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// Eternity's Crossing 
// Story: Beyond Betrayal 
// by Rarostar95 
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It was noon now, and everypony started to feel tiredness creeping upon them almost as if they never did catch the train and had just walked one hundred miles. They went through field upon field passing the same scenery countless times like they were going in circles. Bamboo knew that they were going in the right direction but looking at the boring scenery he had to question himself. Eventually they made it to beach, where the vast blue ocean lay in front of them all. 
“So… I take it that somepony here has some sort of boat for us to cross?” Razor said as he looked specifically at Dr. Ringer. 
“Just watch my friends” Dr. Ringer said as he pulled a sort of control panel out of his bag. He pressed a dangerous looking red button on it and a small antenna popped out of it and started making a faint beeping sound. Just then the sky in front of them began to turn a greyish colour. Then soon enough scenery in front of them had gone completely. All that could be seen in front of them now was a large, wide boat that had ‘Red steam’ written along the side of it. 
“Tha-th-that wasn’t there before right?” Raro said with a monumentally confused face. 
“All systems are operational sir, we’re ready to go,” one of Dr. Ringers henchponies said to him. 
“Did you build that,” Rainbow dash asked with the same face as Raro. 
“Well not me alone, but I designed it if that’s what you mean,” Dr. Ringer answered. “It has an invisibility mode that I keep on when I’m not using it. I guess it’s to keep thieves away.” 
“Who the hell’s going to get away with stealing that?” Razor said. 
“Well C’mon we’ve no time to waste,” Dr. Ringer said. A long thin panel then automatically came down from the side of the small ship and landed on the Beach. Dr. Ringer and his ponies led the others up it and into the bowls of the ship. Everypony was too astonished at what they just saw to walk any faster up the long, steep ramp. When Everypony was finally onboard, one of Dr. Ringer’s ponies took to the wheel of the ship and it slowly, but gracefully left the boat yard. Steam was puffing out from it’s from its two steam towers and water was splashed everywhere behind the ship on its trail. Everypony was led by Dr. Ringer into the centre of the ship which was a large room with set up tables and chairs and a massive chandelier hanging and swaying slightly on the ceiling. The room was very classy and modern, and they all felt like they had just checked into a five star hotel. 
“Right,” Dr. Ringer began. “I’ll give you all the grand tour. This is the grand hall, the centre of the ship so if you ever get lost just make your way back to here. We’ll be having dinner in here tonight”. Dr. Ringer then led everypony into a narrow hall way to the left of them. “These are the stay rooms. You can choose whatever room you like, there’s plenty to go around for all of us”. As he continued to lead all of them forward nopony said anything as they all hung on to every word Dr. Ringer was saying. He led them down a set of classy looking stairs. “Now there are four levels to this ship. The top level is the armoury, helm and the main control rooms. The second level is the stay rooms, cafeteria and grand hall, and the level that we are now on is entertainment. And of course you can go out onto the deck of the ship,” Dr. Ringer finished. 
“What about the bottom level?” Bamboo asked. There was a pause. 
“Oh, that’s just… you know the engine rooms, you don’t need to go there,” Dr. Ringer said. “So, I hope we all have a good journey and I’ll see you all tonight”. And as Dr. Ringer said that, he and one of his henchponies disappeared upstairs to the control rooms of the ship, while every other pony started to all wonder of in their own little groups, fascinated by every small detail of the ship. Bamboo went off with Raro. 
“Bamboo you’re the travel expert, how long do thing it’ll take to get to the other side?” Raro asked. “Well I’m not internally sure, but at our current speed we could be there by late tomorrow,” Bamboo said. 
“Well I guess that’s not that bad. I mean, I wouldn’t mind being on this ship for a week. It’s amazing!” Raro said as he examined the interior of the ship. Meanwhile, Rainbow dash, Fluttershy and Twilight set of to find a room for each other. 
“This place is immense,” Rainbow dash shouted. 
Fluttershy went down the corridors opening every door on the way. “Hmm…” She said to herself. “Not that one”. She went to the next room. “Not that one”. 
“Fluttershy, all the rooms are practically the same you know,” Twilight said to her. 
“I’m just trying to find the right one that’s all,” Fluttershy said. Rainbow dash sighed. 
“You know, I’d be happy to work for Dr. Ringer. He seems like one heck of a pony. I bet princess Celestia would love somebody like him in Canterlot,” Twilight said. 
“But he’s more of a Science pony than what you do Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said. 
“Well, I’m still going to write to Celestia and tell her all about him. I wish Spike was here to see this” Twilight finished. And as she said that, Fluttershy was determined she had found the right room and so she threw herself in there and collapsed onto the bed with a happy sigh, while Rainbow Dash and Twilight carried on strolling down the halls in front of them. That night, everypony gathered in the grand hall for dinner, except for Dr. Ringer who everypony assumed to be still upstairs. The room was filled with chattering and laughter as everypony wanted to get to know each other as best they could. Dr. Ringer’s henchponies were also all in the room but standing in the corners like bodyguards to all of them. Razor then broke the chattering at the long, grand dinner table that they were all at by raising a glass and clinking it with a fork. 
“Excuse me everypony” he shouted across the table. The talking then broke into silence and all eyes became fixed on him. “I just wanted to say that I’m really happy to be here with you all tonight and I’m glad that we’re all together on this quest for… quest for this amazing thing. I’m glad that we’re all a part of it and, I especially want to thank our host Dr. Ringer, who cannot be here tonight for reasons unknown,” Razor said as he chuckled slightly. “Cheers” he shouted. Everypony then raised their glasses. “Cheers” they all shouted back. As Razor then sat back down and everypony began chatting away again, Razor was determined to find Dr. Ringer. He got up again and walked up to one of Dr. Ringer’s guards. “You haven’t seen Dr. Ringer have you?” Razor asked. 
“No I’m sorry sir. I last saw him in the bottom of the ship but I’m not sure where he is now,” The suited pony replied. 
“Oh ok then,” Razor said with a look of confusion. He then began to make his way downstairs to the bottom floor. He searched every room top to bottom for him, until he came to a room at the very back of the ship which was slightly open a crack but had an ‘authorised personal only’ sign on it. Razor could here Dr. Ringer’s voice, so he poked his head slightly round the corner of the door. Dr. Ringer was in there but was talking to a yellow pony with a yellow and green mane on a big T.V screen in front of him. 
“So do you have him or not?” Dr. Ringer snapped. 
“We’re working on it okay. That bastard slipped through my hooves in the theatre room and now he could be anywhere,” The yellow pony replied. 
“Well keep looking okay. If that pony gets out he’ll tell everybody about this place and what we do. The secrecy of the Rainbow factory must remain intact. Got it?” Dr. Ringer said as his voice began to get louder. Razors head then poked back out from the doorway. A wave of confusion came over him but he was too afraid to say anything to Dr. Ringer. So he quickly scurried back upstairs to the others and sat back down with them. 
“So, did you find him?” Raro asked. 
Razor was stuck with what to say. “Err, yeah he’ll be up in a minute” Razor said. The next morning, after everypony got a good and long sleep, they all met in the grand hall once again for breakfast. The ships cook had prepared a massive breakfast with almost anything that anypony could imagine. One by one each pony strolled into the room and sat at the main table. 
Dr. Ringer entered the room. “Morning everypony, hope you all slept well”. 
“Oh, it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages,” Fluttershy quickly replied. 
“Well good,” Dr. Ringer said. Razor then entered the room with Raro and Twilight. Rainbow dash followed shortly after. After breakfast everypony seemed to go there separate ways about the ship. Some went to the entertainment floor; some went up to the deck for some fresh air. Bamboo went up to the bridge to talk with Dr. Ringer. 
“How far away are we then until we reach land?” Bamboo asked Dr. Ringer. 
“It should be about another 3 hours,” Dr. Ringer said. 
“Well, I don’t know much about craftsponyship but this is one hell of a fine vessel you’ve got,” Bamboo said kindly. 
“It was actually one of my first creations; I’ve had it for years now. I’m actually surprised it’s lasted this long. There are always thieves about, rival scientists that try to steal my research,” Dr. Ringer said to him. 
“I’ve known you a long time Doctor, and you’ve never mentioned any ‘rival scientists’ to me,” Bamboo said. 
“You’d be surprised… I have a lot of enemies,” Dr. Ringer said. Back up on deck Rainbow dash was alone, hanging over the rails on the front of the ship. She was throwing up violently. Raro slowly strolled up to her from behind. “You ok?” He asked her. She got off from the rails and looked at Raro. “Not really” Rainbow dash said in a pale and wearied voice. “I don’t think I’ve ever been sea sick before. “This is so…” Her face then shrivelled and she quickly scurried back over to the rails. She threw up again. 
“I guess the best thing to do is just to lie down for a while, that’ll do you good,” Raro suggested. 
“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Rainbow dash said. She then slowly trotted back down into the bowls of the ship with Raro by her side and one leg over his shoulder. Razor came up as Raro led her down into the ship. 
“You don’t look so good Rainbow,” Razor said. 
“Yeah, I know!” Rainbow replied in a deep tone. Soon, minutes turned into hours before any of them got even the slightest glimpse of land again. Most of them had forgotten to gather their things for the journey ahead once they had gotten off of the boat. Until at last, they all heard the words they’d been waiting for. “LAND HO,” one of Dr. Ringer’s henchponies shouted from the top deck of the ship. Everypony began getting their things from their stay rooms and Dr. Ringer started gathering the necessary supplies for the rest of the journey. Just as they were about to touch land, everypony gathered at the front of the ship to see what lay ahead. The sky was a vast blue with almost no clouds, and fields of yellow and green went on for miles into the countryside, and into the mountains ahead. Eventually, everypony stopped their staring at the beautiful countryside ahead and gathered at the exit point on the deck of the ship where two of Dr. Ringer’s ponies stood next to a control panel. 
“Ok, get off here,” one of the geared up ponies said to all of them as he pressed a button on the controls. As quick as a flash, a long metal bridge came out from the deck and slammed down onto the beach. Everypony slowly and cautiously trotted down it and made their way onto the beach. Dr. Ringer and his ponies followed behind them, with lots of gear and equipment. 
“Oh, land sweet land,” Twilight said. “Don’t get me wrong doctor, your ship was incredible,” she said as she got up from hugging the ground. 
“I think I’m just going to stretch my wings for a bit guys,” Rainbow Dash said as she took off to the skies. Just then, two of Dr. Ringer’s ponies slammed a great big crate onto the beach. 
“What’s in there then?” Bamboo asked. 
“Protection,” Dr. Ringer replied. As he said that, he flung the top off of the crate and inside sat a pile of brutal looking guns. All of his henchponies dived in there and grabbed a gun each 
“Lock and load!” one of them said. 
“Why in Equestria do you think we’ll need them?” Raro asked. 
“Well you just never know do you, you don’t know what might be lurking out there,” Dr. Ringer said. “Well c’mon then, let’s make tracks already,” Bamboo said. 
“Wait, where’s Rainbow Dash?” Razor asked. 
“Rainbow?” Fluttershy called in a quiet tone. “Rainbow?” She quietly called again. 
“RAINBOW” Bamboo shouted at the top of her voice. Rainbow then poked her head from behind a small cloud. “What? I’m only here,” she said as she flew down to them. 
“Well now we’re all here, let’s go. Just follow me everypony and I promise you won’t get lost,” Bamboo said confidently. And as he said that, every one of them grabbed their stuff and set off for the long journey ahead. Just as they were leaving, Dr. Ringer pulled out his small control, pointed it behind him and pressed it. The entire ship then vanished before everypony’s eyes.