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Gazing to the Ocean of the Sky

by David Silver

Chapter 13: 13 - Sisters in the Forest

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Cherry was moving along with increasing confidence. "I don't even know why I didn't realize this before!" She performed a smooth hairpin turn on her cooperative metal legs working in tandem with her natural pair before turning back forward. With her flippers able to control her mobility, it felt much more like the swimming she was accustomed to, rather than a device to lend barely any mobility to a crippled pony.

Spike looked across at her from where he rode his stalwart mount known as Starlight. "Is it that much better? I admit, I never really got much of a look at your, um, fins? You had them covered up most of the time and all."

Cherry bobbed her head quickly. "Oh yes, completely! They don't make me go forward in the water, they help me steer, and that's important. Guess what they're doing now? Ta da, steering!" She made a sudden jump onto a log with a loud giggle that was met with a low predatory growl from deep in the forest.

Starlight held up a hoof for quiet and sank a little as she peered out into the trees. The entire group fell silent for several tense moments before she rose back up. "I don't think it's close by, but we should avoid making noise unless we're that eager to test out how good those hooves of yours are at running."

Spike swallowed loudly from above Starlight. "Eh, maybe we can skip that part." He made a zipping motion over his mouth and went quiet.


Back in Fluttershy's cottage, Rainbow snorted loudly. "So, how are we doing this? You distract them and I'll rush in and bam!" She swung a hoof. "I'll knock them out cold and we have Ponyville back to normal."

Fluttershy shook her head a little. "I... guess we could do that, but what if she sings and then you're under her control too?"

"What do you suggest?" Rainbow raised a brow. "We have to do something! Twilight's counting on us! Everypony is, even if most of them don't realize it yet."

The shy pegasus tapped her hooves together. "We could try talking to her?"

Rainbow's brows knitted together. "So she can put the whammy on you easier? How is this a good idea?"

"W-well, maybe... she isn't all that bad. I'm sure if we just sit down and--"

Rainbow hiked a brow as she leaned in towards her timid friend. "Fluttershy, really? This siren or whatever has the entire town under her control. I think that calls for something a bit stronger than a little chit-chat."

She turned away and moved for the window, peeking outside as if expecting an attack to come. "Somepony in there may remember you live out here and come looking. I think we should am-scray."

"Oh no!" Fluttershy hopped from the ground, hovering about six inches up. "We can't do that, we musn't! Who'll feed the animals?"

Rainbow tilted her head. "This isn't the first time you took off for a few days. Leave them some bowls or whatever and let's get moving." She gestured outside. "The sooner we get moving, the better. We have a town to save!"

Fluttershy frowned softly. "I suppose so, but I don't like it." She landed lightly and moved towards her pantry. "Bad enough with the map potentially calling us at any time to just... leave. They so much prefer to have warning before I go anywhere, and who can blame them?"

"I can?" Rainbow snorted with annoyance. "What did these animals do before you were around? You know what, nevermind that. Just get ready and let's blow this popsicle sta--Hey!" She looked down with a scowl to where Angel, Fluttershy's rabbit, had just given her a swift kick. "I wasn't talking to you, long-ears."

Fluttershy filled different bowls, ranging from tiny to worryingly large with different feeds to please her animal wards then set out a variety of water dishes. "There." She smiled a little, then trotted for the door, only for her mane to be caught from below and tugged on. She turned to see that Angel was trying to get her attention. "What's wrong?"

Angel hopped up onto her back without any words, not that he was known for sharing any.

"Oh, you want come with us? Um, I guess that's alright..."

Rainbow threw up her hooves. "Whatever, so long as we can get going, and that little terror remembers who's in charge here." She pointed to herself as if it wasn't clear who she was referring to. She pushed open the upper half of Fluttershy's door before darting out through it, hovering easily as she spun around to face Fluttershy. "Coming?"

Fluttershy rose at a gentle rate, only to be grabbed by Rainbow and the two shot up into the clouds with Angel attached. They would save Ponyville, somehow.


Starlight let out a squeak as her next step proved far less certain than she thought. The forest quite abruptly ended, leaving them facing the side of a huge castle, which had a more worrying chasm around it that she had almost stepped into.

Spike brightened at the sight. "Hey! I think that's the Castle of the Two Sisters!"

Cherry stepped up carefully beside Starlight. "Looks big. Do you know it, Spike? You sound happy to see it."

Spike bobbed his head. "We cleared it out a while ago. It should be safe and secure, but even better yet! The trail should still be there, so we can just walk home."

Starlight's expression was a curious mix of relief and concern. "Not so fast, Spike. The town could still be crazy about Cherry. I like the idea of a place we can relax though." She turned and began following the chasm towards the front of the castle. "What were you cleaning it out for?"

"Funny thing about that." Spike put a hand behind his head. "I don't exactly recall. I mean, we put a lot of work into it, then we just kinda... stopped. Lots of other things came up, and Twilight has a new castle now, so I guess we didn't really need it."

Cherry shook her head a little. "That's a big place to clean just to forget about it, but I guess we shouldn't complain if it means we'll be safe and can relax for a change." She smiled broadly, only for the smile to wear away. "Uh, one thing... Is the castle sealed?"

"Huh?" Spike looked over his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"It's just... if a home is left abandoned long enough..."

Starlight huffed out a sigh. "She's right, something may have come in and decided to take up residence. We should make our first priority sweeping through and making sure we're the only guests of the castle before we relax."

Spike pointed beneath the castle. "Oh hey, you can see the Tree of Harmony from here."

Cherry blinked down into the chasm and the tree within it. "It's got shiny things in its, uh, the coral up top."

"Branches," offered Starlight. "Spike, what are those things?"

"Jewels, the Elements of Harmony, to be specific. We had to give them up to save the tree a while ago."

Starlight tilted her head. "Twilight really has been through a lot, hasn't she?" She swallowed softly. "No wonder it made such a huge difference..."

Cherry blinked as she pulled up alongside Starlight. "What difference?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

Spike gave Starlight a single pat through her mane. "It's alright, Starlight."

"No, no it is not." Starlight frowned over her shoulder. "Cherry doesn't need to be bothered with things like that."

The conversation quieted down to an uneasy silence as they came around to the front of the castle, as imposing as ever, but possibly the safest place for quite some distance.


Applejack was tied up beside Twilight with three times the rope to keep the strong mare from busting loose. She scowled at their guard, the wall-eyed Muffins watching them like a hawk.

"To think, ah thought we were friends."

Muffins shook her head. "Sorry. Mayor Mare was very clear."

Twilight smiled at Muffins. "Um, can I use the little filly's room?"

"Oh, okay." Muffins rose to her hooves and trotted towards Twilight. "You promise to be good, right?" She smiled jovially at Twilight. "Otherwise I haveta go with you and neither of us wants that."

Twilight sighed softly. "I promise."

"Good!" Muffins pulled the ropes loose of Twilight easily and pointed to the restroom. "There you go. Come right back after you're done."

Twilight walked away with uncertainty, stretching her legs as she went. She could try to run away, and she certainly considered it, but tricking Muffins like that hardly felt good, not to mention how many other guards may be just out of sight. No, with her magic non-functioning, it would be better to be allowed restroom privileges, for the moment... She emerged from the restroom and returned to her jailer. "So, Muffins?"

"Yes'm?" Muffins was looking directly at her, or so she figured. It was occasionally difficult to be entirely sure. "Everything alright?"

"Oh, I was just curious about a few things." Twilight settled where she had been, but didn't rush to put the ropes back on herself. "Did Mayor Mare come up with this idea all on her own?"

"Nuh uh." Muffins shook her head back and forth quickly.

Applejack raised a brow. "Really now? Well then, who done it?"

Muffins tapped her cheek softly a moment before shaking her head. "Can't say."

Twilight tilted her head a little. "Can't, or won't?"

Muffins frowned a little. "I was never that good at grammar, uh... can't. Uh huh."

"Why not? You're a very talented speaker so far." A white lie perhaps. Twilight smiled hopefully.

Muffins shook her head again. "Can't. I was told not to, so I can't."

Applejack blinked owlishly. "If'n ya were told not to, wouldn't that be a 'won't' kinda thing?"

Muffins advanced on Twilight. "Nope, definitely a can't thing. Sorry. I hope you're not mad at me." She leaned in. "You're my favoritest princess!" She got to tying Twilight back up.

Applejack sighed softly. "You have the darndest way of showin' yer respect. Look, Muffins, this is all one big misunderstandin'. Ain't neither of us controlled by no sirens."

Muffins pouted a little, looking increasingly sad. "I havta, sorry. Please don't be mad at me..."

Twilight folded her wings back up, the ropes sinking against her, not very tight at all thanks to her subtle ploy. "We're not angry at you, Muffins. You're a good pony, and a good friend. We'll work this out, don't worry."

Muffins brightened at Twilight's words. "Maybe when this is all done and we've taken care of that mean siren, we can go have fun somewhere, alright?" She clopped her forehooves together, then looked to Applejack. "That goes for you too, AJ." She leaned closer. "You're my favorite apple farmer."

Applejack rolled her eyes at the dubious praise.

Author's Notes:

Oh hello castle! The show may have forgotten you the moment it gained a bright purple/pink castle, but I sure didn't.

That would have been a much cooler castle for Twilight, located right over the Tree of Harmony, and site of Twilight's first true battle that set Luna free. It had everything going for it, except Hasbro's approval.

I blame the typos for this.

Next Chapter: 14 - A Multi-legged Approach Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 5 Minutes
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