Sisters of Willowbrook

by Starscribe

Chapter 16: Grounded Voices

What did it mean to learn to fly? Charlie wasn't exactly a nature buff, so it hardly lingered too long in her mind. Maybe she'd seen a documentary on it once, but if she had, she didn't remember anything. It seemed like the sort of thing a flying animal would just know, enabling them to fly from the nest with very little instruction. It wasn't like birds had classrooms to teach that stuff.

But even if that was true for birds—and she wasn't sure—it clearly wasn't true for her. Charlie could make her wings open, if she stood still and concentrated on both of them very hard. But that was it. Even getting them to flap was beyond her, let alone putting enough force that she would get off the ground.

All pointless. Derek will get us both home soon. That might end up being true, of course. Maybe Derek would get them back home at any moment. But if she assumed that was coming, she would probably just curl up in a ball and wait for everything to end.

How long could that go on—weeks, maybe months? She wouldn't curl up and waste her life.

Dust Storm took her out into Willowbrook, just as he promised. As far as small towns went, this one seemed pleasant enough to live in. Ponies on the street waved to him as they passed, though they had only polite smiles for her.

It seemed nicer than living in the city, all things considered. Dust Storm knew everyone by name, and people they met took the time to ask her name.

It was exactly the kind of place she'd want to buy a house with Silvia one day. They could settle down on a cul-de-sac somewhere, raise a family. It would be perfect.

Except that her girlfriend was in another world, not a tiny horse, and possibly gone forever.

They passed a few important landmarks, and Charlie tried her best to pay attention. There was an old temple building, a run down city hall, an old fort left over from "the war." The kind of thing tourists might find on their walking tour, with little plaques in front of each one.

It looked like their tour through town would take most of the day, until the carriage rolled by.

Charlie couldn't see anything particularly off about it—it was straight out of history, with a harness for two horses to pull, a thin wooden passenger cabin with glass windows, and bright flags on either side. There was at least one obvious sign that the cart wasn't as simple as its historical analogue—there was nowhere for a driver to sit, or any sign of one.

Dust Storm reacted swiftly when he saw it. They walked only a few more steps together, then he gestured towards a nearby alley. She followed, spreading both wings in confusion. "Something wrong?"

"No," he said, pushing her along with one wing, urging her deeper into the alley. It didn't continue very far, ending in a tall wooden fence between two apartments. "I just think we should have our flying lesson now, that's all! There's a little playground not far from here. The hill should be a perfect place to run."

Run. Charlie wasn't even sure she could do that with her body. But she couldn't quite bring herself to admit it.

Dust Storm spread his wings as they approached the fence, as though he was going to leave her behind.

He didn't, though. Instead, he gripped her about her forelegs, then took off.

The jolt was so unexpected that she squeaked awkwardly as they lifted, kicking out in vain with her hindlegs. Wind blew around her, and her wings snapped open by reflex. But she didn't know what to do with them, and after a few seconds they just drifted slowly closed again.

By the time they did, Dust Storm settled her back onto the ground. Her wings poked out awkwardly to either side, feathers thoroughly displaced.

Beyond the little fence, they'd landed in a courtyard, fully enclosed between several large buildings.

Calling the area a park was a bit generous—it was a large grassy field, about a city block in size, but shaped irregularly. A hill rose in the center, with a lopsided metal sign on one side.

The hill had some play equipment, all haphazardly constructed from wooden crates, sheets of scrap metal, and other makeshift materials. A treehouse rose in the center, with rickety bridges between them, uneven slides, and a few different rope swings. This was the nightmare of any parent—no railing, rusting metal, and rocks scattered among the grass to catch anyone who fell.

It looked incredible. What she wouldn't give to play somewhere like this when she was a kid, instead of some sterile wooden platform over spongy ground with stern parents hovering inches away at every moment.

There were a few other children already playing up in the treehouse. Two children, both with wings of their own.

"Here we are. I'm going to need to, uh... run off for a bit, Firefly. Play here for a while, make some friends.”

She whimpered, retreating a step. Her flank bumped into the fence, and the wood didn't budge. There was no gate, at least not on this side. But at a glance, she couldn't see any obvious entrances. Did that mean ponies needed wings to get in here?

"Alone?" Did she always sound so small and pathetic?

"For a little while." Dust Storm glanced back the way they'd come, taking off to hover in the air beside her. "I'm sorry, Firefly. It won't be long, I promise. Just don't go anywhere, so you don't get lost."

He took off, hovering away and over the wall. She squeaked nervously, pawing at the old wood with one hoof. It flaked away at her touch, and probably would've filled her fingers with splinters—if she still had fingers.

One day in and I'm already abandoned. She watched through the crack as Dust Storm hurried away. Curious that he didn't fly to whatever urgent need had attracted his attention. He landed, then broke into a gallop, vanishing around the corner.

He's up to something.

Had she been adopted by a criminal? If so, at least he was the sort of criminal not to involve a child with whatever shady dealings he was up to.

She turned in time to hear someone skidding into a landing beside her, spraying dirt and little rocks as she came down, coming to an awkward stop a short distance from Charlie. "Hey. You new?"

In her proper body, Charlie could only think of this creature as a little girl. Her colors were simpler than some she'd seen in Willowbrook, with a cloudy gray coat and sunny hair and tail. Like Charlie herself, she also lacked a mark on her rear, the proof of puberty successfully completed.

She was also a full head taller, with wings that spread far wider than Charlie's did when she flew. She loomed over her, older and stronger and bigger.

"You do know how to talk, right? Are you sure you're big enough to be out on your own?"

I'm not going to be intimidated by a little girl. "No," she said flatly. "I'm not old enough to be on my own. Here I am anyway."

She chuckled, nudging her with one of her wings. The gesture obviously wasn't meant to hurt, and it didn't. "Funny. Hey River, did you hear that?"

Now that she was paying attention, Charlie saw the other pony leap right out of the tree. She spread both wings, and caught herself in an awkward, unsteady glide, coasting down to the ground near them.

Like the first girl, this one slid awkwardly along the ground, using her legs to decelerate. I'm not that far behind on knowing how to fly. They're bigger than me, and they can barely do it.

Why did that make her feel better?

"I'm Firefly," Charlie said, hoping she sounded more confident this time.

"Sunbeam," said the first.

"River Breeze," added the other. Of course Charlie had already heard that name.

"You already found our secret spot," Sunbeam said. There was obvious frustration in her voice, though maybe not with her. "Nopony is supposed to know. Who told you?"

"My, uh..." She stopped herself short of the obvious answer. These children wouldn't understand, and didn't need that level of detail anyway. "My dad? He..."

She lowered her voice, glancing back at the fence. "Do you know what a weird carriage would mean? Everyone went to hide when it went past."

"He's here?" The two children shared a look, then backed away from the fence. They turned and ran up the hill, away from her.

Charlie whimpered, reaching weakly out in their direction before she even realized what she was doing. Were they really just going to leave her, just like that?

"Come on!" Sunbeam called after her, gesturing with her wings. "Hurry!"

She didn't ask why, just obeyed. She wasn't very fast yet, or terribly coordinated on her hooves. But this was just a grassy hill, with ground easy for her hooves to grip. She only slipped once as she ran, and didn't even fall.

She was learning quickly.

"You know what's so dangerous?" she asked, at the edge of the wooden platform. These two might act like children, but that didn't make them humans. The playground didn't have ladders and monkey-bars, or nets for climbing. They lacked the appendages to use them. So it substituted ramps instead, sometimes with little raised wooden ridges to grip and climb.

She hesitated at the bottom of a ramp, watching the girls retreat higher into the tree. This time they headed straight for the treehouse—really just four walls and a doorway tucked against the side.

The species was a little like a weeping willow, with long branches that sagged to the ground in a curtain of large leaves. It probably worked well to hide things from sight, but not so well against the rain.

"Up here!" Sunbeam said.

She glanced once around the park, just in case. Maybe there were other children playing, so she wouldn't have to go somewhere so scary.

Unfortunately not. Given the choice of being down alone or braving the ramp, she chose the latter, and started climbing.

The wooden platform looked like thin plywood, but it didn't so much as bend as she walked, barely even flexing under her weight. Her wings opened as she went, and the climb got a little easier. They must be keeping her balance, somehow.

Finally she reached the top, clambering through the treehouse doorway like a mountain climber summiting a peak. The space fit comfortably against a trunk, with a single flat platform about the size of a shipping pallet. There was a simple table inside, and a few cushions. A trash can with some burned candle stubs, and a weather worn map against the wall.

She couldn't read the words printed on it, and not just from the gloomy shadows. But she still recognized the shape of Willowbrook's streets from the tour, along with the sketched versions of old landmarks.

"Your clubhouse seems awesome!"

"It's very secret," Sunbeam said. "You shouldn't even know about it."

"She's a pegasus." River Breeze appeared near the door, nudging one of her wings open with her nose. “We stay away from the earth ponies. They have the rest of Willowbrook. That's why we have to stick together."

"They can't get in. There's supposed to be... something here. Fancy building or whatever. But until they build anything... it might as well be ours."

"I can keep it secret," Charlie promised, before she even realized what she was saying. She'd just seen something important, hadn't she? These two knew about it.

But somehow, it just didn't seem like it mattered right now.

"I guess that's good enough." Sunbeam said. "Secret fortress junior member Firefly."

"Velvet Moon will be happy not to be the youngest anymore," River muttered. "Think she's coming?"

Sunbeam ignored her.

She bent down, shuffling around in an old box against the wall. She emerged a few seconds later, with a few cloth hair-clips. Each one had a simple sunflower design, though the colors were off, and the stitching was wrong. Factory rejects, maybe, stolen from the trash?

Now she knew where they'd gotten theirs. Without waiting for her permission, Sunbeam took the little clip in her teeth, advancing on Charlie. She held her mane down with one hoof, then settled the clip in place.

It took only seconds, though it left her squirming with discomfort. Did ponies not care about personal space? "You have a... secret society of pegasi?" she asked instead.

"Everypony in Willowbrook has secrets," River Breeze said. "But not all pegasi. We have a bat."

Comments

[Level Dasher]

A bat, huh? Nice to see they practice some inclusion even if they stay away from Earth ponies.

[minibox]

Didn't expect Firefly to make friends so quickly. Good for her. Still, it only happened because of Dust Storm and he looks more and more sus every chapter. Where do his loyalties lie?

Charlie couldn't see anything particularly off about it—it was straight out of history, with a harness for two horses to pull, a thin wooden passenger cabin with glass windows, and bright flags on either side. There was at least one obvious sign that the cart wasn't as simple as its historical analogue—there was nowhere for a driver to sit, or any sign of one.

I'm surprised to see Dust Storm react so strongly if that's the Watcher or part of the Cult. Unless, they're actually Equestrians or some other dangerous group.

"Here we are. I'm going to need to, uh... run off for a bit, Firefly. Play here for a while, make some friends.”

Off to confer with the Cult. Or his handlers.

I'm not going to be intimidated by a little girl.

To be fair, you're a littler girl.

She lowered her voice, glancing back at the fence. "Do you know what a weird carriage would mean? Everyone went to hide when it went past."

"He's here?" The two children shared a look, then backed away from the fence. They turned and ran up the hill, away from her.

Sounds like the Watcher. He's the sort of pony foals would fear as the boogieman.

"She's a pegasus." River Breeze appeared near the door, nudging one of her wings open with her nose. “We stay away from the earth ponies. They have the rest of Willowbrook. That's why we have to stick together."

Past, present, or future, ingroup-outgroup thinking will always try to cause division among ponykind. Wonder if they'll exclude Firefly for her friendship with Derek?

"But not all pegasi. We have a bat."

Something tells me this bat will be quite interesting.

[Munro]

now those two kids and there little play club are interesting and they have a batpony too awesome :D

[Numinos]

Bat time!

[theoldenbrony]

Jackie?

[FanOfMostEverything]

The mind is the plaything of the body, and that can mean getting caught up in the drama of childhood. Though this sisterhood of the sky could end up uncovering some things the adults would rather keep to themselves. We'll see how this develops.

[Chyre]

This was the nightmare of any parent—no railing, rusting metal, and rocks scattered among the grass to catch anyone who fell.

It looked incredible. What she wouldn't give to play somewhere like this when she was a kid, instead of some sterile wooden platform over spongy ground with stern parents hovering inches away at every moment.

FYI, this is basically an Adventure Playground.

[Nightshade Dawn]

I'm getting Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang vibes from that carriage.

[tsaukpaetra]

Infiltration success!