//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Secret of the Alicorn // by Magi Tail Welkin //------------------------------// “The victim’s name was Lucky Encouragement,” Berk, or Burk, the Prince didn’t really care, why they came instead of Flash or Chrome, or even Dauntless he didn’t know, whichever of the pair, or maybe the other now, the two really did confuse him, the Earth Pony one, continued “He was an Agent of SMILE.” SMILE, the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria. Not many knew of it, not after a Bugbear escaped Tartarus, Bon-Bon, or to give her proper name and title Secret Agent Sweetie Drops was be the only member he knew personally. Berk, the Earth Pony continued “Like us.”, Burk, the Bat Pony mare tapped her umbrella on her associates shoulder “Formerly like us Berk, we were transferred.” Blueblood raised an eyebrow, these two openly admitted themselves to be ex-members of a secret organisation, founded by Sir Defender Warden, Royal Knight of Equestria and Flash’s ancestor? No wonder the ex exists. Behind him Bon-Bon glared daggers at them, while Lyra look confused. Berk nodded at her colleague “Yes, of course.” She turned to Blueblood “We don’t have a clue on what he was working on.” “Quite right Berk, we’re completely clueless.” ‘Indeed.’ Blueblood thought. “I might be able to shed some light on the matter.” He explained about the ships and Cobalt. “Fascinating!” Berk said, “What do you think Burk?” “Cobalt?” Burk tapped her hoof on her chin “Perhaps the middle child of Lord Onyx Vision.” “Lord Onyx Vision?” Blueblood frowned “Is he of a Bat Pony noble family?” Burk nodded but looked unsure “We can’t be sure if your information is helpful. There’s current some troubles with that family.” “Precisely Burk,” Berk said, “a troublesome family.” Lyra tilted her head “You don’t have any other leads?” “Steady on Miss Heartstrings,” Burk said, “we’re still filling out the paperwork.” Berk nodded “Police work is not all glamour and firefights, there’s an awful lot of filing.” Bon-Bon stepped forward and took the paper and a pencil “I might have an idea.” She looked at the letters marked out in blood and spelt out a word “Mister Encouragement I think was trying to give the Prince a clue.” She wrote it down “Karaboudjan.” “Karaboudjan?” the others repeated. Burk quickly took the paper from her and went to the door “We’ll consider this immediately. Never fear, the evidence is safe with us.” A shrill meow sound and series of clatters and thumps followed. Berk ran to the door “Burk? What happened?” “Well,” Burk called seemingly confused “I’m already downstairs. Do try to keep up.” The Prince and the two mares watched from the window as Berk and Burk walked down the street. Lyra raised an eyebrow “Isn’t the Castle in the other direction?” “It is,” Blueblood said going to the door “And I think we should go down there.” Bon-Bon raised an eyebrow herself “How come?” Blueblood took the out the parchment with the poem on it “Because Cobalt will stop at nothing to get this, she’s already proven that. If something happens to me, I’d prefer this be in safe hooves.” Lyra nodded “Like under the care of Twilight and Flash.” She said it more as a statement than a question. Blueblood nodded. Flash nodded and took the parchment “Well keep it safe Blueblood, if you need any help as well don’t hesitate to call on us.” “Thanks.” And Blueblood left. As the trio and dog returned to the apartment they considered the evidence “Karaboudjan.” Bon-Bon repeated “Not like any word I’ve heard.” “I think,” Blueblood said “it’s Western Arabian, or Akhal-Teke. Made up of three words. I may be wrong, but I think it means ‘The Black Spirit.’” Lyra shuddered “Well, that’s ominous.” They reached the door and a stallion stood their “Excuse me Mr, Ladies, delivery.” The three looked back at the crate being carried by two other ponies, Blueblood turned suspicious “I didn’t order anything. And I sure the mares would never send anything to my home without my knowledge.” “Well,” the stallion said pulling out a special crossbow pistol “that because you lot are the package!” he quickly fired three small darts at them. The three collapsed, tranquilised. Blueblood starting come too. He heard voices, the sound of searching. He blinked still feeling funning, two stallions searched him, arguing over where something might be. He felt something on his head lighten. Then a pair of gasps. “Sweet Celestia! It’s, he’s…” “Prince Blueblood!” “Nightmare Moon, we’re going to be in peeving trouble.” “Get the boss!” “No need.” Cobalt called as she walked in “Have you found it?” “He hasn’t got it, neither him or the mares.” Blueblood growled “You frisked unconscious mares?” “Don’t worry your Highness.” Cobalt said “I made sure your two friends came to no harm. Look behind you.”, Blueblood did so. He found immediately in front of him the bars of a cage, then beyond them another cage where Lyra and Bon-Bon sat starting to wake up themselves. Cobalt continued “Their only here because we couldn’t afford witnesses. No doubt this endeavour is now known to the authorities, but I’m too far in to stop now. The scroll.” She pulled a familiar piece of parchment out of her burgundy coat “A piece of paper like this.” “The poem?” “Yes.” “It was inside a cylinder.” “Yes.” “Hidden in the mast of the model.” “Yes.” “You really think I would tell you where it is?” Cobalt twirled her cane and one of the stallions grabbed it. She pulled the crook out and revealed a blade. “You know the value of it.” “Two ships?” Lyra muttered and every-pony turned to her “And two scrolls?”, Bon-Bon unemotionally added “And both part of a puzzle no doubt. There’s something else isn’t there?” Cobalt twitched “I will find your scroll, with or without your help. You three need to think about exactly how useful you are to me.”, she swung her blade up and the stallion threaded the cane back into place. They proceeded to leave the room. Which Blueblood recognised as a cargo hold of a ship. And from the vibration and the small but steady rocking, a ship at sea. The door slammed shut, but a bark echoed through the room. Blueblood looked up and smiled “Snowy?”, the little white fox terrier bounded up with a happy yip, the Prince smiled “It good to see you too. See if you can chew through these ropes.”, Snowy sank his teeth into the ropes tying up Blueblood’s back hooves. Bon-Bon meanwhile wriggled her ropes off her and started untying Lyra, “Escapology, we had Hoofdini in a few lessons.”, after Lyra got up Bon-Bon quickly went to the door, grabbed a crowbar and jammed it into the wheellock, then she took a piece of board and covered the porthole window “Not sure if that’ll stop them, but it gives us a chance.” Blueblood nodded “We’ve got to get out of here.” Lyra raised a hoof “And how do we do that when the door is now jammed?” Blueblood looked to the window on the side and went to it, Bon-Bon protest “You can’t swim your Highness!” “Just having a look.” He poked his head out the circle and looked about. Night time, the rain poured hard, and the wind blew fierce. He looked to his left, and to his right, neither rooms of the ship shone with light. Being just above the water line he looked up. As he suspected the ship appeared to be one of those shoddily built metal freighters, Glittering Iron, the Kingdom Engineer and the First Viscount Boxer, proposed a design of a metal hulled ship powered by steam, but too busy with the Equestrian National Railway, he never go around to building his dream-boat, so to speak. Only the seedier of shipbuilders in the south of Saddle Arabia adopted and built the vessels, and not always to anything resembling good quality. A light shone from the room above them, with an open window. Unsure he turned back and explained. Lyra asked, “How do we get up there?” Bon-Bon went to a nearby crate “I think I know how we get up there.”, she pulled a strut off the crate, then another. The wheel of the door jerked. Muffled voices argued and one of the hence-stallions from before shouted “They’ve bolted it from the inside! You want to play like that do you your Highness? Get the TNT.” Eyes widened. Bon-Bon took a rope as Blueblood and Lyra thought about what to do. Blueblood unfurled a tarpaulin from a crate and pulled out a wine bottle, and narrowed his eyes “Champagne?” He hummed “I wonder.”, the mares glanced confused at each other. Bon-Bon ignored the Prince’s unusual preparations and tied the rope around the struts. She went to the window and swung the makeshift grapple. It fell back and hit her on the head. Lyra nudged beside her “Let me help.” She charged her horn and shut one eyes. Bon-Bon threw it. Lyra’s magic took hold. Posted it through the window. Bon-Bon pulled. The rope tightened. “Snowy first.” The Prince called putting a third crate of Champagne into place. Lyra grabbed the dog and started shimming up. Bon-Bon next, and glared at the Prince “Don’t get any ideas, I could kick you into next week.” “I won’t say you’re without fault for thinking that, but,” he looked to the door, “now is not the time to argue.”, the two quickly grabbed the rope and jumped out the window. A bang and some flame and smoke burst through the window under Blueblood. Narrowly snigging his tail. The sound of crossbow firing and loud pops escaped. The Prince smirked, his distraction worked. Given his high society life he often saw a Champagne bottle popped, and as he learned, the warmer a Champagne, the larger the CO2 cloud in the bottle is, meaning more pressure. An explosion would give off a lot of heat, thus the gas pressure became too much and the cocks popped by themselves. Given the thugs something to deal with while they made their escape. He reached the window and fell onto the bed. A growl rumbled beside him. He turned and blinked. Another Rottweiler. “Blake, down boy.” Another stallion called, the dog sat. The Prince looked to the table in the middle of the cabin. A Unicorn stallion sat in the chair. Bon-Bon meanwhile examined the lock on the door. Lyra kept Snowy under control. The Unicorn looked familiar to the Prince. A dark blue and whited maned Unicorn and a ship's wheel in front of a five-pointed star cutie mark, also he dressed in a naval jacket reminiscent of the Royal Marines. It dawned on him “Captain Bright Star, isn’t it?” Lyra looked up “Star?” “Yes, your Highness.” The Captain said glumly “I shouldn’t be surprised Cobalt knapped some-pony else.” Blueblood’s eye twitched “Else? Did she take you from Bridle City?” “Not initially, she requested I command this expedition. And my son Ten Bits became interested.” “Ah yes,” the Prince glanced at the Rottweiler “this is his guide dog, isn’t it?” “Yes, Blake is Ten Bit’s guide dog. Cobalt has my son imprisoned to keep me cooperating. But locked me in my cabin so I can’t rescue him.” A tumbler clunked and the creak of a dog sounded. The three others turned to a smug Bon-Bon “Lock picking was a forte of mine in SMILE.” Blueblood smiled “Good work, now, let’s rescue the colt and get off this creaking tub.”, Captain Star nodded “We should be able to get to the longboats on deck. Follow me.” The four ponies and two dogs crept through the halls of the ship. Occasionally crewmembers would rush around the next junction on the maze of corridors, anger and fowl word stained their characters, Lyra shuffled up to the Captain “Excuse me sir? Perhaps you can answer a few questions.” “Depends on what they are, I am an angry father right now.” She gulped “You wouldn’t happen to be related to the Star family of Sagittarius Hall, by any chance?”, he looked at her shocked “Yes? Why do you ask Miss?” “Heartstrings, Lyra Heartstrings. It’s about a shipwreck I researched, in region called the Undiscovered West. A Stallion of War sailing ship, with three masts, double-decked and fifty heavy-crossbows.” Star quickly grabbed her with his magic and pushed her, gently, into a wall, he asked, somewhat threating “What do you know of the Alicorn?” Fearfully, she shook her head “Not a lot. That’s why I’m asking.” His eyes turned both angry and glazed “The secret of that ship is known only to my family, passed down from generation to generation. My dear Grandfather told me the story with his dying breath!”, she nodded “Yes?” He made a big sigh “I suddenly forgot it.”, the three others flinched in shook, Bon-Bon opened her mouth to shout, then passed and softly exclaimed “How could you forget something like that?” He shook his head “Grandfather told me, the tale has a memory spell to it. It can only be told when a Star of Sir Bold’s bloodline is in a life or death situation and a member who hasn’t heard it is present.” Blueblood raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are there any other members in family who might be able to break through the spell?” Star shook his head “Sir Bold Star had three foals, all but the line of the middle son, Nickle’s, failed, myself and Ten Bits are the last of the Stars.” Blueblood and Lyra glanced at each other “Did you say three foals?” The sound off hooves approached. The group ducked under a flight of gantry stairs. When the crewmembers left they climbed the stairs. Bon-Bon paused “I know what Cobalt’s looking for.” Captain Star looked back as he opened to door to the corridor of the neck deck “What are you on about?” “It was written on the scroll.”, Blueblood nodded and repeated it “Three Siblings joined. Three Alicorns in company, sailing in the noonday Sun will speak.” The Captain blinked “What scroll?”, they explained about the models and Bon-Bon concluded “Sir Bold made three models of the Alicorn for his three children and their descendants, three scrolls, we found one, so did Cobalt, and now she’s looking for the third.” Star nodded “Then we’ll find it first. I’m not letting her get her wings into my family secret!” The Prince nodded “Good fellow, let’s get your colt and get away quick.”, they entered the corridor and Blake ran to the door at the end of it. The Rottweiler pawed it whining. Star pushed the handle down, but it wouldn’t move “Blast! They’ve lock it!” Bon-Bon knelt at the lock “Let me have a look.” She shut her left eyes and squinted at the lock. Her hoof hit the floor “Just our peeving luck!” “Bon-Bon!” Lyra exclaimed “Language, please!” “Sorry,” she said getting up “but it’s a non-stranded lock. Against building regulations, I’ll be reporting that to my superiors.” Blueblood rolled his eyes “Is there a key?” The Captain gave an unsure hissing inhaul “Yes, but it’s very risky.” He walked over to the nearest door and inched it open. The three peered in too. A dorm like room full of swinging bunks. Crewmembers slept. The Captain shook his head “I’ve never seen such an incredible bunch of seahorses. Cobalt hired them so I’ve had only a few days to get to know them. A ludicrous parcel of drivelling galoots.” Blueblood smirked “A very poetic description Captain.” Bon-Bon nudged them both “Excuse me, but who’s got the key?” Star pointed to the stallion on the top bunk of the middle row “Mr Jager, the keeper of the keys, the black sheep of a family of hunters.” “Why he the black sheep?” Blueblood asked. “He didn’t get a cutie mark in hunting. We have to be careful, he’s restless sleeper because he loss of his eyelids.”, the three cringed and looked with the most reviled shock, Lyra asked the question on their minds “He lost is eyelid?” “Apparently it happened in a vicious game of cards.” Blueblood blinked “I wouldn’t have liked to have been there. I assume it’s a sleep spell which lets him drop off.” “In his coco, yes.” Bon-Bon sighed and began to creep in. Star continued to whisper as he called out “Be careful you don’t wake Mr Hobbs. Expert barber, very skilled with a razorblade.” She climbed the spare bunks and slowly crawled around to the bunk of Mr Jager. The keys dangled in his hoof. As she reached the stallion edged his hoof away. She fumed. A small bark sounded beside her. Snowy managed to climb up too. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Snowy. The terrier whined as he approached the keys, then noticed something else. Bon-Bon whispered desperately “Not the sandwich! The key Snowy.” The bunk she sat fell forward and hit the other. Every-pony fell off. Surprisingly none woke up. Bon-Bon’s hoof emerged with the keys. Lyra thrusted her hoof in the air “Yes!” she quietly exclaimed. Quickly Star went to the door. Bon-Bon stumbled out and threw him the keys, he caught them in his magic “I can’t thank you enough for this.” He filed through them and slotted the right one in. The lock gave up and he threw the door open. Blake barked happily and lunged. A laughter sounded “Blake! Stop boy, down.” Said the teenage Earth Pony, light blue with a white mane, ten gold spots on his flank as well as his cutie mark, an anchor and behind it a walking lion. A pair of mirrored sunglasses sat over his eyes and a cane sat propped up against the wall. Captain Star hugged his some “Thank Celestia you’re alright, you are alright, aren’t you Ten Bits?” “Yeah Dad,” the colt said hugged his father back “I was brave like you said.” Bon-Bon peered into the room “They’ve not chained you up? Why didn’t you escape?” “I’m blind Miss, even with Blake I wouldn’t know where to go.” Blueblood cleared “I’m sorry to interrupt this reunion and argument, but we have to get off this ship.” Ten Bits glanced at the Captain “What’s the Prince doing here?” he said grabbing his cane and feeling about for Blake’s lead. His father explained and took the cane “We can’t run the risk of the crew hearing your tapping, we have go as quietly as we can.” Reaching the top door to the deck Blueblood paused “There’s one pony outside.” He inched the open and charged his horn, the pony collapsed to the floor asleep. The Prince looked up, his eyes narrowed ‘What are they making?’ Stretching before him to the stern a large group of the crew lowered and welded large lengths of metal. Bon-Bon appeared at the Prince’s side “Looks like their building a landing pad.” Blueblood then looked at the tarpaulined object, from the shape he suspected Cobalt brought an airship with her. It didn’t matter right now. They got down to the lowest open deck. The Prince and Star pushed the middle boat out. Bon-Bon then tapped the and they all ducked. On the highest deck, the two head minions of Cobalt walk to a room. The Captain gritted his teeth “Mr Stone Maze and Twin Crook.” “Is that the bridge?” Bon-Bon asked, Star nodded “On the other side of the Radio Room.”, Bon-Bon smiled “Radio Room? Wait here.” “Bon-Bon?” Lyra asked. “I’m going to send a message. Hopefully Dauntless Doo or Doctor Time Turner’s got their radios working.” She looked to Lyra specifically “Don’t worry about me.” She hugged her “I’ll do my best. See you in Tartarus.” When Lyra blinked confused Bon-Bon sighed with a smile “It’s a common goodbye we have in SMILE. Sound the alarm if any-pony comes” And she ran to the stairs. The Prince and the Captain managed to untie the ropes to the boat, now they waited. From under the tarpaulin came a stallion with a crossbow “Hey! Put your hooves up.” “If you insist.” Blueblood said letting go of the rope. The boat fell and the stowaway go tangled in the rope. The Captain blinked “Not my usual method for handling stowaways, but effective.” Lyra leaned down and watch the boat sail away “Should we help him up?” Ten Bits shook his head “He shouldn’t have been here in the first place. Let’s give him something he won’t forget.” “Wow,” Lyra said as she watched the three walked over the next boat “that’s cruel.” The Captain cut the tarp rope to check for anymore stowaways. “Here!” some-pony shouted, “At the lifeboats!” a stallion drew a large crossbow on the four ponies and two dogs. Bon-Bon rushed out from the room behind the stallion, followed by Stone Maze and Twin Crook. Blueblood and Star pushed the opened boat over the water. Then helped Lyra and the dogs in. Crossbows fired. “Bon-Bon!” Lyra shouted. The Earth Pony mare appeared now with her own crossbow. She fired a shot at a spotlight and it glared down at her chasers. She jumped into the boat. The Prince and Captain quickly followed and let go of the ropes. Star clutched Ten Bits. Ten Bits clutched Blake. Lyra and Bon-Bon held each other. And Blueblood, with a hoof on the side of the boat protected Snowy with his body. They fell onto the sea. A few seconds passed. Then arrows narrowly missed them. Lyra and the Captain grabbed the oars and they quickly started rowing away from the ship. The Prince glanced back, he saw Cobalt on the top deck. Then a thought crossed him “I left my hat in the cargo hold!” “Nuts to your hat!” Bon-Bon called. “You don’t understand, it’s important to me as an Aura Guardian.” Then Ten Bits added his two cents “We’ve got more important things to think about your Highness.”, Blake barked. The Karaboudjan started turning sharply. A flare sailed through the air. Bon-Bon and Blueblood quickly pulled the below the rim of the boat. A shrill whistle blew. The sound of smoke and metal cutting through water increased. Every-pony shut their eyes. Wood crashed. The ship passed. Then everything quietened. Blueblood, Bon-Bon and Star pecked over the rim. The Prince and the Captain chuckled and Lyra sighed with relief “They took out the other boat.” The Captain nodded “The one time I’m thankful for stowaways.” They waited until they float out of range of the searchlights. “Dad,” Ten Bits said, “wake me in the morning.”, Captain Star chuckled and patted his son’s shoulders “Goodnight my boy.” He turned the others “Right, where to?” Bon-Bon immediately blurted out “Cartus.”, they all looked at her confused. Captain Star asked, “The port city in northwest Saddle Arabian?” “Why there?” Blueblood said. “Because that’s where Cobalt’s going.”, Blueblood scowled “And why should we go where our enemy’s going?” “Because, of what I learned in the Radio Room.” Bon-Bon said pulling a brochure “The Khedive, Omar Ben Salad, collects old model ships.” She opened the paper to a specific image “And this is the prize of his collect.” The three other’s eyes widened at the image. Captain Star blinked with an opened mouthed grin “By Celestia, that is the Alicorn!” Bon-Bon nodded “Yes,” she then tapped the image of the case “and see the distortion?” Blueblood raised an eyebrow “Magically treated glass? Guaranteed not the break?” “Correct. But Cobalt has a secret weapon, the Stalliongrad Songbird.” The Captain nodded “And with it, she going to steal the final scroll.” Lyra then spoke up “But she also needs you Captain to solve the mystery.” “Only a true Star?” He sighed “I’m not sure I am, I haven’t really focused on the family history since Grandfather died. I’ve been too busy, Naval College, the Royal Marines, married life, rising Ten Bits after losing my wife, starting and running my Wagonway Company in the port.” He sighed again. A small hoof touched his and he looked down at Ten Bits who said, “I miss Mum too.” “Silver Crown died the hour you were born. How can you miss some-pony you can’t remember?” “I just do, that’s all.” The Captain smiled and nuzzled his son “I said it before, how you mother would have loved you.” He sighed again “Which is why I must love you for the both of us.” Lyra wiped a small tear. Bon-Bon cleared her throat “Captain Star, can you get us to Cartus?” Star nodded determined. He charged his horn and from his jacket he pulled a sextant and a compass. After a few second of adjustments he asked “Time?” Blueblood pulled out a pocket watch “Ten past Eleven.” “Thank you, your Highness. We’re already in Saddle Arabian waters. I’ll take the oars. Every-pony else get some sleep.” Blueblood nodded and lay down on a seat. In his half-opened eyes, he saw Lyra remained awake and taking one of the oars “It’s naval regulation that two personal ponies remain on the bridge, per se.” “Naval background?” “My Dad is Vice-Admiral Nelson Shrouds.” “Really? I knew him at Naval College, Head-colt in my second year.” “Small world.” “Not really, it’ll be sometime before we get anyway near to Cartus.” They pulled on the oar “Tell me, what made you so interested in in the Alicorn?” “Well,” she began “it goes back to when I was a filly, Dad told me this seagoing legend of a great civilisation, with creatures could Humans…”, sleep overtook the Prince. A licking awoke Blueblood. Snowy started barking, the Prince wiped off the saliva and asked, “What is it Snowy?”, the white terrier pointed with his noise to the sky. Early morning daylight broke. Bon-Bon and Ten Bits woke up too and tired for a night of rowing, Lyra and Captain Star took a break. The Prince looked up at where Snowy pointed. A dot in the wild blue yonder appeared and grew larger. It dawned on the Prince, an airship. The flying vessel turned slightly and revealed the writing on its side. “That’s a Saddle Arabian registration.” Blueblood turned to the Captain “Which port is the Karaboudjan registered?” Before any-pony could answer arrows flew from the aircraft and they ducked as the blimp flew over their heads. Bon-Bon pulled out her crossbow pistol “Bad news every-pony, we’ve got one bolt left.” Ten Bits asked, “Well, is there any good news?” “Yes,” she said, “we’ve got one bolt.” She readied herself. Every-pony ducked as the airship came over. Bon-Bon followed the engine. Fired. The engine spluttered. The boat like design of the hanging gondola allowed it to land on the water. Bon-Bon smiled “Well that’s stopped them for the moment.” “Good shot.” Blueblood said, he wondered about recommending for the Princess’s Medal of Champion Shot, although it might be a military excusive award, he couldn’t quite remember. An idea crossed his mind “Keep low every-pony. I going to see if I can, persuade them, to give us a lift.” Making sure the two ponies on the gondola did see, he jumped under the water and swam. The pressure of the fluid pounded against his skin and the taste of salt in his mouth, and the water filling his nose and ears made him felt most uncomfortable. His lungs screamed for air as he reached the floating hull, and he quickly surfaced just as he heard one of the pair grumble “Lucky shot.” The Prince charged his horn with both magic and aura, creating a sphere “Put your hooves up!” He demanded. The two, a stallion and a mare, who’s presence in the endeavour made Blueblood somewhat surprised, what with the large number of stallions encountered during this madcap adventure. With the pair’s, cooperation, the Prince signalled for the others to row over and climb aboard. Bon-Bon tied their hooves together in strong knots. Captain Star, using his technical knowhow from the Royal Marines repaired the engine. Blueblood meanwhile checked the controls. Ten Bits sat in a passenger seat in the cabin behind the cockpit, with Lyra opposite and, Blake and Snowy sitting at his hooves. The blind foal looked up “Do you know how to fly this thing your Highness?” “Yes,” he took the manual “My family, for the last couple of generations have owned an airship company, the Aerial Transit Company. I’ve had training.” Captain Star entered the cockpit and took the co-pilot seat “Engines should be operational.” “Let’s hope so.” Blueblood said “Contact.” He charged his horn. The auto-magic engine spluttered into life. The Prince pulled the steering column up and the dirigible took to the air. Blueblood looked back at the Captain “Star? What the average and top speeds of the Karaboudjan?” “Roughly twenty knots cruising and twenty-five tops.” “About twenty-three and twenty-eight miles an hour. This type of airship cruising speed is thirty-five miles an hour, wind speed depending, and top speed is about fifty-eight, let say we go at fifty-five.” He increased the throttle “That way we can overtake and increase a good lead.” Star looked back “I’d recommend safety belts.” “Which way to northwest Saddle Arabia?”, Star checked the compass and the map supplied “The quickest route to Cartus is over the Great Desert, ninety-five degrees starboard.” “Hey look!” Lyra called and every-pony looked out the portside. The Karaboudjan slowly sailed under them. “Good,” Blueblood said, “we’re ahead now.” “Wonderful.” The Captain said, “But I think we should change course.” He pointed his hoof ahead “Because we’re flying straight into danger!” An utterly and monstrously vicious storm loomed over their path in the sky, supported by in infinite number of high voltage legs. “We can’t turn back.” Blueblood said somewhat shaken “Not now.” In his seat Ten Bits calmed Blake and Snowy “Braveheart all.” He prayed. Lightning attacked the air as they entered. Thankfully, Equestrian Airship Building Regulations insisted, and enforced, a no hydrogen gas policy. And the Alchemists managed to invent a fast processes of Helium production, and Helium is non-flammable. The storm seemed alive. As if performing, the waves roared their applauses. A performance which Blueblood viewed with extreme criticism. The Prince fought for control. A bolt stuck a side wing. The hull shook. Aura flared from the Prince. The storm backed away. Blueblood sighed. As if seeing this show of weakness, the storm struck again. This time to the elevators. The blimp dived sharply. Every-pony started feeling weightless. Blueblood pulled up. Gravity hit them hard. The wheel crashed into the Prince’s foreleg. He winced. “Land ahoy!” The Captain called. Blueblood looked up as a desert dune appeared through the storm. He took the wheel again, fighting against the damage on the ship and his arm. Another thunderbolt hit the engine. Hooves sounded. Bon-Bon shouted “Hey!”, the Prince glanced back as the captives jumped out with the parachutes, two they wore, the rest they carried. Anger filled him, his aura burned. He covered every-pony. They hit the dune.