Captain Platinum Starlight stood on mid-deck, looking over the port railing into the harbor below. All over Trinity and her fleet, sailors hurried to finish the final preparations needed to dock in Manehattan harbor. The steam turbines were shut off as the sails were hoisted to provide the ships the slower speed required to sail into port.
The megacity could be seen already in great detail. Skyscrapers towered into the air higher than any Atlantean architect dreamed. Massive piers were lapped by the seawater around them, waiting for the ships to dock. A green flare shot above the areas designated for the fleet, and Platinum had the course adjusted to match.
In the distance, he saw Bricksburg Bridge, still rising over the strait that separated friendly territory from that of the enemy. Beyond that lay the ruins of Withersburg Bridge, its stone and metal strewn across the bay. Farther north, he was told, was Tartarus Bridge, in the same destroyed condition as Withersburg.
Now was a time he could truly appreciate the Equestrian army's ability to hold its ground. Without it, he’d have no place to pull in unless he was willing to lose half his crew.
The sails were stowed as Trinity coasted smoothly beside the largest pier. Along it, Platinum saw Colonel Crimson Dawn walking down to meet his reinforcing army. He's gonna have to wait another twenty minutes.
After everything was in order, Platinum walked down the wooden board to greet Crimson. The red Pegasus put on a weary smile, one of relief and sorrow mixed together.
“Captain Starlight. You have no idea how glad I am to see you. We are down to less than seven hundred, with most of our losses incurred last night.”
“Ah, Crimson! Don’t worry about a thing; we can handle it from here. You know, this is a pretty awe-inspiring city. The buildings rising a kilometer into the sky, the -”
“I get it, Captain. So, what’s in the hold?”
“Colonel Dawn, always getting to the point.” Platinum searched his mind. “We have two thousand strong, plenty of powder and ammo, and a special surprise from Queen Atlanta. She said to give this to you, along with whatever the hell we loaded on Trinity. Gotta tell you, those three boxes were heavy motherfuckers.”
Platinum took a small container out of his personal saddlebag. In it was a ceramic mug commemorating the victory at Aquarius River. The small, white mug had the names of all the regiments that had served valiantly on that fateful day, so many years ago. It was a piece of home.
“When we get back, I’ll have to tell her thanks.” Crimson placed the container in his own saddlebag. “So, how the hell are we getting these big-ass boxes onto the pier?”
“Trinity has a side door for quick cargo transfer. Do you want to unload now?”
Crimson nodded. The sooner the better.
Captain Midnight Shadow and Lieutenant Silver Comet headed towards the pier. Rumors spread fast, and they wanted to see the Atlanteans’ secret weapon. As they reached it, they gave identification and passed on. The weapon was a sight to be seen.
The Atlantean government had authorized the transport and use of a steam-powered armored vehicle. It had thick steel wheels to support its weight, three-inch steel armor, and a long steel barrel pointing in the forwards direction of the vehicle. Loaded with gunpowder and ammunition, this behemoth could take out the entire Crystal army through fear alone. Currently, it wheeled down to dry land via the iron-reinforced wooden boarding ramp, which groaned under the pressure of several tons above it. Already on land and making its way to the downtown city was another, and a third noisily waited its turn to cross.
“So, what do we call these fuckers?” Crimson yelled at Platinum over the noise.
“Steam tanks,” he called back. “The first three ever built, right here in front of us. I’m actually surprised Atlanta made the decision to send them all.”
As the final steam tank reached shore, the wood under it cracked into a shower of splinters, crashing to the short channel of water between Trinity and the pier. The cast-iron supports, on which the tank actually rolled, bent down from the loss of support and began to buckle. The steam tank’s driver hit full ahead, sending the vehicle across the channel at high speed and nearly flying it over the side. But the brakes held, and the tank remained on land.
“That was close.” Crimson commented.
Suddenly, a scout galloped up from the metropolis. “Colonel Dawn! The Crystal Empire has retreated! I repeat, the Crystal Empire is miles away!”
“That’s good news. Take control of the entire city, and prepare the railway station for military transport. And someone get a communications spell up over here! I ain’t walking to Headquarters to give the princesses a report.”
A Unicorn came and set up the spell, but the other side didn’t open. He tried again, with the same effect. A third time, and the other side finally responded.
“My apologies, Colonel,” Twilight said. “I was finishing up a few things.”
“That’s fine. Started to get worried there for a second, though.”
Celestia’s image appeared next to Twilight’s. “Colonel Dawn, I do believe you never told me what was in the reinforcing army.”
“Ah, Princess Celestia, don’t you worry about a thing. I honestly didn’t know myself until now, and we have two thousand strong, supplies, and three beautiful armoured vehicles.”
“Understood. How goes the defense?”
“Princesses,” Crimson replied, “the Crystal army is in full retreat. Probably have been for a few hours. We’ve won.”
Cadence’s eyes turned to Celestia. “So, where are you in terms of your journey?”
“It’s complicated. I’m in the middle of the Celestial Sea, bearing forty-five degrees east of north. After a massive mishap, I am back on track.”
“What kind of mishap?” Twilight became immensely curious.
“I honestly don’t know, Twilight Sparkle. I was crossing the Whispering Mountain Pass when some magical storm hit and I took shelter in a cave. Then I dreamt of Crimson in the human world, and the scene changed and I stood at the bow of this massive ship, bigger than anything Equestrian shipwrights could ever dream.”
Crimson looked skeptical. “Larger than Trinity? She’s a hundred meters bow to stern, fifty high, and about twenty wide.”
“Larger than that. Made of a steel alloy, powered by the fusion of chemical elements, and capable of more than thirty knots. This…” -she searched for the right word- “carrier has a cargo of air superiority vehicles that can go faster than sound. Her escort carries this thing that goes straight up before heading to its target, and - it’s just mind-blowing.”
Crimson perked up. “Chemical elements? Like oxygen?”
“What’s oxygen?” asked Cadence.
“It’s the part of the air that we breathe. Gets thinner, just like the rest of the air, as you go higher in elevation. Quite useful stuff,” he replied.
Behind Celestia, alarms rang out. “Well, I’d better get to the bridge. Something’s wrong.”
“Alright.” Crimson said. “Good luck, everyone.”
The spells ended, and the colonel smiled. Just a few more months, and we’ll defeat Sombra once and for all.
He looked to the west as the Celestia lowered the Sun over the horizon of skyscrapers of Manehattan.