//------------------------------// // V: Vasa // Story: Princess of Infinity // by Echo 27 //------------------------------// He couldn’t breathe. He could not see, could not think, could barely feel. His injured arm was shrieking its agonies all across his body, the pain coursing across every fiber of his being until it felt as though his whole body had been ravaged by the wound. All around him was a thick, blurry murkiness that he knew to be deep water, and what felt like stone beneath his feet, if he was to guess. The rucksack across his shoulders had become immensely heavy as the water soaked it through, and his unconscious wife draped across his arm only added to the pressure. He kicked out hard for the surface, his lungs already eager for fresh air. He had taken no extra breath going through the gateway and circumstance now punished him for it. Onward he kicked, his mind solely focused on the singular hope of air that lay so far out of reach but growing ever closer. His vision began to dim, the rucksack tore into his grieving arms, his legs kicking madly for the surface that seemed far too far away, his lungs begging, beseeching him for air. He did not have time to cut the rucksack from his shoulders, Celestia still had not awoken and it was still too far, too far! The surface grew texture and detail as he came closer, watching the waves from underneath that seemed eager to seal him beneath their grasp and in the infinite black of the watery abyss. His legs were beginning to atrophy, it all seemed so far away- The water broke and the gulp of air Ford took next was so great and glorious that he knew nothing would ever feel so fresh or wondrous to his lungs ever again. Immediately he tore his arms free from the rucksack’s clutches, letting it descend back down to the surface. He would need to find a way to recover it, but now was not the moment to do so. He focused all his attentions on Celestia, keeping her afloat until she had regained consciousness once more. A horrible thought shot through him like lightning: what if she has water in her lungs? His brother had been the mariner, not he. He did not know how to perform resuscitation measures in such an environment, if the need became a crisis- She awoke as though having been slapped, her eyes wide and fearful as natural instinct kicked in, her panic pushing all her movements and emotions into overdrive. Celestia spluttered and choked, spewing water out of her lungs in a desperate bid to recapture air. “What happened? Where are we?” “You’re alright!” Ford’s mind briefly turned from the pain in his arm as delight took its place. “We jumped again, didn’t we?” she guessed, taking in her surroundings. “Surely we didn’t just fall from the sky.” “Below us. I had to drop the rucksack, else I would’ve drowned,” he said. “Are you alright? Your arm is limp!” “I tore it up on the mountain, I’ll be fine. Can you swim?” “Of course I can swim-” “Not what I mean, Tia! Whatever curse Sombra put on that place sapped you of your strength badly, do you have the strength to keep swimming freely?” he pressed. “Yes, I do.” Celestia scanned the area, her eyes settling on a point just behind Ford. “There’s a small island about a quarter-mile away, can you swim there with your arm in that condition?” “I’ll have to try- what about the rucksack?” “We’ll have to leave it. Neither of us are well enough to carry that much weight that far,” Celestia commanded, the words causing her visible pain even as she spoke them. All their additional clothing, weaponry, food, and supplies were within that rucksack, to abandon it was no light decision. “We can’t just leave it, we’ll have to find a way to retrieve some of it.” “And how will we carry it all? Get to the island, Ford, and we’ll deal with it there.” The decision was painful even to contemplate, but Ford found himself relenting to her will, knowing she at least spoke the truth. As best as he could manage he kicked out and tried to keep a steady course towards the small island of rock ahead, a barren waste of earth that was soaked to the bone by the splashing of the waves. “You’re struggling,” Celestia said, keeping by his side as they pushed through the current. “I think I pulled it from the socket,” Ford grunted, feeling a fresh wave of pain run through him. “I’ll need you to put it back in place when we get to shore.” “Can you make it to shore?” “I’ll have to, won’t I?” he replied. “Keep an eye out for predators, we’ve been making a lot of noise.” The thought hadn’t yet occurred to Celestia yet, she having been so preoccupied with simply making it to land before exhaustion set in that the thought of the wild beasts besetting them had yet to kick in. Suddenly the thought became dominant, and she imagined thick, pointed fins cutting through the water to encircle them- or worse, the ones just below them and just out of sight. In due time, the pair made it to the island safely, crawling up the gentlest slope of rock they could find before crashing with exhaustion and gasping for breath. Ford, trying his best to keep tabs on where he had dropped his rucksack, stared out over the waters and simply shook his head in defeat. “We just lost everything. Clothes, food, anything we could trade with,” he murmured. “And no fresh water out in this place.” Celestia surveyed the rest of their surroundings in the hopes of laying eyes on some passing vessel or nearby outcropping of true, solid land- disappointment was all she received, her eyes only finding an endless ocean all around her in every direction. The gateway, wherever it had dropped them, had simply been in the middle of nowhere. We could die out here, she thought. No food, no water, no way of moving forward… The despair was genuine and she shook herself to stave it off. “Let me take a look at that arm,” she said briskly, coming to Ford’s side and taking his injured arm in hand. “I can help accelerate the healing of the muscles within, but I’ll need to push it back into the socket first. And it will hurt.” “Do it,” Ford said, his face stony as he prepared for the oncoming blow. Celestia took a breath, steadying herself. If she got this wrong, the damage would be far worse, and would take more of her to heal. She would need to do this correctly if she were to keep him free of any additional harm. Pressing him down as flat as the terrain would allow, she took his arm out above his head and rotated it back, reaching for the opposite arm and pushing hard. With a loud Pop! she heard the shoulder fall back into place- Ford screamed and immediately rolled away the moment the act was done, cradling his injured arm as he struggled to control his agony- Celestia hardly let him move before she was upon him again, taking hold of him tightly and whispering just under her breath, her fingers slowly igniting as her power flowed forth, seeping out and into Ford’s injured arm, seeking torn muscle and damaged bone beneath his skin. Ford, still breathing hard, felt the pain immediately lessen, though he still trembled from the sudden shock. “Stay still and it’ll be done quicker,” she said, trying to ignore the fact that this simple healing spell was draining her quickly. Whatever vileness Sombra had left for her to find on that frostbitten world had done its damage; it would likely be some time before she could fully regenerate all her strength and be in fighting shape again. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Ford whispered. “You have no idea how good this feels.” “You certainly could say so more often,” Celestia replied coldness. “I’m not useless, or just some puffed-up Princess. I’m more capable than you are and you know it full well.” Ford was left befuddled by her sudden harshness. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “I’ve said it countless times, there’s no one I’d rather be with in this journey than you.” “You act as though I’m incapable of keeping us safe,” she said, the bitterness in her voice beginning to grow strong and hard as stone. “You always have to take the lead, have to do the harder task, have to be the one in danger- like you think I’m unable to work and fight right alongside you! And you’ve been doing this for years now!” “Of course I’m trying to keep you safe, why would I not want that? This is what I’m supposed to do, Celestia. It’s my job.” “It was your job, Ford. Drop the chivalry and stop trying to do this alone.” “I am not trying to do this alone, I am simply-” Ford broke off, covering his face with his hands as he tried to keep his temper from rising. “Celestia, I need you to understand this. I am trying to keep you alive because you’re –by far- more important than I am.” The answer was so strange that Celestia’s anger dissipated simply by her confusion. “What?” “You’re a Princess. The Princess. An immortal Alicorn, the only person who can stop Sombra, and ruler of the greatest kingdom the world’s ever known. That’s not something insignificant,” Ford said. “I need to keep you alive because you’re the only one who can stop Sombra. You need to get back to your kingdom, alive and whole. And- and if you were to be killed, I don’t know what I’d do. How am I supposed to go on without you? I can’t do this myself, who am I to Sombra? I’m some insignificant speck in the middle of something way out of my league, and the one person I have left in the world is you.” He settled down before her, he staring right into her with an icy intensity. “You’re my wife, and you’re all I’ve got. You’re all I ever wanted, and I- I will die before I would ever let anything happen to you. So please, stop assuming that I think less of you. I just need you to stay alive for me, and for everyone else.” She could see the sorrow in his eyes and knew it to be the truth. Ford had willingly followed her to this faraway place knowing one wrong move would be the end of him, that he now fought against powers that were far greater than he would ever become. All of it, down to this moment, was motivated by his love for her and the desire to see her return home to the kingdom she had left behind. There was no thought of his own safety or importance in this matter. He was a mere man; mortal, finite, and limited- and he knew it. “Ford…” “I want you to see your sister again, Tia,” he said softly, “for you to see your home, to see Twilight and the people who love you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make that come true. I’m not much in this battle, but if I can help make that real, then let me do it… please.” The two of them sat atop the small island of rock as far from the ocean as they could manage, still occasionally sprayed by the waves that slapped hard against the bare stone. Ford had settled a small distance from Celestia, staring out into the open ocean as they waited for fate to smile upon them once more, or else they perish upon these rocks in the middle of a vast sea. “You shouldn’t put yourself down like that, you know,” Celestia remarked. “You don’t have the right to deem yourself to be so lacking of value.” “Excuse me?” “You act like you’re such a tragic hero, Ford. I am here to say you do not get to grant yourself such a title.” “I’m not trying to be some sort of hero, I’m trying to make sure you can be-” “And how do you think I would have made it this far if not for you?” Celestia challenged. “You don’t need me to do any of this-” “Wrong!” she shouted, drowning out his attempts at rebuttal. “Stop trying to put me on a pedestal, Ford! I am flawed, failed- we are here because I could not destroy Sombra all those years ago. I am not this great deity, I am merely a servant of something greater- like you.” “But I don’t have the powers you do, the strength-” “You have strength of character, Ford. That matters far more than any might could ever mean. Look at Sombra: such power and will, and all of it means nothing because of what he chose to do with it. But you, a mere man, are greater than he could ever dream of being. Loyal, steadfast, loving…. My life is made more joyous because you are in it, and I have made it this far because of you. So stop trying to put me on a pedestal. Neither of us want it.” “I’m not- I’m just wanting to- oh for heaven’s sake,” Ford growled, coming over to her and standing before her. “Do you have to win this argument? Just let me protect you in peace.” “You are so determined to keep me alive that you’ve forgotten it is no longer just I, but one. You are my husband, and we are one in flesh. And I will not see it be separated.” She took him in her hands, caressing his salt-stained skin as she felt the strong, vibrant pulse of his heart beneath it. “You are going to make it. We will find the Philosopher’s Stone, and we’re going to win.” Ford longed to rest within her comfort, but knew the time would not allow him such warmth, and he sighed in his melancholy. “Do not set your heart in the future, beloved,” he whispered, “not all dreams come true.” “Some do. And they are worth believing in.” Ford could not stand to meet her steadfast gaze, and instead allowed his eyes to drift back to the seas before settling on a point just at the edge of the horizon. “Oh my- I think that’s a sail!” Celestia turned towards the seas, the cloudy gray above reflecting so perfectly across the clear waves that it would have been forgiven if she had missed it. But there, just at the edge where the seas met the horizon and growing larger, was the clear outline of a ship’s sail, pale white and sharp against the skies behind it. “We need a flare. Some sort of fire to get its attention,” Ford said. “I can remedy that.” Celestia’s hand pointed towards the clouds and a shower of bright, multicolored sparks were thrown high into the air, the streams of colors glowing fiercely against the dull colors of the sea. Slowly, the sharpened edges of the vessel turned towards them and grew ever larger, the ship having seen their signal of flames and deciding to investigate. “They’ve seen us, stay your hand,” Ford said. “Be ready in case they mean us harm, I have no weapon to speak of.” The thought hadn’t occurred to Celestia, and she let her magic cease and rest at the very edge of her fingers, right at the point of call. If these mariners decided to bring ill will against them, they would certainly find her to be more than a match for whatever they threw against her. “I see movement aboard, but I can’t make it out. Can you tell at all, Celestia?” She peered out hard at the incoming craft, straining her eyes and letting it come forth. A large portion of the movement was simply the mainsail flowing in the wind, though beneath at the tiller was the silhouette of a man, his head constantly bobbing back and forth between the island ahead and the sea just below. “It’s just a single person aboard,” she reported. “The craft doesn’t look large enough to hide anyone.” “Any weapons that you can see?” “If he has any, there are not in sight. Be courteous, but cautious.” “As if I have any other choice, being unarmed,” Ford growled, clearly displeased by his lack of armaments. As the small seacraft came closer to shore, the man aboard came into view, a dark-skinned man that stood a head taller than even Celestia, mountainous in form and an expression to match. She felt Ford tense beside her and hoped he wouldn’t make any sudden moves, for the newcomer gave the impression of vicious capabilities for violence. “Hail, friends!” he called, his voice deep and thunderous, yet flowing with friendliness and his eyes matched his smile. “What brings you here to this empty part of the Great Ocean?” His gregariousness, so jarring against his aggressive features, took the two stranded souls aback and left them momentarily speechless. Ford looked at Celestia with an expression that suggested shock. He, apparently, had been prepared for a fight. The giant man looked about the island as if searching for something. “I see no ship, friend,” he remarked, “have you been sunk by some foul beastie?” “We’ve had a bit of bad luck. All our supplies and fresh water are lost,” Celestia replied. “Well, looks like old Brevan came sailing by just in time!” he barked pleasantly. “Smart thinking of deploying your flares, I never would’ve seen this patch of rock otherwise- and then you’d be dead for sure! No one ever ventures this far south anymore.” “Can you help us, sir? We’re in a bit of a bind,” she said. “Of course I shall! What sort of man would I be if I left two souls to die here?” Brevan said. “You both look soaked to the bone- not surprised, looking at all this surf. Come, let Brevan help you out- you’ll find no greater master of the waves anywhere on the Great Ocean.” The two tired travelers were grateful for the help, but remained guarded as they boarded the small vessel, their eyes scanning every nook and cranny for a hidden blade or weapon, something that could be used against them. As the wood beneath their feet creaked, they turned to see Brevan leap back aboard behind them and marveled at the pure muscle that adorned his body from head to toe. A weapon, Ford mused, would only hinder him. His strength would be more than enough to win a fight. “Now, my friends,” he said, “to where were you headed before your ship fell? What brought you out to this lonely part of the seas?” Celestia felt Ford’s gaze burn into her and knew he waited for her to answer. The question was a simple one, really, but the problem would be knowing just how much she should say aloud. This could all be a grandiose trap set by Sombra, and this man’s friendliness merely a ruse. She decided upon part of the truth for now, and see what came next. “We’re looking for a gateway,” she said. “It would stand about ten feet tall, made of wrought-iron and one would hear whispers from it.” “A gateway?” Brevan’s expression was muddled and she felt her heart sank. “I know this whole Ocean, friend, and I sure don’t know what you’re talking about.” “It would look like doors made of solid metal. Dark-black and almost hot to the touch if you put your hand against it,” Ford added. “Think like something you’d see on the gate of a great castle.” Brevan laughed to himself. “Well those sure must be some fancy words, cause I don’t understand about half of them,” he remarked. “What’s a castle, for one? Never heard of such a thing, and I know everything there is to know.” “A building made of stone. Towers parapets, great halls and cellars!” “Wouldn’t seem all that sensible to me. How’d you expect a thing like that to float, anyhow?” Celestia saw Ford growing increasingly frustrated, but a dim thought in her mind began to grow as she listened to the two men continue their discussion. Some very simple, commonplace things that anyone would have known by heart were considered nonsense to this man. “Brevan,” she said slowly, loud enough so she could be heard over their voices. “Have you ever seen a tree before?” “I’m sorry, a what?” I was right. “How big is this ocean, Brevan?” “What do you mean, how big is it?” Brevan asked disdainfully. “It’s the whole bloody planet, friend. You know that, aye?” “The whole planet?” “Well, save for a few small patches of rock like that one there,” Brevan said, “but nothing really else. How’d you not know that?” He scrutinized his two new companions, eyeing this with suspicion and curiosity. “Just where’d you two come from? Never heard your accent before, and I’ve been everywhere from Drayton to Castiore.” “We’ve… come a long way,” Celestia replied. “I’m sorry, I can’t say more.” Brevan continued his inner musings, perhaps evaluating them both and judging their trustworthiness, and wondering if their strange words spoke to some hidden glory yet to be discovered. However, after a time, he simple gave a sigh. “Tell you what, friends,” he said, “I came way out this way looking for salvage and instead found you- so I’d say that makes you my lucky prize, eh?” Celestia saw Ford drop into position, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. “So maybe you’ll be a good luck charm for me till I get you to port. Old Jankers is about three weeks away, yeah? Oldest port on the whole bloody ocean, maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for there. And until then, you can help me do some salvage runs on the way there. Sound like a deal to you?” “And if we refuse?” Ford asked. “Well… nothing, I suppose. Can’t just let you starve, or throw you overboard and watch the sharks eat ya. S’not right,” Brevan replied. “How’s your seafaring skills?” “We’re both somewhat experienced,” Ford answered. “Excellent! Means I can finally sleep and not worry about drifting offcourse. Hope you two soaking sods know how to fish, or else we’ll get real hungry. Rations don’t last forever, aye?” The voyage was long, each day similar to the next until it seemed all the world they have ever known was salt and spray, ocean and sky in an endless cascade of blue and grey. Every morning they would see the skies grow clearer, only for mid-day clouds to roll through and bring rain down upon them, and the trio would set out cups and buckets to catch the fresh water for their daily nourishment, with fishing rods set to the side of the vessel in the hopes of gathering their meal. As the day would pass on, the clouds would disperse and allow the sunset to bid them farewell, and the night sky would be clear and bright with each star shining like a diamond set against velvet blackness. Brevan, as they came to discover, could not have been a better friend in their journey. Boisterous and amiable, his hulking figure befitted his larger-than-life personality, a booming man who laughed freely and often with such a shout that Celestia wondered if she would go deaf from the sound of it. He was a fiery soul who loved the sea dearly, desiring nothing but to be upon it and relishing in its wildness until he was one with the very waves he sailed upon. Though she and Ford had been on the high seas for a great deal of their journey, their experience seemed miniscule in comparison to the colossal mariner’s great breadth of knowledge, as though the seas had smiled upon him and gifted him with all their many secrets. Though their hopes of finding the gateway still remained dim, Brevan was willing to aid them along their way, his spirits soaring as they continued on. A salvager by heart, his many dives below the surface yielded great treasures and he delighted in his bounty. “I’ve been out here on the waves for years, and never have I had such fortune!” he laughed wildly, abounding in his newfound wealth. “I beg you, stay with me as part of my crew- the fortune we would amass, the fleet we would have at our command! Our names would be known in every corner of the Great Ocean!” “I’m sorry, friend, but we must continue on,” Ford replied, appearing genuinely apologetic. “We have a personal treasure of our own to find. It is the key to our next step, and I don’t think we can rest until we find it.” “But please, my friends, surely it cannot be that important,” Brevan countered. “You only have one life to spend, why would you waste it away after a single treasure? This wealth we have here- it is real, tangible! You could spend your days in peace with it!” “We would not have peace if we set our goal aside,” Celestia said gently. “It stirs in our hearts until we think of nothing else.” Brevan appeared disappointed but decided to let the argument drop for now, the debate a constant wellspring of words for the three seafarers. “Very well then,” he grunted, “tell me of your travels! You promised me more stories of your homeland, where these ‘trees’ and ‘meadows’ thrive.” “They might have thrived here once, my friend,” Ford said, gazing past him and beyond towards the sunset. “Fifteen minutes till it’s dark- after all, this great sea we travel upon wasn’t always here.” Brevan laughed. “Children’s stories and myths, you know that! Legends passed down by the wives, nothing real.” “Have you ever wondered if it might be, Brevan?” Celestia asked. “After all, how would we know what it would be like to see such things? Mountains and forests, lakes, rivers… green things that flourish.” “You tempt me with your stories yet again,” Brevan remarked. “Tell me more of your tales, even if they are only children’s stories. Never have I heard them said so clearly.” A month passed and at long last their destination grew close, only a sunrise away before they would soon see the ancient floating port of Old Jankers, the first colony ever to be made upon the waves. Brevan spoke of it with a reverence, calling it a place of awe and holiness. “Holiness?” Ford asked. “Aye, it is the heartbeat of this Great Ocean,” Brevan answered. “An old church floats there, which is the epicenter of it all. The Monks of Light, they call themselves. Strange folk, but they do try their damnedest to keep the peace on the waves. Old Glowas is the high priest now, always talking about their greatest relic.” “And what’s that?” “No one knows, save those creepy old monks. Not like they let anyone in to that sacred place, they’d kill you for sure! But they always made it sound like they were talking to someone there… I’ve heard them mention ‘whispers’ or something of the like.” Ford and Celestia stole a glance at one another while Brevan drifted in his own thoughts. Perhaps guided by a greater hand, or simply by accident, Brevan may have taken them right to their destination without even realizing it. A whispering thing was familiar to them both, and their minds turned to the thoughts of an ancient gateway wide and awaiting them, its many tendrils of light beckoning as it called to them in a thousand hushed voices. Brevan slept comfortably in the cabin, Celestia and Ford promising to main the tiller while he rested. As soon as they were certain he was asleep they turned to one another and spoke in hushed voices, slowly formulating a plan that would find their way onward. Though determined to continue on, they were loath to so casually abandon such a steadfast and warm friend as Brevan who had shown them such kindness these many days upon the sea. “I know we want to simply move on, but he said it was considered a holy relic. I fear that if we transgress upon the place, we would cause him great trouble for bringing us here,” Celestia said. “I don’t want to be responsible for bringing grief upon him, not after all the help he’s given us.” “And think of this: what if it isn’t the gateway? We’d be stuck here dealing with the wrath of a bunch of holy men who seem to do good things for this place. I think we’d cause real trouble on a much bigger scale if we’re wrong,” Ford added. “It has to be. I do not believe we would be thrown here by accident and to be brought here falsely.” “I want to believe, but I also have to make sure we have a contingency plan if we’re wrong,” Ford replied. “Because if we are wrong, we suddenly have a major problem on our hands- we won’t know where the gateway is. It could be underwater and hidden away by the floods.” “One problem at a time, then,” Celestia said simply. “Since it is easiest to deal with, let us say the monk’s relic is the gateway. It is their most sacred possession, how do we get to it?” “Should we reveal ourselves? Play a strength card and request to see it?” “I don’t want to masquerade as gods- neither of us are worthy of the title,” she said. “And somehow I doubt we would pass as fellow members of their order, we don’t have anywhere near enough knowledge of the thing itself to pretend so greatly.” Ford gave a harsh, low chuckle. “So we’re going there in the hopes we will have a semblance of a plan to somehow make it all work, is that what I’m understanding?” “Unless you have any worthwhile suggestions, yes.” “Then consider me as blank as you are. I’ll follow your lead.” Celestia sighed, looking up at the stars and finding no comfort in the sight. These were not the stars she knew, the ones that heeded her sister’s call. All it did was make her long for her true home, away from this world within a world and to where she belonged. “You should get some rest, beloved,” Ford said. “We will have a busy day in the morning. I say we help Brevan unload his freight before we depart.” “Very well then,” she said, turning to the cabin and finding herself hesitating at the door. “Ford…” “Mm?” It felt embarrassing to say aloud, and perhaps disgraceful in lieu of their journey’s seriousness, but she was compelled to speak nevertheless. “I’ve had- I’ve enjoyed this. This month aboard with you.” “Have you now?” his tone was playful, a call back to their days together in Canterlot. “I know you and I have not had it easy since we left, but this- I’m glad for it.” “I am glad to have spent any of my days with you, Princess,” he said. “Now get some rest. I’ll keep us on course.” The early morning sun glowed red against distant cloud as the still-shimmering beacons of the distant port came into view, the three seafarers baggy-eyed as the morning began. “Looks like we’ll be racing against the waves for this one,” Brevan remarked. “Definitely something nasty headed towards us. Hopefully it’ll hold off till me get tied down at the shipyard.” “Hurricane?” Ford asked. “A squall, at the least. It’s too early for a typhoon of any sorts to be out and about- at least I hope.” Celestia, however, found herself less concerned with the weather and more their destination, gazing intently at the signal beacons that were coming ever closer. “Is that Jankers up ahead?” “The perimeter of it, yes,” Brevan answered. “The actual port itself is another two leagues out. Shouldn’t take us long to be settled, Old Jankers isn’t particularly trafficked this time of year.” “So what brought you so far south? Hopes of riches and glory?” “And I certainly found them both!” he declared. “I owe it all to you both for it, truly. I would certainly call you my good luck charm, fair lady, for never have I had such fair fortune till you two came upon my ship.” “We’re glad to have been of aid, friend,” Ford said. “Is there anything else you will need from us once we reach the port?” “Not at all! Just logistics and unloading, I’ll see to it all myself. You’ve done more than enough to help me this past month.” A strange sort of grief fell upon the party and the last leg of their journey was completed in silence, content to watch the sun be swallowed by the oncoming storm, its rumbles and grumbling audible even from such a great distance. Celestia knew it would strike almost exactly the moment they departed from one another, and she wondered if indeed she had become some figure of good omens for this place, by intent or none at all; a parallel of Sombra’s curse and blight upon the world. The floating city soon came into view, and it was not long before they were helping Brevan tie the boat down to the nearby dock and bringing their abundant haul of salvage to the deck for unloading. Ford busied himself with helping Brevan make preparations while Celestia could not help but gaze into the city, fascinated by the place. It would be a magnificent place to explore if they had the opportunity, a veritable multitude of great ships and rafts, tied together or bound by numerous docks and bridges that had become a fused mass of all sorts of things, whether it be barges, or yachts, or simple trawlers. Boathouses lined the outlying areas near the docks, likely traders and docking crews, while more opulent and regal cruisers made up the city center- and surrounded by it all was a massive freighter, painted pure white with a crimson triad symbol painted on what had once been the bridge, various banners hanging across its hull. “Brevan! That ship there, what is it?” she called. “That dusty old thing? Tis the House of Light, where the Monks dwell,” the seafarer replied. “It’s the city’s epicenter and reason for existing. It’s been here since before Old Jankers was even known as Jankers.” “I believe that’s where we will make our start,” Celestia declared. “Ford, are you ready?” “Always.” The weathered warrior set aside his handful of salvage and gathered himself at Celestia’s side, the two taking their place at the edge of the vessel and bowing as one before their friend. “It has been an honor to sail with you these past days, Brevan,” Celestia said, her smile as genuine and heartfelt as her sorrow. “May your newfound wealth bring you great happiness so that you know peace the rest of your days.” “Must you go, then?” Brevan asked. “Please, stay with me as I prepare for a new departure. This salvage here will allow me to build a great fleet, and I would be honored to have you as my partners in the venture.” “We cannot. Our duty is elsewhere,” Celestia answered. “Though we are sorrowed to leave you, for your kindness is what allowed us to live on. We will be forever grateful.” “Then please, grant me these requests,” Brevan said, taking to his belt and placing a pouch of gold coins in Ford’s hand. “I ask that you take some of the spoils, as payment for your efforts on the voyage. I never would have amassed such wealth without your aid.” “Brevan, you do not have to-” “I wish to, as gratitude. Now please, allow me this last request: who are you, truly? I have seen every kind of mariner, pirate, and salvager this Great Ocean has ever known, yet never have I seen your kind. From where do you truly hail, and what manner of great being do I gaze upon with my eyes?” Ford looked to Celestia, willing to follow her lead in the matter. Celestia, however, only smiled and shook her head, unwilling to reveal her great secret. “We are only a cherished memory, my friend,” she said. “A shroud of mist in the morning, now devoured by the dawn. You will forget us, in time- and I believe your heart will be the better for it.” “No, I do not believe I could ever forget a fair folk as you,” Brevan said, giving a deep bow as he bade their last farewell. “It has been an honor to know your face, great lady of light.” “So much for not being seen as gods,” Ford said, laughing quietly as the two of them made their way towards the House of Light, darting this way and that through corridors and causeways across the darkened waters. “You forget just what kind of impression you make on people- how they see you.” “I do not try to,” Celestia said unhappily, remembering the reverence in Brevan’s eyes. “Alicorns are different, yes, but we are not counted among the greater things of the world.” “There is only one other of your kind left in the world, Celestia. You are unique by default.” “Interestingly enough, he spoke as though he saw you much of the same way,” Celestia remarked. “I wonder, perhaps I have become so accustomed to your presence that I did not notice a change in you.” “I stand beside the Princess of the Sun,” Ford said simply. “If I radiate because of you, then I am proud to do so.” Celestia considered him as they moved onwards, regarding his features and comparing it to this darkened world. True, he looked no mightier or more terrible than any other man, and the weariness of life had begun to show upon him in earnest. Beyond the mere surface, however, she gazed all the deeper and saw a fairness in him, a brightness that shone unlike anything she had seen in any mere man, and wondered whether it was her own powers reflected in him or if he had come to harness a greatness beyond the grasp of a mere Man. As the House of Light came before them, they began to make their way toward the gangplank when a great commotion erupted upon the top deck and gave them pause. A group of men, dressed in fine garments of snow-white robes, appeared at the top of the gangplank and began making their way down the thing board in a great rush, looking back over their shoulder to the bridge with great fear in their eyes. “You must go! Quickly, while there is time to spare!” one of them called, pushing hard against his fellows and slamming into Ford. Ford staggered back against the sudden weight and pushed back, throwing the smaller man aside. “What was that for? I’m not your enemy!” “I know you’re not- and that is why I urge you to leave!” the monk gasped. “Our greatest relic may be about to ignite, and our great priest urges us to flee!” “What has happened?” Celestia demanded. The monk gazed at Celestia with an expression of both fear and awe, somewhat dazed by the aura that surrounded her, even greater than that of Ford’s. “Our relic- it seemed to awaken and open by itself!” he cried. “We fear a great power is about to flow forth from its opening, and we shall all perish.” Celestia suddenly felt a flare of triumph in her, smiling widely. “I believe that is all the confirmation we need,” she said to Ford, whose frustration with the frightened man disappeared instantly at his words. “Shall we continue on?” “I believe so,” Ford said, and the two began their walk up the gangplank while the frightened monk gaped at them in astonishment. “Are you mad? Turn back! Whatever offerings you have are of no use- flee before it is too late!” Celestia and Ford found little resistance as they moved ahead, striding past groups of monks and parishioners that seemed to have accepted their dire fate, some in groups and clutching one another while some sat separate, on their knees and help deep in prayer. “Interesting that it awakens now, don’t you think?” Ford asked. “Did it somehow know we were nearby and decide to open up? The one in the empty world was already awake, and so was the one on the mountaintop.” “I have no answer worth saying,” Celestia replied, taking the steps to the bridge and moving along. “You and I are dealing with things we could not fully understand. You recall I spoke as though the gateway itself is alive?” “Like an arbiter of sorts,” he said. “I still don’t see how a door of wrought-iron could possess that sort of knowledge.” “Neither do I, hence why I don’t understand it,” Celestia said, pushing the bridge door open to find the gateway sitting before the helm, a royally-garbed man down on his knees beside him, praying aloud as he trembled. For a moment, he did not notice the entrance of the newcomers and continued on, only jolted from his chanting as Ford slammed the door behind him. “Who- who are you? You must go, lest the Lord of Light slay us all!” the priest said, his fear overcome by indignancy. “Already this great treasure threatens us, do not provoke anger any further!” “We have no desire to do so. That is why we are here to appease it,” Celestia said pleasantly, as though the conversation was mere lunchtime chatter. Ford turned to his side and gave a cry of delight, his hands wrapped about an exquisitely crafted trident of brilliant steel and reveling in the feel of it on his fingers. “Finally! I have felt bare without a real weapon on me. It is no spear, but it will do.” “Please, leave immediately! You should not be here!” the priest barked. “We quite agree, and so we’ll leave- through that gateway, as you’ll see,” Celestia said. “I hope you won’t be too angered by such a thing, we really mean no harm.” “Through the- the great Chasm of Whispers is not meant for mortal eyes!” “Well then, I would say it is good we are not mortal,” Celestia said brightly, taking Ford in hand. “Ready?” “As always,” he replied. “Wait- who are you, then? What manner of Lord sent you here?” the priest demanded. Celestia sighed, shaking her head at the wizened man. “We are just a figment of your imagination,” she answered. “Don’t you think it will be better that way?” The two couldn’t help but laugh at the priest’s fumbling and simply strode through the gateway, finding themselves enveloped by light. “And so, I bought those two cruisers there. See them, just beyond the Queen? Aye, such fine vessels they are, too, easily my most profitable of the fleet. The Lady and The Guardian, I called them, after two friends of mine I met a long time ago. How about I tell you the tale? Well, I was salvaging in the southern ocean for a few weeks and wasn’t having much luck, when suddenly I saw a flare in the distance…”