Expedition to the Cloudbreak Islands

by Starglider

Allies

The side chamber had likely been untouched for over a century; now the dark stillness was replaced by a bustle of activity as the tired explorers unloaded their gear. The room was sparsely furnished, with a few carved stone benches and tables, but richly decorated with geometric patterns and frescos. Blaze suggested that maybe it was for visitors to wait in when the cat-taurs were busy with one of their rituals, but that was just a guess.

The tension slowly drained out of the ponies and griffs, as they took the chance to feed and water themselves before the flight home. Reef Skimmer checked Grenelda's injury, while Melonwater took a nap on one of the benches. Sprocket levitated in the 'gift' the Oracle had given them for saving Te'summi: a kitten-sized replica of her light-blue form. Bemused, she set it down on one of the tables, wondering if back in the glory days the Oracle had an attached gift shop.

At length Set Sail trotted over to inspect the statuette. A beneficent smile was plastered on its face while the glazed ceramic eyes stared lifelessly back at the pegasus... then suddenly they were not so lifeless. "Hi Set Sail!" came a tinny little voice as the miniature blue golem began to pace around the table top, still grinning at the assorted creatures.

It was too much for Set Sail: the brown mare gave a goat-like bleat as she jerked back from the statue, then stiffly toppled over.

The tiny replica of Summer Sphinx let out a tiny, tinny, hollow giggle. "Don't worry, Set Sail. It's me, Summer Scribe! I just have to pretend to be the Oracle for a while. Turns out I can pretend really well, because I have the combined knowledge and memories of all the previous Oracles to draw on - well, like any of the previous Oracles would have, really. So it's an impeccable disguise. Indistinguishable from the real thing!"

Everycreature (at least those that were still conscious) was staring at the little sphinx; Summer beamed back, pleased with her own cunning. "So! As fun as this is... I am going to have to break it to the other sphinxes sooner or later. But until then, I want to help you both become friends, and maybe I can just let them down lightly by then?" She looks sheepish, a paw behind her head. "So, uhh..."

Sadly Set Sail couldn't appreciate the explanation, as she was out cold.

"...Set Sail? Hello?" Summer's brow furrowed. "Oh dear. Well, umm, the rest of you got that all, right?" She looked around again, her grin rather more sheepish this time.

"Sails!" Reef Skimmer blurted out. The hippogriff strode over and began checking for concussion. "Damn and blast. We already used the smelling salts on that spidrow. Captain Set Sail! It's alright Sails, can you hear me?"

“Wh—huh??” the pegasus said, rousing in his arms and looking up at the beaked face in confusion, “Oh I uh...” blushing she pulled free, zipping up to stand before him, staring at the ground and saying, “I-I must’ve passed out there. I think the stress is getting to me. I could have sworn that sphinx doll started talking to me!”

"Summer Scribe," Reef said, as if that was explanation enough. "One must do one's best to just... roll with her antics."

"You can make mini-mes?!" Grenelda squawked. "That's pretty cool. Like, you're getting the hang of this earthy stuff, yeah?"

Summer beamed, waving a paw up to Grenelda and finding her miniature perspective of looking up at a giant griffon amusing. "Well, sure, I'm getting the hang of it. I could probably spend a lifetime figuring this stuff out. But, yeah, I can make ceramic creatures based on anything I can clearly visualize and they do my bidding. I'm only 'in' one place at a time, but the others get the idea of what I want them to do - kind of like running off of my subconscious, so I just need to be careful to think thoughts good."

Sprocket just boggled at this crazy magic. The unicorn had once read something about a spell that would let a unicorn possess a doll, so you could communicate over a long distance, but it was in the 'ridiculously difficult stuff I'm never gonna be able to do' section of the book. Personally she'd just build a wireless set, but she had to admit there was a certain charm in doing it this way.

Seeing the captain back on her hooves, the mini Summer Sphinx sighed and tapped a paw on the stone surface of the table: clink clink. "Try to stay conscious this time, Set Sail! Do I need to explain everything again?"

“Oh, oh I thought... of course,” Set Sail said, restlessly pawing at the floor beneath her, “That’s... pretty brilliant, um, O-Oracle. You can speak to us through your statues of course. W-what can I do for you, your um... majesty?” She gave an appeasing smile.

Summer stared up at the pegasus for a moment then shook her head. "It's me, Summer Scribe. Really! You can drop the act for a moment. I want to help patch things up between the Ponies and the Sphinxes! Also, with that revelation about the pillars, it sounds like we won't be shutting the Eye off after all, yeah? Do we have a new plan?"

Sagging in relief, the brown mare said, “Oh thank Celestia. I didn't know if it was still you or... or if you had awoken the real Oracle somehow."

Summer could answer that definitively: "The previous Oracle found nothing but oblivion, unfortunately. I didn't swap mind with whoever was in the Oracle - my body got vaporized to upload me, so to speak." She side-eyed the pegasus, saying: "So I could technically get out if someone else is willing to trade places with me, but... I dunno, I kinda like it here?" Eh... maybe she should have kept that last thought to herself.

Set Sail nodded slowly, pushing the idea of swapping somepony else into the statue into her 'things I don't need to deal with right now' box. "Summer, the Eye is keeping the sharks from taking the Uberite, because it is a gift to the descendants of the island here!" she explained. "If we destroy it, they'll just strip the island clean, and their resources will be gone. But this way, the Fellissians can recover, by harvesting the pillars themselves, and giving it to the sharks!"

Summer nodded back: this all made sense. "So the idea is, everyone's happy, right? The cats have autonomy once again and can trade for the resources they want and learn to be trusting once more, the sharks get Uberite without having to throw trucks into the grinder, and we ponies get right of passage wherever we want for having untangled the whole mess."

"Yes, that's the idea." Set Sail paused a moment, taking stock of Summer's predicament. "So, how are you... doing? You don't seem too upset with being stuck in that strange statue."

Summer stretched her wings, taking a few paces along the table as she thought on that. "Well... I was lonely and restless for a while," she said at length. "But I had so much knowledge to absorb, things to learn and try and... Wow! Now that I'm out and about, I'm kind of enjoying what I'm capable of as the Oracle." The little statue gave a hollow-sounding giggle. "I'm just... nervous that I'll screw it up before I'm ready for the reveal. I hope this all works out ok in the end."

Reef Skimmer's brow furrowed. "You do seem to be enjoying yourself in there. Now this notion of cats and sharks getting along swimmingly... surely it isn't going to be that easy? That tiger-striped Abyssinian chap was downright paranoid, and the other tribe are engaged in open conflict with the sharks. Might be lives lost on either or both sides."

Summer Sphinx mimed biting her lip. "Mhmmmm... for sure, it's not something we can wave a magic wand and solve - they didn't reason themselves into thinking that the pillars were sacred artifacts, it was a superstitious leap of logic. But we now know the truth, and we just need to convince them of it, while also telling the sharks what they can expect from a new trade deal."

"We have Logoros's word - and, well, the Oracle's, heh-heh - that this can be believed..." she nodded enthusiastically, "But if we're to make this as good as possible for all of us, the deal should come from the Pony side, so that we get credit for making everyone happy. So - what do you think?"

“Well I ain’t volunteering for no swap,” Blaze Trails said, the red-and-green earth pony heading up to the sphinx kitten and squinting at it. “You were a right fool, you know that? Goin’ and touchin’ and takin’ things. You’re lucky you ended up with such a sweet deal. You could’a been worm food though! First you go waltzin’ into that levitation trap, and getting the rest of us in huge trouble to boot, and now this?”

Snorting, the mare concluded: “Your heart’s in the right place, but you gotta be careful. Think about what you do before you do it. They call us explorer ponies grave robbers sometimes you know, because some of us didn’t think ahead, went and grabbed something shiny, then got in huge trouble for it. I have half a mind to tell the sphinxes myself, before you get in more trouble!”

“S-she’s fine though!” Set Sail protested uneasily to Blaze, “She’s helping the sphinxes, and... and they really need help, so we can’t pass up this chance!”

“That’s why I’m not telling,” Blaze said crossly, “But you better not hurt those poor sphinxies when they’re trustin’ you like this. Even if we can, we’re not here to rob ‘em blind. We’re here to explore, make friends and that sorta thing.”

Summer Sphinx looked sheepish, rubbing a tiny paw behind her head as Blaze Trails chewed her out. "Eheh-heh... Yeah, I-I'm sorry. I really still don't know what came over me. It was like the Oracle spoke to me and drew me closer, but there was no mind in it when I found it...? Gosh, maybe I just made it up in my head. I'm really sorry, I shouldn't act like I have an excuse." She hung her head, trying to appear humble (or at least, adorable).

"Yes, I don't want to hurt the Sphinxes either. Not only would it be wrong to do, I think our best shot at shoring up our survival is making peace with both the cats and the sharks, now. So we're in this together until everyone's able to take care of themselves, right? Then maybe I'll reveal the truth. Please try to keep my cover until then. We in agreement, Blaze?" She looked up at the earth mare with that 'please don't think less of me because I blunder into every trap imaginable' look.

Blaze’s eyes softened at that, and she said with some sympathy, “Not everypony’s been around much as me. I know the first rule when things start drawing you closer is to back away and take a careful look at what’s really goin’ on, but you probably never even been mesmerized by an idol before. Just count your lucky stars it worked out okay this time, and don’t abuse the kinda power you got there, and I won’t have any complaints.”

Summer Sphinx nods calmly. "You got it, Blaze: I'm trying to take this as seriously as I can. ...For all of us. So here's hoping."

"What exactly does this 'Oracle' business entail?" Reef Skimmer asked, peering curiously at the little golem. "Are you their ruler now? Nekune did seem to defer to you. Do you know how many sphinxes there are? Any chance of them aiding us with the pirate situation?"

Summer looked thoughtful as she explained: "Oh, there's more Sphinxes around than you'd think. We're fine, just impoverished, a shade of our former glory. We have families, we have communities, we have rituals. And I am effectively their ruler, yes: their Most Important Po- Person. Though I don't have to make all the decisions: I'm more like Prophet than Bureaucrat."

"As to if they'd be willing to aid us with our Drow problem," she continued, "I suspect once they have their own affairs in order, they'd be willing to help repay us that way - perhaps even with all of Fellis united behind me. I mean, them. They certainly have the skill and magic to help - but first thing's first."

"Hmm. So... I take it we're leaving your real body - the big gold statue that is - here then," Reef deduced. "Can you still animate that little one if we take it back to the Harmony?"

Summer Sphinx shook her head. "Wish I could, but there's a range limit. So let's synchronise plans now, and execute them separately. I assume you're hoping to come by again, meet with the Sphinxes and convince them of a working relationship?"

“That’s the easy part,” Set Sail sighed, “The hard part is convincing them to work with the sharks. They’ve both been nothing but kind to us, but to each other...”

Summer Sphinx grinned. "Well, they are long time rivals and all that... So, we want to take a rational approach, yeah? They each have something the other wants and can both prosper for it. It's just business, as a shark would say." She grins. "Anyway, devil's in the details and all... but if we can convince them to be rational, I'm certain this is the play."

She cocked her head, thinking for a moment, then said brightly: "And I know just the place! There's this big building on one of the outlying islands, it used to be like the capital of the cat alliance! Where the mystics and coutatan - that's the bipeds - and sphinxes and lion-golems - they kinda went insane, long story - would meet up with their guests and allies. Just, uh, gimme a little time to set things up - say a couple of days? You can stop in, tell the sharks to expect an emissary from the Oracle, that'll make sure my messenger doesn't get shot at, hah."

There were a thousand more questions on the ponies' minds, but the afternoon was dragging on and everyone was keen to get back. Set Sail and Cloud Cutter took the crystals and flew up the central valley, leaving the others to rest while they retrieved the parked Second Chance. Summer made a show of appraising the bright pink aircraft and bidding them a formal farewell. Then the whirring copter took flight once again, the grey roc trailing behind and a pair of sphinx guards alongside as it flew over Fellis. Their escorts peeled off and returned home as they continued south, heading for Blissful Pastures.

---

The flight back was long, slow and cramped, the little copter packed to the brim with tired and injured creatures. Once again Reef Skimmer had to fly behind, the great grey eagle trailing by some distance as he wearily beat his wings. A cool wind picked up as the Second Chance whirred towards Blissful Pastures, ripping the last shreds of fog from the island.

The rounded bulk of their airship was still there, moored to the cliffs next to a meadow now decorated with tents and fire pits. There were new additions as well; a half-dozen colourful avian shapes, standing in a group along with smaller smooth-scaled bipeds. Off to one side a fire-feathered shape stood out: Sunburn, the Skylander dragon.

All eyes turned to watch the noisy copter as it came in to a landing in the meadow. Several ponies had cautiously emerged to greet the newcomers, with the griffon Gustus at the front: he was the only one who'd actually met the native griffons.

Sitting on the deck of the little ship, Azure Feather had been lost in thought, going over the events of the day again and again in her head. For all they'd achieved, it still felt like a failure to leave Summer Scribe behind, but... considering the risk she'd taking gaining her new 'position', it probably went as well as they could hope. Facing hundreds of spidrow on their home turf had been the heaviest combat they'd seen yet. Now it was time to get back to base, regroup, rest for a time before planning out the next move.

All that went out the window as Azure spotted the crowd of creatures gathered near the Harmony: griffons, gillfolk, of all creatures, who'd have thought they would be here? Of course her eye was immediately drawn to one creature in particular... oh, dear Celestia... Sunburn?! Ignoring her fatigue, she immediately took wing and glided down to land near Gustus. Azure bowed softly to the griffons and gillfolk as she passed nearby, heading straight for the Phoenix-Dragon.

Set Sail would've had joined her, except that she was piloting the copter. “What on earth...?” she asked, staring at the assorted visitors even as she worked the controls and settled the Second Chance into the grass. One quick glance to the others, a “Sorry, I’ve got to check this out,” and she was off, flapping straight over to the flock of griffons.

Seeing her mate chatting up what she assumed was the native griffon's leader, Grenelda opened her wings to follow, then squawked as she realised she still had that stupid bandage around one of them. The griffon instead leapt over the side of the copter, calling out “Last one there’s a rotten egg!” as she bounded over to the group of catbirds. She was not going to let any tall dark hen steal the heart of her beloved Gustus!

“Hot diggety are those the fishy folk?” Blaze said excitedly, looking the delegation’s way, “They say they’re not like anything you’ve ever seen!” A step that way, and she blushed, adding, “It’d be rude not to at least say hello, I mean.” Then she was scrambling down the latter to scamper eagerly off in that direction.

Cloud Cutter was left standing on the deck; she turned to Sprocket with a puzzled look and asked: “So the rest of us should wait here, or...?”

“Looks like politics to me,” the unicorn said, squinting at the group and shaking her head, “I’m gonna go find Static. Need to let her know I’m still alive. Heh, maybe even Gearshift.” She helped Melonwater off the copter; the earth stallion was dead tired, still drained from his transfer of magic to Te'summi. He took one look at the crowd of dangerous-looking creatures and then headed for the Harmony as fast as he his hooves could carry him.

Clashing Gale just remained at a safe distance, keeping an eye on the newcomers but not engaging. The batpony had been silent for the whole trip back, a hundred thoughts swirling in his mind. Summer's new position, Cloud Cutter trying to align to a second element, Azure's situation and his own fate, not to mention how to form all these potential allies into an actual alliance... Best that he just stand back and gather his thoughts; if he accidentally used his magical charms here it could kick off an unpleasant incident.

---

Of the five gillfolk present, Set Sail recognised three: the younger female and older male from the first group they'd met, and Brightfin, the teenage son of the chieftess who'd been keen to fight back against the drow even against his mother's wishes. The other two looked like they'd seen combat, bearing cumbersome weapons that might be harpoon-launching cannons, and wearing battered but serviceable armour.

"-and sure we're gonna take down those pirates," Gustus was telling a large black griffon with a scarred face and tattered feathers, "just as soon as- oh, hey, Grennie! Uh, 'scue me but that's my mate and she's looking worse for wear." He hurried over to meet Grenelda, the two griffs coming together in a feathery embrace.

"Set Sail!" Brightfin called out. "These fine feathered folk did see fit to carry us right over to meet y'all, soon as we'd finished 'splain' the sad fate that did befall the griffs that'd been stayin' with us, way back when."

“Oh! Brightfin!” Set Sail said in surprise, coming to a calmer landing as she saw some familiar faces here, “It’s good to see you again! Oh and... Indigo Burst, right?” she spotted the purple griffon, amonst the... very tough looking griffons he'd brought along. “I take it this isn’t just a friendly visit,” she concluded soberly. Blaze Trails hadn’t spoken yet, but was biting her lip, standing just a bit behind Set Sail looking the fishfolk’s way with an eager grin.

"If half of what I've heard is true, this is war!" the black griffoness growled. "We just got around to noticing! Be a pleasure to gut those drow, not an easy or a simple one though. Might as well be a fortress they're holed up in, and they got ships buzzing around all over. Indigo put in a good word for you creatures, said you saved his ass at the temple, so maybe we can make common cause exterminating those slavers." The hen gestured with a dark wing. "You're... kinda small I guess, but you got a tough looking ship there, least a couple of griffs and... guessing you can use that axe?"

"Yeah them little ponies are the bee's knees!" Brightfin spoke up, "They don't fear no drow and they got another griff too, he showed old Reedy a trick to banish the rot!"

Said hippogriff had in fact just caught sight of the crowd and picked up his pace, treating them all to the sight of a water-jet-propelled roc flying straight at them.

“War?” Set Sail said, suddenly feeling like she stepped into something she shouldn’t have, “I-I suppose you could call it war. My name is Set Sail and I’m the... acting captain. We’ve been getting ready to do something about the drow for a while now; so some of us have a few ideas for how to get them out of their shell. Sorry, I just...” She made an attempt at combing back her windswept mane, looking up and saying, “just got back from an expedition so I’m still a bit mussed up. Y-yes I can use the axe. It works better than a boat hook?” She gave an attempt at an awkward smile.

That drew a cackle from one of the other griffons; the black hen glared at him and he clamped his beak shut. Then she eyed Set Sail curiously. "Might not be the big dramatic kinda war that spreads 'cross all Skylands, but it don't make much difference when it's you and your flock fightin' for their lives, eh?"

The griffon's leader extended a claw to the pegasus. "Ebony Hail. Elder the of Windsheer Convocation and first griff of this here war flock. Just flew in ourselves so don't fret. How 'bout we have a little hunt, fill our bellies while you get unmussed, then talk battle plans over a nice fire?" She turned to stare at the approaching roc. "Uh, you got that thunderbird trained up or...?"

Set Sail glanced back, then jerked around to stare at the giant bird hurtling towards them. “One sec,” she said quietly, then shot off into the air, flying straight towards a head-on collision with Reef Skimmer.

The hippogriff-turned-roc had already begun to veer off, but at the sight of the captain coming up he back-winged furiously while shifting his water jets forward, coming to a near-hover just off the edge of the island. "Sails!" he cawed out, "one does hope those griffs come in peace?"

“Don’t you recognise the purple one?” the brown pegasus declared angrily to Reef, hovering before him, “From the Air Temple, remember?”

“I wasn't on that sortie!” he protested, "Rather, erm, indisposed. Down in the cargo hold."

Set Sail blinked, then blushed deeply, saying: “Yes they come in peace. Well, peace for us at least. I think we might’ve helped them realise why their people were disappearing around here. So they’re here to put a stop to it. At any rate it’s fine, they’re fine, I’ll deal with it, now please don’t collide headlong into us trying to save me. I have to get back before Grenelda says something very rude.”

The griffons stared at Reef Skimmer in shock as he glided down to a landing and reverted back into a tentacle-beast. He didn't meet their gaze, even more embarrassed than usual as he slowly squeezed himself into hippogriff form.

“This is Reef Skimmer, the ship physician, and... water elemental,” Set Sail said, as the great beast, currently shifting into a slightly less than great beast, landed safely beside her. “You remember Brightfin, and Lakeshine, don’t you Reef?” she asked, with a smile his way, “I think we’re all friends here.” At that, she turned forward, saying to the new griffons, “T-terribly sorry. We’re still out of sorts a bit. You must have had a long trip here too. Would you like something to eat? I’m told Abernathy charges a very affordable price for his ah... sheep.”

"Yeah, he's a hippo-griffon, I saw him be the biggest fish you ever seen!" one of the gillfolk spoke out. "Who'da thought they turn into thunderbirds too?" Slipscale wondered, "Guess that's kinda watery still."

"Never seen a griff with hooves," Ebony said, "nor a griff that got water in 'em, but that's a handy trick for sure. Price on the sheep you say? Who's Abernathy?" She looked around at the woolly morsels that had scattered to the far edges of the meadow. "If he ain't selling, bet we could find somethin' tasty in that forest, or is there a price on them too?"

“Not sure,” Set Sail said looking over that way, “Officially this is a sheep pasture, but it’s a little...” at the hundred foot tall twisted viney jungle, “...overgrown. He’s had a chompy problem too, just as a head’s up. Abernathy lives on the other side of the island. He uhm... manages this place, and has been gracious enough to let us set up camp here. I suppose we could visit him; it’s not too much of a walk.”

"Chompies," Ebony snorted. "Good, those harpoon-totin' gillies were itching for some target practice. So... you wanna walk?" the dark hen said dubiously, looking pointedly at Set Sail's wings. "Fine. How 'bout you and me go see this sheep-managing guy, talk shop on the way. Rest of my flock were all haulin' a gilly along with their usual kit, so they can take a break right here - unless that don't suit you?"

"Were that a lake I saw flyin' over?" the older gillman said. "Not that we're all dryin' out here, no not just yet," Scalesbrook explained, "but I got a coupl'a good nets right here and dare say I couldn't rustle up some nice tasty fish for our hungry griffon friends."

“N-no it suits me just fine,” Set Sail said, looking at her own wing with some confusion, “It’s a nice walk, and you can get a closer look at the jungle this way.” She smiled at Brightfin, saying, “The smaller lake has a pier on it, a good place for fishing I’d say. How about I show you two where the trail turns that way, and me and... Ebony Hail can continue onward.”

"Fine plan, to be sure!" Slipscale said. "Uh, you wanna come Backwash? Pick off any chompies that's foolish enough to bother us." One of the harpoon-gun-toting gillfolk grunted his assent, moving to follow the griffons.

"Perhaps one should escort you, Captain," Reef said protectively, trotting over with a band of blue goo still visible around his barrel. "In case of chompies, you know." He nodded to the gillfolk, saying "Ah that peroxide has worked wonders hasn't it. In combination with your salve of course. Fins in fine shape! Alas, we are still working on sourcing more of the stuff."

"Yeah it's, uh, workin' a treat," Brightfin said. "Yeah you go see if you can't find some dinner Scales, I wanna talk to these ponyfolk some more."

“That’s a good idea, Reef! Why don’t you come walk with us?” Set Sail said, smiling his way. “We did clear out the path of any dangers, but you’re always welcome to come along. You never know when we'll need help.” She turned to the others saying, “Alright, follow me everyp—wone, everyone who’s coming.”

Reef's beak cracked open in a pleasant smile, but inwardly he winced. His whole body ached from the pummelling he'd taken in the spidrow nest, but he could hardly turn down the captain. "Very good..."

The brown pegasus led the two griffs and two gillfolk away down the path into the forest, leaving the remaining creatures to make themselves at home in the meadow. Blaze Trails struck up a lively conversation with Brightfin, while Gustus introduced Grenelda to Indigo, who in turn introduced the other native griffons. With the tension broken, a few of the braver ponies emerged from the ship to start getting to know their visitors.

---

A dozen paces away, two creatures were having their own reunion. "Azure Feather," Sunburn said warmly. "Good to see you in one piece." The feathery dragon nodded at Grenelda: "Looks like your squad's seen some action."

A weary smile crossed Azure Feather's face as the dragon stated the obvious. "You go poking about in the caves and ruins of Fellis, action finds you, I'll say that much..." She gave a rough chuckle before looking right at him: "I have to say it's good to see you again. I... hmm." The rest of the words died in her throat as she thought about how the Champion of Air really looked just now... this mission really hadn't been her finest hour, she thought.

"Fellis, now there's a place that's been screwed six ways to Sunday," Sunburn said dully. "Not much left to save, even if the cats would let you. You guys just doing a random walk around your ship or... ?"

"Long story short, Sunburn, we're just trying to get allies wherever we can find 'em. We don't know the place nearly as well as you do, but there are a couple of strong possibilities for an alliance... not absolute certainties, either of them, but one can hope, you know?" Azure's wings sagged a little as her fatigue started to show. "Had to take some risks to get there: long-shot decisions paying off, let's say."

"Sphinxes, Mystics, Fellissians... all they're concerned with these days is territory, and survival. Might lure the former out with the promise of knowledge, but a straight up fight against a drow base? That'd take some convincing," the bird-dragon lamented. "Unless you found some functional leonoids?" he added hopefully. "Now those were wonderful creations."

"Sorry... no sign of those. I think Logoros said they used to live in the place that's now just a big crater?"

At this point Grenelda strutted up, giving Sunburn a beak-gape smile. “Hah, Fellis has more to save than you would believe,” she told the dragon, fluffing proudly, “We rocked that island, and now we’re gonna—oh, hi Set Sail.” The captain had taken a break from her own conversation to glare at the hen; Grenelda stared down nervously down at her claws.

Sunburn leaned over to bring his beak close to Azure's ear. "These creatures are proud but willing to fight with you, to destroy the slavers. Don't spend their lives without good cause," he whispered.

The dragon's words pierced Azure like a hot knife through butter. "Such is the way of any large-scale battle, Sunburn... I'm not the type to win at any cost. I'd much rather keep every single one of us alive rather than achieve complete and total victory."

"Glad to hear it," Sunburn said quietly to Azure. "Can't afford to lose more... decent creatures, 'specially ones that can fight, they're getting thin in the skies. So... you got a battle plan? Or... waiting for these potential allies to commit or decline?"

Sunburn stared at her for a moment, expression as unreadable as a griffon's. "Always plenty of creatures willing to fight. Too willing, if anything," he said darkly. "Not many creatures willing to fight for the right reasons." A pause then, "Dirt Sharks? Solid mercenaries, better technology than most. Expensive though. You found something that will meet their price?"

"We just might have." Azure said hopefully. "My guess, it's going to be all or nothing. Everyone's afraid of the drow defences. We either get both sides to commit to an attack, or neither will risk it. We'll just... have to see, I guess. Although I'll be first to admit: I'm not the best when it comes to large-scale battles. I know the principles, certainly - but this is a strange land full of strange creatures, and I don't have a perfect read on everything. I'll welcome any advice from anyone... or skill, comfort, anything."

"So if a gryphon wants the back line, or a particularly skilled gillfolk wants the front... it's their choice," Azure continued. "These creatures weren't drafted, they're volunteers, and I'll do what I can to make sure everybody's tactical experience is incorporated into our plan. We're all proud, resolute, hopefully united... but that isn't enough to guarantee victory. It's worth nothing if we end up grieving over dead friends." The pegasus mare fell silent.

Gustus elbowed Grenelda. "Look at 'em getting on like a stable on fire!" A pointed look, then: "Let's give them some space, darling."

Grenelda looked fit to protest, but with a blush and a frown the griffon huffed, “...fine.”

“Missed you,” Gustus said quietly, pressing up alongside her with a smile.

“No I missed you,” she said, smiling back as she met his gaze.

"You passed the trials, were crowned Champion for it," Sunburn was telling Azure, "to my knowledge no other creature here can say that. Ebony seems like a tough bird, she's been fighting Kaosians for decades, but ponies are the lynchpin of this alliance. If you don't take command - especially with sharks on board - you'll have four or five separate forces doing their own thing, allies in name only."

Azure's facial expression fell after the rundown from Sunburn, as she looked at the task at hand without rose-tinted glasses. "...So it's all on me... got it." She muttered, her body giving a shudder moments later. "I'm going to have to be perfect about this, then. No losses allowed..." The pressure was definitely on now, as she didn't want all of the Harmony's efforts to get allies to crumble because of her incompetence...

Sunburn placed a warm scaly claw lightly on Azure's shoulder. "Azure Feather. It's great that you value your allies, but an effective commander has to accept that loses happen. Sure, you minimise the risks, but you can't avoid them - not without conceding defeat, and that just brings danger of another sort. Don't torture yourself expecting the impossible. You don't have the..." an odd pause then a frown "...luxuries, that the Skylanders had when we faced Kaos."

Azure sighed. "I've already made too many mistakes. That's... that's all I can say. If it wasn't for the Captain's... will to accomplish the seemingly impossible, a thirty-to-one rescue mission... allying with the cats would've even be a possibility. I'll admit my latest mistake was trying to prevent that crazy stunt..."

"You can tell me about it later," Sunburn said, "I'm sure you've had a long day and require rest."

"Long day... yeah, you can say that." She smiled weakly. "Sorry, Sunburn... but I will say it's good to see you again." With a final bow, she retreated to the Harmony, quietly making her way up the ramp and then down to her quarters. Goodness, she couldn't remember being happier to see her little cot...

---

It was a bright, breezy and slightly chilly morning as Set Sail stood atop the EAS Harmony, the brown pegasus looking out over the pasture that lay below her and the jungle beyond. Her blue mane and tail ruffled in the wind, the former kept in check by her good old green kerchief. When had she started thinking of this place as home? A few ponies bustled around their little stand of tents, while the huge native griffons dozed in hammocks strung from the trees.

It felt familiar, and also safe, the acting captain concluded to herself, possibly the safest place they’d found since coming here. Everywhere else was full of dangerous ruins, hostile beasts, every single creature a meat-eating predator, and the aftermath of something terrible she didn’t fully understand. Yet she knew they couldn’t stay here forever. It was Abernathy’s good will that let them come this far, but she didn’t want to harm his pastures, his livelihood - none of them did.

They did not expect to come here finding the creatures of this land still struggling to survive. It felt like there was something missing, like there was a whole land missing, and the floating islands were just the fragmented scattered bits of it left for everyone to bitterly fight over.

She had made a decision, Summer did the exact opposite of course, and somehow this had gained them powerful allies. Sphinxes like the one of legend, mysterious creatures trading secrets like they were apples at the market. A leader who hid her face, even though she had nothing to hide. Set Sail knew Summer Scribe was wrong. She knew they had to be honest, and tell these creatures the truth. They had looked so full of hope when their great Oracle had returned.

She cast herself off into the void, wings catching her home, the air, sailing around the ship in a slow descent. Was she wrong about everything? Was she the problem, that Summer Scribe had been keeping in check all this time? Set Sail needed to find somepony she could talk to about that mare, and herself.

And who better to talk to about Summer Scribe than Blue Type, Set Sail decided, heading down to what passed as a laboratory on the converted warship. In the well-lit corner of the tween deck, an attempt at organization had exploded into chaos as possibilities and investigative leads have multiplied faster than they can be tamed down. Blue Type had been hard at work, learning as much as she could about this hostile world, so rich in history: trying to decipher its runes, learn its culture and lore, discover some kind of a pattern, anything that could be useful to the explorers out risking their lives for the crew's safety.

Without Summer Scribe around anymore to confer in, the hole in her heart had been filled up by workaholism: a desire to have something to show from all the misfortune their ill-fated expedition had suffered. Losing the lead ship, the crash landing that had crippled their engines, the transformations that slowly seemed to be claiming us one by one... If she could just learn something that'd avert even one more loss like Summer's...

“Hello, Blue Type?” Set Sail asked quietly, making her way carefully through the piles of artefacts. She stepped around a fallen scroll, and pushed another aside with her wing. Narrowly avoiding stepping on a crumbling book, she said, “Hello?” The lavender earth pony was sitting at the largest table, poring over a set of ancient-looking runes that Set Sail couldn’t hope to understand.

“...any luck in your research?” Set Sail asked, approaching the other mare with a sympathetic smile.

"Oh! Uh..." Blue Type tried to swap from 'juggling three things in her head deep research mode' to 'casual conversation mode' as she shakes her head down, turning to face Set Sail with a sheepish look. Pausing, formulating an answer to the question. "Ahem. Well... I haven't run out of questions to ask yet." She gave a light chuckle, the kind you give after realising your life's work had turned into a never-ending rabbit hole.

"This place is fascinating, but I have only little glimpses, bits and pieces of it here and there. How I'd love to be able to really piece it all together - plumb through historical archives start to finish, talk with the archivists - but, umm, everyone's far too busy, and everything too dangerous, for me to get a chance at something like that, so I'm just making do with what I can..." She lowering her head, releasing a soft sigh. "A-anyway, I just wish I could help more. Do you have something for me, Set Sail?"

“Actually I was hoping you could help me,” Set Sail said, settling onto her haunches beside the ponypologist. “You’ve been working with Summer Scribe for a while, haven’t you?”

Blue Type looked sad for a moment, then nodded her head. "Yeah - we were working together since before the expedition, in fact. Though under different circumstances. Umm..." Her eyes brimmed with interest. "You saw her, right? As the Oracle?"

“That’s right, and I’d... like if we could keep that between us for now,” Set Sail said with great unease, “Summer hasn’t exactly... told the sphinxes what happened yet. And that’s what I want to ask about. I told her not to tell them she was their great high princess or anything, but between me and Cloud Cutter, our signals may have gotten crossed, because that’s exactly what she did.”

Looking up to the ceiling where muffled activity from the top deck filtered down through the timbers, the brown pegasus said wistfully, “I was going to tell them everything, but I just don’t know anymore. I didn’t think this could ever possibly work, and yet... Summer is managing it. I didn’t realise how badly they wanted their Oracle back, and is it wrong to say that she isn’t exactly that? Mostly I just want to know if... Summer’s idea is the right way to go. I feel like I was wrong, and it wouldn’t do any good if we told the sphinxes, neither for them or us. But I just don’t know.”

Looking at Blue Type beseechingly, the captain said in an earnest worry: “I thought Summer was just a loose cannon, and here she is bringing us allies and friends. Am I wrong about that? I don’t know her as well as you do. Can Summer Scribe really be trusted to pull this off?”

Blue Type held a hoof to her face as she listened to the other mare's woes. "Oh, my..." she quietly murmured to herself. "On one hoof, it's a ponypologist's dream." A chuckle, as though aware she'd made a transgressive joke. "Just imagine how much she'll be able to learn - quite literally immersed in their culture and knowledge at the highest position! It is technically deception, but..." She pressed her hoof nervously to her snout, as though about to bite down on it.

"...Honestly. This is so much classic Summer Scribe. She'd get the most direct, most dangerous idea for how to get the results she'd want and fixate on it, consequences be damned. Worked better when it was something where she could absorb the risks herself than when it would fall into other people's laps. But I'm not surprised she'd be like this to the bitter end." Another low chuckle. "...To finish my thought. You said that the sphinxes really, really needed this, right? And... it sounds like she's giving them what they want. So let me ask you - do you think she's being a positive influence for them? And yes, the question of how to peel Summer away from them does remain open, but... one thing at a time."

“I... don’t know enough about them to say if she’s a positive influence on them,” Set Sail said, her tail swishing the deck in consternation, “The ones I’ve met make it seem like they’ve been able to do nothing but guard her statue and... fight a war of attrition with the spidrow. Given the size of the spidrow city, I’m not sure the sphinxes were winning.”

Less frustrated than when she came in, Set Sail met Blue Type’s eyes with a smile, saying, “But I do think the sphinxes seem to be a positive influence for Summer Scribe. If they ever suspect, don’t deceive them, but otherwise let’s just... let them think what they want to think, and see how things go. I’ll try not to underestimate her again.”

Blue Type furrowed her brow. "Well, that's what they were doing before the Oracle came back, right? Maybe with the Oracle's, well, Summer's powers, they'll be able to make some real progress. That's the hope, right? They get back on their feet and in return...?"

“Captain,” Cloud Cutter said, scaring the captain out of her wits as the purple pegasus was like right behind her. Looking up at the captain clinging to a ceiling beam, the empty eyed pegasus said plainly: “We can’t tell them about Summer Scribe. Blue Type needs Summer to be the Oracle.”

The earth pony was a little scared herself, stumbling back in a startle at the spooky pony's sudden interruption. "I, err, well... Whatever do you mean?!" She sounded curious... A bit taken aback at being spoken for, but... it was hard to deny the emotional resonance.

Cloud Cutter looked Blue Type in the eyes, hauntingly capturing her in that empty gaze. Then her gaze went to the captain again, telling the pegasus: “Sorry. Gustus said you went to go talk with Blue Type and I had to say something before you swiftly departed.”

She looked back to Blue Type, telling her evenly: “Summer Scribe, as the Oracle, has the combined knowledge of all the previous Oracles. Centuries of information on the history and nature of this place. She can translate everything.

"Not just everything Sphinx, but an expert on everything Skylands," the ponypologist said, her excitement manifesting as an uncontainable squirming. "Yes. Yes. We have to ask her about everything. She's absolutely indispensable, now. ... Hmm. I suppose it's not going to be as easy as just waltzing up and dropping her a line, right now."

She tapped a hoof on the floor. "Set Sail, I take it if we smooth things over with the Sphinxes, you'd be able to get some private time with Summer Scribe? I just need to compose a series of questions to forward to her via you, if that's okay..."

As the acting captain fluttered down to the deck, Cloud Cutter reassured her: “You really are fantastic at understanding people, and caring about them, but you’re not a scientist, so it’s perfectly fine you didn’t think of it. But the scientific value of this is a matter of life and death, so I had to intervene.”

“It... it’s fine,” Set Sail said with a dismissive wing wave, looking off distantly, “I’ll do what I can to smooth things over, if... I’m any good at anything. Sorry I didn’t realise—I mean—” she looked to the purple pegasus saying with a smile, “Thank you Cloud Cutter.” And then to Blue Type saying, “And thank you. I think I have a better idea of what we should do now.”

Blue Type nodded back with a quiet smile, feeling foolish for failing to recognise the true potential of Summer's condition. She guessed her friend's sudden absence made her feel... unavailable, lost in a way. "I don't know this is all going to turn out, but..." She ran a hoof through her mane, trying to calm her nerves. "I just know Summer Scribe's trying her best, in her own personal way. Let's make the best we can of this situation, okay? All of us together."

Author's Note:

This story is a collaboration between myself (playing Reef Skimmer, Melonwater and the natives), Patashu (playing Summer Scribe and Blue Type), Spearmint (playing Azure Feather and Clashing Gale) and Ferret (playing Set Sail, Cloud Cutter, Blaze Trails, Sprocket, Gustus and Grenelda here), based on an online RP.

This chapter is based on the second half of 62nd session (ponies chatting with Summer Sphinx), the 61st session (ponies meeting their allies back on Blissful Pastures - Patashu was sick so we just did that one scene without him) and a 1:1 RP with Ferret & Patashu (Set Sail, CC and Blue Type discussing the Summer Problem).

A little break from the action, some characterisation and moving the plot along ready for the next big scene - the summit where the New Fellissian Alliance will be born or lost.

Comments

[Gargon94]

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It will be interesting to see how it all goes down then.