Word of landfall came over the Arc Manta's intercom system, right at the hour of the morning where Valey was awake, but hadn't yet rolled out of her cramped bunk. The students had either risen long before her or never slept, but Maple was still asleep and Starlight was sitting guard and Gazelle was a statue and Felicity just stared from the opposite bunk, watching her and looking vaguely wistful.
That changed once Keystroke's voice sounded, announcing they would be docking within fifteen minutes. A flicker of intensity flashed in Gazelle's otherwise-empty eyes, and Starlight hugged her poncho tighter as Felicity crawled hopefully from her bed.
Gerardo was up with the students, standing by the ladder to the exit. "Time to see what our new destination has in store for us, hmm?" he greeted.
"And time for me to see the looks on everyone else's faces when they see what happened on our voyage," Ebb chuckled, eagerly rubbing the tips of his wings together. "If any of you are looking for some prime time, stick with me for a while."
Felicity cleared her throat. "As gratifying as attention can be at times, my health is never the best and the last month has been especially unkind, so I really would like to see about putting my hooves up in a low-stress environment for a spell..."
"We'll see about that," one of the Equestrian guards said from the hatch to the next level down. "Remember that you don't have permission to be across the border. This will go better for everyone involved if you stay together and make it easy for us to keep track of you."
Felicity brushed her mane back with a sigh. "Darling, if these ponies' idea of rest and relaxation involves a lot of running around or anything other than staying in one place, I'm afraid being findable will be the least of my worries."
"We'll follow your rules, of course," Gerardo confirmed with a nod. "But perhaps you should discuss in advance with the university as well? My understanding is that it's an island, so it isn't as if we can leave whenever we please. And we have every interest in being easy to work with."
The floor shifted beneath them as the ship rapidly decelerated, and a few bumps and turns later, the hum of the engine grew quiet. Finally, with a hiss of moving metal, the entry unscrewed itself and swung open.
Ebb and Flow were the first up the ladder, followed by the guards. When Valey surfaced, she found herself in a hangar not unlike Shinespark's dry dock in Sosa, though the building had a real roof and its metal interior was vastly better cared-for and well-lit. A squad of ponies stood at the ready, including two in medical coats, several who looked like they worked out, and a stallion in a black suit with a well-groomed mane and a cane she was certain was just for show.
"Order, please," Professor Sea Star insisted, taking a gangplank to the shore instead of jumping like Ebb and Flow. "Greetings, Mister President. I trust everyone can handle themselves from here? I have a meeting with Doctor Lost and Doctor Caballeron, and shouldn't be late."
"Of course! See to it, my good professor," the suited stallion chuckled warmly, gesturing with the cane held in a wing.
Valey raised an eyebrow, tempted to jump but not wanting to spook the ponies on the dock. "President?"
"President Kinmari." The stallion nodded and beckoned. "This island and its institution has been in my family for generations. Won't you join us? I expect you've had enough of seafaring for quite some time, castaway."
Valey needed no further invitation. "You have two injured, right?" one of the buff stallions asked, as she landed, rope and a harness around his shoulder. "Will we need to carry them out?"
"One of them could use it, the other definitely wants it." Valey shrugged, looking around. The sun was low enough on the horizon that it shone in through the bay doors, indicating the dock was facing east. It felt good on her coat, and she stopped to take a breath.
"It gets a little musty in that ship, doesn't it?" President Kinmari asked, stepping alongside her and nodding. "I support my scientists, but the lengths they're willing to go sometimes! Simply inspiring. So, I've heard you're seeking asylum from Her Majesty herself."
"I mean, yeah." Valey nodded, the other ponies working to help out Felicity and Maple. "But mostly we're trying to avoid wars and politicians and getting caught up in things we want nothing to do with. My friends and I badly need some room to breathe."
President Kinmari chuckled. "Well, you won't be found wanting on my island. I manage the school board myself, and we like keeping disturbances that degrade the quality of life to a minimum. Though judging by the last time a northerner came here, you'd better be prepared to be sensations. If there's anyone you'd like kept out of the spotlight, best mention it now and I'll see what I can do."
Valey pursed her lips. "You know, I can think of one filly..."
"Leave it all to me," the stallion assured. He leaned in, voice lowering. "And just a word of advice: don't go around mentioning things about the border being down or you all being here illegally. That's a thing we feel would be better on the quiet."
The royal guards nodded sagely.
"Yeah, I'll see to it." Valey squared her shoulders, watching as her friends were lifted out. "So... what kind of stuff are we actually gonna do?"
"As I said," Felicity instructed, "I really need some rest. In a proper bed with real amenities, and the right degree of..." She broke off coughing.
One of the medical coat mares shook her head. "I'm afraid we'd like to look over all of you first. You do look like you could use the rest, and I promise we won't keep you on your hooves longer than necessary, ma'am. Can you walk on your own?"
"If you're offering an alternative, I wouldn't mind..."
Valey scratched her head. "Well, guess it couldn't hurt to tag along. Give us the tour, boss?"
Valey had never seen this degree of lawn landscaping in her life.
The dry dock was part of a building complex, but she couldn't tell if it was a singular structure or a maze of interconnected ones. White marble dominated the architecture, which used natural hills and winding turns to make everything feel far more open than the level of development warranted. She was almost reminded of their first visit to Izvaldi, when the area seemed like a peaceful blend of development and wilderness, but Kinmari used hills and corners to create horizons and inspire vastness rather than Izvaldi's low population. Because the population of Kinmari was anything but low.
Almost everywhere she turned, young ponies were lounging on the lawns, reading or sharing picnics and talking together. The weather warranted it, but there was far more to their attitudes than taking advantage of some respite: this wasn't a break, it was a way of life. More certainly than she could ever remember, Valey's cutie mark was dim here. While she was looking for a break from danger, here were ponies who might never have been threatened in their lives.
"Bananas." Valey licked her lips, sniffing a scent that probably came from the decorative bushes. "Makes me wanna join them."
"Don't feel like you'll miss your chance," President Kinmari warned, leading the way and occasionally attracting waves and greetings from the students. "The weather around here is like this even in winter! With sufficient gardening resources, we don't need to have seasons at all! There'll be plenty of time for sunbathing during all of your stay."
"Even if some of us don't appreciate it," Keystroke added, the earth pony who had spent the voyage in the instrument section of the ship. He still wore his hoodie, though at least the hood was down. "Right, kid?"
Starlight nodded mutely, refusing to surrender her Riverfall poncho.
"Sounds like a good time to me," Valey countered. "What about you, Birdo? You wanna just flop out and roll around on the grass like... Birdo?"
Gerardo was trailing the pack, a guard watching him warily as he talked with the excitable Ebb and Flow.
"Eh, he's not listening." Valey shrugged, looking around and realizing her only companions would be hospital-bound, have better things to do, or were Gazelle. She might actually be on her own until the Dream arrived...
She knew she didn't feel like sitting around, that was for sure. Shinespark was with the Dream, and she trusted her to get the rest of her friends here safe and sound. There wasn't anything she could do if she didn't. Maple and Felicity would be in good hooves, Starlight would follow them, Gerardo was busy... her mind ran through her friends in circles, but one thing stood out to her above all else: they were actually fine. She had nothing she needed to do.
Whatever feeling she had battled days ago of always having one last problem between herself and being at ease wasn't there anymore. Not only was her cutie mark quiet here, but her shoulders were lighter, too. For the first time in a long time, she could do whatever she wanted without worrying about her friends... within reason, but still.
Valey grinned. This was not an opportunity she was going to waste after dreaming of it for so long.