Battleship of Equestria Chapter Two: Past Revealed
(Jacob's POV)
For the twenty-second time this late afternoon, I pace around the gardens of this land's capital, Canterlot. As uncomfortable as I am in letting my men out of sight, I trust both the citizens of Ponyville and their own judgment. After all, they all know we must make a good impression to our hosts and hostesses. Before leaving, I had switched into a spare set of dress uniform I had asked for the sub that carried the second, larger wave of my men to bring, just in case, as well as strapping on my officer sword.
"See what I the kind of trouble I get into without you to back me up, Henry?" I mutter aloud. Man, how I wished that I could get to wish him happy birthday today. I remember his excited gaze as he was heading to his new unit, an officer in the Marine detachment on the USS Arizona. The pride of seeing my younger brother succeed just as I had against all odds at the Naval Academy. The morning…
The sound of hoof-steps brings my attention back to my surroundings. A gold-armored earth pony of the Royal Guard stands at attention. "The princesses are ready for your appearance at court," The stallions reports. I nod and follow him to the large doors leading to the throne room. Two more Royal Guards, both unicorns, stand on either side. Once I nod that I am ready, they use their magic to open said doors.
I take a deep breath as my escort announces my arrival, before walking calmly. I try to ignore the stares of various officials and military leaders as I walk to the royal sisters, sitting in comfort on their thrones. Reaching the steps, I snap to attention and salute Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Having a military of their own, the two pony princesses return the salute, allowing me to take a (slightly) more relaxed stance. I already know what is going to occur, Princess Luna having informed me of his before taking a short nap to have energy for her nightly duties.
"Gentlecolts and mares, we have called this emergency court to address a recent event. A foreign warship has set anchor by the beach near Ponyville. She and her crew have appeared to have been subjected to an unknown source of magic that caused them to come here and as ponies. Already they have requested, and been granted, asylum for as long as they need to repair their vessel and return to their world," Princess Luna addresses the court.
"Their commanding officer, Lieutenant Junior Grade Jacob Holman, is here to represent his men tonight. Now, if there is any dissent, you may now speak of it," Princess Celestia finishes. Immediately there is a low roar of talking among the officials. Then a white stallion with a blonde mane and a pompous expression speaks up. "Auntie Celestia, why should we bother with some mere commoners who aren't even from this land?"
Instantly I develop I strong distaste for this prick. I notice Luna giving a stern stare at the stallion while her older sister sighs. "Prince Blueblood, it is not up to you to decide what the moral thing is to do," She says patiently. More protests of similar lines erupt, however. I do my best to ignore them, even as I grow even more uncomfortable. How dare they accuse me of things when they can see that I can hear them!
A slight tap on my shoulder and the whispered tone of the guard who was my escort earlier indicates that the pony sisters have suggested that it would be best for me to be excused while they deal with, and I quote, 'unruly crowd' that I have been listening to.
I decide to return to the garden. I am rather curious about something Celestia and Luna told me on the way here. Back home, the sun and the moon moved on their own accord, not through magic. Of course, back home a lot of things here would be impossible.
Home. That single thought sends me back to last night. The last time me and my men were in human forms. I then wonder if the raid I was told to be occurring today, April 18th, would work. At least my plan did work. Of course, if it wasn't for the fact that the entire engineering department, along with all the gun crew members who operated the six duel 14-inch gun turrets and a quarter of their equivalent to my country's Marines, the Special Naval Landing Force, had defected, I doubt we would have had enough man-power to get her underway last night. Then I start to remember the storm…
Last Night…
"Captain! Turret 6 reports that our tail of an enemy destroyer has been set ablaze and is breaking off! However, they see a battleship, though it is way out of firing range for either ship! We should take cover sir!" Ensign Froster, a short, muscular man reports from his position near the speaking tubes. I nod, staring at a most absurd sight in front of my newly-'acquired' battleship, the recently modernized dreadnought Fuso.
A massive wall of dark storm clouds. Already I can see the massive curtain of rain and violent waves. If we had more time I would want to chart a course around. But we don't. I look cautiously at the blackish-green clouds. "All hands below! Secure everything! I will take the helm and guide us through the storm! Double time!" Froster looks at me hesitantly before sounding the alarm and repeating my orders.
Once I am alone on the bridge, I grip the helm and steer the ship straight into the storm. I struggle against the wind and waves. Rain pounds on the windows, sounding like clatter of bullets bouncing off a tank. Minutes turn into hours as I barely manage to keep the wheel form spinning out of control and sending us into dangerous circles. Suddenly fog made out of purple and green and black surround the front of the ship. My eyes widen as suddenly a glowing circle appears right in front. Then I feel my body collapse to the floor as Fuso enters the glowing circle…
I blink my eyes several times to shake myself out of my memories. I look up to see the moon rising. I smile slightly. "At least there is one thing I still know to be true in both this world and at home," I chuckle before wincing slightly. "Son of a…" I mutter as I look at my injured leg.
"Your leg, Lieutenant Junior Grade Jacob. What happened to it?" A distinctive female voice asks me. I spin around, saluting Princess Luna. The midnight-blue mare smiles slightly before acknowledging it. "At ease, Lieutenant Jacob. Now, what happened?" She asks, curious.
"This was gift from the former captain delivered in the form of a 7mm pistol, your majesty. The bullet is out, thank heaven, but it is going to take some time for it to heal." She nods, having interviewed me about my weapons. I was rather surprised when she understood the concept, as did her sister. In fact, it seemed like they were more interested in the design they saw, as if they had seen a different form. 'Odd. Might be something worth looking into in the future,' I muse to myself before the Princess of the Night resumes talking.
"Forgive our nephew. He's rather spoiled," She says, a bit sheepishly. I can't help but grin. "Oh, trust me, I had to deal with superior officers who thought that every sailor who he outranked should believe that the sun rose and set on himself," I chuckle. Luna nods in agreement before taking a long look at me. After a minute or two I start to feel uncomfortable when she speaks back up. "You're the first male alicorn I have seen in a long time. Because ponies see alicorns only as members of the royal family, several members of the court are fearful that you will try to create a coup," She informs me.
Nodding, I turn back to the moon, sitting down on my hind quarters. "Well, Princess Luna, then I can truly reassure you that I have no such intentions. My main, and currently only, priority is the well-being of my crew and my ship. They trusted me and I will continue to do my absolute best to keep it," I say quietly, thinking of someone else, before yawning. My eyes widen slightly as I scratch my head embarrassed, looking at the princess. She merely raises an eyebrow as she looks back. "I take it you gave not rested well?" She asks. I nod, prompting her to ask another question. One that I had hoped that no one, not even my crew, would ask me, or at least until we had reunited with the fleet.
"When was the last time you fully rested? And don't lie. Being the Princess of the Night, I know the signs of sleep deprivation, even if one does sleep." If it wasn't for how screwed-up everything has become in the past twenty-four hours, I swear to God I would be laughing at the seemingly absurdity of a talking pony chiding me like a small child. "….131 days. Since my country went to war after being attacked," I mumble, dreading tonight's rest.
Luna looks at me like I have gone mad. "131 days with no rest, and yet you are still in command? Is this acceptable in your army?" She demands in a stern tone. "First, I am in the Navy, not the Army. And second…no. If command had found this out when I came up with the plan to hijack Fuso, I would have been lucky to keep my rank, let alone get support for the operation," I confess. I'm not sure why, however. I haven't had someone, not even my unofficial XO, Froster. Maybe it is just the whole fact that someone has noticed something and confronting me about it like I would do to Henry and vise versa. Princess Luna nods before replying. "Will it be correct to assume that the cause has been because of nightmares?" Seeing my nod she continues.
"As Princess of the Night, it is one of my duties to protect the citizens of Equestria from such issues. With your permission, I would like to enter your dreams tonight if you have another such nightmare and see if I can do anything to help," She offers, her cerulean eyes showing pure sincerity. To be honest, I feel taken back by such an offer. As a majority of my men have come to understand, the rules of this world defy what we believe to be true back home, so the fact that the mare who is able to raise and lower the moon could also enter dreams. "I would be honored, your majesty," I bow, only to look up at the sound of Luna giggling. Seeing my arched eyebrow she explains.
"Forgive me, but I have not seen an alicorn bow to another alicorn such as this. Please, get up. As it will be late before you are able to get home, I will have one of the guest bedrooms prepared for you," the princess says as she leads me back inside. Part of me hopes to see her tonight, just to continue this conversation. In the short time I have been around her, I have become quite curious about her. She seems to be more…something. She's hiding something.
We walk in silence before reaching the room she had offered me. I thank her and crawl onto the bed, so exhausted to the point of not even caring to get underneath the covers. Sleep finds me easily. And soon, the dreams….
"…..and remember that we're going to the Officer's Club to get drinks tonight!"
I look down to see myself in my old human body before looking at Henry. Suddenly the scene changes. The wail of sirens goes off as white aircraft with large, red circles buzz and strafe. Oil coats the surface. I watch in horror as a single bomb hits the Arizona, and watch in a mixture of awe and abject horror as the bow rises briefly into the air before buckling as the magazine goes off.
Then the scene changes yet again. This time it is simply blank, an unending expanse of white emptiness. The most common scene in my nightmares. I then hear a deep, gravelly voice behind me. "You failed us, son." I turn around and see the diseased and rotten forms of my parents, both having died due to severe illnesses shortly before my brother and I had been accepted into the military as officers. "You promised to protect your younger brother," My mother rebukes me, her voice a high-pitched wail.
"No, I didn't, I-I couldn't! What happened was beyond my control!" I start to panic while my parents reply. "LIES! YOU HAD THE DREAM OF WARNING! YET YOU FAILED TO ACT ON IT! YOU DIDN'T EVEN TELL YOUR BROTHER!" Tears start to form in my eyes when a new voice joins.
"Why didn't you tell me brother?" 'Oh no, please, not him again,' I plead with myself even as I turn around. What I see confirms my fears. Two bright bluish-green eyes stare right at me from a nearly-scorched skull, with only a few lumps of flesh on the blackened bone and a single charred clump of blonde hair. His Marine uniform is in tatters. "I never got a chance to fight, or get married! You could have stopped me from getting on board so early if you had just told me!" He says in a mixture of hurt and anger.
Then more voices are heard, voices of the fallen sailors and Marines from my mission to capture the Fuso, all crying out the same basic line: "You failed us!" The wetness I had been holding back trickles down my face, quickly increasing as I curl up in a fetal position, the voices getting louder and louder. 'Please let me wake soon,' I pray, trying to block out the noise. "Jacob?" I hear a familiar voice, but in my panicking stake, I regard it as yet another tormentor. "G-g-go away! All of you demons of my dreams go! "Jacob!" "Please!"
"JACOB! WE COMMAND THEE TO WAKE!" A loud ringing voice echoes in my head as my surroundings fade, signaling the end of another nightmare….
I jolt out of bed, my mane disheveled, face covered in sweat. My flanks heave from my panting, as well as from my current effort to regain control of said breathing. I look out the window. From the position of the moon, I feel it is safe to assume it is close to midnight. 'Interesting. The moon looks bigger here in Equestria then it does back home.'
My musing is interrupted by the gentle knocking of a hoof against the door to my room. "Lieutenant Junior Grade Jacob, are you there?" Princess Luna! She must have been the one saying my name several times. I hurry to the door, opening it. "Yes, you majesty. Please, feel free to enter," I offer, holding the door open for her. The midnight-blue alicorn nods and enters quietly, befitting of the Princess of the Night. "As you may know, Lieutenant Junior-" I clear my throat to interrupt her. "Sorry, but you don't have to address me as such outside of formal functions, your majesty. I would be comfortable if you just called me 'Lieutenant' or 'Jacob' at such times," I offer, wincing at hearing her address me at my full rank.
Luna nods before continuing. "Very well, Jacob. As I was saying, you may have correctly guessed that I was the one who woke you from your nightmare. Is this what you have been seeing for this whole time?" She asks, with genuine concern for my well-being, something I am not used to people doing. "Yes, Princess Luna."
The alicorn nods again. "Again, with your permission, I would like to be allowed to insert myself into your nightmares to suppress them, despite you not being a citizen of Equestria per say." I nod, unable to express how happy I am to have the possibility of peaceful sleep. "Oh, yes please, Princess," I say. "Excellent. Now, before I go, is there anything you might wish to say tonight?"
I nod before speaking. "Princess Luna, thank you so much for doing this. In the past year, I have never had someone offer to help me out like this in any form or regard. You act like a friend should. Thank you," I say, bowing, wondering if she will accept my implied question of friendship. Once again her giggling makes me look up. "Then I am pleased to have been able to help you as such, Jacob. I will be honored to be friends with a fellow warrior. Now, sleep. My sister and I shall see you at breakfast. Good-night, Jacob," She says kindly as she walks out, using her magic to quietly close the door.
I get underneath the sheets this time, and close my eyes with a smile still on my face. And this time, I sleep peacefully.
Unknown region…
Outside the warped citadel of the unicorn known as Cluny the Slaver, a hundred sailing vessels are prepared to sail out and carry their master's fell deeds. Aboard the flagship, Gore, the warped humanoid form in charge of this fleet, named Gu'klas, looks up from the scroll containing his master's orders. "Captain, we make way for the coast of the North Luna Ocean. Tell the other captains to have their raiders ready. We shall start the return of darkness within two days!"