Yamato watched as the Griffons were lead one by one below decks where they would be imprisoned till the Wavecutter returned to Equestria, a stormy expression on her face from her shaded spot on the port side of the ship in order to intimidate the Griffions so they would not consider any foolish actions. After the Griffon's surrender, the crew of the Wavecutter had been working tirelessly on a number of tasks. They were setting up a tow between the Wavecutter and the pirate ship so that they could house the many captured ponies within without having to squeeze everycreature on board just one ship, to catalogue all the contraband on board said ship, to treat the injured ponies that had been taken, and finally to get the pirates stowed away in the brig. The sheer amount of work to be done likely meaning that they would not turn back to Equestria well into the night.
Yamato had offered her aid in either setting up the tow or moving the prisoners into their cells, as she doubted she would be able to identify the items retrieved from the pirates or how to catalogue them nor did she have any ability to aid ponies who had been foalnapped, her one attempt to do so causing a mare to faint outright at her ministrations. But she had been strongly refused by not only Whitecap, but every other sailor on board. Each one claiming that she had done more than enough and that if they let her do anymore of the work then they would be failing in their oaths. And so, with nothing else to do, Yamato decided to rest against the side of the ship and glower at each and every pirate that passed while also giving her chief engineer a chance to check for any damage she sustained due to running at flank speed when her boilers and turbines hadn't been used in years. Although not a single pirate had managed to hold her gaze for more than a few seconds without flinching away. Not even the bulky minitour that had apparently been the muscle on their ship could withstand her gaze when it fell upon him. Not that she could blame them, as being nearly blown to smithereens would leave any sentient being a little traumatized, let alone fearful of the one who was capable of such destruction.
Even the ponies of the Wavecutter and the once captured ponies of the sunken ship were treating her different now that they had seen Yamato unleash her fury…though just not in the way the shipmare was expecting. The ponies that had been liberated from the pirates stared at Yamato with awestruck expressions that Yamato was afraid were beginning to border on worship instead of the terror she had been expecting. More than a few had approached at one time or another, bowed their heads so low that they’re muzzles were pressed into the floor, and thanked her for her help. Some even weeping as they did so, their thanks nearly sending the shipmare into a nervous fit at how she should handle them before she managed to get herself under control and gracefully accept their thanks.
In addition, while the crew of the Wavecutter’s behavior had not changed outwardly, it was clear that their respect for the shipmare had jumped up by leaps and bounds. She could feel them staring at her whenever she turned her head away, their gazes filled with just as much respect as the civilians they had rescued but without all the tears being shed. Every time one of the crew ponies walked by her spot, they would stop and salute her like she was their commanding officer before continuing on with what they were doing. And that wasn’t even mentioning the incident a few minutes ago where she offhoofedly mentioned her thirst to private Fresh Face, said pony galloping below decks to fulfil get her some water so fast that she was certain it would cause problems, and considering how many times she heard a crashing sound echoing from below she was probably spot on.
All in all, the new levels of respect and reverence the ponies were showing her was beyond embarrassing. So much so that if it weren't for her orders to keep her turbines running at a lower RPM her face would be a deep scarlet at this point.. So, until things calmed down a bit, she was content to rest and keep to herself as everything was sorted out.
Unfortunately, fate seemed to have other ideas for the shipmare instead of relaxation, as Yamato noticed out of the corner of her eye Wavecutter approaching, the ship spirit limping slightly despite the look of happiness on her muzzle. “H-Heya Yamato…can I sit next to you?” The younger ship asked tentatively, Yamato nodding her head slightly in response in order to avoid anypony from noticing her. Wavecutter hesitated for a moment before laying down by her side to the point where she was pretty much leaning against Yamato. Not that the battleship minded that much, as she imagined the heat given off by her twelve boilers was probably quite comfortable for others. “I just wanted to tell you…thank you for helping my captain and crew. If it weren’t for you, then we wouldn’t have been able to save everypony from the badies and everypony would have been really upset. So…thanks. Thank you.”
“You are quite welcome Wavecutter.” Yamato replied quietly as she fully laid down and turned her neck away from the various creatures that were moving across the deck in order to hide the fact that she was speaking with somepony. After all, it wouldn't do for the crew of the spirit sitting beside her to think she was losing her mind. The older mare curling her neck around Wavecutter in a similar manner to a mother cat protecting her kittens.
The two shipmares remained quiet for a time, both simply enjoying the sounds of the sea behind them and the ponies moving in the background. But eventually Wavecutter worked up the courage to ask the question that had been bouncing around her hull ever since she had seen Yamato power. “U-ummm…Miss. Yamato? C-can I ask you something?” The ship spirit asked, waiting for the battleship to nod before continuing. “What did you do to make all that fire and smoke? And was that the same spell that made the water explode?”
“It was the same ability yes. However, it was not a spell that I used.” Yamato answered after a moment of consideration. “Rather, it would be the equivalent of my version of a ballista. Unlike you, I was constructed with different materials and my creators were far engineered me with a far more warlike mentality. So my weaponry is designed for destroying other vessels as opposed to slowing them down.”
“Oh…and that’s why you can go so fast? 'Cause your made differently than me?” Wavecutter asked, the spirit massaging her left hoof, Yamato inferring that that was where the majority of the structural damage Yamato had unintentionally inflicted upon her by dragging her across the sea by her anchor.
“In a manner of speaking. Though it is more accurate to say I have a different way of moving across the waves instead of relying on the winds. It is not necessarily good or bad, simply different.”
“Ah…ok then. I guess it makes sense that I couldn’t see any sails on you when you were pulling me 'cause you didn't have sails.” Wavecutter muttered, almost to herself, though Yamato couldn’t help but raise a curious eyebrow in response to her words.
“You could see my hull? My ship form?” Yamato clarified, a hint of surprise coloring her words, Wavecutter nodding hesitantly in response.
“A little. Kinda like seeing a mirage out on the water.” The younger mare admitted, shivering slightly at the memory. “At first, I was really, really scared. ‘casue you were so big and scary looking. But then I remembered how you promised to help, and that you wouldn’t hurt my crew, and I wasn’t so afraid after that…But that’s not really what I wanted to ask you about.” Wavecutter paused, then, looking away for a moment before whipping her head back around to stare resolutely at Yamato. “I-Is there any way that you can share your power with me? Or maybe tell my crew how to build some stuff for me so I can move and fight like you do?”
Yamato hesitated before answering, as the question had no easy answer. While it was possible for her to share the technology used in her construction with Equestria, there was no guarantee that doing so would ever benefit Wavecutter as she was now. When Kancolle had been nothing more than a show and game, it was possible for a shipgirl to obtain an upgrade in equipment if their physical hull had received upgrades at one point in their existence, or their Kai form. But for an entirely wooden ship to receive enough upgrades to make it into a steel hulled ship with even destroyer caliber guns? Yamato highly doubted that it would be possible even if she were to ignore the ethical question of whether or not she should introduce such destructive technology to a world that clearly wasn’t ready for it.
Which was why she eventually shook her head in denial, a truly sorrowful look on her face. “I am sorry Wavecutter, but no. Even if I could give you one of my cannons, the simple act of firing it would tear your hull apart. And in order to make it possible for you to equip such weapons, they would have to deconstruct you and rebuild you in an entirely new form that could withstand such force. An act that could kill the you you are right now, creating a new spirit who would only share your name.”
Wavecutter grimaced at the bluntness of Yamato's reply before staring down at her hooves, a humorless laugh escaping from her muzzle. “Ya, I kinda figured you’d say something like that…I just…just.” She choked out as she started to cry, Yamato pressing closer to the younger pony in order to comfort her. “I just feel so useless! I couldn’t get my crew to where they needed to go without them creating wind for me! I had no way of catching up with those pirates even if I had all the wind in the world at my back! And even if I did, there’s no way I could have gotten them to give up like you did without them hurting somepony in the process! I hate it! I hate feeling so useless!” She cried as she pressed her face into Yamato’s barrel and started to wail.
Yamato watched the young spirit weep for a moment, her heart breaking slightly at the sight. And it was that feeling that led her to decide to reveal a moment of her own weakness. “I understand your frustration Wavecutter, I understand such feelings all too well.”
“Y-you do?” The smaller ship asked in between sniffles.
“Indeed…I learned of my own powerlessness at the moment of my death.” Yamato admitted, a self-deprecating smile on her lips at Wavecutter’s flabbergasted expression. “When I met my end, it was at the hooves of a swarm of beings that I could barely defend myself against. Their weapons striking at me freely from the heavens while my crew desperately tried to defend me to no avail all under orders that would serve no real propose. And after nearly two hours of relentless attacks, I sank beneath the waves…utterly powerless to save my crew or protect my nation.”
“…R-really? Even with how strong you are, you couldn’t do anything?” Wavecutter asked, sounding pretty skeptical.
“Indeed. It showed me just how weak I truly am.” Yamato admitted sadly as she turned away and stared off into the distance, a now pensive look on her face. Even though her human side knew that she had nothing to do with operation Ten-go, the ship part of her couldn’t help but tense at the memories of Hellcats, Corsairs, and Avengers filling the skies above her and mercilessly striking her as her crew fought nearly to the last. It was a scar that, even a world and a life away, still left its mark upon her psyche. “Every pony, and particularly every ship, will one day know what it is to be unable to change the outcome of their fate, to be brought low by their own powerlessness and be forced to rise above it or succumb…but I do not think that your day has come. I truly believe that even if I was not here, you and your crew would have found some way to save those ponies. I, Yamato, guarantee it.” She finished and truly meant it. true, looking at it from a purely logical point of view, there was very little chance that the Wavecutter or her crew could have done much to help the captured ponies…but something in the back of her mind told her that they would have found a way. She was certain of it.
Wavecutter stared into her eyes for a moment, likely trying to determine if Yamato was lying to her or not, before lowering her head. Tears falling anew from her eyes, though Yamato had a feeling that these were not born from overwhelming sorrow. “…Thank you, Yamato.” She whispered, Yamato smiling and nuzzling the younger pony.
“Your very welcome.” The battleship replied as she stood, only flinching slightly at the soreness in her legs. Her Chief Engineer was probably going to have quite a few choice words to share with her later about not going all the way to flank speed on what was essentially a continuation of her shakedown cruise. But for now, it was time to make sure her quartermaster didn’t attempt a mutiny due to her low supplies. “Now then, with all the energy I expended today, I find myself quite famished. And as such, I Yamato, will now go and have dinner.”
“Yes Ma’am! We'll prepare that for you right away Ma'am!” Wavecutter and, much to Yamato’s mortification, a number of ponies surrounding her shouted out at her words along with a saluting her. though thankfully her turbines weren’t running at full capacity, and therefore there was only a little bit of blood rushing to her cheeks to show her embarrassment.
Fortunately, Yamato suffered no other awkward moments through the rest of the night and into the next day, as she doubted that her engineers would appreciate the extra work necessary in order to increase power production because she couldn't stop getting into embarrassing situations. But while the lack of any additional miscommunications was avoided, the lack of any other unusual situations left Yamato feeling nervous as she stared out at the blue horizon with no real idea as to why. The Shipmare deciding to have her spotters try to see if they could make out land despite the fact that they wouldn’t be arriving for a few days yet assuming the winds didn’t die out again, or at least watch the horizon for anything out of the ordinary since she would have the best odds of dealing with a nebulous threat if one did appear. But no, no further pirates made themselves known, and so Yamato's thoughts returned to a question that had been burning in the back of her head since the battle.
Yesterday she had revealed the true extent of her weaponry, of just how strong and fast she was upon the sea. And despite the clear and present threat she could represent, Whitecap had yet to confront her about any aspect of her powers…and that, in itself, was somewhat nerve-racking.
Whitecap was a captain of a foreign navy, and as such should be prioritizing any advantage she could get against Equestria's enemies, or at the very least, attempting to contain Yamato in case the Shipmare decided to turn on the Wavecutter. While Yamato had learned during their session on her first day that Equestria tried to follow a more pacifist mindset, they still had an entire vessel worth of pirates in the Wavecutter’s hold which clearly meant that the world was not so peaceful as Whitecap had made it sound. Despite their desire to remain peaceful, it was clear that the other sentient species that inhabited this world had other ideas in mind. So then why wasn’t Whitecap trying to persuade her to give up her secrets for the good of her homeland? It had been hard enough to refuse Wavecutter herself the other night, the young mares tears making Yamato feel like she had bucked a puppy, and the Shipmare had been thinking desperately of ways to diplomatically refuse other such advances until she could head off on her own.
And yet, in spite of all her preparations, the head mare on board had yet to even bring up the subject in any way shape or form! It was starting to get a little frustrating. But before Yamato’s annoyance could get the better of her, she heard a polite cough from behind her, the shipmare startling slightly at the unexpected noise before once again schooling her face into a mask of serenity and turning to see just who was attempting to get her attention.
Standing a respectful distance away as the very mare that Yamato had been thinking about along with three other ponies. The first was, surprisingly enough, the Pegasus who had alerted them to the pirate attack. He was looking better than he had been after collapsing onto the deck only a day ago, but Yamato could still see the exhaustion in his eyes mixed with equal parts relief. The second was a sky-blue Earth pony mare that stood slightly shorter than the ponies next to her, but Yamato could still see maturity in her warm gaze marking her as an adult pony.
But the third, and by far the most noticeable pony standing before her…or rather below her, was the unbelievably cute pony that was clearly their daughter based off of how close the two older ponies were standing to her. A pink Pegasus filly even smaller than Wavecutter was staring up at her with…did she actually have stars sparkling in her eyes?! Was this level of cuteness standard for young fillies in Equestria? Because if it was, Yamato highly doubted her ability to maintain her regal demeanor if more than one of them approached her at a time.
“Lady Yamato, are you enjoying your morning?” Whitecap asked politely, Yamato nodding in response.
“Indeed, I was pleasantly surprised when they served pancakes for breakfast. It has been quite a while since I've enjoyed such a treat after all.” Yamato answered before turning her attention to the new ponies, which Whitecap took as her opportunity to introduce the new faces.
“Ah, yes, Lady Yamato, allow me to introduce Mr. Gleaming Skies, Ms. Azure Song, and their daughter Bubblegum.” The Equestrian Captain introduced, the two parents bowing deeply while their daughter simply continued to stare, seemingly in shock, before her mother tapped her flank with a hoof, the filling startling slightly before also bowing.
Of course, her name would be Bubblegum. Because why wouldn’t reality be trying its hardest to make me squeal at her cuteness. Yamato couldn’t help but complain to herself as she smiled and bowed her head. “A pleasure to meet you all.”
“Likewise, Lady Yamato. I apologize if we interrupted you, but my husband had something he wished to say to you.” Azure Song replied, a grateful smile on her face as she and Yamato turned to the stallion in question.
“…Lady Yamato, While I'm sure other ponies from my crew have said something similar already, I just wished to thank you for the actions you took yesterday.” Gleaming Skies eventually said as he once again bowed his head. “I do not know how much you heard about what happened before you showed up, but I managed to break free from my bonds after the Griffons captured us and tried to go and find help…But a part of me couldn’t help but think that I might never see my wife and child ever again.”
It was then that Gleaming Skies looked up, his eyes shining with emotion. “And everypony I have spoken to about our rescue have said that it was because of you and your efforts that I, my crew, and my family are standing here today. So, thank you, Lady Yamato, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you should ever require the aid of me or my family, you only have to ask, and I will do everything in my power to help.” He finished, Azure Song nodding along with his words.
“Thank you, Princess! It was really nice for you to come help us! Even if your magic did make my ears hurt.” Bubblegum added, her parents looking mortified at her comment. But Yamato only laughed lightly in response to the fillies misunderstanding of her station and powers.
“Indeed, they were quite loud, weren’t they? I apologize for that young Bubblegum; I will endeavor to make it up to you in some way soon.” Yamato replied before returning her attention to the couple. “And I shall remember your offer as well, Mr. Gleaming Skies. Though I would have aided you regardless of the promise of future support. It is my duty, and my honor, to protect those who sail upon the seas.” The Shipmare added with a smile before gesturing to the side of the ship. “Well then, would you all care to watch the waves with me? While it may not be the most riveting of entertainment, I for one find it quite relaxing.”
“We would be honored, your Highness.” Azure Song replied, Yamato noting her curious choice of honorific but not making mention of it.
Time passed quickly after that, with Whitecap having excused herself to return to her duties, as Yamato spoke to the two civilians and their daughter. Said filly having somehow ended up curled up on her back asleep without Yamato ever remember agreeing or placing said filly upon her back, a fact that had her intelligence officers in a panic as they attempted to draw up plans for if Equestria were to learn of Yamato’s newfound weakness and attempt to exploit it.
But besides learning about this newfound breach of her mental defenses, Yamato learned quite a bit about the other two ponies. Gleaming Skies was a marginally successful merchant vessel owner, and apparently a pretty modest one too according to his wife, whose main source of trade was trading food to Griffonstone in exchange for raw ores. Apparently Equestria, while having quite the abundance of farmable lands and Earth ponies to tend said land- though Yamato made sure one of her intelligence officers made a note for her to investigate just why Earth ponies were apparently a boon for farming- lacked any major source of raw minerals beyond an abundance of gemstones. A fact that was almost the exact opposite of Griffonstone's natural resources. Which was why Gleaming Skies' trade route had been so lucrative.
Unfortunately, it was this fact that attracted the attention of Griffonstone’s less reputable entrepreneurs. Gleaming Skies admitted to receiving more than a couple of threats for his goods over the last few months, but this was the first time anycreature had actually managed to attack their ship before the merchant vessel could flee. The stallion admitted to being slightly concerned about brining any more goods to Griffonstone if they couldn’t even protect their own waters, but that was a question for another day as he intended to give his employees some time off to recover from their near kidnapping before attempting another voyage. Not to mention the time it would take to purchase or commission a new ship to replace the one the pirates had sunk.
On a far happier note, Azure Song quickly changed the subject by brining up her own special talent; a talent for writing and singing songs. The mention of special talents making Yamato thankful she had questioned the term "Cutie Mark" the other day when Whitecap had been explaining the modern world to her, although she still couldn't wrap her head around the ridiculous name for such a cultural cornerstone of their society. She spoke about how she would often accompany her husband on his trips, singing her songs for any creature they encountered to make some spare change while also using the time out at sea to write new songs. The mare elaborating on just how profitable it was to be a song writer in Equestria, as apparently music was yet another integral part of their nation and therefore was always in high demand. Under normal circumstances neither parent would be traveling with their daughter in tow, but with schools in Equestria currently on break the two ponies figured now was a great time to take a family vacation and to show their daughter their respective businesses…and Yamato already knew how well that idea turned out.
And while Bubblegum had been quite terrified when they had been captured, the filly having spent most of their time in captivity sobbing into her mother’s barrel, that changed when the captured ponies heard Yamato’s booming voice echoing from beyond the hull. Bubblegum had looked through the window that the room they had been stashed in had- Yamato flashing a confused expression at the thought of the Griffons stashing their prisoners in a room that had such an easy means of escape while also feeling relived at her decision not to fire on the pirate vessel- to see Yamato herself standing tall upon the waves, the fillies fear apparently vanishing in an instant as she muttered two simple words.
“So pretty” Azure Song repeated, an embarrassed smile on the mare’s face as she admitted it to Yamato. Fortunately, after the debacle of last night, Yamato had made sure to tell her engineers to keep her boilers running low unless she gave them explicit orders to the contrary, and as such there was no tint to her cheeks this time as she smiled down at the two embarrassed ponies, waving away their apologies for their daughter’s breach of decorum.
The three had then fallen into a comfortable silence, each one staring out at sea, before Azure Song started to ask about Yamato’s origins, something that while she should have been prepared for, still took the shipmare by surprise. She was prepared to talk of her life, at least a heavily edited version of her human one, when the three were interrupted by a loud yawn from somewhere on Yamato’s back. The three ponies turned their heads to see Bubblegum slowly stretching out and yawing in a way so similar to a cat that Yamato had to physically fight off the urge to coo at the sight, a battle that a number of her crew lost considering how many drawn out “Squeees” she heard from within her hull.
“Good morning, little Bubblegum. Did you have a nice nap?” Yamato questioned as the little filly rubbed her eyes.
“Mmmm Hmmm! Your back was really comfy and warm! Kinda like a really, really comfy cloud” Bubblegum complimented as she stood and stared nervously down at the ground, apparently feeling like she was a little too high up to jump from despite the wings upon her back.
“Well then, I Yamato, thank you for the compliment. I shall have to endeavor to sleep upon the clouds myself at some point in order to determine just how comfortable I am.” Yamato replied with a laugh as she lowered herself to the deck, the filly finally jumping down and trotting over to her mother, the blue pony nuzzling the filly as she approached. “Though I am surprised you required a nap so early in the day. Was your sleep not very restful?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just so boring out here that I just wanna take a nap to pass the time!” Bubblegum admitted with a pout. “All those meanie griffons left all my toys and books back on daddy's ship and now, I don’t have anything to do! I wanna play!”
Yamato paused in contemplation at that while her parents reprimanded the young filly for not being more grateful for their rescue. She could empathize with the filly’s issue of not having something to do, as she herself had suffered through many a long cruise with her family with nothing to entertain her but to count the passing waves. But all the ideas that Yamato could come up with in order to entertain the young foal would likely get her into trouble with the crew of the Wavecutter for being in the way of their work or were simply impractical for a being with hooves. If only she had some dolls or something for the young filly to play-.
Yamato blinked slowly at the sudden epiphany that had just made itself known to her, before grinning widely. She turned to the young filly while at the same time having her XO call a certain Fairy up to the bridge. “Well then, Young Bubblegum, would you like somepony to play with?” The shipmare questioned, the filly looking ecstatic at her words in stark contrast to the looks of mortification on her parents faces.
“Oh no, please don’t worry about it, your Highness. We couldn’t possibly ask you to play with our daughter! I’m sure you have other, more important things you need to take care off than looking after Bubblegum.” Gleaming Skies quickly denied looking absolutely mortified.
But Yamato simply smiled knowingly as she held out her hoof in a similar manner to a human holding their palm flat. “Oh, do not worry. I have somepony here who would be delighted to play with your daughter in my stead.” Yamato answered as her hoof began to glow with a white light.
Everypony present, with the exception of Yamato, stared in surprise down at her hoof as the light faded to reveal a tiny pony standing at attention. The tiny Pony was, in an unbiased and completely objective view, an incredibly cute creature, like a living doll with an oversized head, button-like eyes, and stubby limbs that only added to its cuteness. And it was one of thousands that made up her crew. More specifically, the one currently standing on her hoof was one of the fairies who had been manning her radar array when Jade Wing and Sundance had snuck up on her. She had determined that said fairy did need to be punished after all. And what better punishment for his-her? Bah, the metaphysical nature of a Fairies gender wasn't something she wanted to worry about right now.- was there than being sacrificed to an excitable foal?
“This is a fairy, a pony conjured through my magic but remains a part of me. And she has agreed to play with your daughter for the day. Isn't that right, little one?” Yamato explained as she stared down at the chibified pony, the shipmare noting that, just as it worked in Kancolle, the crew pony's gender had changed the moment she had left the confines of Yamato’s hull from male to female.
“Squee!” It replied with a smile and a wave of its hoof, Yamato noting with satisfaction that the fairy wasn’t so stiff as to remain stone faced in the face of such an adorable filly.
Said filly squealing herself as she rushed forward to grab and hug the little pony, Yamato only wincing slightly at the flash of pain on her Crewpony's face. “Oh my gosh, she’s so cute! EEEEeeee!” Bubblegum continued to shriek in happiness much to Yamato’s amusement.
“I am glad you like her. I simply ask you do not do anything to her that would hurt her, as she is a part of me. Can you do that for me Bubblegum?”
“You betcha! Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Bubblegum squealed as she placed the fairy on her back. “Come on Fairy, lets go play!” The filly announced as she took off across the deck. Yamato making sure to have her XO make a note for Yamato to thank the radar technician for his sacrifice when he returned, for it was likely that she had gone too far in his punishment all things considered.
An odd silence permeated the deck of the Wavecutter after that, the various ponies each staring in the direction that Bubblegum had gone, before finally Azure Song spoke up. “U-umm…forgive me for asking, your Highness, but was that a good idea? With all due respect, my daughter can get quite excited and I wouldn’t want her hurting that…Fairy I think you called it?”
“Indeed, they are known as Fairies. And do not worry, she is quite the tough little pony despite her appearance, she should be fine…and if she is not, then I will honor her sacrifice.” Yamato declared solemnly, the surrounding ponies looking at her in shock for a moment before the shipmare smiled slightly. “I apologize, I am merely joking.”
The ponies standing around laughed at that, though Yamato noted that some sounded more forced than others, before they returned to their duties. Gleaming Skies and Azure Song excused themselves, stating that they were going to go make sure their daughter didn’t get up to too much trouble, leaving Yamato alone at the bow. Yamato stared out at the ship with a smile upon her face, the shipmare nodding in greeting to Wavecutter as the ship spirit waved excitedly from her spot next to her captain. She could not be sure if it was due to their victory over the pirates or because they were returning home, but Yamato couldn’t see a single unhappy expression in the crowd. In fact, the ponies moving about the deck looked downright chipper, some actually skipping as they went about their business while others seemed to be bobbing their heads to a beat that only they could hear. Heck, the sea itself seemed like it was in a good mood, the waves sparkling like jewels as they gently rolled against the Wavecutter.
How curious, it looks like Equestrian military decorum is quite different from that of the IJN or USN…though that’s hardly surprising considering they are a different species after all. I wonder if-. Yamato considered before freezing in surprise at the voice of somepony singing. Only it wasn’t coming from any of the ponies in front of her, but rather the song was echoing throughout her own hull.
“Oh, we’d be alright if the wind was in our sails!” One of her fairies started to sing, the singing getting louder as more and more of her fairies started to join in. a part of her couldn’t help but question what exactly was happening, as this was hardly proper protocol for her sailors…but when Yamato realized just what they were signing, a shanty she had heard plenty of times in her youth, she put all her confusion aside and let the nostalgic words wash over her. Embracing the strange magic that seemingly had grabbed ahold of her crew, and by extension she herself, the shipmare did not realize that she had started to sing out loud as well.
“We’d be alright if the wind was in our sails.”
“We’d be alright if the wind was in our sails.”
“We’d be alright if the wind was in our sails.”
“And we’ll all hang on behind!”
Yamato sang, her eyes closed as the nostalgia of her father’s favorite sea shanty suffused her surroundings, the shipmare getting lost in the words she knew by heart. And because she was not paying attention, she failed to notice how every pony on board was somehow joining her in song despite the fact that they shouldn't have ever heard it before.
“And we'll roll the old chariot along”
“We'll roll the old chariot along”
“We'll roll the old chariot along”
“And we'll all hang on behind”
And so, they sang, Yamato leading the crew of the Wavecutter, and even the ponies still on the pirate ship, in song. With the shipmare singing each verse by herself while everypony else joined in on the chorus.
They sang and sang, Yamato keeping her eyes closed the entire time, repeating the song at least twice. Until finally she reached the final verse, the other ponies trailing off at the emotion in her voice.
“And we’ll all hang on behind!” Yamato finished, holding the last note a little longer than the rest, before finally letting the song fade. For a heartbeat there was silence across the deck, Yamato not at all bothering to hide the emotion on her face at the memories of her previous life bouncing around her head, before she was startled out of her apparent trance by the stomping of hooves and cheering. Yamato jumping slightly as she opened her eyes and saw that everypony was staring at her and apparently applauding her if their positive demeanor was anything to go by.
“…What just happened?” Yamato couldn’t help but question as Whitecap and Azure Song approached, both grinning like little fillies themselves.
“Was that your first Harmony Song, Lady Yamato? Because if so, that was beautiful!” The captain complemented Azure Song nodding in agreement.
“I thank you for your kind words, but what exactly is a Harmony Song?” Yamato couldn’t help but question.
“Its an expression of harmony brought about when a number of ponies all feeling the same kind of emotion need to express their feelings or when one particular pony has a predominantly strong emotion they need to get off their barrel. Usually through the medium of music, dance, or through a surge of that species magic.” Azure Song explained, a playful smile on her lips. “But still, I didn’t know you were one of my competitors, your highness! That was quite the shanty if I do say so myself. May I ask where you heard it? Or did you come up with it yourself?”
Yamato couldn’t help but smile sadly at that, the positive emotions brought about by the apparent Harmony Song keeping her from feeling too bad at the thought of her father. “No, I unfortunately lack such musical talent…but it was my father’s favorite song to sing out at sea and I was often in his company so I naturally picked up on the lyrics.”
“…Did something happen to him?” Whitecap asked quietly, the good mood brought about by the song fading quickly as apparently both mares had picked up on Yamato’s plummeting mood.
“No, rather, it was my parents who lost me.” Yamato admitted sadly, the sudden impulse to be honest with those before overcoming her. “You see, while I do not understand how it happened, I-!” Yamato started to say, before one of her fairies interrupted her with a report from her remaining radar operators, said report causing steam in her boilers to freeze over.
The shipmare bolted from her place at the bow of the ship, nearly bowling over the two startled mares, as she rushed to the aft of the Wavecutter. She threw herself against the railing, Yamato not even noticing as she wood cracked due to the force of her stop, as she stared at a single point on the horizon.
Please, please let this be a mistake! She couldn’t help but beg as she waiting for confirmation, the shipmare not even noticing when Whitecap rushed to her side, worriedly asking what was wrong. But almost as if to spit in the face of the harmony that had suffused the ship only moments ago, Yamato’s fairies dutifully confirmed the report .
Radar, multiple surface contacts detected, South, 10km.
The moment she had confirmation Yamato’s body was engulfed in a brilliant white light, the wood of the deck groaning under the unexpected weight, and even before it had faded, Yamato had already extended her catapults to launch two of her Mitsubishi F1M spotting planes into the sky. By the time the light vanished, Yamato was already turning to Whitecap, a deadly serious expression on her face as her fairies scrambled to get to general quarters and ready themselves for the coming battle. She still didn’t understand how she knew it, especially since she didn’t have any visual conformation, but something deep inside her was telling her that the ships currently closing in on them were her fated foes.
“Captain Whitecap. I need you to listen and listen closely, as I do not have time to repeat myself.” Yamato ordered in a no-nonsense tone, Whitecap flinching slightly at her look but otherwise nodding. “You need to turn Wavecutter directly north and remove yourself from this section of the sea with all due haste. Use whatever means you can to get as far away from this place as quickly as you can but do not travel in a straight line, as that will allow your ships to be targeted. I will join you if I am able, but if I do not return within the next five hours, you must make all possible haste to Equestria and warn your Princesses of a threat coming from the seas.” Yamato stated as she turned made her way over to where the gangplank was located.
“L-Lady Yamato, what is going on?! A threat from the sea? Are we under attack?” Whitecap yelled in a panic, the crew of the ship freezing at her words.
“…There are Abyssals approaching off our aft. Beings who will kill all who sail upon the seas if they are not stopped.” Was all Yamato said in reply as she leapt from the deck of the ship, turned directly south, and started to gallop away with all possible haste.
She had been praying that they wouldn’t show up, that it was just a coincidence that she had appeared in this world as a shipmare. But she was utterly foolish to think that the enemy of Shipgirls would not return with her, and her foolishness had now put innocents in harm’s way. But she would be damned if the ponies on the two ships behind her would suffer because of her mistake, she would make certain of that.
A small part of her wanted to ask them to help her in the battle to come so that she wouldn’t have to fight alone, but she could not bring herself to ask them to risk their lives in a fight they did not understand. For not only would any flesh and blood Pegasus be ripped to shreds by an anti-air gun, she also had no idea how Abyssals would interact with pony magic. Back when this had all been a game, it was said that Abyssals could interfere with all of humanities modern technology, leaving them at the mercy of the eldritch abominations. It was for this reason that the humanity of Kancolle had come to rely on the power of a shipgirl, as it was their unique property of being both human and ship that allowed them to resist this interference. And while the Wavecutter had nothing even close to the technology of a modern Earth navy, Yamato couldn’t be sure if the Abyssals would be able to interfere with something else in its place. What if they could seal away a pony’s magic? Or affect them in even worse ways? No, she would have to fight alone this day.
She could feel her main guns lower to their loading angles as her gunnery crews quickly armed her weapons, as the approaching task force was already well within her range. However, Yamato held her fire for now. After all, she was still far too close to the Wavecutter and its towed vessel and when the Abyssals inevitably returned fire they could accidently strike the unsuspecting vessels, a single shot being more than enough to send every pony on board to a watery grave.
And so, she gave the order to hold fire as she turned southwest in an attempt to widen the gap between her and the Wavecutter while also giving the Abyssals a better target, as she had to make sure to hold their attention for as long as possible.
And what better way to do so than to call them out and taunt them? To draw their ire upon just herself? And so, despite her instincts telling her not to break radio silence, Yamato began to broadcast in the clear. “Attention approaching vessels. This is Yamato, formerly of the IJN, herby ordering you to cease your approach and turn away or you will be fired upon. Continuing on your present course will result in your sinking. This I, Yamato, promise you.” She declared as she continued to steam into battle, the shipmare noting with satisfaction that Whitecap had listened to her orders and had turned the Wavecutter and her tow northward.
Despite her attempt at diplomatic end to the coming conflict, Yamato was under no illusion that the Abyssals would actually heed her warning or even reply in kind, as all the depictions of them she had ever seen always portrayed them as silent, emotionless killing machines. But to her shock she did hear a reply over the radio, one that sent a shiver down her spine at the coldness, the contempt, that the transmission conveyed.
“…Sink…you will sink. All will sink. Sink...Sink...SINK!” A raspy voice answered back, an answer that was all Yamato needed to hear to know just what her opponent’s intentions were.
A few tense minutes later, her planes finally reported the position and size of the enemy task force. One Pennsylvania-class battleship, one Brooklyn-class cruiser, and three Fletcher-class destroyers who began to fill the skies around her planes l with the dark smoke of flak. All five ships steaming north in a direction that would lead them directly to the Wavecutter.
And that was something Yamato would not allow, which was why she ordered her gunnery crews of her main guns to target the Pennsylvania-class battleship.
“All batteries…fire!” Yamato ordered, her fairies obeying a heartbeat later. And for the first time since Samar, the cannons of a Yamato class battleship were unleashed against ships of metal.
Nine armor-piercing shells sailed across the sky as Yamato’s world was consumed by fire and smoke, the shipmare immediately turning due south and ordering her engines to flank speed. If the enemy was going to ignore her then they would pay the price for their foolishness, and if she had to meet them in knife fighting range in order to protect the Wavecutter then she would do so.
Unfortunately, all nine of her shells failed to land on target, as nine plumes of water were observed by her spotting aircraft. But on the other hoof, her attack did have the effect that Yamato had wished for, the five Abyssal ships turning so fast in her direction that, if they had been regular ships, the speed of their turn would have sheered their hulls in half.
With her first objective completed, Yamato ordered her gunnery crews to switch her ammunition from AP shells to HE. She had absolute faith in her superior armor to protect her from the cannons of the battleship and cruiser, but Yamato would freely admit that even she would have a hard time shrugging off the torpedo spreads of three separate destroyers. Not to mention that a single torpedo would be enough to sink the ships at her back. Which was why she ordering her crew to prioritize the sinking of the three destroyers.
Yamato and the enemy fleet continued to advance directly at each other, with Yamato firing her fore guns as often as she could but only striking her enemy twice, the nimble destroyers having apparently realized that she was targeting them and doing everything they could to spoil her targeting solutions. And while Yamato had yet to be struck, it was not from lack of effort. She could see plums of saltwater being sent high into the air in the middle of the no-mans land between the two sides, her opponents clearly lacking the range to strike at her effectively. Her every instinct as a ship screamed at her to take advantage of the enemy’s lack of range, for her to turn either to the east or west, give her aft guns a line on the enemy and maintain her distance as she whittled down the fleet. But she knew she could not, she had to ensure that the Abyssals focused solely on her, for if any broke away and made it to the Wavecutter it would spell their end.
And so, she steamed ahead, her flank speed carrying her into a range where she could see the Abyssals with her own eyes…and what she saw horrified her.
The destroyers looked exactly like she remembered almost like someone had taken a fish, grafted a number of metal plates to its back, attached a jaw practically half the size of its body to its bottom, and carved out two baneful green eyes on either side of the creature. The destroyers clearly living up to their reputation of being abominations dredged up from the depths of the sea.
The cruiser, something Yamato had thought would look somewhat more human, or perhaps more like a pony considering where she was, was equally disgusting if not more so. It was shaped like a tower of blackened steel, gun turrets sprouting from every inch they could. Like the destroyers, the bottom of the cruiser’s front was comprised entirely of teeth, making up an apparent lower jaw, while rising out of this mass of teeth was the front half of a pony…only this pony was missing its head and most of its neck. Instead, it looked like someone had grafted the top of its jaw in place of the missing head. The abomination seemingly crawling across the sea like something out of a zombie movie.
And lastly, the battleship. This Abyssal was the most normal looking one out of the group despite having the body of a pony, but was still horrifying in its own way. Most of the pony looked almost the same as the ponies back on the Wavecutter with the exception of its deathly pale white fur, matted black hair, and glowing green hate filled eyes…But the illusion of normalcy was shattered when one looked at its front legs, if one could even call them that. Instead of fur and flesh, the battleships forelegs were comprised entirely of the twisted black steel that made up the rest of its fleet. Each one towering over the mare they were attached to and covered in cannons that were actively tracking Yamato. 
They were all abominations, creatures born from the depths of a cruel gods madness, and they did not deserve the right to pollute the surface of such a beautiful sea with their filth. An fact that Yamato was soon to rectify.
Yamato once again fired for fore turrets, both her main and her secondary, her view once again being obscured by a thick cloud of smoke. But this time fate appeared to be on her side. Whether due to her fury, a god of this world smiling down on her, or simple luck, two of Yamato’s shells struck true. The right most destroyer shuddering as the shells penetrated its armor towards its aft. If it had been actually alive, the creature would have had just enough time to pray before the shells detonated, the two HE shells ripping apart the destroyer’s aft and sending an oily black cloud of smoke into the air.
But the destroyer wasn’t done yet despite its crippling, and likely fatal, wound. A screeching roar echoed from its throat before releasing a full spread of ten torpedoes, the mark fourteen torpedoes headed straight for her. And while Yamato knew that the mark fourteens were notoriously ineffective, she wasn’t about to stake the rest of the battle on said torpedoes not detonating when they struck her hull.
Ordering her helmspony to turn the ship hard to port in order to dodge the spread, Yamato gave the order for her turrets to begin firing at will, as she would need to focus more and more on evasive maneuvers from here on out. Unfortunately, it appeared that Yamato had finally entered the range of both the cruisers and the battleship’s guns. While the cruiser’s guns were low enough caliber that they weren’t likely to penetrate her armor and deal any major damage, they were firing so fast that it was practically raining shells upon her. Yamato couldn’t help but wince in pain as shell after shell detonated against her deck, but such attacks would not stop her, feeling more like being bitten by a swarm of bugs than the detonation of HE shells. Unfortunately, the battleship didn’t seem to get the message that they didn't have the caliber to penetrate her armor, as one of its shells struck against her bow, and while it ricocheted off her armor, it felt like someone had just hit her with a hammer in the shin.
But Yamato wasn’t about to let such attacks stand without reprisal, as her own main guns returned fire only seconds later as the torpedoes passed harmlessly to her sides due to her evasive maneuvers.
For what felt like hours but was likely only minutes, Yamato sailed amongst her enemies exchanging fire. Fortunately, one did not challenge one of the greatest battleships to ever sail the seas and expect to survive, a lesson many of her enemies had learned first-hoof. The three destroyers were on their way back to the depths that had spawned them, Yamato’s secondary cannons making short work of the lightly armored abominations, the lessons of Samar keeping the battleship from using the wrong types of shells on her opponents. Regrettably, the destroyers had not returned to the deep without extracting their own pound of steel. Over the course of the battle three separate torpedoes had struck true. Two torpedoes struck against her torpedo bulge , leaving deep, painful gashes across her barrel but otherwise inflicting only minor damage.
Unfortunately, the third torpedo managed to strike her far lower in the water when it detonated towards her aft on her starboard side when she hadn’t been paying attention and one of the little bastards had managed to flank her, knocking out one of her turbines and flooding a number of her compartments before her damage control fairies could get a handle on the flooding. This translated into a deep, bloody, wound on her back left leg that made her want to scream in pain with every move she made and compromised her ability to remain standing on the water, her back legs sinking into the cold water to her ankles.
And while Yamato no longer had to worry about the threat of being sunk herself, the cruiser hadn’t been quietly waiting its turn while she dealt with the smaller ships. By shear probability, a number of fires had broken out across the wooden sections of Yamato’s deck due to the number of shells the cruiser had unleashed upon her. and while her crew had managed to get most of them under control, there was a particularly bad fire burring across her bow that they were still working on. The various fires leaving her fur patchy and her flesh blackened.
The only silver lining was the lack of damage the other battleship had managed to inflict at this point, though not from lack of trying. With Yamato’s top speed greatly outstripping the ageing superdreadnought Yamato was able to keep its main guns pointed at the thickest parts of her armor. Its shells leaving bad bruises where they struck but failing to penetrate her armor.
Yamato stared out across the waves as she attempted to get her breathing under control and take stock of just what the situation was. Both her enemies were now listing to the side, as Yamato’s barrages had apparently caused quite a bit of flooding in their hulls, but neither seemed to have suffered enough damage to actually sink.
Its time to finish this. Yamato thought grimly as she ordered the crews manning her main guns to focus on the battleship while her secondaries would continue to fire on the cruiser.
It was then that the Abyssal cruiser, having apparently decided against continuing to live, began to crawl forward at speeds Yamato wouldn’t have thought it capable of with all the flooding it was likely experiencing. Its path one that placed it on a direct course for a collision. Yamato realizing a second later that it was going to try and ram her.
She immediately began to turn into the charge so that the cruiser had less of a chance of striking her while also ordering all batteries to focus fire on the now suicidal Abyssal, as having even a single ton of steel striking her at that speed would cause more damage than she was willing to take. Her guns opened fire, Yamato having long grown used to the shockwave they created with each attack, and much to her shock utterly annihilated the approaching Abyssal. She didn’t know if she had simply struck true with all six shells of her frontal turrets or she had simply gotten lucky caused and struck the chagrining cruiser in its magazine, but regardless the only sign that the Abyssal had been there a second ago was the greasy fireball that was slowly rising into the sky.
Yamato turned to the last remaining abomination, a confident smile on her face despite the pain she was in, but before she could fire a single shell she was forced to stop when she heard a sound that she wasn’t expecting, a sound that she had been praying that she wouldn't here.
It was the sound of a pony yelling out a battle cry.
Yamato turned around to see Jade Wing, Sundance, and a number of other Pegasi, flying directly at the Abyssal battleship. Each one held a spear in their hands and was dressed in light blue armor that was quite impressive in how much it managed to cover while still allowing them to fly. Indeed, their armor and armaments were quite impressive…if it weren't for the fact that they were going up against a being who wouldn’t even notice their pointy sticks and who could rip them from the sky with ease no matter how much armor they wore.
“No! All ponies, break off your attack runs! Do not approach!” Yamato yelled, the mask of calmness she normally had on in the presence of others long forgotten. But much to her horror the ponies continued to advance without heading her warnings, either thinking that against a single foe they did not need to be cautious or more likely oblivious to the danger they were in.
Yamato whipped back around to glare at the battleship, intending to finish it off before it could open up with its anti-air guns, but her guns needed to realign to target due to the fact that she had turned away to see who was approaching. Unfortunately, this was all the time the Abyssal needed, as Yamato watched in horror as it turned its once impassive face on the approaching ponies…and smiled. Though there was no joy in its grin, only the cruel enjoyment of a predator watching its prey fall into a snare.
The Abyssals baneful green eyes flared brightly like twin flames roaring into existence and Yamato felt…something, some sort of pressure, wash across her hull. And while whatever it was didn’t affect her in the slightest, from the startled gasps and screams of fear echoing from behind her the same could not be said for the others. Once again being forced to turn around, Yamato watched unable to do anything as one by one the Pegasi fell from the sky only to crash into the water. Their wings seemingly having failed them the moment the wave of energy passed over them just as Yamato had feared.
Fortunately, it appeared that being a member of their navy, each and every pony present knew how to swim while also being covered in armor, as their muzzles broke the surface one by one only a few seconds later. Jade Wing, the Pegasus who had been leading the charge, turned with a shocked expression towards Yamato, likely intending to ask what had just happened, but her words died in her throat as she looked past Yamato and paled considerably. And while Yamato could not see it herself, her spotters informed her that the Abyssal had turned its cannons on the defenseless ponies treading water, its cruel smile growing even wider at the coming violence.
Yamato had no time to consider what would be the best action to take, no time to fire her own cannons to try and stop what was coming. she only had time to act.
And so she did. The shipmare, moving faster than her damaged turbine should have allowed, leapt across the sea to cover Jade with her hull, and therefore her armor, as best she could. And not a moment too soon, as the deafening roar of naval rifles was followed by agony unparalleled.
Yamato heard a scream echo across the waves that accompanied the boom of naval rifles, the battleship belatedly realizing a second later that it was her own. While most of the shells had bounced harmlessly against her armor, two of the shells struck true. The two shells penetrated her conning tower, one closer to the base of the tower while the other sheared away her radar. The Shipmare had just enough time to know just what was coming before the shell that had lodged itself in her conning tower detonated, the blast nearly removing the entirety of her superstructure.
For a time Yamato could not move, could not think, she could do nothing but focus on the ringing in her ears. But eventually she could make out the voice of another, the mangled ship glancing down to see Jade Wing staring up at her in horror, the pegasu's' face covered in blood. Though considering that Jade was still alive and not simply a cloud of murky water, Yamato determined that it was likely her own blood covering the shell-shocked mare.
“L-Lady Yamato…I…” The pony tried to say, but trailed off as Yamato shook her head.
“…One moment Jade, I still have something I must take care of.” Yamato breathlessly whispered through the pain as her aft turrets took aim, Yamato turning her neck to glare at the Abyssal despite the pain it caused her. “…Sink.”
And with that, she returned fire.
Yamato watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the Abyssal’s face morphed from one of cruel glee into one of horrific realization, the abomination likely having just enough time to see the shells flying directly at her before her end. The shells from her main armament easily penetrated the Abyssals' armor dig deep into her citadel before detonating while her secondaries tore large chunks out of her superstructure. The Abyssal shuddered as a black liquid began to pour from its lips, a sure sign that it had suffered fatal damage. It attempted to move, but it quickly collapsed against the surface of the sea, its hateful green eyes going wide before the twisted light held within finally sputtered out.
The sea was utterly silent as the last Abyssal slowly began to sink beneath the waves, the only sound being the heavy, pained, breathing of Yamato herself. Though with the battle over, the magic that allowed the Pegasi to fly seemed to return, as one by one they slowly rose back into the air with looks of horror on their faces.
“Oh no…oh no, no no! L-Lady Yamato, are you alright? Th-there’s so much blood! I do-don’t know what…” Jade Wing stuttered in a panic as she leapt from the water only to fly gingerly around the wounded mare, the green Pegasus reaching out on occasion but seemingly having no idea what to do with so many injuries present.
“…I need you all to return to the Wavecutter and ensure that all medical staff on board are ready to receive me.” Yamato calmly ordered despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to lay down and scream at how much pain she was in. but she was a battleship, nay, the battleship, and she would not show weakness just because she had done her duty and survived. “Also, please ensure that all civilians and those who cannot handle blood are removed from the deck as I embark.”
“Wha…but…d-don’t tell me you plan to walk back to the ship! Th-that’s crazy!” Sundance shouted out, apparently losing his calm at her seeming disregard for her own wounds despite how much pain she must be in.
“I will because I must.” Yamato answered back as she began to slowly limp her way back north, her two planes already heading in that direction so that she could retrieve them before embarking. “…Also, I will require some pony to prepare a bath for me in my room if you would be so kind.”
“Wha…?” Was all Sundance could mutter as Yamato slowly walked past the hovering Pony, the gathered Pegasi finally snapping out of their stupor to gather into a formation around Yamato while Jade took off in the direction of the Wavecutter at such speeds that she became just a blur of green, although that might just be blood getting into her eyes.
The next few minutes were somewhat of a blur to the Shipmare, as before she knew it, she was standing just below the Equestrian frigate, the unicorns on board lowering a gangplank for her. She was vaguely aware that she was walking up said gangplank, her left rear leg sending a spike of pain through her head with every step she took but she never allowed her steps to falter. She heard the shocked and horrified gasps of the crew as she came into view, the questions, the concern, the various ponies trying to wrap her less serious injuries in bandages despite the fact that she refused to stop. All the while they were begging her to head to the sick bay for treatment.
But eventually her mind cleared enough for her to find herself standing in said sick bay, a large pool of water sloshing before her. Her XO informed her that she had agreed to be treated in the sickbay so long as the tub of water was prepared.
“Lady Yamato, by Celestia, please don't tell me that you intend to take a bath at a time like this? Such an action will only aggravate your wounds!” A stallion wearing a white coat uttered in disbelief, a pony that Yamato belatedly realized was likely the chief medical officer of the Wavecutter.
“I do. Because such a bath is the only way I will recover from these wounds.” Yamato answered cryptically despite the unease she was feeling. Of all the aspects of the game, the repair baths were the least explained and yet one of the most crucial parts. It had never made sense to her that ship shaped humans could recover from even the worst of wounds by simply having a nice soak. She remembered some people theorizing that the baths were filled with nanites that would break down metals and use them to repair the girls. But right now, Yamato was just hoping that the other school of thought was the true one; that the baths were just magic bullshit and work whenever a ship took a soak…because she highly doubted that the doctor giving her an odd look had any micro machines on hoof to give her.
Slowly Yamato stepped into the water and laid down completely, to the point where only her head was exposed, and much to her horror nothing was happening. The only change being that Yamato could now feel the chilly water all around her. But to the shock of the doctor, the nurses, and Yamato herself , the normally crystal-clear water started to glow with a green light and started to warm around Yamato’s body.
The shipmare let out a sigh of relief as a series of numbers appeared over her head, the ponies present flinching at the suddenness of its appearance.
“Wh-what is that…26,32,16? What does that mean?” The doctor questioned, Yamato smiling faintly as her consciousness began to fade once again.
“That…is the number of hours, minutes, and seconds I will have to stay in this water in order to heal.” Yamato explained before finally passing out.
Whitecap was thankful that she hadn’t had the chance to eat anything this evening, as considering how sick she was currently feeling she would have likely vomited it all up by now. Instead, she just had to make due with the taste of bile at the back of her throat that rose whenever she thought about the events of the last few hours.
At first the Captain had been more than willing to follow the monarch of the sea’s orders, as it was clear from her actions the previous day and the seriousness of her expression when she passed down her orders that Yamato only had her ponies’ best interest at heart and clearly had noticed some kind of threat that only she could see, and when she had leapt from the deck of her ship Whitecap had immediately ordered every Pegasus on board to start generating wind and ordered the ship to change course.
But that was before the sounds of thunder started to echo across the seas. As her crew moved to follow her orders and get the Wavecutter underway, Whitecap had been watching Yamato fight against creatures that would make even the Wendigos flee in terror. Those abominations, Abyssals Yamato had called them, apparently had the same kind of magic as Yamato herself as Whitecap could see fire and smoke exploding from the metal barrels attached to the creatures in a similar manner to the fire that Yamato unleased, only the Princess’ magic was clearly superior to theirs.
Once they were certain that they weren’t going to come under attack anytime soon, Whitecap had been practically assaulted by the pegasi of her crew, each one asking for Whitecap to order them to aid the ascendant pony currently fighting on their behalf, a few of the unicorns even volunteering to be carried into battle in order to help. But Whitecap had refused them. While she didn’t have a complete understanding of what an Abyssal was, it was clear that Yamato was doing everything she could to give the Wavecutter a chance to escape and that by going to her aid, they would be spitting on her goodwill and, if the fates were not in her favor, her sacrifice. And despite the pain of knowing that Yamato could lose her life in battle, it was their duty to return to Equestria and warn their Princesses about the oncoming threat. And so, Whitecap had been prepared to watch until she could watch no more.
Of course, that resolution of hers had quickly faded when she watched Yamato wreath each of her foes in fire until only two remained.
But despite her success, it was also clear that Yamato herself had suffered some pretty serious injuries, as while Whitecap’s spyglass wasn’t precise enough for her to make out details, she still knew enough about pony physiology to know that when a pony started smoking it was probably a bad sign.
And when Jade had once again begged to go out and help the wounded mare, Whitecap had finally agreed. After all, Yamato had done an excellent job of dealing with the first three and had clearly wounded the other two. Regardless of what threat they represented, so long as they all worked together, they were sure to win! Wasn’t that the point of the Magic of Harmony after all?
But Whitecap was forced to watch as, contrary to her beliefs, the ponies she sent out to help Yamato only became a hinderance. One by one, the Pegasi she had ordered into battle fell from the sky like foals on their first flight, forcing Yamato to leap in front of an attack meant for Whitecap’s ponies and further injuring the foreign princess.
But in spite of Whitecap’s interference, Yamato still managed to carry the day, the otherworldly mare unleashing one last burst of fire and finally felling her foe. Even before a single Pegasus had returned Whitecap had ordered every pony with even a hint of medical training to get ready for Yamato’s return, as it was certain that the larger mare was suffering from a myriad of wounds. Whitecap had felt sick as she watched as, one by one, her pegasi returned to the ship, each one with a look of horror and dejection on their faces. The medical staff had rushed in to make sure no pony had been injured in the attack, but besides for a few busted eardrums everpony was fine…at least physically. Jade Wing had approached Whitecap with Yamato’s orders, the earth pony not hesitating for even a second before ordering a group of unicorns to go and prepare the bath Yamato had requested. Even if she didn’t understand why the foreign princess would want one right now.
But Whitecap had already bucked up everything by not listening to Yamato the first time around, and she wasn’t about to make the same mistake again so soon.
And so, with nothing else they could do, the ponies on the Wavecutter were forced to watch as Yamato slowly limped back to the ship. And when she finally reached the top of the gangplank, Whitecap couldn’t hold back her horrified gasp at the state the once regal mare was in. Burnt, bruised, and bloodied to the point that Whitecap couldn’t actually see any part of the mare that wasn’t hurt. Whitecap had rushed forward, planning to apologize for her foalishness, but froze at the vacant look in Yamato’s eyes. it was pretty clear that the taller mare was barely conscious at this point and that she was in desperate need of medical attention, and so Whitecap stood aside as Yamato was ushered into the medical bay.
And now, Yamato was unconscious and had saved herself from knocking on death's door. The ascendant pony somehow turning a normal vat of water into a healing bath, the mare once again proving that she didn’t even need their help to recover from what should have been fatal wounds.
Whitecap couldn’t help but gag once again as her stomach rebelled at the thought of just how badly wounded Yamato had gotten under her protection, and therefore the protection of Equestria. She had failed, failed so utterly and so completely that she wasn’t sure what would happen to her once she retuned to her homeland. She would be stripped of her command to be sure, but Whitecap wouldn’t be shocked to learn she was bound for a curse of stone once all was said and done. Such was the magnitude of her failure.
But before she surrendered to her justly deserved fate, she had a duty to fulfil. And so, the emotionally exhausted captain sat down with quill and paper in hoof. “…Dear Princess Celestia…”