//------------------------------// // Chasing History at 50 Knots // Story: Painted Mirror // by Lord of Turtles //------------------------------// Twilight lifted the pot with her magic and went over it with her scanning spell. She turned to Raj and asked again “And you're sure that is Sanskrit?” Raj nodded “Pretty sure, yeah. My Dad had an old copy of the Guru with Sanskrit passages. They looked like that but it's been a long time. I'm not that sure.” “It could be a coincidence.” She set the pot down. “There are many languages that bear striking similarities to each other. Zebrican shares a great deal of similar characters as ancient Griffish, despite never having interactions with one another. All I can confirm is that I have never seen that language before now.” “Here, lemme see.” rasped Rainbow Dash as she yanked the pot free of Twilight's telekinesis. She rolled it around in her hooves, squinting at the characters and humming with concentration. “Mmm, nope. Can't read it.” She lightly tossed it back to Twilight. Twilight snatched it in her telekinesis and zipped it back into its container. “Rainbow! Be careful! That's a priceless piece of history. It might even be from another planet.” Rainbow shrugged. “I knew you'd catch it.” “Still. Don't be so, cavalier with historical artifacts.” Raj eyed the cluster of ponies examining the exhibit with varying levels of interest. Raj looked back to Twilight and said blandly. “You know, you didn't have to bring all of them. I really only needed to talk to you.” “Your message said it was an emergency. To me, emergency means gather the Elements of Harmony. It's not my fault you were unclear.” “What about the material it's made of?” Raj asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the previous topic. She shrugged. “It's clay. I'm not picking up any differences that would indicate that it's extraequestrial in origin.” Raj sat down and leaned onto his knees. “Damn, that would have clinched it.” Rainbow lowered to the floor. “It that thing is from earth, how did it get here anyhow?” “Well, if it is, then I'm assuming Jolly Roger brought it. Either he went to earth and brought it back, or the guy was originally from earth and brought it with him.” “Yeah, but how though? I mean, I'm a pretty awesome flier, but I'm pretty sure I can't fly through space.” Raj shrugged. “I don't really know. There are a lot of stories about how the Vow of Poverty could actually fly. Maybe it was able to travel through space.” Raj smiled lamely. “I know that sounds pretty weak.” “It's still possible it came from your planet Raj.” Twilight offered. “I don't believe that.” Interjected the matronly tour guide. “I've been running this exhibit every autumn for thirty years and this is the first I've heard about Jolly Roger going to this 'earth' place.” “Well, he might have been from there actually. We're not sure yet.” Twilight clarified. “Preposterous. Everypony knows that Captain Jolly Roger is, at best, a historical hoofnote. He's been overblown into a media figure due to a few dashing adventures, but I find it highly suspect that he was some sort of far-ranging explorer.” “Ponies said that about Clover the Clever as well, and then her journals were discovered.” The tour guide rolled her eyes “Please don't tell me you're a Chronicle Thimblehoof believer. That entire idea is ridiculous.” “According to Clover the Clever's personal chronicler, she embarked on a mission to bring all the races of Equus together, including the Zebras and the Griffins, and explored much of Equus in doing so. His record keeping is very clear on that fact.” “Clover the Clever never had a personal chronicler! She kept her own records and never needed anypony to do it for her. She never mentions Thimblehoof in her own journals and there are so many discrepancies between him and credible sources that he's been verified as false.” She huffed. “That doesn't mean it never happened. There are a lot of explanations for those differences if you're willing to expand on the facts.” The guide opened her mouth to say something but was cut off when Pinkie slid into the aisle, hair bound up in a bandanna and an actual cutlass clutched in her teeth. She giggled “How come nobody told me about this place before? All this stuff is super fun!” she bounded forwards, pointing her hoof dramatically and slurring “Yar, hoist the mizzenmast and open the sheets! Bring me that horizon.” The guide's eyes shrunk to pinpricks and she galloped towards her “Miss, uh Miss, those aren't toys!” “Aw, but that's what they say about all the best toys.” Pinkie shot back as she continuing skipping along the room. Spike wiped his brow and said blandly. “Thanks Raj, you do not want to get Twilight started about Thimblehoof. We'll be here all week.” Twilight shot a look at the tour guide's back and turned back. “I don't know Raj. Now that I'm looking at it there might be something to this idea you and Spike came up with.” “It was pretty much just Spike actually. I've mostly just been sitting here in disbelief.” Applejack tapped on the glass of a case. “Hey, lookee here ya'll. I think I found another piece of treasure from Raj's home.. “ She stepped back so everyone else could see. “Now you tell me that coin don't look like a human face? That thing coulda come from earth too.” Twilight squinted at the display. “Or, it could be a piece of Centaur currency, seeing as how that's King Vorak stamped on there.” she said rather smugly. Applejack's face fell. “Well, maybe not that one, but there's a lot of stuff in here that very well could be.” Twilight lifted a mollifying hoof. “I'm already on board with the idea Applejack. But what's suggested is pretty far-fetched.” “What's so far-fetched about it?” AJ asked back Twilight drew in a breath and started “That pony may have been a little close minded, but she had a few points. I know you love Jolly Roger because he's interesting and cool or whatever, but there's not a lot of academic merit to him as a historical figure. I accept that he actually existed, but I have a hard time accepting that he wooed the Princesses or that he had an airship thousands of years before anypony in the world actually built one. According to history, he's pretty much just what she said he was. An overblown media figure that's used to sell cheesy novels.” “Excuse me darling.” Rarity lilted, slowly sidling over. “Did you just call some of the greatest, most passionately lurid tales ever to spill forth from quill onto paper 'cheesy' by chance. I certainly must have misheard you.” she said, a bit of an edge to her tone. Twilight sputtered. “Oh, um, well, I was just actually referring to the new series! Yeah, you know, the one put out by Foalinghouse Books?” “Oh.” said Rarity, backing off. “Well that's fine then. If anything, 'cheesy' is too kind a work to use for that graphic novel claptrap.” “Oh, I don't know.” whispered Fluttershy, almost making Raj jump. “I kind of like the new books. The illustrations are really nice and the character designs are cute.” Rarity slowly turned her eyes to her friend and gave her a level stare. Fluttershy's eyes widened and she shrunk back. “Or, maybe, they're not all that great.” Rarity smiled slightly and nodded. “Well,” Raj started again, turning his attention back to the tall case holding Jolly Roger's mannequine. “I'm willing to bet that there's more to it than that. The presence of this jar alone is something significant. From what Spike's told me, there hasn't been serious academic interest in Jolly Roger for centuries. I mean, this exhibit hasn't had any significant changes or contributions in fifty years. It's entirely possible that historians missed some stuff about him.” “I don't know, traveling through space seems like a pretty big thing to miss.” Rainbow said bluntly and earned an elbow from Applejack. “Er, what mean to say is-” “No, you're right. This is a huge long shot. A lot of ponies already say the idea is impossible, like that tour guide lady. But, well, the impossible has already happened a few times this year. What's one more?” The assembled mares smiled and nodded slightly, Pinkie still bouncing around the room with the tour guide hot on her hooves. “So, what's next Rajrishi?” Fluttershy asked. “Research. Everything in this exhibit will have to be gone over, along with anything else that has even a scrap of information about Jolly Roger in it. If I'm able to find enough evidence that points to a location, I'll have to arrange an expedition to go there.” “But, Jolly Roger was a well known criminal in all settled lands, if he kept his ship somewhere it would have to be very far away.” Rarity pointed out. “Yeah, you're talking about going way out of Equestria.” Rainbow added. “Oh definitely. I'll need to get military assets, supplies, full crown support at a minimum. Even if I get hard evidence, convincing Princess Luna to go for it is going to be a hard sell.” * * * A week later the Break of Day blew through a thick cloud-bank over Ponyville, propulsion turbines sparking and sails wide to catch the air. Rainbow Dash leaned close and gave Raj a glib look. “Hard sell, huh?” “I'm just as surprised as you are Rainbow.” Raj muttered back, stunned to see the vessel overhead. As it settled over the town, Raj was finally able to get a reference for the craft's size. A good three-hundred meters in length and at least forty tall, the hanging control hull looked like a toy in comparison or some unwanted growth attached to the underside of some great, oblong behemoth. He watched as it slowly drifted down to the center of the square, harsh backdraft kicking up swirls of multicolored leaves he had to shield his eyes from. Spike bounced up and down on Twilight's back. “Holy moley, it's huge!” “That it is Spike. That it is.” Raj stepped in front of the assembled cluster of ponies and yelled out “Alright, so this is it Elements. We're heading for the Shatters, a range of mountains beyond the Griffin Empire. We're gonna be going further than any pony has gone in quite some time. The trip is going to be dangerous and long, two months at the absolute least. If you want to back out now, I won't hold it against any of you.” Rainbow slung her pack up more. “You kidding me Raj? You're going on a trip to discover the lost ship and missing treasure of an ancient pirate king. This is a Daring Doo book come to life! You're not getting rid of me for anything.” Applejack nodded, holding her hat on her head against the wind. “Darn tootin' partner. Anyhow, ah still owe ya for what happened on the farm. Anything ah can do to help.” Fluttershy stood up tall and moved her mouth as if she was talking, but her voice was lost to the wind and sound. She finished with a slight stomp on the ground and a solid look on her face though, so the collected friends took that for resolve and went with it. Raj looked around for Pinkie and saw her already trotting towards the descending airship. She turned around and snorted. “What, like I need a reason to go do something wild and crazy? As if!” She then burst into laughter and started springing forward. The rest of them laughed lightly and followed after as the wind died down and the gangplank extended from the hull of the ship. As they walked, Raj looked sideways at Rarity and the cloud of belongings she held in her horngrip. “Gotta say Rarity, I'm surprised you decided to come with. A expedition to the unbeholden reaches of the world does not sound like your kind of deal.” The white unicorn scoffed. “Rajrishi! Perish the thought. I would never leave my closest and dearest friends to undertake so dangerous and exciting a task as this without my lucid advice and aid to see them through their trials.” Raj nodded. “And I'm guessing the literal tons of gems Jolly Roger had squirreled away somewhere from the dozens of dragon hordes he plundered has nothing to do with it?” “Correct, absolutely nothing darling.” She said without a hint of a lie in her voice. Raj laughed. “Never change Rarity.” The group started towards the great ship as it settled to the ground rather daintily, the skin of the bag rippling and shaking for long afterwards with remembered movement. Pegasi swooped off of the rigging and started flapping away wayward breezes to calm the ship's motion, as even a weak wind could get caught up in the angled sails and send the whole vessel rocking. As they started up the plank towards the deck of the Break of Day. Twilight goggled at it as she got closer, marveling at the sheer size of the thing. “Rajrishi, how in the wide, wide world of Equestria did you convince Princess Luna to loan you the newest flagship of the fleet?” Raj adjusted the bow slung over his torso and smiled wistfully as he headed up. “Very carefully. She's still kinda sore about almost starting an international incident with that scanning spell, so I had to make some frankly outlandish promises to get her cooperation. Suffice to say, if we don't find what we're looking for, I'm going to have to stay out in the Shatters just to hide.” “We think that would be unwise Captain.” Came a commanding voice from the keel of the ship. Luna flapped over and landed heavily, a wicked smile on her face. “We would still find thee.” “Excuse the impertinence ma'am but what the hell are you doing here?” “We do not excuse you Captain, but we shall answer you inquiry regardless.” She flipped her spectral mane. “We have been too long trapped within the walls of Canterlot. An adventure such as this would be in fine order. Besides, thou shall need our navigational expertise once we are beyond the map.” “What about the moon? Aren't you the one who moves it?” “Our sister has demonstrated adequate capacity for moving our moon. She will be able to manage during our absence.” “Hey!” shouted the surliest looking pony Raj had ever seen from the wheel of the ship. “No time for jabber Captain. We're burning daylight we can't afford to lose.” Raj nodded at him and looked around. Sailors rushed to and fro, doing last minute checks on the ship and the rigging that connected it to the vast balloon overhead. His gaze lingered on the six ponies clustered near the prow, laughing at some jest he didn't hear. He tamped down the pang of worry he felt and shook it off, heading for the keel. “Aye, all's aboard. Let's get her moving ponies.”