It was a long three days, on the Ferengi ship.
The Cutie Mark Crusader Stuff Finders completely failed to find any ink. They did find a sheet, which, wrapped around the end of what had once been Pog's stun rifle, made an absolutely terrible torch (it melted instead of catching alight when Spike breathed fire on it). Fortunately, Flam and Dawn found them after a while – Flam's horn providing enough light to see by.
After a while, they woke up Frem and started interrogating him about where to find food. It turned out that the alien would answer just about any question as long as the ponies promised not to let Spike eat him. This condition came as rather a surprise to Spike, who hadn't even considered a carnivorous diet.
The fact that Flam was levitating Frem upside-down at the time may have had an effect, as well.
In the afternoon, they launched an assault on the bridge; Flam's telekinesis took care of the locked doors, Red Dawn seemed to have some way of exactly locating Pog even when he was entirely hidden from sight (under the table in the ready room); and, like Frem, he seemed absolutely terrified of Spike.
Unlike Frem, Pog teleported away instead of surrendering. It didn't help much. Even through the ship's shielded hull, Dawn could feel his terror, and could guide them in the right direction.
That night, the Crusaders slept in one of the rooms, chosen at random; Spike rode Dawn all over the ship, chasing after an increasingly nervous Pog, until a fortunately-timed yawn from Spike, showing all his teeth, persuaded Pog to surrender. Flam stood watch, alternating with Dawn after Pog's capture.
It wasn't long from then until they had the Ferengi turn the replicators on again; when the Crusaders woke up on the second day, they had a basic but plentiful breakfast and a promise that the Ferengi wouldn't bother them anymore.
The replicators had also been turned to the task of making ink; a letter had been sent back to Celestia, keeping her informed of their circumstances.
Flam seemed to get a headache anytime he tried to talk about where the Ferengi were; and all Dawn would say about the matter was “locked up”.
And in one of the holds on the lower deck, two Changeling cocoons hung from the ceiling; each holding a single Ferengi in suspended animation.
Spike slept almost until lunch time; he and the Crusaders explored the ship after lunch, starting only two fires in the process.
Spike's correspondence with Celestia was continued throughout the day. The Princess gave regular reports on how close their sisters were.
The third day, the Crusaders were bored. There was no more ship to explore, except behind a few locked doors (one of them hiding two Changeling cocoons). Flam had also barred them from the bridge, the galley, engineering, and anywhere where there were buttons to push, for what he insisted were very good reasons (even if the Crusaders couldn't imagine what those reasons might be).
It was a long three days, on the Ferengi ship.
* * *
It was a long three days, on the Federation ship.
Twilight's schedule was strictly adhered to, with the exception that the breaks were all continually cut short when all six ponies kept getting back early. Rainbow Dash wolfed down her meals; Rarity ate in a more restrained, ladylike fashion, but declared herself satiated and ready to go back to work the instant any other pony's meal was complete. Twilight quietly wondered whether Rarity was getting enough to eat.
The spell wasn't easy to hold up, even with the help of the Elements of Harmony (and took a good few minutes to shut down safely, as well); but the few hours of sleep that the Bearers snatched when they could make a dramatic difference.
Of course, the rainbow trail vanished after the first time they stopped to sleep – the Ferengi ship had passed through that area of space too long ago, and their wake had faded too far for even Twilight's careful spellwork to pick it up – but they had the last known location of the Ferengi ship, and Celestia reassured them that Spike had reported that there was none of the slight vibration that the engine seemed to cause.
Still, knowing that if the ship hadn't stopped, they might have no way to track it made it a very long three days for the Bearers.