• Published 13th May 2014
  • 682 Views, 14 Comments

Aurora Song - MasterZadok



The Elements of Harmony have been returned to the tree from whence they came, but in their absence, what is left to stand between Ponyville and the heartless crew of pegasi airship pirates? Intent of stealing and destroying, the pirates close in.

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Chapter 6

It was glorious! The feel of the soft wind beneath her wings, the gentle caress of the atmosphere in her mane, the view of the world splayed beneath her hooves. This was even better than Scootaloo had dreamed.

Guided by the careful watch of Mister Meyer, the little filly banked around trees, swept low over silky hills and soared up into the cloudy halls of the aether itself. This was what she was made for. She was finally a pegasus, finally able to see this world that she had only glimpsed from the basket of a balloon. Scootaloo even dissipated her first little thundercloud.

“Remember, use your eyes to direct your turns. Your wings will always follow where your muzzle is looking.” Mister Meyer’s eyes glinted with pride. His little student was taking to the air like a fish to water.

“Watch this, Mister Meyer!” The orange filly lanced straight up into the sky, paused for a moment and then slowly fell backwards in a sloppy back flip.

“Your first loop-the-loop!” The pegasus stallion cheered.

Scootaloo was amazed at how natural her prosthetic wings felt already. Pistons helped her raise her wings and a massive spring helped her pump them back down again. Hovering was difficult, but Mister Meyer said that would come in time. Right now, he directed her to a little white cloud for a break. As they alighted on the cool surface, the little filly shivered at how unbelievably soft the white vapors beneath her hooves felt; no wonder Rainbow Dash loved to nap on them!

“Well? What do you think?” Meyer smiled down at Scootaloo. She simply gave a little squeak as she flashed her biggest smile.

“Awesome!” Her heart was about to burst from excitement.

“A little better than a scooter?”

“Absolutely!” However, the little filly’s smile wavered. “But…”

“It still had sentimental value?” Drossel Meyer finished her sentence. Scootaloo nodded. “I understand. I keep a lot of things for sentimental value.”

“I’m just glad you had these lying around!” Scootaloo’s metal feathers rubbed together softly.

“I had first made them for somepony else; a filly who had the same small wings as you.” Mister Meyer’s eye drifted solemnly toward the horizon.

“Wouldn’t she still need these?” Scootaloo tried to catch her friend’s attention. The stallion only shrugged.

“No, she doesn’t need them anymore. She outgrew them.”

“I hope she got another pair as awesome as these!”

“Yes… She did. She flies all the time now…” The weathered pegasus looked toward the edge of the sky as if he could fall right into it. When he spoke again, his tone was one of solemnity.

“Scootaloo, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you ever since we’ve met, but I’m afraid I haven’t had the chance until now.”

“What’s up?” The filly’s eyes filled with caution.

“Your friends… Your fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders… Why do you play with them?”

“I don’t understand, sir.”

“Is it because you were forced to endure them; settling for their company because you couldn’t fly with the rest of the pegasi foals?” Mister Meyer continued to peer into the distance. “Because you were bound to the ground with them?”

“What!? No, that’s not it at all!”

“I ask, Scootaloo, because you come from a proud race. The pegasi are the most capable of all the pony species and I can’t understand why the various citizens of Ponyville consort so freely with each other. Now that you can fly, what will you do?” Meyer finally turned his eye back down toward the little filly sitting next to him.

“But… They’re my friends!” Scootaloo protested.

“Friends?”

“I don’t get how that’s a problem. Can’t we be friends?”

Drossel Meyer sighed,

“You and this land are so naïve. I and everypony with me learned long ago that there are no such things as "friends". There is no such thing as selflessness, nothing is given for free. Joy is for fools and there is no such thing as a "magic bond" tying us to those around us. It is as if all of Ponyville doesn’t realize that. They pretend that there is such a thing as peace.”

Scootaloo couldn’t believe her ears. Was this the same Mister Meyer she had met yesterday? The one who had given her a pair of wings for free?

Or were they free after all? What did Drossel Meyer want from her?

“There are no friends,” Meyer continued, “Only allies, and the only allies you can rely on are the ones who can relate to your troubles, your pain, and your fears.” The stallion turned his eye back towards Scootaloo, but it was dark and foreboding. “You can only trust your fellow pegasi. That’s why I don’t understand Ponyville, my dear. My land was burned by unicorns and crushed by earth poines. Their hatred for one another was deep-rooted and they destroyed each other with the fires of their ill will. I can’t see how your town can last.”

“Well, then I don’t understand you!” Scootaloo huffed.

“Excuse me?”

“You can’t see how we get along? Just look! Everypony is happy.”

“Yes, but how?”

“We don’t care.” The orange filly explained. “Everypony has something that makes them special, the wings and horns and legs don’t even matter! It’s not like we’re angry at each other or we’re forced to endure each other. We all just want to be happy, and so we love each other and forgive our shortcoming and enjoy our talents. We’re all ponies after all! Don’t you want to be happy Mister Meyer?”

“Of course I want to be happy, but not like this. This isn’t happiness… This isn’t peace… It’s an illusion, my dear and surely strife and differing philosophies will rip it to shreds one day.”

“Tell that to Rainbow Dash, who would never abandon her friends! Tell that to Rarity, who works her hooves to the bone for no reason other than to see everypony happy! Tell that to Apple Jack, who knows honesty is worth more than a mountain of gold! Tell that to Twilight Sparkle, who found that all the spells in Equestria can’t find you a purpose in life like your friends!”

Silence fell between the two pegasi.

“So, you’re adamant about this?” Drossel Meyer whispered.

“You think life is a competition, but it’s not, Mister Meyer. The winner isn’t the individual, it’s the team! And a horn or a wing isn’t going to get in the way of my friendships.”

“I see…” Meyer looked back toward the sky. Scootaloo thought that he was looking at the horizon again, but he was squinting, peering at something specific. The young filly followed his gaze to where a single purple pegasus could be seen disappearing into the northwest mountains of Ponyville.

“I’ll have to see you later.” Mister Meyer opened his wings and prepared to take off. “You take care of yourself, Scootaloo, and don’t overexert yourself too quickly.”

“Where are you goin’?” The filly protested.

“Something’s come up.” With nothing more than one last, nod, Drossel Meyer flew off toward the distant mountains. Scootaloo also stood and unfurled her wings.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders detectives!” She muttered to herself, dropping off the cloud and into the vast sky.

Beyond a shadow of doubt, Mister Meyer was up to something and it was up to Scootaloo to find out what. Her friends needed her now; she could fly and she could find out exactly why Mister Meyer had come to Ponyville. No matter what the stallion said about the divide between the species, the little filly would help her friends no matter what! As secretly as she could, Scootaloo guided her flight toward the dark mountains.

The air felt different once in the shadows of the icy megaliths. Winds ran like serpents between the mountains and cold drafts threatened to suck Scootaloo into dark canyons. But still, the little filly kept flying, always just out of sight behind the fleeing form of Mister Meyer. Her wings kept her aloft and safe, even as more and more leering thunder clouds began to choke the clear air.

Just up ahead, the brass shape of Drossel Meyer flew up toward the sky and then disappeared behind a jagged like of mountains. The orange filly followed cautiously, pumping her new wings as hard as she could to surmount the stone wall. Finally, she rose above the titanic stone teeth and settled her hooves on the snowy mountain top. What she saw made her catch her breath in surprise.

There, nestled in a valley in the middle of the mountain range, was a dark sea of black clouds. They churned and bubbled like a giant caldera, shivering with flashes of lightning from within. There was no sign of Mister Meyer anywhere, only this unbroken nest of storms. The pegasus stallion must have hidden in here.

Taking a deep breath to gather her strength and her courage, Scootaloo lifted off the mountain top and drifted into the valley below like a leaf on the wind.

Immediately, the strength of Celestia’s sun was blotted out. The world became a dark abyss, a landscape of grey mist and blue lightning. Everywhere around the young filly, clouds whispered in a rumbling voice and bolts of lightning hissed to one another. Scootaloo was almost afraid that she would forget which way was up in this labyrinth of shadows. There were no mountains, no sky, and nothing beneath her. She had been consumed by the storm.

Yet, she pressed on. Drossel Meyer’s secret was in here somewhere.

Suddenly, from the black chaos, a form took shape. It suddenly manifested and became clear; a giant metal wall with the words Aurora Song emblazoned on them.

Scootaloo winced and beat her wings rapidly so that she wouldn’t collide with the massive object. Her metal wings protested and the she began losing altitude. She was floundering in a sea of clouds.

“Scootaloo! Over here!” A deep voice, muffled by the shadows, reached the orange filly’s ears. Glancing over, she saw Mister Meyer soaring through the blazing clouds. Her first thought was to fly away, but there was something about the stallion’s face, a kind of concerned smile, that told her that he was there to help her.

“This way.” He flew up beside the little filly and guided her on his wing around the metal wall. Scootaloo’s heart almost faltered as she realized what she had almost collided with; it was the glistening hull of a massive building, and Mister Meyer was guiding her toward a large landing platform toward its aft section. From outside, it was impossible to tell how large the structure truly was, since clouds consumed its true shape.

Soon, the stallion and the filly landed upon a metal deck with the sound of clicking hooves and the rumbling of thunder behind them began to sound further away. A cavernous hanger opened before them, lit by blue glowing tubes. Mister Meyer began walking forward into the mysterious structure and Scootaloo silently followed, her eyes wide.

The two marched together down a pathway until the sound of voices could be heard coming from ahead. Turning a corner, Scootaloo could see three other pegasi deep in conversation; one blue, one purple and the green one who had stormed through Sugar Cube Corner. None of them looked happy.

“I’m sorry,” the purple one was saying, “but there was nothing else to be done. The warning was given and if they choose to stay seated on their plump flanks, that’s their problem!”

“You did your best, and that’s all we can ask under the circumstances.”

“A-hem!” Drossel Meyer cleared his throat. “We have a visitor.” Instantly, three pairs of eyes locked on to the little filly. Scootaloo didn’t think it was possible for three pegasi to spin and face her as quickly as this group did.

“Captain?” The purple one broke the silence, “Who is this?”

“One of the most talented novice flyers I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Though I fear her wings will be terribly sore tomorrow after following me through the mountains. This is young Scootaloo. My dear, these are my crew.” Drossel Meyer waved a foreleg at the assembled pegasi.

“Your… crew?”

“She followed you, Captain?” The blue pegasus’s eyes had narrowed to critical slits.

“Of her own accord.” Drossel Meyer defended, “And I saw no reason to turn back such a brave young pegasus.”

“What are you going to do to me?” Scootaloo felt very small and very helpless under the unrelenting gaze of the pegasi. She had found them all, had found their secret base, she knew that Mister Meyer was their captain. What would they do now? The blue one didn’t look happy at all.

“Do? My dear, do not think we are enemies!” Mister Meyer put a tender wing over Scootaloo.

“We’re not?” The dark blue pegasus coughed.

“We’re not!” Meyer snapped. “Actually, I’m overjoyed that you came, Scootaloo.”

“Huh?” The orange filly looked up, surprised.

“Indeed. I could not be more proud of you to see you brave the journey here all by yourself. You have a heart as strong as a horse. And so, since you were so kind as to show me where you live, it is only fair that I return the favor.” Captain Meyer tenderly guided Scootaloo off into the heart of the titanic structure. At this point, the green and purple pegasi were trying to smile at their little guest. Only the blue one continued leering as if he could burn the filly with just his eyes.

A million questions bubbled up within the little pegasus, but she forced herself to focus on the simplest ones first and work her way up,

“Where are we?” She asked in a guarded tone.

“We are in the main hangar of my airship, the Aurora Song.” Captain Meyer looked up at the vaulting ceiling and rows of pipes above.

“An airship!? You mean, we’re not on the ground?” Scootaloo suddenly thought that her hooffalls sounded very hollow beneath her. However, it would explain the swaying motion she felt.

“Most pegasus architecture isn’t.” The stallion grinned. “Behold, my dear, the pride of your kinsmen. At one point, this lovely lady was the apex of pegasi technology.”

Now that Scootaloo’s eyes were adjusted to the dim light, she could see just how big the hangar around her was. It felt like being swallowed in a bronze whale. There were bulbous pipes like stomachs, veins of tubes everywhere, a grey armored skin to keep the storm out, and bulky beams that looked like ribs.

“The Aurora Song.” Captain Meyer sighed. “A floating city, designed to be the end of all war… Built to be a true and everlasting peace through superior firepower. She is held aloft by no less than 128 raging thunder cells. Their combined might alone generates such a static build up on the hull that other thunderstorms follow us. Their lighting powers our lanterns and our propellers and even some of our machinery like our cranes.”

“Cranes? Like birds or…”

“Like construction cranes. It takes a strong mechanical arm to load and unload three battalions of pegasi and their equipment.”

The two went down a narrow hallway and past multiple wooden doors. They were for the crew, the officers, the mess hall and the engine rooms. Finally, at the end of the hallway, Scootaloo and Captain Meyer stepped into an expansive room.

It was completely lit by the shimmering storm clouds outside, for every wall and even the floor was made of transparent glass. Toward the front were numerous measuring stations and weather-tracking instruments while the center of the room had a small raised platform with a massive steering wheel planted in it.

“This is the control room, designed to see everything and command everything.” Meyer explained. “Right now, we’re just under the bow of the airship.”

“Doesn’t it get scary standing on glass?” Scootaloo wondered, peering warily at the angry clouds under her hooves.

“Not when you can fly. Perhaps I've simply become used to it.” Captain Meyer sighed. “Now, come, and I’ll show you what makes the Aurora Song truly special.”

The stallion led his guest back down the dark hall and up a flight of stairs into an armored chamber within the hangar. If this really was a whale, Scootaloo figured this place would be where its heart was. As soon as the filly had entered the room, she could feel her breath being sucked from her tiny lungs.

“It’s gorgeous…” She gasped. The two pegasi were standing in a room about as large as Twilight’s library. In front of them, a single device could be seen. Trapped in a massive glass vial, spinning like a hurricane, was a shining mass of light that rivaled even Celestia’s sun for radiance.

“The Aurora Core.” Captain Meyer squinted his eye as his face was lit with the flickering light of every color of the rainbow. The entire room was swimming in liquid color and Scootaloo looked down to see her orange coat rippling with waves of light.

“You see, my dear, the rainbows that you are so familiar with are mostly composed of light… but the pegasi of the north found something far more potent in their arctic skies. This is the harnessed power of the aurora borealis. This hurricane of plasma, unique in all of the world, is held in place by an invisible veil of magnetism. It, in turn, gives the ship enough might to enforce peace for all eternity. She will never run dry.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Scootaloo whispered. The room was filled with a gentle hum, like the sound of thousands of voices singing from very far away.

“The Aurora Song had two sister ships; the Aurora Vow and the Aurora Prophesy…” Captain Meyer paused. “Only the Song is left.” He turned and led the way out of the chamber. Scootaloo followed and left the light and the humming behind her.

For a while, the two pegasi walked on the ships’ catwalks in silence, both lost in thought. All around her, Scootaloo could see the wonders of pegasi technology, yet something about it still filled her with dread. As if she were about to step on a sleeping dragon without knowing it.

“What do you think?” It was the same question that Captain Meyer had asked Scootaloo about her wings. Now, it felt like the same question, but on a more severe scale.

“It’s gorgeous… But… Why?”

“Why indeed. We had little choice, my dear… It’s the age-old struggle.” Drossel Meyer sighed. “The biggest stick makes the rules. We must fight to keep the peace.”

“Sounds counter-productive.” Scootaloo laughed. She suddenly paused mid-stride. Is that what this was all about? This ship was designed to fight? All those times the captain had hinted at having “superior firepower”; was that all this was? This ship was just a big stick? The biggest stick in the world? A stick so big that no pony would be able to fight back? A stick large enough that everypony would have to play by your rules?

But… How did this all relate to Ponyville?

The orange filly glanced down at the crewmembers below her. Now that she thought about it, they looked pretty thin. Pretty hungry. Suddenly, an image of Sweet Apple Acres and Sugar Cube Corner flashed through the little pegasus’s mind. If Captain Meyer was the guy with the big stick, then Ponyville was the pony with something that he wanted.

The captain watched as all this went through Scootaloo’s mind. He could see what she was thinking. He leaned down and tenderly whispered,

“My dear, we don’t want to hurt anypony…”

Scootaloo recoiled as if she had been struck. She stared at the captain with wide eyes, slowly backing up. He didn’t stop her. All her thoughts turned to her friends, about Ponyville, about everypony. Everything was in danger and Mister Meyer was looking at her as if this was perfectly natural.

“I’ve… I’ve got to go home!” The little filly awkwardly stumbled off the catwalk and fluttered toward the gangplank leading into the storm outside.

“Would you like me for accompany you?” Captain Meyer called out, following his little guest to the ramp.

“No! Thanks! Bye!” Scootaloo frantically leapt out into the raging storm and quickly vanished.

Captain Meyer watched her go, a strange pain in his chest. This was the way the world was, and as painful as it was to see his little friend realize that, it was a necessary fact of life. Slowly, three shadowy pegasus approached the captain from behind.

“Well, that went well.” Lilly coughed.

“It’s a cold world.” Drossel Meyer lowered his head. “Innocence is one of the fragile gems of childhood, and it’s always a shame to see it broken.”

“Everyone, to your posts!” Black Spot spoke up. “We’re not waiting any longer! Set a course for Ponyville!”

“Belay that order!” The captain looked up suddenly. “The plan was to strike tomorrow morning.”

“And thanks to you, Captain, we can’t wait any longer!” Black Spot gritted his teeth. “You think that little foal will keep her mouth shut any longer because she’s your friend!? Fie! She’s seen us all together and if she has half a brain in that freakishly big head of hers, she’s going to put two and two and two together and realize that we’re all bloody pirates!”

“And what about…” Captain Meyer’s words drifted into silence. As he turned, he could see the verdict in each of his crewmembers’ eyes. “You are all in agreement with this?”

“MmHmm.”

“Sorry, Captain, but there’s nothing more we can prepare for.”

“We’re losing the element of surprise as we speak! No more waiting. We strike Ponyville tonight.” A gleam lit up Black Spot’s eyes. Captain Meyer’s eye turned to ice and he nodded.

“Then warm up the engines. Arm yourselves for a raid... Set course for Ponyville.” The captain marched solemnly to the bridge.

Author's Note:

Obligatory;
I don't know if this is necessary to say, but I am not the owner of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic franchise. Nor do I own any music lyrics that I may insert or other cultural references that I employ. I don’t even own the picture I used to advertise my story. I am only a fan creating work for the sake of the art. I am not being paid nor do I expect payment.
I only want to get better at my skill and perhaps create something that other people that share my fandom will like.

With that being said, Reader, please feel free to express your comments and your critiques. I hope you enjoy the story and I would love to discuss future story topics with you.

I had hoped to get this story done by Saturday, but there's at least one last chapter left for me to complete and maybe an Epilogue. However, I'm not sure if my schedule will allow that, but thank you for your patience.