Gathering Pieces

by Random_User

A Cold Flight North

“It was fortuitous that the ship came to deliver supplies to our Guard this eve,” Reve told the group of adventurers standing around her. “Had it not, you would have had to wait till the dawn and depart by train. Even if called, a vessel from Canterlot would not have been swift enough to gather you and carry you forth.”

Fierce watched as Lunar Guards hastily unloaded the airship. “While not the most sophisticated of conveyances, it will do nicely.”

“I’ve never been on an airship before,” Stone said, with a grin. “This is going to be great.”

“I wish I shared your enthusiasm.” Bonsmara glared at the ship as if it had offended her. “I cannot think of a time that I have managed to avoid being sick on one of these things.”

“If there were any other way, we would take it.” Fierce hugged Bonsmara from the side. “But time is a luxury, and this is the best that we have to work with.”

Bonsmara’s shoulders lost some of their tension. She returned the hug, putting an arm around Fierce. “I will just stay in the hold and keep a bucket close.”

“I have something that might help, but I don't know how effective it will be.” One of the Lunar Guard’s approached the group and looked Bonsmara over from head to hooves. “I’ve never had a minotaur on-board before.” She then looked at Fierce. “Or a diamond dog, come to think of it.”

“This is a night for many firsts,” Reve said. “We appreciate your willingness to accept this task, Captain.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Princess. It will be one hay of a story to tell, if we survive to tell it.” She looked at Stone, whose enthusiasm had diminished. “Sorry, but it’s the truth.”

“If we don’t make it, it won’t matter,” Grayson said. “The world, as we know it, will end. In fact, if worse comes to worse, we will be lucky in the fact we will be the first to go.”

“You certainly are a cheery lot.” Fierce released Bonsmara and regarded the captain. “Lass, I am afraid I did not get your name.”

“Air Freight’s the name. My ship is the Long Haul. He’s not the slickest thing out there, but he’s tough and strong as a mule.”

“He?” Puca said, tilting her head to the side. “I thought ships were mares, traditionally.”

“I’m not a traditional captain.” Freight looked over her shoulder and yelled at the guards prepping the ship, “We’re in the air in five! Move your flanks!” She stepped behind Stone and swatted his cutie mark. “That goes for you too.”

At the impact, Stone yelped in shock and took a couple of quick steps towards the Long Haul.

“We must address your lack of armor,” Reve said, with a poorly suppressed laugh.

Fierce chuckled. “Yes, we certainly do not want your flanks to be bruised by lecherous mares.”

“You will all have to come back and get outfitted properly,” Rarity said, looking to each of the adventurers. “For now, the brooches will have to suffice.”

“You have their measure, do you not?” Reve asked.

“You mean their measurements? I do. Why do you ask?”

“Then you will be able to help us address the situation.”

“That’s rather cryptic.”

Reve put a hoof on Freight’s shoulder. “Captain, may my stars guide you true and the wind speed your flight.”

“Thank you, Princess. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

*****

“Whoa! Look at how small the castle is now!” Stone, keeping a respectful distance from the ship’s railing, swung his head back and forth, as he took in the sight of the ground dropping away. “Look at how small everything looks!”

“No, thank you.” Bonsmara, taking quick strides, moved towards the ship’s hatch. “I have seen more than I want to.”

As Bonsmara descended from view, Fierce sighed in sympathy. “I will go down with her. It embarrasses her to get sick, and she is going to be in the hold with a lot of guards.”

“I hope you can make her feel better,” Puca said. “She’s feeling pretty rotten right now.”

“I will do my best.”

“I don’t care for these things either,” Grayson said. He looked up to the ship’s envelope. “The thought that there is nothing keeping us up beyond a bag stuffed with clouds and magic sets something in the back of my mind on edge.”

“We fly with less all the time,” Puca said, extending a wing.

“True, in one sense, but my wings are part of me and aren’t going to detach themselves if someone didn’t get their rigging right or deflate if a spell fails.” Grayson walked to the railing. “Speaking of my wings, I haven’t gotten to use mine for a while. I’m going to stretch them a bit.” He looked to Puca. “You might want to do the same. I don’t know when the next time we will get a chance.”

“I think I’ll stay here.”

“Suit yourself.” Grayson threw himself over the rail. After a couple of seconds of free-fall, he opened his wings and flew away from the ship, towards the rising moon.

“He doesn’t think we’re going to make it, does he?”

“From what I understand, Nightmares can be horrible foes. Since they have taken over some powerful unicorns too, they will be even more dangerous.”

“We have the stones, so that’s not going to be a problem.”

“They can hurt us by throwing things or clobbering us with whatever they can levitate.”

Stone winced. “I didn’t think of that.”

Puca leaned against him. “It’s a bit chilly out here, with the air going past us like it is.”

“Do you want to go below deck?”

“No. It’s too crowded, and everyone is emotionally charged. To me, it would be like being locked in a small room with everypony shouting.”

Stone headed toward the stairs. “I’ll see if there is anything we can use to cover.”

“We?”

Looking out of the hatch towards Puca, just his nose and the top of his head still visible, Stone said, “I’m not going to leave you out here by yourself to freeze. I'll be right back.” The hatch closed with a thump, as he ducked out of sight.

Puca changed her form to a brown coated, white maned pegasus mare and watched the stars.

The hatch opened, and Stone stepped onto the deck. He carried a pile of gray cloth draped across his back. “Excuse me, Miss.”

Puca turned to him. “Yes?”

“I was supposed to bring a cute mare with iridescent wings and blue eyes a blanket.” He smiled and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to know where she went would you?”

“You silly thing, I’m warmer like this.”

“They’re not exactly blankets, but these cloaks should do.” He pulled on of the cloaks off his back and played with the fabric between his hooves. “I brought a few of them, since I didn’t know if we would be staying up here the whole flight or not.”

“Why did my changing bother you? I felt it did, so don’t try and be polite and act that it didn't.”

Stone looked down to the cloak he was worrying. “I thought that you changed for me. I didn’t like that idea at all.”

“What do you mean, ‘changed for you’?”

“I thought you changed to make things more…”

“You mean make me less buggy,” Puca filled in. “You don’t have to dance around it.”

Stone nodded and then looked towards the front of the ship. “Let’s lie down over here. The bow will break the wind a bit.” Stone put down a couple of the cloaks at the front of the deck.

“I changed to make this more comfortable for both of us.”

Stone looked up from arranging the blankets. “But-”

“Hush. Lay down.” Puca joined him on the cloaks, put a wing over his back, and then settled so that her side touched his. “In this form, I can hold you with my wing. I can’t do this when I’m in my natural form.”

Taking the last cloak in his mouth and using a deft turn of his head, he spread it over the two of them. “I don’t want you to think that I’m not comfortable with who you are.”

“What if I wanted to change forms for myself? Would you keep me from changing?”

“No, but why would you want to change?”

She waggled her eyebrows. “It provides more options in a variety of situations.”

Stone blushed and looked away from her. “Puca!”

“Don’t act like you haven’t thought something similar. Go on, admit it.”

“I have.”

“Stone, I’m something different from you. While I appreciate the fact that you don’t want to hurt my feelings, I like to change. Part of who I am is changing my form to make others happy.”

“Having your wing around me is nice.”

“There you go, you’re relaxing a little.” She leaned in a bit more and took Stone’s hoof with hers. “You’re still too tense, though.”

“Sorry about that. I guess I’m just nervous.”

“Is it what we are going to face that’s bothering you?”

“That’s part of it, but I’m also under a blanket with a mare I like and holding hooves under the stars.”

With a wicked grin and a flash of green flame, Puca changed into a stallion. “Does this help?”

Stone's ears folded back in shock and he leaned away from Puca. “No! No, it doesn’t!”

“It’s still me.”

“I know that. It’s just weird to see you like this. I think of you as a mare.”

“While I am a ‘mare,’ for the most part, I am more than that too, just like you are more than just a stallion. I think of you as Stone, the personality behind the pony. Not Stone whose body happens to be that of a stallion.”

“So, it wouldn’t matter to you if I were a mare?”

“Not if you, the pony, were the same. It’s you are that I am interested in, not your body. Though, I’ll admit, I like your body like it is.”

“I’m glad. I’m not sure how I would take being a mare.”

“You never know, you might like it. Haven’t you ever wondered what being a mare is like?”

“A couple of times, but I’ve never sat down and seriously thought about it.”

The ship’s hatch was thrown open, making a horrendous noise as it struck the wooden deck. “Get out there, you little scamp!”

“I have a letter from the princess!”

“I don’t care if you do or not! Nopony stows away on my ship!”

“Is that who I think is?” Puca asked.

Stone put his forehead against the deck. “Sounds like it.”

“Ow! Let me go!”

Freight, guiding Cobalt by holding his ear in the knuckle of one of her wings, brought the colt to stand before Stone. “I believe this is yours.”

Stone did not lift his head, as he answered, “He’s my brother, yes ma’am.”

“Don’t ma’am me. You’re not in the Guard, and I’m not that old. Being polite and good looking will only get you so far with me. This is way beyond that.”

Stone looked up at Cobalt. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m coming with you to the Crystal Empire.”

“I can see that. What in Equestria made you think this was a good idea?”

Cobalt held out a piece of paper. “Twilight wanted me to come with you.”

“You’re kidding.” Stone took the paper and looked it over.

“It bears her seal, which can’t be forged. Like the rest of the royal seals, there is an enchantment on it that prevents forgery,” Freight said. “I believe that he is on the ship with the princess’ blessing.” She gave Cobalt a disapproving look. “She should ask for my permission though, before stuffing him in a crate and hiding him among our supplies.”

Puca leaned close to Stone and closer to the paper. As her eyes scanned over the page, he started to grin. “That’s the paper she typically uses, and it reads like her writing too.”

“Stone, why are you sharing a blanket with this guy?” Cobalt asked.

Puca answered, “He was being kind and keeping me warm.”

Cobalt’s eyes widened, as Puca withdrew her wing from around Stone and shifted the cloak so that it revealed he was holding Stone’s hoof.

“You’re supposed to be with Puca!” Cobalt admonished.

“He is.” With a puff of green fire Puca changed into her previous pegasus mare form.

Cobalt stared at Puca with his mouth open.

“Surprised?”

“I think you stripped a couple of gears in his head.” Freight covered Cobalt’s ears with her hooves. “I bet that trick has all kinds of uses.”

Puca nodded and gave the captain a shameless grin. “It can.”

“Shouldn’t you be piloting the ship?” Grayson asked Freight, as he landed next to where Puca and Stone were bedded down.

“My first mate is at the helm.” Putting her hooves on his shoulders, Freight nodded to Cobalt. “I had to step away from the wheel to take care of this situation. Besides, the weather is good, and Star Chart needed more flying hours.”

“I thought I smelled him.” Fierce said, as he climbed out of the hold. “You were in the reinforced crate with the air-holes, were you not?”

Cobalt nodded. “That’s where I was.”

“See? I may be getting long in the tooth, but my nose still works.” Fierce reached below the deck and helped Bonsmara through the hatch.

As she stepped onto the deck, Bonsmara locked eyes with Cobalt. “You! You’re supposed to be safe in Ponyville!”

Freight removed her hooves from Cobalt and stepped away from him. “You’re in for it now.”

“I have a letter from Twi-”

“I don’t care if you have a letter signed by all five princesses and the Dragon Lord! You are in more trouble than you can imagine!” Cobalt folded his ears back, tucked his tail between his legs, and slowly backed from Bonsmara, as she stormed towards him. “Your mother has to be going into conniptions!”

“She knows I’m here,” Cobalt said, in a scared but determined tone. “She helped reinforce the box.”

Bonsmara halted her advance. “What?”

“She doubled up on the interior bracing, didn’t she?” Stone said.

“She used screws instead of nails too. I nearly didn’t get packed, because she wanted to make sure the crate was going to be as strong as she could make it.”

“That’s Mom for you," Stone said. "What is it that she told us when she caught us with the tools that one time? ‘If you’re going to do something stupid, at least be as safe as you can while doing it,’ I think is what she said.”

Cobalt grinned and nodded. “That sounds about right.”

With much calmer steps, Bonsmara closed the distance between her and Cobalt, picked him up, and hugged him to her. “What possessed you to do something so reckless?”

“Twilight asked me to come, but we had to keep the fact that I was coming from Reve. She thinks that the Nightmare’s might get an idea of what we’re up to through the link they have, even if Reve is on our side.”

“Twilight wrote that Cobalt should serve as our compass, and we’re to head to the Nightmare’s hideout directly,” Stone said, turning the letter to Bonsmara. “She has made him a temporary royal courier, too. We should be expecting backup sometime during mid-flight that will need the orders he is carrying.”

“Clever.” Freight looked back towards Ponyville. “I wondered why we didn’t get much more out of the princess beyond being told to get our tails up to the Empire as fast as we could.” She shook her head sympathetically at Cobalt. “You realize Luna is going to be livid, right? She is all about keeping foals safe.”

Stone gave Bonsmara the letter. “Twilight is willing to deal with that. She wants him here as a wild card, in case Reve turns on us.”

“He has been the crux of this whole series of events, so far,” Grayson said. “Since he started this, it’s appropriate that he be with us when it’s finished.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Bonsmara,” Puca said. “I’m surprised to see you come out of the hold.”

“Freight gave me a potion that made the worst of it stop.” She rested her chin on the top of Cobalt's head, as she said, “I should be fine.”

“It appears we have incoming,” Fierce announced, pointing over the bow. “Somepony is coming our way from just a bit off the port side.”

“That’s a super-sized pegasus, if we can see them from here,” Freight said.

As she got to her hooves, Puca let the cloak slide from her back and changed into her natural form. “That would be an alicorn.”

“Lady Cadance,” Fierce said her name fondly. “I have not seen her in many moons. I wonder how motherhood is treating her.”

“Very well, it would seem,” Bonsmara said, waving to the incoming princess.

Moments later, Cadance landed on the deck of the airship. The group bowed, as she joined them.

“Please, everyone, there is no need to bow,” Cadance said.

“Welcome aboard the Long Haul, Princess,” Freight said, as she returned to standing. “I’m Air Freight, captain of this ship.”

“Thank you and pleasure to meet you.” On seeing Bonsmara and Fierce, Cadance smiled grandly. “Twilight wrote that you would be coming! It’s been too long!” She hugged Fierce. “I’m glad to see that you’re doing well.”

“We haven’t managed to be devoured by anything yet,” Fierce said, patting her on the back, as he returned her hug. “You are looking quite well yourself.”

“How is little Flurry?” Bonsmara asked.

Cadance turned to Bonsmara. “Wonderful, tiring, growing, cute, unpredictable, and half a dozen things I can’t even think of right now.”

“Sounds like a healthy foal to me.” Bonsmara put Cobalt down on the deck of the ship. “It's time for you to perform your duties.”

Cobalt looked embarrassed and pointed a hoof at Freight. “I can't. She took my saddle bags. The message was in it.”

“That's right, make me the bully,” Freight said. She bopped Cobalt lightly on the nose. “See if I ever let you out of a crate again.”

“I didn't mean it like that!”

“I know. Go below and ask Starred Sky for them.”

“The stallion that helped you get me out of the crate?”

“That would be the one.”

“Be right back!” Cobalt hurried to the hatch and went down into the hold.

“Slow down or you're going hurt yourself!” Freight shook her head. “He's cute, but a little over eager.”

“That pretty well sums him up,” Stone said.

Cadance studied Puca. “I haven't seen a changeling since the attack on Canterlot. How is your hive doing?”

“For the most part, we’re alright.” Puca bowed low and all but touched her head to the deck. “I want to apologize for my part in ruining your wedding, Empress.”

Cadance shrugged and gave her an understanding look. “Just Cadance, please, titles make things so awkward. As to my wedding, you we're starving to death and under the influence of a hunger crazed queen. From what I understand, the spell that Shining and I used gave your hive enough love to last you a while.”

“It did.”

“Please, stand up.” As Puca returned to standing, Cadance smiled at her and crossed her heart with a hoof. “I promise I don't hold any hard feelings about it. It wasn't fun, but it's certainly a story I can tell my grandfoals.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

Stone let out a relieved breath, drawing Cadance's attention. She glanced down at the blankets, to Puca, and then back to Stone. Cadance raised an eyebrow, as she asked, “Wouldn't it be warmer down in the hold?”

“It's a little too loud for her.”

Cadance gave him a knowing smile. “Of course you, being a gentlecolt, offered her a blanket and your body heat to make sure she was comfortable.”

Stone fidgeted under Cadance’s scrutiny, dancing lightly from hoof to hoof. “We try to look out for each other.”

“I've got it!” Cobalt scrambled out of the hatch, across the deck, and presented a sealed scroll to Cadance. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” As Cadance read the scroll, the group watched her intently. Cadance snorted in vexation. “This is not good. Twilight found out from Celestia who the other ponies that were missing were: Lemon Drops, Minuette, and Trixie Lunamoon. Lemon Drops is skilled alchemist, Minuette is skilled in time magic, and Trixie is talented with both illusions and telekinesis. Trixie works well with Starlight, so we would be better served isolating the two from each other. We might be able to use Starlight's and Sunburst's relationship with each other to our advantage, if push comes to shove.”

Grayson tapped a talon against the deck, drawing the group’s attention. “The Empire is your kingdom, so you control how this will play out. Do we have permission to use any means necessary to make sure that this mission succeeds?”

“This goes beyond the Empire. The whole world is at stake.” Cadance sighed resignedly and nodded. “Shining and I have decided that we will do whatever it takes to make sure the Nightmare's do not get that portal open, but we will try negotiations first.” She motioned towards her saddlebags with a hoof. “I brought several magic limiters so there would be little chance of them trying using the unicorns against us, once we have them away from the Nightmares, but if things go badly violence may be the only way to prevent something even worse from happening.”

A silence fell over the group. The hum of the ship’s propellers and the wind were the only sounds.

Cobalt stomped a hoof, sharply ending the dismal quiet. “Nopony is going to get hurt, the Nightmares are going to go back to the moon, and we’re all going to be heroes, like the Elements.” He shivered. “The Nightmares could have been really nasty with their traps, but they weren’t. I don’t think they want to hurt anypony either.”

Candence smiled at him. “You’re right. Everything is going to be just fine. We just need to talk to them and tell them that we want to help them get back home. First, we’re going to have to get them away from the gateway and into somepony that can handle them taking energy from him at a rapid rate.”

“Him?” Grayson said. “Sounds like we already have a candidate.”

“We do.” She pointed a hoof at Stone. “You’re Stone, right?”

“I am.”

“Then you’re the one that Twilight is counting on.”

“What?! I can’t host a horde of Nightmares!”

“Yes you can,” Cobalt said with enthusiasm. “You just have to keep eating gems. You can convert the gem’s magic into energy that the Nightmares can use. With you being an earth pony, they can’t use external magic to do something nasty, if they decide to turn on us.”

“See, being an earth pony has hidden advantages,” Puca teased.

“Twilight had a couple of bags of gems shipped with me,” Cobalt said, pointing towards the hold. “She wants you to start eating them right away to put as much power as you can in you before we talk to them to show that it can be done.”

“I like the plan,” Cadance said. “There are other gem eaters in the Empires guard, so you don’t have to host all of the Nightmares for that long, just long enough for us to get them back to the capital.”

“You wanted to play a key part in an adventure, lad,” Fierce said, chuckling. “Here is your chance.”

Cobalt shivered again. “Is it just me, or is it getting really cold?” He looked towards his nose, nearly crossing his eyes. “I think I can see my breath!”

“You’re right,” Freight said, sounding concerned. “It’s too cold. We’re not far enough north for it to be this frigid.”

“Captain!” One of the guard’s head and shoulders appeared through the hatchway. “We just an emergency missive from Canterlot, the Empire is under siege by windigos!”

“That explains the weather,” Freight said. “If I had to bet, it’s some kind of feint by the Nightmares. The timing is just a little too convenient for it to be a coincidence. Tell Chart I’ll be there to take the helm back soon.”

“Yes, ma’am,” guard said, as he ducked out of sight, closing the hatch behind him.

“Been nice, but if windigos and bad weather are involved I’ll need to be piloting.” Freight saluted Cadance, “Princess, it was an honor to meet you.”

“It was nice meeting you too.”

“Let’s all get out of the wind,” Grayson suggested. “We need to get below and rest for what’s coming. I’ll get the hatch.” After opening the hatch, Grayson bowed to Cadance. “Princesses first, as manners would dictate.”

“Thank you, but I need to go back,” Cadance said, turning towards the rail and spreading her wings.

“You’re not leaving this ship.” Everyone turned to stare at Freight, who moved towards Cadance. “If you try, I, and five of my boys, if need be, will drag you back.”

“Excuse me?” Cadance said, her voice sounding equally annoyed and amazed.

“You. Are. Not. Leaving.” Freight said each word in time with the steps that she took to stand in front of Cadance. With her final step, she spread her wings, barring Cadance from approaching the railing. “Princess, I know that you are worried about your Empire and your husband, but heading back by yourself, without knowing what is going on and with windigos loose, is crazy.”

“I have to get back to them!”

“Shining Armor can shield the citizens of the Empire from windigos on his own. With the Crystal Heart helping him, they are all sure to be safe.”

Cadance drew in a deep breath and dropped her head. “I’m just worried about my Shinning. I don’t want my daughter to grow up without her father.”

“She should not have to bear losing her mother either,” said Bonsmara. “We will need you to complete our mission which would end the windigo threat entirely, if the Nightmares are indeed behind it.”

Cadance nodded. “You’re right. I’ll stay with you.”

Freight folded her wings back to her sides. “Thank you, Princess. I was not looking forward to having to face your husband or the other princesses, if something had happened to you.” She turned to the rest of the group on the deck. “Let's get below. If it's already this cold, I have a feeling that it's going to get a lot colder before too long.”

“Do you want to try to stay up here for a little longer?” Stone asked Puca. “We can go down into the ship, if you want, if it’s too cold.”

“I’d like to stay, but it’s going to get too cold before long. We might as well head on down.”

Cadance raised her hoof. “I have a solution for that. I’ll stay up here with you, for a bit. I would like to talk to you two.” She glanced at the others, sending a clear message.

“You heard the Princess.” Freight made a shooing motion with her wings, indicating for the rest to head towards the hatch. “Move on you odd lot of gawkers.”

“We’re going, we’re going,” Grayson said, leading the way.

As she walked past him, she scooped Cobalt to her side with a wing. “You too, squirt.”

“But I want to listen!”

“Stowaways don’t get to be part of these sorts of meetings.”

“But-” Cobalt’s objection was cut off, as Freight closed the hatch behind them.

Stone sighed. “We’re never going to hear the end of this, are we?”

“Never,” Puca confirmed, “especially from Grayson.”

Cadence used her magic to arrange the cloaks in a triangle so that three ponies could be close to each other, with two sharing an under layer of cloaks while being closer together at the base. “Shall we?”

Puca and Stone pulled a cloak over themselves, while Cadance draped one over herself. She looked up for a moment, her horn flashed, and a sphere appeared around them.

Puca looked around at the shield. “That’s a neat trick.”

“It’s a winter survival spell. It will keep the wind off of us and trap our body heat.”

“It’s a lot like being in a pod.”

Cadance shuddered, causing Puca to flinch.

“Sorry about that," Cadance said. "My time in a pod wasn’t all that pleasant.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I was impressed that you got out of one. The sedative they are laced with should have kept you out for days.”

“It did its job for a good while. I think that Chrysalis was weakened due to her hunger and having to use all the magic she did to hide herself from Celestia and Luna. If she hadn’t been, when she made the pod, I don’t know if I would have gotten out.”

Stone looked at Cadance, confusion on his face. “I thought Twilight saved you from the caves?”

“She did, after I got out of the pod that had been holding me. I was still dazed from the sedative and wouldn’t have made it out of the caves without her.” Cadence waved a hoof. “Enough about me, I’m curious about you.”

“I’m just an earth pony from Ponyville. There’s not much to tell.”

“Not ‘you’ singular, ‘you’ plural.” Cadance made a motion with her hoof, connecting Stone to Puca and then towards the hatch. “How did your group get wrapped up in this? Twilight wrote that you were coming, that’s how I knew to meet the ship, but she didn’t give much of an explanation as to what was going on.”

Stone smiled. “That’s a lot more interesting.” Stone gave her a summary of the events that led up to them being on ship, Puca occasionally filling in an occasional detail he left out. Cadance paid rapt attention. During the telling, one of her ears rotated towards the hatch then snapped back to facing forwards. “You’re group was right where it needed to be when Equestria needed it.” Cadence sighed. “It seems some part of Equestria needs saving at least once a month. I’m glad we have so many good souls to help us out.”

“That’s what makes living here so interesting,” Puca said, “the adventures and the ponies.”

Cadence shared a look with Puca. “I have a feeling that Stone left out interesting bits of the story.”

Stone blushed, when Puca answered her, “You could say that.”

“If you are trying to keep the fact that you two are close a secret, staying out here with her under a cloak is not the best way of going about.”

“I must protest two things. First, I wasn't aiming to ‘hide’ anything. I did not know if she wanted me to say anything to somepony we just met or not, so I kept quiet. Second, two mares going against one stallion is not fair.”

“You’re right, it isn’t fair.” Puca turned her head toward the deck hatch. “While he’s not a stallion quite yet, our eavesdropper will even things out.”

“I like that idea.” Cadance’s horn lit, and there was a startled gasp as the hatchway fully opened from its slightly gaped state.

A second later, wrapped in Cadance’s magic, Cobalt, carrying a weighty bag, floated from the hold. The hatch closed behind him, as he squirmed and floated towards the trio.

“A stowaway and now a spy, you’re getting quite a dubious resume for a colt your age,” Puca said.

Cobalt went limp, looking like a kitten being carried by the scruff of its neck, as he was brought inside the magic barrier. “It wasn’t all my idea. They were taking bets as to what you were talking about.”

“Who is ‘they’?” Stone said.

“Grayson, Freight, and some the guards,” he answered.

“At least Bonsmara and Fierce weren’t in on it.”

“They didn’t bet, because they thought it was kinda mean, but they were recording the bets and the odds.”

Stone sighed and rubbed his forehead with a hoof. “Do I even want to know what the odds were and what the guesses were as to what we were talking about?”

Cobalt shook his head emphatically.

“Now that you’ve caught the spy, what should we do with him?” Puca grinned, making a display of her fangs. “Perhaps we should start by asking him what’s in the bag.”

Cobalt thrust the bag towards Puca. “It’s just one of the bags of gems for Stone to eat! They stopped me before I could get up here and wanted me to find out what you were talking about.”

“Let's put him between you two, so he’ll stay warm.” Using her magic, Cadence adjusted the cloaks, Stone, and Puca, so that Cobalt fit comfortably between them. After they settled down together, Cadance spread a couple of the cloaks over the trio. “Then we thank him for bringing the gems and being so honest.”

Cobalt blushed and looked away from her. “You’re welcome, Princess.”

“Just Cadance,” she tapped him on the nose with a hoof, when he turned to look at her again. “Remember?”

His blush intensified, “Yes ma’am.”

“Ma’am?! I’m not that old!” She put a hoof to her face and playfully patted around her features as if checking for wrinkles. “I don’t look that old, do I?”

Puca laughed. “He gets formal, when he talks to a mare he thinks is pretty. He did the same thing with Rarity.”

“Puca!” Cobalt looked at her as if she had betrayed him to his worst enemy.

Cadance gave Cobalt a warm smile. “I’ll take it as a complement then.” Her smile turned devious, and she asked, “Would you do me a favor?”

Cobalt sat up straight and told her, “Whatever you’d like.”

“These two told me about how you came to be here, but they didn’t tell me about what is going on between them. Being the Princess of Love, I’m curious. Could you fill me in, since they don’t seem to be all that willing to tell me themselves?”

Cobalt matched her smile. “I’d be glad to!”

Stone tried to interject during Cobalt’s telling, only to be hushed by Cadance. “You had your chance to tell the story,” Cadence told him. “Since you didn’t, Cobalt should be able to tell it without being interrupted.”

“Here they are now,” Cobalt said looking at Puca, then Stone, after he finished. “Can you help them?”

“Cobalt!” Stone groaned.

“Help them?” Cadance angled her head as if confused, but her smile and the humor in her eyes indicated that she understood. “What do you mean?”

“They’re not special someponies yet, and they should be.” Cobalt looked at her hopefully. “Don’t you have any magic that can help?”

“It looks to me like they don’t need any help. In fact, they are doing better than most.” Cadance leaned closer to Cobalt. “They haven’t known each other a week, why do you think that they should be together so quickly?”

“She likes him, she told me.”

Cadance nodded. “Okay, that’s a start, but does he like her?” As if they had choreographed it, Cadance, Cobalt, and Stone turned to look at Stone at the same time.

Stone blushed, met Puca’s watchful eyes for a moment, then said to Cobalt, “I do like her, but-”

Cobalt sprang up and put both of his hooves to Stone’s chest. As he moved, he knocked over the bag of gems, spilling its contents across the deck. “If you like her, then that’s it! Make her stay!”

Stone pulled back in shock. “What in Equestria are you talking about?!”

“After this is over, she is going to leave!”

Stone, in a patient tone, told Cobalt, “I can’t force her to stay.”

“Don’t you want her to stay?!”

“It would be great to have her live in Ponyville, but I don’t want to pressure her into it. Think about it from her perspective. Wouldn’t it be weird to you to have somepony call themselves your special somepony and try to get you to plan your whole life around them if you hadn’t even known them for a week?”

Cobalt dropped his head in defeat. “I guess so.” He looked toward Cadance. “You don’t have a spell that could speed things up so they could be sure that they could be together, do you?””

Cadance shook her head. “My magic doesn’t work that way. I can help heal rifts between ponies, after they have formed a relationship. I can’t hurry or force a bond between ponies. That has to develop on its own.” She regarded Cobalt with a curious look. “Why is it so important they are together?”

“I want them to work. I owe him.”

“Owe me what?” Stone asked. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Yes I do.” Cobalt hugged Stone around the neck. “You didn’t think I was crazy, when I told you about the dreams. You helped me get through the Everfree, you helped me get the piece of Amore back, and you helped me find what I might get my cutie mark in. You’ve done so much; I have to pay you back somehow.”

Stone wrapped his forelegs around his brother. “If I hadn’t helped you, I wouldn’t have found out that I could eat gems. That’s a pretty good payback.”

“Then I don’t owe you for helping me find out what I might be good at, but I still owe you for the rest.”

“So I’m supposed to be his prize?” Puca guffawed. “I don’t know if I’m being flattered or objectified.”

Cobalt looked at her and stammered a couple of attempts to explain, but could not form the words.

“Don’t’ worry, I know what you meant.” Puca smiled at him. “What makes you think that I’m going to just up and disappear?”

“I thought you were going to have to leave soon.”

“Cranky isn’t planning on kicking me out, as soon as we get back, as far as I know.”

“Aren’t you going to go after all of this is over?”

“Not immediately. Right now, I have three part time jobs: adventuring, spying on Twilight, and working at Quills and Sofas.”

“How did you get the job at Quills and Sofas?”

“After seeing Twilight visit the shop a couple of times, I got curious to see what it was like and went in. I met Davenport, who mentioned that he was looking for some help around the shop, and things went from there.” She waved a hoof as if dispersing smoke. “Back on subject, truthfully I wasn’t planning on staying in Ponyville for too long after all of this finished up. I’ve been giving Kevin a bit of a break from watching over Twilight, while I was in town helping gather the nearby pieces. It’s really his gig to keep an eye on her and the Elements.”

Cobalt’s ears folded in disappointment. “So you are going to leave.”

“I had been planning to, if another big job came up, before I got to know the town. Since I’ve been in Ponyville, I’ve made some wonderful friends. I didn’t know if I could stay in the town or not, especially after the reception I got a couple of other places. There are towns that aren’t nearly as friendly as Ponyville. They treated me a lot like what I heard that Ponyville used to treat Zecora and worse. I was run out of Trottingham by the constables there.”

“That’s horrible.”

Puca shrugged. “That’s natural. I’m different. Different is scary and possibly dangerous. That my hive attempted to take over Equestria doesn’t help either.”

“Would you stay, if you could?”

“It wouldn’t take much to talk me into it,” she glanced at Stone. “Especially if somepony were to keep doing things to entice me to stay put.”

Cobalt perked up. “Like when he helped you with the guards at the castle?”

“That was a big deal, I’ll admit, but that was a cherry on top, rather than was has been really impressing me.”

“What has he done to impress you besides that?”

Puca patted the cloak under her. “Things like this. Helping me when I was exhausted, being courteous, bringing the cloaks up and sharing them with me, little things like that.”

Cobalt nodded, and then his expression soured. “I just hope he doesn’t get like Fierce.”

Puca snorted. “Little chance of that, Fierce is one of a kind and your brother too shy to act like a love struck puppy like Fierce does.”

“Does Stone have trouble expressing himself?” Cadance asked, smiling at some internal image. “Sounds like Shining Armor. When he first started to try to date me he could hardly talk.”

“Stone’s not that bad, but he’s so worried about ‘rushing things’ that he’s too restrained at times,” Puca said.

Stone sighed and looked up towards the airship’s envelope. “A stallion is too quick, he’s a chauvinist or just wants a good time, if he’s too well behaved he’s not interested.” He stated, with false heaviness, “There’s no winning for us.”

Cadance giggled. “It’s not quite as serious as you make it out, but it does take a touch. Thankfully, nowadays mares can be more aggressive and meet stallions in middle without it being a big deal.”

“That’s something I may have to take advantage of,” Puca said.

“How?” Cobalt asked.

“Doing little things for him like he’s done for me might be a good start.”

“Like when you helped him with the cut on his chin?”

“That’s a good example, but it might take a bit more than that to get him to express himself. We’ll just have to see.” Puca turned to Stone. “Speaking of your chin, Stone, let me see how the cut is.”

“It’s fine. Whatever you did really helped. It’s all but healed up. There won’t even be a scar, from the looks of it.”

“Let me see it,” Puca ordered.

Stone dutifully raised his head. “See? That stuff really helped.”

“It’s still not completely healed and most of the sealant has come off. Hold still.” Puca leaned in and kissed his chin.

Stone’s ears shot up, but he did not move his head. He cut his eyes over to Cadance and then to Cobalt, blushing gloriously.

After letting the kiss linger for a couple of moments, Puca drew back. “There we go. That should be enough. Leave it alone, until the sealant dries.”

“That’s one way to meet him in the middle,” Cadance said.

The ship lurched in the wind, causing the spilled gems to slide on the deck.

Cobalt slapped a hoof to his forhead. “I forgot about the gems! Stone’s supposed to be eating them!” As he reached for one, the ship lurched again, causing the gem to slide just beyond his reach. “Come back here!” After grabbing the half full pouch, Cobalt ran around the deck collecting the errant gems.

“We’re hitting turbulence due to the weather, be careful!” Cadance warned him.

“I’ll be careful, Princess!”

Cadance smiled and let out a small sigh. “I’m glad I stayed. I didn’t think about it before, but the ship would have been in trouble if it ran into the windigos without somepony with combat magic to hold them back.” She shifted on her cloaks and winced. “I think I found one of the gems.” She fished under the cloaks and drew out a ruby. She floated the gem to Stone. “Here you go.”

Stone took the offered gem. “Thanks.” He popped the ruby into his mouth and chewed.

“I have no idea how many times I’ve seen that done, but it makes me flinch every time,” Cadance said.

Stone swallowed. “I’m not used to it either. It takes a bit of convincing to get myself to bite down.”

“I think I got them all.” Shaking and with his teeth chattering, Cobalt stepped back into the shield. “It’s gotten really cold out there and there’s ice and snow building up on the edges of the bubble.”

Cadance lifted a cloak covered wing. “Come here and warm back up.”

Cobalt darted under her wing, which she wrapped around him. “Thanks,” he told her. In the process of snuggling against Cadance, he froze.

“What’s wrong?” Puca said. “You feel like you’re starting to freak out.”

“I don’t know if I should be doing this.”

“Why not?”

“She’s a princess.”

Cadance gave him an amused look. “So I can’t get snuggles from a colt because I’m a princess? I didn’t know that. Shining’s going to be disappointed when I tell him.”

“Shining’s your husband, that’s different.”

“I can keep freezing colts warm, if I want to, princess or not, if I happen to get snuggled while doing so, all the better.”

Cobalt still seemed unsure.

Cadence tucked Cobalt’s head under her chin, pulling it against her chest, and closed her eyes. “I’ll let you go back to your spot between them, if it would make you more comfortable, but you’re helping me by being here.”

“How? I’m not doing anything.”

“I’m scared about what we’re going up against. I’m scared for Flurry, Shining, the Empire, and the whole world. I want to fly off, get Flurry, and then find Shining, hug them both together, and make sure they are safe, and I can’t. Having you under my wing and keeping you warm is helping make that go away a bit.”

Cobalt looked to Puca, who gave him a confirming nod. He leaned against Cadance. “I’ll stay.”

“Thank you.” Cadance nodded toward the bag of gems. “Don’t forget those.”

“I have an idea.” Puca moved the bag so that it sat in the middle of the group. “We each pick out a gem for him; he eats it and then tells us the flavor.”

“I like it,” Cadance said. “I already fed him one, so I just want to know the flavor.”

“Rubies taste like cinnamon hots,” Stone informed her.

Cobalt reached into the bag and drew out an amethyst. “Here you go.”

Stone took the gem and chewed it. “Grape,” he announced. “It’s a very sweet and tangy grape.”

Puca drew a piece of amber. “This should be interesting.”

Stone tried the gem, smiling as he chewed. “It’s just like maple syrup.”

“That makes sense,” Cobalt said. “It’s fossilized tree sap.”

After few rounds, the variety of gems had been gone through and Cobalt’s head began to nod.
“Put your head down,” Cadence said. “You need to sleep.”

“I want to stay up a little longer.”

“We all need to get some sleep,” Cadance said. She shifted so that he filled the space in the curve of her body, his back against her chest. “We’re going to need our strength for tomorrow.”

Within seconds, Cobalt drifted off.

“Your parents should be proud,” Cadance whispered to Stone. “They raised two fine colts.”

“Thank you. They would be happy to hear that.”

“Are you going to camp out here with us tonight?” Puca asked.

“In a way, I’m going to be on guard.”

“There’s no need for you to do that,” Stone said. “After eating all those gems, I’m feeling wide awake.”

“You’re tired too,” Puca said.

“A little, there has been a lot going on, and I haven’t flown that far in a while.” Cadance sighed and gave her an odd smile. “It almost makes me want things to go back to the boring routine we had there for a while.”

“Almost,” Puca said, with a grin.

Cadance’s smile changed to a genuine one. “Almost.”

“You have a cloak, it’s nice under the bubble, you can see the stars, and you have a sleeping buddy. Enjoy it.”

Cadance put her head down, curled around Cobalt a bit more so that her chin touched the top of his head. Soon after, she completely relaxed and her breathing slowed.

“I’m sorry,” Puca whispered to Stone.

“What for?” he whispered back.

“I embarrassed you in front of the princess and your brother.”

“A little, but I’m glad you did.”

Puca cocked her head to the side. “Why?”

“I have to get over this hang-up of mine.”

“What hang up?”

“Being too conservative and not showing that I care about you more.”

“That’s not a hang-up. I’m bolder than you are with this kind of thing is all.” She poked him in the shoulder. “Whatever that feeling was, you’re going to have to fill me in. It felt like you were getting ready to jump off a cliff.”

“I was getting ready to take a plunge, in a way.” Stone gave Puca a hopeful, scared smile. “I’m falling for you. A lot faster than I thought I would.”

“I wondered what that flash of inspiration from you was, while Cobalt was talking.”

“When he talked about you leaving, I felt the floor drop out from under me. When you listed the reasons to stay in Ponyville, I started to realize how much I didn’t want you to leave and...” Stone dropped his eyes.

She put her nose under his chin and raised it up. Drawing back so that they returned to sharing breath, she rubbed a hoof over one of his encouragingly. “Go on.”

“How much it stung when you didn’t mention I was one of the reasons that you would want to stay.”

Puca’s ears snapped back in a display of pained sympathy. “Stone!” she hissed, and then glanced over at the princess and Cobalt. “Sorry, that was almost too loud,” she said, returning to a whisper. “You haven’t wanted to pressure me, and I didn’t want to pressure you by naming either of you. You would do anything for Cobalt, including put up with me when you really didn’t want to.”

Stone chuckled. “Come here.” He took Puca in his forelegs, and rolled so that he was on his side, pulling her along with him. “I want to ‘put up’ with you for as long as you want to ‘put up’ with me.”

She leaned her head back and hummed. “You feel warm.”

“It’s my coat. You can change to get warm too, if you want.”

“That’s not what I meant. You’re feeling warm and fuzzy. I’m glad I can make you feel that way.”

He shifted the cloak over them so that it covered them properly and wrapped a foreleg around her. “Are you comfortable?”

“Very much so.”

“Good. I am too.”

Puca angled her head so that she looked towards Cadance and Cobalt. “You two can give it up. I know you’re awake.”

Cobalt sighed dejectedly. “It doesn’t matter. He messed things up anyway.”

“Just how did I manage to mess something up?” Stone said, in mock indignation. “I confessed I like her romantically, I’m holding her, and she’s not protesting. What more could I have done?”

“When you tell somepony that you are falling in love with them, you’re supposed to kiss them fairly soon after,” Cadance pointed out.

“In his defense, that would be rather hard to do the way that we are laying right now,” Puca said. “This is just fine.”

“No, they’re right. You should get a kiss.” Stone kissed the top of her head, causing her ears to splay out.

“Stone!” Cobalt groaned.

“I don’t think that’s quite what they meant.” Puca looked up at Stone, pressing her horn against his nose as she tilted her head back.

“Really?” He kissed her horn, and Puca giggled. “Was that better?”

“Your brother’s a tease,” Cadance said.

“My brother’s hopeless,” groaned Cobalt.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

6792259 Was Siege of the Crystal Empire really that hated by the fandom?

[Starlight Nova]

Will Sombra appear or at least get mentioned in this story?

[Random_User]

7481087 Yes, Sombra appears in this story. He is only in one chapter So far, anyway. He will also show up as the story winds down.

[Random_User]

7481085 From what I can tell, it got mixed reviews. I think that some were looking for the Sisters to have a bigger role and were disappointed that they did not. Having them taken out the action to prevent a deus ex solution, again, got a ton of bad feedback. While it is certainly not the weakest of the comics' storylines, I would not rate it among the top either.