//------------------------------//
// III 
// Story: Panthalassa 
// by WritingSpirit 
//------------------------------//

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III


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The incidents that unfolded that day came to be known as the Emancipation.

Never had there been an event in recent history witnessed by most, if not all, of the citizens of Equestria. Never had there been an event that left so many mesmerized yet horrified as it happened. Never had there been an event, in its wake, sowed confusion of such immense magnitude across the continent. In Canterlot alone, there was an uproar amid the townsfolk, with the nobles mainly leading the charge, which was a notion I never thought I'd see play out before my eyes. Perhaps what's even more fascinating was how united and widespread the outcry was across the capital and in other major cities around Equestria, easily eclipsing the protests that came as a result of other calamities, notably the invasion of the Changelings as led by Queen Chrysalis as well as Tirek's momentary reign of terror. It was a unity beyond the edicts of the harmony of the Royal Sisters, and though it would seem unnecessary to contend chaos with chaos, it gave many of its vocal citizens, in this brief window of disquietude and disarray, a moment's reprieve.

Amid the rising furor across the country, the princesses quickly leaped to action, with the Royal Sisters ordering the dispatch of the Royal Guard to every city and town, mostly to assuage the public of any safety and security concerns but also to report back to the sisters in the event of a possible threat. At the same time, they convened an emergency summit that included Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight, though the latter, having been sent alongside the Elements of Harmony to deal with a convoluted dispute involving the cervine royal families, could not return to Canterlot and thus attended the summit only through magical means. The discussions that were had between them never left the palace walls, but the measures that came as a result of them, all meant to foster communication and cooperation between the public and the respective authorities assigned to their districts, quelled most of the voices in dissent and restored confidence in the rule of the princesses. From what I've gathered, the Princess of Friendship was to thank for the measures being implemented, having repeatedly insisted upon them in their meeting and in similar congregations prior. To this day, I haven't found the time to thank Twilight for that.

Similarly, the response from surrounding nations was of sheer bewilderment. For days, diplomats from beyond our borders lined up at the palace gates, all of them requesting an audience — demanding an explanation, more like — from the Princesses, all exhibiting varying degrees of distress. Very often they would return to their homelands disappointed, for Equestria was also in the dark with regards to the Emancipation as its neighbors at the time. All we knew for certain then was that the epicenter was approximated to be somewhere near the western coastline of Equestria, and that there were no aftereffects that came about in its wake, or at least, no immediate ones.

In spite of everything, ponies still tried their best to go on with their daily lives, yet one couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and uncertainty as time went on. Certainly, there was no indication that the Emancipation was a threat, but there was no indication of the contrary either. "We're still looking into what may have caused the event," I still remembered the words from the official statement put out by the princesses after almost a week of internal deliberation. "From what we've discerned, there is no cause for concern for the time being, but we must be prepared in the possible event of any subsequent incident. For now, we advise the citizens to be patient and to report to your township's assigned guards should you come upon anything or anyone suspicious."

And for a few weeks, nothing extraordinary happened.

.





.

I remember I had been looking forward to a moment of peace and quiet that afternoon, having just finished a lecture regarding the heavily contested field of the applications of alteration magic at an atomic level. I do not know, for the life of me, whose brilliant idea was it to compact seventeen equations worth of theoretical material into an hour-long lecture, but I somehow managed. I cannot fully guarantee that those who've attended the lecture — those resilient enough to stay awake, anyway — would even remember a lick of everything I've taught, however. That aside, it was amid my return to the office that I had heard, in the distance, the signs of a brewing battle.

"—and I'm telling you it isn't that simple! If it's that simple, we'd figure it out already!"

"But it's just making a few adjustments to the emitter! All you have to do is to reattempt the experiment, this time with a smaller focal length—"

"For the hundredth time, a high concentration of arcane energy constantly focused on a singular point of the solution would render it volatile and possibly cause it to implode—"

To hear those two muffled voices — one male, the other female — yelling from beyond the door to my office, as common an occurrence as it may be, quickly erased any hopes of a moment's reprieve away. I should expect as much when I took them in as part of my team along with Silica, given as they were quite infamous around the campus for their heated exchanges as they were in their respective fields of sciences. Perhaps what's more surprising was the fact that they were, and still are, high school sweethearts, having been together for almost eight years already. One would think with how many times they went out of their way to start an argument, it would've been the contrary; even to this day, it remains a struggle for me to comprehend how these two opposing forces became an item, but alas, truth remains stranger than fiction. With a forlorn sigh and my head held high, I stepped into my office, greeted once again with a sight that I really shouldn't be finding myself becoming increasingly familiar with.

"—probability of it ever occurring is minuscule, to the point where it can be negated, and it should be!"

"It shouldn't and cannot be negated because minuscule or not, the probability of it happening is still there! Whatever 'negligible' percentage that you pulled out from your flank still means that we might send this whole campus off to the Badlands—"

"Whoa, what do you mean 'we'? Don't bring me into this shtick!"

"You're the flapjack that suggested it, numbskull! Maybe if you'd take some responsibility for once in your life instead of throwing it all onto me, then you'd begin to understand—"

"Oh boy, here we go again..." chimed a third voice, belonging to none other than Silica Summerwind, looking a little too comfortable sitting on the edge of my desk with her hooves swaying to and fro. Despite everything, she was beaming from ear to ear, up to the moment she spotted me at the doorway, to which she quickly hopped off and sauntered up towards me. "Hiya, Prof! Just in time for the showdown!"

"Glad I could make it," I muttered heftily, eyes fervently darting between the two ponies raving in the room, this time over an experiment involving a constant stream of transmutation spells by way of an artificial arcane emitter into different samples of the ocean collected from a variety of regions. Knowing them all too well, in addition to all my quiet observations of past flagrant displays of their differences in opinion, the current conflict had just begun. "So, what's the verdict, Silica?"

"Red's trying to blow the whole campus to the Badlands."

"For Celestia's sake, Sil, that's not what I'm trying to d—P-Professor Moondancer! What a pleasant surprise!" exclaimed the stallion of the quarrelsome couple and the team's disheveled physicist, Redshift Ruff. Sheepishly brushing back his copper mane, he coughed out the growing lump in his throat and fumbled with the crumpling papers in his hooves, all before the livid stare of his appropriately more practical marefriend: our resident engineer, Jade Woodstock. "W-We were just talking about— well, I was talking about how JJ here can make a few adjustments to the spectral emitter to further intensify its reaction with our sample solution—"

"—using an emission whose runic value's unquestionably at least three times more powerful than the ones we're currently testing with. Gee, I wonder which direction I'd be sent flying to once all is said and done?"

"Again, negligible." Sighing gruffly, he handed his findings — scrawlings, more like — for me to study closely. "Anyways, in theory, if we were to amplify the input of energy from the emitter, it should be a logical certainty that the ensuing reaction would yield a more measurable result. I told JJ time and time again that if anything's negligible, it's these readings we keep on getting, and we keep getting them because we're performing the experiments with too low of a control variable—"

"There's a reason it's low, Red!"

"Negligible!"

"I swear to Celestia, you say that word one more time—"

"Okay! Let's stop right there, shall we?" I hastily spoke up. As a witness to the horrors of domestic warfare, I can safely say that prevention is infinitely better than cure, no question. Holding onto my grin, I turned to Jade, who was staring at me expectedly. "It's... a bit of a stretch, but I sorta see where Red's coming from in this instance. Maybe if we attempt it gradually, we might start seeing some proper results. I understand your concerns about it all going wrong, but I'm confident in your judgment that you'll prepare the proper countermeasures and counterspells just in case."

A sigh from Jade, before she smiled with a rousing nod. "You can count on it, Professor Moondancer."

"Told you, Jade."

"Shut it. You're lucky Professor Moondancer's in the mood to swallow up your idealistic nonsense."

"Like you've suggested anything worthwhile before."

"One more thing, Red," I raised my voice before his marefriend could sock him by the jaw, handing his papers back. "As much as I appreciate your willingness to be daring and try new things, you should at least double-check your values before submitting your findings. In other words, Silica and Jade both have a point: you really need to stop trying to blow the whole campus to the Badlands."

The other mares in the room snickered — Jade being noticeably louder and more snarky — much to his red-faced embarrassment. "R-Right, Prof. Gotcha."

"Last but not least, Silica," I turned to the mare in question, who was already standing in riveting attention, starry-eyed and all. "You... you just keep on doing you."

"Aye aye, Capt!"

Such were our interactions every time we met, and though it was only a company of the few, it was a rowdy company all the same. In the months I've worked with them, however, they had proved to be reliable and headstrong, always striving to attain the goals we've set together as a team. Had I worked with a team any less cohesive and competent than them, I'm certain that the work we had finished up to this point would only be achieved six months from now, to which I would perhaps cave in from frustration beforehand. For that, I was blessed to be gifted with the assistance of Silica Summerwind, Redshift Ruff, and Jade Woodstock, as odd of a partnership as it may have been. 

It had not been an hour into our daily work before there was a knock on the door. I had presumed incorrectly that one of my fellow professors had come to inquire about our research, for there had been a great many in recency, much to my growing disgruntlement. That or Vellum had come by once again with some material he deemed interesting and relevant to our work, though that was unlikely the case as he had applied for a leave of absence to spend the day with his parents who had come all the way from Fillydelphia just to pay him a visit. With the rest already busy engrossing themselves in their respective work, I took it upon myself to answer the door, coming face to face with a sight rarely seen around the campus grounds: the stern and stalwart visage of a royal guard.

"Professor Moondancer, Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia requests for your presence at the palace."

.





.

My plans for further research for that day had to be postponed to another date in favor of this sudden turn of events. Rarely does royalty find the need to summon the likes of us researchers and educators, yet there was the monarch of the sun, extending an invitation towards me by way of one of her many sentries. Of course, I had no choice but to let him escort me, though not before quashing the frenzied display of exhilarated rambling Silica had exhibited on the way out. I soon found out, however, that I was not to be the only one taking the same short and uneventful trip down the road to the palace.

"Seems the Princesses called for you as well. And here, I thought it was something exclusive."

"Professor Brightward? What are you doing here? I thought you had a lecture to give?" I exclaimed in surprise as I stumbled upon a fellow researcher in one of the palace corridors the guard directed me towards. Professor Slate Brightward was one of the Society's more senior of scientists, specializing mainly in the fields of geography and geology. He was quiet and reserved, preferring to brood over his research than to converse with a fellow pony, researcher or otherwise. Despite all that, I had frequently sought his counsel in my research surrounding the ocean, considering the fact that most of what we know to be true of the ocean today stemmed from his area of expertise. He was a truer skeptic than any other when it comes to my research, apparently viewing the ocean as nothing more than just a grand body of water. Nevertheless, he had the enthusiasm to share his knowledge with me, even if he can be a little dismissive of the implications it may bring.

"Well, wish I knew the answer myself. They've got 'most everyone from the Society here. One from each department, at the very least," Professor Brightward said with a grimace as we made our way down the corridor to where the rest of our colleagues were waiting, only to lean in closer. "Some talk's going around. Heard that this all has something to do with that beam of light we saw couple of weeks ago."

I stifled a shiver, the memory of that chaotic day rushing back to me in an instant. "But why do they need us? I thought the Royal Guards were the ones who were handling it."

"Dunno the answer to that, I'm afraid, but the fact that they need us scientists tells me something's happened. Something exciting."

"Is that... is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

I had never seen a more ominous shrug than the one Professor Brightward answered my question with in all my life.

We convened with the rest of the researchers in the council chambers wherein awaited the princesses. With the parting of the doors, Her Royal Majesty Princess Celestia, the epitome of grace divine, greeted us with a muted grin. Her Royal Majesty Princess Luna, the epitome of grace enigmatic, was seated on her sister's right, sparing only scrutiny most vigorous at our presence. Her Royal Highness Princess Cadance, the epitome of grace benevolent, was also present, as was Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight, the epitome of grace candid, once again attending this council only by way of holography. Upon noticing my presence, she shot me a bright yet measured grin, to which I could only respond with a sheepish wave.

"Fillies and gentlecolts of the Canterlot Royal Society," Princess Celestia stood up to address us once we've all settled in. "First of all, on behalf of us all, I wish to thank you for attending this conference. We're well aware of the abrupt and abnormal circumstances of this conference, and we understand that there had been speculations made about its purpose. As such, I think it's best we get that out of the way." She paused as she glanced at her fellow princesses, all of whom motioned her to proceed with genteel nods. "We have gathered all of you here today in light of recent developments surrounding the incident that occurred several weeks ago."

Low whispers and murmurs filled the room, only for silence to quickly sweep back in.

"I'm sure you are all aware of the incident in question," she continued. "Regarding the incident by itself, I can assure you that in every aspect, there is no evidence that it brought any sort of harm to Equestria. From what information we have gathered, what we've witnessed that day was, as expected, a massive output of energy, though we could not identify the form of energy that was emitted, only that it was most likely arcane in nature. The Royal Guard had been working tirelessly to figure out its point of origin for these past few weeks. Now, however, we can confidently state that they had managed to track down its source."

With those words, Princess Celestia cast a hologram before her, bringing into view a set of images of what seemed to be a seaside township, though to call it merely as such would be to denounce its stunning architecture. Many a sane pony would not even consider discounting the elegant gem that is Cape Silverwatch, arguably one of Equestria's most beautiful hamlets. One could never forget the stunning houses with their whitewashed limestone walls and turquoise doors, as well as the gleaming cobblestone paths that cut between them, all gloriously standing before the majestic backdrop that is the ocean. It was a stunning sight to behold, even if we were only viewing its pictures. To think that such a sanctuary would be the source of the incident — one seemingly heralding a cataclysm, or representing one in the making — was disconcerting, though fortunately, it was not entirely the case.

"The ray of energy was traced to an atoll off the coast of Cape Silverwatch, known to the locals as Latreia's Lagoon." With another glimmer of her horn, the pictures changed, this time showing a bird's eye view of the atoll in question. "Since identifying it as the point of origin, the Royal Guard had been closely monitoring it from afar, though there had been no further developments beyond that. There was a proposal made to traverse to the atoll to further understand the situation, though we want to ensure that any voyage made to the atoll was substantial. As such, we have concluded it best that Equestria's brightest and most gifted of minds — all of you, the esteemed professors of the Canterlot Royal Society — to be present to make the most accurate of assessments."

Again, another cascade of murmurs filled the room, this time with a growing sense of vexation. "Pardon me, Your Highness," one of the professors spoke up, "but what does this journey entail? Is there anything we have to be... worried about?"

"You'll be required to settle in at Cape Silverwatch for the duration of this expedition. Among yourselves and the guard, you are expected to conduct a schedule for travelling to the atoll from the town as you would please. As for the expedition itself, we're allowing you to plan it as you would please, as we trust in all your expertise and judgment in your respective fields, though do note that we will have the guard provide to us a report of any decisions that were made. We will not give an estimate as to how long this expedition might take, for we are uncertain of too many things to provide a time frame. The expedition might take years, which is why we're looking at multiple options to approach this, like a scheduled rotation of teams, for example." Princess Celestia paused for a breath, frowning. "As for the latter question, I'm afraid we don't know the answer quite yet. It's too early to say, but one must assume that there may be a danger to be had. However, I can assure you that we will have the guards be with you at all times. We will, of course, send our most experienced to join your ranks and keep you safe at all times, should you need it. As this is quite possibly a matter of national security, if not international, their presence in town will be of utmost importance."

"And the assessments themselves?" another question from the floor. "What is required of us, if I may ask, Your Highness?"

"That one, I'll leave Princess Twilight to explain. If I may..."

With that said, Princess Celestia stepped back, and all eyes turned to Princess Twilight, who cleared her throat. "Alright, so regarding the incident in question, we want to be extremely sure that its occurrence, aberrant or otherwise, is truly harmless in nature. What happened that day might not have a direct effect upon us, but we need to make sure that it does not have any adverse effects against, say, the ecology or the climate, so on and so forth. Secondly, we need to figure out what it was exactly— its cause, its purpose if any, the form of energy being given out, whether there may be repeat incidents, et cetera. Last, but not least, if there's evidence that it may bring harm, we have to devise a method to prevent it from ever happening again, should there be a need to."

"And what happens if it did pose a threat to Equestria and its citizens?" Professor Brightward spoke up this time, terse and succinct. "What should we do then?"

"We will take the necessary precautions."

"And if those precautions involve leaving us behind?"

A brief show of hesitation in a waking field of chattering, before Twilight patched up a more graceful smile than the last. "There is no intention to leave anyone behind. No pony, especially those who have contributed so much to Equestria in the last few years, or decades even, should need to give their lives away for the sake of national security. If such an impasse were to be had, we'll proceed with a solution that benefits all involved, no question."

Professor Brightward only had a gruff sigh for her answer, signaling his dissatisfaction. It was definitely not the best answer for us researchers, but it was definitely the best answer Twilight could come up with. Despite that, Professor Brightward knew not to press any further on the assumption that the conference would descend into chaos as a result, and it was for that understanding of nuances that I admire him. Nevertheless, to not be promised our safety should we undertake this expedition was still terrifying and frustrating all the same. To willingly give away our lives in the name of the stability of Equestria and all the citizens that live beneath its banner, to discard all the days ahead of us to save everyone else— I cannot fathom the idea of it, to be honest, and I'm not sure if anyone actually could.

"Now, we understand that there are plenty of reasons anyone undertaking this expedition should be concerned, which is why I believe that this expedition should not be mandatory." The air around us felt a little lighter as she said that, though I noticed Twilight's desperation, even from viewing only her hologram, was becoming palpable. "I'm of the belief that we shouldn't send all of our brightest minds into an expedition that one may not come out unscathed or even alive. As such, if anyone wishes to refrain from participating in this expedition, you can leave the chambers after I have finished speaking. Fear not of repudiation, for we understand and treat your decision with utmost respect, and should you wish to change your mind, feel free to do so anytime. Still, I'm hoping from the fullest of my heart that all of you at least understand that the lives of every colt, mare and foal may be at risk should you decide to abstain. I implore upon all of you to understand that the lives of your family and friends may be at stake here. Please take this all into consideration before making your decision. Thank you."

With a graceful nod to a deathly silent room, Princess Twilight stepped back as my colleagues stood up and shuffled out of the room, one by one. I watched as many a familiar face made their unremarkable departure, heads hanging low and mutters lower still. I remembered wanting to do the same, to follow them out the door, yet even as more of my fellow researchers made their move, I remained there, an immovable object. The whole time, my eyes were begrudgingly glued to my traitorous hooves, my mind urging with all its might to stretch my muscles, yet the whole time, I knew the real reason why I wouldn't leave the edge of my seat even if I needed to.

And so, as the doors closed, my gaze rose to meet the crestfallen expression of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

An expression that quickly lit up with an eruptive vigor when her eyes met mine.

"You're not leaving?"

I glanced to my left, only to find Professor Brightward still seated beside me, eyeing me curiously. "I-I guess not," I mumbled. "Um, no offense, but I thought you'd be leaving as well, Professor."

"Least one of us has to participate in the expedition, yes? Cape Silverwatch is not too bad of a place as well. Needed a quieter place to look over some of my work." A rare chortle from him. "And you? You still have decades ahead of you. Why bother with a trip like this?"

"I don't know," I said. Lied, effectively. "I mean, it'll definitely be interesting if there's anything to come out of it." I snuck a glance at Princess Twilight deep in discussion with the other alicorns. "Who knows, maybe it'll tie in with my ongoing research, though that's if I'm being really optimistic."

"It certainly might provide a different perspective. A change of scenery may just do you good."

"Here's hoping."

"To those of you who remain," Princess Celestia spoke up again from her pulpit, prompting our attention. "Thank you. Truly, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you."

I looked around the room. Apart from me and Professor Brightward, there were eleven other ponies that chose to stay behind, much to my surprise. Call it cynicism, but I expected there to be fewer volunteers; the modern pony, much less an academic, isn't exactly known for tackling danger head-on. Then again, the modern pony is well known to come together in the name of serving the princesses. Speaking of which, Princess Twilight was visibly elated, though she did not let it break her composure, instead bringing herself forward to speak once more.

"Like I've mentioned before, we believe that it's fair and proper that you researchers plan the details of the expedition amongst yourselves, though we do hope that you'll set off for Cape Silverwatch soon. Should there be any requirements to be had to prepare for the long trip ahead, you may refer them to our fellow advisers and council of ministers. We will inform them to provide you with your resources as soon as they possibly can. Once again, thank you, all of you, for joining."

With those words, Princess Twilight commenced a gentle applause, one echoed by her fellow princesses and, soon enough, the rest of us. We've all dispersed afterward, though I opted to stay behind, as Twilight had shot a somewhat insistent stare at me while everyone else was taking their leave. Flustered as I may be, I found it an honor to think that she had reason to speak with me alone, even if we might end up conversing about the most mundane of things. It really was never a dull moment when in the company of Twilight Sparkle.

"How's everything over there?" I began.

"Ugh, don't even get me started," Twilight groaned, earning a chuckle from me. "The families here are always, always arguing about the most trivial of things. Just yesterday, they almost started a civil war because of some land disputes involving vaguely-written, carelessly-planned deeds. One of the maps wasn't even drawn to a proper scale! It's seriously getting on everyone's nerves, mine included."

"Well, last I checked, you were sent for diplomacy purposes."

"But not over shoddy paperwork! We were sent to frame a treaty between them, not handle misunderstandings that spanned for centuries! The only thing they all could agree upon was demanding that Equestria does something about whatever that giant ray of light was!"

"I mean," I stifled a snort. "At least they agreed on something."

"Well, when you put it that way."

A sputter, before the both of us broke into a hearty fit of giggles. I remembered a radiance swelling from my chest then, like something from the past had reached ahead in time to take me into its embrace. I watched winsomely as Twilight, sinking in strained solemnity merely a minute ago, emerge from it with a looseness long needed. It was already rare enough to meet her face to face; it was rarer still to bask in her laughter. Consider me, in that very moment, a very, very lucky mare indeed.

"How about you? How's your research going, Professor?"

"Well, Your Highness—" I held back my giggles where Twilight didn't even bother to try. "—we still don't have much to go on. The team's been working hard for months now. Can't believe it's been months already."

"And now, you're going to be part of this expedition."

"I guess I am."

"You can still back out if you wanted to," Twilight pointed out, suddenly adopting a more serious tone. "I know, I know, the expedition is really important and the world might be at stake, yes, but I honestly think there's more than enough ponies going already. Honestly speaking, I'd prefer that you'll stay behind and work on your research instead of this."

"I think I can do both. Professor Brightward did mention that I might get a kick of inspiration with a different view, and what better view is there than that of the ocean itself? If anything comes up, I can always write back to my team. They're perfectly capable of performing experiments without me telling them what to do all the time. Besides," I paused to widen my grin, "if anything happens, I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself. Might need a refresher on basic self-defense spells though. Nothing a book and some practice can't handle."

"Well, if you say so. Still, once we're done with the whole royal family fiasco over here, we'll be heading straight to Cape Silverwatch to join you guys."

"Wow," I whistled. "No breaks?"

"No breaks." Twilight was rather adamant when she said that. "If anything happens that requires our expertise, per se, then we can help out. And hey, you might finally get the chance to meet the rest of the girls!"

It's somewhat intimidating to meet with all six of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony in a single go. Sure, I've known Twilight for years, and sure, I've met Pinkie Pie briefly when she helped organize my birthday party that one time, but it definitely was an idea I found that I have to get used to one day. They're her fellow friends, after all, much like myself, yet my concerns persisted nonetheless. "I'm not sure if I can gel with your friends as well as you do, to be honest," I admitted right out.

"You'll come around to them. Trust me! I would know!"

Another pair of giggles, before we began indulging in our more casual of conversations, nothing notable that anyone else needed to be privy to. I cannot fathom what she made of them, but for me, it was my last such conversation I could have with her before saying our fondest farewells and setting off on this great expedition. It was a reminder that even at its dimmest, there was always a welcoming brilliance in the limelight that is life. It was a reminder telling me that I must return alive and well from this expedition once all was said and done, that there was still a lot of time left to savor all the world's prospects, including those of my own bidding.

It was a promise I made to myself — a promise to come back to her, safe and sound — and it was a promise that I intend to keep.

No matter what.

.





.

The days leading up to the scheduled date of the expedition were hectic, for we have arranged it so with utmost consideration for the perceived urgency of the situation.  We began by negotiating an arrangement for the Society to provide monthly subsidies for the entire duration of our expedition. Once we've settled our funding, we then moved on to accumulate all necessary reference tools and equipment required to aid us in any way, shape or form. As we will be making our journey by carriage, we were told that there was a need for several trips back and forth to haul all our tools here. Thirdly, we began an assignment of roles for each member of the expedition, of which we unanimously voted will be headed by our most senior and, considering his field of study, most experienced in excursionary matters, Professor Brightward. He was reluctant to take on the post at first but ultimately relented out of sheer frustration from our constant pestering.

Our team of thirteen, surprisingly, had expertise on most of the scientific fronts, with Professor Brightward specializing in both geography and geology, and myself in magic and astronomy. Apart from the two of us, we have four from the physics department and three from the mathematics department — all six of whom were experienced mechanics and engineers — two from chemistry, one from biology and one from meteorology. Once again, apart from us thirteen, to help lessen the load, we've also brought along, should we have any, our team of assistants, my ragtag team included. I had some qualms bringing Silica, Redshift and Jade along; as bright and brilliant as they may be, their relative inexperience in proper fieldwork is a concern, and for them to participate in what essentially is a high profile expedition may be more than they can handle. However, I decided that it is only sensible that they come along, for the only way to combat inexperience is to provide them the experience themselves.

Once I mentioned everything to them, they were ecstatic, partially because of the prominence of our destination as a beautiful tourist trap, but also because of the intrigue. They wore the same looks of fascination as when I first detailed to them our mission of uncovering the existential philosophies that make up the ocean. It was their calling, as Silica couldn't put it more inaptly— the greatest expedition that they would ever partake in their lives. I may scoff, but I would admit that some part of me couldn't help but believe those words to be true.

Apart from us researchers and jolly assistants, there was also the Royal Guard— a single platoon of twenty-seven was assigned to escort us from Canterlot to Cape Silverwatch, where we are to rendezvous with the remainder of the guards already posted there, led by the captain overseeing both our expedition and the security of the region, Sergeant First Class Vale Brackens. Also, with the fact that this was a royally sanctioned expedition, we were also required to have someone from the Royal Archives to document all proceedings made in the expedition. As the lead archivist was too old to make such a long and tiring journey, we were instead graced with the company of his lead assistant instead: none other than Vellum Bound himself. Of course, when he found out, he quickly wrote to me, excited for being able to participate in what he calls 'history in the making' and being able to share in the exhilaration of this once-in-a-lifetime experience with all of us. Considering all the grand plans put in place so far, I'm inclined to share it as well.

With all preparations completed, we set off for Cape Silverwatch a week later, all to discover the secrets of the Emancipation. There was no uproarious fanfare when we left, though we were given the blessings of the princesses in the throne room before our eventual departure. Looking at us all, bright-faced and brimful of determination before the visages of royalty, it was then that I realized that whatever comes our way, we will make sure that we'll get to the bottom of it. Whatever happens, every one of us involved will ensure that this expedition will be a resounding success.

It should be.

It will be.

No matter what.