A couple hours ago on Dusk Hollow...15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwW6YI9lgh
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsf5PLTszj
Twilight pointed at Levi's ship. "There! That's Captain Levi's ship! That's my crew!"
"Well let's hurry up and get you there then!" Erin chirped.
The group ran as fast as they could. But they were too late. The ship was already lifting from the ground.
Twilight's heart sank as he watched Levi's ship lift off the ground, its engines roaring to life. "No, no, no! DAMN IT!"he shouted, sprinting toward the ship with a desperation he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Erin, flapping her wings to keep pace, frowned. "Looks like they’re leaving without you, Twilight. What’s the plan now? Twilight?
Twilight paced, muttering words under his breath. "Why do I even bother trying to catch up with that asshole? Not like any one on that ship cares that I'm gone! After all, Glitch and Luna are just ugly thieves! And Captain Levi is a loner, and is probably still planning on how to get rid of everyone on his ship!"
"Is he okay?" Ava asked.
Erin shrugged.
Erin watched Twilight pace, his frustration palpable. She could sense the deep tension behind his words, but she wasn’t sure whether to press him or just let him vent. Ava, always full of energy, bounced on her toes and asked again, "Are you okay? You look like you’re about to blow up!"
Twilight clenched his fists, his ears twitching with agitation. "No, I’m not okay!" He glared at the spot where Levi’s ship had been. "That was my ride off this rock. And now I’m stuck here with no way off because they decided to leave without me!"
Erin let out a deep sigh, stepping closer. "Look, I get it, but you’ve got to calm down. Freaking out won’t solve anything. What’s done is done, and standing here getting worked up isn’t gonna bring them back."
Twilight took a deep breath, his shoulders still tense. "Yeah, I know… it’s just… I trusted them, you know? I thought they’d wait. But I guess I was wrong."
Orion, ever the cautious one, spoke up in his soft voice. "Maybe it was an accident? Maybe they didn’t know you were missing? If they’re your crew, they’ll come back for you, right?"
Twilight shook his head, his voice bitter. "I don’t know about that, Orion. I thought I was part of the team, but now I’m not so sure."
Erin’s feathers ruffled, and she jabbed a wing in Twilight’s direction. "Okay, enough with the self-pity! You’re not the first person to be ditched by a crew. So what if they left? You’ve still got your legs, and you’re breathing. We’ll figure this out. You’re stuck with us now, so either keep moping, or start thinking of a new plan."
Twilight blinked, caught off guard by Erin’s bluntness. Ava, on the other hand, grinned wide and squawked, "Yeah! You’ve got us now! Let’s do something fun and figure out a way to steal a new ship!"
Present time...
"Damn, this ship is small," Ava squawked.
"I've seen smaller," Erin said with a shrug.
"Well, smaller or not, it’s ours now," Twilight muttered, leaning against the cockpit’s frame with his arms crossed. "At least until someone comes looking for it."
Ava flopped into one of the seats, spinning it lazily as she peered at the control panel. "Do you think they’ll notice it’s missing? I mean, it’s not like it’s that fancy."
Orion, sitting cautiously in the corner, glanced around nervously. "I’m pretty sure someone will notice. Ships don’t just disappear without raising alarms."
Erin was already fiddling with some of the controls, her sharp eyes scanning the dashboard. "Relax, pup," she said without looking up. "This thing’s old. The owner probably won’t care, and if they do, we’ll be long gone by the time they figure it out."
Twilight stepped closer, his red eyes narrowing as he inspected the ship’s interior. "Old or not, it’ll get us off this planet, and that’s what matters. Erin, how soon can you get this thing running?"
She let out a soft whistle, running her wing over the worn controls. "Depends. The engine sounds like it hasn’t been properly tuned in years. But give me ten minutes, and I’ll have it purring like a kitten."
"Make it five," Twilight said, his voice firm.
Erin shot him a playful glare. "You want miracles? I’m a mechanic, not a magician."
Minutes ticked by, the faint hum of the ship’s systems began to grow louder, and the lights flickered to life. Erin stood, dusting off her feathers with a satisfied grin. "There. Told you I could do it."
Twilight nodded, a rare flicker of gratitude in his expression. "Good. Let’s get out of here before anyone notices."
Ava leapt out of her seat, pumping a fist in the air. "Finally! Let’s go find some adventure!"
"I hope this thing doesn’t fall apart mid-flight." Orion whispered nervously.
"Relax," Erin said, patting the console. "This baby’s solid enough. Now, who’s flying?"
Everyone turned to Twilight, who shrugged. "Don't look at me! I don't even know how to use a hovercraft!"
"I can do it," Orion said nervously as he moved to the pilot seat.
Erin raised an eyebrow at Orion as he timidly slid into the pilot’s seat. "You sure about this, pup? You don’t exactly scream ‘ace pilot.’"
Orion gulped, his paws hovering uncertainly over the controls. "I-I’ve flown before… a little. I mean, how hard can it be?"
Twilight sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If we die because of this, I’m haunting all of you."
Erin rolled her eyes and leaned closer to Orion, pointing at the controls with one wing. "Alright, listen up. That’s the throttle, that’s the stabilizer, and whatever you do, don’t touch the red lever unless you want the ship to eject all of us into space."
Orion’s eyes widened as he nodded furiously. "O-okay, got it. Throttle, stabilizer, no red lever…"
"Relax, Orion," Twilight muttered, standing behind him with his arms crossed. "You’ve got this. Just… don’t overthink it."
"Easy for you to say," Orion mumbled, his ears twitching nervously. "You’re not the one flying."
With a shaky paw, Orion gripped the throttle and gently pushed it forward. The ship rumbled to life, rising unsteadily off the ground. Ava cheered loudly, throwing her wings up in excitement. "Woohoo! We’re flying!"
"Barely," Erin muttered under her breath, bracing herself as the ship wobbled. "Smooth it out, Orion. You’re overcompensating."
Orion nodded, his tongue poking out in concentration as he adjusted the stabilizer. The ship steadied, and the vibrations eased. "There! I did it!" he exclaimed, a small smile breaking across his face.
"Great," Twilight said, leaning over to check the coordinates. "Now point us toward literally anywhere that isn’t Dusk Hollow and get us moving."
"Roger that," Orion said, his confidence growing as he turned the ship toward the open sky.
ns 15.158.61.16da2
