Back in Baltimare, Silver Bit and her friends sat in the machine shop with all of their bags packed. Fixette sat next to Raven Wing feeding him pieces of bread. Silver and Orion played cards and Autumn Spark, being as ADHD as she was, was pacing back and forth in front of the door.

"Ugh When's he suppose to be here?" she asked annoyed.

"He didn't say." Silver replied sliding the cards around into the order she wanted.

"He's not that good with timing. But when things like this happen, it's better to be ready before he gets here. Unless you want to incur his wrath." Orion added doing the same.

"I'm itching to get in on this."

"Why?" Fixette asked.

"I hate having a routine! It's been the same old thing for a year now and this is the first thing exiting to happen in months!"

"We got married." Fixette replied showing her, rare to see, hostile side.

"I know!" Autumn Spark said trying to cover her flank. "But no matter how hot the honeymoon was, I crave excitement 24/7."

"But what about last night when we-"

"Please don't go into your sex life guys!" Silver begged.

"Well I wouldn't have to if he'd get here already."

Raven Wing squawked and nuzzled Fixette for another piece of bread. She happily threw another piece to the Nightmare Phoenix. He happily chomped down on the bread and nuzzled her in appreciation. His head suddenly snapped upright and turned to the door sniffing the air. Raven Wing took off from the table Fixette was sitting at, causing her to let out a cute little squeal of surprise. The majestic bird landed on the handle of the glass door and stared at the sky.

"I think he's here." Orion said opening the door with his horn.

Once the warm, summer air rolled into the shop, so did a low rumble coming from a great distance.

Even from the airship, Nexus could hear a shout of his pet from miles away. He could see the dark purple streak coming straight for him as he stood at the prow of his ship. He chuckled and waited to see Raven Wing shoot past.

"Slow down a bit more." Nexus called to the helm.

The drone of the engines became lower as less power was given to them. The dot quickly got closer and closer. The bird's six foot wingspan and four foot long body shot past with a trail of dark blue and black, glistening smoke. Raven Wing flew around the back of the ship and flew straight to the bow where Nexus was. Nexus watched his friend fly alongside the ship and look at him. Nexus extended his right wing and Raven Wing took the invitation gladly. He perched himself at the front of his mechanical wing and ruffled his feathers to let the wind flow across his skin. After he finished ruffling his feathers, he nuzzled Nexus' cheek happily.

"Nice to see you too Pal." Nexus says with a vague smile.

A few minutes after Raven Wing left the shop, the ship anchors to a forest behind Silver Bit's shop. Nexus had to stay around for a moment to ensure the ship wouldn't float off without him, but once that was done, he floated down to the ground and was met by Silver Bit and her colleagues. Raven Wing leapt from Nexus' wing and landed on Fixette's back.

"I see you've made a friend." Nexus said a bit blank.

"I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't do anything. What's with all of the bags?"

"Spark and Fixette are coming with me." Silver Bit told him.

"Like hell they are. I'm not taking civilians on this mission whatsoever."

"You either take all of us or you take nopony at all." Autumn Spark said confidently.

"Then it's settled. Raven Wing, come!" Nexus called extending his wings and taking off.

"What!? You can't do this!" Silver shouted in outrage.

"Yes I can." Nexus notice Raven Wing hadn't left Fixette's back. "Raven Wing, come!"

The black phoenix just looked up to his owner with a sad expression. It was like he knew Nexus didn't want to leave Silver Bit behind.

"Raven Wing Nexus, get your feathery ass up here now."

Then an idea dawned on Silver. "Either you take all of us or Raven Wing doesn't go anywhere. Your choice now."

Nexus groaned. He might be able to afford leaving Silver behind, but not Raven Wing. He needed his messenger. He was his only link home and to Dust Strom, whether she liked it or not.

"Fine. Drop the ladder!" Nexus shouted to the ship above.

Autumn whispered to her wife and sent Fixette into a giggling fit.

"What's so funny?" Silver asked as Nexus made his way back up to the ship.

"I think we know who'd be on top in any of his relationships." Autumn repeated so they could all hear.

Orion laughed but Silver couldn't quite get why it was so funny. She got the joke, but she didn't find it all that funny. Fixette noticed and decided to clarify. "The Commander of hundreds would roll over to a mare with big sad eyes."

The joke still wasn't that funny until she imagined Nexus trying to tell a girlfriend he couldn't spend time with her that night and her giving him a big eye'd pout before he literally rolling over on his back for her. The strange thought mad Silver giggle lightly.

"It's funny 'cause he actually has a girlfriend." Orion butted in.

"He does?" Autumn asked ready for gossip.

"Oh yeah. You should see him when he's around her. He's a completely different pony."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He leans on her a bit-"

The rest was lost to Silver as the rope ladder finally hit the ground in front of them. She was concerned about how they were going to get all of their bags up until she saw two pegasi, well one pegasus and a bat pony, grab their bags and start back up to the ship. That's when Raven Wing took off from Fixette's back as she started towards the ladder and Orion continued talking about how much of a teddy bear Nexus was around his girlfriend.

Not wanting to hear any of it, she drowns it all out with the sound of the engines now quiet drone as she climbed. The thirty foot climb was painful. She was use to working her hoofs until they ached, but she never tried something this physically straining. She, along with Fixette and Spark, collapsed on deck the second they made it up. Once she got her footing, Silver looked over the massive balloon over top of her held by six steel cables. The gondola she was standing in was about thirty feet wide and fifty feet long.

Raven Wing cawed and landed on Nexus' horn, who was standing amidships. "Toss your bags somewhere down bellow there aren't any already. Hammocks are first come first serve around here." He said as the rope ladder was brought back up.

"So why are we here?" Autumn asked. "Why did you only want Silver?"

"I promised her that if I ever found where Chrysalis might be, I'd give 'er a call and have 'er tag along to help. For now I want you and your cohorts here to get to work down in the engine room. She hasn't been taken long distances and we could use every hoof we got to keep 'er runnin' smooth down there." Nexus told them letting some of his acquired accent slip.

"What about me Captain?" Orion asked.

"Get to the cargo hold and grab a rifle. First Sergeant Thunder Clap is teaching every foot soldier how to use them."

"Yes, Sir…Or Aye Captain."

"Either one, now get moving."

"Aye Sir!"

All four of them proceeded to the stair cases next to the Captain's Quarters under the helm of the ship.

"What's his damage?" Silver asked Orion. "He was nicer when he came through a few months ago."

"I don't know. I never saw him this serious before, not even when he was training me."

"You think he's okay?" Fixette asked.

"I don't know. And that worries me." Orion asked.

"Why does it matter to you?" Autumn asked.

"He's usually predictable. At least how he acts. Usually nice and sarcastic but serious when he needs to be. This is more than serious, this is deathly serious."

"Deathly? What they hay does that mean?" Silver asked.

"I mean he's either ready to kill everything in his way, he's ready to die or both."