Awakening, a Crossout Tale

by Gingerquill

Awakening, Chapter 3

Sparkle gazed in wonder as the ground drifted past below her. She marvelled at how the sleek yacht could fly without the apparent need of any mechanism for generating lift. It had no balloons, no downward facing engines and the graceful curves of its hull, though stylish and attractive, weren’t shaped to generate lift. While pondering the mystery she felt the wind tickling her feathers, tempting her to flight. Reflexively she flexed her wings a little, to better feel the air rushing past.

“Now, now, I know that look.” Charity chided her from the helm at the fore. “More than one new Pegasus has fallen out of the sky by overdoing it. You need to practice and build your strength first.”

Sparkle chafed at the persistent mothering. She felt strong, ready to fly and she’d been itching to start using her wings again, to feel the wind in her feathers once more. But Charity was always determined to keep her hooves on the ground.

“So how does Elegance fly?” She asked, pushing her irritation aside by changing the subject. She was genuinely curious in any case.

“Aetheric ballast. It’s a piece of pre-cataclysm technology we’ve been able to salvage and repair.” Charity smiled proudly. “My friend Sunrise could explain it, he understands much better than I, but it’s something to do with ambient mana and maintaining a charge in the system. We’re trying to reproduce the technology, with some success, but material shortages are slowing things down considerably.”

“We?”

“The Engineers dear. As well as providing aid to those in need, we try to recover and rebuild what we can.” Charity explained further. “The World That Was left behind some remarkable sorcerous technologies.”

Sparkle rested her head on one hoof in contemplation for a moment. Something was tickling her mind, if only she could…

“Aetheric ballast… you’re talking about Aether-lift!” Sparkle exclaimed, surprised to find she suddenly understood what Charity was talking about. Like turning the page of an old favourite book and remembering what had been written, the knowledge was suddenly there waiting for her. “It’s similar to altering density in water with air tanks, except it reacts with ambient mana.”

“Why yes…” Charity confirmed slowly. “I’m surprised you understand.”

“Not as surprised as I am.” Sparkle’s excitement dimmed slightly. Was there more information sleeping in her mind, just waiting to be awoken?

The two fell into awkward silence again, as though neither was quite sure what to do with this new revelation. At least it felt awkward to Sparkle, Charity appeared quite happy piloting Elegance.

“What happened to the World That Was?” Sparkle abruptly asked.

“Haven’t a clue I’m afraid. No pony does. We’ve found almost nothing by the way of recorded history. A lot of ponies have different theories, but unless you know a good time travel spell it will doubtless remain one of the great mysteries that may never be solved.” Charity shrugged, sounding oddly resigned as she spoke, though her answer did nothing to assuage Sparkle’s growing thirst for knowledge.

Sparkle realised she was just trying to distract herself from the real question nagging at her mind. She almost didn’t want to ask, as if she were afraid of the answers, but she needed to know.

“Charity, who was that last night?”

Charity fell quiet at the helm and didn’t answer at first.

“That dear, was Crash Maniac.” Sparkle expected her to continue, but instead she was quiet for a few moments, as though pondering with her own thoughts.

“She’s the leader of the Shadowbolts,” Charity finally spoke, “one of the more notorious Lunatic clans. Not as needlessly violent as some, but brutal none the less. That said, should you ever cross her path I’d be careful if I were you. It’s rumoured she harbours a particular dislike of unicorns and takes great pleasure in cutting our horns off.”

Sparkle shuddered.

“What drives a pony to… that?” She simply couldn’t find the words to describe last night’s violence, a sheer insanity she couldn’t have imagined. Once again, Charity was slow to answer, and when she did there was a sadness that Sparkle wasn’t sure was meant for her or not.

“You hear rumours. Not everypony is as lucky as you I’m afraid. Some find themselves in company where strength alone is respected and only the ruthless or savage thrive. Some aren’t found by civilised ponies in time and are lost and broken by a wilderness too cruel for them to cope with.” Charity said. “They tell all manner of stories about Crash Maniac. That she used to be a slave who murdered her owner. That she was the first Lunatic, driven insane by the horrors of the darkest night and she’s now hell bent on tearing down anything sane. Some say she’s simply addicted to speed, crashed once too often and finally shook her sanity loose.”

Charity shook her head wearily.

“Nopony knows the true story, except for Crash herself of course. Good luck getting her to spill the proverbial beans.”

“It’s scary to think a pony could be so lost inside, so damaged and full of hate.” Sparkle mused sadly, remembering the scream of pure hate and rage. Yet disturbed as she was, she wanted to know more, a morbid curiosity driving her next question. “What else do you know about the Lunatics?”

“Not much.” Charity admitted. “It’s said they worship the ‘Night Mother’, a dark patron who cloaks them in midnight to keep them safe and hidden. They appear only at night, using her darkness to ambush their victims before… well you heard the music and saw what they do. It’s all for plunder, trophies, and slaves, to prove themselves to the Night Mother. They make offerings of their prizes, captives and spoils to her, before descending into crazed revels.”

Sparkle was chilled to her soul, trying to imagine ponies inflicting such horrors upon each other and then celebrating it of all things. She couldn’t make sense of it.

“Why hasn’t anypony ever tried to speak with them?”

“Whatever makes you think we haven’t? But unless you’re offering tribute, they’re simply not interested. Sometimes, not even then.” Charity sighed. “We even tried to follow them back to wherever they call home, but somehow they leave no tracks. They take what they want, plunder and captives, and then disappear into the darkness.”

Sparkle fell quiet again. How does one communicate meaningfully with ponies you can’t find and who are only interested in tribute and stripping settlements bare?

“There must be a way…” She mused.

“Well, it will have to wait.” Charity gestured for Sparkle to join her at the bow and pointed ahead of them. Sparkle came up next to her and saw what she was pointing at. “It’s time for you to meet the Rock Clan.”

---

“Our apologies, it wasn’t our intention to startle you all.” Charity spoke a little nervously under the watchful guns of the Party Cannon. “Freemarket was attacked by Lunatics last night and we felt it best to catch up as quickly as possible to warn you.”

“You were very lucky not to have been attacked.” Sparkle added.

“Pft! Luck had nothing to do with it.” One of the four mares before her spat. “Not even they’re crazy or stupid enough to mess with the Party Cannon!”

Her name was Molten Rock, which Charity had warned Sparkle was probably a reference to her notoriously short temper. She had a grey coat, a paler mane and yellow eyes and though Sparkle had only known her for a few minutes, she got the impression the scowl she wore was a permanent facial feature. Like three of her four sisters, her cutie mark was mostly rocks, though hers showed a half a lime. And Sparkle had to admit, the machine towering behind her at the core of their small convoy was a monster. It looked for all intents and purposes like some pony had taken a mighty locomotive engine, complete with a large plough over which pointed a pair of quad heavy machine guns, mounted an oversized twin barrelled cannon on its back and then raised it up on six heavily armoured, spider like legs.

“It is certainly impressive.” Sparkle said, her eyes drawn upward to glance at the beast.

“We were going for intimidating, but I supposed impressive will do.” Came another voice with all the energy and emotion of a boulder. Her name was Solid Rock and while she bore more than a passing resemblance to Molten Rock, her manner was a total contrast. She appeared utterly impassive where her first sister was fiery. A third sibling, Quiet Rock, was still trying to hide behind her long mane in an effort to remain unnoticed.

“Oh, c’mon you guys give them a break w’don’cha?” The final sister spoke up. A pony more different from the other three couldn’t be imagined. While the other three were all in shades of grey, this one was a vibrant pink. All pink. Even her fluffy springy mane was shades of pink. Her cutie mark was different too. While the others were all rocks of some form, hers was three jolly party balloons, no doubt the reason why every pony called her ‘Balloons’. “They took the time to come and warn us, didn’t they? That’s so nice of them.”

“Depends what they want.” Molten growled, still glaring at Charity and Sparkle.

“Urgh.” The pink pony groaned. “Don’t mind her, she’s just a grump, like, all the time!”

“Others might call it sensible caution.” Solid droned. “What do you think Quiet?”

Quiet responded by making a quiet squeaking noise and trying to retreat, only to be pounced on my Molten.

“Ha! See, she agrees with me!”

“Does not!” Balloons argued, “Besides, you haven’t actually made any points for her to agree with yet! So, ha yourself!”

As the sisterly argument began heating up, Charity and Sparkle shared a look. They were thinking the same thought. How did the four of them ever manage to form a functioning clan together? Charity politely cleared her throat.

“Forgive me for interrupting, but we seem to be coming off topic.” The sisters gazed fixed on her, with varying degrees of ferocity and Sparkle thought she did a magnificent job of not flinching. “We did actually have another reason for finding you.”

Molten cast Balloons a quick smug look, and Balloons stuck her tongue out in response, but neither said anything so Charity continued.

“We’re here to ask about the… incident, with the Tillers back in Freemarket.”

The mood abruptly changed.

All eyes were on Charity now, sisterly bickering forgotten and even Solid’s marble exterior seemed to harden. Sparkle could feel the hostility coming from the Rock sisters now. Except for Quiet who for the first time emerged from behind her sisters. Strangely, though Sparkle could only see half her face under her mane, it wasn’t enmity she could see. It was worry.

“What about it?” Balloons growled, startling Sparkle with her sudden ferocity.

“We’d like to know what happened.”

“What’d those mud diggers tell you?”

“Not a lot. I’d like to hear it in your words.”

The sisters looked at each other, and at Quiet especially. She retreated a little further and the others instinctively moved to surround her protectively. It didn’t seem to comfort her very much.

“Big Red, he keeps sniffing around.” Molten growled.

“Yeah, been following Quiet, it’s kinda creepy.” Balloons agreed. The two of them seemed to be the more vocal of the sisters.

“One night he had too much to drink and started making a ruckus outside our camp.”

“I’d say it was more of a fracas.”

“It doesn’t matter Balloons, he’s been hassling our sister for too long! He overstepped the mark and got what was coming to him.” Molten sounded oddly satisfied with herself saying that. But again, Quiet remained oddly withdrawn.

“Well, be that as it may,” Charity replied, “I fear this situation may spiral out of hoof. It’s jeopardised the agreement between your two clans to share the valley.”

“Perhaps for the best.” Solid replied. “I fear it was only be a matter of time before our clans clashed over the rights to it.”

“I’m sorry, what lands are we talking about?” Sparkle had been mostly left out of the conversation so far and felt a little lost.

“Wow, you are new.” Balloons sucked in a deep breath. “It’s the Valley of Serenity which is like a totally serene place with clear rivers and water falls and trees and stuff that’s surrounded by ore rich mountains with old mines which is why we want it but the soil is also super fertile like the most dirtiest dirt in the whole dirt world which is why the Tillers want it so we’re kinda butting heads over who actually gets to own it.” She finished with a gasp.

“Balloons babbling aside, Serenity has great value for both our clans.” Solid’s droning voice carried weight, if not emotion. “We are grateful for Charity’s help in arranging the agreement to share, but I doubt it was ever going to last.”

“Why not?” Sparkle asked. “If you agreed to share it once, why can’t you do it again?”

“How about the pot shots they’ve been taking at us?” Molten snapped.

“They’ve been shooting at you?”

“Quiet was making one of her surveys of the valley when she was attacked.” Solid spoke.

“Are you sure it was the Tillers?”

“No one else but those mudders around to take a crack.” Molten added. “Your guys Shield and Sunrise will tell you more. We’re moving on.” She finished, calling to the rest of the convoy as she turned and headed back to the Party Cannon with the other sisters in tow.

“Two more Engineers,” Charity whispered to Sparkle before she could ask, “they’ve been working on a few jobs for the Rocks.”

“Would you mind if I had a word with Quiet?” Sparkle chimed in, stepping forward towards the departing sisters. “I’d like to have a chat with her if that’s alright.”

“Knock yourself out,” Balloons spoke cheerfully, much to Moltens chagrin, but she remained silent, “you can ride in the Party Cannon if you like.”

As Sparkle started to follow the sisters, Charity pulled her back and spoke quietly.

“Darling, are you sure? Perhaps I should ride with them instead, I do have more of a history.”

“I’ll be fine, I just want to speak with Quiet. Besides, I can’t pilot Elegance.” She reassured her with a smile.

“Well, okay. If you’re sure.” Charity sounded less than convinced but realised there was little she could do about it. “I’ll fly ahead and catch up with Shield and Sunrise. You take care and I’ll see you soon.”

“You too, Charity. See you soon.”

---

The Party Cannon gave a far smoother ride than Sparkle had expected. From its lumbering, ungainly appearance she imagined a jarring, teeth loosening experience. Far from it, the six legs worked in tandem to keep the body even and level, all managed by a sophisticated guidance system that read the land even as the driver piloted the machine. Balloons was proudly showing off the control systems to Sparkle when Molten appeared and chased them from the cramped operations room, ranting about giving away secrets.

Balloons rolled her eyes and called her a grump again before continuing with the tour, leaving Sparkle to keep wondering just how the four of them functioned.

A quartet of snug crew quarters were found at the stern of the vehicle, and though small, each room reflected the four ponies who called the Party Cannon home while they were aboard and made up the crew.

Balloons assured a reluctant Sparkle that it was fine to browse around Molten’s room, even as she jimmied the lock open. The inside was militant to say the least. One wall was racked with firearms of every description, many of them modified and personalised to some degree.

Solid’s room was spartan to say the least. Aside from a collection of neatly, almost obsessively, organised rock specimens it was nigh completely bare.

In contrast, Balloons room was predictably decorated in bright and vibrant colours, mostly pinks, with a string of fairly lights decorating the door and an impressive collection of bottles in various states of emptiness. It gave the impression of a wild party waiting to happen, an impression only slightly spoilt by the confined room and the omnipresent hints of rust that seemed to permeate the world.

Balloons carefully knocked on the final door before opening it slightly to let the two of them peek in. Inside Quiet appeared to be snoozing on her fold down bunk, but the two of them noticed her quickly open one eye and snap shut it again, pretending to remain asleep.

Balloons quietly closed the door with a little smile.

“I think she’d like to sleep.” She whispered. It seemed a little redundant considering the rhythmic, hollow booms of Party Cannon’s feet and the rumble of its engines.

“Would you mind if I spoke to her? In private?” Sparkle persisted. “I can see how protective you all are of her, I just need to understand a few things.”

“She’s our sweet little sister.” Balloons smiled her broad, genuine smile. “You seem like a nice pony. It’s fine with me, but you’ll have to ask her.”

“Thank you.” Sparkle smiled back.

A multitude of images flashed through Sparkles mind, bright and colourful parties, a pony of unflappable optimism, randomness and good nature, feats of impossibility and an infinite desire to spread joy. Again, the images were gone almost as fast as they appeared, leaving Sparkle wondering where they kept coming from. She dismissed the question for later, there were pressing matters.

She gently tapped on the hatch and eased it open a crack, just enough to poke her muzzle through.

“Hi Quiet, it’s me, Sparkle. Do you mind if I come in?”

The small mare shifted slightly, casting a furtive and nervous glance at Sparkle, before nodding and curling up again.

“Thanks.” Sparkle gave her best winning smile as she settled on the bunk next to her. “I was hoping I could have a little chat with you. You were very quiet earlier. Are you okay?”

The youngest Rock sister looked up with her meek eye, the other still hidden behind her long fringe, and nodded.

“Good, I’m glad. This whole situation has every pony so riled up and worried. I’d hate to see things spiral further out of control.”

“mmm-hm.” It was the first sound Sparkle had heard Quiet make, and it sounded to her like an affirmative. At least she hoped it was. She smiled warmly, trusting that she was making a friend.

“You don’t talk very much, do you?”

“nuh-uh.”

“That’s okay. Some pony once said, ‘why say anything unless it improves on silence?’ I can’t for the life of me remember who it was though, but they have a good point.”

Quiet was smiling up at her.

“Has any pony ever told you, you have a nice smile? It’s a genuine and kind smile, the sort you can see in your eyes too.”

“mmm-hm.” Quiet affirmed, staring off into the distance, and blushing as she did Sparkle noted. Some pony had told her before apparently.

“Well, eye, I haven’t seen the other yet.” Sparkle chucked. “May I?”

“mm-hm.” Quiet smiled back and shyly raised one hoof to brush her long mane aside and over her ear.

“I was right, you do have lovely eyes.” Quiet beamed up at her. It was the most open she had seen the young Rock sister. Then something caught her eye, glinting green as it dangled from Quiets ear where it would usually be covered by her mane. “That’s a pretty earring, can I see it?”

Quiet dropped her mane abruptly and shrank back again, the meek look returning to her eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry Quiet, I didn’t mean to pry.” Sparkle apologised. Despite this, Quiet fell silent again and meekly looked away. Realising she had overstayed her welcome, Sparkle took it as her signal to leave. “Well, thanks for the chat. I’ll leave you in peace, but I hope we can talk again sometime.”

She slowly slid off the bed, left the room and closed the hatch behind her.

“Did ya have a nice chat?” Balloons appeared with a broad and innocent grin, making her jump.

“We did. Kind of. I think…” Sparkle wasn’t sure, but something was playing on her mind. “Question, where did she get that earring?”

“What earring?”

“Huh… never mind.” Sparkle shook her head. “So, tell me more about what you Rocks actually do. Uncovering old tech sounds fascinating.”

Sparkle only half listened as Balloons began excitedly babbling about the joys of digging open old mines and salvaging old facilities. She’d managed to speak with Quiet Rock, but far from providing any answers, all she had was more questions.

I know I’ve seen that earring ring before… and why hasn’t she told her sisters about it?