XVIII. Reconstruction
XVIII. Reconstruction
The river narrowed and grew more shallow, and large boulders that broke the surface proliferated as the barge floated toward the resting place of the Alicorn. Rarity stood at the bow of the stolen vessel, wondering how Blueblood’s wrecked airship, once it was somehow set upon the water, would ever be able to navigate this treacherous stretch of the river. If they set out at night, as she envisioned, how would they avoid the rocks? How would they keep to the deep water if they could not see? If the ship did run aground, how would they then proceed? Would they be stranded permanently, having come so far, only to end up no closer to returning to Equestria?
If this effort failed, nothing would stand in the way of Karroc massacring the ponies of Gallopoli, and nothing would stop the impending war. With so much on the line, it felt like anything and everything could go wrong. Rarity squeezed her eyes closed and tried to imagine the wind blowing away the dark cloud of doubt that was settling in above her, but it was no use. Her normally confident inner voice now whispered of folly and failure.
There was also the small matter of the humiliation that would ensue if her audacious and hastily conceived plan did not succeed. The shame might not be quite so public as what she endured after the fashion show debacle in Ponyville’s town square last year, but it would have more dire and far-reaching consequences. This time, moreover, she would have only herself to blame.
As an initial matter, Khufu and his crew would surely never listen to her again. In fact, they would probably insist on going their separate ways when, and if, they finally escaped the Impenetrable Lands alive. She and Blueblood would have to face all of Karroc’s military might, as well as whatever ponies Procyon could muster, in order to traverse what would quickly become a war zone between the border and Canterlot. Against those odds, they would never make it back alive. Even if they did, Rarity dared not imagine the horrors they would find.
“I still doubt whether this idea of yours is wise. There is much to go wrong before we even take to the skies.”
Rarity opened her eyes and turned to the zebra mare standing next to her, fighting back the urge to snap. Zinzi was correct in her assessment, after all, and Rarity was asking much of her. Zinzi was not Equestrian and not even a pony, and Rarity was asking her to risk her life, and her son’s life, for the sake of a foreign country and its inhabitants. Moreover, Rarity guessed that idealism did not come naturally to the weapons merchant, or any of her colleagues for that matter. She could not let them see anything other than confidence from her, or she risked losing them.
“I do not doubt the wisdom of my plan,” Rarity replied. “That is only because I know with certainty that what we are setting out to do is unwise. One, however, cannot always afford to deliberate on the wisest course of action, especially when time is a luxury. Wise or not, I believe we can and will succeed.”
“It is not the idea of flying away that gives me pause, but the matter of avoiding the griffons’ firesticks and claws. If only we could retrieve our own intact airship we could slip out faster, and not have to delay and thereby court disaster.” Zinzi sighed.
“Yes, well, I understand that is not an option. As you explained to me earlier, that other zebra, Zolo, took your airship. We also cannot steal the airship Karroc used to race down here ahead of the regatta, as it is chained down and kept under guard. That leaves the Alicorn as our method of egress from this dreadful place.”
“I did not suggest you would not have my aid, only that of what is to come, I am most afraid.”
Rarity let a sigh of her own escape. “Zinzi, darling, did you not say that you would cease the rhymes after we escaped?”
“I offered that I might be more comfortable speaking as you did if the situation were less dire,” Zinzi replied, shaking her head as she spoke, “but now I see that we have gone out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
Rarity suppressed a groan, held her tongue, and kept her gaze focused straight ahead, on the river. It was a relief when Zinzi walked back toward the others. Rarity did not stand alone for long, though, as Blueblood quickly replaced the zebra at her side. His appearance was not altogether welcome.
On top of everything else, now she had to think about her relationship with this egocentric, neurotic, emotionally-crippled stallion. Blueblood was so preoccupied with the royal legacy he felt predestined to uphold, and the knowledge that Canterlot considered his birthright little more than a quaint relic of a bygone era, that he had hardly developed any personality beyond the obnoxious public persona he used to defend his ultimately fragile self-image. Before, all she had known was the petulant stallion who had so cruelly and callously mistreated her at the gala. That petty, rude, awful pony was still part of Blueblood, but now she had also seen beyond that aspect. He was also brilliant, witty, at times brave, and on at least one notable occasion, selfless. He was trying to divorce himself from the miserable, brutish identity that he had worn like a cloak since foalhood, an identity that Rarity suspected had been forced upon him by his mother, and perhaps others in his family, though that was not a complete excuse.
Now, Zinzi informed her, Blueblood was starting to see her differently as well. The thought quickened her pulse. No matter how rude he had ever been, the fact was that Blueblood was the near-mythical “him” she had fallen for and dreamed about as both a filly and a mare, and he was still the most handsome stallion she had ever met. Her infatuation with the unicorn prince had for years been as much a part of her life as breathing, sustenance, and fashion. Even bruised, bloodied, and unkempt, she felt drawn to him.
Could it be that he truly was now vying for her affections with the ruggedly handsome Buckaroo, who was as charming, strong, and appealing as any ruffian of questionable background could be? Even at a time like this, in this jungle, could these stallions be quarreling over a mare - over her? With all of the other doubts and concerns swirling about in her mind, the thought of a potential love triangle was enough to make her feel faint.
“We are getting closer,” Blueblood said, snapping Rarity out her muddled introspection. "In fact, we are very close now."
“We are? You and I? Closer to what?” she asked, suspicious. He was standing awfully near to her, and she felt warm. Then again, this was the tropics.
“The Alicorn,” he replied. “You remember, I am sure. White, gold, and blue airship? Currently wrecked? The reason we are floating back down this forsaken waterway?”
“Oh, ha ha, right. Of course. The Alicorn,” Rarity said, relieved. “How do you know we are close? Is that based on your vaunted cutie mark navigation talent?” She raised an eyebrow. She remembered that the river was narrow and relatively shallow near the crash site, but this stretch looked to her the same as any other, and traveling by barge had left her unable to gauge distance. She had passed all of this on shore, walking, the first time.
“It is based on the fact that I can see with my eyes that we are about to float out on to the lake where we crash-landed. Have a look there, through the trees.” Blueblood raised his right leg to point with a hoof.
After a moment spent staring intently at another unremarkable patch of jungle, Rarity caught a glimpse through the vegetation and realized that he was right. The current and the judicious use of oars by Buckaroo and Zips guided the barge around a sharp bend, and the river immediately broadened into the marshy little lake where the Alicorn had first made contact with the surface. She could not see its disguised mass yet, hidden on the far bank, but she knew the airship was there. A twinge of excitement and anxiety shot through her body.
“This is the time, then. We are really going to do this,” Rarity stated.
“Or perish in the attempt?” Blueblood asked.
“Optimism, please,” Rarity pleaded, expending effort to affect a lighthearted tone. “You are a master engineer, are you not? And am I not skilled with fabric? Do we not have a group of highly capable equines and a clever former prince of camels to assist us?”
“You are even generous with your characterizations,” said Blueblood. “I might note that we have no access to construction equipment or industrial tools, and no mechanic. Instead, we have a draftspony, a fashion designer, a dangerously unstable youngster, an alchemist, a common criminal, and a habitual liar, none of whom have ever previously attempted to repair a heavily damaged airship and somehow convert it into a working riverboat.”
“None of whom have ever failed to convert a damaged airship into a riverboat either,” Rarity pointed out. “Besides, you promised to be supportive.”
“So I shall be. That does not mean that I suddenly have any trust or faith in this motley bunch, present company excepted. You do realize that ill-bred stallion, for one, is wanted for murder back in Equestria.”
“Did he tell you that?” Rarity asked, rolling her eyes. “You do realize he is only trying to intimidate you.”
“That bumpkin?” Blueblood huffed. “Not possible.”
“Well,” Rarity began, unable to resist an easy opportunity to poke Blueblood in his vulnerable vanity. “He is quite a bit bigger than you. Stronger as well, by the looks of it. I would not fault you if you were intimidated. He’s also rather handsome, if I do say so myself.” Rarity considered her own words as she spoke. While she would have turned and walked away if she came upon Buckaroo in a darkened Canterlot alleyway, his scruffy masculinity did seem rather appealing in a setting such as this.
Blueblood stared aghast back at her. “Him?”
Rarity shrugged. “All I ask is that you try to get along with all of them until this place is but an unpleasant memory. Can you manage that?” She punctuated the sentiment by giving the royal unicorn an encouraging nudge.
Blueblood harrumphed and assumed a scowl, and Rarity found it hard not to laugh. Sometimes stallions were such fragile things. She rather envied Blueblood, though, for being able to occupy himself with something as petty as jealousy and rivalry. She hoped, for everypony’s sake, that he and Buckaroo could work together well enough to not inadvertently sabotage their joint plans. Perhaps the two could bond over reconstructing the awful cannon that had so-far managed to avoid being pushed into the river, despite her hope that an unexpected wave or rock would give her the opportunity to get rid of it. Suddenly, a shape in the distance caught her eye.
“There! There it is!” Though her work to disguise the airship had apparently kept it hidden from aerial reconnaissance, the evidence of the Alicorn’s crash landing was painfully obvious from a vantage point near the surface. The barge was still quite a fair distance away, but Rarity could already see the swath of devastation the ship had left in its wake as it tore through the forest before finally coming to rest. Broken trees fell to either side of a gap in an otherwise unbroken line of greenery, and in the middle of it all rested the great heap of branches, fronds, and sticks that concealed the wrecked hulk of Blueblood’s airship.
“I had almost forgotten that you buried her under all of that detritus,” Blueblood observed, somewhat forlornly. “And she is so far from shore. I have no idea how we will even pull her into the water. Perhaps with a score of earth ponies, but with only this lot? It doesn’t seem possible.”
“You are an engineer. Problems like that are exactly the sort of thing somepony like you should be able to solve. I trust you will honor that compass mark of yours and find a way.”
“You cannot simply put all the pressure on me to perform,” Blueblood protested. “If you fail to mend the balloon properly, then even if we do obtain the lifting gas, we will not become airborne. Better for our journey to end here than in the middle of the griffons’ base, though I suppose any chagrin on your part would be short-lived, as would we.”
“It is a good thing that I shall not fail to mend it properly,” Rarity replied. “Really, I’ll have you know that I’ve been mending fabric since I was a very young filly.”
“You must know that this is a bit more complicated than draping fabric over a dressform. Do you understand how to secure the catenary curtain to the main balloon? Do you know how to rig the suspension cables properly?”
Of course, she had no idea what Blueblood was even saying. “I did not claim that I would not need your assistance, Blueblood. For now, let us make a pact. We shall continue to cooperate and avoid bickering for however long it takes to bring this plan to fruition.”
“You ask the impossible,” Blueblood replied with a small frown.
“Well, yes, you do have a point. Just the cooperating then. Bickering may continue.”
“Agreed.”
The small lake made for a quick crossing, and only a few short minutes passed before the barge reached the opposite shore. Rarity waited while Zips and Buckaroo abandoned their oars and stepped off into the shallow water. After securing the craft, the big stallion and athletic young zebra hauled it far enough out of the water to allow egress onto dry land, and Rarity lightly stepped down from the barge’s wooden plank deck. It felt good to have solid, unmoving earth beneath her hooves.
“Quite a mess you made on landing, yes?” Khufu stepped off the barge and stood next to Rarity. “It is difficult to believe anything might be left of airship that landed here, and it does not allay my fear that I see nothing. Where is ship?”
“Hm? Why, it is not far from where you stand now,” Rarity replied, pleased that her makeshift disguise was working so well. “Look there!” She raised a hoof and pointed to the great agglomeration of detritus that concealed the Alicorn, nearly a hundred lengths from the water’s edge.
“Y’all are serious?” Buckaroo exclaimed. "There ain’t nothing left to even recognize as bein’ part of a ship. We can’t fix that!”
“You misunderstand. The Alicorn is concealed beneath what you are seeing from here. It was necessary to hide her from any griffons who might be searching after the crash,” Rarity explained.
“Beneath that mess she is mostly intact,” Blueblood confirmed. “That, however, does not mean this is going to be easy. We should get to work at once.”
“The first thing to do is uncover the ship, to which end everypony can contribute,” Rarity stated. “After that is accomplished, I suggest we collaborate to determine whose skills can best contribute to each of the many other tasks that must be done.”
“Sound counsel,” said Khufu.
“Well, let’s see what we’re up against then.” Buckaroo started forward, and Rarity and the others fell in behind.
Now that Rarity was here again, the distance from the spot where the airship rested to edge of the lake seemed infinitely greater than the short interval she had remembered. There had to be some way to move the ship or pull it across the land, but how? She hoped Blueblood would think of something, because no solution was forthcoming in her own mind. In any case, it wasn’t the first problem that needed to be addressed.
“We need to clear all of this away,” she said. Approaching the ship, Rarity paused briefly to appreciate her own crafting skills; the disguise was really quite effective, even if at close range it was obvious there was something under there. As proficient as her work was, though, now it was time to dismantle it.
Blueblood chimed in. “Leave the large logs that are bracing the ship in place and allow access to the upper deck. Do not pile any debris behind the ship, and please try not to damage anything more than it already is.”
Rarity stepped forward and began telekinetically removing branches and tree limbs, and the others did not hesitate to join in. As with all things, destruction was easier than creation, and her painstaking work was undone in less than half an hour. When it was over, she was able to take a step back and examine the Alicorn in its present condition. What she saw did not instill confidence. There, as she remembered it, was the gaping hole in the side of the airship’s hull where it had been pierced by the griffon grappling weapon. The massive steel shaft with its barbed point was still there as well. The shredded, unrecognizable remains of the ship’s balloon were crumpled where she had left them. One of the ship’s maneuvering fins hung limply by a few thin cables, its wooden support spar having completely snapped. Everywhere, the Alicorn was battered and scraped. Well, almost everywhere. Somehow the airship’s golden figurehead still thrust forward boldly from the prow, her gilded wings and horn miraculously intact. It seemed a sad irony that such a beautiful figurehead now graced an immobile wreck.
“This ain’t gonna be easy,” Buckaroo said. “What are we all gonna do? I’m no engineer, but I can help with patchin’ up the holes, at least.”
“A most excellent idea,” Rarity said. She needed everypony to find a role where they could contribute.
“Before we even think about taking flight, we must first make this airship watertight,” Zinzi said. “From the sap of a native tree I can produce a coating. It should allow us to safely remain floating.”
“I understand principles of engines and clockwork instrumentation. I will help Duke Polaris restore working condition to ship,” Khufu said, moving to stand next to Blueblood. Rarity could only pity the stallion. Working in close quarters with the rank-smelling camel was bound to be unpleasant at best. She, however, could not deny that Khufu was the right camel to assist with the mechanical issues.
“Zips, what about you?” she asked, turning to the young half-zebra.
“I’ll help, but my way,” the youth quietly replied.
“What’s that now?” Rarity asked again. Zips stared back at her without replying or, it seemed, blinking.
“Best not to question him,” Buckaroo whispered conspiratorially. “He’s like to do somethin’ useful, anyway. If it comes down to needin’ the extra labor, Zinzi and I’ll corral him later.”
She shivered under Zips’ blank stare, and decided it was best to drop the matter. “Right. Zips, you can do … whatever it is that you are planning to do. I, for my part, will repair the airship’s balloon.” She turned and stepped backwards in order to better address the entire group. “Now that you all know what to do, we should get started. Together, we can repair the Alicorn. I know it.”
As the others set about beginning their tasks, Rarity considered where to start her own work. The balloon, now uncovered, was an unrecognizable mess. The blue fabric was shredded, and nothing in the lumpen mass before her looked anything like the streamlined fish shape that had once defined the Alicorn.
The truth was that Rarity knew precious little about airship design. She knew that the fabric skin of the balloon was called the envelope. Here, she could see at least two types of material in the mangled mass before her. One, she recognized as a lovely taffeta-cotton blend - strong, but not necessarily completely impermeable. This was likely the outer sheathing that bound the lifting balloon to the hull and formed the recognizable shape of a predatory fish. Blueblood had called it a catenary curtain, she remembered. The other was a synthetic fabric, rubbery and seemingly airtight. It had to be the skin of the actual balloon that contained the lifting gas.
Repairing the balloon would be no simple matter. For one thing, there was more than just fabric to consider. There were also ropes, metal cables, wires, and rigid supports that all had to be figured in. In theory, all of these were lying in the pile in front of her, but Rarity could only guess as to what mangled bit was what. She felt a flutter of panic in her stomach while the fear of failure held her in its grip. She could not afford to be the weak link in the group. If she could not even repair fabric then what good was she at all?
“You appear flustered.”
Rarity turned to see Blueblood standing next to her.
“Not at all!” She chuckled merrily, though she could not prevent her cheeks from flushing. “I am merely mentally preparing myself. This,” she gestured with a hoof, “is really just a patch job. Hardly a challenge for an artisan such as myself.”
“A patch job. Undoubtedly,” said Blueblood, scanning the ruined mishmash in front of him. “Nevertheless, I just now took the liberty of sketching up a few diagrams so you can more easily see the overall design of the balloon.” He set a parchment depicting the airship’s balloon from multiple viewpoints and in cross-section on the ground beside her. “I thought it might help you. The cables that secure the catenary curtain to the ship’s hull must be sewn into the fabric, and the various structural reinforcements must be precisely incorporated as well. That is before you begin to work on the actual gas balloon itself, which is comprised of a rather novel synthetic fabric created by …”
“It is ponyprene, first created last year by Pony Polymers of Manehattan,” Rarity replied quickly. “Such a large amount of it must have cost a small fortune.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Blueblood replied, clearly surprised. “How did you know that? Was Fancypants prattling on to you about another of his buyout targets when he somehow managed to impart something worthwhile in the process?”
“How sad that you still think so little of me. Keeping abreast of developments in fabrics and textiles is absolutely vital for any forward-thinking fashion designer. I’ll kindly thank you not to lecture me about my own chosen profession.” Rarity turned abruptly away from the stallion. “Thank you for the sketch. Now you can go. I am quite capable of managing this on my own.”
“Of course you are,” Blueblood said, something like disappointment in his tone. He turned to leave.
Rarity began telekinetically unfolding the crumpled layers of fabric before her, but then paused. “Wait a moment."
“What is it?” he replied, stopping in his tracks.
“I understand that you were only trying to help. That was generous of you.”
“I would not necessarily say that generosity was a primary motivator,” Blueblood said. “I want you to succeed. I need you to. As insane and implausible as this plan is, I have to believe that there is still hope of returning home and reclaiming my name and some semblance of my old life. You and your plan are all I have.”
“So your interests are purely your own then?”
“You know that I desire to put a stop to this impending conflict as much as you do. Doing so will be to the benefit of everypony.”
“True.”
“And …” Blueblood began, but hesitated to continue.
“And what?”
“I want you to succeed, because you ... stand for something. I want to be a part of that,” Blueblood said haltingly.
“What do you mean?”
“You are literally an embodiment of generosity. Together with your friends, you represent harmony. Despite thousands of years of history, all I stand for today is a name, devoid of intrinsic meaning or value. If we do this, then maybe I can begin to stand for something too." Blueblood looked at the ground. "At any rate, I should go and begin working on my ship. I don’t trust that camel not to muck things up in my absence.”
“No, wait,” Rarity said.
“What now?”
“I always believed you were a truly awful individual. You really were, if I am being honest.”
“You asked me to wait for this?” Blueblood exclaimed incredulously, his whole frame stiffening defensively.
“As awful as you were,” Rarity continued, “you have been acting like a different stallion lately. No matter what happens here, you do stand for something honorable and good, in your own way. Why, when I think about your brother and how he has turned out, you certainly do not suffer by comparison.”
Blueblood visibly relaxed. “Thank you. Though I may never see Canterlot again, I am glad to know that even one pony does not think entirely ill of me. As for Procyon, I still cannot understand how he truly can be the mastermind behind this plan. He never once in his life displayed ambition on this scale, or the foresight to be a successful schemer.”
“I would not be so sure that your brother is not an expert schemer,” Rarity said. “He put a great deal of effort into getting Tempest, Windlass, and me in one place, so that they could kill me. To do that, he not only had to manipulate me, but you and Fancypants as well.”
“I suppose.”
“You know, I have been thinking for some time now about my place in all of this. Anyone could see why you, the chancellor, and Graywings were targeted: Procyon needed to set about stirring warlike sentiments in Equestria, and needed you out of the way in order to pursue his royal claim. Why me, though?”
“Is it not obvious?” Blueblood asked. “Procyon must have feared that the Elements of Harmony could keep him from taking full advantage of the power of the Heavenstone. Without you, the Elements’ power cannot be harnessed.”
“No, it is not obvious at all,” Rarity replied. “Removing any of my friends would have accomplished the same goal. Why not Applejack, or Fluttershy? They both live far from Ponyville’s town center, and they could have been cornered, alone, with nopony to help them. It could have been made to look like an accident. When I searched the belongings of the two griffons we captured in the jungle, I did not only find a map. I also found photographs in their possession. One depicted you, and the other was a photograph of me taken at the Garden Party back in Canterlot. That was months ago, which means that even then somepony had marked me as a target, and I want to know why.”
“I’m sure I don’t know,” Blueblood said.
“You did not attend the Garden Party. Why? It’s the second most important social event of the year, surely you were invited.”
“Of course I was.”
“Was it because of me that you declined to show?” Rarity asked, flushing slightly. She felt uncomfortably warm, even more so than she had become accustomed to in the jungle. She was aware of the awkwardness of this line of questioning, but she had to pursue it. “It was held two days after your yacht launching, after we …”
“I know when it was held,” Blueblood said quickly, interrupting Rarity’s sentence. “Are you asking whether I was avoiding you by not making an appearance? How would I have even known you would be in attendance?”
“You would have known that Fancypants would be there, and you knew that he had taken me into his circle at the time. It would have been straightforward to surmise that I too would be at the Garden Party.”
“Again, why are you asking me about this, especially now? What does this have to do with your picture being taken?” Blueblood shifted his gaze away. “Besides, if I had been avoiding you, I certainly would have had good reason at the time. The open bar and bottomless punch bowls at the Garden Party are legendary, and seeing you under such circumstances, in light of recent events, would have been soliciting trouble.”
“Indeed, but only because you would have ended up with one of those bowls of punch upended over your head,” Rarity replied crossly. “Just tell me whether I am right. You did not attend the Garden Party because you did not want to see me, but Procyon was there. Isn’t that right? I keep casting my memory back, and I am becoming more and more certain that I saw him.”
“Yes,” Blueblood admitted after another lengthy pause. “Procyon attended the Garden Party with my ticket. Somehow, again, my sisters, mother, and I received invitations, but Procyon was left out, which infuriated him as usual.”
“I knew it,” Rarity exclaimed. “I remember his gaunt face. He must have taken my photograph. That, however, begs the question ‘why?’” She narrowed her gaze. “What did you tell him about me, that made him determine that I was a threat?”
“N-nothing, of course!” Blueblood stammered, taking a step backward. “I mean, perhaps your name came up in conversation, but I certainly did not say anything to suggest you should be murdered!”
“Tell me!” Rarity ordered.
“I hardly think …”
“Tell me tell me tell me!” she stepped forward and fixed a penetrating stare on Blueblood’s eyes.
“Alright! Please!” Blueblood waited for Rarity to back away. “I remember telling Procyon how upset I was that Fancypants ruined my launching, and I mentioned that he seemed to have taken an interest in you.”
“What else?” Rarity demanded.
“I may have also mentioned that even if Fancypants was winning the war in the business area, I was still, um, tops with the ladies, I believe I said. I may have then told a slightly exaggerated version of what happened at the launching.”
“You cad!” Rarity shouted, abruptly stepping forward at the same time Blueblood cringed. She restrained her hoof.
“That’s when that girl with the pink coat, you say her name is Windlass, spoke up. She said that Fancypants had far higher standards than to ever touch a - er - somepony like you. It was a fairly uncomfortable moment, and that’s when I went to bed. I didn’t speak to my brother again until after the party.”
“You told this to Windlass?” Rarity asked, shocked. “Was she - did she attend the Canterlot Garden Party with Procyon?”
“Oh, I believe so, yes. That was one of the reasons that Procyon was so keen on attending. He finally had a date. She must have been there with him,” Blueblood confirmed.
“The liar! She pretended to be meeting me for the first time when I encountered her at Fancypants’ facility, but she had been involved from the very beginning. As I said, Blueblood, your brother is clearly more adept at plotting than you think. I suspect he saw me with Fancypants at the Canterlot Garden Party, and was struck with the inspiration of using the race as a pretext to render the Elements of Harmony ineffective.”
“I am sorry,” Blueblood said, downcast. “I suppose I should have attended the party. Perhaps then you, at least, would be safe at home now.”
“There is no need to apologize. If you had made an appearance, then you and I might very well have done each other in then and there. At least now I have some idea of your brother’s motivations with regard to me.”
“I still do not understand how somepony so boring could suddenly turn out to be an evil mastermind,” Blueblood mused. “How can you be completely certain that Fancypants is truly innocent? Unlike Procyon, he actually has the knowledge, the connections, the wealth, and the ambition to steer the conspiracy. He has also been present at every step along the way. He attended the Garden Party, and could have put somepony in place to photograph you. He invited you to participate in the race, thus luring you into the manticore’s den. He is actually popular enough to make a legitimate try for the throne, despite his lack of royal blood.”
“Be careful with your words,” Rarity warned in a low voice. “I know that Fancypants is not involved, and you should take my word for it. You do not understand his motivations like I do.”
“Motivations? That’s a laugh!” Blueblood exclaimed. “Fancypants has only one motivation - the accumulation of ever more wealth, power, and prestige. As one of his victims, I know that first-hoof, unlike you. That is, of course, provided he has not purchased your dress shop out from under you. I am sure it is only a matter of time until all of Equestria, and the sun and the moon as well, are just divisions of the Canterlot Steam Engine Company.”
“Your bitterness and jealousy do you no credit,” Rarity said hotly. “Fancypants only took over your company because Procyon was cooking the books in order to make you appear bankrupt. Do you really want to know how I know that Fancypants is not involved?”
“Oh please, this should be good,” Blueblood prompted, rolling his eyes.
“Fancypants does want a new form of government in Equestria, but one founded on equality and peace, not war and threats of violence. He plans to abandon the business sector and devote his life to public service. He invited me to assume control of his business interests in his stead.”
“That’s … that is lunacy!” Blueblood exclaimed. “That must have been nothing more than a ruse to entice you to accompany him on the race, so that you would be easy pickings.”
“He did not tell me until the race was well underway, and then only in complete confidence. Nopony knows of his ambition besides me, and now, regrettably, you,” Rarity said, shaking her head.
“You must be joking, really,” Blueblood went on. “Tell me you are joking.”
“You know,” Rarity mused, a hoof under her chin, “if the offer still stands once we get back to Equestria, and I take him up on it, I suppose I will be the head of North Star, among other enterprises. Perhaps I could hire you back to your old company … as janitorial staff.”
“Oh, har har. Really, you expect me to believe that the most powerful stallion in Canterlot has offered the reins of the largest megacorporation in Equestria to a …”
“A what?” Rarity asked, glaring daggers.
Blueblood froze, a guilty look on his face, then sighed. “Never mind. I am sure you are right about Fancypants.”
“Oh, come on now, out with it," Rarity pressed. "Tell me what you really think of me. Am I a stupid little dressmaker from Ponyville? A fashion-crazed ninny? A naive mare with hopeless delusions of significance? A stereotypical dumb whitecoat without a lick of business sense? Be a stallion for once and say what is on your mind.”
Blueblood stood silently, rooted in place. His mouth opened and closed once, but no speech emerged.
“Go on and get back to work,” Rarity said. “I will mend your balloon. At least I am good for sewing. That is, if it pleases Your Grace.”
“You would be most capable and formidable as the leader of a corporation, Miss Rarity,” Blueblood said quietly, before turning to walk away. “Fancypants is a better pony than I for coming to that realization on his own.”
Rarity did not watch him leave. Instead, she returned her concentration to the fabric pile and the momentous task ahead of her. Rather, she attempted to do so. It took all of her effort to keep her breathing regular and not give in to the temptation to tear the balloon apart even further with her magic. How could it be that after everything they had been through, Blueblood still thought of her as a incapable nopony from the countryside? Had she not proved her worth? She had fought through the harsh jungle, past murderous griffons, killer trees, and a swarm of flesh-eating monsters, and because of her Blueblood was still alive to belittle her. What gave him the right? His noble blood was a joke, and he had not even enough sense to see that his own brother was planning his demise. Ungrateful, heartless, swine of a stallion!
Instead of continuing to stew, Rarity channeled her frustration in to her work. Following the diagrams and drawings Blueblood had left, she unfolded the identifiable pieces of balloon and laid them out on the bare earth beside the Alicorn, wherever she could find space. Strips and torn pieces that she could not place were piled together for use in patching. Once the various bits of pieces that had been jumbled together were separated, Rarity set about committing the design and shape of the inner balloon and the outer curtain to memory, as well as the locations of the cables and rigid support structure that underlaid that catenary curtain. She could only magically mend and reconstruct the balloon if she could clearly picture it in its entirety in her mind’s eye. This was not a problem for her own designs, which were conceived and born in her brain, but this was somepony else’s work. She fixated on the streamlined shape of the outer shell and the voluminous gas bag underneath until she could mentally review them from any angle. Now, she was ready to begin work in earnest.
Flashes of light filled the air as Rarity cast one repair spell after the other, while simultaneously using her telekinesis to arrange and rearrange massive sheets of fabric. It was beyond her to lift all of the various pieces into the air at once and thereby obtain an accurate working model of the final product, so she was limited to working on one section at a time. Even the rigid bill of the outer curtain and the crescent-shaped tail were designed to collapse when the balloon was deflated. Only later, when they attempted to fill the balloon with the stolen lifting gas, would Rarity’s work be tested. For now, she dare not dwell on the possibility of failure; her emotional state was too tenuous. Instead, she increased her pace until the air around her was filled with so many spellflashes that it felt as though she was the center of attention at a big fashion show, surrounded by photographers.
Some time later, Rarity found herself sweat-drenched, her chest heaving with exertion, and she was covered snout to dock in bites from insects she had been too preoccupied to swat away with her tail, when she finally noticed that Buckaroo was standing close by. He was calling her name.
“How can I help you?” she asked, between gasping breaths.
“Y’all have been at this for hours now, and you sure have gotten a whole heap done. Don’t you think it might be high time for a break, before you go and make yourself sick?” the umber earth pony asked.
“I shall rest only when this work is done, or I drop dead from exhaustion, whichever occurs first," Rarity replied.
“More likely you’ll get washed away afore either of those happen. Big storm comin’ in. Look up.” Buckaroo pointed a hoof skyward.
Indeed, Rarity could see thick dark clouds rolling their direction. “Karroc is calling down the power of the Heavenstone upon us!” she exclaimed frantically. “It is all over!”
“Naw, that’s just a regular ol’ storm. Where there ain’t no pegasus ponies, weather just happens, you know? Given that this here’s a tropical jungle, it tends to rain a lot. In fact, I’d say we’re overdue.”
“But the ship!” Rarity cried. “All of this dirt will turn to mud in a rainstorm, and the Alicorn will sink even deeper into it. We shall never be able to move it!”
“Oh, right. Well, we figgered somethin’ out about that. Duke Polaris has been jammin’ every kinda log and big stick he could get under the hull, and I’ve been buckin’ ‘em down in there real hard. If we’re lucky, once it’s good and muddy we’ll be able to use these to lever her up outta the dirt. Then the duke thinks we can use more logs to roll her over top of the ground toward the water. I gotta admit, it might just work.”
Rarity considered the idea for a moment. “Yes, I suppose that could work. How are the other tasks progressing? Have you patched the hull?”
“We made a good start,” Buckaroo replied. “It took a good amount of work just to clean up the cabin where the animals got in and set up shop, but she’s mostly sealed up now. That big extra window the griffons busted through the side is gonna need a little more attention come mornin’, once the rain lets up, but I’m beginnin’ to believe this ain’t just pie in the sky. I gotta hoof it to ya, Miss Rarity.”
“Thank you, that is all good news. We should be able to get the ship on the water tomorrow then, provided there is a break in the storm long enough to complete the rest of the work.”
“Yeah. Now why don’t you follow me inside where it’ll stay nice and dry. I rustled up some dinner from what little I could find that hadn’t been broken into by critters.”
“Oh no, I can still get more done here before the storm comes,” Rarity said. Even as she spoke, though, she could feel her stomach protesting against her words. She desperately needed to eat. Then, a flash of lightning arced to earth, followed immediately by a rumble of thunder that Rarity felt in her bones. It was close. “On second thought, maybe I will pause and have a bite or two before getting some sleep.”
“That’s the spirit,” Buckaroo said, as the first fat droplets began to fall. With the big stallion’s help, Rarity gathered her project and secured the partially mended balloon above the ground using logs and rocks. She could not afford to lose even one piece. Then she followed Buckaroo up a makeshift ramp to the deck of the Alicorn and then down through the hatch, which she secured behind them.
As she walked, Rarity could not avoid at least one optimistic thought: the weather would bring clean fresh water to spare, and that meant she would finally be able to get clean. Tomorrow she finally would be able to feel like a pony again, instead of some dirty wild animal.
Inside the now-cramped cabin, all of the others were gathered in a haphazard arrangement, taking up space wherever it could be found. Blueblood, for his part, studiously avoided looking at her. Dinner was a quiet, subdued affair, as everypony was as desperate for rest as Rarity felt. Afterward, at the insistence of all save one silent stallion, she and Zinzi occupied Blueblood’s plush bed while the others found space on the floor. Rarity pulled a light sheet over her head and fell asleep at once to the sound of the storm battering the hull.
When at last she opened her eyes, she felt completely renewed. Gone was any trace of tiredness, and every muscle in her body ached not for relief, but for use. Rarity luxuriated in the cool breeze flowing past her, ruffling the tips of her feathers, as moonlight reflected on her powerful wings. This time, she knew the sensation of flight was a dream, but she didn’t care. It felt glorious.
She flew alone, high above the canopy of the endless jungle below. With her boundless energy and broad wings, Rarity knew she could fly straight back to Canterlot if she wanted. In fact, she felt as though she could put a stop to all of this conspiracy business herself. She was a mighty alicorn, was she not? With just the barest amount of magical effort, the night sky exploded in a brilliant display of fireworks all around her. She was the pinnacle of power, majesty, beauty, and sophistication. Why, there was nopony who could compare in all the world! She could be anything, have anything, and do anything she desired. If she wished, she could pull the sun from its resting place and wash away the night!
Rarity concentrated, but despite her effort, the sun would not appear. How dare it taunt her so! Could it be there was magic that she lacked? She circled above the forest, wheeling through the air as she contemplated how she might attain the power that was her destiny. Then, she saw it: far in the distance a twinkling light of purest white beckoned her. Rarity beat her wings, pointed her horn in the direction of the light, and shot toward it like a comet with a tail of glittering sparkles. She had to have it. All that power belonged to her!
As she grew closer to her target, the light grew brighter until it burned her eyes to look at it, yet she could not tear away her gaze. The formerly refreshing breeze now stung her body and buffeted her wings. She could not keep this up forever, but the power was so close now. She could see it - the largest, most perfect diamond in all the world. She would have it!
Suddenly, Rarity was hit by a blast of hot air that sent her tumbling backwards. She quickly righted herself and reacquired her target, but this time there was something else. A monstrous winged shape rose out of the darkness behind the diamond until it seemed to occupy half the world, its wings spanning the horizon. The monstrosity was made of dark metal, with visible pistons and gears accenting its ponderous movement. Smoke belched into the night sky, obscuring the moon and stars, and glowing furnace eyes glared hatefully at Rarity.
She barely managed to dive out of the way as a metal hoof the size of Canterlot Castle swung through the air above her, and the rush of air from its passing sent her tumbling again. Rarity knew what she had to do. She had to get that gem! If only she could reach it, she could banish this thing to the dark place whence it came. She shot skyward while creating a magical bubble to keep away the sooty smoke billowing from the mechanical monster. High into the night she flew, until even the clockwork beast could not reach her. Then, Rarity turned, tucked her wings in close, and dove. When she burst through the cloud layer she planned to keep diving straight toward the diamond, faster than the beast could track her. As she penetrated the clouds and her vision cleared, though, she immediately saw that the metal beast was gone.
Rarity touched down lightly on the ground, and found herself face to face with another mare. It was Windlass, but not as Rarity knew her. Instead, a powerful alicorn with a coat of light pink and a mane and tail streaked with shades of blue glared at her. She balanced the Heavenstone on one upturned forehoof.
“You are nothing compared to him,” Windlass sneered. “While you play dress up, I change the world. I am the worthy one! Only I have earned the right to be with him.”
“But I don’t want anything to do with Lord Procyon!” Rarity protested.
“Not him, you ignorant foal! No wonder you were so easy to dispatch. As soon as I saw you fawning over him in Canterlot, I knew you had to die. It’s only a shame that the first time didn’t take. You will not get lucky twice!”
“Fancypants!” Rarity gasped. “Of course! You are in love with him, and you perceived me as a threat after you saw me at the Garden Party. It was you who took the photograph. Targeting me was not strategy, but nothing more than the pettiness of a vindictive, jealous mare! How much of this conspiracy has been your doing, all along? Everything? And all for the unrequited love of a stallion? That is not ambition, but insanity!"
Windlass did not reply.
"At least tell me, is this - this here - is it real? Is that really you with whom I am speaking?”
“The Heavenstone is mine to command,” Windlass replied, nodding once. “Though it seems you too have formed a connection to it, however weak by comparison. That connection is how I have found my way into your mind, and that is how I will destroy you once and for all!”
“No! I will stop you!” Rarity shouted. She unfurled her wings and reared back, and a brilliant light of righteous fury radiated from her horn.
Windlass unfurled her own wings, and Rarity gasped as she saw that they were made of metal and clockwork, not feathers, bone, and muscle. She raised the Heavenstone above her head and its pure light chased away any remaining hint of night.
“Come!” Windlass cried. “Come to your death!”
“Rarity!” a voice called out. Rarity looked back to see Blueblood. He was wingless - merely a unicorn. He looked so small and frail against the backdrop of this battlefield of titans.
“Please, Rarity, you have to look away! Do not let the light claim you!”
“I can’t! It is my destiny!” she called back.
“Perhaps, but not now! For Equestria’s sake, for my sake, wake up!”
“I have to go,” Rarity replied. “Don’t I have to go?”
“No!” Blueblood exclaimed. “I was thoughtless before. I truly believe you are the most capable pony I have ever met, and I am certain that you are the only pony standing between a peaceful Equestria and a war that may consume the world before it is done. Let go of the Heavenstone for now, please.”
“Come on now, what are you waiting for?” Windlass taunted.
“I …” Rarity paused. Standing behind Blueblood she could make out the indistinct outlines of five more ponies - her friends. Twilight Sparkle knew that she was alive; she would never give up until Rarity was safe. Now, though, they were counting on her. So was Blueblood. So was everypony! Rarity blinked.
When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by darkness, and she knew at once that she was falling. Then, as quickly as she had recognized the sensation, it was gone, replaced by the tingling feeling of magic enveloping her body. That too passed, and Rarity realized she was lying limply, draped over a pony’s broad back. She was soaking wet.
As Blueblood opened the hatch to carry her back inside the Alicorn’s cabin, Rarity saw a brilliant flash of light in the distance, an instant before everything went dark again.
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I hope you all had a lovely memorial day weekend! I apologize for the delay between chapters, but I hope you enjoy this one. While waiting for the next chapter, I encourage you to visit my new tumblr, "My Little Mixology."
Wow...whut!?
Rarity almost went towards the light. Great chapter but I need moar!!!!
Hey,
Great chapter, great to have an update! Totally exciting, and although the psychic link thing is a step, it's a possibility that's at least somewhat inherent in the setting, and it's really helping to drive the story forward.
I confess I'd been expecting the end of this soon, but it seems you're setting up a very possible approach for Rarity to continue to be the hero to an exciting finish.
JMH
Ooh. And so now we have a possible extra field of battle in the dreams of Rarity and Windlass.
Again, another really enjoyable chapter!
Bad Rarity, stop feeding the love triangle!
Oh such lovely bickering.
Was wondering for a few moments there if Rarity attempting to raise the sun in her dreams was going to be noticed by Celestia. Also, interesting revelation about why Rares was targeted.
Can't wait for the next chapter!
Yet another fantastic chapter! This is quickly becoming the premier Pony Fan Fiction. Keep up the great work, my friend!
Woah woah woah, just noticed the updated story description (maybe it's been there for a while and I just didn't notice):
Part One of Three
Adamant Triskelion - Book One: The Flight of the Alicorn
Adamant Triskelion - Book Two: ???
Adamant Triskelion - Book Three: ???
So this is the first in a trilogy? Hell yeah!
Heheh. That steampunk titan at the end was very awesome. Great imagery, and some cool symbolism. Ponies and steampunk really do go together well, don't they?
Keep up the great work! I look forward to the next update.
663367
Yeah ... where was she? What would have happened if she had gone after Windlass? What's going on here, anyway?
663370
Thank you very much! I hope you have the opportunity to read on, because I think any Rarity fan will enjoy the twists and turns of this story.
663387
Yeah, I think that given Twilight Sparkle's comfort with mind-altering magic, it is clear that ponies do at least have the potential to magically invade each other's thoughts and dreams, though it takes great skill (or the amplification of one's abilities by use a divine diamond of untold power).
Thank you very much for reading and commenting!
663512
Dun dun dun! Only a few mysteries left to unravel, now!
663676
Well, talk to me after this one is done and we'll see.
663675
That is absolutely too kind of you. I work hard at this, and I am grateful for the sentiment. There are many better writers and stories out there, but I am very happy you are enjoying mine!
663866
Thanks! I'm looking forward to revealing everything that has been foreshadowed and which has yet to come to pass. The plot is on its way downhill and picking up speed now!
664111
Ha! Yes, I have had Romancing the Stone in mind, among many other references.
I will admit, I shouted out "YES!" when I saw there was an update. This is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite MLP fanfics and I can't wait to read the next two parts!
Please update soon?
I do like the comparison, gives me a good reference to use when describing the story to family members.
If a MLP:FiM movie is made, I want this story to be the plot.
Another awesome update! Keep em coming! 
I love this story so much. You, sir, have crafted a brilliant tale, and I nearly died when I saw that it had updated after a brief hiatus. Keep up the good work.
So... maybe there isn't some big, significant reason behind Rarity being targetted? Windlass just being a jealous idiot caused all this? Ha. If that's the case, I can't wait to see her reaction when she realizes how much of a mistake she's made...
Other points of interest: The Alicorn's repairs are underway. Good. This jungle adventure has been entertaining at all, but this story belongs in the air. Glad to see we'll be getting back there soon. Barring more unfortunate twists for our heroes, anyway.
- The rest of the Mane Six showed up in Rarity's dream. That's interesting. Was that just a product of Rarity's imagination, or is Twilight actively trying to access Rarity's mind?
- More speculation that Procyon might not be the mastermind behind this mess. I still don't trust Fancypants, myself. He's obviously a central figure in all this, and has the motive and means... he could be trouble if he wanted to. For Rarity's sake, though, I almost hope I'm wrong. She doesn't need any more unpleasant surprises.
Anybody watching "Legend of Korra?" Just for the record, I started (and began publishing) Alicorn before I had even heard there was a sequel to "The Last Airbender" in the works. Every week, though, I am struck by the similarities:
1. Steampunk setting between an old world defined by magic/bending and a new world defined by technology? Check.
2. Movement to use technology to equalize the differences between "non-magical" and "magical" people/ponies? Check. See Fancypants and/or Amon.
3. Complicated conspiracy with multiple actors, possibly at odds with one another, employing misdirection and manipulating public sentiment to achieve its ends? Check, check, check, and check.
4. Female heroine in whom the villains have taken a personal and particular interest? Check.
5. Airships and motorcars? Check.
6. Mustachioed head of the largest industrial and vehicle-manufacturing company in the nation with a hidden agenda? Check. Fancypants and Sato.
7. Angsty romance? Check.
8. Villain motivated by death of his wife at the hands of the "enemy?" Check. See Sato and Tempest.
Anyway, this is neither here nor there, and obviously there are numerous significant differences between the two works as well. For one thing, Fancypants is not a bad guy in my story (or is he?). For another, Alicorn takes a city girl (at least at heart) and puts her in the middle of an uninhabited wilderness, while "Korra" takes a girl from the uninhabited South Pole and puts her in a city. I gotta say, though, I think Rarity makes a more interesting action heroine than Korra. She also has better hair.
Spoiler alert: Rarity enters the "Glamatar State" at the end of the story in order to defeat all of the villains in one go.
Wow, that is weirdly similar. I've been watching Korra too, but didn't really notice most of that. Cool.
Yeah! Update! I've been waiting all month for this! And-wait, you thickened the plot again? You crazy bastard! Oooh, I hope these updateesz start coming faster again. This remains my favorite current fanfic!
By now I regret bumping up this story in my reading stack. Not because it's bad. Quite the contrary. But instead of breezing through chapter after chapter of this fantastic tale, now there's waiting. This is not to criticize your update speed, that's quite alright, especially considering the quality of this story. I'm just whining
I liked this chapter better than the last two. Those felt like the story had slowed down a little and Khufu's crew didn't do much for me. But I'm warming up to them and the story is moving forward, so all is well. And there was a lot of Rarity and Blueblood interaction and bickering. I missed scenes like that in the last few chapters.
I doubt everything will go smooth and as planed, but I'm sure they'll get the Alicorn back into the air. I just don't see how the timing is adding up. How can they catch up to the griffons (or get past them) before they attack the pony town? Maybe I got something wrong, but I thought the griffons were already moving out.
The dream sequence was interesting. Windlass is a bigger player than I thought. She's definitely not just an ordinary minion. And while I think the dream also holds some foreshadowing (like the one before), I'm sure Rarity's wings symbolize the airship and not that she'll turn into an actual alicorn.
I complimented your little and not so little details before. This time that sentence caught my eye:
> A stereotypical dumb whitecoat without a lick of business sense?
It's more or less a throwaway sentence, but it's once again something that contributes to the excellent world building you've already done. I of course hope I understood the statement as it was meant to be: white coated ponies/unicorn suffer from the same stereotype as blondes in our world (and it fit's with some of the other white ponies we've seen so far, like Fleur). It's not rather important to the story, but it fleshes out your world just a tiny bit more. Details like that make story so much more vivid.
Great job again. Looking forward to more
NTL
665464
I'm glad you got the "blond joke" joke - of course I would expect nothing less of you. Also of note, Blueblood is a whitecoat and a blond, but males always seem to avoid the receiving end of this stereotype, somehow! In other news, I'll be picking up the pace of updates again now that the worst of a recent busy period at work has ended. I'm with you, by the way, I liked this chapter better than the last two.
As to timing, I established (two chapters ago?) that the griffons needed two full days to prepare (they were in the process of rearming and provisioning their airship at the time), and they also needed that time to allow for the unicorns to charge the Heavenstone with enough magic to call down a hurricane. Rarity and friends accordingly have two days of their own to repair the ship and set out to intercept the griffons. Well, now they have one more day.
Finally, you're quite right that Windlass is not an ordinary minion. Thanks again; I always greatly appreciate receiving your comments.
To be clear, I read this first, then had the nap to fix the sleep deprivation, then came back to comment. I'm still not too sure how coherent my comments will be, but at least now there's a fighting chance.
A surprisingly satisfying update considering that no particular goal was completed within it! You did a great job of reestablishing interest in the interactions of the main protagonists after having them separated for so long. The focus here was clearly on Rarity and Blueblood, and the supporting players were allowed to largely fade into the background so we could get some juicy relationship moments. Surely, the reason this chapter was so satisfying was that these moments worked well... You're doing a wonderful job of keeping the spark of antagonism going even while they rely and take comfort in each other more and more. Here it seems to have all come down to Blueblood's inability to reign in his knee-jerk responses in time, even though his regret at allowing the beginnings of them to slip out is palpable.
The underlying fear of the impossible plan's likely failure rate and Rarity's efforts to hide all self-doubt, as well as the brewing possible love triangle keep the tension up and the chapter just flew by. I loved the way the heroine threw herself into her repair work... I recognized an artist "in the zone" enough that even I was reluctant for her to stop just to avoid some measly killer storm. I also found myself looking forward to a clean Rarity again, oddly enough. And being back on board the ship seems like a real treat after this extended camping trip. All signs that I'm sympathizing with the lead to a pretty remarkable degree...
A very intriguing sequence closes this one out. Sleep-walking while under the influence of the Heavenstone? I curious where she was heading in the waking world before Blueblood corralled her and carried her back. It's fun to see that she has herself a more personal adversary in all of this as well... although I suppose once people conspire and attempt to murder you, it's already personal enough. And bonus... a vague Twilight appearance! Yay! I was hoping for some more of the Mane six when the dream sequence began.
Definitely worth the wait. This story remains the high-mark of pony adventure fiction for me!
Wewt update!
It appears as though the Alicorn may very well fly again! Awesomesauce! All they have to do now is make their way down a boulder infested river, sneak into a top secret military base crammed full of griffons out for their blood, circumvent a massive air-battleship thingy with a huge lead over them to warn a peaceful, unsuspecting town before it gets destroyed, all without getting blown out of the sky. Sure peace of cake!
I agree with the above sentiments that it seems unlikely that Procyon is the sole mastermind behind all this. While I do want to believe Fancy Pants was telling the truth back on the Fancy Free, Rarity had better be careful if she ever comes across him again.
So looks like Windlass may not be the well intentioned extremest she made herself out to be. The fact that she's not only aware of Rarity's connection to the Heaven Stone, but can also attack Rarity through said connection doesn't really help her case. From that description near the end it sounds like she was trying to compel Rarity to walk off a cliff or drown herself in the river. Guess it's a good thing Blueblood was apparently up watching her sleep.
Can't wait for the next chapter!
665505
I assume the toy version of Celestia was made pink so as to avoid reinforcing those stereotypes.
"I'm a princess! Are you a princess?"
"Math is hard!"
664748
Consider that maybe I built up a big important reason, only to then reveal there was no big important reason, only to later reveal the big important reason!
Poor Fancypants. None of my readers trust him!
664861
Thanks, mop. I won't go so long between updates again. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Bravo, Ponydora-sama!!!!
I am absolutely riveted by your story and find myself longing for the next chapter each Sunday night! This is definitely THE best MLP:FiM story I've ever read! It's in character (perfectly! Never ONCE have you gone OOC with ANY chara!), the plot is solid, interesting and plays out like a mystery, the timing is exciting and never dull or plodding, while the romance is always leaving one smiling while reading it, and at the same time, wishing for more! You certainly have all your fans/readers anxiously awaiting each new romantic tidbit or argument between the 2 protagonists! It boils down to the true fact that you are ONE INCREDIBLE and TALENTED writer! Again, your story could BE the series (in fact, it's better!) and I can hear and see each character as if this was the next episode on television!! Amazing!! I am torn from the fact that I'm happy the ending will be arriving soon, but sorrowful, too, that this story will be completing! In truth, the only reason I CAN be pleased, is that you mentioned you have 2 sequels in the works! 
I love the fact that Blueblood is always the one saving Rarity in her dreams (and in reality) ---- it bespeaks of the deep connection and destiny between them. Of course, I'm a BxR fan, so I love their interaction and every time the chapter is finished, I find myself imagining how you're going to resolve it or what will happen next. I actually imagine it all out in my head! :laughs: But then, of course, when I read your next chapter, it usually is absolutely different than I expected---and in a GREAT way! Thanks for keeping us guessing and intrigued throughout!
Again, thanks again for another magnificent chapter and looking forward eagerly to the next parts!!!
God bless you!
Your fan,
~Setsuna
664072 So there will be sequels... Dang you and I seem to have really similar patterns! I have a single story I just started but our writing styles seem... really similar. I'm equal parts daunted by your success, inspired by the fact that you succeed so I can too, and flat out surprised at the similarity.
To be honest, I'm just honored that I can read your doubtlessly superior work. I have no hopes for even coming close to thine success, but seeing you do so well is making me smile. The story does that too. Really, I need a google-docs link so I can get this on hardcopy.
664753 See, those similarities are ironic and uncanny. Now I must laugh hysterically at your unintended predictive powers! though to be fair... we knew Equestria was budding steam age in canon, so it's not that far of a stretch. Then again, same goes for Airbender.
Woohoo, it returns! It’s it fun to see the return of Blueblood and Rarity’s bickering now that they are back together in the story. The dream sequence was also a lot of fun. I wonder how that imagery will play out? It seems that Rarity is now going to have to deal with psychic attacks in addition to all the other problems heaped on her.
And I now have a few more pieces to add to the puzzle of the mystery of the conspiracy for this story. It is my theory that Rarity is very wrong about Windlass being interested in Blueblood. This is for the simple reason that a big part of the conspiracy’s plan seems to revolve around killing Blueblood. It was supposed to be a major cause for the war, and likely another element to help the conspirators other side projects (giving Procyon the keys to Blueblood’s estate for example). It just would not make sense for Windlass to continue to work with the conspiracy after they tried to take Blueblood out. Assuming she hadn’t found out before hand, or since the attack on the Alicorn. As of right now she seems to be all for assisting the conspiracy by using the Heaven Stone. So unless she is playing a completely different angel then we are currently seeing, or just doesn’t know about the attempted assassination of her supposed love interest Blueblood (which I see has Highly unlikely), she is not interested in Blueblood. Not after all the work the conspiracy put into making sure Blueblood was dead, and not killing Fancypants when they could have. It’s not like Fancypants could be much better of a flier then Rarity. Or they just could have given Fancypants’ ship the Alicorn treatment with a griffon attack. No, at least at this juncture, those pieces are just not hooking up right for me.
My guess is that Windlass is more interested in Fancypants. That would fit with the context of all the previous conversations, and would make the most sense. With her new position within Fancypants’ company, she is closer than ever to him. Just like she would want. I further guess that when she saw Rarity with Fancypants at the garden party, that sent her into the private rage we have seen. Then with her position within conspiracy, I’m willing to bet she suggested the opportunity and gave a plan to take Rarity, and thus the Elements of Harmony, out of the picture by tossing her off an airship to make her death look like an accident. Fulfilling the duel goals of getting closer to Fancypants by taking out a rival, and securing the conspiracy’s magical flank against the Elements of Harmony. Motive, opportunity, and means all right there in a package. So to sum up, it is my theory that Windlass is infatuated with Fancypants, Windlass was madly jealous of Rarity and her relationship with Canterlot’s most important pony, and Windlass hatched and carried out the plan to kill Rarity both for selfish reasons, and to help the conspiracy.
The only other alternative I can see given our current evidence is that Blueblood was just attacked due to random chance. Either due to seeing something he wasn’t supposed to and needed to be silenced, or because he happened to pick up Rarity (who needed to die). But that seems rather unlikely to me.
Oh crap, I just realized something incredibly obvious. Windlass knows that Rarity is alive…and that could mean the entire conspiracy knows depending how she came to know (either because someone in the conspiracy told her, or because of the Heaven Stone’s powers). That could be very, very bad. Sadly Rarity’s best hope is that Windlass only found that fact out due to the Heaven Stone, and wants to keep this nastily personal. At least then the whole conspiracy wouldn’t know…
Unfortunately there are reasons to doubt Fancypants’ innocence in this. He does have the motives, opportunity, and resources to pull this off. Moreso then Procyon. At least to a point. The alternative is that the head of this conspiracy is simply someone we have not seen much of yet. Entirely possible, but there is Fancypants. All mysterious, and with so many incidental things working against his innocence. I’m not convinced he is the head hancho of this conspiracy yet. But time will tell. We simply aren’t high enough on the command chain to quite determine what all is going on.
Another entertaining chapter! More things to chew on. Shame I think Rarity has draw some of the wrong conclusions in my opinion (it can be surprising how politics and conspiracies can be shaped by personal issues), and now she can’t even sleep without being put into danger. I look forward to your next chapter! Great to see this fanfic with its forward momentum again.
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Ponibius - unless I committed a horrible typographical error that I am not seeing at the moment, Rarity never suspected Windlass was in love with Blueblood. She realized right away that it was Fancypants. That said, you have great comments as always, and I'm very pleased you picked up the fact that (if the dream was real) Windlass (at least) knows Rarity is alive.
Nee-hee! New Chapter!
It seems I'm the only reader who isn't suspecious of Fancypants....Now Windlass on the other hand I really wonder about; on the one hand attempting to murder somepony and possibly cause a war for such a petty reason is deplorable, on the other hand if she was simply being manipulated I can imagine that the realisation of what she could have done will not be pleasant (My guess at her latest attempt is that she tried to use the Heaven Stone to draw Rarity out of the ship and have her struck by lightning).
On that note, it's a lucky thing that they'll have a supply of water to wash in, can you imagine what could have happened if they didn't?; "They began the race as enemies, yet they saved each other in the storm and crash, treked through the untamed jungle, he was wounded saving her from Griffons and she risked her life to save him, they've brought a band of misfits to together to repair his airship, attack the Griffons' base and steal their helium supply in order to save a tropical settlement if not all of Equine civilisation. But now that they are so close to their goal the budding friendship between Rairity and Polaris will be put to it's greatest test yet: There is only one shower running in Gallopoli and both of them want to use it before it's destroyed"
On a side note, it's a bit of a cosmic moment that within an hour of finding the newest chapter has been posted I also find out that "Romancing The Stone" is playing
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Whoops, after reviewing the chapter I'm not sure why I thought Rarity thought Windlass was interested in Blueblood. Must have been the long work day, and trying to quit caffinated and sugary drinks that got me there. Silly me. Still, at least Rarity is asking important questions. She is one of the few in a position to ask them right now. Though she might have a dangerous blind spot where Fancypants is. There is just so much that could look bad for that pony, but nothing to say conclusively that he is a part of the conspiracy.
Nothing feels better than coming back home after another Celestia-damned overtime shift to your stellar work, Ponydora.
I refuse to believe that Fancypants is anything but a stand up dude. I'm sorry if I'm not taking the bait I shoul, but I'm heavily biased and I refuse to take off my Fancyvision goggles (by Canterlot Steam Engine Company).
Your Blueblood dialogue was fantastic throughout, but that feels like a broken record by now, I'm sure. I do have an issue with the Windlass portion of the dream sequence, however. She seemed a little too free and easy with the information she gave Rarity, and that makes me doubt whether or not that was actually her and not a figment/projection of Rarity's exhausted mind. But her statements only make sense if she is actually Windlass, as I doubt Rarity is one to delude herself in a subject so dire. Maybe dream sequences are meant to be cryptic, I don't know.
I wish I had more than a paltry two hours to myself every night. I could fill the adventuring Rarity- shaped hole in my heart myself. Don't stop writing, comrade!
“You would be most capable and formidable as the leader of a corporation, Miss Rarity,” Blueblood said quietly, before turning to walk away. “Fancypants is a better pony than I for coming to that realization on his own.”
I've always been a fan of Fancypants... (although his name is pretty silly....) He recognizes quality when he sees it. Actually, he's a bit like Rarity, in that he sees more than just the surface. (Yes, I know, for a fashion designer, that seems like an odd distinction, but it's true...)
I like how your Blueblood is getting a chance to grow up, finally. He needs a lot of work to be a worthwhile pony... but he's starting to shape up nicely. Looking forward to the next chapter.
Ohmanohmanohman!! *squee*
New chapter!! You have NO idea how long I've been waiting for this. 
Actually You probably do, concidering you're writing this thing. Another
chapter.Also, as everyone else folowing this story I wish for updates asap, but considering how long the chapters ar and how much effort is put into them I can see how they take so long. FOR EVERYONE READING THIS GIVE HIM SOME TIME!!! YOU CAN'T JUST TYPE THIS STUFF UP IN TWO HOURS, OR EVEN TWO DAYS. (hope that helps. 
) I shall await the next instalment with much... something. I'll just look forward to it. Good luck, and Godspeed: TrueBolt.
So Rarity just had a probably-real dream where she was attacked by Windlass and the mecha-spider from Wild Wild West. Great
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It was more of a mecha pony, but essentially correct. I'm pretty sure no actual mecha appear in this story though. Or will they?
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It takes a lot for somepony like Blueblood to change his ways. So far, he has been betrayed, shot, and nearly died of jungle fever. Hmm, what else can I do to him? Thank you so much for reading the story, by the way! I am very grateful for all of my readers, and especially thrilled to receive comments.
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Thank you so much for the praise! I do intend to release the next chapter much more quickly than I was able to finish the last, but I appreciate your words very much!
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Setsuna!
My friend and fellow Rarity x Blueblood fan, it is so lovely to hear from you! Of course, it is rather an uphill battle to even begin to write a story starring Blueblood in anything other than a villain role, but after being inspired by my favorite author Capn_Chryssalid and his story "The Best Night Ever," I could not help myself. I am trying very hard to keep this story fun and entertaining, and it makes me so happy to know that there are those like you who enjoy it so much! Now that we are heading into the home stretch, I really hope you enjoy the climax and denoument of the story as much as the buildup. 
665826 Nope! We can't trust trust him!
"As for Procyon, I still cannot understand how he truly can be the mastermind behind this plan. He never once in his life displayed ambition on this scale, or the foresight to be a successful schemer.”
And that quote in the reason why!
Not to mention that this is a grimdark fanfic, which means ALL the side characters, and possibly some of the main ones are evil, twisted versions of their canon selves! Thus, Fancypants is not only the mastermind, but he's also a half-changeling, half-dragon, half-pony, half-quarry eel who has to eat other ponies or he'll transform into the Smooze!
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And nothing can stop the Smooze!
692857 Except... GOKU!!!
Yes, the one who achieved Super Sayan flies in and blasts the horrible Smooze with a full-powered Kame-hame-ha, saving all the ponies from certain goo!
BUT!! The Smooze reassembles and reveals its TRUE form! MAJIN BUU!!!
In a twist of irony Buu transforms Celestia into cake and eats her! Celestia, who always thought she could have her cake and eat it too.
And it's all left to Rarity and Blueblood to save the day!
30 seconds later Equestria is utterly destroyed.
having a hard time figuring out what happened at the end there...
NEED MORE CHAPTERS
Wow, this is pretty good, I really think that Fancypants is a jerk!!!!
Its a good that you didn't include the awkardness of Twilight's birthday party!!lol
I absolutely love it so far, the characters and the story about Rarity and Blueblood is awesome!!
I read this on my iphone the other day, thanks to the email reminders from FFN.
I've said before that I love this fic. I shouldn't repeat myself. But reading the last two chapters here just made time fly. The bickering (and the agreement to keep bickering) between Rarity and Blueblood was just one of many fun character moments. On a meta level, I wonder if you're setting Procyon up as a bit of a red herring villain, in favor of Windlass? That's okay, as I think of it, since not every chessmaster villain needs to be shown moving the pieces, just that he's responsible.
I see so much has already been mentioned, though, notably the blonde joke. "Whitecoat" LOL. I may have to borrow that. It just works so well. TBNE was worth all the work put into it, JUST because it inspired you to write this. I wonder, though, if you're setting things up for an eventual midair duel with the whole ARC cannon hype? It would certainly be a David vs Goliath type match unless Equestria (or the other airships from the race) also got involved somehow. Also, perhaps, are we seeing the roots of a "battle within the heavenstone" type situation, where Rarity tries to wrest control from Windlass? Hmm.
Finally starting to catch up on my reading, but I have like a quarter million words from various stories to go through, so if I'm slow on commenting on chapters, it's not because you lost me as a reader : P
>would ever be able navigate this treacherous
Missing word: to navigate
>His appearance was not altogether welcome.
Context: is this meant to be "unwelcome"? The following grafs seem to dwell on Blueblood and a transition from her finding him boorish and a lout to sympathizing more and more with him. Current phrasing makes it seem like he's putting a damper on her mood rather than, perhaps, the other way around.
>expending effort to affect
I think you want the homophone here, "effect" as in "to bring about." As it is written, she's expending effort in an effort to change or somehow actively modify the object "a lighthearted tone."
>Broken trees feel to either side
feel --> fell
>Better for our journey to end here then in the middle of the griffons’ base
then --> than (comparative)
>Buckaroo exclaimed. There ain’t nothing left to even recognize as bein’ part of a ship. We can’t fix that!”
Missing opening double quotation mark.
>One of the ship’s maneuvering fins hung limply by a few thing cables,
thing --> thin
>Blueblood said quickly, interrupting Rarity’ sentence.
Missing s in the possessive.
>What give him the right?
give --> gave
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Much obliged for these fixes, and I'm very glad to see you are still reading! I've made the corrections, except for "altogether welcome," which is what I meant to write, and "affect," which in that instance means "to simulate, or assume artificially or for effect," as in "to affect an upper class accent," or to "affect a happy demeanor."
What about Fleur De Lis? What does Windlass think of her?
also for the record; I don't think Windlass knows what she's playing with. Something as powerful as the Heavenstone should NOT be used lightly.