76 - Tundra Tribulations
Chapter 76 - Tundra Tribulations
Yawn. Scouting duty. Heart, mind, and soul could not quell the complaints on how boring this job was, but when nopony volunteered, she took it. It was well worth it for the jacket she received from her Captain for this very duty. At first, she didn't want to wear it until the time was just right, but when would it be? As far as the pegasus filly knew, she might land in an awesome battle up here in the skies.
Maybe today was not the day. She ate half of her rations out of boredom instead of hunger. Once or twice she nearly dozed off on her Aeroscooter's handles, but she slapped herself awake.
"No!" she cried to herself. "The Captain would not tolerate any lazy behavior! C'mon girl, you have an important job! Something's bound to show up in the next hour or so."
Almost immediately, her eyes fixed their sites at three dots trailing across the pure white snowfield. The filly fumbled her binoculars out of her saddlebags and then zoomed in.
She didn't see these types of sleighs before; these were too well-designed for Gaea, and less intimidating than that of Pegasopolis. The creatures pulling them didn't appear to be normal Earth ponies, but the stranger sight was the passengers. In one sleigh were an orange earth pony and a pretty pegasus. In another were prim unicorn, a baby dragon, and a bouncy pink pony, which for some reason gave the filly an uneasy feeling that she might be Lieutenant Surprise's murderous illegitimate child. Then in the leading sleigh was a purple unicorn whose muzzle was buried in a book. Next to her was… an alicorn? Was this a rouse? Was that pink-maned white mare pretending to be one with a fake horn and fake wings? No sane pony would travel with an alicorn, fake or not, and this discovery was the break the filly was looking for.
She bagged her belongings and donned her goggles. Front hooves gripped the handles as her tiny wings extended. Two twists on the accelerator handles revved up her Aeroscooter until it redlined, and she licked her lips in anticipation of her own personal race.
She blasted off. The jet engine burned off of clean and quite blue glow that was undetectable from high up and above. The fast breeze excited her wings, giving her natural Atmos ability to slalom her Aeroscooter from cloud to cloud. She might not be able to fly unassisted right now, but days like this made her thank the Captain more than ever. This was life. This was freedom.
The filly closed into the middle of a typical aerial sortie between Gaea and Pegasopolis. Five Gaean airships converged upon a pair of cloudships, which even as it succumbed to heavy damage it still blasted its Atmos cannons of ice, thunder, and wind. Yet this was one of many skirmishes, for from two opposing horizons the two nations were already sending in reinforcements. These sorties seemed to be happening a lot more frequently as of late. Something big was going to happen, and the discovery of the alicorn was another sign--fuel that would turn a fire into an inferno.
She zeroed in a very thin cloud layer and banged on its hard surface upon her landing. A metal hatch rose open, and she drove her Aeroscooter inside, passing by the wall-eyed pegasus mare who opened it for her. She knew she was told not to fly her Aeroscooter in the halls, but she had to report the news to the Captain as soon as possible.
At the very least, she parked right outside the bridge. The muffled voices from behind the door meant that they were having a meeting. Sure, this ship had some sort of military etiquette, but this was the Captain's vessel. Damn the rules, she's going in.
There she stood--the Captain--by the observation window with her lavender cape bobbing and fluttering from the winds of the air conditioner and the rumblings of the nearby air battle. The bridge was dark when it didn't need to be, but by goddess the outside explosions help accentuate the awesomeness of the Captain herself, as if they were camera flashes that illuminated the outline of her cool shades. Two twin earth mares of a complementary pink and blue clung to her side as accessories and as advisors.
"All the reinforcements are converging in at our exact location," said the gray earth mare sitting by the radar console. "Even with our shields at one-hundred percent and the cloaking active, there will be no way for us to avoid any stray bombardment."
"So," the Captain began, "all the clouds in the sky are our enemies now. They're worthy foes, I'll give them that. Yeah, we'll use the skies themselves to tear their cannons from the hulls. Helmsmare, prepare to--"
"Wait!" the filly cried. "Captain!"
"Silence!" said one of the Captain's twin assistants, the pink one. "How dare you interrupt the Captain?"
"But I have something important to report to her!"
"We are about to engage in a battle," said the blue twin. "What could be more important than this?"
"Well, remember when the Captain told me to report to her about anything suspicious? Well, there were these sleighs, and six mares and a baby dragon--"
The Captain's wings suddenly sprung erect. "Mares, you say?"
"Yeah, but one of them happens to be--"
"Are they cute?"
"I guess you could say all of them are, including the Ali--"
"Helmsmare! New order: we're turning around to pick up those cuties!"
This was bad. Real bad.
Yet compared to their first jaunt in the frozen north, they were much better off. This time, they had working sleighs, Quartz Sentinels to pull them without fatigue, and a generous amount of food and supplies. Things started to go bad on the third night when Twilight made her usual count of their supplies. The first night she assumed nothing was out of the ordinary. The second night made her raise an eyebrow in suspicion. The third night, she went to bed in her boxy igloo with a scowl.
On the next day, she banged the pot early in the morning to rouse everyone from their sleep.
Fluttershy shed from her sleeping back, thinking that they were under attack, but her igloo roommate, Applejack did not appear alarmed. The farm pony had always been used to rising up early, as Fluttershy had noticed when she took Winona and the other animals on walks. Throughout the whole time, Applejack had somehow renewed her seething jealousy of Sunny, and getting up on somepony else's terms notched up her present anger. Grumbling, she threw on her diamond-studded duster jacket Rarity made for her and crawled out. Fluttershy in her mink-style white coat and hat followed after with Winona not too far behind.
Perhaps this tension stemmed from Rarity's fickleness. Twilight and Applejack had grudgingly put up with the Diamond Princess taking so much time to pack up and pack out while Spike laboriously constructed a three-story igloo mansion every day. Even with the center campfire blazing outside, all the ponies summoned themselves into the igloo mansion that was too posh for the situation they were in. Here in the first floor, Rarity was found on her red velvet couch sipping the hot cocoa from golden cup magicked off the golden platter Spike balanced on his claws.
Twilight and Sunny arrived carrying a few rolls of used scrolls, and moments later Pinkie Pie arrived by digging up from underneath the snow in the floor. Even with such a comedic entrance, Fluttershy sensed her apprehension directing itself towards Rarity, who nonchalantly fixed the hole in the floor with her magic.
"I have bad news ponies," started Twilight.
"Oh, here we go," said Rarity. "We've reviewed your plans to steal a pegasii cloudship for three days straight. I thought you said you had it down."
"I have, but this is much more important. Somepony is eating more than their fair share of their rations."
"Darling, I don't think that's an issue. I made sure we've packed a lot of food."
"It is an issue. We lost an equivalent to two days' worth of meals between all of us."
"Pink, are you sneaking out food again?" asked Applejack.
"Me?" asked the Pink Pony. "I may be a horrible and messy glutton, but I'm no thief. Maybe Rarity's sneaking off a bite for our eventual rematch."
"I beg your pardon!" cried the Diamond Princess. "I'll have you know that I'm dieting to fit in this new wool coat I've just sewn up."
"Not sure if I buy that," said Applejack, "but if it ain't you two, then maybe our newly-formed alicorn is gobblin' up more than her share."
"Leave Sunny out of this," said Twilight. "I can assure you that I took in account of her dietary needs due to her increased metabolism and the Silvercurse that's still affecting you."
"It's always you and Sunny, isn't it?"
"What does that mean?"
From there on, four of Fluttershy's friends degenerated into a shouting match of wild accusations, even if Pinkie Pie was mocking sticking her tongue out through it all. It was hard to sense what Sunny was thinking or feeling since she had took two steps back to watch the scene like a disappointed parent. Fluttershy knew that eventually they would place some blame on her or her animal friends. The hurt and tension had seeped into her being until she let it out in one cry.
"ENOUGH!"
Even in the air above layers of snow, the Voice of the Heart froze Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity in mid-argument. Slowly they all retreated to a normal sitting position as Fluttershy descended back to the ground to give herself time to calm her heavy breathing.
"Please stop arguing," she said. "We're all friends here, and we can't go around accusing everypony without proper evidence."
"Fluttershy's right," said Twilight. "I should have planned this meeting with a cooler head. I'm sorry everypony."
"I guess I shoulda apologize with Sunny bein' cursed and all," said Applejack.
"I'm sorry too, Rarity," said Pinkie Pie. "If you don't want to participate in another eating contest rematch, then I can understand."
"Oh, darling," said Rarity, "you know I won't turn down that particular challenge. I suppose I have to apologize for talking down on all of you."
"And building this unnecessary large igloo mansion."
"In retrospect, maybe having three floors is too haughty, but you have to admit that it is well insulated."
"Achoo!"
"Bless you, darling."
"That wasn't me," said Pinkie Pie. "Or Gummy. Did anypony else sneeze?"
Faces turned left and right, and shrugs were exchanged.
"Achoo!"
"I told ya to cover it up! Now they're gonna find us!"
Then it dawned on everypony that it wasn't themselves they should be accusing, and what's worse was that no one had anticipated this. Silence fell, and Applejack motioned to Winona to sniff out the intruders and pursuers in hiding. The Border Collie took lead, and her nose brushed the ground as she pawed out of the living room, through a short hallway, and into the storage room. Even here, everything appeared neat and organized, safe one luggage big enough to fit two ponies.
Wisely, Winona did not bark, and she pointed to everypony the large object of interest. Fearing a surprise attack, the unicorns charged up their magic, Applejack drew her sword, Spike extended his tiny claws, and Pinkie Pie summoned a rubber chicken.
This was excessive. Fluttershy interpreted Winona's gestures that the large luggage was not a threat, but she couldn't warn her friends in time. Applejack had already dashed forward with a clean slice from her katana. The contents of chopped fabric and a ruined sewing machine fell out from the top half. Girlish screams ensued, and slowing rising from the bottom half were two familiar fillies with their front hooves up.
"Stop!" Sweetie Belle cried. "It's us!"
"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked. "And little Apple Bloom? How in heaven did you end up here? No--you don't have to explain. Here I was worrying my first three nights away from home about you, and you and your friend decided to sneak out?"
"It was Apple Bloom's idea."
"I don't care. I told you before that the outside world is a dangerous place."
"So you were the ones who stole all the food," said Applejack.
"We didn't steal it!" cried Apple Bloom. "Angel Bunny gave it to us!"
The white rabbit in question slowly rose from the luggage with a carrot in his mouth and a dinner roll wrapped around his adorable ears.
They had put Fluttershy and Winona in charge of the fillies and one misbehaving bunny as the other adults held a conference on what to do with their filly stowaways. Their temporary "jail", if one would call it that, was a decent igloo bedroom much smaller than the likes in the Crystal Castle, but was nonetheless furnished with the four-post bed, velvet curtains, and couple of shaggy rugs. It even had its own working bathroom and walk-in-closet with guest garments.
Even when they were waiting for minutes, it felt like forever. Fluttershy sat on a green and velvet couch with an attentive on eye on Apple Bloom who rolled back and forth on the bed and on Sweetie Belle who sat by the window with Angel Bunny under her arm watching the snowfields idle by.
"Your older sister is a princess with a title, right?" Apple Bloom asked. "What do you think she's gonna do to us?"
"I dunno," replied Sweetie Belle.
"Is she gonna banish us, and then throw us in the dungeon where she banished us?"
"I don't think the Crystal Empire has that kind of punishment."
"We're kinda already away from civilization as it is, so they could build a dungeon made out of ice over here. Fluttershy, you have any ideas?"
"I don't know either," replied the yellow pegasus. She might have ideas, but her own heart would dismiss them as too fanciful or outrageous. Fluttershy figured she that she was chosen as the fillies' jailer because of her timid nature. She wouldn't have anything constructive to add to the conference downstairs, even if she had the courage to speak up and speak out her mind.
To be honest with herself, she would not want to abandon Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to the unforgiving cold, and she did not blame Angel Bunny for providing for them throughout the trip. Then again, Fluttershy might also be in this cozy "jail" because she had known her own fluffy companion had been sneaking out in the last three nights, and she always assumed that it was to eat an extra carrot or two.
Soon enough, the doors opened, and arriving inside was Twilight flanked by Rarity and Applejack on her sides.
"Oh, please don't throw them out into the cold!" Fluttershy pleaded. "Or banish them and then lock them up in a dungeon where you banished them to!"
"We're not doing that," said Twilight. "What gave you that idea?"
"Well…"
"It's all right, we're not punishing them."
"Nonetheless, we are disappointed," said Rarity, "and we have decided to take you back to the Crystal Empire."
"But there's a war goin' on over there!" cried Apple Bloom.
"It is still safer there than out here."
"There's nothing happening right now," said Sweetie Belle.
"It doesn't matter. We are still taking you back."
"So is everypony taking us back?"
"That's the thing," said Applejack. "We can't go back when we have travelled almost halfway to Pegasopolis, and almost none of us can afford to escort y'all back without dwindling our marepower. Till then, Twilight suggested that we hold another conference to decide--"
"I'll volunteer," said Fluttershy. "If that's okay with you."
"Fluttershy, you didn't have volunteer so readily," said Twilight. "You're a Bearer of the Element of Empathy and also the only winged pony who could fly."
"I'm not really a good flier anyway. Besides, I sort of knew that Angel was sneaking off food for the girls."
"We're not blaming you for that, but are you really sure you want to do this? The war at the Crystal Empire might still be going on outside its borders."
"I'm sure I'll manage if I have Angel by my side, as well as this."
From her mink-style coat she procured a tele-orb very similar to the one Spike and Twilight had often used to exchange information through dragon fire and dragon magic. This one, however, she received from Ingrid Marble Pie moments before her speedy departure, and the bounty hunter said that a certain acquaintance of hers wanted her to have it.
"He told me," Ingrid had said to her, "that if you find yourself in a desperate situation, call out his true name and cast this orb towards the enemy."
After experiencing what he was capable of, Fluttershy was hesitant to use it.
The group had to give up one sleigh and two Quartz Sentinels to transport the two girls back. A tent, a few shovels, and carefully provisioned meals had been packed into the rear bed of sleigh, while two disappointed fillies in fashionable cotton coats, pillbox hats, and scarves sat in front with one heavily armed bunny and their pegasus guardian. Everypony as well as their animal friends plus one baby dragon stood outside to see them off.
"I'll keep watch over them while I'm at the Empire," said Fluttershy. "I'm sorry I'm unable to accompany all of you to Pegasopolis."
"It's okay," said Twilight. "We'll come back for you when we retrieve the last two Elements."
"Now you two behave while you're at the Empire," said Rarity.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom might have made something akin to a response, but their silence made clear to everypony their disappointment at being denied adventure and companionship from their older sisters. The parting was uneasy, with forced smiles and hesitant hoof-waving. Fluttershy then cracked the diamond reins leading to the Quartz Sentinels, and the sleigh headed eastward back to the Crystal Empire. Once when they had reached a considerable distance from the igloo encampment, the two fillies undid their composure with Sweetie Belle groaning and Apple Bloom kicking the front of the sleigh.
"It's not fair!" cried Apple Bloom. "I want to spend more time with my sister, and now I'm being carried off like last time."
"When we save the world, there will be plenty of time," said Fluttershy. "By then, Rarity will have beautified the world for your girls to enjoy in peace."
"It would be nice to be there when that happens," said Sweetie Belle. "I guess we'll just have to watch my Empire fight off Gaea."
Fluttershy could sympathize. Maybe cowardice and concern for the girls made herself volunteer to escort them back, but she began to regret denying herself her friends' companionship. She would miss Spike and Twilight as well as their grammar lessons. She would miss Applejack's wisecracking and Pinkie Pie's hyperactivity. Now she would miss the nice clothes Rarity made for her.
Gradually however, her regret turned into worries. Would they be okay without a pegasus? And how would they get to the cloudlands of Pegasopolis? Sure, Twilight would be there to figure out how to steal a cloudship, and maybe they could get by without the Element of Empathy's special ability. Fluttershy had closed herself to the world when her thoughts delved deeper, and the biting winds made the worry worse.
Then she realized that this wasn't normal wind, and the clouds were steadily darkening. The pulse of excitement energized every feather in her wings with a feeling she had never felt since she was forced to fight Twilight in the Cavern of Treasures. Fluttershy pulled back on the reins, and nearly threw herself and the girls off as she forced the Quartz Sentinels to slide to a sudden halt.
"Ow!" cried Apple Bloom. "Fluttershy, what's going on?"
The pegasus extended her wings and hovered over the sleigh. She prayed and prayed on hoping what she feared would not transpire, but the view was getting worse. A dark funnel of clouds loomed over the igloo encampment, and then a thick tornado column slammed its spiraling winds upon it. Fluttershy and the sled nearly blew over from the force of the attacking winds, and even when it calmed down, the thick wind steadily obliterated the smaller boxy igloos along with the four remaining Quartz Sentinels and their crystal sleighs. Only Rarity's igloo mansion remained standing, but Fluttershy feared that it would not hold out on against the spiraling tornado.
"Angel," said Fluttershy, "watch over the girls. I have to go back."
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I think I have an inkling as to who the Captain is.
Soo I wonder who our mysterious Sky Pirate captain is????
I hate your timing of this chapter, I read to the whole captain's part... then I needed to go to work... all night i never had a chance to continue untill i got home, then she was not in the rest of the chapter!
ARGH!
...Your lucky I love this story so much... now hurry up and post the next chapter... Please...
...Gurren-Lagann much?
the captain seriously stops a plan attack for cute mares!?
Oh gosh, I lost it when the Captain changed the plans like that!
Also, I'm loving this story!
Oh come on.
Oh come on!
For the love of—
OH COME ON