//------------------------------//
// Somewhere Beyond The Sea 
// Story: Strange Bedfellows 
// by BRBrony9 
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The sighting was confirmed by other telescopes, other eyes, other ponies. It was no mirage, it was fact. There were ships, cresting the distant horizon, visible from the deck of the Vanquisher, though not from the city just yet. Guns were manned and run out, damage control stations made ready for action, the decks cleared. Eager ponies awaited the order to fire, training their cannons upon the targets. There were five in total, two large vessels and three smaller ones. Smoke was billowing from their funnels, trailing behind them, blowing in the wind. 

Where were they from? Who was aboard them? Were they part of the forces of the human enemy?

Those ponies who had worked with the Equestrian Navy before quickly confirmed that was not the case. They recognised the vessels, especially the two larger ones. They were not enemies. On the contrary, they were friendly. To doubly confirm that fact, the vessels began to flash messages with signal lamps to the airship and, once they were in range, to the city itself.

The message was quickly relayed via messenger Pegasus to Canterlot, and to the Princess herself. They had made contact, not with the enemy, but with their own.





Princess Celestia received the surprise, though very welcome, news of the return of Grand Admiral Prince Bluewater and his expeditionary fleet. They had put to sea during the first hours of the crisis at Celestia's command, and only now were they making contact again, due to the conditions which had prevailed in Equestria for the past several months. The small fleet had long since been given up as lost among the Equestrian commanders. After all, Bluewater was not exactly known as the most experienced or competent of leaders, or sailors, for that matter. His appointment had been more of a political consideration than anything else. The Navy had long been the poor stepchild of the Equestrian armed services, paling in comparison to the Army, Royal Guard and especially the Air Corps, all of which had more functional patrol and protection duties across the nation. The Navy, however, had little functionality when Equestria was not at war with the Zebras, whose nation lay beyond the eastern sea.

Equestria's other enemies historically had not needed naval intervention to combat. The Griffons were to the north in the mountains, the Changelings could pop up wherever they pleased, and the dragons tended to stick to the mountains or deserts. Military control of the eastern sea had never been of extreme importance, and Equestrian territorial waters could be patrolled more effectively by airships, which were faster and better armed than early pony warships had been. In the days of sail, one huge galleon had been constructed with much pomp and circumstance, given the name Equestria, sailed out into the harbour on its maiden voyage, and promptly rolled over and sank as the gunports for the black-powder cannon had been left open to fire a salute to the watching Princess when an unexpectedly large wave had swamped the ship. 

Such an ignominious attempt at ruling the high seas was naturally met with some derision from the Zebricans across the sea once word made it to them of the failure. Their own navy was small and focused almost entirely on home defence, consisting mostly of canoes and small skiffs. The Equestrian Navy, however, was not content to simply be remembered for that singular failure, and had embarked on another building spree, constructing another large galleon, the Triumphant. This time, it lived up to its name, besting a large flotilla of Zebrican skiffs in a skirmish that had seen essentially the end of the Zebra navy as a realistic force. Such a large ship as the Triumphant could essentially sail wherever it pleased without fear of destruction. It was faster than the canoes and skiffs, had more firepower than the entire Royal Artillery at that time, and a crew large enough to make a significant incursion ashore should they desire it. 

Since the days of sail, peace was the order of the day between Equestria and the Zebras. The Royal Equestrian Navy had always maintained a token force that was mostly used for anti-piracy operations, since pony buccaneers were really the only other force to build anything significant in the way of warships. They menaced the trade clippers that plied the routes between Manehattan and the Zebra homeland, stealing and looting cargo whenever the desire struck them, similar to the rebels and bandits found elsewhere across Equestria, except with no particular political agenda. Merely plundering whatever suited them tended to be their only desire.

As technology progressed, sail gave way to steam, and the modern Equestrian Navy far outclassed the wooden ships and iron ponies of the pirates who still occasionally opposed them. Its coastal corvettes were sleek and fast ironclads, still fitted with sails but also steam turbines, the latest in propulsion. The flagship of the fleet, the ENS Celestia, and her sister ship, the ENS Luna, were very much the pride and joy of the Navy. Though they were classified only as frigates, they were almost three times longer than the frigates of old, the sailing vessels which had been the mainstay of the fleet for several centuries. The two giants of the seas were fitted with cemented steel armour, and two huge turrets, each housing a pair of monstrous twelve-inch guns, the largest ever forged by the foundries of Fillydelphia, capable of all but obliterating a pirate galleon in a single volley. Their belts of thick armour protected them from anything an enemy could throw at them; it would take a gun of equivalent caliber to their main battery, or Alicorn-level magic, to penetrate it. Their steam turbines drove them onward at a surprisingly rapid rate for such huge beasts, meaning that the Celestia and Luna, like their namesakes, could roam wherever they pleased with impunity.

At Celestia's command, the fleet had put to sea with the first invasion alarm. There had been little information as to what threats Equestria might face at that time, and having the fleet sitting in port would invite its sudden destruction by an enemy who might know where to find them. Being out on the high seas gave them a far greater chance of survival- though not, as it turned out, against the humans, who could have easily used their orbital sensors to locate the warships if they wished, through their magnetic signatures or the heat from their engines, or even by visual observation of the smoke from their funnels.

The Vanquisher had sent a fast messenger Pegasus to Canterlot to alert the Princess, and now at her orders was dispatched itself to bring Grand Admiral Bluewater back to the capital for a report. A lot had changed since he had put to sea. When the airship arrived, it was directed by signal lamp to hold position outside of the city and remain airborne. The landing fields were still contaminated with fallout, and the human cleanup crew had been directed to turn their attentions to that area as a priority. Instead of landing, Princess Celestia made her way via teleportation to the deck of the Vanquisher.

Grand Admiral Bluewater was found down in the Captain's ready room, where he had been waiting to land. The Admiral found himself somewhat taken aback by the sudden arrival of the Princess, and he managed to compose himself and get to his feet, throwing a sloppy salute in her direction.

'Your Highness! I did not expect you to be coming aboard,' he greeted her. 

'As you were, Admiral,' Celestia replied. 'The airship cannot land at the moment due to...a certain environmental condition that is affecting the landing fields,' she explained. It would take rather too long to fill the Admiral in on the precise nature of that condition, so she simply glossed over it. 'I understand your fleet has returned to Manehattan bay. That is most pleasing news. All is well with your ships?'

'Yes, Your Highness,' Bluewater answered with a nod. 'All of my vessels are intact and in fighting trim,' he stated proudly. 'Though we are low on certain supplies. I...was extremely dismayed to see the state of Manehattan, so I imagine we are not going to be getting resupplied from there...?'

'Sadly, no,' Celestia replied. 'The city was occupied by the human enemy for some weeks.'

'Then those humans who visited the palace were not to be trusted after all? As I predicted,' Bluewater scoffed.

'On the contrary, Admiral. Manehattan would still be under enemy control if not for their most able assistance,' Celestia replied. 'We have been working alongside them to help retake key cities from our mutual enemy. As it turns out there are two...sects of humans, if you will. One, the Imperium, who you already know, and their enemies, who they call the forces of Chaos. I take it from your lack of awareness of this that you have not encountered this human enemy during your patrol?'

'No, Your Highness,' Bluewater replied with a confused frown at learning so much new and surprising information so quickly. 'We did not encounter any humans whatsoever. I have not seen any since I left Canterlot. None of my crews have even seen these humans at all. I suspect many of them believe I have been talking nonsense to them for weeks.'

That would not be a surprise, Celestia thought to herself. Bluewater, older brother of Prince Blueblood, had no family tradition of seaponyship, or indeed military service. His position was, at least in part, meant as a method of keeping him out of the more important things, such as diplomacy, with which minor royalty might otherwise be expected to cope. Initially Bluewater had merely been a kind of figurehead leader for the Navy while a regular non-grand Admiral was actually directly in charge of operations, similar to how many fire departments across Equestria had a civilian fire commissioner in theoretical command, while a chief of department remained in actual day-to-day command of the force. Through political wrangling, however, and the creation of the Chiefs of Staff as an advisory council to the Princess, Bluewater had been able to have the lower rank disbanded, leaving himself as the top dog in the Navy both in fact as well as in title. 

Nevertheless, he had, it seemed, managed to bring his small fleet back home without losing any of his vessels, though the lack of contact with any humans suggested it could have been more of a pleasure cruise than a serious military operation. The ships of the fleet, however, were not designed to operate away from port for so long without resupply.

'Tell me, Admiral, where did you obtain fresh coal for your boilers with Manehattan in the hands of the human enemy?' she asked.

'New Zebrica, Your Highness,' Bluewater replied. 'We had not received orders from you or your sister for many days, and our supplies of coal were running low. Since you had ordered us to remain at sea away from Equestria, I did not deem returning to home port to be a wise move. I ordered the fleet to sail for New Zebrica, where the local authorities were happy to aid us with replenishment,' he explained. 'In fact, the Zebra Chieftains invited me to a grand reception in their jungle palace. It is really a magnificent building. Have you been? But of course you have...'

Celestia cut off his ramblings. 'You said that you saw no humans. Did the Zebras inform you of any contact with that species?'

'No, they made no mention of them,' Bluewater answered. 'I tried explaining to them, but they could only picture Diamond Dogs...I suppose the similarities are quite striking, really, if one has seen both species as I have.'

'They have had no encounters with humans at all?' Celestia pressed, and Bluewater shook his head.

'As far as I know, Your Highness. They certainly did not tell me if they had. They did, however, report an encounter with something else.'

'What?' Celestia queried.

'That is why I returned to Manehattan, Your Highness,' Bluewater replied. 'After several weeks enjoying the Zebrican hospitality, the Chieftains reported to me that one of their hunting parties had come across what looked to be a new construction.'

'What kind of construction?' Celestia narrowed her eyes.

'They were not completely sure, Your Highness, so I sent a patrol out to investigate,' the Admiral explained. 'They reported that it looked like a Hive. A Changeling Hive.'

'Are you sure?' Celestia asked. 'Were they certain that is what they saw?'

'They seemed certain, Your Highness, yes,' Bluewater nodded. 

'And it seemed like a newly built Hive? Constructed recently?'

'Yes, Your Highness, that is what both my patrol and the Zebra hunting party reported,' Bluewater confirmed. 'The hunters had been to that location before on numerous occasions, and they had never seen any evidence of activity there in the past.'

'Then we know their location,' Celestia announced triumphantly. 'We know where they have fled to. At least, perhaps. Did either the Zebras or your patrol report any signs of Changeling activity in that area?'

'No, Your Highness. My patrol did not see any Changelings, and the Zebras have reported much the same thing,' Bluewater replied. That did not necessarily prove anything one way or the other, but the sighting of a seemingly new Hive, with or without Changelings being actually sighted, was a strong indicator that it was where they had fled to after the battle.

Celestia gave Bluewater a quick summary of the anti-Changeling operations that had taken place while he and his fleet had been away, to bring him up to speed. The Hive, the volcano, the eruption, the missing Element and Twilight's capture, all brand new information for the increasingly bewildered Admiral.  

Princess Celestia sent word back to Manehattan for the fleet to dock and be resupplied to the best of the ability of the small occupying force that was currently stationed there. The trio of smaller ships moved in and were tied up, made fast by thick ropes to the wharves, while the two larger frigates remained out in the bay due to their size, their heavy anchors holding them in place against the ebbing and flowing tides of Manehattan harbour.  Their own ships' boats were pressed into service; the lighters and barges which would normally had been operated by the port staff were either destroyed or damaged, meaning the only way to load up new coal and victuals for the two capital ships was to use their own smaller cutters and pinnaces for the purpose. Those boats could carry far smaller quantities than the big coal barges, however, meaning that the process would take a considerably longer time, which was just as well, for Grand Admiral Bluewater still had to make the journey back from Canterlot aboard the Vanquisher. The fleet would not go anywhere without their leader, no matter how inexperienced he might be in the matter of naval combat.

What would happen next, what the Princess would decide to do, remained to be seen. A rash action would not help anything. This information had to be processed, thought through carefully and thoroughly. If everything went in their favour, if this Hive was indeed a new one, then it could be the break they needed. If Chrysalis was there with her minions, then it might, just might, be their chance to recover the missing Element.




Even while Grand Admiral Bluewater's fleet was returning to its home port and being resupplied and re provisioned, other forces were on the move as well. The Imperial Guard were preparing to make their encircling move on the city of Fillydelphia, the last major Chaos stronghold in the central southern regions of Equestria. Home to the National Arsenal of Equestria, the largest collection of government-owned buildings to be found anywhere in the land, Fillydelphia had been not just a military hub, but the focus for weapons development and equipment production. The factories of the Arsenal churned out thousands of rifles, hundreds of artillery pieces of all calibers and sizes, and countless millions of rounds of ammunition for every weapon in use by the various branches of the military.

It was sometimes said that Canterlot was the brains of the Equestrian armed forces, being the location of its high command, chiefs of staff, and the Princess who was supreme commander. The two major military garrison cities of Vanhoover and Manehattan, one east, one west, were likened to the lungs. In the same analogy, Fillydelphia was very much the heart providing constant, dependable service, day in, day out, without which the other organs would collapse, wither and die. An army without weapons could not fight, and a weapon without ammunition could not fire. Fillydelphia provided it all, the lifeblood of the nation's military might, that coursed through every vein and artery of the land to provide the means by which its soldiers, Guardsponies and aircrew could protect Equestria. 

That was all very much meaningless at the present time, and had been since the invasion. Fillydelphia had been rapidly occupied by the Chaos forces, as the pony garrison had very much not been expecting such an assault from the stars and had little defence against it. They had put up a valiant fight, barricading several factories as strong points, but they in turn were pounded into rubble by heavy human artillery and tank guns. Only magical shields offered any lengthy resistance, but even they were breached with ease by the human las-weapons. Eventually, the city had fallen, spirited resistance being of little use against overwhelming force and numbers. The usual massacres and slaughter of the civilian population had followed. No news had come out of the city since the day of the invasion.

Any information on conditions there relied entirely upon the humans and their scanning systems to observe Fillydelphia from orbit, which they had been doing for some days, both to check for any evidence of more atomic weapons, and in a more general sense to check for enemy positions and numbers. The majority of the buildings of the National Arsenal complex were still mostly intact, according to reports. There were a number of large factories, with tall chimneys and smoke stacks and numerous smaller outbuildings, storage sheds and warehouses surrounding them. Much of the rest of the city was similar in design and layout to Baltimare, with a mixture of light and heavy industry with some residential areas and open spaces. The Imperial forces were becoming quite experienced with attacking such similar cities, and, it was hoped, Fillydelphia would be little different in that regard. 

Princess Celestia had insisted upon the recapture of the city due to its strategic importance for Equestria. Remaining pony military forces were already stretched very thin, and some key supplies were running low. There were stockpiles of ammunition and equipment, which had been broken open as needed, but even they were starting to run low. If they were to continue fighting, they needed more. Logistics was a very harsh mistress, and the Equestrian military was no different from the Imperial Guard in that respect. Even if the humans were doing the bulk of the fighting against their own kind, there was still the matter of the Changelings to consider, especially now that new information had come to light about their possible location. Celestia was determined to deal with them, once and for all, one way or another. 




Twilight had observed the arrival of an airship unknown to her, spying it entering the valley as she took a walk along the walltop of the palace grounds. She had decided, partly on the recommendation of the doctor, to institute a daily walk routine for herself, to help get her underused muscles back into the groove. As she felt a lot better than she had a few days earlier, that was a much easier prospect to face than it had seemed when she had first returned to Canterlot. Her family, friends, the Princess, familiar surroundings, all had done much to aid her recovery from the trauma she had faced while a guest of Queen Chrysalis and her vicious minions. While the physical scars were fading, the mental ones, even with all that help, would not be shaken off so easily.

Twilight still felt that she had let the Princess down, despite repeated assurances to the contrary. She had not been alert enough to prevent her own capture, and it might have led to the capture of all the rest of her friends, too, if not for a Guardspony patrol who, fortunately, had been on the ball and had scared off the Changeling team who, it was safely assumed, had been there for just such a purpose. Not only that, but she had got ponies killed trying to rescue her from the Hive. No matter how many reassuring words she heard from Spitfire, Celestia and Luna, that kind of thought did not go away easily. It preyed on the vulnerable mind, even if one did not realise it, tormenting with the thoughts of how differently things might have turned out if only this had been done, or that had not.

Twilight wanted to move on, but it was not that simple. She wanted to forget and put her ordeal behind her. She wanted to believe in the words of the Princess, as she always had before, almost unconditionally. But something was different this time, and she did not know exactly what, or exactly why. All she knew was how she felt, and she still felt...wrong.

The airship had entered the valley and come to a halt not far from the city, rather than landing. Twilight knew that the landing fields were still being cleared of the radioactive fallout, but she did not know why this airship had arrived in Canterlot. It was not one of those assigned to the city, which had left upon receipt of the fallout warning. They were not expected back just yet, instead being quartered temporarily in Vanhoover or Las Pegasus until messengers from the capital reached them, calling them back. This was a different airship, and she did not recognise it.

She did, however, recognise the Princess, when she saw a sudden flash of light upon the airship's deck. Twilight wondered what she was doing. The airship did not move, suggesting that she was not going anywhere aboard it. After a few minutes, she gave up watching and continued with her walk, as there was nothing else to see. She came down from the palace walls and wandered through the gardens for a little while, before returning to her room to rest upon her bed. Again she tried her best not to let her mind dwell upon her fears and doubts, instead attempting to focus on the positives. Her family was alive, her friends were alive, she was safe, back in Canterlot, her first home, but not her real home. That was Ponyville, and the town she had grown to love was gone, wiped away, erased from the map by the flood waters from the Hoofer Dam. That sad knowledge most certainly did not help with her mood. She knew that many of those she had met and regarded as friends were likely gone, dead but not buried. Who knew what foul things the human enemy might have done to them before, or even after, their deaths? It did not bear thinking about.

A knock came at her door after a while. She wasn't sure how long, as she had lost track of time while in her reverie. A servant entered. The Princess wished to speak with her once more.

Twilight followed the servant to the throne room, where she had seemingly spent more time lately than she had when she actually lived in Canterlot- although of course, she now lived in Canterlot once more. Perhaps it would be her permanent home from now on. That might not be so bad- after all, it was a place she knew, and her friends from Ponyville would be in the same position as her.

Celestia greeted her, with a warm but serious expression on her face. She explained the purpose of the Vanquisher's visit, and that Grand Admiral Bluewater and his fleet had returned from somewhere beyond the eastern sea. He had been to the Zebrican lands, she said. There, he had learned something, she said. There, he had learned from the locals of the appearance of something, she said.

Something important, something dangerous. A Changeling Hive, she said.

Twilight hardly knew what to think. She had expected it, of course, that the Changelings would show themselves again eventually. They had not been defeated or destroyed. But for news of their location to come so soon...a shock, right to the system. A line which had long ago been crossed had been all but demolished by the recent actions of the Queen and her drones. They would be pursued, Celestia assured her, pursued with endless vigor. Right to the ends of the earth, hounded and harried until there was nothing left worthy of the name.

Twilight almost cried.