Flight

by The Wandering Bard

The Third Entry

Lyric smiled from ear to ear at the scene depicted upon the page. She was intimately familiar with the feeling of coming back home, back to a place where you were welcomed. For the bat ponies, that feeling must have been one hundred-fold what she experienced each and every time. However, she also knew what the cost of battle could be, and her smile fell some. Still, she kept on reading even as a yawn escaped from her. There were some mentions of the planning and preparation, but not as many as she thought there would be. Perhaps Dashing had set out on more travels and made new discoveries. There were certainly enough entries that this could have been so. Perhaps he hadn’t been privy to that information, not being on any sort of council or a member of the military.

Or, Lyric wondered to herself, her ears now downturned, perhaps he just couldn’t bear to think of it… Inhaling deep, she shook off the dark cloud that had hovered over her. Whatever the reason for the omission, she found the next entry that mentioned the bat ponies themselves and carried on.

~*~

Year 5, Day 293 of the Royal Sisters’ Reign

It’s been a few months since the bat ponies have taken up residence here in Equestria, and it seems like everypony is getting used to having them around. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are about ready to head to the Crystal Empire, and all of the bat ponies volunteered to go with them. They’ve trained with the troops every day since they were well enough to do so, and they’ve all become competent warriors in such a short time. It’s remarkable, but they’ve pushed themselves harder than anypony else. They are determined to free their brethren from Sombra’s reign. Celestia and Luna also did not need to convince Starswirl to take on this campaign, as he fully agreed that Sombra was a threat to ponykind. It turns out that he had also felt some dark force growing, though he had been unable to determine its exact source.

Obsidian and Onyx have been made Captains as promised, but, more than that, they have been selected by Princess Luna herself to head her personal guard. She can see that they are dedicated and loyal, and besides, they can stay awake through the night as Princess Celestia’s guards cannot. To top it all off, all of the bat ponies have been given a place in her guard, for they’ve been loyal to her through and through. It’s been nice having them around, even if Obsidian still treats me in the same gruff way. I suspect he always will, but at least now, when he looks at me, I see respect in his eyes. As for Onyx, I can’t say that anything will happen between us, but I will say that a pony such as she could make a stallion like me think about settling down for good. Will that happen? Probably not for a while. But when it does, I hope I can have a mare like her by my side.

I must admit, though, that I am worried for the fates of those who will leave for battle. We’ve all heard the stories of the horrors faced in times past, and now another one is practically at our door. And as far as the bat ponies have come, almost all are still quite green when compared to the Princess’s more seasoned soldiers. I can only hope that all of my friends, new and old, will return safely.

Comments

[Derpys Muffin Dealer]

~ pure awesomeness

[The Wandering Bard]

6399174
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying it so far.

[Protopony350]

That cover art go against my headcanon of what Dashing Hoof looks like therefore I hate it I love it.

[The Wandering Bard]

6416231
I have to ask, then. What was your headcanon for him?

[Protopony350]

6416290
I imagined a beard, maybe a color closer to lyric, and for some reason the voice of Sir Patrick Stewart. and no i can not explain why.

[The Wandering Bard]

6416295
Well it's funny that you mention the color closer to Lyric's, because my original incarnation of him had him as a distant ancestor of hers. I scrapped that idea out of fear it might make them too much like "special snowflakes". The beard and voice like Patrick Stewart though... Interesting ideas.

[Protopony350]

6416326

Okay so I think this is how I logic'd it.

I always wanted Patrick Stewart to play the voice of Starswirl the Bearded.

Dashing Hoof discovered the stars.

Starswirl has a beard.

So logically for some reason Dashing Hoof would have a beard and same voice.

Or in other words

[The Wandering Bard]

6416340
You should see the inside of my mind sometime.