Storm Song zoomed through the skies, feeling the wind whip at her face as she aimed to find a suitable place to touch down at on the ground. Ugh, Starswirl and his. . .naivety.
Hovering above a cloud that overlooked a sliver of Yak-Yakistan and the few buildings, huts and halls in between the snow and and ice, Storm Song took a quick assessment of her situation.
"Where in pony's sake is this 'hero' that you managed to rope into this dead battle, Starswirl? And why Yak-Yakistan first of all places to want to secure?" Storm Song asked herself, taking out a map of the area that was she purchased from the port before coming here. It even noted a few of the bar and taverns that she would end up visiting at one point or another. "Prince Rutherford may be an ally of ours, it still doesn't make it right to just come into his country's borders and start controlling the show."
Starswirl didn't tell her much about this Naofumi besides that he saw that may have more promise then those past, and that somewhere, however small, was a spark that he could ever so conveniently sense that gave him an even greater feeling of confidence in his ability to help stop Night Order and prevent Nightmare Moon from coming to destroy everything they've ever known.
"But then again, what could the harm beside the possible end of the world if we fail? It's not like we should be doing everything in our power to correct our mistakes before going in swords drawn and arrows lit," Storm Song huffed to herself, wanting nothing more than to wring the stallion's neck; his sin; his pride. . .and his utterly obsessive nature with magic and the secrets of the world cost him more than a lifetime of personal pain, but also accountability for so many other lives, and he had yet to fully grasp that concept. "Your pride wouldn't let you."
FWOOSH! Storm Song, latched her goggles back over her eyes as she dove below the clouds, keeping her wings folded in until the last second, unfurling them and feeling the change in gravity as she flapped to hover for a few seconds, pushing loose snow away from her before gracely landing on her hooves. Casting a wide angled look around her, it appeared she caused no disturbance to any around her, so she flipped her hood up and proceeded to walk to the bar that was still lit, the small sounds of the patrons shouting, stomping and singing off-key filled her ears as she approached.
"Ugh," Storm Song entire body shuddered, her eyes nearly rolling in the back to her head as she hung her googles around her neck and walked in. "Sound like a dying cat trying to play the flute drink. Let's hope they have better manners than last time here," the door was opened, the harsh chill of outside coming in in droves, alerting the nearest Yaks by the door to slosh their mugs in her direction and arrogantly demand she close the door faster.
"Geez, tough crowd." Storm Song said to herself, walking in a straight line on the sunken floor to spot the barkeep shooing away a pair of Yaks that looked to be flailing their hooves towards a keg painted a deep red amongst the 4 other brownish black ones that stood all unlocked expect for the red one.
"I told you, that was a one-time thing!" Storm Song saw the Yak behind the bar take out a broom and poke at the two Yaks who defiantly slurred their words and called out the drink provider over not getting a sweet taste of the most coveted drink the establishment had. "If any you drink it, you'll be in bed for a week puking out shit and shitting out puke if you get more a half a cup of this, now scat!"
"Grrrrrmmmble. . .no fai-r.~ Monkey and small horn pony g-get-BURP!-super strong. . .drink." one Yak muttered, deciding to walk away with his friend as the determination in the barkeep's eyes won this battle, for the moment.
"Monkey?" Storm Song asked to herself before connecting the dots. It had to be this Naofumi, but who was the small pony with them with a horn? She had to be sure and confirm. "Rough night?" Storm Song asked the barkeep, who turned around at the sound of her as he went over the keg to check it had been undamaged.
"Like you wouldn't believe, and it's only been. . .oh shit; Storm Song," Storm Song chuckled a bit at the tone of the Yak she hadn't see in some time. If he recognized her that quick versus assuming she was another pony looking to prove themselves in Yak-Yakistan, then she more or less, was in luck. "What are you doing here at this time of night? And this time of year?"
"Nice to see you too, Pagus. I couldn't help but overhear those customers of yours refer to a monkey and small horn pony.' Care to explain a bit of about that?"
Pagus signed, running a hoof through his fur as he had enough Yaks talk about the kid and the wuss unicorn passing out for one day.
But Storm Song, he had history with.
"Not sure what you can really do with it, but there was this. . .Unicorn guard and this. . .well, he looked like a monkey, just skinnier and he stood up straight and had on clothes. Wasn't the strangest thing I've ever seen, but it was something to make not of." Pagus said, shaking his head.
Storm Song scooted her chair closer and wondered. "What did they want?"
"Information. Said they were traveling heroes or something like that; I didn't really care, but they inquire the recent shakedowns going on at the dock," Pagus nodded his head behind him to the direction of the docks that was quite the distance away. Pagu also wanted to get to the bottom of what going down for the sake of his drinks and business. "I figured they could have been the ones taking care of it or had some sort of part in it, and I figured baiting them out if it turned sour would be less liability on my end."
"Did they find anything out?" Storm Song asked, taking the bowl of salted cashews on her left and putting them in front of her, slowly munching on them as she gestured for Pagus to pour a drink as she dropped a few bits of her neck pouch. "And why trust them so easily if you weren't sure? It could have been a plot-" Pagus rolled his eyes set the mug of peach and lychee mead in front of her. "Make it a double."
"A good point," Pagus reached under the table to grab his larger mug for those with hefty troubles on their mind. "I still don't really know why I told them anything, but besides the fact he took a glass of Idrium Rum like water and wasn't phased at all had gained a bit of my respect," Pagus nodded to himself, but soon chuckled in mock happiness, though it was masked with a bit of shame at his not affecting every creature that had ever come across it. "And there was this. . .I guess, aura about him that somehow told me I could trust him."
Storm Song stopped drinking halfway through, feeling the strong burn of the mead in her throat as it tingled long after being swallowed, the exhale of relief putting her in a small state of euphoria for a moment before she looked at Pagus. "Well, when did they come in? I'm pretty sure they're who I'm looking for; I have business with them." Storm Song took another sip, smacking her lips.
Pagus hmmed with curiosity. Had the kid and guard been ditching Storm Song? The Storm Pegasus? They must have done something to piss her off greatly. "They owe you something?"
Shaking her head and laying her hoof on her head, the drink slowly began to give the tiniest of buzzes, her forehead beginning to feel a bit heavier. "No, more like I owe them something. . .something my bastard of a husband should have briefed them about before essentially sending them to their deaths without any care of the sacrifice he's asking of them."
"Starswirl? How's the old moldy carpet doing? How long had it been since y'all; you know? Separated?" Pagus didn't want to press the issue any further than what was deemed acceptable without any thunder and lightning bolts being thrown his way by saying the wrong thing.
"Oh; hmm. . .almost 3 and a half years? Seems like yesterday we were madly in love, and completely devoted to each other when we were younger; everything was good. No argument, no lies, nothing."
Nudging her as she reminisced on the past, Pagus attested to the vast understatement of their love being more or a bond that not even the strongest of magic could break. All of the times they would sneak away and almost get caught often cracked the Yak up whenever the pair visited the snowy land. "I know; I even remember that one time behind the outhouse, where you two was so sure that you wouldn't be seen because of all of those haphazardly placed wooden boards that were rotting."
"Don't remind me," Storm Song muttered as she laid her head on the counter, the sound being muffled some. "And I almost slipped and fell when he wanted to try something new on the ice."
"Me bailing you guys out wasn't easy, I even get heckled about it by the few who actually managed to get a decent look at what was going on, but they don't care to let me explain," Pagus chuckled, but soon remembered her original question about the kid and the guard and his about Starswirl. "So he's ok?"
"If you must know, he's not dead, though I would personally like for that to change. But yes, he is fine. I am far more concerned about the hero he sent here; I won't let another one be sacrificed to a needless death." Storm Song said, finishing the rest of her drink and growling. She would whatever she could to warn, to deflect.
To hopefully not make another mother have to suffer as she did.
"Hmm, I don't think it's that easy, Storm. If he's the hero you say he is and that Starswirl picked; wouldn't using reason and having faith do more good than bad? Plus there has to be some hero or figure of sorts if there's any trouble."
Pagus did have a point; but only just. Storm Song believed that there could another to stop this bloodshed; stop the conquest, and make it so none would have to endure anymore pain.
If she could do even the smallest thing.
"What do you know? Have you felt the pain of losing another that was so close to you that once they died, you basically died along with them? Ever had a part in helping to create life, only for it to be taken so easily? Something you swore to protect. . .but couldn't," Storm Song slumped in her seat, tears threatening to come down onto the counter. She eyed Pagus with a dirty stare before speaking again. "Of course you don't."
"I might not have that kind of pain, and I do sincerely hope I may never experience it. But what I can do is at least offer advice and no judgement." Pagus cracked a half smile, knowing all too well about drinkers who would let the drink drink them would often get emotional and be an entirely different creature then when they walked in sober. "You can't change something that's as naturally occurring to life as breathing, eating and having opinions. It'll just happen."
"So what do you do, then? Just sit there and take it as is?" Storm Song asked, not really wanting to hear too much more about this conversation, and more about where she could find Naofumi.
"That's the answer I don't know If I can gave without it being biased. What I can say is that; the way to move a mountain isn't by yourself. If you want to have a chance to do whatever it is you're doing, you won't be able to do it alone," Pagus poured another drink for her. He knew she would be on this would be like for a little while. "But what I can do is put you on the right track about the kid."
Storm Song hiccuped, the drink soon getting to her as she felt her muscles relax for a moment. While this was not a leisure trip in the slightest, a small break after such a long time at sea had to be taken into account.
"Pretty sure you're gonna need a room for the night while you sober up; you got the bed in the back."