Chapter 1: A New Adventure

… Nimbus Saturn …

The morning light gleamed through the village homes of Wyldmist, a petite colony of creatures living together as one. From griffons to unicorns and even creatures from far beyond their little town. Yaks, zebras, kirins, you name it. However, one of the newest residents was something no one had seen before - a reindeer.

The town’s namesake fog rolled in, covering their roofs in a blanket of mist. Most citizens had grown accustomed to the sight - all but Nimbus Saturn. The smoke-colored reindeer tired of the constant veiling of daylight, as gorgeous as it was; he would rather have more daylight than this. He had traveled so far from his desolate and snowy hometown to get away from the lack of sun, not endure more of it.

He let out a yawn and got to work, lighting as many candles as he could without risking his hard labor going up in flames. He walked through his home, warm orange light beautifully reflected from the gold and brass around him, constantly reminding himself why he decided to stay despite his annoyances. He was here to prove everyone at home wrong. Most of his kind went on to work more upscale jobs. Entrepreneurs, lawyers, jewelers, CEOs, and the like. Things that get your face plastered on every poster in Mythicoria.

He found that level of fame to be beneath him. If he were to be that famous, he wanted it to be from the things he’s accomplished, not how much he owns from it. He was fine being a humble inventor for now. Ponies would recognize his talent one day.

…

Hours went by, and the mist had finally started to fade. He did his usual duties for the day once the sun had finally filled his rooms with its light. He went around his house, extinguishing all of the flames with his pet rat, Cortex, by his side. Cortex was more than a simple lab rat to him. The white rat was quite smart, much smarter than some ponies if Nimbus had to guess.

They headed toward the kitchen as Cortex ran up Nimbus and perched himself on his antlers. They had formed a solid routine. Whenever Nimbus grabbed a snack or made himself some tea, Cortex would help himself to some treats. Nimbus trusted him enough not to eat anything more than that.

He waited until the rat was off of him before pulling open the cabinets and bringing down what he needed. The light blue aura surrounding them faintly lit up his surroundings, but only for a short while. Nimbus wasn’t a fan of using his magic for things unrelated to building his inventions or if he wasn’t hurt. He saw it as lazy.

He hummed softly as he started to heat his water. The only time in the day he wasn’t thinking of any of his blueprints or prototypes. And here he was, spending it staring at a pot of water. How productive. He heard a sharp ringing noise, and his relaxed mood was quickly ruined.

He trotted over to the door and opened it as little as he could. He peered down at the pegasus. They donned a worn mail cap and burlap satchels that clearly needed to be replaced.

“This place is registered as carrier pigeon only. I think you have the wrong address.”

“Mr. Sa-” The pegasus spoke, but the reindeer closed the door in their face before they could respond. He huffed and went back to his tea. He hadn’t been disturbed since coming here, and he wanted to keep it that way.

He set his tea bag in his cup and poured in the hot water. All he had now was time to waste. He left to let the flavors steep. He sat by the largest window he had and studied his plans once more. He was at peace once again until that pestilent postpony came up again.

“Mr. Saturn!” The pegasus popped its head up outside the window. Nimbus fell over from the shock and immediately closed the blinds. He called out to Cortex, who immediately began to scurry about, locking every window and closing every blind. That didn’t stop them from trying to contact him. It took only five minutes of constant nagging for him to break. Not even the soothing taste of his peppermint tea could help him.

He opened his door again and let out an exhausted sigh. “What could be so important that you had to disturb my morning planning hours?”

The pony excitedly searched through one of their sacks. “A letter.”

“All of this over a letter…? I don’t see how that makes much of a difference.”

“It was urgent. Everyone in the post office agreed that we should overlook your carrier pigeon-only order, just for today.”

 Nimbus exhaled and glanced over at the pile of unopened letters in the corner of his home, repurposed for Cortex’s bedding. He supposed he could let this stand if this was really that important.

They handed him a black envelope. “There we are! Have a nice day, Mr. Saturn!” With a tip of their hat, they flew away to deal with other deliveries.

The reindeer grumbled as he closed the door. He sat back at his largest window and read the silver letters imprinted into the dark paper. There was nothing but his name and address. He flipped it over and surprisingly saw the royal crest of Trottingale on the wax seal.

He let the paper hover in front of him as he read the letter. This was far too important to be turned into nothing but scrap paper. This was equivalent to a holy artifact to him, a message from the heavens themselves! If he played his cards right, he’d be noticed by much more than these simple plebeians. Maybe this was the big break he had been wishing for all this time!

He continued to read the letter in pure bewilderment, rereading it over and over again. This wasn’t something that was prewritten with blanks filled in with his name. This was personal. It mentioned his love of inventions, his family, and how out of place he must have felt. But, the last line gained the most attention. They had requested his presence. Today. In merely a few hours.

He hurriedly began to pack, rushing around his home like a lunatic. He had never run so fast in all his life. Cortex scampered around him, making sure Nimbus didn’t leave anything important behind, essentials like food and bandages. He had no idea how long he’d be gone for. He hadn’t made much since moving in here, and he didn’t want to seem like he was unsuccessful with his ideas. The writing in that letter spoke so highly of him. He’d hate to disappoint.

He snatched one last thing before heading out the door. One of his most beloved inventions. If he wanted to show the world what he could do, he might as well make a good first impression. The one bit of advice he’d never resent. He looked down at the creation in his hoof and set it next to the rest of his belongings. After one last lap around his home, he was ready to go.

He stood outside, a wide smile on his face. He looked down at his rat companion and lightly stroked the top of his head. “Make sure nothing happens while I’m gone, buddy.” Cortex let out an affirmative squeak, then went on to continue their chores from before. A grueling task for such a small creature, but the rodent had more than enough determination to do it, just like Nimbus.

The reindeer looked up at the sky, no longer gloomy but instead completely clear, except for a few clouds scattered about. Reflecting his new mood towards this morning. He was ready for whatever was going to be sent his way today. He had gone on a journey to get here. What did he have to lose by accepting another?

…

Making his way down the winding roads of the village. He struggled to walk with the bulky bag on his back, his hooves pressed into the deep mud. The fur above his hooves was caked in the sludge. Onlookers stared at the dirt and grime. He didn’t mind the hushed comments about his disheveled look. He continued to hold his head up high as he passed them. He knew he’d be something. He didn’t need to brag about who he was and where he was headed.

He made his way to the opposite edge of their little town. He wasn’t sure if he didn’t get out enough or if he was just unfamiliar with the area, but he felt out of place. He looked up at the massive airship above him, cotton sails fluttering and propellers creaking in the wind. He marveled at the incredible feat of innovation before him. By the looks of the other ponies' faces, it didn’t seem like this was a very common occurrence.

He made his way over to the ramp leading inside. He was greeted by two guards standing in front of it. Greeted was a strong word. They simply stood in that spot until he came over to them. They parted for him and returned to standing in that spot until he made it halfway up the ramp. They followed Nimbus, one taking his luggage without a word while the other pointed him in the direction of a washroom.

Nimbus meekly made his way over, making sure to track the least amount of mud he could. This was more embarrassing than being talked about by the entire village. Dirtying up such a great machine, especially when it’s owned by someone of such high standards as the Queen of Trottingale. He quickly washed up and made his way up to the bridge. As much as he wanted to look at the more interesting inner workings of the ship, he was here for a purpose, not to play engineer.

He stepped inside and looked around. It was gorgeous. None would ever think a place like this was in the belly of a ship. It looked more akin to a palace. Cashmere seats, silver decor adorning the walls, jewels embedded on nearly any corner they could.

As much as he wished all these things garnered the most of his attention, there was something else more important to think about than riches. There were ponies here. He scanned the scene from left to right. There were five of them. Five ponies who just single-handedly crushed his dreams without even knowing. He took a deep breath. This was fine. He could handle this if it meant he’d be in the presence of greatness soon. He still had hope he was needed for his skills. One trip with strangers won’t be so bad.