After one of those harrowing moments of grabbing a ladder danging from a hovering vehicle, things calmed down for a little while.
The Alicorn cruised northwards along the coast, with me, Red, and the crew's lookout keeping an eye out for anything that looked griffony or piratey or the like. When we reached Equestria's border, Blueblood refused to go any further. I wanted to argue with him; at the very least, I wanted to cautiously experiment and find out if I really was only able to think while within Equestria proper; but I was still feeling a pull to go westerly... so I didn't argue as hard as I probably could have, and thus we turned west, cruising along Equestria's northern border for a while.
While I may have been denied my chance at experimenting, I still faced the opportunity to try to take Blueblood and... well, if not reform him, at least try to mold him into a pony with enough competence to actually be a political ally of, when it suited his long-term goals to do so. Even that would be a step up from someone who would treat Rarity like a serving-maid for no particular purpose. Some careful questioning elicited enough details from him that I was able to put together a picture of his political viewpoint, such as it was. He seemed to be under the impression that ancient Unicornia was an ideal society, a golden age, and everything would be perfect if everypony went back to just staying in their proper place; and that the present fallen situation was the result of over-ambitious pegasi and earth-ponies giving bad advice to the Princesses.
He didn't actually seem conscious of any of that, so my conclusions were more from inference than outright statements - but the hints I was able to extract from him fit the pattern set by former plantation owners, neo-nazis, the French nobility around the time of their first revolution - pretty much any human group who used to have absolute power over others, and wanted it back. The disappointing thing was that from the books and newspapers in Blueblood's shipboard library, he wasn't alone in his position; he was certainly at the extreme end of the political spectrum, but there were plenty of unicorns who felt the same way he did, and were just more subtle about voicing it. It was tricky, trying to find a way to increase his general competence at being a tolerable pony to be around without also giving him a greater ability to more firmly impose a hierarchy whose lack of social mobility could lead to a Rome-like collapse.
For example, while I was on the front deck, watching the landscape roll by, and Blueblood lounged on a deck-chair sipping a drink, I essayed, "Are you familiar with any stories of high-ranking nobles who, facing certain doom, sent their children off with trusted servants to be raised in secrecy?"
"But of course. It's quite common amongst the bit-dreadfuls popular with the masses, but there are a few actual historical cases they are based upon, such as the Earl of-"
I coughed, interrupting. "Good. Now then - since you admit that nobles have been hidden amongst the commoners... how can you tell whether someone is really just a commoner, or is actually a noble in disguise?"
"Those with true breeding will rise to the top, naturally, to claim and reclaim their titles."
"Ah - so you're suggesting that receiving a title, or even just being offered one, is strong evidence of already-existing noble blood?"
"Naturally! I'm so glad that you understand this, unlike so many of your kind."
With a small amount of effort, I kept a straight face, allowing me to say quite calmly, "Do you remember how I try not to lie, unless I'm also willing to kick you or worse?"
"...yeeesss?"
"Then know that I am being utterly honest when I say this: Princess Celestia offered to grant me a noble title, and a seat in the Barn of Lords."
"What?!? But-! That's-!"
As amusing as his sputtering was, I had a point to make. "I did gently refuse her offer - but only because I have plans that would be disrupted by it. I suspect that if I were to change my mind, she would be quite willing to renew the offer."
"You cahn't be serious! You aren't a noble of any kind at all!"
I stared at him calmly. "If you wish to test my honesty, then there's an easy way to prove it - just ask Her Royal Highness herself. Do you want to test me?"
He stared at me, glassy-eyed and incomprehending. I was pretty sure I'd just broken something in his brain - something that needed breaking, hopefully - but before I could find out whether he'd pull a Rarity-like swoon or, wonder of wonders, actually try to understand what he'd just been told, we were interrupted by the lookout calling, "Dragon off the starboard bow!"
Even with my glasses, I had to squint to make out the distant shape rising from behind a hill. The Alicorn was built for long-distance speed, not sprints or intense combat; but it was able to defend its royal cargo from ordinary menaces - and as it got closer, the dragon seemed less menacing than most. Its scales were slate-grey, the back ends of its wings were ragged and torn, and there were significant gaps in its dentition. The great dragon migration had already passed through Equestria towards the southwest, so it seemed that this one might have been to old, sick, or injured to take part in it... which might mean that it was also a very hungry dragon. Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could really do if things came to combat - sure, I had my smallarms, but this was more of a capital-scale event. I wasn't even packing a parachute, and didn't place any confidence that Blueblood would be willing to use his magic to save more than his own hide.
There was a boom from belowdecks, and a cannonball soared off in the general direction of the dragon without coming close to it - a warning shot. The dragon veered to its left, so that it wasn't coming straight at us, but was still getting closer. It started circling us; and as I turned, I saw Blueblood's blonde tail and royal fanny disappearing into his quarters. So much for nobility being able to seize control of any situation. Red had been napping belowdecks, and the crew seemed to have some sort of standard procedure for this sort of thing, which seemed to involve not going anywhere the dragon could see them...
... which left me as the only living thing in sight on the whole airship.
Whoops.
Under the rather watchful gaze of the dragon, I trotted over to where Blueblood kept his megaphone, picked it up, and used it to shout out, "What do you want?"
A rumbling growl came back, "Food."
Without much to lose, I asked, "What kind of food?"
The rumble returned, "Meat."
This was pretty much the first time I had to really and truly face the fact that I was several hundred pounds of beef on the hoof. It wasn't exactly a happy thought. I kept turning to keep the megaphone aimed in its direction, "Nopony here wants to be eaten. You should go hunt elsewhere!"
It passed around the back of the ship again, out of sight behind Blueblood's rooms, then, thankfully, reappeared around the side. It - he? she? - rumbled, "Can't. Dive."
I focused my attention on its wings - and realized they were a lot more damaged than they'd looked at first. Frankly, I couldn't see how it was still in the air - well, even aside from the fact that it didn't seem to have enough wing surface area for its mass in the first place. I megaphoned, "Do you want to trade?"
"Maybe."
"Do you have something to trade?"
"Gold."
I considered that... then replied, "Let's talk."
It took a bit of effort even to arrange things to where we could talk. I wasn't going to go anywhere near a hungry dragon without several cannons aimed at it, if I could help it, just to make sure it stayed honest. I tried convincing Blueblood that it was a royal tradition to face up to a dragon, and this one seemed reasonably peaceful and harmless - whereupon I heard him lock his door. With a bit of backup from Red, I was able to convince the crew that as the sponsor of this trip, I was next-in-command after Blueblood - they seemed more like pleasure-yachters than naval-ponies, with no sense of true chain-of-command in them, so I was able to get away with it. The dragon landed, and the Alicorn hovered nearby, with a broadside loaded and aimed. If the dragon really was willing to put up with all of this - it really must be in more dire straits than it was trying to let on. And must be a pretty unusual dragon, to be willing to ignore its pride long enough to negotiate with ponies. Or with a cow, as the case may be.
"I'm called Missy," I told it. I'd joined it on the ground - but still wasn't getting anywhere close to its claws and what remained of its teeth, just in case its hunger overrode its memory of the ship's cannons. "Is there anything you would prefer to be called?"
"Grey," it rumbled, eying me and the small cart I'd brought.
"Very well, Grey. Do you have some way to prove you can pay?"
It twisted its long, sinuous neck, and bit at the middle of its back, amongst the spines there; it pulled out something shiny, which it tossed in my direction. A rather dented crown rolled up to my hooves. Fair enough.
"And you do know we are entirely willing to shoot you to pieces if we even think you'll try to eat any of us?"
I didn't say anything, which I took for assent. "You may not be able to hunt - but do you happen to know where some, um, meat is? And by that I mean nothing that can talk."
Grey considered for a few moments, then raised one claw to point in a direction, roughly northwest.
"What do you plan to do afterwards? If you're going to eat any ponies or cows or the like, well..."
"Rest. Heal. Hunt."
"You know, if you want, I think I could arrange for the ponies to trade with you regularly - maybe not even for your gold, but for fire, or helping lift things, or-" Grey snarled, and a lick of flame vented from his (I just started assuming 'he') nostrils. "Fine, fine, it was just an idea. Something to keep in mind for the future. It's a lot easier to get other people to do things for you if they don't have to worry you're about to kill them."
I shoved the cart in Grey's direction. "Here's most of the protein we have on hand. Mostly eggs and tofu. Not meat, but should help hold you over for a while." If nothing else, it was a fair trade for the crown.
And so it turned out that the first real use I made of my hoofgun wasn't to defend myself from an attacker, but to hunt and kill some non-sapient animals for food, to use to make a mutually-beneficial trade where every person involved ended up better off than before.
As perfect an example of a positive-sum game as that might be - I still found it disturbing how easy it was.
Once we were on our way again, Blueblood nonchalantly exited his cabin, and tried to insinuate that some portion of the proceeds belonged to him - most likely all. I couldn't resist taking a certain delight in completely and utterly refusing any such suggestions at all. He finally gave up when I suggested, "If you disagree, then we can go back and ask Grey who he thinks he gave the gold to..."
Red and I tried admiring the wearable pieces in one of Blueblood's many mirrors, but I couldn't help laughing at myself, and we packed it all up. The box of shiny stuff might come in handy some day, as a form of funds not reliant on the Princesses and governmental funding, but I didn't actually have any use for the stuff right now.
As I was leaving the secure part of the cargo deck, I heard a new shout of "Dragons!". This time the hatches were locked with me belowdecks - and this time, the warning shot was followed by a full broadside. I galloped to try to find a porthole, hatch, or some way to find out what was going on; but by the time I did, it all seemed to be over - a couple of small reds were flapping as hard as they could away from us, and a third was spiraling down and down.
Red squeezed next to me to take a look for herself. "Guess they weren't interested in trading."
"Guess not. Surprised there are so many still around here, instead of off with the great migration."
"Maybe they didn't hear about it?"
"Maybe..." I remained unconvinced.
Once the all-clear was given, I suggested we change course away from the border. Blueblood was all to happy to agree, which made me suspicious that it was a bad idea... but I was still feeling a tug to go somewhere else, currently in the southwest, so decided that even idiots could agree with a few good ideas, and we turned back into Equestria's interior.
That evening, I was trying to teach Blueblood certain practical social skills through the medium of poker, with the assistance of Red and a couple of off-duty crewponies. I was finally able to keep some food down, even if it was a light broth, and my mood had improved tremendously. I'd even given up the ginger tea in favor of simple water, and as the improvised chips moved back and forth, finally felt as if I could actually relax for a bit. There wasn't a blessed thing I could really do until we hit Appaloosa, and even Blueblood seemed to have mellowed enough to bring us a round of drinks from his personal wet bar - and, he knew enough of my preferences to put a glass of apple juice in front of me instead of something harder. I anted up for the latest hand, with a pair of sevens in the hole and another in the flop, took a sip of my apple juice...
... apple juice?
... I frowned, and blinked...
... and the next thing I remembered being aware of, I was stretched out in Blueblood's bed, the morning sun was shining on us through his portholes, and Blueblood himself was using his magic to comb his hair and tie his bow-tie.
My ensuing shriek was likely heard all the way from the buffalo campground to Miss Cherry Jubilee's private rooms...