Celestia stared out at the sea that bore her name with a serene mask upon her face despite the inner turmoil she was feeling. Not a day ago she had been in the middle of a meeting with her economic advisors when a member of the Royal Guard had burst through the door carrying a scroll. The pony stating that a Pegasus from the R.E.N had just flown in and that the letter he had been carrying had a seal on it meaning that mean it was for royal eyes only.
While Celestia would be the first to admit that her little ponies could be somewhat panicky at times and make mountains out of molehills, the recent use of a Want it, Need it spell by her prized pupil being a prime example, it was still her duty to hear and alleviate the concerns of all her ponies...and on the off chance that it wasn't somepony panicking over nothing then it was even more important for her to determine what had happened.
After ensuring that the wax seal on the scroll was legitimate, Celestia unfurled the parchment and read through its contents her expression growing more and more concerned with each word. She had yet to even finish the report when she ordered the meeting adjourned and the guards that had been stationed outside the chamber to summon both Captain Armor and Celestia's sister for an emergency meeting. Not an hour later both Celestia and Luna, along with a not insubstantial number of the royal guard, were flying out on chariots bound for NS Mareport, the primary base of operations for all R.E.N naval operations conducted in the Celestial Sea just south of Baltimare. Which was where she was standing right now.
Fighting off the impulse to sigh for what must have been the hundredth time since reading the letter, Celestia turned away from the sea to see four ponies waiting at attention along with her sister who was currently staring with equal worry out at the waves, the four ponies beings some of the most important ponies in all of Equestria besides for Luna and herself as far as the E.U.P. was concerned.
General Stoutbeard, the Earth Pony in charge of all of Equestria’s land-based operations. Captain Spitfire, the leader of the Wonderbolts and the mare in charge of all military actions involving pegasi. Captain Shinning Armor, the current leader of the Royal Guard and her future nephew in law. And finally, Admiral Undertow, an aging Pegasus mare who had overseen Equestria’s navy from its inception.
And it was Undertow that currently had Celestia’s attention. “Admiral, while I do not wish to cast aspersions on any one of my little ponies, I must ask; how prone to panic is this Captain Whitecap? Is there a chance that she is simply exaggerating in regards to the severity of the situation?” Celestia questioned with concern in her voice. While she may have been the pony to present Whitecap with her commission, as she wanted to ensure that all of her little ponies that went above and beyond were assured of how appreciative she was for their service, she knew very little about the mare herself. Which was why she had to ask if this was just a situation in which her ponies’ tendency to react with fear to strange situations, and no pony would deny that even if it had been exaggerated, the events reported in her letter were quite strange to be true.
Undertow didn’t answer immediately, instead staring down at the dock beneath her hooves in contemplation before finally shaking her head in denial. “No Princess, she is not. The Wavecutter is one of the ships we send to patrol the route to Griffonstone and as such, Capitan Whitecap has had plenty of experience dealing with the unexpected. If this is what she has reported, then it is what happened…as hard it may be to accept.” The Pegasus admitted as the whole group stared down at the letter held in Celestia’s magic that had brought them all here.
The beginning of the letter, while still distressing, had started off normally enough. With Whitecap reporting that they had intercepted a Griffon-based pirate ship that had attacked, sunk, and kidnapped the crew of an Equestrian merchant vessel. Whitecap requesting help in aiding the victimized ponies as well as processing the offending griffons. A request that would hardly require the immediate attention of Celestia and Luna.
But that quickly changed when one read the next few paragraphs. The letter mentioned an encounter with a pony Whitecap considered to be an ascendant pony similar to an Alicorn though not quite the same. A pony by the name of Yamato-a name that Luna had become quite distressed upon hearing Celestia had noted- who Whitecap thought was likely the Princess of an unknown pre-classical era pony nation.
And the icing on the cake; that Yamato had been wounded- possibly fatally- due to Whitecap’s failure to fight against a threat that had been entirely unknown to her before the moment they attacked, one who was able to completely neutralize pegasi flight magic in a wide range. An enemy apparently known as the “Abyssal”.
“…Even if it is exaggerated, if there is a force out there that can nullify pony magic then…” Stoutbeard muttered, the earth pony giving voice to the concerns that all present were feeling.
“We would have to retrain the entirety of Equestria’s military in order to combat this threat. And that’s assuming these Abyssal’s even give us the chance to do so.” Shinning Armor added grimly.
“There are weapons of old that were made to combat Grogarian beasts that we may draw upon in order to combat such a threat, weapons designed during the reign of Discord when pony magic was not always guaranteed to function properly. But thou-you make a valid point nonetheless. As it stands, every city we have along our coasts is in danger and we may not be able to stop them.” Luna agreed, her eyes narrowed as she studied the map of modern Equestria held in her magic. It was times like these-well, she felt it all the time, but now more than ever-that Celestia couldn’t help but send a silent thank you to Twilight and her friends for freeing her sister. As while Celestia hadn’t led a military campaign in over a thousand years, Luna still held the mentality that they had both shared all those years ago, back in a time where there were far more threats out to harm ponykind that couldn’t be talked down or made friends with. And if these new enemies were half as threatening as the letter implied, well…
But Celestia’s thoughts were interrupted when a Pegasus member of the royal guard flew up to their group and saluted. “Ma’am! Our scouts have reported sighting two vessels on approach, all initial observations point to it being the Wavecutter and the captured pirate ship Ma’am.” The royal guard reported, Celestia turning back to the sea and, sure enough, there was a brown dot slowly forming on the horizon.
“Understood. Send two wings of pegasi to ensure that they arrive quickly and safely.” Celestia ordered, the Pegasus saluting before flying off.
With so many pegasi working to create wind, it didn’t take long for the Wavecutter to reach port. Undertow ordered the towed ship to be disconnected and taken to a different dock, as apparently there were only civilians on board the captured vessel, while the Wavecutter was tied off and prepared for royal inspection. But neither Celestia or Luna had the time to wait for the Wavecutter to pull into its slip when the fate of Equestria was at stake. And so, after informing the land bound ponies to follow when they were able and to ensure that the medical personnel they had brought with them in case this Yamato still required medical aid were ready to embark, the four winged ponies took to the air.
Landing with a dull thud, Celestia held up her hoof in order to forestall the inevitable wave of bowing the crew of the Wavecutter was about to perform. “Please, my little ponies, focus on your tasks. We need to speak to Capitan Whitecap with all due haste. Will somepony please fetch her?”
“Y-yes Ma’am. She should be in her quarters right now. I will go and get her.” one of the sailors answered before rushing below deck.
In the silence that followed Celestia took the opportunity to examine the ponies on board the Wavecutter. They each went about their business of brining the ship into port with the experience of those who had sailed for years on end, but it was clear from the nervous glances they directed at the two Diarchs and their general demeanor that the crew of the Wavecutter were quite unnerved by recent events. There was a noticeable air of unease and sorrow hanging over their heads, from the slight slump of their shoulders, to the anxiety barely concealed in their eyes. And if fully trained ponies were reacting this badly to an encounter with these “Abyssals” then Celestia didn’t even wish to consider how badly the rest of Equestria would react if they came ashore.
And it was because she was attempting to take in the crew’s moral that she noticed the tiny Pegasus filly tearfully flying directly at her with a doll clutched in her front hooves. Along with two other ponies, likely the filly’s parents if Celestia had to guess, galloping after her with mortified expressions on their faces.
Fortunately, Celestia had dealt with quite the number of excitable and/or emotionally distraught foals over the course of her life, and so she barely had to think before gently catching the tiny pony with her magic. Not that she would have minded being rushed by such a cute filly, but she didn’t wish for either of the child’s parents-one of whom she recognized as Gleaming Skies, a prolific oversees merchant with a good heart, a rarity when it came to ponies with such wealth- to keel over due to the everlasting shame of knowing their daughter had assaulted a royal pony.
“P-Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Pw-pwease help Princess Yamato! I-I’m weally sorry I said her magic was too loud! I didn’t mean for her to get hurt!” The young filly cried as she presented her doll to the two Alicorns. “She can have her fairy back if it helps, b-but please don’t let her die! Pweaty please!” The filly finished before beginning to sob, Celestia’s heart breaking as she wrapped one of her wings around the weeping filly and pulled her into a comforting hug.
“Do not worry, little one. My sister and I will do everything we can to make sure that Yamato lives. I…promise you?” Celestia answered, though she couldn’t help but lose her composure when she saw that the filly’s doll, now directly under her head, was staring up at her with a shocked expression on its muzzle, its gaze switching back and forth between the two Alicorns, before the doll seemingly noticed Celestia’s gaze and snapped off a salute and a squeak.
Celestia, having had the privilege of training nearly all of this generations most prominent unicorns and having ruled Equestria for a number of years, was in the unique position of knowing nearly every pony who could cast an advanced enough animation spell to give life to a doll in such a realistic way. And as such, she knew there were perhaps five such ponies besides herself in all of Equestria who could do so. And only one such pony was standing close enough to actually have cast said spell.
Celestia glanced up from the doll to stare at her sister to see if this was one of her pranks. Something that would have made Celestia quite giddy, as it would mean that Luna was finally recovering some of her spirit from a thousand years ago back when they had both been quite the pranksters, and a little annoyed, as it was hardly appropriate to make light of such a situation. But thankfully Luna was also staring at the doll with clear surprise on her muzzle. The Lunar Diarch also glancing up at Celestia, likely thinking along similar lines to Celestia herself, noticing her big sisters gaze, and shaking her head. It was not Luna who was preforming this spellwork.
How curious. Is this the work of this Princess Yamato then? Whitecap’s letter did mention that she believed Yamato to be some form of an ascendant pony, perhaps that was how she cast such an impressive spell? But if that is the case, then one would assume that the spell would have ended when she fell unconscious or, heavens forbid, passed away. So how is it still able to move? Celestia considered as the filly’s parents stopped and bowed low, too low, Celestia winching in sympathy as two dull thumps echoed across the deck as the two ponies smacked their faces against the deck.
“P-please forgive our daughter, your highnesses! She didn’t mean to offend anypony, she’s just very worried about Lady Yamato and after everything that has happened…” The mare apologized profusely, Celestia smiling patiently as she levitated the filly over to her mother.
“Do not worry, my little pony, we are not offended. There is nothing wrong with being concerned over the fate of some pony you care for after all.” Celestia comforted, her sister nodding in agreement.
“Indeed, thou-I mean you should be proud that your daughter was so brazen as to approach her rulers so casually. In times past, such actions would be met with a time in our dungeons at the very least. That your daughter was willing to take such a risk for the sake of another is indeed praiseworthy.” Luna added, Celestia staring up at the blue sky and holding in her sigh as the filly’s parents paled considerably at Luna’s words.
“…Y-Yes, thank you, Princess Luna, for your kind words.” Gleaming Skies returned as he and his wife stood. “…and while it may be presumptuous of me to offer this, but if Lady Yamato requires anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask it of us. Twice now, Lady Yamato has saved our lives. And I cannot, in good conscious, not return the favor if it is within my power.” The stallion offered, Celestia smiling in pride at his offer.
“And I am sure that she will appreciate it when she awakens. But do not worry, Equestria will not abandon any creature who has fought so hard to defend her citizens.” And that was the truth. Despite all the questions that Celestia had about where she had come from, how she could do everything that Whitecap’s letter claimed she could do, and this unknown threat that she seemed to know of, this Yamato had risked her life to protect her little ponies at great cost to herself. And as such, Celestia would do all she could to help Yamato in return.
It was then that Celestia heard a door opening behind her, the solar Diarch turning around to see a thoroughly exhausted and upset looking mare standing at attention. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Captain Whitecap, reporting as requested.” The mare greeted stiffly, Celestia flinching at the sorrow present in her voice but pressing forward regardless.
“Captain Whitecap. Before we continue I must ask, does Lady Yamato still require medical attention? As we have medics on standby awaiting teleport if it is required.” The princess offered, though thankfully Whitecap shook her head despite the worried look on her muzzle.
“I don’t believe so your Highness, but her means of using healing magic is so foreign to me I cannot say for certain.” Whitecap admitted with a wince before continuing. “I have had the ships medical ponies checking in on her every hour, but otherwise I have asked the crew to respect her privacy, so as such I have not seen her myself since the battle. But all reports I have received on her current state imply she is recovering well.”
Celestia nodded at that, choosing to not teleport the doctors on the dock on board, before turning to Undertow “Admiral, the floor is yours.” While Celestia doubted that anypony in Equestria would not follow her or her sister’s orders purely out of respect for what they represented, technically the sisters only had direct control over the Royal Guard. And as such, it was up to the Admiral to take charge of the situation.
Undertow nodded before turning her attention to the now saluting Captain, a stern look now on her face. “Understood…Captain Whitecap, by your own admission you have allowed a foreign dignitary to come to harm while under Equestrian protection. Should this prove true, it is grounds for the loss of your commission, and possible trial by military tribunal should your failure prove too detrimental to the future of Equestria. And as such, I must ask that if you have any further information to add, or wish to change your previous statement, now would be the time to do so.” The Admiral explained, an equally serious expression forming on Whitecap’s face as she shook her head in denial.
“No, I have no defense for my actions. I fully understand the weight of my failure, and am prepared for the consequences of such. Even if it means I must be sealed in stone for my failures.” Whitecap stated as she bowed her head.
Celestia couldn’t help but feel a good deal of sorrow over Whitecap’s likely fate. It was clear that Whitecap was a truly honorable mare, one that Equestria should be proud to have serving in its guard, but with the situation being what it was, there was likely nothing she nor her sister could do to protect the captain from suffering repercussions for her actions. Though the solar Diarch doubted they would have to go so far as to imprison her, in stone or behind bars.
Admiral Undertow nodded at Whitecap’s words, a frustrated look on her face, likely for the same reasons as Celestia’s own, before continuing. “Very well then, we shall conduct your debriefing as soon as General Stoutbeard and Captain Shining Armor join us.”
Not ten minutes later the six ponies were gathered in Whitecap’s cabin to discuss just what had happened. With Celestia, Luna, and the others gathered at one side of the table while Whitecap had the other side completely to herself, the mare in question starting to look a little nervous despite still soldiering on.
“Captain Whitecap, please begin from the beginning. Your letter mentioned that you encountered Lady Yamato out in international waters. Is this correct?” Undertow began, Whitecap nodding in confirmation.
“That is correct. It was on the third day of our patrol, around noon, when one of my crew ponies spotted a form moving across the waves. A form that I myself confirmed was a pony. I immediately dispatched two Pegasi in order to offer aid and bring the unknown pony to the Wavecutter. I believed at the time that it was a unicorn that had been stranded out at sea who was using some sort of water walking spell and as such I had our medics on standby in case of magical exhaustion.
“Hmm…while there are some spells that can increase water tension or allow a unicorn to hover over the waves in a similar manner to your description. For any pony to be casting such spells over any reasonable length of time would require an immense thaumaturgic reserve. Tell me sister, do modern unicorns have such an impressive store of energy compared to their predecessors?” Luna thought out loud, Celestia shaking her head in response.
“Not particularly. And since neither spell you have mentioned sister are particularly easy to cast, Yamato must be a particularly accomplished caster.” The solar Diarch thought out loud before once again turning her attention to Whitecap. “While such spell casting is impressive, there are many unicorns in Equestria who could preform such magic. Is there some other reason you believe that she is some sort of Alicorn?”
“It is, but forgive me if I gave off this impression Princess, but Lady Yamato is not a unicorn.” Whitecap explained, a rueful smile on her face at the surprised and shocked looks on every other pony’s muzzle. “We made the same face when she emerged from the water, but Lady Yamato lacks both a horn and wings that would normally be associated with a pony of her size and standing. But considering the amount of magic she has displayed it was not hard for me to conclude that she is some form of ascendant pony.”
“…A request for you then Captain.” Luna interrupted then, an almost apprehensive look on her face. “Please describe Yamato in as much detail as you can.”
“Of course, your Highness…Lady Yamato stands just as tall as Princess Celestia, if not a little taller. She has a gray coat and a brown mane covered in some sort of pink flower neither I nor any member of my crew could identify, along with golden eyes. She wears a set of regalia that is red on its lower half and grey on the top, with the one covering her barrel bearing a golden, sun-like, symbol that she mentioned is the symbol of her nation. And lastly, she wears a crown that extends perpendicular from her head instead of going upwards.” Whitecap finished, Luna releasing a pent-up breath as she stared up at the celling.
“…So, it is her.” Luna muttered, Celestia whipping her head around to stare at her sister in surprise.
“Luna? Do you know this Yamato?” The solar Diarch couldn’t help but ask as she searched her memories for any mare that fit this Yamato’s description from a thousand years ago. As while her sister had returned from her exile a little over a year ago, she had yet to make many friends beyond Celestia’s own pupil and a few other citizens of Ponyville.
“Nay, sister, it is inaccurate to say that I know her- though that is something I wish to rectify- but I did meet her within the dream realm only recently.” Luna corrected, Celestia giving her a look.
“…And you did not think to inform me of such a meeting?” Celestia couldn’t help but ask, causing Luna to return the look.
“Thou should already know sister; that my oath to protect the unconscious minds of our ponies means that I am not at liberty to discuss their nightmares. Nor do the forms they take within the dream realm reflect their true bodies. I have met many a Alicorn within the minds of our subjects after all.” Luna answered before looking away with a pensive look. “And while I would have preferred to meet her again under better circumstances…I cannot help but feel somewhat pleased at the chance to speak with her again.”
Well, at least that answers why she looked so upset at hearing that Yamato had been injured. Celestia thought as she turned to Whitecap. “I apologize for my sister's and mine interruption. You may continue with the debriefing.”
“Of course, your majesty. As I said, once Lady Yamato stepped aboard, she somehow magically dismissed her saddlebags, saddlebags that seemed to be comprised entirely of metal and were larger than Yamato herself, and introduced herself. She requested access to our charts of the local waters after which she would excuse herself and head for the nearest landmass, which would have likely been Equestrian soil. After determining that it was likely she was a VIP from another nation, I offered her safe passage on board the Wavecutter to Equestria, an offer she agreed to.” Whitecap paused then, a sad look coming over her features for a moment before she pressed on. “Over the rest of the day I attempted to learn all I could about the mysterious mare, but every time I attempted to bring up her homeland it was clear the thoughts of her home brought her great pain and so I decided against attempting to learn more about her past at least for the duration of our mission. Despite that, I did learn more about Lady Yamato through her own actions. Such as her ability to store objects in a separate space and make them reappear at will, or the fact that she knows nothing about Equestria or any modern nation-.”
“Whoa, whoa, wait a sec. Your tellin’ me she’s never hear of Equestria? Isn’t she a pony? Where exactly is she from if not Equestria?” Spitfire questioned incredulously, Whitecap frowning at the question.
“No, she does not. By her own admission, she has been “asleep”- which I interpreted as having been in some sort of magical exile, for so long that she knows nothing of the modern Equis. And considering how honest she has been and the fact that some of the crew witnessed her silently weeping after I spoke with her about the modern world, I am inclined to believe her.” Whitecap stated, Celestia’s heart breaking for the poor mare as she cast a curious look to her sister to see how she had reacted to the Captain’s words, her heart breaking even further at the sorrowful look on her sister’s face.
“I concur with the captain’s assessment. As Yamato did admit to being sealed beneath the waves for an extended length of time, and that it was a violent affair that was against her will. Nor did I detect any sign of deceit within her words, though she clearly was hesitant to admit as such.” Luna confirmed quietly, Stoutbeard shaking his head in apparent shock.
“…a pre-classical kingdom…Princesses', have you any idea of where Yamato could be from?” The general asked, Celestia taking a moment to think before shaking her head.
“No, I do not.” The solar Diarch admitted, Luna following her sisters lead a second later. “It is possible there may be some mention of such a place in Starswirl’s research, or perhaps in the memoirs of Princess Platinum or her predecessors, but it is not a nation I have ever heard of.”
“Is it possible then that these Abyssal creatures were responsible for her sealing? Since by the sounds of it, she knew of their existence before they attacked and was somehow alerted to their presence before anypony could even see them?” Shining Armor thought out loud, Undertow snorting in annoyance.
“Perhaps, perhaps not. Regardless, we won’t know until we question the mare herself. Until we can, I suggest we continue with this debriefing.” The mare commented, Whitecap flinching slightly at the reprimand in her tone.
“Y-yes ma’am. There were no issues for the rest of the night into the next morning, with the exception that Lady Yamato reported meeting Princess Luna in her dreams during the evening and that such a thing was impossible in her day, but that changed around midday. We were just about to execute our turn back towards Equestria when one of our spotters noticed a single Pegasus flying directly at the Wavecutter. I immediately dispatched some fliers in order to make sure they arrived safely. The Pegasus, Mr. Gleaming Skies, informed us that his vessel had been sunk and its crew and goods taken by pirates based out of Griffon lands. I immediately ordered the ship to turn back around, but due to the fact that we had no tailwind, a lack of anything more than a general heading, and the fact that a griffon ship would be able to travel at a faster speed than ours, I was privately very concerned for our chances.”
“It was at this point that Lady Yamato offered her aid in the rescue of the captured ponies.” Whitecap continued, the gathered military leaders blinking in surprise.
“She offered herself? You did not make the request yourself?” Undertow clarified, Whitecap shaking her head in response.
“No ma’am. She offered her aid almost immediately after Gleaming Skies finished speaking. Her only request being that we follow her orders for the duration of the operation.” The Captain clarified, Stoutbeard frowning in thought.
“…An attempt to put us in debt?” The earth pony put forth, causing Celestia to clear her throat in order to gather everpony’s attention.
“Or she simply wished to do the right thing.” The solar Diarch reminded calmly. “Let us not forget that even if Lady Yamato is from another time and a different country, she is still a pony just like everypony gathered here. And just as we would not turn away from aiding those outside our own borders if they truly needed it, I cannot imagine a pony of such strength ignoring the plight of others when she could offer aid.”
Whitecap nodded in agreement. “That was my assessment as well, your Highness. At no point in my interactions with her has Yamato been anything but a kind, noble pony. Which was why I agreed to her offer. She immediately ordered us to secure the sails and prepare the anchor to be dropped before she leapt from the side of the ship and resummoned her saddlebags.”
Whitecap paused then, looking to the side in thought before returning her gaze to the gathered ponies. “I will note that while I refer to them as saddlebags, at no point did Lady Yamato use the metal constructs she wears in any manner similar to normal bags. In fact, based off of every time she called them forth, I would guess they’re more likely related to the magic that allows her to walk on water.”
“Hmm. Curious, perhaps these so called saddlebags are her equivalent of a unicorn’s horn? A focal point for her magic to manifest?” Luna theorized, Celestia nodding her head in agreement.
“It does sound likely, since from the sound of things they vanish and reappear the moment she casts her spells.” Celestia agreed before motioning for Whitecap to continue.
“Lady Yamato requested we weigh anchor, which she then wrapped around her neck, before galloping across the waves with us in tow at such speeds that it was almost as if she was galloping across normal ground. She was pulling us at a faster speed than we could ever go with just sails, and according to the Pegusi I had flying off her side, she wasn’t even winded from the effort.”
Whitecap ran a hoof through her mane then, seemingly attempting to decide how to explain what happened next. “It was then, after pulling our ship onto the pirate’s likely course, Lady Yamato…well, for lack of a better term, she launched two miniature metallic Pegasi into the air.”
“…What?” Spitefire couldn’t help but question, her vocalization mirroring the confusion the others were feeling.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but that was how the Pegasus who was flying off her side described them as, as I wasn’t able to observe her myself at that time. The private described them as looking very similar to the Fairy you saw in young Bubblegum’s possession with the exception these ones were comprised entirely of metal. They were launched explosively from the sides of her saddlebags, saluted Lady Yamato as they flew by, before being engulfed in the same white light that appears around Lady Yamato whenever she uses her magic.”
“The two metal Pegasi emerged from the light having transformed into some sort of airship, albeit far smaller than any I have ever seen. They were about twice the size of a carriage with fixed wings and a propeller in the front, but by far the strange aspect of these airships was the fact that they had no balloon attached to their tops. Which was particularly strange since these carriages were able to fly up into the air just as fast as most Pegasi.”
“Well…Can’t wait to see these flyers in action then.” The Wonderbolts captain eventually said with a cocky grin on her muzzle, Celestia knowing the flyer well enough to know she was already considering a race against these metallic ponies..
“Lady Yamato continued to tow us for about two hours before she declared that the metal constructs she had launched found the pirates, at which point she requested that we prepare to retract the anchor. She informed us that she would take action first in order to try to get the pirates to surrender, and if she could not then we had leave to board their ship.”
“it wasn’t long after her orders that we finally spotted the pirate ship. I could see them attempting to attack Lady Yamato’s airships, as the two constructs were swooping down and harassing the pirates when we arrived, but did not appear capable of actually stopping the ship themselves. It was just after the Griffons noticed us that Yamato. After declaring herself the ruler of the waves, ordered the pirates to surrender. This was of course met with ridicule by the pirates, who clearly had no intention of giving up so easily.”
“And after that...well, after that Lady Yamato fired off her magic.” Whitecap paused then staring off into the distance with an almost haunted look on her face. “At first, I was afraid that the Griffons had attacked her, as Lady Yamato was covered in fire and smoke just after an immense boom echoed across the battlefield. But it turned out that it was Lady Yamato herself who unleashed the strange fire magic. At least, I believe it was fire magic, although not a type I or any of the Unicorns on board were able to identify. A few of my crew reported seeing some strange objects flying towards the pirate ship, but they were moving so fast that no pony got a good look at the spell. Regardless of what the spell was, its effects were pretty obvious when, not a second later, the ocean around the pirate vessel quite literally exploded.”
“…Can you elaborate Captain? What do you mean that the sea exploded?” Admiral Undertow questioned.
“Well…the sea exploded ma’am. I really don’t have any better way of describing it than that.” Whitecap answered after a moment. “There was a deafening boom, so loud that I couldn’t hear anything afterwards for a good while. And a few seconds later a large amount of water was sent flying into the air to the fore and aft of the pirate ship…Who surrendered pretty quickly after that when she promised that her next attack would not fail to sink them. Though I do wish to make sure I am on record believing that she would not have sunk them, as this would have contradicted her previous orders for us to prepare for boarding and was likely just an attempt at intimidation.”
Yet another curious use of unknown magic. Celestia couldn’t help but think as Whitecap launched into a recounting of her crew processing the pirates, rescuing the victimized ponies, and the recovery of the stolen goods. The solar Alicorn tuning her out slightly as she once again considered the mystery that this Yamato was proving to be. The act of pulling a ship so easily proves that she has the strength of an Earth Pony, while her use of external magic clearly shows that she has access to Unicorn magic…but then the question remains, assuming her ascension followed similar rules to an Alicorn, what is the third aspect of her being?
She considered the former Hippogriffs, now Seaponies, for a moment, but dismissed them just as quickly. The modern Seapony had been granted their form through the use of a magical artifact. And since their existence was due to what amounted to an impressively powerful transformation spell, their current forms lacked the inherent magic present in most lifeforms that lived upon Equis. But if not them, then what species had contributed their magic to her creation?
“As curious as this is, I believe that I speak for all ponies present when I say that we do not require to hear just what these nefarious pirates stole in their time upon the seas. Your letter spoke of a threats most foul coming for Equestria, and if this is true, then we must begin preparing for the coming battles. And the only way for us to do as such is to learn all we can of our possible enemies.” Luna eventually interrupted, drawing Celestia from her thoughts.
“Ah, y-yes ma’am. Sorry ma’am.” A now miserable looking Whitecap- Celestia was going to have to remind her sister about just how much effect the words of their rulers could have on their little ponies- apologized before continuing. “Things were relatively fine for the rest of the day up until about noon the next day. When Lady Yamato, after just singing a Harmony song- something I will note she also did not know of-, suddenly looked to the south with a look of utter horror on her face. Before I could even ask what was wrong, she took off towards the aft of the Wavecutter, her eyes focused on the horizon for but a moment before she once again summoned forth her saddlebags and launched the two metallic Pegasi into the air. It was only then that Lady Yamato turned to me and ordered us to leave the area at all possible haste and if she did not return within five hours, we were to return to Equestria and report that creatures known as Abyssals were coming to attack.”
“She detected them without visually confirming their presence? Some sort of detection spell then? That would certainly be useful for finding these creatures in the future.” Shining Armor muttered, Whitecap nodding in agreement.
“That was my assessment sir, a detection spell likely tuned to those vile creatures considering that she didn’t seem to detect Mr. Gleaming Skies, the pirates, or even the Wavecutter itself before visual confirming each ones existence…regardless of how she knew they were there, she quickly jumped overboard and started sailing directly at the point on the horizon where she had been staring. For our part, after taking into consideration how strong Lady Yamato seems to be in addition to how serious she was taking the oncoming threat, I determined that it would be best for us to follow her directions. And as such, I ordered the Wavecutter north, away from where the battle was likely to begin.”
“After reaching what I assumed to be a reasonably safe distance, I began to observe the battle with my spyglass…and what I saw I will never forget.”
“The creatures…these Abyssals…they are monsters more horrifying than any creature I have ever heard of, creatures that I do not think a simple description can do justice to. Some appeared to be giant mouths with a black chitinous exoskeleton attached, with sunken glowing green eyes. Another appeared to be dragging itself across the waves, and as such I could not get a good look at it, but it did have a number of the metallic cylinders attacked seemingly at random.”
“But the last…the last one I got more than enough of a look of. It was a pony mare, roughly of twenty years of age or so, whose eyes glowed with the same eerie light as the more freakish abominations, and her front legs…it-it looked as if some creature had removed them, and replaced them with two chitinous replacements also covered the same metallic protrusions as the one that was crawling.”
Celestia couldn’t help but feel horrified at the description of the creatures, the solar Alicorn praying that the creature simply bore a striking resemblance to a pony instead of being a living pony twisted into such a state. But if the later was true…then whatever vile being had created such abominations would answer for its crimes.
“It wasn’t long until Lady Yamato began to attack the creatures in earnest, and to my horror it appears that the Abyssals have access to the same kind of magic, albeit on a lesser scale than lady Yamato herself, as their forms were occasionally obscured by the same fire and smoke that Lady Yamato would be surrounded by whenever she would cast an attacking spell.”
“The fighting continued on for about half an hour before Lady Yamato began to gain the advantage, although not without suffering grievous injuries in the process. She had managed to end four of the creatures before I…I determined that it was time for our Pegasi to join the fight. As with the enemy reduced to one and Lady Yamato having suffered so much in order to protect us, I did not wish for her perish in defense of a nation not her own…and my decision only caused her more suffering!” Whitecap half shouted, tears starting to run down her cheeks. “If I hadn’t been so foalish, so arrogant, then maybe Lady Yamato might not have nearly been fatally wounded!”
“…Excuse me, but I can’t help but feel I missed something. How exactly did your decision to aid a foreign dignitary cause such damage?” General Stoutbeard questioned incredulously, Whitecap hesitating for a moment before answering.
“…Because it was then that the Abyssal drained the magic from the Pegasi. And Lady Yamato was forced to shield them from an attack. And it was this attack that nearly decapitated her." Whitecap explained, finally arriving at the crux of the issue that brought the most distress to Celestia.
"...So its true then? These enemies can stop magic from working?" Captain Spitfire questioned incredulously, Whitecap nodding her head solemnly. "How? I mean, just bucking how?"
“I believe that I can answer that question.” A regal voice from the other side of the door answered before said door slowly swung open to reveal a mare who could only be the fabled Yamato.
With only a single look at the newcomer, Celestia could easily see why her little ponies thought that Yamato was an ascendant pony in addition to being a pony of royalty, as she looked so similar to Celestia and Luna that even the solar Alicorn herself had a hard time not entertaining the thought that she might be a long-lost sibling. Even having bandages wrapped around nearly the entirety of her neck and her rear left leg, not to mention the many patches of lighter color fur showing recently regrown coat, the mare standing in the doorway still exuded a sense of regalness and strength that Celestia had only seen a hoofful of times over the last thousand years.
“While I only know so much about the Abyssals, I am more than willing to share with you what I know…provided you are willing to agree to a term of mine.” Yamato continued solemnly, a solemnness that was at odds with the immense rumbling noise echoing from her barrel, one so loud that Celestia could feel her chair vibrate under her hooves. “I am quite hungry, and as such would like to request a meal before we begin.”