Urrgh… why won’t it work?
It was hot down in the boiler room of the mammoth ship. A large red stallion grimaced as he attempted to tighten a screw responsible for holding the steam tank together, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. This was the third time in as many days it had stopped working. He had replaced Engine Three once already. He didn’t want to have to do it again.
Consarn it! Cooperate already! You were only built five years ago!
He swished his blonde mane out of his face, groaned and returned to tightening the screw as his thoughts returned to the home he used to know. It had been eight years since he had left Sweet Apple Acres in the care of his younger twin sisters Applejack and Apple Bloom. Despite his enjoyment of the work on the farm, he had felt pulled away from the ranch in recent years. When he learned of an opportunity to be a mechanic on the ship Silver Spoon, he jumped at the chance. Though he proved to be useless at anything but the basics, about a year after arriving he quickly claimed the helm after the previous pegasus captain Cowardly Flight leapt off the airship and flew away when it entered into a major storm. He took command then, and soon had the entire ship running like clockwork to get everypony safely through it.
To be truthful, it surprised him. He had never been an organizer on the farm. He and his sister had always let Twilight Sparkle, the All-Pony Organizer of Ponyville’s Winter Wrap-Up celebrations, take over that role when they needed it. Yet when it came to the crew of fifty on this small steam-powered airship he was able to command them without much effort. Over the past seven years he had been captain not a single crew pony had abandoned him to work on a different ship. Sure, there were some he had to fire and a mutiny he had to quell, but through his kindness, honesty and hard work, the mutiny deflated before it got serious.
He chuckled to himself. Who would put a pegasus named Cowardly Flight as the captain of a ship, anyway?
Finishing that bolt, he moved to the next, the last on the line before the crimson stallion gave his number one assistant Colgate the signal to start Engine Three back up.
He had also gotten into his employer’s good books a number of times with the gentlemanly treatment of his daughter. He saw no need for reward - it was simply what should be done around a mare of such class as Silver Spoon, the silver-toned matriarch namesake of the ship. After all, she had been born in the same village as he, and just three years later, no less. He had garnered some status with the family. It seemed only natural for Baggin Bitts, the father of the stately mare, that he had hired someone he trusted to guard his daughter. By extension, Big Macintosh had given his foal-hood best friend Minuette “Colgate” Whiteshine the job of second-in-command. The feisty light blue mare with a contrasting two-tone sea blue and blue-white shaded mane and tail was always his go-to for any assistance he needed. Despite the crew’s initial reservations, “Coalie”, as the crew had nicknamed her, had grown to become a respectable leader in her own right and held almost as much respect as Big Mac, who the crew often called “Captain Mac” and who had been assigned the code-name “Sparrow” when he was first on the ship.
Big Macintosh finished his work on the engine.
“How’s it look over there, Coalie?” he called over to the mare with the toothpaste mane.
She ran over to the other side. She inspected the bolts for any defects, then ran around again and gave him a hoof-up. “All clear, Captain Mac!”
Colgate walked around to the other side of the steam engine, one of six. She trotted to the control booth with Big Macintosh and stood alongside him as he stepped up to the panel. Flashing buttons, a couple small wheels and six identical gauges representing the status of each engine covered the surface of the panel.
Big Mac winced. “I don’t like the look of Number Six.”
“It’s not bad,” Colgate commented, “but it’s not good, either. Could be a lot better.”
“I’d much prefer the pressure closer to fifty kilotons, instead of twenty-three,” Big Mac said in his slow drawl, tapping the meter at two points. “We’re gonna hafta check that one out tomorrow. For now, let’s start Number Three and take Number Six offline.”
So they did just that. A clank, clack, and clutter started the third engine, which reduced to a hissing and whirring in short order. Slowly, pressure began to build in the tank. When Number Three got up to fifty kilotons, which took a little over four minutes, they shut down Number Six. Just as they did, a message splashed over the P.A. system…
“Sparrow to chief’s quarters… Sparrow to chief’s quarters…”
“Looks like the li’l lady wants to see ya again,” Colgate said with a wink a nudge. “Go get ‘er, tiger!”
Big Mac glared in good fun at her, then chuckled. “Ya know there ain’t anythin’ serious goin’ on between us.”
Colgate closed an eye and playfully stuck her tongue out. “I’ve seen the way you look at her, Cap’n Mac… come on! Just give it a shot.”
One could never truly tell when Big Mac blushed. The crimson already on his cheeks did a good job of hiding his state. Colgate on the other hand knew the signs. His cheeks did change, but it was to an almost unnoticeable ever-so-slightly deeper shade of red, and he seemed to slink back slightly. He shook his head and glared at his friend.
She chuckled. “Mackie, you’re too easy…”
Big Mac snorted disapprovingly, then chuckled with his toothpaste-coloured friend as he walked off to meet up with the namesake of the ship.
On the other side of the large cruiser, a silver mare lounged in her bed, reading a book. The Earth pony’s family was one of the wealthiest in all Equestria. They owned the Spoonship Corporation, Equestria’s single largest fleet of shipping vessels and the only company in the land to hold a contract with the Royal Sisters. They had held this position for four generations, dating back almost five hundred years to her ancestor Plastic Spoon, who first established the company and fought through the early years of steam technology and a hotly-competitive marketplace. A few lucrative business deals and certain specific competitors’ unfortunate accidents over successive generations, some truly accidental, others resulting from Plastic’s successors’ less-than-graceful business tactics, led to Spoonship developing a reputation as the most reliable steamship service in the world. Eventually her father landed the shipping contract with Equestria’s princesses, which more than tripled their fortunes, both family and corporate, over just four years.
The heiress to the empire put the book down and tapped its cover. Oh, where is that lovable brute?
Suddenly, something caught her eye. Her head flashed left to look out a large window leading out to her private deck. She thought she saw a tail disappear from her patio, but she couldn’t be sure. She giggled.
Probably just one of the deck hands, she thought. Sometimes those of pegasus persuasion wash the windows that way. Strange folk, they are.
She returned to reading just as a knock came on her door.
“Captain Mac?” she called. “Come in.”
The door opened, but it wasn’t Captain Mac. A tan mare with black hair buried under a black cloak stepped in, flanked and buttressed by three ponies in similar attire and obscured faces. The one at the back had dropped his/her head in shame. Silver Spoon shrieked.
“Who are you?” she asked, terrified.
The other Earth pony mare clicked her hoof against the floor. Instantly, the two guards to her sides leapt for the silver mare and restrained their target. Quickly, they strapped Silver’s mouth shut with a bandanna, choking and muffling her screams. The commander glared at the silver mare with violent violet eyes, a dark smirk creasing her cheeks.
With a slight British accent she whispered, “Your father will pay a handsome ransom for your return. This is going to be… fun…”
She scribbled a note and had the assistant standing at the entrance to the home magically tack it to the bed frame. She exited the abode. Her guards dragged a muffled, struggling, groaning, screaming Silver Spoon out of the room and leapt over the edge of the ship, spreading their golden wings and catching air. Her assistant hesitated at the height.
“Come on, Rarity... you know why you’re here, and you know why you have to do as I say.” The cloaked, tan mare shot a sharp glare at her partner. “Now, jump and catch me - Now!”
The cloaked unicorn whimpered incomprehensibly. She leapt over the edge, unfurling large, white mechanical wings with an unnatural cry of pain. Her master followed, landing hard on her slave’s back and making Rarity wince with the soreness and strain.
Her task completed, the tan Earth pony and her three cohorts disappeared into the shadows below the airship with her prize in tow.
Five minutes later, Big Macintosh approached the cabin where their employer’s daughter rested. He noticed the door was open.
That’s odd for Miss Silver… he thought.
He went through a list of possible reasons. The night watch wasn’t scheduled for another ten minutes, so she wouldn’t be having her pre-bed tea. She always read during this time, so the door should’ve been closed. She wasn’t anywhere else on the ship – the crew would’ve known the second she stepped out of her door. She definitely didn’t have a special somepony, so she wasn’t hosting anyone. She never ate this close to her bed time, so she couldn’t have gone for a snack…
So what was it?
He developed a heavy cannonball in his gut. He bolted for her room and bashed the door away, knocking it off his hinges just as thunder sounded.
It was exactly as he feared.
At first, he turned to walk out. However, just as he did, something attached to the bed frame caught his eye. He approached the plush bed, one he had never dared approach this closely before now. Baggin was always leery of strange stallions nearing his daughter’s bed. He had fired two previous captains to Cowardly Flight due to unwanted come-ons, and Captain Mac’s predecessor had no remote concept of courage with which to approach the mare. Big Macintosh knew this wasn’t like those instances, and Mister Bitts knew he wasn’t that kind of stallion.
When he pulled the note from the head board, he read it and gasped.
If you ever want to see your beloved daughter again, Baggin Bitts, contact me. You know who this is.
- Viola
Captain Macintosh frowned. In a fit of rage and panic, he punched a hole in the wall where the speaker system resided with a forehoof. The box still worked, even though it sparked thousands of times in electrical protest as he shouted his message into the microphone.
“Graystone has been herded! Repeat: Graystone has been herded! All hands to stations! The foalnappers can’t be far away!”
Instantly, the entire ship sprang into action. Ponies of all persuasions rushed to their battle stations amidst a torrent of rain and thunder. Six massive searchlights were switched on, two atop the ship two below, and one each to the bow and aft. They flashed around in a carefully-choreographed and methodical search as the ship slowed to a hover, its trio of massive upper blades on the fore- main- and mizzenmasts still spinning like a helicopter while the other blades provided balanced thrust. A fleeting break in the lower cloud bank revealed an expansive orchard of apple trees. Briefly peering over the edge of the deck to scan for further life within one of the glowing white circles of light, Big Macintosh determined they hovered above his old home of Sweet Apple Acres.
That was likely where the thieves had taken residence.
Barking some quick orders into the microphone and hooking his wireless headset from his tool belt to his face, he grabbed a rope and ran, leaping clear of the ship’s rail and swinging down to the earth below. The ship descended as he did, allowing for some impressive speed to build up for his planned upswing. The wind tore through his blonde mane, whipping his tail around like a filly to water down a water slide. As he came down on the underside of the boat, he saw the barn in plain view, within leaping distance and based on his trajectory, directly in his line of fire.
That’s a stroke o’ good luck if I ever did see, he thought.
He smiled as the momentum of his swing carried him down and then under the slowly-descending ship. He felt the G-forces carry him in a smooth arc towards the barn. At the height of his upswing, he let go and flung himself through thin air onto the roof of the barn. He prayed his sister would forgive him as his weight carried him down through the large, metal-roofed red shed and into a tall pile of hay. He was soon joined by his number one assistant Colgate, screaming her ever-living lungs out as she fell through the roof herself. She landed next to him.
“Tartarus’ colthood,” she swore, “You’re nuts, you know that?!”
Big Mac just chuckled as he recovered from the soft landing. A minute or two later, he joined his crew of about ten ponies outside in the pouring rain as they scoured Sweet Apple Acres for Silver Spoon and her captors. Teams of two frantically turned the farm upside down looking for their proprietor’s daughter, but to no avail. They met up at the base of their ship and reported to Big Macintosh, who growled.
“Horse apples…” he muttered. “Nothing.”
Colgate looked at her friend apprehensively. “You know we have to report this breach to Baggin in the morning, right?”
“Forget the mornin’. We’re doin’ it now,” Big Mac ordered. “Everypony back to the ship. We’ve got a hunt to organize.”
“Aye aye!” the crew hollered as one.
As they ascended ropes to the ship above, a frantic palomino Earth pony bolted up to the gathered party.
“What in tarnation’s goin’ on here?” she shouted.
She stopped when she saw the giant red stallion. Their eyes met and a big smile crossed her face.
“Big Mac!” she exclaimed. “How’ve ya been?”
He simply nodded and said, “Been better. Sorry, but I don’t have time to chat. We’re lookin’ for Silver Spoon. Care to tell us if you’ve seen ‘er or some other ponies around here ‘sides the usual townfolk?”
Suddenly, Applejack drew quiet. Big Macintosh knew something was up.
“What’s on your mind, sis?” he asked.
She gave him a weak smile. “Um, nothing…”
“You know where Silver is don’t you?” he asked.
“No!” she lied. “No, I have no idea… she’s not around these parts.” She bit her lip, hoping he would buy it.
Big Mac glared at her. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. Unfortunately, Applejack had always been and would forever be a terrible liar, and Big Mac knew it.
“You’re housin’ her captors, aren’t ya?” he demanded.
Applejack looked like she had been shot through the heart. “Big Mac, please… somethin’ happened while you were gone. Somethin’ big. Now we’re… we’re…” she sobbed.
His harsh countenance softened. Colgate looked at his sister.
“Is Ponyville okay?” she asked.
Applejack shook her head furiously. “I can’t tell ya. I just… just c-can’t… Go… Go, while you still can… Please…” Her agonized panic turned into full-blown hysteria as she shouted, “Just leave!!!”
She shot off into the field, back in the direction she had just came from. Big Mac looked at her strangely. His sister had never been one to act in fear of anything, especially that strongly before. There also were strange glints on her back, and as she ran, they unfurled.
Wings.
She had wings.
“What in Celestia’s name happened here??” he demanded of the air.
Colgate frowned in confusion. A spit second later, a common thought passed between them and they both growled in synchronization.
“Land the ship,” Big Mac commanded. “Get the crew gathered. Send our fastest pegasus with the note to tell Baggin of his daughter’s disappearance and where we are. Organize a watch schedule and tell the others to get some rest. Tomorrow, we find out what happened here.”
His assistant took off while Captain Mac stood staunchly in the windswept rain of the apple farm, watching the path his sister had ran into the darkness. Something had shaken the palomino apple pony to the core. Nothing ever did that. He had to be here now. He had to figure out what had happened. He had to help his employer, his friends, and his family.
But most of all, he had to stop it from continuing… especially if it was going to affect Silver Spoon.
A couple lightning strikes flashed, followed by the roll of thunder. Big Mac turned tail for his ship with a sigh.
Applejack… I’m sorry. I’ll fix this. He glared into the sky.
For all of us.