//------------------------------//
// They Dreamed Many Dreams 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

"All that in just four weeks," Maple said, staring up at the hovering Dream from the dock where she and the rest of her friends were waiting. Shinespark was visible through the windshield, sitting back in her old pilot's chair, and everyone else was gathered beside her, even Felicity and Jamjars.

Gerardo tapped a talon. "They must have done quite the extensive repairs this time around. I recall the last time we blew out the harmony extractor, Arambai and Shinespark had it fixed practically overnight."

"I was not there," Grenada replied, watching the boat with a critical eye. "But the Dream's mana circuitry is designed to be modular and easily replaceable. Most of the time here came from aesthetic reparations while we were waiting for Kinmari to fabricate some of the parts to Shinespark's specifications. Which the ship hardly needed, but badly deserved."

Maple nodded, the harmony comet burning bright in her vision. "Still, they replaced the floors and the deck and the outer hull..."

"I'm more impressed by the resources on display than the speed," Gerardo added. "Construction, well... you can put some ponies on the decks, and others on the floors for each room, and parallelize much of it. But this island is rather devoid of trees, and I didn't see any major logging operations when I joined up with the campers elsewhere in the archipelago. I'd hazard a guess they imported all this lumber, and likely at cost."

"Even if you can split it up between ponies, it's still a big job." Amber shook her head. "Maple, I think I told you, but after I stayed behind in Riverfall and things calmed down a bit, I got some friends of ours together and started fixing up and rebuilding your house after it got vandalized. But since someone hacked at all the core supports, it takes a bit more than a new coat of paint."

"We are fortunate the Dream has a sound frame," Grenada added.

In the air, the Immortal Dream slowly turned and descended, maneuvering itself into a water landing at an open dock. With a ripple of waves, it touched down, settling into a gentle bob, and the students arrayed along the wharf behind them all cheered.

"Bananas." Valey wiped her brow, still in her cheerleader outfit, looking more at the crowd than the boat. "Pretty sure each and every one of those kids is someone who helped us. There have to be at least fifty of them... Ahh, this is gonna be a long night."

"Well, if you've been following the local news, the island is rather fond of us," Felicity pointed out, leaning on Amber's shoulder for support. "They, at least, are grateful enough for our help with that Gazelle incident that they're not throwing us out for risk of political turmoil..."

The sun was low enough on the horizon that it had sunken behind the shoreline hill, illuminating the Dream with sunset rays while bathing everyone watching in cool shadows. In the oncoming twilight, it was slightly more difficult to make out student faces than it was during the day, but some still stood out as more familiar than others. As the ship settled into the water and Shinespark worked to extend the gangplank, Ebb stepped forward, flanked by Flow and a few other students.

"Lucky for us, we're not agents of political turmoil," he greeted, blowing on his bangs. "Hey. Fixing your ship might have taken some doing, but it means we get our names on a piece of northern history. How many of these folks you think will one day tell their kids about the time they fixed up the airship of some important northerners during their schooling? Because I know I will."

Valey wiggled her pom-poms. "Well, someone's considerably less starstruck than when we first met. What's up with that, chief?"

"Save it." Ebb shook his head. "It's called getting to be a part of history instead of an observer. Someday, I'm gonna be able to say, hey, I knew those guys!"

"Hi... and, what he said." Flow waved tensely, looking somewhat frazzled being at the front of the group.

To their side, Shinespark stepped onto the dock, engine grease in her mane and smudges all over her face. She briefly surveyed the crowd, knowing exactly how to look exhausted without looking weak. "Well, ponies... this is what you've done."

"Speech?" Gerardo chirped.

"Speech! Speech!" several students echoed, starting a chant.

Shinespark smiled a little smile, letting them carry on for a moment before bringing order with a loud clear of her throat. "I want to tell you all a little about this history of this airship," she began, stepping sideways so that her cutie mark was plain to see.

"In the northern world, airship technology is only a few decades old. My home, Sosa, tried to be at the leading edge of air travel development, but their program was shuttered after a major accident over twenty years ago." Shinespark started to pace, walking from side to side down the dockside and its crowd of students. A few professors were there, too. "That program's knowledge passed into the hooves of the few individuals who still cared to make it happen all by themselves. Myself... my father... my brother... We spent years researching, building, breaking into new technologies we often didn't even know would exist, let alone be possible to harness."

She turned around and resumed her walk in the other direction. "The inner hull of this ship is indestructible by every metric we had access to. A stallion named Mobius developed it over a decade, trying to revolutionize water travel and save his industry amid the advent of airships. The outer hull is braced with self-reparation runes, technology from Yakyakistan that its people created so they could build even in the harshest conditions. The interior, the rooms and walls and cabins, were made by boat-builders who came from long lines of boat-builders and had lost their jobs, and needed a masterwork so they could hold onto their pride in their skills. For years and years after she was seaworthy, they didn't put down their tools because there was still more they could pour into this ship."

Shinespark stopped and breathed, gazing out at the floating ship, its orange comet illuminating the shoreline like a celebratory bonfire. "The engine is my father's creation, and mine. This entire ship is made from the dreams and wishes of many different groups... and now you've added yours as well." She resumed facing the crowd, and no longer paced. "There are some who believe objects and places surrounded by the strongest emotions can carry on those emotions themselves, like a battlefield or a church. That is why we call her the Immortal Dream: she carries in her circuitry and woodwork and hull and trim the hopes of so many contributing ponies. Your names are written on her as well, now, and the goodwill with which you helped us for nothing in return will live on and sustain us when our road gets hard again. We won't forget this... and neither will the Dream. Thank you."

She finished with a bow to loud hoofstomps of applause. "Now that was a speech!" someone whooped from the crowd.

"You're good at this, you know?" Amber gave Shinespark a grin and a wink.

"Just doing my job," Shinespark exhaled, the weariness a lot more apparent now that she let her mask drop. "Ooh... That was a long four weeks. Gerardo, Amber, Valey! Could you organize a deck party for everyone? We won't be setting out until tomorrow afternoon, since there's some final polish and loading fresh supplies to do, and I need to do some meetings in the morning..."

"Only if you clean yourself up," Gerardo chided. "Wouldn't want our new beds dirtied already. But otherwise, of course! Let me just round up a few volunteers to go on a supply run for some food and seating..."

"Ehh..." Valey grinned awkwardly in her cheerleader costume as Gerardo and Amber left to consort with the students and rally a party. "Sounds like a blast, but I made some promises I gotta keep. You don't mind, right?"

Shinespark raised an eyebrow. "You were serious when you promised to go out with them to motivate them?"

Valey whistled innocently.

"There are dozens of them," Shinespark said flatly. "And we didn't press this hard to finish so we could sit around and dawdle once it was done. We want to make it across the border before security tightens significantly in Gazelle's aftermath. Princess Celestia gave me a letter with the royal seal that should get us through any trouble, but I'd rather not have to use it in the first place."

Valey nodded along like a bobblehead as Shinespark talked. "Oh yeah. Nope. Heard you loud and clear. One night for... however many this is?" She shrugged at the crowd, who were already enjoying themselves on the dock. "I'm a speedy girl."

Shinespark gave her a look.

"Seriously, I'm kind accounting on a few of them to bail," Valey admitted. "Like, the ones who don't want to stay up until four in the morning to get a shot at me, or the ones who don't swing this way. But I'm sure it'll work out!"

Shinespark's expression didn't change.

"...I still owe you that kiss I promised four weeks ago," Valey finally said. "The one I said I'd save for when we got back from the flame."

That was what Shinespark was waiting for. "That's not a kind of thing that can be delivered on contract," she replied. "...But yes. You did say that."

Valey almost looked away, but didn't. "So, uh... Which me do you like better? Shameless bouncy philanderer, or serious about commitments? 'Cuz I can do either, but, like, we've talked about this before."

"My ship is repaired," Shinespark replied. "This is the best condition it's been in for many months. All of us have new leases on life... Even Felicity, and she's the one who has to stay behind. Do what you need to, Valey. I wouldn't stand in your way now that you're having fun again. But I just want you to know, we've never really... done anything together. There were laws in the Empire, and you were dead in the foothills, and I've been busy at Kinmari, and..." She shook her head. "This time is special for me. Get out and enjoy the fruits of civilization while you have the chance, but just remember that I'd... enjoy spending some of this with you."

Valey met her eyes with a little grin. "So what you're telling me is, use the students for practice dates, and then come hang out with you for the real thing."

"That's the most unromantic acceptance I've ever been given," Shinespark informed her.

"Probably the only one you've ever been given as well."

"Valey...!"

Valey gigglesnorted and backed off. "Nah, don't worry. If you honestly ever want me to settle down, well, you'll have to say so. But the message I got in that sea cave Wallace flew us to where we had that chat was that you like it when I take care of myself and live big. Like, actually tell me if I'm going too far. I'm just glad to be alive."

"You are going too far," Shinespark insisted, starting to blush. "Far too far. And I'm certain you recall it's a big part of why I like you!"

Valey wiggled her mini-skirted flanks. "Girl, I'd be a fraud if I forgot a thing like that. You'll get your tease, and you'll get me in the end, too. Just you watch. I'm not falling asleep until I've seen it through."

Shinespark raised an eyebrow. "The last kiss of the night is mine?"

Valey waggled hers in return. "And the first one, too."

She darted forward and caught her best friend in an embrace, too swiftly for Shinespark to muster any sort of reply.