• Published 20th May 2014
  • 1,187 Views, 111 Comments

The Last Link - Featherprop



When a pilot finds himself trapped with no good choices left, what will he do? Good intentions conflict with harsh realith, and he has to balance saving lives against losing his own before he can help.

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0: Prologue

ETSB Number: EAR-13-20
Kathia Aerodrome Communications Log

Kathia Station: Snowpony 413, same as last time, the lights are on, report procedure turn inbound.

Snowpony 413: Snowpony’s inbound on the turn, established.

KatSta: Snowpony, you are cleared in, no other flights on the board, the airspace is yours. Report field in sight or leaving the range on the missed letdown course.

SnPn413: Cleared in, call the lights or off the range, Snowpony.

SnPn413: Snowpony’s missed, on the go.

KatSta: Roger, Snowpony. What are your intentions?

KatSta: Snowpony, please say your intentions.

SnPn413: (CROSSTALK) Kathia, wait one.

Unknown: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

KatSta: Snowpony, Kathia Radio.

KatSta: Snowpony 413, Kathia Radio calling.

KatSta: Snowpony 413, Kathia Radio, how do you hear?

KatSta: Ah, anyone out there, Kathia Radio requests radio check.

SkiPole 202: Kathia, SkiPole 202 rates you four by five.

KatSta: Skipole 202, thank you. Snowpony 413, Snowpony Four-One-Three, Kathia Radio. Say position and intentions.

KatSta: All stations, Kathia Radio trying to reach Snowpony 413.

SkPl202: Snowpony 413, SkiPole 202 calling for Kathia Radio.

SkPl202: Kathia, SkiPole’s getting nothing from Snowpony, sorry.

KatSta: Thanks for trying, SkiPole.

KatSta: Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, all stations, all stations. Kathia Radio has lost contact with Snowpony 413. All stations, please attempt contact with “Snowpony Four-One-Three.” Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Kathia Radio calling Snowpony 413.

SkPl202: Ah, Kathia, SkiPole 202. Where was Snowpony?

KatSta: SkiPole, he was supposed to be west of the range on the missed.

SkPl202: Kathia, ah, SkiPole 202 just passed the range, we’ve got, uh, there’s a pretty good glow through the clouds south of us. Anything down there usually?

KatSta: Oh, (REDACTED). SkiPole, ah... (CROSSTALK) SkiPole, can you estimate distance and bearing to it? (CROSSTALK) ...run to the station, go, right now! (CROSSTALK) Yes, wake them all!

Somewhere near the Crystal Kingdom, north by north-west of Vanhoofer, there lies a place quite unlike Equestria. While the lands of the Princesses are shaped by the magic flowing through their rulers and inhabitants, the Frostmane Territories are still wild, ruled by nopony, and remain an unaltered expression of the power of the natural elements.

It may even be that some chaotic magic lies hidden there, for the mountains seem to raise their snow-cloaked peaks higher and more forcefully, the rivers have carved deep valleys between them, and the storms are stronger and more unpredictable. Even the seasons last far longer than in the southern lands, and as they change the days and nights wax and wane: In the summer, the Night becomes a mere dimming of the northern sky, while in the deep of winter the Day is only a weak glow to the south.

Despite this, Ponies have come to the Frostmane to build a life for themselves. And though it can be harsh and unforgiving, the land has also yielded much to these hardy pioneers. Beneath the hard ice and harder rock there is an astounding wealth of minerals, gems, and rock oil that have fed the dreams of many and even brought wealth to a lucky few. The soil carried down by the rivers is rich and fertile, and in the long summers the land provides a bounty.

One of the most surprising aspects of the Frostmane, though, would be the wonder of mechanical aviation. While many in Equestria have seen hot air balloons or the dirigible yachts of the Canterlot elite, the Frostmane’s more adventurous have been blazing a new path in the sky with wings of wood, fabric and metal. Through an unlikely partnership with the ingenious Gryphons, Ponies of all stripes have begun to take to the air in wood-and-metal contraptions that would earn a hearty round of laughter from many in Cloudsdale.

But the Pegasi would be surprised to find that, in some ways, the fledgling aviators have surpassed them. Though their aeroplanes cannot match the speed or maneuverability of the magically-endowed Pegasi, the aeronauts have created craft that can do what no Pegasi can: Carry wagonloads of food, transport a dozen Ponies at once, or bring aid to those in need. While flying in these craft is noisy, uncomfortable, and frequently terrifying, their advent has been truly revolutionary for the isolated communities of the Frostmane.

The unusual closeness between the growing Frostmane and the Aeries is highlighted by this partnership; the mechanical wizardry of the Gryphons has given life to the craft, and they seem to take a perverse pleasure from passing aeronautical knowledge to all comers as a way of mocking the elitist Pegasi of Cloudsdale.

However, it is the Ponies of the Frostmane who have taken an oddity and turned it to practical uses, taking on tasks that are beyond the capabilities of any winged Pony. Mechanical aviation is proving to be a complement to the abilities of the Pegasi, rather than a rival. Despite the very real and positive benefits brought by it, very few of the born flyers can bring themselves to acknowledge the usefulness of mechanical aviation, let alone offer it any sort of praise. But here and there, a hoof-ful of Pegasi can be found teaching aspiring aviators or working at an aerodrome.

In particular, one of them can be found in the village of Trottinger, in a former depot that now houses the Flight Center. Like many Pegasi, he loves to sleep (especially on the job), and can most often be found in a small room, on a warm cot, curled under an old wool blanket. This Pegasus, brown and cream, is a stranger one than most, for he has proudly pinned the silver wings of a pilot to his vest.