Celestia entered the dining room and took her seat. One of the palace maids entered behind her with a tray containing the salads and soups for their dinner and served them. Sunset once again took both. Celestia let them in a quick moment of thanksgiving before eating. “So, Sunbeam, what are your plans for tomorrow?” she asked Sunset.
“I was hoping after our breakfast, I could take Twilight and Cadance out and we could show Aiko, Kōshitsu and Thaddeus the sites of Canterlot. Then maybe have an early dinner before Kōshitsu and Thaddeus have to take a chariot back to Manehattan to join their ship for departure to Japony,” Sunset answered. Cadance and Twilight nodded in happy agreement.
“I don’t see why not,” agreed Celestia.
Sunset groaned. “Oh yeah, and I need to take care of Major Tailwind.”
“What? Was she hurt?” asked Celestia.
“No. Well, not physically. She was insubordinate, so I had to put her in the brig,” sighed Sunset.
Celestia frowned. “Sunset, please tell me you didn’t put one of your junior officers in jail because they didn’t properly give you the respect you wanted.”
“Hold on! Hold on, it wasn’t like that,” interrupted Kōshitsu. “I saw the whole thing, and your student here was trying very hard to ignore the disrespect and give the officer the benefit of the doubt. She just dismissed her. I was the one that told her she couldn’t let that stand. She didn’t put her in jail because she offended her. She did it to snap her out of insubordinate behavior that was clearly scandalizing her reports and detrimental to her and Sunny’s command. If she kept that up, eventually it would have come out in a crisis or combat situation and lives would have been lost, or at the very least affected from it. Sunny did that filly a favor, not a disservice.”
“Oh,” said Celestia. “I see.” She turned to Sunset. “I’m pleased that you took care of the situation then. How long is the Major incarcerated for?”
“Not long I hope. I plan on seeing her tomorrow, discussing her future in the corps and what she plans to do with herself. I’m hoping that the reality check of sitting in a cell overnight will snap her out of whatever resentment is curdling her thoughts and she will get some help. I was going to order her to therapy, with the understanding that if she takes care of the issue, there would be no permanent ramifications to her record,” explained Sunset.
Celestia smiled. “Fair and direct. Well done, Sunbeam. Let me know how it turns out.”
“Thanks, mom,” smiled Sunset. Turning to Kōshitsu, she added, “And thanks Kōshitsu for calling me on that. You were right.”
Kōshitsu smiled. “Always happy to help out a fellow officer.”
Sunset turned to Twilight. “Hey Twilight, guess what I got to play with on the trip back? The Albatross has a Stratos Engine.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up. “You got to use a Stratos engine? You got to play with magi-tech? Is it still there? Can we go see it tomorrow?” She turned to Kōshitsu and Thaddeus. “Can we go see it tomorrow?”
“I don’t think so, Twilight. That would be incredibly rude to our guests. They came all the way to Canterlot to see the sites with us, we shouldn’t make them head home early just to show us their ship,” stated Sunset. Twilight frowned.
“Okay, I was teasing, a bit. I didn’t get to play with it. But, I did get to study it while Kōshitsu and Thaddeus used it. And they let me read through the manuals. It was pretty cool,” relented Sunset.
“If you want, we’d be happy to answer any questions you had,” smiled Kōshitsu. Twilight grinned and nodded.
“So, I guess you’re spending the night with Twilight then. I don’t think she’ll run out of questions for you until tomorrow morning,” teased Sunset.
Twilight frowned and smacked Sunset on her flank. “I’m not that bad!” she groused.
“Who said that was bad?” grinned Sunset, ruffling her mane. Twilight smacked her hoof away, but grinned.
“So what are you girls doing tonight?” grinned Celestia. “Anything I should be concerned about? It’s been so quiet and calm since you left,” Celestia snarked.
“Nah, nothing much. Twilight is going to ask Kōshitsu and Thaddeus some questions while we eat some cake, then we will watch the stars as we fall asleep,” said Sunset, grinning.
“Cake? That sounds nice. So you found a place that has decent cake that caters?” Celestia asked, eyebrows raised.
“Oh, it’s the best! But they don’t deliver. It’s more self-serve,” grinned Sunset.
“Sunbeam, stay out of my cake vault,” grinned Celestia.
“Cake vault? What’s that?” laughed Sunset.
“Filly, you better behave yourself. I’m watching you!” grinned Celestia.
“Oh, I’m always behaving, just ask me!” stated Sunset with an angelic look upwards. Celestia rolled her eyes and laughed.
Aiko smirked watching them both.
After dinner, they said goodnight to the Princess and headed back to their rooms.
“Give us a minute to freshen up, then we’ll join you in your room,” stated Kōshitsu. She and Thaddeus went to their rooms.
“Okay fillies, ready to give our guests a night they’ll remember?” laughed Sunset as she led Twilight and Cadance into her room.
“What do you mean?” asked Twilight. “Are we not going to talk about the Stratos drive?”
“Oh yeah, we promised that. But, we also promised cake. And I have to swing by and get it. I wonder if they would like to be part of that,” grinned Sunset.
“And she’s back,” smirked Cadance with a bump and a grin. “It was so quiet without you.”
“So I heard,” Sunset grinned back. “It’s so good to be back. I missed you fillies so much.” She hugged them both. “Okay, so cake first. And then Aiko, we should show them how we did so much of our traveling in Nippony.” Aiko laughed and groaned.
“What, you want us to walk around at night?” asked Twilight.
“We walked a lot. But that’s not what your sister’s talking about,” agreed Aiko.
“What then?” asked Twilight, confused.
“We rode,” smirked Sunset. Twilight looked even more confused.
“We rode on clouds,” clarified Aiko.
“Nice!” nodded Cadance.
“It was, wasn’t it?” agreed Sunset, nodding and smiling at Aiko. “I know it wouldn’t be a new experience for you Cadance, but for Twilight, Kōshitsu and Thaddeus, it probably is.”
“It was certainly a surprise for me the first time we did it. I kept waiting for the spell to break or something and we’d go crashing down into the hills below us. Vixens were not meant to fly,” Aiko laughed.
“Then whoever didn’t mean for us to fly clearly overlooked something,” commented Sunset.
“So you fly now?” asked Cadance.
“More like fall with style,” teased Aiko. Sunset scowled, then hip checked her friend with a laugh.
“It’s a work in progress. No, I teleport then drop like a rock. But as long as there is a cloud beneath me, and I have the cloud-walking spell cast, all good,” Sunset explained.
The three mares and vixen washed up and climbed up into Sunset’s bed waiting for their friends. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
“Come on in!” called out Sunset. Kōshitsu opened the door, and her and Thaddeus entered, closing it behind them.
“So what’s the plan,” asked Kōshitsu as they sat on the end of the bed next to the rest of them.
“Pantry raid!” Sunset grinned.
“Really, what are you, five?” asked Kōshitsu with a smirk.
“I’m seven and a half,” replied Twilight, looking confused.
Cadance and Sunset both burst out laughing. “No, she means we’re acting like foals,” she explained to Twilight.
“What’s wrong with that?” asked Twilight.
“Absolutely nothing,” agreed Sunset, ruffling her mane. Twilight knocked her hoof away with a grin.
“Seriously, you want us to go on a pantry raid? We just ate,” laughed Kōshitsu.
“Ah, but we didn’t eat cake. We need some cake for the question session and evening. And maybe a few drinks too,” said Sunset.
“It really is good cake,” agreed Twilight.
“And we should get some drinks too, definitely. And some chips while we’re there,” agreed Cadance.
“Settled then! Everyone around me, put a hoof or paw on me if you want to come along!” sang out Sunset. Kōshitsu and Thaddeus scrambled up onto the bed with them placing a paw on Sunset with Cadance, Aiko and Twilight. In a teal flash they disappeared…
They appeared in Princess Celestia’s cake vault in the kitchen pantry.
“We should let our guests pick tonight. It’s their first time,” suggested Twilight.
“Good call, squirt. Hey, why don’t you and Cadance go grab the rest of the snacks and drinks, and I’ll meet you back in our room?” suggested Sunset.
“Okay!” agreed Twilight. She hugged Cadance and they disappeared in a lavender flash.
Sunset turned to her friends. “Okay, Let me know what you want, then we’ll snag it and make our escape.”
They looked around, eventually picking out a heavily frosted strawberry chocolate cake which Sunset levitated down for them. Sunset passed it to Aiko as the cake vault door opened and Celestia stepped in.
“Why are the lights on?” she wondered out loud, then looked over and saw Sunset, the cake, and her friends. “Sunset Shimmer!” she called out.
“Gotta go! Bye mom!” Sunset called out as she scooped her Kitsune friends into a panicked hug and disappeared, cake and all, in a flash of teal.
Celestia laughed and shook her head. “Sunset Shimmer, what am I going to do with you?”
In a teal flash they appeared back on Sunset’s bed, Aiko still holding the cake.
“Cloud-walking spell, now!” In three consecutive flashes, Aiko, Kōshitsu and Thaddeus were bathed in a teal glow. Cadance and Twilight appeared in a flash of violet, bags of chips and drinks levitated above them as they hopped up on the bed with the others.
“Okay good, we’re all here! Let’s go before Mom gets here!” Sunset called out as she scooped them all up. They immediately disappeared in a flash of teal.
And appeared directly above a cloud floating a ways out from their bedroom patio, dropping down onto it.
Except Twilight and their snacks, which dropped right through, Twilight’s scream fading as she plummeted.
“Buck me!” yelled Sunset as she immediately popped away.
And appeared just under the cloud, scanning the sky beneath her as she fell. Honing in on the sound of the terrified screams she saw Twilight spinning towards the ground, both bags slightly above her. Sunset teleported again.
Coming in just under Twilight who dropped down onto her back, scrambling and clutching tightly to her neck, forelegs wrapped tightly.
“You jerk! You dropped me! You knew I wasn’t ready and you didn’t even let me put the spell on and you dropped me! I hate you! Jerk!” she screamed into Sunset’s ears.
“I am so sorry Twilight! Hold on, grab the bags, I’ll get us back up with our friends,” apologized Sunset.
“I never let go of the bags, jerk! I’m still holding them, because I don’t drop ponies or things!” Twilight answered.
“Okay. Oh crud, gotta go now, almost to the ground!” Sunset noticed. With a teal flash, they disappeared, reappearing over the cloud again, dropping onto it. Kōshitsu and Thaddeus took the bags while Twilight applied the cloud-walking spell to herself then hopped down onto the cloud.
“Jerk!” she smacked Sunset in the flank.
“Bacca!” Sunset sighed in agreement. She reached over and pulled her little sister into a tight hug. “Don’t ever scare me like that again! Next time something horrible like that happens, remember what I taught you. Emergency teleport. Use that bone on your head and get yourself out of trouble. That was very brave of you to hold onto the snacks, but I would rather lose the snacks than you.” She squeezed Twilight tight.
“You wouldn’t have lost me if you just waited a moment and let me cast the spell first,” groused Twilight.
“I know, you’re right. I was in too much of a hurry. I shouldn’t have assumed you already had it covered. That was my bad. I’m just glad you're safe,” Sunset said.
Twilight grumbled, then reached out and hugged Sunset back. “Thanks for saving me,” she mumbled.
“Always, Twilight. That’s what sisters are for,” she hugged her back.
Sunset applied the could-walking spell to the cake plate and the snack bags, then Aiko smoothed out part of the cloud and set the cake down. Kōshitsu and Thaddeus gathered around setting the bags down.
“So tradition is we just dig in, cavepony style, and eat it. Guests first, dig in!” Sunset encouraged.
Aiko stuck a paw in, scooping out a portion and eating it. Kōshitsu and Thaddeus copied her enjoying the silliness. Cadance and Twilight both took a turn then Sunset helped herself. Everyone got a few delicious scoops of the cake, then it was gone. Sunset teleported the cake plate back to their room to deal with later.
The cake finished, Twilight spoke up. “So, now we talk about the Stratos Drive?” she asked hopefully.
Sunset was looking out over the horizon towards the distant coast. “Hey, how do you all feel about a little late night trip?” she asked.
“Huh?” asked Twilight. “But what about the Stratos Drive?”
“I’m seeing a nice cloud-front stretching all the way to the coast. We could cloud hop all the way there and actually see the drive instead of just talking about it,” responded Sunset.
Aiko laughed. “I swear you're crazy. Only you would seriously suggest that.”
“Wouldn’t that take us hours to get there?” asked Kōshitsu.
“I think I could pull it off in like 50 or so teleports. It would only take like 30 minutes tops,” mused Sunset.
“You really are crazy,” groaned Aiko. “Yeah, count me in. And how are we going to get back, same way?”
“Maybe?” answered Sunset. “I guess we’ll figure that out when we get there.”
Aiko grinned, giving her friend a suspicious look. “And you aren’t thinking at all about a pirate schooner sitting at the docks, like we talked about earlier?”
“Hmm… maybe?” smirked Sunset.
“Yeah, the truth comes out. I’m still in, and you're still a brat,” grinned Aiko.
“We can go see the drive? And a real live pirate ship? I’m in!” bounced Twilight happily.
“Sounds fun to me, count me in,” agreed Cadance.
“Not sure how we’ll get permission from the XO this late at night, but sure, why not?” stated Kōshitsu. Thaddeus grinned.
“So road… er, cloud trip!” called out Sunset. “Okay, someone grab the snacks, Everyone put a hoof or paw on me, and we’ll get this started. And as we get to each cloud, form up quick and as soon as everyone has a grip on me, we’ll pop off to the next one. Off we go!”
Aiko grabbed the snacks, looping the bags over her shoulders, then everyone grabbed hold of Sunset. In a flash of teal, they disappeared.
About forty minutes later, they were in a cloud over the harbor looking down on the Graceful Albatross.
“There she is!” smiled Sunset. “Quite a beauty, isn’t she?”
“I’d like to think so,” agreed Kōshitsu.
“Okay, two more teleports and we’re in. Everyone grab hold again!” called out Sunset. They did, disappearing again.
And appeared on the deck of the Graceful Albatross. “Grab hold, quick!” whispered Sunset. When they did she teleported again.
Appearing in the engineering room with the Stratos drive. Twilight’s eyes grew big as saucers. “Wow! It’s so big!”
“It has to be to hold the power it needs to levitate the ship and accelerate it through the atmosphere,” stated Kōshitsu. “This is state of the art magi-tech, powered by liquid rainbows.”
“And having seen it in action during an actual aerial naval battle, I can say it’s every bit as impressive as it looks,” agreed Sunset.
Kōshitsu took Twilight aside, bringing her over to the engine while giving her a tour of its features and abilities. Twilight was grinning ear to ear, nodding happily while writing everything down on a scroll she pulled from her saddlebag. Aiko and Thaddeus put out the snacks while they watched.
Helping herself to a handful of chips, Sunset telekinetically grabbed one of the soda bottles and poured everyone something to drink using the travel cups they had brought with the sodas. Aiko and Thaddeus each took one with thanks.
A while later, Kōshitsu took a break from the questions, leading Twilight over to enjoy some of the snacks and drinks. “So, Twilight, is it as cool as you thought?” asked Sunset.
“Better!” answered Twilight, chips falling from her muzzle. She chugged down her soda, then turned back to Kōshitsu. “So can we take a tour of the ship?”
“Sure, I don’t see why not. Let’s finish our snacks, then I’ll give you a walking tour,” agreed Kōshitsu.
They finished off the snacks and soda, then Sunset cleaned up the area, cleaning the travel cups and folding all the empty snack and travel bags, stowing them all in her saddle bag. They followed Kōshitsu out as she led them on the tour.
She showed them the rest of the engineering area, briefly describing the functions of each device and answering any questions. Then she moved on to the crew's quarters, showing everyone her berth and office, the mess hall and galley.
From there, it was a quick tour of the passenger area, including a tour of the stateroom that Sunset and Aiko had stayed in. Then they headed towards the bridge.
Knocking on the entryway, Kōshitsu stepped in. “Permission to enter?” she asked.
The XO looked up from her watch in the command seat. “Hi Kōshitsu! I heard you were sighted back. What’s up? Come on in.”
“I brought some guests, and wanted to give them a tour of our ship. May they enter too?” Kōshitsu asked.
“Bring them in!” smiled the XO.
Aiko, Twilight, Thaddeus, and Cadance followed Kōshitsu in, with Sunset bringing up the rear.
“Hi XO! Sorry to bother you so late,” greeted Sunset. “These are my fellow students, Twilight Sparkle and Cadance.”
The XO caught sight of Cadance. “Ah, so you’re the new Princess I’ve been hearing so much about,” she grinned. “Welcome aboard the Graceful Albatross. Glad to meet you,” she nodded.
“Thank you,” smiled Cadance, grateful for the informal attitude. They all gathered around while Kōshitsu led them on a tour of the bridge. While they were taking the tour, Sunset trotted over and had a brief discussion with the XO. She nodded in agreement with what Sunset was proposing. Sunset bowed in thanks, then rejoined her friends.
“So what was all that about?” asked Aiko with a smirk.
“Exactly what you think,” smirked Sunset back. “I was arranging our ride back to Canterlot.”
“And you are going to make a certain little filly extremely happy,” grinned Aiko.
“Don’t I know it,” agreed Sunset grinning back.
When the tour was over, they thanked the XO, then all left the ship, walking up to the deck and leaving by the walkway rigged to the dock. “So where are we going next?” asked Twilight.
“I seem to recall somepony saying she wanted to see a real live pirate ship?” commented Sunset.
“Yes! I do!” bounced Twilight excitedly.
“It just so happens one of those is docked nearby, and I got permission to board it from the XO. Feel like extending our field trip?” grinned Sunset.
“Yay!” called out Twilight. “Where is it?” She looked around excitedly.
“Follow me,”encouraged Kōshitsu, leading them down the docks to the pirate ship. She had a brief discussion with the vixen on watch, then they trotted up the gangplank and onto the ship.
Thaddeus started by giving Cadance and Twilight a tour of the deck, describing the battle they had with the pirates in filly friendly terms while showing them where everything was. Aiko tagged along, answering questions when needed.
Sunset and Kōshitsu spoke with the vixen on watch. She nodded, then disappeared below decks while Sunset and Kōshitsu joined the rest of the tour.
A short while later, the vixen returned with five others. They scrambled up into the rigging, unfurling sails preparing to cast off.
“Well that’s my cue,” nodded Sunset, quickly scrambling down the ramp and over to the moorings. She untied the mooring ropes, using her magic to levitate them back up onto the ship. As she did that, two of the kitsune raised the gangplank and stowed it away as the ship drifted away from the dock.
“Sunset!” called out Twilight in a panic, seeing her friend left on the dock as they pulled away. “What’s going on?”
Sunset appeared with a pop and a flash of teal next to her. “We’re taking a little trip,” she grinned, pulling Twilight into a side hug. “Ready to take a ride on an actual pirate ship?”
Twilight looked up with a huge grin. “Heck yes!”
“Then hang onto your hat, matey! We’re setting sail,” grinned Sunset. As they watched, the five kitsune crew navigated the ship to the middle of the bay. With a sudden start, the ship lifted slowly out of the water, riding the wind as they rose towards the moonlit clouds over the bay.
Twilight rushed to the rail, hanging on as she leaned over the side in excitement watching the bay pull away while they drifted up towards the clouds above them. Sunset trotted over to her, sitting beside her and gently rubbing her back.
Together, they watched as the ship gently lifted into the clouds, pushing through them like rising through a dreamlike mist. Below them, the sparkling moonlit waters of the bay faded, replaced by the drifting mists of the cloud around them. Moments later, they emerged from the cloud-top, the mist above them replaced by the brilliant night sky, stars twinkling and the night’s guardian, the Mare in the Moon, staring down at them as the cloud tops shimmered in the moon's gentle glow.
“It’s magic,” Twilight whispered, taking in the breathtaking site before her.
“The very best kind of magic,” agreed Sunset, giving her a gentle hug. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” agreed Twilight, hugging her back, never taking her eyes off the scene before her.
Together they sat, Twilight hugging Sunset’s barrel, Sunset with her foreleg over her dear little sister as they looked out over the night sky twinkling in its splendor before them. No further words were spoken as they basked in the beauty and wonder of the scene before them.
Cadance leaned over to Aiko, both watching the two of them. “They really are adorable,” grinned Cadance.
Aiko smiled back. “Yes they are. She really did miss you all. She would talk about you two all the time. She said you were the sisters she never had.”
“I know the feeling,” agreed Cadance with a contented sigh. She reached over and pulled Aiko into a side hug. “Welcome to the family. How’s it feel to have a few more sisters?” Cadance asked with a grin.
“Heavenly,” smiled Aiko back. “I feel completely at home here with Sunset and you two.”
“I’m glad,” smiled Cadance, tightening her grip on her new friend. Together they watched Twilight and Sunset as they basked in the beauty of the night’s sky.
A little over an hour later, they could see the spires of Canterlot rising from the clouds in the distance before them. Sunset was still at the rails, looking out over the cloud tops towards her home. Asleep on her back, bundled up and held in place by her magic was a very tired young filly who had fallen asleep living out one of her dreams, flying through the night sky on a swashbuckling pirate ship.
Cadance sat down beside her. “You should probably wake her,” she smiled at Sunset. “She wouldn’t want to miss this.”
“I think you’re right. Care to do the honors?” agreed Sunset.
Cadance reached over, gently running her hoof down Twilight’s back then through her mane. “Twilight, we’re almost home. Wake up, ladybug, you don’t want to miss this.”
Twilight twitched and smiled. “Five more minutes, mom. I’m having the nicest dream,” she sleepily answered.
Cadance grinned. Reaching over with a wingtip, she gently tickled Twilight’s muzzle with one of her primaries. Twilight twitched her nose and shook her head. “Wah..” she puzzled, waking and looking over to see Cadance pulling her wing back with a grin with Sunset smirking as she looked back over her shoulder.
“Good rest, sleepyhead?” asked Sunset playfully. “We’re almost home. Want to watch as we dock at the castle?”
Twilight nodded her head happily while the rest of their group gathered beside them at the rails, watching as the spires grew slowly larger in the mists.
As they neared the castle, a Pegasus guard flew by. Sunset saluted as they passed, which was returned by the guard as she continued on her rounds. As they approached the spire with Sunset’s apartment several of the kitsune sprang into the rigging, furling sails and tying down rigging in preparation for their arrival. With a nod, Cadance gently lifted Twilight from Sunset’s back. Twilight clung to Cadance as Sunset trotted over to the mooring ropes. Quickly checking that they were secured on the ships end, she levitated them over to her balcony, then teleported over and tied both moorings securely to the balcony’s railing. The kitsune then placed the gangplank back in place, lowering it down to the balcony while the ship pulled up against the balcony as Sunset tightened the lashings on the moorings. Moving over to the end of the gangplank she smiled up at her friends.
“Welcome back home,” she smiled as they descended the plank to the patio around her. Looking up, she called out to the crew of kitsune finishing up securing the rigging. “When you are finished, please join us inside for a while.” Smiling, she turned and led her friends and family back inside her apartment.
Inside, she rang for one of the maids. When she entered, Sunset requested tea and light snacks for her friends and the crew, then rejoined them in sitting around on the bed and furniture as they waited for the snacks and the ship's crew. Both arrived at nearly the same time a few minutes later, the kitsune taking whatever seats were left, or sitting on cushions on the floor when there were none left.
The maid quickly poured everyone a cup of tea, passing them out with a biscuit to all gathered. Everyone settled. Snacks consumed and tea nearly finished, Sunset spoke.
“Everyone, welcome to Canterlot. It’s been a long night, and we have a few hours left until morning, so I propose we all get some sleep before then.” She turned to the crew of the schooner. “Thank you so much for getting us here so quickly. Please accept my hospitality and get some rest. I will take the watch for you for the remainder of the night so you can get some well earned rest. Tomorrow you can join us for some sightseeing and fun, then we will return with you in the schooner to your ship.”
Conferring amongst themselves, the kitsune agreed, taking the two beds in the room at Sunset’s insistence to get some rest. Kōshitsu and Thaddeus retired to their rooms while Cadance took Twilight to sleep with her in her apartment. Sunset smiled as she returned to the pirate frigate tied to her balcony. She trotted up the ramp then went to the bridge, sitting in the commander's chair and looking out over the night as she took the remainder of the night watch.
The next morning the kitsune returned to the frigate on waking, relieving Sunset of her watch. Aiko smiled as Sunset returned to the apartment. “So, Captain Sunset. How was your night commanding your own schooner?”
Sunset snorted. “I wish! And completely uneventful, the best kind of watch,” she replied. “I told the schooner crew we would get them some breakfast and tea, though what I’d really like is to take them with us to breakfast. I wonder if I can get some naval trained guards to take over for them for the day? I did promise they could go sightseeing with us later.”
“Can’t hurt to ask,” agreed Aiko. Sunset nodded, trotting out her door to find one of the maids to relay her request to the current guard watch commander. Her request sent, she returned to get ready for the day with her friends.
As they were getting ready to leave for breakfast with the Princess a complement of guard mares trotted down the hall, stopping in front of her room. One of the mares saluted sharply, which Sunset returned.
“Major Full Sail reporting, mage. You requested a crew for a schooner airship?” she asked.
“Thank you Major, yes I did. Right this way please,” Sunset replied, leading them back into the apartment and out the patio, then onto the schooner moored to her balcony. The Major raised an eyebrow at that as they boarded, but made no comment.
Aiko watched them spread out, checking the moorings and rigging as Sunset and the Major entered the bridge. After a brief conversation, Sunset emerged with the vixen, who called out to the others. They formed up on her and followed Sunset down the boarding plank and back into her apartment.
“I take it that it was a yes?” smiled Aiko as they trotted out of the apartment and down the hall with the kitsune crew in tow.
“Yup, more guests for the Princess’s breakfast,” agreed Sunset with a smile. They trotted and loped quickly to Celestia’s private dining room where they greeted the guard and after explaining the situation joined their friends already seated and waiting in the dining room. Everyone finding places at the now very full table, they waited for the Princess, sipping their tea and enjoying some biscuits.
Sunset turned to Twilight. “So did you sleep well last night?” she asked with a grin.
“Yeah, I had awesome dreams all night! I was the captain of the pirate ship, and we sailed all over Equs having really cool adventures,” Twilight replied smiling.
“Doesn’t sound that far-fetched to me. Maybe someday,” agreed Sunset.
Princess Celestia entered, and the kitsune all rose. Seeing them, Sunset and her friends rose as well turning towards the Princess. Celestia smirked, taking her seat. “Sunset, would you care to introduce me to your new friends?”
“Princess, this is the prize crew of the pirate frigate. They are here at my invitation to meet you and enjoy a well deserved breakfast,” acknowledged Sunset standing at attention.
“Be seated please, all of you,” Celestia replied. “Welcome to my table. This is an informal breakfast, so please no more saluting, standing stoically, or long serious faces. Enjoy your breakfasts and I will enjoy your company,” she addressed the kitsune. Everyone sat, still looking towards her.
“Please, continue your breakfast and conversations,” encouraged the Princess. “So, Sunset, instead of our morning session, I have arranged for the palace doctors to have a look at that ring on your horn and make some recommendations on how to best remove it. After they've had a look we can discuss how best to move forward.”
“Thanks mom,” smiled Sunset. Celestia grinned. “Twilight, Cadance, and Aiko? You will still be joining me for morning lessons. I will keep them brief today so there will be plenty of time for sightseeing before our guests need to take their leave.” The three of them nodded in understanding.
The maid brought in the cart with tea and more breakfast rolls, taking everyone's breakfast requests while serving them. At Sunset’s recommendation, the kitsune all agreed to try pancakes with fruit and cream, with sides of shredded fried potatoes and scrambled eggs, which she ordered as well to enjoy with them. Twilight decided that sounded good too, prompting Aiko and Cadance to join in also.
“Might as well make it all around then,” smiled Celestia. “Can you please just bring in trays, and we will serve ourselves? And keep them coming, I am sure this crew can pack away good food,” she requested of the maid. Nodding, the maid finished serving the tea, placing the tea set and the rest of the biscuits on the serving counter then wheeling the cart from the room. She returned a few moments later with a mug and carafe of coffee for Sunset which she accepted with gratitude.
“Long night, Sunbeam?” asked the Princess.
“Yeah, not much sleep. After our meeting in the kitchen last night, we cloud-hopped back to Manhattan to take a tour of the Graceful Albatross and see the Stratos engines, and meet the XO. Then we rode the schooner back with the crew here. I took watch while they got some well earned sleep,” replied Sunset, sipping the black beverage.
“It was so awesome!” Twilight called out, muzzle caked in syrup. “It was a real life pirate ship! And I got to ride it all the way back to Canterlot!”
“I bet that was a treat,” smiled Celestia at her youngest student.
“It so was!” squeed Twilight. “I can’t wait to tell my brother about it!” Celestia laughed, nodding.
“Oh I bet,” she agreed. She smiled at Sunset. “Sunbeam?”
“Yes mom?” asked Sunset.
“Well done,” beamed the Princess.
Sunset glowed at the praise. “Thanks!” She ruffled Twilight's mane, who just looked up at her and smiled. Sunset smiled back. “Hey Twilight, why don’t you tell mom all about our adventures last night?”
“Yes please do!” encouraged Celestia. “I’m especially interested in hearing how you enjoyed the cake.”
Twilight blanched. She looked up at Sunset. “I didn’t say anything, I promise!” she protested.
Sunset laughed. “Nope, you didn’t. Mom caught us raiding the cake vault.” She turned to Celestia. “And thank you for asking, the cake was wonderful.”
Celestia snickered. “I bet. It’s the one I was headed for. Happy to hear you enjoyed it.”
“Oh we did! We all did!” laughed Sunset.
“If you know mom wasn’t going to be mad, why did you rush us out of the apartment and drop me through a cloud?” pouted Twilight.
Celestia looked shocked hearing that. Sunset pulled Twilight into a hug. “And I sincerely apologized for that, twerp. And I raced down to get you before you hit the ground. Remember too, I had taught you what to do if that ever happens, not that that excuses me letting it happen in the first place.”
“You dropped Twilight through a cloud? How in the world did that even happen? Sunset, please don’t drop your fellow students through clouds. They’re not as proficient as you yet, you have to be careful with them,” admonished the Princess.
“You’re right mom. It was negligent on my part. I had assumed Twilight had already cast the cloud-walking spell when they got to my room, so as soon as everyone was there I teleported us onto the cloud,” admitted Sunset.
“You said we were going to get in trouble and that’s why you did it. Mom isn’t even mad,” countered Twilight.
“That was just for fun. We were just pretending to make it more fun for everyone,” replied Sunset. “Still though, it was my fault, and it won’t happen again.”
“Fun is fine, but please take care of each other. And please don’t take any unnecessary risks. You mares are important to me, and to our country. You're going to do great things someday, but if something horrible happens, no one will be able to take your place. Not to mention, if anything happened to any of you it would break my heart.” Celestia turned to Aiko. “That includes you too now, my dear. Please take care of each other, you are all very precious to me.”
“So, yeah. Sunset caught me and teleported us back onto the cloud. Then I put the cloud-walker spell on and we decided to cloud hop back to Manehattan to see the ship and the Stratos engine. Sunset thought it would be really quick but it took almost an hour,” continued Twilight.
“More like forty minutes,” corrected Sunset. Twilight scowled. “Sorry, continue,”
“Then we teleported into the engine room. Kōshitsu gave me a tour of the engine then she took us all over the ship and we got to see where they eat and live. And we got to see the room Sunset and Aiko used, it was super fancy. And we got to see the bridge and meet the XO. Then she let us have the pirate ship!” continued Twilight.
“She just let you have the schooner?” asked the Princess, perplexed.
“Not exactly,” corrected Sunset.
“So how exactly is there a pirate schooner moored to my castle then?” asked Celestia with a grin.
“I sort of agreed to buy it from them,” answered Sunset. “She let us collect it and use the crew to get it here. But I have to have them back with Kōshitsu and Thaddeus by tonight so they can leave port in the morning.”
“And who is going to pay for the schooner?” laughed Celestia, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.
“I’ll do extra chores?” snarked Sunset.
“Filly, sometimes... I swear,” Celestia chuckled. “Okay, fine. The crown will cover the cost of the schooner and assign it to the battle mage corps to be available for use on your missions or other crises. And you will work that off on assignment.”
“Like a loan?” asked Twilight.
“No, like I will give you assignments where you will need it, and you will prove to me we did not just waste Equestrian bits on something useless. And when you are not using it, it will be tasked with other assignments and duties. And it will be stationed out of the Canterlot docks, not your balcony. It’s a part of the Equestrian armed forces, not your ride parked in your private port,” corrected Celestia. “I will assign a crew to run it. When not on assignment with you, they will operate under the captain I assign. And when on assignment with you, the Captain will report to you acting as the ship commander.”
Sunset nodded. “Thanks mom.”
“This is not a gift, Sunbeam. It’s an investment. An investment in our and your future. I expect you to take care of it as its acting commander and to use it wisely,” admonished Celestia.
“Understood,” said Sunset.
“Go ahead Twilight. Please continue,” Celestia nodded to her student. Twilight beamed.
“So then we went to the pirate ship, and they let us on. While we did the tour they sailed out to the middle of the bay and lifted off into the sky. We went through the clouds and came out on top. The stars and the moon were so bright and with the clouds they were beautiful. I watched with Sunset, then started getting sleepy, so she held me on her back, and I fell asleep watching the clouds sparkle in the moonlight as we flew over the top of them.” continued Twilight.
“That sounds wonderful.” agreed Celestia.
“It was! And then, when we got near enough to see the castle, Cadance and Sunset woke me up, and we watched as the ship docked at the tower. Sunset helped them tie it to the balcony, then they put the gangplank down and we walked into the apartment. I was getting really sleepy again at that point, but I kind of remember Cadance took me to her bed and Sunset let the kitsune sleep on her bed while she watched the ship.” finished Twilight.
“It sounds like you had quite a night,” agreed Celestia. “I’m glad you're all safe and had a wonderful time.”
“And learned things!” agreed Twilight, her muzzle full of pancakes.
“And learned things,” agreed Celestia. Twilight nodded happily.
They finished up their breakfast laughing together as they recalled their adventures of the night before. Sunset drank the entire carafe of coffee while she ate. As everyone was getting ready to head back to the apartments and clean up, Celestia turned to Sunset. “Sunset, after you’ve cleaned up, please head over to the infirmary. The doctors are expecting you so they can start their examination on your ring.”
“I’ll be sure to head straight there as soon as I’m clean. I hope they can get this off, it would be wonderful to be able to use my horn again,” mused Sunset hopefully.
“As I said, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. I’ll see you later Sunbeam,” Celestia comforted. She thanked their guests again for their visit, then left for her morning meetings. Full and happy, the crew and friends headed back to the personal apartments. Cadance took Twilight into the bath so Sunset could do a quick cleanup and head over to the infirmary. Aiko volunteered to keep their guests company while they cleaned up, while the prize crew of the schooner returned to their ship to show their replacements the ropes. Sunset washed her muzzle and hooves quickly, waving to Cadance and Twilight playing in the tub while waiting for the water to fill it.
Hurrying to the infirmary, she checked in with the nurse at the front desk, then waited to be called into one of the examination rooms.
“Ms. Shimmer? Please follow me,” she heard, looking up to see an orderly standing by an open door waiting for her, clipboard in hoof.
“Coming!” she called up, getting up and trotting over to follow her into the clinic. She led her down the hall and into one of the exam rooms. “Have a seat on the exam table Ms. Shimmer. So you have a horn problem? You have a magic inhibitor epoxied to your horn. Ugh, I can't even imagine. That sounds like quite a story,” remarked the mare, reading through her chart.
“Okay, anything else you want to add while I am here?” she asked.
“Just that I’m hoping there is something you can do about it. As a battle mage, it would be wonderful to have my horn back,” agreed Sunset.
“Now that’s an understatement,” agreed the mare. “Okay, wait right here, the doctor will be in shortly.” She got up, making a few notations on the chart as she left the room, placing the chart in the basket by the door.
Sunset waited patiently for a few minutes, then the doctor entered. He was a younger doctor, looking possibly fresh out of medical school. “Hello Ms. Shimmer. My name is Dr. Horse. I’ve been assigned your care. Wow, epoxied on an inhibitor ring. That’s brutal. How are you doing?” he asked, looking up from the chart.
“Aside from having my unicorn magic blocked, I’m doing well,” answered Sunset. “This happened while I was on assignment. Apparently the slave ring I was investigating uses this to neuter any unicorns in their possession. As I was undercover as a slave, I got to experience it first hoof. Now that the operation is over, I am hoping you can remove it so I can be fully ready for any future assignments.”
“That certainly makes sense,” agreed Dr. Horse. “Let’s see what we're dealing with.” He trotted over to the exam table, where Sunset lay with her head in her hooves. Looking gently around her horn, he gently scraped along the base of the jewels to see how firmly set the epoxy was.
“Ouch,” grunted Sunset as he poked at the epoxy.
“Oh rot, that’s not good,” mused the Dr. in concern.
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, that’s not frightening at all to hear. What’s not good Dr.?” she asked.
“I can see the epoxy has leached into the keratin of your horn. I’m concerned that if we used a reagent to lift the epoxy away, we would end up lifting a fair amount of your horn’s structure away as well, resulting in further injury,” answered the Dr.
Sunset gulped. “Yeah, let’s not do that, I really need this thing to do my job,” she agreed.
“Of course. Maybe we could shave or grind it down? We would have to leave some of it to keep the horn structure intact, but we could likely get rid of the gaudy gems at least,” Dr. Horse mused.
“The gems are not really my concern. I just need the cold iron inhibitor ring removed so I can access my unicorn magic through my horn again,” clarified Sunset. “Personally I’m fine with the jewels staying if that helps keep the horn stable. All I really care about is the magic.”
“Understood. I’m not sure if we have a reagent that will reduce the iron without affecting your horn’s keratin,” acknowledged the Dr.
“The Princess did say that if that happened, she would probably have some way to remove the iron without damaging the horn, but I’m with you on that Dr. I don’t know of any reagent that will reduce cold iron without damaging organic matter as well. Maybe we need to call in the Princess?” suggested Sunset.
“I think you’re right there, Ms. Sunset. Okay, hold on here for a bit while I consult with the other doctors and request the Princess’s help. I’ll be back in a bit,” replied the Dr. making notations in her chart. He trotted out the door, waving over to his colleagues as he exited. They went together into one of the conference rooms. A moment later a nurse emerged, trotting down the hall and out the door, likely to alert the Princess that her help was needed.
Sunset sat back, waiting and slightly frustrated.
Around 15 minutes later, the nurse returned, leading the Princess down the hall and into the conference room. Seeing her student sitting on the table, she smiled and nodded as they passed. Sunset smiled and waved back.
A few minutes later, Dr. Horse returned to the room with the Princess followed by several other Doctors, leaving the room rather crowded.
“Sorry Sunbeam, looks like you were right. I’m going to try to use my magic on the iron. I will have to overload the ring with my magic as part of the process so I can get it to the point where I can transmute it or teleport it. If you start to feel too uncomfortable, please speak up. If this is more that you can comfortably tolerate, we can reschedule this with you completely unconscious, though I would prefer you to be awake so I can get your feedback on how your magic is reacting,” Celestia explained.
“It’s okay mom, just do it,” agreed Sunset.
“Okay Sunbeam. But you have to tell me if it hurts too much. I don’t want you hurting so much you black out. Be honest with me,” comforted Celestia. Sunset nodded slightly, shutting her eyes.
“I’m ready, go ahead,” she stated.
Celestia's horn glowed, her magic enveloping Sunset’s horn, especially the ring above its base. The glow intensified. Sunset flinched for a moment, then settled. “Sorry about that,” she mumbled.
“No problem Sunbeam. It’s reducing now. Just be a bit while the rest transmutes. Hang in there dear,” comforted Celestia keeping her focus on the ring and horn.
Sunset’s eyes started to squint in pain. She took slow deep breaths to keep herself calm. “Halfway there Sunbeam, hang in there,” encouraged Celestia.
Sweet broke out on her forehead and her entire coat began to sheen. Her breathing came a little faster. She blew out the air in her lungs then slowly took a breath in. Beads of perspiration were now dropping from her brows then running down her face. Her coat was now damp from perspiration as her flanks twitched. She held her breath for several seconds then blew it out and slowly took another breath in. The exam table was wet from her perspiration.
“Almost done dear, almost there,” muttered Celestia.
Her flanks shaking, Sunset let out her breath, then slowly took another breath in. She held her breath again. “Just about finished….” said Celestia.
A bright teal glow started forming at the tip of her horn, then worked its way down, displacing Celestia’s golden aura. “Sunset, hold on! Try to hold it in for a moment. If you let it out all at once it might…”
“Mom, I can’t stop it! I can’t stop!” Sunset called out, slightly panicked. “Mom, help!” Her horn glowed intensely teal. A slight snap echoed through the room, a hairline of bright teal cracking along the side of her horn. Celestia slammed her magic tightly around Sunset’s horn as a blast of teal shot out from her horn, the magic funneled up to the roof by the Princess’s shield. Sunset let out a scream as the blast ripped from her then stopped, her aura gone. She slumped down on the table completely insensate.
Celestia scooped her up, cradling Sunset in her forelegs and wings. She gently stroked Sunset’s muzzle, whispering to her while holding her close. “It’s over Sunbeam. You did well, it’s all done now. Just breathe. The pain will fade in a little bit. Just breathe dear. In and out. You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” She rocked her student in her arms, gently comforting her.
Slowly, Sunset’s eyes unscrunched, her ragged breathing calmed, and her face relaxed. A moment later, she went limp in the Princess’s forelegs. The sound of gentle snoring could be heard as her barrel slowly rose and lowered.
Celestia gently muzzled her student. “My dear little Sunbeam. Even coffee can’t keep you awake after that.” She smiled. “Rest dear. You made it.” She held her still as the Doctor began repairing the damage to the keratin, sealing back up the hairline crack that had opened during her surge and reinforcing the area that was damaged where the iron ring and its epoxy used to be.
When they were finished with their work, she lifted her student onto her back, holding her in place with her wings as she carried her out of the clinic and back to her room to recover.
Aiko, Kōshitsu and Thaddeus were on the patio in Sunset’s apartment watching the prize crew crawl through the rigging with their Equestrian counterparts, trading information and sharing their insights with one another. They could see the two crew leaders having a discussion on the bridge. Twilight and Cadance were seated at the table in the apartment, Twilight helping Cadance with her magic lessons. All of them were waiting for Sunset.
The door to the apartment opened, all eyes turning towards it. Instead of seeing Sunset trotting through the door however, Princess Celestia entered, Sunset cradled gently between her wings.
“Is she alright?” asked Twilight, worried. Celestia smiled and nodded as she crossed over to them.
“She’s fine. Just a bit drained from the procedure. Her horn is back working again, but she’ll have to take it easy for a bit while it heals. She has a hairline fracture that we mended, which should be set in a few days, then she can start using it again,” Celestia explained.
“Ugh, did you get the plate on the lorry that hit me,” groaned Sunset from between her wings. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. Realizing where she was and seeing everyone looking at her, she dropped back down, hiding her muzzle between her forelegs. “Mom, I’m not a foal. You didn’t have to carry me like a child,’ she groused, thoroughly embarrassed.
“You had a magic surge. You’re going to be out of energy for a bit while your manna reserves build back up, so it’s either this or you sleep it off in bed alone. I figured you would want to be with your friends, so you get to put up with me coddling you for a bit. Unless you would rather lay in bed and miss everything?” Celesta snarked.
“No…. fine…” she mumbled. “So I heard you say it worked?”
“Yes! Your horn is back. Just don’t use it for a few days to allow the keratin to regrow into the growth matrix we used to heal the crack and damaged areas where the ring used to be. The binders we used will hold it in place while it heals, but you don’t want to be placing any pressure on those areas while they're healing, so no horn magic for a few days,” Celestia explained.
“So no magic for the next few days,” sighed Sunset.
“No horn magic,” corrected the Princess. “You can still keep doing the recasting you and Twilight figured out, that won’t harm anything.”
“Well that’s something,” agreed Sunset. “Thank you mom. I really appreciate your fixing that for me.”
“Anytime, Sunbeam. Happy to help,” smiled Celestia. She turned to Cadance. “Cadance, will you please ask everyone to come in for a bit? I think it’s time to get our tour started.”
“Okay!” Cadance chirped, bouncing up from the table and trotting out to Aiko and her friends. She gave them the message, then flew over to the rigging, calling out to the crew and explaining what was happening. She then flew to the bridge and entered, explaining it to the crew chiefs. They both followed her out as she led them back into the apartment.
Aiko leaned over to her friend. “So how are you feeling there, Shimmering Sun?” she laughed.
“I’m feeling more like a Sleeping Flower,” grinned Sunset from her perch atop the Princess. “Hey Twilight, is this how it feels when I give you a lift?” Twilight nodded happily. “Awesome, I can see the appeal,” Sunset laughed.
Both crews entered, circling around them as Cadance resumed her seat at the table.
“Alright everyone, here’s the plan,” explained Celestia. “Your tour guide is under the weather for a bit, so I will be leading the festivities for the afternoon.” She turned to the crew leader for the ponies. “I need you and your crew to stay with the schooner, making sure it is ready for the return trip to drop off our friends when we finish.” She nodded. She turned to the kitsune team. “And I am inviting you and your crew to join us for our outing, if you don’t object,” she suggested to the kitsune crew lead. She also nodded and bowed. “Okay then, we’ll be back in time to get you to your ship, but for now, let’s go see Canterlot!”
She trotted out of the apartment and towards the stairs, Sunset still cradled between her wings as everyone trailed behind her, following her down the hall and down the stairs then marching through the castle foyer and out into the courtyard while she chatted about everything around them as they went.
Hours later they sat together at an outdoor cafe, several tables pushed together to make room for them all along the edge of the street. Sunset, no longer in her embarrassing yet endearing cradle, sat across from Celestia, with Twilight and Aiko at her sides laughing as Aiko related some of their more humorous misadventures together. Around them ponies trotted to and from their appointments, nopony making much of their Princess sitting in their midst.
Kōshitsu commented as much in her surprise. “I can’t believe we are all just sitting here, and no one is going nuts over you being out in their presence. If the Emperor or the Prime Minister stepped out for a bite to eat on the street, they would have to cordon off the streets and have a small army of police out to keep the crowds from inundating either of them. Yet here you are just sitting on a street corner having dinner with guests, and everyone acts like it’s just another weekday. Amazing.”
“It’s what they are used to,” answered Celestia. “I refuse to hide myself away from my ponies. I want to be part of their lives, and I want them in mine. I’m sure if your Emperor or PM wanted to and did interact with their public regularly, you would see the same reaction to them in time when they went out. And it’s not as if I don’t have protection when I go out. There is a team of pegusi patrolling overhead to keep things safe. I’m not insensitive to the dangers posed by bad actors trying to take advantage of my openness. And don’t forget, I’m not just another bureaucrat. Both Sunset and I are trained and accomplished Battle Mages, and Aiko is in training as one. Anypony or anyone thinking they would have an easy time with any mischief against us would be in for a rather rude awakening.”
Sunset grinned. “That’s right, nopony or no one better mess with mom. Bate the bull, bear the horns. If mom didn’t get them I would certainly be there to do it.”
Aiko laughed. “When I hear you talk like that, it’s easy to forget you’re still considered a prey creature by some cultures.”
“Anyone who thinks we’re prey had better make their peace with their maker. We don’t abide those who consider us food,” growled Sunset.
“Got that right,” agreed Celestia. “I have eradicated entire tribes for that crime.”
“As have I at your command,” agreed Sunset.
The conversation stopped at that. “Okay, that took a dark turn,” commented Aiko. “Thank the goddesses we’re all on the same side. So, what did you all pick out for lunch? I went with the seaside combo!”
Sunset snickered. “Nice save, Aiko. Yeah, everything here is good. I went with the squash and vegetable soup medley.” Relaxed, everyone chimed in and the conversation resumed on a lighter note.
Their lunches arrived shortly after that, cutting down slightly on the banter as they enjoyed their food. Afterward they resumed their tour, Celestia leading them to one of the many museums the city boasted.
Several hours later, they returned to the castle. Celestia hugged Kōshitsu and Thaddeus, then bowed to each of the kitsune crew in turn, thanking them for spending the afternoon with her and her students. She left to attend to some affairs of state, while they returned to Sunset’s apartment to take the Albatross crew back to their ship.
Kōshitsu and Thaddeus gathered their bags from their rooms then joined them on the deck of the schooner. The kitsune prize crew sat back with the rest of them, enjoying the chance to be guest on the ship as the Equestrian crew took up their duties, unfurling the sails, untying the moorings from the balcony railing, and stowing the mooring lines and gangplank. With a gentle push, the ship drifted out and away from the castle spire, turning with the wind and rising up over the parapets as they headed back towards the coast and Manehattan.
“That was fun,” grinned Kōshitsu at Thaddeus.
“Yeah it was,” he agreed. “We’ll have to do it again next time we’re in port.”
“It’s a date,” agreed Sunset, stepping between them and hugging them both. “I’m so glad you were able to get the time off to do this. And next time, we’ll definitely have more fun.”
“And more cake?” grinned Thaddeus.
“More cake, and maybe less cloud hopping,” agreed Sunset.
“And less dropping ponies through clouds,” grumped Twilight, smacking Sunset on her flank.
“And no dropping adorable little ponies through clouds,” agreed Sunset, rustling her mane.
A bit less than an hour later, the schooner was settling down into the harbor, then sailing back over to the berth she left the day before. The crew secured the mooring, dropping the gangplank to allow their guests to leave.
“Goodbye Sunset, Aiko. Nice to meet you Cadance and Twilight. We’ll see you again as soon as we can arrange it,” said Kōshitsu, hugging them all goodbye. Thaddeus gave them all hugs as well, leaving with Kōshitsu. The prize crew bowed in thanks then left as well, also returning to the Graceful Albatross. Sunset, Twilight, Cadance, and Aiko watched them lope down the docks then onto their ship.
A single sustained bell rang out from their ship. Their crew released their moorings, stowing the lines, and with sails unfurled sailed back out to the middle of the harbor where the ship rose majestically up into the air, spiraling up into the clouds above, then through and up into the evening sky, turning to head towards the setting sun as they tacked over the clouds back to their home.
Twilight stood spellbound, holding tightly to the railing as she took it all in. “Never gets old, does it?” smiled Sunset, putting a foreleg around her little sister. Twilight looked up at her with a smile, shaking her head then looking back out over the horizon.
“Just think. When we become princesses and get our wings, we can see this whenever we want,” grinned Sunset. Twilight nodded in happy assent.
“It is pretty special,” agreed Cadance, hugging them both.
Aiko giggled. They all looked over at her. “Hey, no wings on this vixen. I’ll just enjoy the view as the Maker intended from the deck of a study ship,” she laughed.
The sun had completely set by the time they arrived back in Canterlot. As Celestia promised they did not dock on Sunset’s balcony but put into port at the guard airport towers on the eastern side of the castle compound. Thanking the crew, they left, heading back to their apartments for night.
“I don’t know about the three of you, but I’m too tuckered out for any mischief tonight. What say we just grab a snack from the kitchen, then read for a bit and call it a night?” suggested Sunset as they passed by the common dining hall.
“I could go for that,” agreed Aiko. Twilight and Cadance nodded in assent so they headed through the hall and into the kitchen to gather some snacks for the evening before bed. Treats gathered, they returned to Sunset’s apartment.
“I think I’m going to take a soak. Anyone who wants can join me, it's a big tub,” said Sunset, heading into the bathroom.
“I’m in!” shouted Twilight gleefully, pronking behind her sister.
Aiko turned to Cadance with a smirk. “Why not! We’re in,” agreed Cadance, gathering up the snacks and bringing them with her. She laid them out on the counter next to the tub while Sunset started filling it, Twilight happily splashing in the water as it filled.
Snacks set out, Aiko joined her in the tub, with Sunset and Cadance following. Sunset leaned back into the warm water letting it soak the aches out of her sore muscles. “Ah, this is the way to end the day,” she purred, enjoying the relaxing sensations of the water rippling over her shoulders.
“You mean in the tub?” asked Twilight as she paddled around her sisters.
“I mean with my sisters,” smiled Sunset. “Though the tub definitely helps,” she grinned. They laughed.
Enjoying their snacks and relaxing soaks, they talked about anything and everything, enjoying each others' company. Twilight’s contributions were getting further and further apart, with Sunset eventually pulling the filly over and resting her head on her shoulder as she gently dozed off, the active day finally catching up with the filly.
A little over an hour later, with everyone completely relaxed and more than ready for a good night’s sleep, they got out and got ready for bed. Sunset dried, oiled and powdered Twilight and herself while Aiko and Cadance dried off then cleaned up and put away the snacks. Everyone dried and ready for bed, they climbed up into Sunsets bed, snuggling up in a pony (and vixen) pile with Twilight cuddled in the middle as they fell asleep at the end of a long and wonderful day.