The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

That Wasn't So Bad

"Hi," Valey said, hovering above a group of students with a polite grin. "Is there any chance you've seen a lilac filly with a stick and a big raincoat who looks way too serious and might have forgotten how to smile?"

The students looked at each other, scratching their heads. "She's with you, right?" a stallion asked. "Explorers from the north?"

Valey nodded. "Yeah, that one."

"I saw you two yesterday!" a mare offered. "Probably not recent enough?"

Mentally thanking them for their ability to stay focused and not be overwhelmed by her presence, Valey shook her head. "Any time since this morning. Think she went off to wander, and I've gotta tell her some stuff."

"Is it about the archives?" another mare asked. "I saw Doctor Lost an hour ago. He was calling all hooves on deck. Didn't seem to be too upset, though..." She rubbed an ear. "Almost makes you wonder if he set this up himself as a game. If someone rifled through my private things, I'd flip."

Valey pursed her lips. "Yep. Totally. She's probably off investigating too, or something, and I got a hot new lead I gotta share with her."

The students eyed her in interest. "You do?" the first stallion asked.

Valey winked. "Can't blow it and let the crook know we're onto them. Sorry, folks. But stay tuned for it to get interesting in a day or two."

Another group of wandering students came over and joined the first. "Hey, you're hanging out with Valey?" One shoved another's shoulder good-naturedly, giving Valey a slight thrill that her name was becoming commonplace among strangers.

"She's looking for that kid that was with her," a mare told the newcomers. "You know the one? You see her a few times and sort of know the face, but she clearly doesn't want the attention so you focus on Valey or Gerardo Guillaume instead?"

"Heh..." Valey grinned. "You guys are classy enough to pay attention to that? Thanks. She, uh, really doesn't enjoy it... but I am looking for her."

"Why wouldn't I pay attention?" The mare looked vaguely put-out. "I've seen you around. You love the popularity."

"Ehhh, some of students I've met have gotten a little carried away..." Valey wobbled a hoof, emphasizing just a little.

A newcomer with a deep voice raised a hoof. "You're not looking for the lilac kid with the raincoat, are you?"

Valey's attention snapped to him. "You've seen her?"

The stallion nodded. "Saw her in the window of a coffee shop looking glum as can be. Made me kind of worried about her, but what can you do, you know?"

"When and where?" Valey intently hovered closer.

He looked over his shoulder. "Fly that way, look for a plaza with a fountain, one block to the east and it has big windows. Can't miss it. Might have been half an hour ago, but she wasn't in a hurry."

Valey did a midair backflip. "Thanks, buddy. Tell your friends I said you're cool, and I owe you one. See ya!"

She sped away, leaving the crowd all smirking and the stallion with a starry-eyed grin on his face. "She said I'm cool... Hah, yes!"

---

The coffee shop wasn't hard to find at all. Valey saw no lilac fillies in the windows, so she started soaring in a broadening spiral out from the center, and didn't take long to catch a trace of a black rain poncho trailing forlornly along the road.

"Hey!" She flew in for a landing, hitting the ground with a roll just because she could. "Starlight!"

"Valey?" Starlight blinked and looked up.

Valey brushed herself off with her wings. "Been investigating?"

"I wasn't tired," Starlight replied. "Someone had to. I haven't had much luck."

"Well, guess what?" Valey put a wing around the tired-looking filly. "I found our sneaky schnook. Crafty criminal, rude rustler, what-have-you. Everything's gonna be peachy. Thought I'd let you know."

Starlight slumped heavily in relief. "Really?"

Valey nodded, aware that ponies were watching. "Here, hop on. Let's fly and talk?"

Soon they were airborne, flying in circles around the island as Valey laid out what Lavender had said and the plan for the following night. "So since we're gonna be up again after sundown, I figure I'll stay up a little longer, stretch my legs, and then go back and sleep the rest of the day away. You got any plans?"

Starlight was quiet.

Valey rolled on her back, positioning Starlight on her chest so she could see the filly's face as she flew. "You're less-alright than last night. I figured this investigation stuff might get you down, but you still don't look good even though it's over. The guards are on our side, so's the professor, we've got an agreement with the culprit, the students like us, our names are as good as clear."

"I met Doctor Caballeron," Starlight said. "He recognized me."

Valey blinked. "From your hometown?"

"I didn't ask a lot of questions," Starlight replied. "He might think it's someone else, since he thinks I'm from the north. But I didn't react well and he's suspicious."

Valey exhaled. "You don't wanna find out what he knows?"

"I'm afraid," Starlight said, downcast. "But I need to know. But I don't want to find out by myself. I don't even know what he knows. Maybe he knows nothing I don't, or maybe he knows about things I didn't even know to be worried about."

"You," Valey insisted, booping her to snap her out of it, "are gonna get a look from Felicity whenever I don't owe her the world's best beauty sleep. Remember all the stuff we talked about last night?"

Starlight nodded. "I went out and tried to help investigate and solve problems. I just ran into more than I was ready for."

Valey sucked her cheek. "...Okay, new addendum to everything I told you last night: being a lonely hero is still pretty lonely. Thanks for doing it, but we were safe for a while. Could have waited for me to come with you."

Starlight sighed. "Sorry..."

"I hope that apology is to yourself," Valey prodded. "You're the one feeling bad. Hey, want to solve an easy problem with me?"

Starlight tilted her head.

"Someone told me there was a ship from Griffonstone in the bay this morning," Valey said. "I've seen it as I've been flying around. Not our friends, unfortunately, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's our other friends with the sound stone. Whom I've never met. Wanna go see what they want? Greedy griffons are exactly the kind of thing we can wipe the floor with if things get out of hoof, and I need some exercise."

"Okay," Starlight volunteered, putting on a braver face. "I never met Gunther either, though."

"Then let's hope it's him." Valey grinned. "He might have had his fun with Birdo, but we'll see what he's got against the Dream's big guns."

---

The griffon ship wasn't quite a frigate, but it was hardly humble, either. With two masts, it matched the Dream in length, but was significantly fatter, and as Valey and Starlight flew closer a griffon was visible snoozing in the rigging.

"How much you wanna bet they're all in town?" Valey whispered, gliding to a stop on the marina.

The ship was moored at the university docks on the northeastern edge, as opposed to the commercial ones at the southwest tip, and a huge crowd of students filled the beach, waters and walkways to the south. That was where the island's population spent their weekends, apparently... But a sizable crowd had gathered around the griffon ship as well, including a few harbor officials who were doing duty as guards.

"Look! It's Valey!" someone called, and the crowd's attention turned.

"Hey, dudes." Valey waved, Starlight perched on her back like a hooded crow, trying to hide yet doing a terrible job of not calling attention to herself. "What's going on over here?"

Several ponies talked over themselves at once, each blinking and trying again. Valey grinned and rolled her eyes at the chaos. "Lemme guess: there's a boat?"

One of the official-looking ponies pushed her way over, wearing a tight, pocket-covered uniform shirt that Valey decided would look incredibly hot if she fell off the dock and got wet. "Valey, right?" she said. "The captain of this ship has been asking to speak with someone from your party. Are you familiar with a Gunther of Griffonstone?"

Valey clicked her teeth. "Heard of, never met. And he's holed up inside? Bananas, he doesn't know what he's missing out on."

The official mare completely missed the subtext. "We don't see Griffonstone griffons voyage to Kinmari often. But he said you're welcome aboard." She nodded to Starlight as well.

"Well, let's see what he's got." The ponies gave Valey space to take off, but she didn't even need her wings to nail the jump to the deck, and felt like showing off. "Hey!" She flicked her tail upon landing, looking for griffons. "Anyone home? Where's your boss?"

A napping griffon who was exactly the same color as the pile of rope, sails and supplies she was napping on raised an eyebrow. "Are you his problem, or something? In there."

Valey whistled, heading to knock on the door. "Friendly bunch, aren't you?"

The door opened, and a younger, dark griffon in a black suit regarded her, his crest looking like it had been deliberately slicked two directions at once. For a moment, his eyes pierced hers. "I don't know you."

It was a greeting, and Valey returned it. "Welcome to the club, buddy. Some hottie down there was saying the captain was looking for ponies from up north. You the captain?"

"Heh..." Gunther gave an approving grin. "I like you. You have the look of someone who knows just what to do when something's taken more seriously than it deserves." He offered a talon. "Gunther. Who's the kid?"

"A friend." Valey shrugged, bumping the talon and watching for danger, though her cutie mark was dim. "So, what's up?"

Gunther's grin turned to a frown. "You able to get something to Gerardo?"

"Should be." Valey nodded. "He's on a weekend camping trip with some students, or something, so not today, though."

Gunther reached into his suit and withdrew Valey's old flash club, modified to power a sound stone instead. "Here," he said, offering it to her. "I like to limit my debts, and it wasn't feasible to return it near the border. We're even, now."

Valey took it and blinked. "Uh, wow, thanks." The other sound stone was with Shinespark on the Dream, come to think of it, so with this one with her... "Anything else?"

"Not unless you have a penchant for chitchat." Gunther shrugged. "No charge. You look like you can buy whatever you want through fame alone, and that's not something that interests me."

Valey tilted her head, not sure how to read this griffon. "Uhh... You wouldn't happen to know how far away the ship with my friends is, would you?"

Gunther shrugged. "We passed a tugboat going to get them a while ago. Hard to make the fastest time when your crew doesn't know the meaning of ethic, so I wouldn't use our speed as a comparison. But they'll be here eventually."

"Do you... want me to let Birdo know you're asking after him, or something?" Valey asked.

"You could." Gunther shrugged again. "Don't take it as a promise, but I might hang around for a few days. Not a lot of other pressing obligations in the world."

Valey glanced at the shipdeck. "Yeah, your crew here looks really eager to hit the high seas."

Gunther chuckled. "They already know I'm not paying for the return voyage. If they want to see their home again, they're going to have to sail this thing for free. There hasn't been much enthusiasm." His eyes shifted. "But Griffonstone is a dump, so it's hard to blame them. I'm in the market for a new hobby, myself. You look like you've been enjoying yourself. What does this island have to offer?"

Valey glanced back at the door. "What, Kinmari? Hordes of attractive, adoring fans who require you to have a literal goddess's royal guard on hoof to get any sleep. And coffee shops, which I just learned an hour ago. Gotta try one of those..."

Gunther snorted. "Well, I'll let you two go about your way. And pay me a visit if anything interesting happens. You won't be interrupting anything important."

"I'll tell Birdo." Valey flipped the flash club, caught it, turned to leave... and blinked. "Oh, by the way, How are you in a fight? Or for strength and speed in general?"

Gunther frowned. "Do you have to? It's a sore subject."

"Good enough to care?" Valey nodded. "Maybe you should go play sports with the locals. They'd probably dig it. I dunno. Anyway, see ya!"

"See ya."

Valey took off, building altitude rapidly. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked, flipping the club again.

"No," Starlight decided, taking a deep breath. "It wasn't."

"Feeling any better?" Valey gently pressed.

"A little," Starlight admitted. "Thank you."

"Heh." Valey lazily spiraled. "You feeling like going back to bed? You were up almost as much as I was last night, and awake earlier to boot."

Starlight nodded. "Maybe. I'm still thinking about Doctor Caballeron."

"You wanna go look for him together?" Valey asked. "If there's something that's this much on your mind, either you're gonna need to face it or find a real good distraction."

Starlight bit her lip. "I feel more like I need to prepare than be distracted. What kind of distraction?"

Valey blinked. "Yeah, never mind, sorry. Got my mind on a certain distraction of my own right now..." She dived, corkscrewed, held Starlight close and blazed over the recreational beach in an attention-grabbing trail of green, soaring past easily two hundred students who were sunning, swimming or playing games.

A few shouts and cheers reached her as she pulled up, realizing with slight embarrassment that she probably should have warned Starlight before doing that. "Yeah..." She held Starlight with one hoof, hovering and rubbing her neck. "I might be enjoying this too much, and you're way too young to have fun teasing these kids yourself. You alright?"

Starlight tilted her head. "Alright from what?"

Valey gave her a look. "Crazy corkscrew dive without warning? Didn't want to make you dizzy or give you vertigo."

"Oh." Starlight shrugged. "My horn was much worse when I used to overuse it, and it lasted for days. I didn't even notice that."

Valey blinked slowly. "You know dealing with the dizziness is the hardest part of stunt flying and doing flips and tricks and stuff, right? And like half my fighting style? I had to practice forever to be able to go my fastest without disorienting myself, and it's still the part that takes the most focus."

"I've been living with my horn for a long time too," Starlight replied.

"Bananas, now I wish you could fly." Valey did a casual flip, then started gliding into another dive. "You'd probably be a natural. Heh... Wouldn't that be fun to see?"

"Maybe..."

---

Some time later, Valey strolled with Starlight into the Laughter dorm, her mane ridiculously windblown and her beret perched perfectly on her head. Starlight looked the same.

"Hey, Ironflanks!" Valey greeted, waving to where Maple sat with several students on a ring of couches, the lounge fuller than it had been in the afternoon yet still guarded by watchful guards.

"Valey! Starlight?" Maple looked up, breaking off a conversation. "You look happy. Good news?"

Valey shrugged and set Starlight down. "Yeah, we got some leads, I'll fill you in tonight. Also got this back." She juggled the flash club. "I need to crash, but you can give Sparky a call if you want. Kinda want to wait and see her first reaction to how I'm doing in person..." She grinned, setting it near Maple. "Also, Starlight and I have been practicing stunt flying."

Maple and the students all blinked. "Aren't you a unicorn?" one stallion asked.

Starlight nodded.

"She's a unicorn with a cool raincoat," Valey corrected. "And if she holds it and uses her magic just right..." Starlight crystalled a corner of the poncho to one of her hooves for emphasis. "It makes a passable glider. Not a good one, but we could get a skydiving thing going on."

"It's good enough," Starlight mumbled. "This is how I survived the first time I fell. And I've fallen from enough high places it seems like a good idea, right?"

Maple's eyes shone with interest. "I would love to see that sometime."

"Oh, we'll show you." Valey winked, heading for the room where she had slept. "In the meantime, I'm tired. See ya tonight. Be ready to stay up late. I gotta crash."

Nobody followed her, and the guard by the door let her through, his companion guarding the professor's office. Valey slipped inside, sneaking quietly... and detected Felicity's slumbering form, once again buried beneath a luxurious mound of blankets.

"Hey," Valey whispered, fairly sure she was asleep. "I know things kinda got interrupted last night and I said I owed you one or two, and I kinda spent my day teasing hot mares and stuff and might have teased myself a little too, so move over and lemme share."

Comments

[Phoenix Kitten]

Valey is going to have a harem at the end of this I bet.
She's going to be bedding Shinespark, Maple, Amber and Felicity.

Hey, you got your moon rock sister backing you up now, Starlight. Anything Caballeron has to say might interest her too.

[KMCA]

9961021
Moonsister has such a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

[Boopers]

Can't wait to have Shinespark join the pony pile. But she'd probably prefer lying on a table instead of that bed...

[Oberth Effect]

Well this was a relatively relaxed chapter. Nice to have them from time to time. Here's hoping Starlight's paragliding skills come in handy one day (well, it'd be interesting for the reader at least; I don't think Starlight would appreciate being put into a situation where she needs to use that particular skill).

Valey is enjoying this entirely too much, not that she doesn't deserve it. Wonder if she'll ever tire of it.

[Venlinelle]

"Bananas, now I wish you could fly." Valey did a casual flip, then started gliding into another dive. "You'd probably be a natural. Heh... Wouldn't that be fun to see?"

Now I really hope Valey gets to see Starlight fly, and maybe even help teach her. I’ve theorized for a while that the final chapter is the first time she flies, so I’m not banking on that, but it’d be sweet nonetheless.

EDIT: Fingers crossed for Starlight showing off her flight to Valey in the reunion that may or may not happen!