The Platinum Hammer was far too big a ship to have a conventional gang plank. Instead a sort of balcony was lowered over the side of the ship from which a rope ladder was thrown. Rainbow returned before the ladder even reached the ground and gazed up rather impatiently for the far slower figure climbing down from the ships lofty deck.
The grey earth pony had introduced himself as Captain Stuart and had, obviously, recognised Rainbow Dash immediately. He had been polite enough, but now he was taking forever and while he climbed she was stuck out in the rain.
After just enough time for Dash to get well and truly drenched Stuart reached the ground, seeing the look on his soon-to-be-guest's face he shrugged apologetically.
“I'm sorry Miss Dash, but not all of us were blessed with wings, and I gather you'd rather not have your captain dead before we even set off.” He stepped inside the library and lowered his hood, “It isn't very good luck I'm told.”
Twilight and Rarity introduced themselves as soon as they stepped through the door, Rarity with the calm courtesy she gave to almost everypony, Twilight with nervous smiles and excited chatter. The captain greeted both with the same polite manner, with a bow and a 'Miss'. He reeled the pleasantries off with a sort of manner that suggested he gave them every day and no longer really thought about them,
“I suggest we leave as soon as we can ladies.” He sounded slightly more interested once the introductions were over and a slight Canterlot accent crept into his voice, “I want to be under way before this weather throws any more surprises at us.”
Five minutes later Twilight probably regretted agreeing quite so readily.
Tossed around by the wind and rain she clung desperately to Rainbow Dash while the mares' luggage was being lifted by a combination of magic, ropes and good old pegasus power on all sides of them. Stuart, Spike and Rarity (of all ponies) had taken the rope ladder but about a quarter of the way up a stray wind had almost lifted Twilight Sparkle from her none-too-steady foothold and threatened to dash her against the ship's keel. After that they had all decided the librarian was safer going up with Rainbow. Twilight did her best to keep a brave face on but Rainbow Dash could see that the prospect of the massive airship were not as exciting to Twilight as they had been from beside a nice warm fire.
Stuart and Rarity both had the good sense to smile when Twilight reached the deck and to help her up onto a more level footing. Spike for his part just looked embarrassed, for which he earned an annoyed look from both unicorns. When he were certain all their bags were aboard, Stuart turned to a crewpony and muttered a few orders to them.
“Ladies,” Spike glared at him, “It gives me very great pleasure to welcome you to The Moon Princess.”
Twilight opened her mouth to speak but before she could be heard the space above them was filled with a fantastic roar and the sails, balloons and rotors of the airship sprang into life, lifting the thing noisily and slowly into the air.
After several solid minutes of almost unbearable noise, of shifting gears and crew bustling passed, the legs of the airship slid back into it and they gained sufficient height to clear the buildings.
It was as they began to drift over Ponyville that Twilight found Captain Stuart near the prow. “I'm sorry Captain but I just had to ask. I was under the impression this ship was The Platinum Hammer.”
The captain nodded, “Yes until about last week. Celestia ordered the ship renamed in honour of her sister's return. The ceremony took a while to arrange though. And then she ordered us out here to fetch you.” He laughed, “With all these orders I'm beginning to wonder whether I'm coming or going. Speaking of... excuse me Miss Sparkle I have to see to this.”
He dashed off, leaving Twilight with even more to think about. What with the Everfree and now the ship, she was beginning to wonder if the Canterlot she'd left would still be recognisible by the time they reached it.
***
The airship drifted low over the town when Rainbow Dash spotted a figure prancing about on one of the roofs. Pinkie Pie appeared to be trying to affix a sign to the roof of Sugarcube Corner. The earth pony teetered on her back hooves chattering to herself and somehow missed the sound of the airship moving not so stealthily through the sky. She jumped almost a foot in the air when Twilight tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hi Twilight.” Pinkie somehow avoided falling straight off the roof and turned to her friend with a grin, “You're just in time to help me with this.” She motioned to the sign which Twilight could now see read 'Rain, rain go away'. “I was watching all these pegasi flapping around and I realised, nopony ever tries just asking nicely. So I was thinking maybe if I put up signs the rain will get the message and go home.” She indicated twenty similar signs on other buildings with messages ranging from, 'Sun please' to 'Chocolate please'. “I've been putting that last one up in every storm for weeks, just in case Discord's listening.” Pinkie leaned close to Twilight and whispered as if the rain would hear, “I even sent a few to Rainbow but no. Apparently no one else thinks it's a good idea.” She glared accusingly at the clouds as if it were their fault, “Stupid water rain.”
Twilight took the first chance she was given to interrupt Pinkie, “Pinkie, please we don't have the time. Princess Celestia has called us to Canterlot, urgently. She even sent an airship so-”
“An Airship!” Pinkie's smile looked like it would split her head in two, she ran to the edge of the rooftop and began looking in every direction that totally missed the ship above her.
“Where? Oh I love airships. My papa had one, well it was more a balloon really. He never let me fly for some reason. So one time I got grandpappy's bike, it had little wings on the handle so I figured it should fly okay, and I pushed it off the roof of our barn. You should have seen the look on papa's face.” Pinkie crinkled her face up into what Twilight assumed was an impersonation of her father, “First he grounded me and then he promised to help me make it fly if I promised never to do it again. So we did and it flew and I was so happy, right until Blinkie tried it and sprained her ankle. And that's why I spent my entire summer moving rocks from one field to another with nothing interesting to do. No wait, I did that every summer.” Pinkie finished with a huge gulp of air, “So can I drive?”
Twilight flinched at the thought. As much as she loved her friends, Pinkie Pie was the last pony in Equestria she wanted getting her hooves on an airship, “No.” She responded flatly.
Pinkie whirled round. “Oh come on Twilight I won't crash it or-” She stopped catching sight of the ship and her face lit up. With a cheerful cry of “Airship!” She dashed passed Twilight, grabbing her friend by the hoof and proceeding to somehow bounce up a rope ladder, taking the rungs three at a time.
Twilight quickly placed that as the most traumatic experience in her life, just ahead of combating world shattering demons and her birthday party three years ago.
***
While Twilight was getting Pinkie, not a task Rainbow Dash envied, the head of Ponyville's weather team sped back to her home to gather some things for the trip. Her home was easy enough to find but Rainbow was rather anxious to see what state it was in.
Overall she was happy to see her cloud house was holding up rather well, one of the walls looked a patch stormy and a few decorative pillars had collapsed but other than that everything seemed fine. Rainbow alighted gently on the steps and stepped inside.
Looking at the empty expanse of white infront of her reminded her how little she actually owned. Since all her furniture was made of clouds it was quite easy for her to reshape them to whatever she needed at the drop of a hat. Beyond that, well Dash was a mare of simple tastes, she really didn't own that much. Some food, a scarf, a compass and some other things that seemed useful could all be fitted into a pair of saddle bags. Then, feeling somehow under-packed compared to Rarity and Twilight, she grabbed an old manual on weather management that she'd owned for years but never really read and took that as well.
Flying out her door she just had to head towards the huge ship that could be seen somewhere outside town. Reaching it she found it floating above Sweet Apple Acres.
Down below the airship the Apple siblings worked. Big Macintosh carried huge barrels of apples towards the barn while Apple Bloom dashed about collecting them, wrapped so throughly in coats and scarves Dash thought at first that she was looking at a moving pile of laundry. Between her siblings Applejack bucked trees, heedless of the rain. Applejack was shouting so the pegasus flew closer until she could hear.
“No Ah don't!” Applejack yelled over the wind, “Ah'm not about to let some lil' storm wreck this year's harvest!”
Twilight's voice came booming down from the airship, somehow amplified so much that Rainbow was shocked she hadn't heard Twilight first, “Your family can deal with that Applejack. We need your help.”
“Ah'm sorry Twilight but Ah'm not budging! Celestia can handle whatever's causing all this in a day. Right now though, mah family need me. We need this harvest.”
“And what if this storm never ends?” Twilight yelled, “Celestia can't handle this, or at least she ordered us to Canterlot. You'll help your family more stopping this storm.”
“Really? This isn't one of those things where Celestia coulda handled it 'n' ya just didn't tell the Princess?”
“I promise.” Twilight appeared over the side and waved a piece of paper at Applejack, “I have the letter.”
Applejack paused in her work and squinted up at the airship, after a second she slumped slightly, calling her brother over, the two muttered to each other for a second. Big Mac gently kicked one of the trees and the apples shook but didn't fall. Finally Applejack turned back to the airship.
“Okay, okay the harvest can wait a few days. Just gimme a second to get mah things.” She galloped back towards the farmhouse. By this point Rainbow had reached The Moon Princess and landed lightly on the deck. She nipped into one of the cabins to shelter from the rain, shaking her feathers dry and settling down to wait.
She wasn't waiting long. No sooner had she thrown off her saddlebags the the door swung open and Twilight hurried in.
“Ah, Rainbow Dash, you're back. You're a little faster than we'd thought, we're still waiting for Applejack.” She frowned and inspected the storm though a window for a moment. “She'll probably be done now though, Applejack's always been a fast packer. Come on, let's see if we can give her some help. Getting her up here won't exactly be easy.” She smiled at that and plunged back out into the rain. Rainbow held back a second then followed, truth be told she wasn't thrilled about being out in this rain, not after the run around it had given her yesterday.
She caught up with Twilight with ease and actually beat her to the ship's bow from which a rope ladder had been hung. Far below her she could see Applejack, a battered old suitcase lying on the ground next to her. Applejack paused for a second at the foot of the ladder then, hefting her case up on to her back, she gripped the ladder and began to climb. Applejack made quicker progress than either Twilight or Rarity had, even with her pack, and in no time at all she was pulling herself over the handrail with help from some of the crew. The orange earth pony refused the offers to take her bag and pushed her way passed the airship's workers to where her friends stood.
“There!” She announced proudly tapping her case, “Now we know that at least one o' us had the sense to pack stuff we're actually gonna need.”
Twilight nodded thanks and offered to move Applejack's bags herself. The Apple farmer still refused however and behind her smiles both her friends noticed the shaky, unsure way she crossed the deck and the way she kept glancing over the side of the airship at the clouds around them. She kept on like this for a few minutes, chatting aimlessly with the other two and doing a poor job at concealing her unease until Twilight finally plucked up the courage to ask her what was wrong.
“Um, nothing.” Applejack's eyes bounced around her head like ping pong balls. Twilight gave her friend an odd look but hurried off to talk to the captain to direct him out to the Everfree Forest to find Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash however was nowhere near so easy to dissuade.
“You know, you're a terrible liar Applejack.”
“Liar! Wha'd'ya mean liar?” Applejack tried to sound angry but the fact she was avoiding Dash's gaze proved that something was definitely up, and it wasn't just the airship. “Ah ain't lied about anything. Not now, not never.”
“Then why do you look like me the day before my flight school exams?”
“Ah don't know what you're talking about.” Applejack responded stubbornly. “Ah feel fine.”
The effect was spoiled somewhat when the engine above them roared and the apple farmer jumped almost a foot in the air.
To Rainbow Dash's eternal shame she did laugh at that, “Fine, huh?”
Applejack gave her a look that could have frozen a volcano, “Oh alright. Ah don't like heights okay.”
Rainbow Dash blinked. That was not the answer she'd been expecting from the same pony she'd seen try to ride a manticor, “But you've been up high loads of times Applejack. You even sat on top of Twilight's balloon when Discord...” She trailed off, nopony really wanted to remember that subject, “You've been to Cloudsdale.”
“Don't remind me.” Applejack grimaced at the thought, “The thing is Cloudsdale is huge, when you're up there it's like you're still on the ground 'cept the floor's made of pillows. And the second time Ah was a bit more worried about you there than me. But this thing,” She cast her gaze around The Moon Princess, “It sounds like it's gonna fall apart any second. An' the trip ain't exactly smooth.”
Rainbow Dash had to agree with her on that one, if it came to a choice between flying in Twilight's beloved airships or by her own strength she'd pick wing-power every time. “But still, why didn't you want Twilight to know?”
“You know Twilight as well as Ah do Rainbow, she'd worry her hooves off. Wouldn't let up until Ah'd dealt with mah problem and wrote a neat lil' letter to Celestia 'bout it.” She smiled at that, “And really Ah don't have time for that right now. We've got a storm to stop and that's probably gonna involve all sortsa magic and runnin' around and whatnot 'n' Ah can do without the life lesson t' go along with it. Besides, we're taking Fluttershy on this trip 'n' she's got enough problems t'deal with as it is, imagine what she'd be like if she realised that some of her friends were just as scared as she was.”
Rainbow Dash thought about this for second, images of Fluttershy locked in her home refusing to come out while Ponyville burned around her sprang to mind instantly, followed quickly by images of Celestia banishing both her and Applejack to the moon for 'fatally damaging Equestrian morale' followed by... She dismissed that image before things got totally ridiculous and blushed slightly at even being stupid enough to think of that. “Point taken. Okay I won't tell Twilight or anypony else.”
Applejack looked relieved, “Thanks Dash. Ah knew Ah could count on you.”
By this point the enormous airship had drifted out over the Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash flew over the side and helped guide the ship to over Fluttershy's house. Meanwhile Twilight gazed over the side and tried to squint through the rain. Not being as practiced at it as Rainbow Dash, however, she found it hard to make out.
Applejack stood by the side, hooves rooted to the ground trying to ignore the wind that whipped in her mane or the fact the trees looked like match sticks from up here. She could already guess what would happen.
“Applejack!” Twilight's voice came from behind her, cheerful as always, if a little frantic, “I don't think we can persuade Fluttershy to come out of her house, not when the weather's been like this. Would you and Rainbow Dash be able to help her.”
If Applejack panicked a little at that Twilight didn't notice, “Ah don't know how much help Ah'll be,” She tried, “Rainbow's been that mare's friend since they were fillies Ah'm just-”
“Please Applejack, I trust Rainbow Dash but we don't want Fluttershy any more scared than she has to be and whatever you say she knows you can keep her safe. You pulled her up a mountain for Celestia's sake. Besides if the two of you help her pack you'll be back here quicker than if I just send Rainbow Dash.”
Applejack was forced to agree. With Twilight's encouragement she followed Captain Stuart out onto the balcony and over to the rope ladder which he tossed down again. Applejack gulped, hoping against hope that Fluttershy would be less perceptive than Rainbow Dash.
She put her front hooves on the rail. She had almost climbed over when she felt a hoof on her shoulder, turning she saw Rainbow Dash smiling at her.
“Need a little help there? Don't worry. We'll get there quicker if we fly.” Rainbow took flight and scooped Applejack up with her front hooves before flapping up over the hand rail.
And they plummeted.
Applejack squeezed her eyes shut and tried to avoid screaming. The air whistled passed. Every second she expected Rainbow to pull up but they kept falling, faster and faster. They couldn't have been that high to start with could they? They had to hit the ground soon.
Her next thoughts were of her family. Please Celestia, she prayed, please make sure that after I die Apple Bloom is well cared for, and Granny Smith gets that new hip and make sure Big Macintosh doesn't work too hard... because if you don't I will haunt you forever!
And then Rainbow pulled out of her dive, she alighted on the path outside Fluttershy's house and smiled at Applejack, who was struggling (and failing) not to collapse after her ordeal, “See. Much faster.”
Applejack looked up from her spot on the ground, her eyes spinning in her head, “R-Rainbow Dash if,” She gulped, “If you ever do that to me again Ah will buck you so hard-” She staggered to your hooves, “That you will never find both your wings.”
Rainbow Dash just laughed at that, hurrying ahead and barreling through Fluttershy's door without so much as knocking. Applejack shook her head at this and followed Rainbow Dash into the house.
Fluttershy's rooms were dark and full of glowing eyes. The few candles and gaslights that would have lit the room had all burnt out and it didn't look like anyone had thought to replace them. The rain was even louder in here, Fluttershy's house was like a giant amplifier. That couldn't have helped Fluttershy's nerves Applejack realised. Nor could the constant chattering of the animals all around them.
It wasn't hard to find Fluttershy, the butter yellow pegasus was hiding under a table in her kitchen. Rainbow Dash reached her first and by the time Applejack got there the shy pegasus was curled up in her friend's hooves sobbing softly. Fluttershy didn't look like she'd slept that night and Applejack could tell that their friend wasn't up to any trip just yet.
“Um, Rainbow?” Applejack shifted nervously, not wanting to interrupt the two but feeling a little annoyed even so, “Will you be able to help Fluttershy? Ah'll go and pack her bags.” She backed her way out of the kitchen, “Call if ya need anything.”
She found some large burlap sacks and some saddlebags in one of Fluttershy's back rooms, into these she loaded what she thought her friend would need: food, scarves, a fluffy white dressing gown and an old worn stuffed rabbit. Then after that, she'd only needed one bag in the end, Applejack found some feed and set about trying to coax out some of Fluttershy's animals.
Applejack had some skill with animals but even then, Fluttershy just had so many. As soon as she thought she'd finished she spotted ten more hiding animals.
After ten minutes though Rainbow Dash succeeded in coaxing Fluttershy out from the kitchen. The pink maned pegasus blearily gazed around the room, then took the bag of feed from Applejack and set about coaxing the animals out herself.
In a few short minutes Fluttershy achieved more than Applejack could have managed in an hour. With only a few quiet words of encouragement from Fluttershy the animals were soon arranged in a more or less silent mass in the centre of the room.
“Now, now quiet down. Thank you. Now- um- I'm going to be going away for a while, and I want you to know that you're all welcome to stay here while I'm gone and actually I think I might just stay too-” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and Fluttershy jumped, “Oh right. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone but it won't be long, Angel you're in charge.”
The white rabbit looked up from the corner of the room where he was searching through bags of food and gave a contented smile and nod, hopping off towards the kitchen, “And I'm sure you'll all be safe as long as you do what he says so-” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat again and rolled her eyes, “Yes, so I'll just go-” Rainbow groaned, and began shunting Fluttershy towards the door, “Okay, be good all of you and don't get lost and if you need help Zecora-”
Fluttershy continued yelling helpful advice to her animals while Rainbow Dash and Applejack both tried to get her and her luggage out the door. However when the first drops of rain hit her the shy pegasus fell silent.
Applejack looked down at her friend then back up at the airship above them and quickly realised something. There was no way that Dash could get both her and Fluttershy's bags up there in one go, and Fluttershy seemed to have been shocked senseless by the Moon Princess' enormity so wasn't going to be much help.
Applejack eyed the rope ladder that hung from the airship's bow, she'd hated the look of it on the way down but maybe, just maybe, it would be a little better than the way she came down.
Behind her she heard Rainbow Dash reassuring Fluttershy again and wished she could help. As it was it was all she could do to stop herself collapsing as she approached the ladder. She picked Fluttershy's bags up and pulled herself up on to the ladder. Behind her she heard Rainbow Dash groan again and turning back around saw her pick Fluttershy up and flap them both up off the ground.
Applejack gritted her teeth, she guessed she couldn't avoid it now. She pulled herself up another rung, and almost immediately the ladder swayed violently beneath her. Applejack was sure she'd fall then, but she clung on grimly, climbing another rung, then another. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy kept pace behind her after the first meter or so, Rainbow Dash talking all the while.
“Don't worry, just don't look down. You've done stuff like this a million times, just not in a storm like this.” The words were as much for her as for Fluttershy and Applejack was glad for that, just as she was happy her friend was holding back to keep level with her and managing to somehow still be subtle about it “We're gonna need to go a little faster though Applejack, the ladder will swing less if you don't act like you're rooted to the ground.”
She shouldn't have expected Dash to be subtle.
It was five minutes to the top but it felt like an age. An age of wind rushing passed her, of the sound of the rope snapping and snaking beneath her and that sudden rush of terror and sickness on the rare occasions where she felt inclined to look down. At last though, after far, far too long Applejack dragged herself over the railings of the ship. She landed lightly enough and was glad to see that everypony was paying too much attention to helping Fluttershy on board to notice the way her legs were shaking.
Above even the airship's deck Twilight stood on a walkway on top of one of the engines, trying yet again to peer out through the storm.
“Your friends are all aboard now Miss Sparkle, we'll be making headway now.” Captain Stuart's voice came from behind her. “You'd better get below.”
Twilight nodded, gathering her books up, “Yes of course.” She moved passed the crew and went to find the cabin her luggage was in.
Stuart stayed on the higher deck for a second grimacing at the clouds before turning to one of his crewponies, “Engage the engines. Take her up.”
Even as he headed back to the cabins, and below him Fluttershy's friends tried to calm her, the engines flared. The balloons above them filled and the Moon Princess lifted further and further into the air on its way to Canterlot.