Aer Vis

by LightOfTriumph

Smoke in the Open

Spitfire approached the throne. "Your majesty?"

Celestia looked up. "Tell me you've found them."

"No," Spitfire said solemnly. "Every time we manage to track a Ferrymen patrol they just vanish. We don't know what we're using for transportation, but they seem to be leaping all around the map. We're trying to work it out."

"What news have you brought me?" Celestia asked.

"A name," Spitfire pulled a small crystal object out of her pocket. "Their leader sent us a message."

Spitfire dropped the crystal on the floor, and it projected the image of a robed figure.

"Denizens of Euquestria," said the cloaked being. "I am Charon. I have come here to disillusion you. I do not consider myself a Demon. That is a label put upon me by your ignorant leaders.

"They sit in their Ivory Tower. In their city on the mountain. Looking down upon you .

"The sisters say you live in paradise.

"The sisters lie.

"I bring you true paradise, after I deliver retribution to the ignorant, and the complacent.

"Your city of Trottingham has already been taught this lesson. Now my retribution moves upwards toward glorious infinity.

"Look about you, blinded citzens of Equestria. In good time, the sky shall fall."

When the hooded figure was finished speaking, a message burned itself into the floor: SAVE THYSELF A PENNY FOR THE FERRYMEN.

Celestia took a moment to absorb this. "Well," she finally said. "He's a bit overdramatic."

"My thoughts exactly." came a call from the door.

Admiral Briny Deep was a force to be reckoned with. He was a tall, gaunt looking sea pony. With an eggshell coat that went well with the blue tentacles that made up his mane and tail. He spoke in clear, high voice. he had commanded the Equestrian Royal Navy for ten long years. "I honestly think this chap may be overdoing it."

"You've heard it, then?" the Princess asked him.

"Oh, yes." Deep replied. "Luckily we managed to intercept this transmission before it was made public. But everyone back and base has had a listen, and we all find it quite curious. Rather puzzling actually."

"What's puzzling?" Spitfire asked. "He took out Trottingham, he's going after Cloudsdale next. What's the mystery?"

"Oh, the question of how springs to mind," Deep answered. "But that's not what puzzles me. Nothing he said has puzzled me as much in how he said it."

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"Take another listen."

They did. And Spitfire's jaw dropped.

"How..." she asked herself. "How did I not hear that before?"

"I really can't say," Deep said smugly.

"I'm afraid I still don't hear it," Celestia added. "What do you two hear?"

"His voice," Spitfire said. "Ma'am this man took the time to magically disguise his voice!"

Celestia looked puzzled. "Why? Why would he bother to do that? It's not like we-" and then it hit her.

Briny Deep nodded. "The gates of Tartarus are heavily locked from the outside. No one who is put in can get out. Unless someone was there to open the door for them. I would be quite surprised if this Charon that we are dealing with here is an inmate."

"It's somepony we know." Spitfire concluded. "Somepony close to the princesses with access to the gate-dammit!" Spitfire slammed her hoof down.

"Briny Deep," Celestia said sternly. "As of right now I am giving you the go on Project Leviathan."

"Yes, majesty." Deep replied.

"Spitfire," Celestia turned to her Wing Commander. "Is your Air Force prepared for an Attack on Cloudsdale?"

"Yes ma'am," Spitfire said, almost too angry to breathe."They've been stationed in Rainbow Falls for weeks, they took to the Cloud Burst like fish to water. We'll be ready."

****************************************************************************************************

Turbo Charger walked into his and Light's room to be greeted by a haze of white mist.

"Light?" Turbo asked. "What are you doing?"

"Science!" came a voice from the haze.

"What did I say about doing Science in the bunk?" Turbo asked calmly.

"Absolutely no doing Science in the bunk," Light replied solemnly. "I really think you should lighten up, man."

"The last time you tried Science you set my bunk on fire." Turbo fumbled about looking for his bed.

"When are you going to let that go?"

"When I wasn't in the bunk at the time!" Turbo yelled. "What in tartarus are you doing anyway?"

"Making some improvements to the Cloud Burst." Light of Triumph said frankly.

Turbo stopped dead. "Please tell me that you do not have your incredibly expensive piece of military technology dismantled on your worktable right now."

"Nope! It's yours!" Light said happily

"Ah!"

"And I'm just putting it back together."

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"Oh, relax," Light said. "Ah, that should do it. Now let's see if this works..."

"SEE IF THI-" Turbo was interrupted by a loud hisssss and the receded into Turbo's pendant around Light's neck, some of the mist remained as a vest over Light's chest. Immediately something jumped out at Turbo. "That's not a button."

"Well spotted." Light said sarcastically.

"It's not. It's a dial."

"Yes I know," Light said. "The pendant stores clouds and lightning inside of it. When they're released, instead of floating away, a magic device in the pendant keeps all of the clouds stiff and centered. Giving us the Cloud Burst armor. Understand?"

"Yeah," Turbo said. "The clouds give us armor, the lightning gives us weapons, what does this have to do with-?

"What I did," Light said, "was give the little doodad different settings on the stiffness of the clouds. So at one setting you can be in your armor, another you're carrying a smokescreen with you, in this setting you're wearing a snazzy vest that can shoot lightning."

"You magnificent bastard!" Turbo and Light bumped hooves.

"I know, I know." Light said smugly. "I'm taking this to Fleetfoot tomorrow. I'm guessing she'd even be too happy about the improvements to ream my ass!"

********************************************************************************************

It was worse than ever before.

Fleetfoot was screaming at the top of her lungs. The words "dishonorable discharge" came up more than a few times. At one point Light was on the verge of tears, but he swore to Turbo he didn't actually cry. "

"After this stupid, unauthorized, downright negligible, vandalism on military hardware I could have you Court Marshalled! i could have you shot!" Fleetfoot screamed. "I've only got one question for you Lieutenant Triumph."

Light braced himself.

"Can you teach other people how to do this?" Fleetfoot's voice had calmed down. "I don't think you can make all the upgrades on your own. There are over ten thousand Cloud Burst fliers."

Light took a moment to realize what just happened, then he grinned. "Yes ma'am. I most certainly can."

****************************************************************************

Charon sat in his chamber. Thinking.

It was a risky move, but the Ferryman knew it had payed off. He would have to be careful now, though. Tread lightly.

Charon promised that nothing would distract him from the cause. Nothing would stop the destruction of this fool's paradise. he would crush the sisters and move toward his sweet heaven. Their "hell on earth."

There was no time to turn squeamish. It was time for action. It was time to start this war in earnest.

It was time for Electric Eye.

Comments

[Tennis Match Fan]

Good things come out of breaking the rules.

[Unbridled Dolly]

Electric Eye. Why does that sound familiar? Oh yeah! You were gonna use that as your username. Great chapter! I'm glad to see it updated.

[Mister L]

When the hooded figure was finished speaking, a message burned itself into the floor: SAVE THYSELF A PENNY FOR THE FERRYMEN.

For some reason I simply love this line.

SAVE THYSELF A PENNY FOR THE FERRYMAN!!!

[NobleValor]

Well, this got interesting. Although in this sentence, '...know what we're using...' shouldn't it be 'they're using?' And you misspelled Equestria.
One of the hazards of doing your own proofreading. In my case, I can't turn it off.

[LightOfTriumph]

4749385 Did you like the Fic? This is more my usual stuff...

[NobleValor]

4749393 Oh, indeed I do. It shows much promise and potential! However, it seems to be lacking a certain je ne sais quoi.

[LightOfTriumph]

5906128 I may delete this and restart.

[thegamerator10]

It was time for Electric Eye.

Is that a reference to...
You smug son of a bitch.

[thegamerator10]

5906136 You can't do that. I love it so far!

[LightOfTriumph]

5906244 But I don't, that's the thing.

[thegamerator10]

5906255 If you're gonna go through with it, at least start the chapters from scratch. Deleting the entire story and reposting it would create way more work than necessary.