The Red Thing in the Sky

by TitanicIsBestShip

The World we Once Knew

Chapter Seven: The World we Once Knew

The festivities aboard the Highlander were beginning to die down. Dinner had been served, and promptly devoured, hugs and kisses exchanged, and ponies, except for Barzano, had gone to sleep. For the first time in days, he sat awake alone. Barzano was the only one worried. He knew that the nation of Brismania was almost completely destroyed by this cascade wall. Barzano worried about what was left of the nation, but eventually his thoughts were put to rest, and he drifted off to sleep.

“Barzano! Barzano wake up!” Barzano blinked open his eyes to see Cloudbolt shaking him awake.

“W-what is it…?” He groggily responded.

“Incoming skyships! They’re carrying guns, and are flying unknown colors!”

“W-what?” Barzano slid out of bed and began slumping updeck.

“See for yourself!” Cloudbolt pointed off their starboard aft quarter. Barzano’s eyes went wide. Three type one skyships were bearing down on them. Through binoculars, he could see guns being loaded as ponies in tattered clothing scurried about the ship. Barzano’s gaze shifted to their flags. The mysterious ships flew a flag that had two hooves crossing each other, and a sword behind them, pointing up.

“C-cloud! Ahead full please!”

“We’re already at maximum speed,” he said worriedly. The guns of the three skyships flashed, and several loud bangs were heard a few seconds afterwards. None of the shots hit the Highlander, and it was clear that they were out of range. For now.

“What’s going on?” Michael said as he emerged from below decks.

“We’re being shot at,” Barzano responded.

“Again?”

“Again.” The mysterious skyships were beginning to get close to the Highlander, and their shells were starting to come within several yards of the ship. But just when the skyships entered range of their five-inch guns, they abruptly turned around and headed off in the opposite direction. “That’s odd…” Barano commented.

“Look!” Michael said. Two Brandor class Equestrian frigates had come out of the clouds, roughly two hundred and thirty yards ahead of the Highlander. When the ships came within fifty yards of the Highlander, an Air Navy officer teleported aboard. Cloudbolt snapped a quick salute.

“Do you know what’s going on? Why are we being shot at?” Barzano asked him.

“Captain Rufus, E.A.N.S. Dominence, and I believe so,” the stout unicorn said. “We’ve just gotten a note from Brismania. They’ve declared war on Euquestria.”