//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 
// Story: Rekindled Embers 
// by applezombi 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 11


Excerpt from the Book of the Saints, Chapter Eleven, Verses 1 through 13

1- On the day that Saint Rarity the Generous was informed of the horrible plight of the ponies of Manehatten, she decided upon action.

2- She would travel to the city and bless its inhabitants, covering the shame of their nudity with clothing of her own make.

3-For days she labored, crafting a hundred dresses.  The other Saints wept at her generosity, and decided to help.  Together they crafted a hundred more.

4- But evil was at work in Manehatten.  The unicorn Suri Polomare, jealous of Saint Rarity’s holiness and desiring her downfall, conspired with her servant the unicorn Coco Pommel to sabotage the Saint’s gift.

5- Saint Rarity traveled to Manehatten, and with a gift of funds from Saint Pinkamena, contracted a mare, named Prim Hemline, to distribute her gift to all of Manehatten.

6- But Suri used her poisoned words and dark magic to deceive Prim, turning her against the Saint.  When Saint Rarity went to plead with Prim to resume their work, the servant Coco crept into the room where the dresses were kept, and burned them with her vile magics.

7- Saint Rarity returned in failure, head hung low.  When she saw the ashes of her gift, her tears flowed freely, dripping from her face to the ashy floor.  Wherever a tear landed, a fibrous plant sprung up.

8- On each stem grew a dress or suit, more fantastic than the hoof made ones from before.

9- Your generosity and your tears have made a miracle, the other Saints cried, shedding their tears alongside Saint Rarity’s example.

10- When the evil Coco saw the miracle, she wept, her stony heart cracked by the soft heart of Saint Rarity.  She lamented her guilt, and bowed down before Saint Rarity, begging the holy mare to take pity on her, and end her life as she deserved.

11- But Saint Rarity took mercy on the mare; rather than take her life, Saint Rarity only took her horn.

12- Now you may live your life free of the evil of your magic, Saint Rarity said.  Go, and sin against ponies no longer.  So Coco, safely hornless, followed after Saint Rarity, blessing her with word and song.

13- But Suri Polomare was never heard from again.

1112 AF, New Canterlot City

Emberglow couldn’t help but strut a little in her white robes.  It was her first posting, and though she had received her very own set of armor, it didn’t quite make sense to wear it in public if she was just on her way to the airship docks.  She could still wear her official Knight uniform, however, and she did so proudly.  The linen, dyed a brilliant white, practically sparkled in the morning sun, and the embroidered cutie mark of Saint Rarity herself (not Saint, but Lady, she reminded herself) stood out on the robes’ flank like three blue badges of the highest honor.   On her back was a brand new pair of saddlebags, also marked with her Lady’s cutie mark, and packed full of her personal effects: some smallclothes, her journal and pens, and her personal copy of the Book of the Saints.  Emberglow felt amazing, though she tried to reign in her pride a little.  Pride led to arrogance, which always hid sin, as the Saints themselves had said.

The airship dock was on the south side of town. It was called a dock, but in actual fact it was more accurately a collection of warehouses and office buildings built into large tree-like structures reaching high into the sky, ready to receive the dozens of airships that came in every day from all over the Diarchy, carrying goods and ponies from far away.  It was always busy; hundreds of ponies moved about quickly, some hauling freight, some on their way to jobs, and others, like Emberglow, there to catch a flight to elsewhere.  It was bustling, but Emberglow noticed that her official robes provided a small calm around her.  Nopony ignored her; they gave her space, and most afforded her at least a polite nod or deferential greeting.  She knew she wouldn’t have time for pleasantries, but she tried to have a friendly smile on her face for each pony that looked her way.  

There was one pair of ponies among the crowd she was keeping a particular eye out for, however, and the constant crowd of ponies was making it difficult to search.  She nearly took to the air to look for them, but heard a familiar voice shouting before she could spread her wings.

“Lady Emberglow!  Lady Emberglow!  Over here!” came her mother’s voice.  Emberglow looked over to where her parents stood, right in front of Airship Dock C.  Her mother was enthusiastically waving a sign, which was clearly hoof-painted and made of cardboard, that read ‘Good Luck Lady Emberglow, SAINTS BLESS’ on it.  Her father was standing next to her and had the sense to look mildly embarrassed at his wife’s antics.  Emberglow waved at them, thought for a moment, and lifted off, floating above the crowd and over to where her parents were waiting.  The crowd below parted for her landing, with a few odd 'pardon me, my Lady’s’.

“Lady Emberglow!” Needle Point gushed, dropping the sign to the ground and hugging her daughter tightly.

“Mom… I’m your daughter.  I’m pretty sure you don’t have to call me ‘lady’.”

“Nonsense.  We’re in public.  It’s only proper.  Besides, if you were half as proud of the title you earned as I am, you’d say it too,” her mother responded.  Emberglow laughed.  

“I’d just miss it if you never called me ‘sweetie’ again.” She pouted at her mother.  Needle Point giggled.

“Well, if you insist then, Lady Sweetie,” Needle Point said, and all three of the ponies laughed.  “What?  The proper forms must be seen to, at least in public.”

“It’s only been a month since your Knighting,” Textile commented, before his wife could further embarrass their daughter.  “They sure didn’t give you much time between then and your first assignment.” 

Emberglow shook her head.  “No, they didn’t.  The need is pretty dire, though.”

“Your letter said as much.  You’re going off to hunt pirates?”  He seemed to be holding back an amused grin at the idea.

“It does sound like something out of a foal’s adventure tale, doesn’t it?” Emberglow smiled.  “But yeah.  The regular navy has been having problems tracking down a zebra captain terrorizing merchants in the seas southeast of Klugetown, so they’re calling in a specialized group.  I’m going to be with some elite regular army ponies, as well as three other Knights.  Steadfast told me it would be a pretty easy assignment for me to get some combat experience.”  She nearly forgot that she no longer had to refer to him as ‘Sir’.

“And who are these other Knights you’ll be working with?” Textile asked.

“I’ve only met one of them, Lady Turquoise.  The other two are Knights Adamant.”

“Oh, the Knight Jubilant you squired for.” Needle point nodded.  “Such a nice mare.  I must admit, it makes me feel less nervous that you’ll know at least one pony in… whatever is the name of the border town you’re going to be in?” 

“Port Luminescence.  It’s a grandiose name, if you ask me,” Emberglow said.  “Turquoise has been there nearly a month now, so I’ll be meeting her in the Port.  I was told I might meet one of the Knights Adamant on the airship, but I don’t see anypony in robes or armor, so maybe he or she is taking a later flight.”

“Speaking of armor, where is yours, Lady Sweetie?” her mother asked with a grin.

“Packed in a crate on board.  These robes are so much easier to move in, and I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself,” Emberglow said.  Her parents smiled indulgently.

“Not draw too much attention? Didn’t you see the crowd parting around you?  You already draw lots of attention, my gorgeous, proud, amazing daughter,” Needle Point gushed, her eyes getting misty.  “And I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, so you could go off on your first mission without worrying about your silly mother and now I’m failing you and I’m terrible and…”  Emberglow was laughing as she wrapped her sobbing mother in a tight hug, smooshing Needle Point’s face against her shoulder as the older mare wept tears of pride and worry.

“Mom, I love you so much.” She laughed as she felt tears in her own eyes, as well.  Textile was grinning too, but Emberglow heard him try to sniff sneakily.  “I’ll be fine.  You cry all you want.  I’ll write as often as I can.”

“You’d better, Lady Sweetie,” Needle Point sniffled into the linen of her daughter’s robes.  Emberglow released her mother to hug her father goodbye as well.  “And be safe.  And remember to brush your teeth, and if…”

“Mom.  I’ll be fine.  I have to go get on the airship now, okay?”  Her mother ignored her, and as soon as Emberglow let go of Textile, Needle Point grabbed her in another hug, nuzzling her face into Emberglow’s shoulder again.  “Um, mom?  The airship is leaving soon.  Mom?”

Emberglow somehow managed to extract herself from the teary mare.  Needle Point reached down and picked up her abandoned sign, waving it frantically as Emberglow entered the building that housed Airship Dock C.

The airship dock was a large pillar, with several wooden platforms extending off open doorways on the sides for floating ships to tie to.  Cargo ships used the lower entrances, which were all connected to two large freight elevators.  There was a spiral staircase in the center of the building, going through all the floors, and a passenger elevator for those heading towards the higher airship docks.  Emberglow moved towards the elevator, stepping aside politely as an older pegasus couple was about to board.

“Oh no, after you, Lady Knight,” the stallion said with a bow.

“No, there’s plenty of room for three.  Come on, you two,” Emberglow said, ushering the couple onto the elevator with her.  “Besides, I’m basically a Knight in name only.  I only swore my oaths a month ago.  On my way to my first assignment.”

“Your first assignment, eh?” the stallion said, while his companion merely smiled shyly.  He pushed the button labeled ‘5’, and the elevator began to rise.   “Which floor?” he asked politely.

“Floor seven, please.” He pushed the button for her floor, and she nodded her thanks. “I’ve been stationed in Port Luminescence.  I’m support for a team that’s going to be hunting zebra pirates,” Emberglow said proudly.  The old stallion nodded.

“I wasn’t navy, but air recon for the army,” the old stallion said.  “We loved it whenever there were Knights Radiant nearby.  It meant more ponies came back alive.  Saints bless you for what you’re doing.”  The elevator dinged, and the doors opened on floor five.  The two older pegasi shuffled out, the mare calling out shakily, “Saint Rarity keep you safe!” as the doors closed.

Emberglow smiled and waved.  The elevator resumed its upward motion, and dinged one more time on floor seven.  Several ponies were ready to move into the elevator as soon as it opened, but surprised and deferential expressions quickly filled their faces as they waited for Emberglow to disembark first.  It all felt a little surreal.

Floor seven had three exits, leading to fenced wooden boardwalks that extended outside of the building.  Only one held an airship — Dock 7-β, according to sign above the exit.  A flight attendant waited at the entrance to the boardwalk.  Emberglow walked over, and the flight attendant, an earth pony dressed in airship crew uniform, perked up with a customer service smile as Emberglow approached.

“Lady Emberglow, welcome!  You may board The Lost Lamb as soon as you like.  I have been assured that your armor is in a crate safely onboard.  Your…” the stallion’s voice hesitated for just a moment, almost imperceptibly.  “…travelling companion is already onboard in your shared cabin.  Have you traveled by airship before, my Lady?”

“I haven’t, no.” Emberglow shook her head.

“Please be aware that some passengers, even Knights and pegasi, might experience motion sickness while travelling on board an airship.  Should you feel ill, please inform an attendant.  There are treatments for airsickness…”

“I know all about them, thank you,” Emberglow said.  “Can you tell me where to find my cabin?”

“Of course, my lady.  You are in cabin 1-C.  Please go down the gangplank, onto the ship, and take the first set of stairs off the deck down into the passenger area.  1-C will be the second door on your right.  Would you like me to summon an attendant to show you the way?”

“No thanks.  I should be fine,” Emberglow said.

“Then I wish you a pleasant flight, Lady Emberglow.” He bowed to her as he finished speaking.

She was already walking down the boardwalk as soon as the attendant finished his farewell.  She saw a few other earth ponies in the process of boarding the airship, and she wondered briefly what it might be like to be afraid of heights.  Still, even though they were clearly nervous of the long drop on either side of the fenced boardwalk, the various earth ponies tried to move out of her way to allow her to go first.  Emberglow grinned; they needn’t have worried.  As soon as she was clear of the building and on the open boardwalk, she spread her wings and flew onto the deck of the airship itself, bypassing all the waiting ponies.

The door to her cabin  was marked with a metal plate with ‘1-C’ engraved onto it.  She briefly thought about knocking, but it was her cabin too, wasn’t it?  Shaking her head, she reached out and turned the handle, pulling the door open.

The first thing she heard was the snoring.  Loud, ripping chainsaw-like noises came from a cream-colored mare sprawled on the bench on the north side of the cabin.  She was dressed in blue robes, complete with the embroidered symbol of Saint Rainbow Dash, though her splayed position revealed that the robes weren’t the only thing she was wearing.  Emberglow could see enough of her hooves to note that the mare was wearing fishnet stockings; the kind that were just barely not too provocative, but clearly intended to be sexy.  There was nothing sexy about the drool dripping from her clumsily open maw, however, creating a tiny wet spot on the shoulder of her robe.  Her forehooves were clutched around a throw pillow that matched the bench’s upholstery, but her hind hooves were spread wide, uncaringly, and only luck seemed to be to blame for the mare having any sort of decency left.  Her mane was black, with a pink streak, and the Knight was wearing makeup, of all things, a black lipstick and dark, magenta eyeshadow.

There was a second bench across from the first, and a tiny bathroom in the back, so Emberglow could have entered silently and ignored the mare.  There was something about the insultingly casual way the mare was positioned in her sleep, however, that bothered Emberglow.  She entered the cabin, and ‘accidentally’ slammed the door shut behind her.

“THE BEAR IS IN THE CARBURETOR!” the mare shrieked violently, jolting to her hooves and out of whatever dream she’d been experiencing.  Her blue eyes blinked rapidly a few times, before a blush tinted her creamy, freckle covered cheeks.  “Um, sorry about that.  I was dreaming.  Hi.”

“Hello,” Emberglow said cautiously.  “My name is Emberglow.”

“Bubblegum,” the other mare said simply, stepping down from the bench she’d been standing on and holding out a hoof for Emberglow to shake.  The mares shook hooves, and Emberglow sat down on the bench opposite where Bubblegum had been sleeping.  Bubblegum sat as well, taking a slightly more dignified pose than she had been in before.  “So we get a Radiant this time?  Awesome.  That’ll really let me cut loose.  Bubblegum?”

It took Emberglow a few moments to realize that the mare hadn’t just turned her name into a question; the other Knight had reached into the pocket of her robes and produced a hoof full of wrapped candies.  Emberglow shook her head, and Bubblegum shrugged, unwrapping two of the pieces with her teeth and throwing them casually into her mouth.

“More for me, then,” Bubblegum said, chomping loudly on the gum.  Emberglow decided she wasn’t quite impressed with the mare.  “So Delver Deep said we’d be getting some new blood.  You look young.”  Emberglow narrowed her eyes; she couldn’t be more than two years younger than the mare sitting across from her.

“Delver Deep?”  Emberglow asked, ignoring the comment about her age.

“Yeah, he and I were assigned to Port Luminescence together a few years back.  It’s been pretty boring up until now, but Knight Command’s deciding to get serious about this ‘Black and White Beard’ fellow.  I hear another Knight’s already in the Port.”

“That would be Lady Turquoise of the Jubilant, whom I squired for.  There’s going to be some regular army, as well.  Elite marines, I’ve been told.”

“Good.  Hope we get at least one more heavy gun.  Nopony except Knights dares to wear armor on the seas, so some more artillery will cut right through those pirate bastards.”

“You’re surprisingly cavalier about pony lives,” Emberglow remarked neutrally.  Bubblegum shrugged.

“Maybe so.  But you haven’t heard the stories about this guy.  He’s a brute; he and his crew have sunk five ships.  That’s about a hundred pony lives, all on his stripey shoulders.  Well, he and his crew’s,” Bubblegum said.  “But whatever.  Tell me about you.  How long you been a Knight, newbie?”

“I took my vows twenty-nine days ago,” Emberglow admitted reluctantly.  Bubblegum crowed with laughter, much to her annoyance.

“You really are fresh.  That’s great.  Port Luminescence will be a fun place to break you in.  Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to show you all the sights.  The opium dens, the whorehouses, the gambling spots, the beer garden…” the mare snickered.  Emberglow was a bit worried that she might not be joking.  “It’s a right den of sin, our lovely Port.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Emberglow deadpanned, but the other mare just grinned.  “Fine, tease me.”

“Aw, I’m sorry, newbie.  I was just teasing.  I can be a bit much, sometimes.  My husband says so, for sure.  He’s always lecturing me about it.” Bubblegum’s voice was fond.  

“Husband?” Emberglow asked, mostly to be polite.

“Yeah.  When I first took my vows, I asked for a semi-permanent posting, so I wouldn’t have to move very often.  That way, I can have my hubby close by.  His name’s Wind Storm.  He works as a weather pony, so he can get a job wherever I’m stationed.  He’s a pegasus, like you.”  The mare lowered her voice and held a hoof to her lips, whispering conspiratorially.  “I have a real thing for feathers.”  Emberglow blushed crimson, and Bubblegum giggled.  “Sorry about that, newbie.  You’re gonna be fun, I can tell.”

“It’s fine,” Emberglow said flatly.  “It must be nice, being so close to your husband.”

“You have no idea,” Bubblegum said.  “Oh wait… you really do have no idea, do you.  I’m sorry, I forgot you Radiant are afraid of sex or whatever.”

Emberglow stared at the expression on the other pony’s face.  It was as if Bubblegum really had no idea how annoying she was.  Still, Emberglow had started out this trip in such high spirits; she could sense that every second she spent speaking with this mare was going to dampen them, one annoying drip at a time.

“I’m sorry, and I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s been a long day, and I was hoping to catch up on some sleep before we reached our destination.  The flight’s going to be six hours, after all.”

“Oh.  Oh, right, look, n… um… Emberglow, I’m sorry.  My hubs says I have no filter, and I say stupid stuff,” Bubblegum said, her ears splayed back as she rubbed the back of her head with one hoof.  “I promise, I don’t mean to be a jerk.  I’ll leave you alone and let you read or sleep or whatever.”

Emberglow sighed.  Bubblegum seemed like she meant what she said; maybe it was best to just accept her apology with grace.

“Fine, Bubblegum.  I accept your apology,” Emberglow said.  “We’re going to be fighting alongside each other, so I suppose I can try to be patient.”  She tried a small smile, which Bubblegum returned with enthusiasm.

“Great.  I’ll do my best to rein in my Bubblegummyness,” she giggled.  Emberglow had to repress a shudder at the massacre of innocent Ponish words.  “Are you…”

The question was interrupted as the entire ship rumbled, quivering slightly.  Emberglow started, rising up a bit in her seat as the entire cabin shook.

“Don’t worry, that’s just normal takeoff stuff,” Bubblegum said.  “Your first time flying in an airship?  You must have been a sponsorship in Knight training, then, huh?”

“Yes…” Emberglow said, trying not to sound nervous.  “How did you make that leap?”

“Most noble ponies have flown on airships loads of times, Emberglow.  Sponsorships like you and me usually didn’t grow up with enough money for luxuries like this.”  Emberglow looked at the mare.  “Yup.  I’m one too.  Also, did anypony warn you about airsickness?”

“I’m a fully trained medical professional, I know all about airsickness,” Emberglow said primly.  Bubblegum looked at her with a patronizingly sympathetic look.

“Sure, but you’re gonna wanna take your air sickness pills before the symptoms show up,” Bubblegum suggested.  “They work better as prevention, not treatment.”  There was a sudden lurch as the airship separated from the dock.  The floor seemed to jump a few inches, and Emberglow’s stomach felt like it went the other direction.

“You… might be right.” Emberglow admitted.  

“Yeah, I heard it can hit pegasi pretty hard.  When you’re moving, but your body can’t see that you’re moving, it’s pretty nasty.” Bubblegum eyed her sympathetically.  “I took my pills before I came on board.  It always gets me.  I’ll go get you some.”  Emberglow didn’t even have time to protest before the mare was out of the cabin, the door swinging open behind her.

“Didn’t even close the door,” Emberglow muttered, rising up to pull the door closed.

By the time Bubblegum had returned with a pair of tiny pills and a canteen of water, Emberglow was starting to feel the motion.

“Is it possible to get out and fly alongside the ship?” she moaned miserably to Bubblegum as the cream-furred mare entered their cabin.  “I swear I can keep up.”

“Not so fast, newbie.  First off, we’re moving a lot faster than you think.  Unless you’re as fast as Lady Dash, I seriously doubt you’ve got the wingpower to keep up with an airship.  And even if you were, you wouldn’t be able to sustain it.”  Emberglow was  a little surprised that Bubblegum knew so much about flight, for an earth pony.  “Now, take your pills.”

Emberglow swallowed the two little pills with a sip of water from the canteen.  The cold liquid made her stomach do interesting things, and not interesting in a good way.

“I think I need to go up on deck,” Emberglow admitted.  Bubblegum gave her a sympathetic look.

“Because you need to hurl?” she asked tactlessly.  Emberglow stood up shakily.

“Because motion sickness is defined as the difference in your brain between perceived motion and actual motion, so if I’m up on deck, maybe my brain will realize my body is moving,” Emberglow lectured.  The ship made a slight lurch.  “And yes, also because I need to hurl.”  Strangely, the use of such an unscientific term might have made her even more nauseous.  Bubblegum backed out of the way as Emberglow rushed out of the room, onto the deck of the airship.

The feel of air moving against the fur of her face was like a magic balm.  While Emberglow’s nausea didn’t go away, it receded into the background, going from raging beast to mild discomfort.  Emberglow spread her wings to feel the wind moving underneath her feathers.

The airship had a pretty standard construction; a large, ovular balloon was tied to a wooden hull by thick cables.  The canvas balloon was painted midnight blue and yellow, the colors of the Diarchy.  A few other ponies were milling about on deck, attendants, crew members or just other passengers.  All nodded deferentially to the two Knights standing on deck.

“Feeling better?” Bubblegum asked.  Emberglow nodded.  “Then c’mere.  If this is your first time on an airship, you don’t wanna miss this.”

Bubblegum nudged Emberglow towards the edge of the airship with one shoulder.  While several of the earth ponies nearby seemed to shy away from the wooden railing that stood on the edge of the ship, Emberglow had no such nervousness; what would happen if she fell off, after all?  Following Bubblegum’s pointing, she looked over the railing and gasped.  

New Canterlot City spread out beneath her like a child’s play city. Miniscule ponies went about their business, wandering between tiny buildings; Emberglow could barely make out individuals.  They looked like tiny bugs, and she leaned over further to get a better look.  Emberglow had gone up as high as the raincloud line before, but this airship was flying so much higher than that.

The five offices of the Knight orders were visible, as was the Central Cathedral, with the entire city rolling out from that main point.  She could see the emerald wooded area of the Everfree, with its walking paths and public gardens.

“I can see the Ivy Seminary! And the Merchant’s Walk!  My parents’ shop should be somewhere…” she pointed vaguely at the street where it would be, realizing that she’d never been this high above the clouds.  Her motion sickness was completely forgotten.

“Don’t you fly often?” Bubblegum asked.  “Ya know, cuz you’re a pegasus?”

“Not a lot, no,” Emberglow admitted.  “My parents are earth ponies.  I just never needed to, I guess.”

“Well, if you’ve never been up this high, it sure is a sight,” Bubblegum said, leaning over next to the other Knight.  “Never gets old, for me.”

“You’re not afraid of heights?” Emberglow asked.

“Nope.  I was a little afraid of them before I married Wind Storm, but he takes me flying every once and a while.  Now, half the time one of our hot dates ends with a cloud walking spell.” Bubblegum waggled her eyebrows lewdly.  Emberglow rolled her eyes, and Bubblegum giggled.  “Sorry.  Feeling better?”

“A bit,” Emberglow said.  She really was.  She’d probably end up spending the rest of the flight on deck, if she could.

“Well, be careful.  When those pills kick in you’ll get drowsy.  Wanna find something to eat?” Bubblegum asked.  Emberglow considered for a brief second.

I’m not feeling that much better,” she admitted.  “Go, I’ll be here, or wander back to our cabin if I get sleepy.  You don’t need to foalsit me.”

“Okay, your loss.  I’m gonna find me some hayfries.  Let an attendant know if you’re feeling worse, kay?”

“I will.  Go,” Emberglow said, waving a hoof.  She wanted to enjoy this moment in peace, and Bubblegum was a bit aggravating, if well-meaning.

Emberglow sat at the railing as New Canterlot City slowly passed beneath her, watching the buildings getting shorter and less extravagant as their airship finally passed beyond the city’s furthest suburbs.  As the last buildings faded out of view, she began to feel a drag on her eyelids.  Now it made more sense that her travelling companion had been fast asleep when Emberglow had first found their cabin.  She cautiously made her way down the stairs to their room, pleasantly surprised that her stomach had settled.  She laid down on the bench, curling up in a much more ladylike position than Bubblegum had before, and closed her eyes for half a second.

The door to their cabin banged open loudly, and suddenly the room was much too full of exuberant pony.

“Emberglow!  You awake?” Bubblegum called out.  “Oh.  You probably are now, huh?”

“Yes, I am,” Emberglow sighed.  “What do you need?”

“We’re sharing the airship with two of the marines who are serving under us.  They’ve been out to Port Luminescence before, and they’re great ponies.  Wanna come meet them?” Bubblegum asked.  

“You’ll forgive me if I drop unconscious in the middle of our conversation?” Emberglow asked tiredly.  Bubblegum giggled.

“Pills kicked in, eh?  Good, I’m glad you’re feeling better.  C’mon, I wanna introduce you to Gearsmith and Gadget.  I ran into them in the dining room.  Leave your saddlebags here, they’ll be perfectly safe.  Who would steal from a Knight?”

That the airship was big enough to include a dining room was a surprise to Emberglow.  She got up from her spot on the bench, following after Bubblegum with resignation after sliding her saddlebags onto the bench.  The blue-clad mare was prancing with excitement.

“Who are these two?” Emberglow asked.

“Earth pony soldiers.  A father and his daughter, actually.  He’s an artillery expert, and she’s his assistant and engineer.  They’re good solid soldiers, and fun to be around, too.”  Bubblegum led the way to the stairs leading deeper into the bowels of the ship.  The wooden doors to the dining room were labeled with a metal sign, much like the door to their room, except this one read ‘mess’.  The two ponies entered into a dining area that could perhaps hold, at most, a third of the total ponies on board the airship.  The room was mostly empty; a wrinkled old mare sat by herself nursing a cup of steaming coffee, and another two ponies, dressed in Diarchy Marine blue and yellow uniforms, sat across from each other, having a lively conversation.  The stallion was facing the door, while the mare had her back to the two Knights.  The mare was blue, with sunshine yellow mane tied back in a braid.  The stallion was shorter than his daughter and stocky, with the same color light blue coat and a black mane.

“Hey guys, I brought the other Knight to meet you.  She’s on the same anti-puke pills as me, though, so she’s a bit out of it.  Emberglow, meet Gearsmith and his daughter Gadget,” Bubblegum said, pointing at each of the ponies with her hoof as she introduced them.  Gadget turned around in her seat to look at the newcomer, and Emberglow’s breath caught in her throat.

Sunshine bangs framed a freckled face that just sparkled with cheer; the mare was grinning, and her green eyes shone like gems.  Her hooves were resting casually on the table in front of her, which held an empty plate from whatever meal she’d just shared with her father.  As she turned to look at Emberglow, a single lock of yellow hair fell into her face, and she brushed it aside with a casual flick of a hoof.  Emberglow could see that the mare was athletic; her body was fit, and she wore her uniform well on her lithe form.  She wasn’t beautiful; cute would be more accurate.  Emberglow had always known she was attracted to mares, for as long as she could remember, but no mare she’d ever seen had affected her at first sight like this one.  There was something about those eyes, that smile that made Emberglow want to stare for hours.  Looking was fine, right?  If that was all she did?  Emberglow had to remind herself to breathe, hoping that nopony had noticed her sinful reaction.

Fortunately, it seemed nopony had.  The two soldiers stood respectfully as the Knights approached, but having seen Bubblegum’s attitude towards decorum, Emberglow got the impression that it might be for her benefit, and not Bubblegum’s.  

“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Emberglow,” the stallion, Gearsmith said with a bow.  “You don’t know how much we’ve wished for a healer on our team.”

“Your services will be in high demand,” his daughter said with a nod.  Oh, by all the Saints, did her voice have to be cute too?  “So you’re brand new?”

“I think her armor’s still gonna be hot from the forge when we get it out of its crate,” Bubblegum giggled.

“Sorry, Lady Emberglow.  Bubblegum did already mention that you were pretty fresh out of training,” Gearsmith said.  “Please, have a seat.  Are you hungry?”

“Um, not really, no,” Emberglow said, a bit nervously.

“Yeah, dad.  Didn’t you hear what Lady Bubblegum said about the nausea medication?  The poor mare is probably suffering,”

“I’m not that bad off,” Emberglow protested.  “The pills kicked in about five minutes ago.”  She had a seat next to the blue mare, and Bubblegum moved around the table to sit next to Gearsmith.

“Good.  Flights are rough.  I remember my first flight years ago, to the Zebrican front.  Our squad medic had to put me on an IV due to fluid loss,” Gearsmith mused.  “Gadget here took to airships like they’re solid ground, the lucky thing.  Not a hint of motion sickness.”

“It doesn’t always affect all ponies equally,” Emberglow agreed.  Her eyes kept shifting to look at the mare next to her.

“You would know, you’re the doctor,” Bubblegum said, laughing at her own joke.  Emberglow noticed the other two didn’t laugh; Gadget rolled her eyes, and her father merely looked blankly at the Knight Adamant.  “What?  I thought it was funny.”  It was gratifying to know that other ponies were sometimes just as annoyed by Bubblegum as she was.

“Please don’t think all of us are like Lady Bubblegum, here,” Gadget said, her voice flat.

“Gadget!  Show the proper respect,” Gearsmith scolded.  “I’m sorry, Lady Emberglow.  Lady Bubblegum has encouraged us to… well… be less vigilant in keeping up proper decorum with her, and showing less than a pony of her station deserves.”

“It’s fine,” Emberglow said.  “You won’t offend me, I promise.”

“Yeah, some ponies just get so stuffy around Knights,” Bubblegum chimed in.  “I wonder why?”

“Hmm, maybe because you’re the super-pony heroes that keep all of Equestria safe from its enemies?” Gadget mused.  “Lady Bubblegum, I’ve seen you in a fight.  You’re very impressive,”

“Aw, thanks Gadget,” Bubblegum gushed.  “So, what brought the two of you back to New Canterlot City?”

“We had a few weeks of leave, so we went home to visit Mom. She’s a gardener for one of the noble families in the city,” Gadget said, nodding at Emberglow.  “How about you, Lady Bubblegum?

“Oh, I was in the city for a hrmfrmsh…” Bubblegum trailed off into undecipherable gibberish.

“What did you say?”

“Um… gurglmurf.”

“Sorry, didn’t catch that.  Did you say ‘disciplinary hearing’?” Gadget pressed.  Bubblegum looked away, her face red.

“Yes,” she muttered.

“Which number is this one?” Gearsmith asked, sighing.

“Hey!  Weren’t you the one who was just talking about proper decorum or whatever?” Bubblegum complained.

“I think that might have been more for Lady Emberglow’s benefit.  You’ve already told us you don’t care, so you can’t have it both ways,” Gadget mused.  “Which number is this one?” she asked, repeating her father’s question.

“Fourth…”

“And this time it was for…?”

“Somepony at Knight Command took issue with the doodles I was drawing on my official reports,” Bubblegum groused.  “They were ‘offensive’ and ‘needlessly silly’ and ‘not showing the proper respect to the hardworking ponies who blah blah blah…’”

“Were they silly, offensive, and disrespectful?” Gadget asked.

“Well, of course they were!  What else would I draw?  Paperwork is boring,” Bubblegum grumbled, but then suddenly perked up.  “But hey!  I don’t have to do them anymore!”

“Why not?” Gadget asked.

“’All official reports and written debriefings of official Knight actions will be written by the most junior member of the squad,’” Emberglow recited.  Bubblegum nodded.

“Yup.  That.  It’s in the rulebook,” the other Knight said, then looked at Emberglow in surprise.  “Wait, you memorized the rulebook?”

“Just the parts pertinent to me,” Emberglow said defensively.  What was wrong with knowing the official procedure?

“Yeah, lay off poor Lady Emberglow,” Gadget chimed in.  “Just because you’re lazy, doesn’t mean everypony is.”

Everypony laughed at that, even Emberglow, who felt a warm sort of tingle that the mare had come to her defense.

“So, maybe you ponies can tell me a little about Port Luminescence,” Emberglow said.  

“It’s a cesspool,” Bubblegum said, grinning.  “But a fun cesspool.”

“I think Lady Emberglow wants a more useful answer,” Gadget said.  “Have you lived your whole life in the capital?”

“No, my family lived in Rainbow Falls until I got my cutie mark,” Emberglow replied.  “But New Canterlot City is pretty much all I remember.”

“Okay.  Then the Port’s gonna be a very different experience for you.  Most of the buildings are wood, and just about nothing is over two or three stories high.  Also the roads aren’t paved, which is usually fine…”

“Unless the delta floods, and then it becomes a swamp,” Gearsmith supplied grumpily.

“Yeah, the Port’s built on a river delta, it does get flooded every so often.  Good thing you can just fly above the mud, huh?” Gadget said cheerfully.  “The Port is also livelier than New Canterlot City.  Um, how to put this nicely…”

“There’s a lot of sailors there, and sailors tend to like whores and booze,” Bubblegum said.

“Isn’t prostitution illegal?” Emberglow asked.  Bubblegum and Gearsmith laughed, though not unkindly.  Gadget gave her a sympathetic look.

“Of course it is, Lady Emberglow.  But sometimes the law doesn’t mean as much in the border towns.”

“What do you mean?” Emberglow said, shocked.

“Sometimes, staying alive is a big deal in the edges of the Diarchy.  You focus all your energy on just staying alive and staying ahead.  Certain things just aren’t a priority, and law enforcement can get lax on those subjects.  The local constabulary has much more problematic issues on their plates than public drunkenness or prostitution, so it gets ignored.”

“That sounds awful.” Emberglow stared at the mare, open mouthed.  

“It’s not so bad if you ignore it too.” Gadget shrugged.  “Wow, that sounded a lot less terrible in my head.  Look, think of it this way.  We’re here to do a job.  The pirates around the Port are making life miserable for the ponies that live there.  If we clean up the pirates, they’ll be happier, less stressful, and better able to live good lives.  We just try to leave other details to other ponies.”

“I don’t like it.” Emberglow’s eyebrows narrowed.

“You’re not going to change it overnight, either,” Gadget reasoned.  “Maybe just focus on being an example?  When the degenerate ponies of the Port see how happy you are, maybe they’ll all follow suit?”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” Emberglow asked, searching the mare’s face.

“Well, no.  But sometimes it’s rather nice to talk to somepony that isn’t a jaded cynic,” Gadget said, glancing at her father.  “Or just a loudmouth weirdo.”  Bubblegum grinned cheerfully.  “And who knows?  If I’m wrong, that’s a win for everypony, right?”  Emberglow had to laugh at the cheerful outlook.  Whatever the Port held, she was at least grateful at the presence of two ponies she could get along with.  

The next few hours of flight were uneventful.  Gearsmith stayed below to have a conversation with Bubblegum about firearms, something Emberglow wasn’t really interested in.  Emberglow spent most of the time on deck, though she did take some time to convince Gadget to come over to the ledge with her.  While the earth pony was not prone to motion sickness, she was rather nervous to be so close to the edge, and the subsequent deadly drop to the earth below.  Once at the ledge, however, Gadget joined her in admiring the rolling waves of golden farmland below them.

“What are they growing down there?” Emberglow asked idly, watching the fields of grain crawl by beneath them.

“Food,” Gadget replied with a smirk.  Emberglow laughed.  “Obviously some kind of grain.  Probably barley; there’s lots of breweries in the region.  You… you’re allowed to drink beer, right?”

“Well, there’s a commandment against drunkenness, but it’s the same as for everypony,” Emberglow said.  “The Vigilant and the Jubilant do take a Vow of Sobriety, but the Radiant only take vows of Chastity and Poverty.”

“Chastity.  Oof, I’m sorry,” Gadget said.  “Must be rough.”

Normally Emberglow would have brushed the question off.  But for some reason, she didn’t this time.

“It can be,” she admitted softly.  “But I’ve always known what I wanted.  Ever since I was a filly, I wanted to join the Radiant.”

“Well, at least you still have beer,” Gadget joked, clapping Emberglow on the back.  A rather sudden jolt of the airship, really just a light shake, made Gadget suddenly stumble and grip Emberglow tightly around her back.  “Whoops, uh… sorry,” she said, taking a moment to regain her hoofing before letting go.

“It’s all right.  Are you okay?” Emberglow asked, her stomach fluttering at the touch.

“Yeah, just a little nervous next to the edge.  Hey, we should be able to see the ocean, soon.  You ever seen the ocean?”

“N-no, never.  We couldn’t afford a lot of vacations,” Emberglow stammered.

“You’re in for a treat then, Lady Emberglow.”

It took about fifteen minutes as the land shifted from flowing fields of barley to tall, lanky wild grass.  The ground was rolling, gentle hills, and Emberglow could see they were covered in sand.  Soon enough, the sparkling water came into view.  Soft waves lapped onto a sandy shore; water glittering like a dragon’s horde stretched endlessly into a grey horizon.  The light reflecting off the water was so bright her eyes hurt, but she didn’t care.  It was beautiful.

“That’s… incredible,” Emberglow said.  “It’s not like a lake at all.  It never stops.”

“Nope,” Gadget said, grinning.  “We’re lucky it’s such a nice day.  The waves are tiny.  It would be the perfect day for a beach trip.  Too bad we don’t have any leave for a while.”

“First leave we have,” Emberglow said, slightly breathlessly.  “We can all go.  I need to visit a beach.”

“Don’t worry.  Sir Delver Deep, the Knight Adamant in charge of our squad, is a good commander, and well prepared.  He makes sure all his pirate hunters know how to swim.  So, you might be getting a beach trip sooner than you think.  Unless you already know how to swim?”

“No, I never saw a need,” Emberglow said.  “New Canterlot City’s pretty landlocked.”

“Yeah, I get that.  Sir Delver made us all learn as soon as we got assigned to the Port.  Even Lady Bubblegum.  She was a mess; nearly had a panic attack when we shoved her into the water,” Gadget laughed.  “She’ll probably try the same with you.  Bit of a hazing thing, really.  Don’t worry, nopony will let you drown.”

“Swimming doesn’t really scare me all that much,” Emberglow said.  Honestly the idea seemed exciting to her.  “I’ll look forward to it.”

“It’s fun,” Gadget replied.  The two ponies stood silently as their conversation drifted off, staring down the beach and at the twinkling waves.  The sounds of the airship surrounded them; creaking planks, stretching ropes, even the businesslike conversations of the sailors and attendants as they wove around the various passengers on deck, performing their tasks.  Emberglow was content to sit and listen for a while, letting the atmosphere wash over her, her gaze locked on the ocean.  Maybe this was what some ponies called ‘the calm before the storm’.  Once she reached the Port, her new life as a Knight would really begin.  But for now, she just wanted to sigh, hang onto the railing of this airship, and watch the waves dance in the sunlight.

“Look there!” Gadget said, pointing at a rock outcropping rising from the ocean.  “That’s called Sea Shine Rock.  Port Luminescence begins just on the other side.  In a minute, you’ll be able to see the first of the buildings.  I’ll go let my dad know we’re almost there.  You keep watch, it may not be the loveliest sight, but it is neat to see the town you’ll be living in from the air.”

Emberglow smiled as her new friend departed, before turning her gaze back to the rock, and the lands that lay beyond. 

“That was cute.  Have fun flirting?” Bubblegum’s voice asked suddenly from behind her. Emberglow jumped, spinning around in a start.

“I wasn’t… you shouldn’t… how long…” Emberglow stammered, took a deep breath, and continued.  “We were not flirting.  That would be illegal.  And morally wrong.  You know that,” she accused.

“Sure, whatever,” Bubblegum said airily.  “Honestly, the whole topic bugs me.  Why would the Holy Diarchs say it’s bad to be gay, then make a bunch of ponies love the same sex?  It makes no sense.  I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with it.”

“I don’t know much about the topic either,” Emberglow said carefully.  “Only that it’s the will of the Diarchs.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Bubblegum said again, looking Emberglow up and down.  “Not like I’d say anything anyways.”

“Say anything about what?” Emberglow said, letting her voice get a little offended.  Bubblegum just shrugged and walked away, leaving Emberglow feeling quite unsettled.  She turned back to watch the approach of Port Luminescence, but the peace and serenity of earlier was completely absent.  With a sigh, she wandered back down into the cabin to retrieve her saddlebags, then went back on deck to see what she could see of Port Luminescence.

Gadget had been right; the Port wasn’t much to look at, even from the air.  Brown streets wound haphazardly around wooden buildings, most with faded and chipping paint.  A few of the buildings had gardens on top, strangely enough, creating the illusion of green roofs.  There was no logic or sense to the layout of the town; unlike New Canterlot City, which spread from a logical central point, Port Luminescence just meandered about every which way, as if drunk.  Emberglow could see the airship dock; rather than an entire city block, with several different docks springing into the air, Port Luminescence had only one, with two arms springing out of the top like tree branches.  One of the branches already had an airship parked at it; the Lost Lamb steered towards the other.

The activity on deck was growing from calm labor into organized chaos.  Purposeful sailors dashed about readying lines, securing sails, and doing whatever it was sailor ponies did to get ready for docking.  Emberglow was a little worried she might be in their way, but reasoned they would say something if she was.  Or not, she corrected herself, looking at the respectful nods those who passed by her gave; she was a Knight, after all, and still dressed clearly in her white robes. 

When the airship reached the dock, several of the sailors tossed lines to ponies waiting on the dock itself, who quickly tied off the ropes into winches that would secure the airship to the dock.  Several lines were tied, and a wide gangplank was extended to the deck of the airship.  A trapdoor in the hull of the airship was also opened and a second, even wider railed gangplank was extended so that dockworker ponies could begin unloading the luggage and other freight of the airship.  Emberglow hesitated a moment, wondering if it was safe to disembark, but when she saw other ponies beginning to move towards the gangplank, she shrugged and went down the wooden plank herself.

The first moment her hooves touched the wooden floor of the dock’s boardwalk was disorienting.  Going from a moving, shifting vehicle to stable ground took a moment to get used to.  Emberglow paused, allowing her body to get used to not moving any longer, before trotting towards the central pillar that held up the entire dock structure.  The inside was much smaller than the one in New Canterlot City, with only a single freight elevator and a spiral staircase going down.  She wondered if somepony would see to her armor in its crate, but then remembered that she had had nothing to do with getting it onboard in the first place, so she probably didn’t have to worry about it here.  She trotted down the stairs and out the large door into the streets of Port Luminescence, waiting outside the doors for the others to disembark and catch up.

“Welcome, Knight Emberglow, to the vast, shining metropolis of Port Luminescence,” Bubblegum said grandly as she caught up with the other Knight.  “Please note the finely paved, immaculately clean streets, the elegant construction of the architecture, and the joy to be seen on all the smiling faces.”  Several nearby ponies scowled at the statement, before going about their way.  

“It’s lovely," she deadpanned. "Where are the other two?”

“On their way.  We’re supposed to meet at the army building.  It’s a few blocks to the south.  The Knights have their own house that Knight Command purchased a few years back, but I’ll show you where that’s at when we’re done meeting with Sir Delver.   Gadget and Gearsmith stay at the barracks with the rest of the soldiers; they don’t need to check in with Delver, so it’ll be just you and me for the next few hours.”

“Lead the way,” Emberglow said patiently, and followed Bubblegum through the streets.  Everything the other ponies had said about Port Luminescence was true; it was filthy but lively. Walking down the streets, it was clear that things were more difficult here than the back home in the capital.  Stallions and mares each seemed to have harder muscles, and many ponies had scars.  There was no air of hostility, however, as ponies called raucously to each other in greeting, laughed loudly at each other’s jokes, and were generally being boisterous.  It was different than what she was used to, but not nearly as bad as she had feared.

The office of the army was one of the few three-story buildings in the area.  It was surrounded by a tall fence, with two shorter buildings fenced in, alongside what looked like a small exercise yard.  One of the smaller buildings was long but narrow, probably a barracks of sorts.  There were two uniformed guards at the gate, armed with spears.  The three-story building was labeled with a wooden sign outside the door, that stated simply, ‘Diarchy Army Headquarters’.  

“Welcome back, Lady Bubblegum,” one of the guards said, saluting with his hoof to his chest.  “Sir Delver and Lady Turquoise are waiting inside, in Sir Delver’s office.”  The two guards pushed the double wooden gate open for the Knights, and they entered into the army headquarters complex.  They found their way into the large, three story building, where Bubblegum guided Emberglow up the stairs to an unmarked office door.  The Knight Adamant knocked on the door, waiting for a muffled, “Come in!” before turning the handle and entering the office.

The office was undecorated, containing only a single wooden desk covered with papers, using rocks as paperweights.  The walls were simple but clean whitewashed wood, and a few odd seating pillows lay scattered on the floor.  The light was provided by a simple chandelier, gas powered, hanging from the ceiling.

Two ponies waited for them inside the spartan office.  Emberglow knew to expect her former mentor, Turquoise, who quickly moved over to hug her former squire.  Like the younger Knights, she was dressed in her own pink robe.    

The other Knight wasn’t wearing a robe, but armor.  His armor was clean, but clearly well used, its blue painted surface covered in hundreds of tiny nicks and gashes.  He was sitting behind his desk, and had risen when Emberglow and Bubblegum had entered, waiting politely while Emberglow and Turquoise greeted each other.  He had a black coat, and a very short, cut grey mane.  It made the much more colourful light blue of his armor stand out.

“Knight Private Emberglow, reporting as ordered, sir,” Emberglow said, saluting the dark stallion with hoof to chest after she ended her hug with Turquoise.  Even though she no longer had to refer to other Knights as Lady or Sir, it was still regulation to refer to the commander of one’s squad, or team, as sir or ma’am.

“Glad to see your flight was uneventful, Emberglow.  I’m Delver Deep.  I see you’ve already met Bubblegum, and Turquoise has already told me much about you. All favorable, don’t worry.  Hard working, brilliant, and clever, I’ve heard.  I’m glad to have you.”  The stallion turned to Bubblegum.  “How many?”

“I have no idea what you—”

“How many, Bubblegum?” the commanding Knight said with a smile and a predatory glint in his eyes.

“Um...”

“You know I can just look it up in the official reports.  They will send them to me, eventually.”

“Three sir,” Bubblegum muttered.

“Three weeks?  That seems light,”

“Three months, sir,” Bubblegum said, sounding annoyed.

“That makes more sense,” Delver replied.  Emberglow and Turquoise glanced at each other in confusion.

“Any money riding on the outcome, sir?” Bubblegum asked, grinning at her superior officer.

“Bubblegum,” he said sternly.  “If you don’t take these things seriously, how will you ever learn proper decorum?”

“Never, sir,” Bubblegum said with a grin, and Delver sighed.  “So, were there bits riding on it?”

“I had fifty bits that you wouldn’t get away with anything less than two months’ docked pay for your little stunt.  You’ve just made me a very slightly richer Knight, Bubblegum.  At the expense of three months of your own salary.”

“Glad to help,” Bubblegum said cheerily.  It was odd to hear this talk of salary; Emberglow reminded herself that three of the Knight Orders, the Mystic, Vigilant, and Adamant, didn’t swear the Oath of Poverty.

“What… did she do?” Turquoise asked, sounding as if she barely dared to.

“I was doodling on my official reports.” Bubblegum shrugged.  “Somepony back at Knight Command didn’t like it, is all.”

“Dicks.  You drew giant dicks on official reports.  With smiley faces.  And name tags written with badly misspelled versions of the names of the very ponies that you were sending reports to.  Did you really expect to get away with it?” 

“Sometimes I just do things,” Bubblegum muttered.  “I don’t always waste time thinking about what’s gonna happen afterwards.”

“Quite.  Now go see your husband.  I’m sure you missed him.”

“Yes, sir!” Bubblegum cheered, pumping her hoof in the air.  She rushed out of the room without another word, leaving a stunned Turquoise and a gently laughing Delver.

“She seems odd,” Turquoise said diplomatically.

“Very odd,” Delver said.  “She’s been serving under me for two years now.  She’s different, but loyal to her squad, and very good in a fight.  She’s saved my soldier’s lives a dozen times, and mine too.  It’s worth the occasional aggravation of having to put up with disciplinary hearings, and three months docked pay.”

“She’ll be okay, right?” Emberglow asked cautiously.  “I mean, she’ll have enough money to manage?”

“She’ll be fine.  Or rather, they’ll be fine.  Wind Storm, her husband, is very down-to-earth,” Delver said, with a chuckle at his pun.  “He’s good with money, and he gets a decent salary as the head weather pony in charge of things around the Port.  She’ll suffer, but not enough to cause real problems.”

“That’s good,” Emberglow said, relieved.

“But will she actually learn her lesson?” Turquoise asked.  Delver shook his head.

“Next month it’ll be some other mischief.  She doesn’t really do it on purpose, she just has no impulse control.  An idea enters her head, she thinks it’ll be funny, and next thing you know it, it’s another flight back to New Canterlot City for another disciplinary council and a few more months docked pay, or whatever discipline tactic they’re working on next.  If she weren’t so blasted useful, and if her infractions were more than just foalish silliness, I’d be seriously worried about her position as a Knight.  As it is, they’d never kick her out for something this stupid.”

“You think it’s funny,” Turquoise accused, pointing at the stallion.  Delver laughed.

“A bit, yeah.  Sometimes it’s nice to be around somepony that has no filter.  Every so often she says all the things we wish we could, but are too polite to consider.  But anyways, on to other business.  Emberglow, have you been briefed on the situation here in the Port?”

“A little, but not much,” Emberglow admitted.  “I know there’s a zebra pirate tormenting ships between here and the colonies on the Zebrica continent.  I know he’s sunk five ships so far, and stolen large amounts of cargo.”

“Let me fill you in a bit on the local politics,” Delver said.  “Port Luminescence is ruled by a stallion they call Portmaster Blingshine.  The stallion is a pirate, pure and simple.”

“A pirate?” Emberglow asked, cocking her head. Had she misheard? “Aren’t we hunting pirates?”

“Well, he’s a pirate who works for us.  Or, more accurately, he’s a pirate whose goals align with ours.  Blingshine is wealthy, and as long as he cooperates with the army, and any nearby Knights, he keeps getting wealthier.  Our job is hunting down the pirates, but our second job, no less important, is keeping Blingshine happy.  If we got rid of him, he would simply be replaced by the same kind of pony, one who may or may not be willing to work as closely with us.  So we turn a blind eye to some of the more unsavory things that happen in this town, in the name of keeping the peace with Blingshine.  Meanwhile, he knows not to go too far over the line, lest we cut our losses and try again with the next scoundrel who will hold his position.”

“I… see,” Emberglow said, though she was still a little confused.  “Can you spell it out for me in practical terms?”

“Mostly, stay out of Blingshine’s way.  He’s going to want to meet the new Knight.  He’s going to try to bribe you, seduce you, and manipulate you.  Turn him down without insulting him, and we won’t have additional problems.  If you think he’s doing something to hurt or hinder us, let me or Turquoise know before you act on it, and we’ll act together.”

“I can do that, sir,” Emberglow said.

“Now I believe you need directions to the house we’re staying at?” Delver asked.  “I’d be happy to find a soldier who can show you the way.”

“If it’s okay with you, sir, I’d love to show her,” Turquoise said, smiling slightly at Emberglow.  “We haven’t seen each other in several months, besides at her assessment.  I’d like to catch up.”

“Oh.  Of course, that makes sense.  We’re done here.  Emberglow, we’re meeting here, in this office, at zero-seven-hundred hours tomorrow morning to go over our plan of action.  Until then, your time is yours.  Feel free to explore the town, or rest in our house.  The rougher elements of the Port should leave you alone when they see your uniform, but if not, remind them why they should, hmm?  Have a good night, you two.”

“You’ll like the house, Emberglow,” Turquoise commented as they left the building.  “It has a full-time caretaker and a gardener.  He grows the most amazing fresh produce on the roof, and she’s a phenomenal cook.”

“I saw quite a few rooftop gardens on the way in,” Emberglow said.  “Is that because of the flooding?”

“Yes, it can get quite nasty around here.  Luckily for you, you don’t have to deal with it when it gets really muddy,” Turquoise said, with good-natured envy and a glance at Emberglow’s wings.  “The house also has a huge, relaxing tub in the basement.  I know…” The older mare trailed off thoughtfully, looking at Emberglow.  “You don’t think it’s cheating, do you?  Making use of luxury that already exists?”  Emberglow laughed.

“You’re the theologian, what do you think?” Emberglow asked, both amused and surprised that her former mentor would be asking her opinion, though she supposed they were equals now.  Turquoise smiled.

“It’s not sinful, even with our Vow of Poverty, to make use of resources provided specifically for Knights like us.  Resources such as big giant hot tubs and bubble bath.”

“Actually… a bubble bath might be absolutely fantastic.  I’ll explore the city some other day,” Emberglow said with a sigh of anticipation.  The two mares shared a friendly laugh as they trotted off through the streets.