it. Vinyl felt plenty of tension in her muscles from all the physical work been done, and nopony in the group was used to it.

Octavia glanced around with only her eyes, too lazy to lift her head, and saw Trixie still asleep while Dave was awake and fixing up his special breakfast a bit further away. He respected his pony companions and didn’t prepare meat in from of them, but the cooking was still done at the camp. She also noticed he hadn’t forgotten them, as several fruits were piled up not too far away from the water. She smiled contently, as the morning had been perfect so far. If only the new camp could be magically finished and prepped with comfortable beds.

Midway through her daydreaming, Octavia was interrupted by Vinyl. “I’m that good, huh?”

Octavia chuckled. “You’re quite good, Vinyl, but no, I was thinking about the camp, and having nice beds to sleep in.”

“Aww, and I thought you were warming up.”

She gave another laugh. “Apologies, Vinyl, but I’m just not that way. However, Trixie is.”

Vinyl smirked. “Oh, I know that much, but I wanted you to join us on the happy side.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I won't, sorry, and I’m not joking about that. The thought just feels so... alien to me... like eating meat, I suppose.” She sighed. “But don't feel bad. With a massage like this, I definitely have nothing against it if I’m in the mood.”

Vinyl sat up and continued her work, smoothing Octavia’s cramped muscles. “I’m cool with that. Besides, I’m trying not to be creepy.”

A random thought came to Octavia. “Say, Vinyl, once we get back home, what do you say we try to make music collaboration? The songs Dave showed us are truly stunning, and are a perfect mix of classical and modern.”

“Now that's a super idea! I'd love to! It’ll be a challenge, too, and there’s nothing DJ-P0N3 loves more than a challenge!” Her eyes lit up as a wild and untamed smirk flashed on her face. She was so caught up in imagining her future music career that she forgot what she was doing.

Octavia looked up to her zoned out friend, shook her head, then turned forward just in time to see Dave approaching.

Dave sat down and looked to her. “Good morning, Octavia and Vinyl. Hmm... I think you might have broke her, little pony.”

She couldn't help but laugh at the remark, and indeed, Vinyl was broken, completely zoned out. “It's not hard to break her, really.” Octavia gave a sly smile, then looked back up to her stunned friend. “Maybe you should poke her.” Dave had a spark in his eyes – a spark of mischief. He reached over and picked up the unicorn unceremoniously, immediately bringing her to her senses.

“Whoa, h-hey! D, what are you doing?”

“Oh, I just picked you up and got your attention, hehe. You are just adorable with those day dreamy red eyes and expression.” He held her a bit off the ground, then put her down.
Her face went red as she tried to figure out how she could be so out of it, then she gave a sheepish nod and smile.

“Well, it sure beats Trixie’s method from the other day.”

“Oh, what did the Great and Powerful Trixie do?”

Vinyl snapped her head down to Octavia, unamused by the memory, but she answered anyway. “She… dumped… cold… sea water… on me. Just to wake me up.” Octavia didn't think Trixie would do such a thing, her eyes grew in disbelief. “Yup, she did it, but we cleared things up and she won’t do it again. It was something from her foalhood.”

Immediately, Octavia understood. She knew about the orphanage where Trixie grew up, and its cruel caretaker.

After a short while, Trixie joined the awakened, as they been noisy enough. She was grumpy, but she didn't blame them. Looking at the sky, she realized she had slept in. However, she noticed something else. The others chatting were quickly blocked out by her concentration towards a distant spot of the sky.

Due to the earth pony and unicorn blood running through her veins, it was a natural talent of hers to spot magical auras. The aura in the distance was that of a pony, unlike the greenish aura the rest of the land, plants and creature possessed. She forcefully blinked, and yes, the pony was still there, traveling in a shaky and unregulated flight pattern. It was likely they were pushed beyond their limits to reach land.

At this point she spoke up, still completely out of tune what the others been saying. “Another survivor! Another one! Quickly!” With this, she sprinted off, leaving the confused group stare at her for a few moments. Once they realized she was serious, they quickly got up and followed her.

Midnight’s vision was blurry. She saw the land like a large splash of colors on canvas, and every last fiber of her body begged for mercy. She forced herself to try and stay airborne, fighting off the urge to give in to gravity and fatigue. Then, the ground began approach faster. It didn't even register to the poor mare that her left wing had fully cramped up. As she got closer and closer to land, she blacked out.

Trixie panted heavily, her hooves giving in as she laid on her belly, magic alight. It wasn’t that she had run too fast or overexerted herself, but she was scared. She had caught the plummeting batpony at the last moment, using her magic as a cushion. She tried to slow the fall and protect her, and she did, but whether it was enough she didn’t know. The mare had hit the ground, blasting up enough sand to cloud the surrounding area, but Trixie kept her magic at full force. She could only hope that her efforts were enough.

The others rushed past Trixie to see if the new arrival made it or not. The dust settled down to reveal the leathery-winged pony surrounded by Trixie’s pink aura. Trixie lifted her out of the ground, as she had been somewhat embedded by the crash. To everyone’s relief, she was still breathing, though barely.

“That was a close call. Nice catch, Trixie,” Dave said, impressed with the mares rapid thinking and action.

“Too close… way too close...” Trixie replied.

The group didn’t stay there long, and after a bit of preparation, they took the unconscious mare back to their camp.

After some time, they agreed to continue with their work while Octavia looked after the batpony at camp. The hooves, hands, and magic worked hard, but so did their minds, wondering who else would end up on this island of questionable safety, or if she was the last to reach the haven.

Time passed quickly, and they managed to clear out about third of the trees. They took more effort to bring down, cut up, and move than mere bushes and other vegetation at ground level. By the time they finished, the sun was far past its apex.

Midnight felt weightless at first, lost in utter darkness, but then her senses began to return. Her mind began to clear, but at that point she felt like she was made of lead. Breathing was laborious, and movement was out of the question. She could smell the ocean saltiness in the air, mixed with freshly cut plants, alongside smoke and burning wood, with a hint of fruit and… meat. She forced her eyes open, but her body rebelled against her. Her vision was blurry, and the sounds muffled, so she let her eyelids droop once more and tried to focus her ears. They proved to be the most cooperative part of her, as sounds began clear up. A voice called out to what she guessed was her.

“Are you alright?”

Feeling a hoof rest on her back, she forced her eyes open again and put more effort into breathing. Weakly, she looked in the direction of the voice. Her vision un-blurred, and she couldn’t believe who she saw. She knew this mare. It was her favorite musician, and she was back on the ship, and now here. Then it hit her. She had flown to this island with her last ounce of strength, and all began to return to her. However, she was still weak. She focused her eyes on Octavia and tried to speak but her voice died before it could leave her muzzle.

“That's fine, dear. No need to push yourself now. You’ve been through lot.”

Midnight could feel the hoof stroke against her back gently. She was calm, very sore, and like a ragdoll on the floor, but she was awake now.

“Here, have a little drink. I’m sure you're thirsty.”

She felt the blessed liquid on her lips and drank as greedily as she could muster. “T-tha… nk... y-you...” She wasn’t impressed with her voice, but she could see the refined cellist caught it and smiled at her in return.

“That's quite fine, now just rest. You need to regain your strength, and you’re among friends. For now, I need to make the food for the others. They aren't too far away and should be back in a hour or so.” She gave a comforting smile.

Midnight gave a weak smile as well, but slowly drifted back to sleep, knowing she made it and was safe now.

Midnight woke up to a strange sound. music was playing, but it was a song she hadn’t heard before. Her cat-like yellow eyes opened and she look around, seeing it was well into the night and Octavia wasn't far away. She recognised Trixie and Vinyl, but her eyes were stuck on a figure she hadn't seen before. It wasn't a pony, and it was huge, too. Soon, the scent registered—meat—and the creature was eating just that. The fact alarmed her, but the other ponies looked relaxed. Then, she saw Octavia get up and trot next her.

“Hello again. I hope you’re feeling better now.”

“Hello... Yes, I do. I still feel so tired, and… I have so many questions.” She glanced to the tall being as she finished the sentence. Octavia followed her gaze, then looked back to her.

“I believe you, and you have plenty of time to rest. We’ll also answer your questions, so there’s no need to be worried. I’m sure our friend here can answer some as well.”

“Indeed,” Dave said, finishing his meal. “I guess some short introduction is in order. My name is Dave, or Ice, and I'm a human. Don't worry, I won't eat you in your sleep.” He chuckled, while the others shook their heads and smiled.

“I'm Trixie, or as you may know me better from the ship or perhaps from before, the Great and Powerful Trixie, illusionist and magician.”

“Hey there. DJ P0N3 here, but just call me Vinyl.” She winked as she finished.

“And I would be Octavia Philharmonica. I do think I remember you, but I can't quite put a hoof on it.” She gave a thoughtful look while rubbing her chin.

“Nice to meet you all... Heh, guess the entertainment won't be an issue.”

They all laughed, for with three showmares present, this was indeed the truth.
Then she continued, focusing her gaze at Octavia. “I’m a big fan of yours, Miss Octavia. My name is Midnight and I'm one of the Lunar Guard. Captain of the Lunar guard, to be precise.”

Octavia grinned. She had a fan on this deserted island, and even if she could, she wouldn’t hide it from the others.

Midnight sighed, then added bitterly, “Now I guess I have an extra long holiday.”
“It looks that way, Midnight, and an involuntary one at that. This land is beautiful, but twice as deadly. Being a military pony, things might be a bit safer now. All the girls already had their dances with death.”

“Why yes,” Octavia said. “I was first to get in trouble, and that's how I met Dave. I kind of stumbled into his trap while fighting for my life against a pack of predators in the forest.” She rubbed her head. “It wasn’t fun to hang upside down for that many hours, but that rope trap saved my life until he arrived. Those beasts got a taste of their own medicine.”

“You’ve been very lucky, my little pony... And now that I think about it, you were pretty adorable hanging up there.” Dave let out a chuckle.

Octavia gave a sigh, but smiled. “I suppose so, but you just wait ‘til karma gets you back, somehow.”

Dave shook his head.“It’s bound to happen. Besides, I’m a cyborg. I could handle such discomfort for days without breaking a sweat.”

“Wanna bet, D?” Vinyl giggled.

Midnight looked between the members of the group and saw how they banded together already. It was certainly an unlikely match. Another thought came to her head, as she wondered what a ‘cyborg’ was. She made a mental note to ask about it later.

“Hahaha, why not? But the bet comes on a condition: you participate as well. I won't be bored out of my mind alone, and Octavia has had her fair share.”

“You're on!” spat the white unicorn, with enthusiasm. “Once our little castle is finished, we’ll see.”

Octavia and Dave’s eyes met, and while they only gave sly grins, their eyes told tales. Midnight saw this, and had a fair guess that the DJ would be far outmatched in the ridiculous bet, but hey, entertainment was covered.

Trixie smirked as well, but not so subtly, in clear knowledge of the outcome. “Well, Trixie will get some good snacks for that show. Though Trixie and Vinyl have had their own troubles... and...” She calmed herself with a deep breath, ”Let’s say.. now have a perfect experience of what it feels like to be eaten alive and suffocate, yet not, inside a giant plant tentacle monster, for an hour's length…” She cringed as she finished, like a delayed shock.

Midnight’s eyes grew large as she heard this, and she was forced to flap her ears down as Vinyl gave her input.

“Beware the tentacle monster!” She was loud, clear, and well soaked in fear. “Never, ever, ever again... Rather be torn limb from limb than that… Ugh...”

“That was one disturbing run, and that's how I met them. So far I have the record for saving everyone... Well, until today.” He turned towards a certain azure mare.

“As I saved you.” Trixie’s voice got Midnight’s attention. “I just woke up and looked upwards, where I spotted you flying and very tired. I ran as fast as I could, and just at the last moment was able to catch you in my magic and shield your body from a fatal impact.”

Midnight’s eyes told more than thousands of words, and she was thankful beyond measure. Trixie just smiled – not smugly, but with well deserved pride, just as a certain rainbow-maned pegasus that she knew would.

In the meantime, Dave picked up another stick with meat on the end and held it above the fire.

“Hungry much?” Octavia asked, not so refined but amused. She was slowly coming to terms with the taste of the non-pony of the group.

“Why yes, little pony, Dave is a hungry Hungarian.” He smiled.

“Wha-, a hungry what?” Vinyl not so subtly butted in.

“Oh, I guess that doesn’t make sense. To put it simply, I'm originally from a country from my home world, called Hungary. It was a small country... and frankly, I’m not even sure any others left, though I can’t be certain.”

“Oh...” Vinyl whispered, looking down at the ground.

Though the next sentence shocked everypony, it made the human raise his eyebrow. “Could... I have a little of that meat, if it's alright?” Midnight asked.

“Well that's new, but sure, I don't see why not... Though, will you be okay? I mean, you’re a pony and herbivore.”

“Yes, I will be fine, so long the meat is tender. I’ve been in the company of Gryphons before and tried meat. I don't like it at all, but I need my strength back quickly, and it is an energy bomb, so to speak,” she explained.

“That's fair enough. Just give me a few minutes to get it right in the fire so it's soft and tastes good as well.”

Midnight nodded, though at this point she was catching the glare of the others around her. It was quite a shocker, she had to admit. “Er…” Her ears fell back. After a few moments, Octavia shook her head and smiled.

“That certainly is new. But if it helps, then it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, we aren’t in Equestria now. We’re in the wild, and survival isn’t easy.” Both unicorns nodded at this, the shock wearing off. Not much, later Dave walked to Midnight and gave her the meat, making it sure it was torn into small pieces so she could eat it. The other mares looked in curiosity, with just a touch of unease. The batpony ate all of it, but lacked any emotion as she did so.

As time flew by, Luna’s night claimed them, and one by one fall asleep, ready to wake up to a new tomorrow.

Author's Note:

Here's the Eighth Chapter Edited, special thanks to Alexstrazsa for editing the story. =)