The splash of water on Supernova’s face instantly made her wake and sit up with a start, looking around and trying to remember what had happened. “W-What?” She narrowed her eyes at the unfamiliar tent she now found herself in.
“Relax, you’re alright,” a voice said.
Supernova looked to see a robed stallion standing behind her, a half-empty skin of water in his hooves.
“Who are you?” She asked. “And where… she escaped.” Supernova grit her teeth and her eyes narrowed in anger. “She got away from me… I have to find her again.”
“I think our interests coincide somewhat then,” the stallion said to her.
Supernova’s head snapped back to attention. “Do you know where she went?”
The stallion started to sweat as she stared at him, well aware of what she could do. “Yes and we can help you get to her.”
“Tell me,” Supernova asked, standing up stiffly. “Tell me right now.”
“W-Wait,” the stallion tried to placate her. “She’s already gone, it’s been hours since you fought with her. You won’t be able to catch up to her without our help now.”
Supernova’s eye twitched. “Who’s our?”
“My name is Sand Flash. I work for an enterprising pony by the name of Shining Diamond. He’s in search of something that we believe your quarry is also searching for. We’ll bring you along with us in exchange for you dealing with her and her friends once we inevitably come into contact with them. Would that be an acceptable proposition to you?” He asked.
“As long as you take me to Rainbow Dash. I don’t care what else I have to do,” Supernova coldly replied.
“Good,” Sand Flash smiled.
“What sort of transport does your boss have? How are we going to find them?” Supernova asked.
“Transportation is coming,” Sand Flash said. “As for tracking and finding them, Shining Diamond has his ways, you’ll see.”
Supernova ground her teeth back and forth. “I don’t have time to wait around…”
“Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be-”
Before he could finish his sentence, his mare partner threw open the flap to the tent. “Sand! He’s here!”
“Excellent!” Sand smiled. “Perfect timing.” He looked at Supernova. “Come on, you’re about to see something special.”
Supernova raised an eyebrow but followed the two ponies outside the tent. She glanced at the mare. “And who are you?”
“Velvet Hooves, hired hoof of Shining Diamond,” she replied.
Supernova looked around but saw nothing. All there was in Two Hump Oasis were some buildings and tents, and lots of scared ponies and a few fires in the distance. She didn’t see any sort of transport or a pony that looked like this “Shining Diamond”. “Where is he?”
“Heh,” Sand Flash chuckled. “Look up.”
Supernova tilted her head up alongside Sand Flash and Velvet Hooves. And her jaw nearly dropped. Coming from the clouds was a colossal object the likes of which she had never seen before. A vessel—an air ship of some sort. It was very long, perhaps upwards of 500 feet, and the body of the vessel looked to be mostly some sort of giant balloon. As it made its way over Two Hump Oasis she saw six huge upwards facing propellers attached to it—three on each side—to keep it airborne and on the back was another large propeller and steering rudder. At the bottom of the balloon was a large metal section that spanned its length which she assumed must be where the pilots and everything else important was. She had heard of and seen hot air balloons before but no flying vessel like this. Nothing nearly so gargantuan.
As it came to a stop practically directly overhead, most of the other denizens at Two Hump Oasis had looked up to gawk at it as well. She couldn’t blame anyone for being caught up in the spectacle.
“We shouldn’t keep him waiting,” Velvet Hooves said.
“No, we shouldn’t,” Sand Flash agreed.
The two robed ponies shifted their robes about and open flaps appeared on their sides that pegasus wings emerged from.
Sand Flash looked over at her with a smile and reached out a hoof. “Need a lift?”
In another minute, Supernova was being carried through the air towards the large air ship. Flight didn’t bother her but she admittedly preferred her hooves on the ground. As soon as the trio reached the underbelly of the vessel, a hatch opened up midway through the metal body and a small set of stairs flipped out for them to walk onto and board the vessel.
As soon as they got inside, Supernova looked around to see a fairly cramped interior of mostly pipes, pistons, and gears moving about. There was a lot involved with keeping this thing up and running, it appeared. The metal floor went in two directions, towards the back of the vessel and towards the front. From the front path, a pony was walking towards them.
“Sand Flash, Velvet Hooves, welcome back to the Ziz,” the mare said. She was a snowy white unicorn with a braided blonde mane and blue almond-shaped eyes. She raised an eyebrow as soon as she saw Supernova with them. “Who is this?”
“A partner, soon enough, her name is Supernova,” Sand Flash said.
The white mare’s brow knitted in frustration. “I hope this isn’t why you broke your locator crystal, Shining Diamond-”
“We have information about the Crystal Sea as well,” Sand Flash answered. “That’s why we broke the crystal.”
“So let’s hurry up and get to the boss,” Velvet said impatiently.
“Very well,” the white mare said and turned around, walking towards the front of the ship.
Supernova and the others followed behind her, with Supernova constantly checking out everything around her out of a combination of irritation and paranoia. If anyone tried anything she’d light this place up in an instant. Though she didn’t think they’d be so dumb after seeing what she could do back on the ground.
A metal door sat at the end of the walkway they were using and the white unicorn opened it up by spinning the metal wheel on it until it unlatched. She then led them inside and closed the door, standing by it like a guard. Supernova’s eyes briefly narrowed at the other unicorn before she took a look around to see where she was in this air ship now.
Her eyes widened back up in surprise. A large open space sat in front of her with a wide window at the very bow of the ship that showed the open sky and the desert below. In front of the window was a metal deck and station where a large wheel sat in the middle alongside numerous other controls and readouts. The sides of the room—the bridge she now knew—were taken up by other seats and control panels with constantly shaking dials and hisses of steam escaping them.
And a single pony stood by the wheel of the ship, looking out the window.
“I trust-” he suddenly spoke with a crisp voice. “That you did not bring me here for no reason. Those locator crystals don’t grow on trees after all.”
“We didn’t, sir,” Sand Flash said.
“Really now?” Shining Diamond said as he turned around and Supernova got a good look at him. He was unlike any pony she had ever seen before. He was a unicorn dressed in a dapper blue military style coat with yellow trim and a white undershirt while black boots covered his hooves and a feathered blue cap sat on his head. But it was not his clothes that were the unusual part. His golden coat was shiny and reflective, even almost translucent, and his platinum mane was the same. His body looked almost… crystalline.
“What are you?” Supernova asked.
He raised an eyebrow at her and smiled. “May I ask who you are first, my lady?”
“Her name is-” the white mare from behind started to say.
Shining Diamond raised a hoof to stop her. “I’m sure she can introduce herself, Whitesheet.”
“I can,” Supernova scowled over her shoulder at the white mare. “My name is Supernova. Your lackeys here told me we can help each other.”
“Oh? Well that’s good news then, I’d hate to have come here and stopped my blimp for absolutely no reason whatsoever,” he said as he looked over at Sand Flash and Velvet Hooves. His face didn’t change but the threat behind his words wasn’t lost on the two of them. His eyes flickered back to Supernova. “Now, as I’m sure they told you, my name is Shining Diamond. And to answer your earlier question, what I am is a crystal pony.”
“A crystal pony? Never heard of you,” Supernova said.
“We’re quite a bit more rare than the average pedestrian ponies such as yourself,” Shining Diamond shrugged, the casual insult running off him like water.
“Whatever. I don’t care. I don’t care about what you’re doing up here with this huge… “blimp” or whatever it’s called either. I was told that you’re looking for something and that a pony I’m after is looking for the same thing. If this is true, I’ll gladly come along and help you so long as I can get my hooves on that pony,” Supernova said.
Shining Diamond raised an eyebrow. “I see. I have no reservations with accepting your help if it will be useful to me. But you have me at a disadvantage as to the current situation. Sand, Velvet, explain.”
“Ah, right!” Sand Flash snapped to attention and cleared his throat. “We found The Red Hornet and her group in Two Hump Oasis. Like last time, those two stallions and that other pegasus called Daring Do were with her. However, this time there was another pegasus with them called Rainbow Dash. We learned where they were going next, they got a big clue as to the location of the Crystal Sea-”
“Which is why we broke the locator crystal and called you here in the first place,” Velvet Hooves added.
“Yes, that’s right,” Sand nodded. “However before they left for their next destination, a fight broke out between their group and Supernova here.” He gestured to the yellow unicorn. “I confess I do not know the reason for the fight but I did learn a great deal while watching it. Including the fact that this new pegasus would be a formidable adversary if we came into conflict with her.”
“As if The Red Hornet wasn’t bad enough,” Velvet said.
“So... what then?” Shining Diamond asked.
Sand Flash nervously smiled. “Well, sir, since conflict with them is inevitable, I thought it would be a good idea to enlist the help of Supernova here. Taking on their group with just us and the others under your command would be dangerous. So why not have her fight and take them out instead while we go on to the Crystal Sea. Supernova has already made it apparent that she cares about nothing but getting Rainbow Dash, I think this will be mutually beneficial to us. We bring her along and she does the fighting.”
Shining Diamond looked to Supernova. “And this arrangement works for you.”
“Yes. I must kill Rainbow Dash. If you can track her down and take me to where she is, I’ll kill the others with her too for you,” Supernova said.
“Wonderful!” Shining Diamond clapped. “Everything is turning out quite well for us then.” He smiled at Sand and Velvet. “Especially if it’s true that you know where they’re going next? And that we’re getting close to the Crystal Sea now?”
“It’s very true,” Velvet eagerly nodded. “I overhead them talking, they’re going to Camelback and their next step is going into the desert to search for something just a little north of there. Three of them took a sand ship to Camelback already and the other two are heading there now. It should still be almost another full day before the sand ship arrives.”
Shining Diamond chuckled. “Excellent, excellent. Astral Comet and Popcorn are in Camelback. We’ll send them a missive and tell them to be on the lookout for The Red Hornet and her group, once they arrive I’m sure Astral can place a discreet tracking spell on one of them. Meanwhile we’ll start heading there too.” He stepped forward and reached out a hoof to Supernova. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance and I do hope our partnership benefits us both greatly.”
“Likewise,” Supernova simply responded and shook his hoof.
“You may make yourself at home on the Ziz, we have food and drinks and a comfortable lounge back before the engine room that Whitesheet will be happy to show you to,” he let her hoof go and suddenly stared into her eyes. “I trust that you are worth bringing along? You will indeed be able to take care of those pests for me?”
“If you want evidence of what I can do, just look out the window. I’m sure you saw the smoke on the way here,” Supernova said.
Shining Diamond grinned. “Now that’s what I wanted to hear.”
“I’ll show you to that lounge for you to relax in while we travel if you’d like,” Whitesheet said, coming up beside Supernova.
“I don’t think the interior of this ship is big enough where I’ll get lost. Most of it is just a big balloon after all,” Supernova said.
Shining Diamond laughed once more. “True, true. I can assure you that the Ziz is truly the finest hydrogen blimp to ever soar through the skies though. If you wish I suppose you could even stay on the bridge and look out the front viewport while we travel. But for now, I must write that missive to Astral and Popcorn. Whitesheet, quill and paper please.”
Supernova watched as the white unicorn went over to one of the stations alongside the side of the bridge and bent down to open up a locker beneath one of the panels. She came back with a roll of parchment, quill, and ink for Shining Diamond to use. Supernova had to knit her brow in confusion.
“What good is a written letter going to do? Do you have carrier pigeons to take it to Camelback or something?” She scoffed.
“Oh, far better than that,” Shining Diamond smiled as he started writing his letter, the quill and paper gripped in his white aura of magic. As soon as he was finished he walked back over to the wheel of the ship and pulled a lever on the station next to it.
Something above her hissed and Supernova looked up to see a metal platform coming down from the ceiling. She hadn’t noticed it all until now, too preoccupied with what was on the floor. As it lowered, she realized it wasn’t just some platform, but a large metal cage supported by cables and extending pistons. It landed in the middle of the floor between the door and the wheel, and now through the bars, Supernova could see its occupant: a large winged, reptilian creature with green scales and blue spikes running down its back. Its arms and legs were both shackled to the sides of the cage and its head was held low. Supernova walked around the front of the cage to look at the creature’s face and saw a huge jutting jaw and half-closed eyes.
“A dragon...” she muttered.
“Indeed he is. Now time for him to wake up,” Shining Diamond said and flipped a switch by the lever.
Bolts of electricity ran through the cage and painfully shocked the dragon awake, he screamed and howled and thrashed about as he was electrocuted. Shining Diamond waited a few extra seconds before switching the electricity off, leaving a bit of black smoke to waft up from the groaning dragon. The crystal pony chuckled and walked forward to tap on the steel bars of the cage and the dragon’s head lolled about to look his captor in the eye.
“Wakey, wakey, I have a letter for you to send again. To Astral Comet and Popcorn in Camelback.”
“Please… no more...” the dragon tried to protest.
“It’s either you send the letter or you get the electricity again. Make your choice,” Shining Diamond waved the letter in his face.
The dragon groaned and weakly opened up his mouth. For a moment, it looked like he was heaving or choking on something, but at last a spurt of green flame came out and washed over the paper. Supernova watched as it all disappeared into nothingness.
“Ah, dragon fire, the best way to send a message,” Shining Diamond said and looked at Supernova. “I can now assure you that Astral Comet and Popcorn will get that message and be on the lookout for our adversaries well before they arrive in Camelback.” He walked back over to the wheel and moved the lever back, the limp dragon lifted back up to the ceiling in his cage.
“Right...” Supernova said as she watched the cage recede. “I suppose I have to take your word on it.”
Shining Diamond smiled widely, his teeth shining a bit too, and gripped the ship’s wheel. “And now we make way for Camelback!” He pulled down another few levers and spun the wheel to the right.
Supernova felt the blimp shift and begin to move, turning right. The window ahead soon no longer showed the smoky wastes of Two Hump Oasis, but the open blue skies and sea of sands to the east. With a powerful thrust, the great airborne vessel started traveling forward. Supernova didn’t smile. Her mind was fervently focused on one thing and one thing only: reaching Rainbow Dash again and finishing things. She could not fail.