//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Adventures Aboard the R.E.S. Rising Moon // by LunaDeluxe //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Day 1 Afternoon Twilight stepped through the door from the weather deck into a short hallway and followed Luna down the corridor towards the aft of the ship. Luna turned to the right and continued past a set of double doors at a 'T' shaped intersection. "What's in there?" asked Twilight, nodding at the doorway. "That's the great cabin, the captain's quarters in other words. As VIPs we will be serviced by the captain's cook and we may take our meals with him in there. He may also occasionally entertain the officer's as well." Luna responded. She went a little further down the hall and pointed her hoof to a door on the right side of the hall. “These are the VIP cabins and this is your room. All your things are already in here. And this one is my cabin,” she said, indicating the door on the opposite side of the hall, just across from Twilight’s. She set her hoof back down and said, “I am going to go to speak to the captain. I want to know the exact course he has plotted, so I’ll be on the bridge deck if you need me.” "The bridge deck?" Twilight asked as she walked next to the rooms Luna had pointed to. "The deck with the helm, where we just were with the captain, we're directly beneath it right now." "Ah, ok. Is it possible for me to get a tour of the ship later? I have never been on one before," Twilight said. If I'm going to be living on this ship for several months then I might as well learn something about it. "Of course, I can arrange something. For now, take your time to get settled. It will be a while before dinner, so if you wish for something to eat before then, just let one of the crew know, and they will be able to assist you," Luna said, then stepped past Twilight and trotted back towards the weather deck. Twilight turned and pushed open the door to her room and poked her head in through the doorway. A shaft of light streamed in from a porthole window on the far wall. There was a small chest under the window next to a writing desk, over which hung an unlit lantern. Tiny specks of dust floated around the room, visible in the beam of sunlight let in through the window. As Twilight walked in, she noticed a short, wide bookshelf adjacent to the wall next to the door. A bed was tucked in the corner of the room directly across from the door. The bed was neatly made and her bags were lying at its base. She laid her saddlebag and the cupcakes on the desk and opened her bag. She levitated the two books out and placed them on the far corner of the desk, then set her crown on top of them. Twilight moved over to her bags and began unpacking them. She spent a few minutes arranging and rearranging her belongings in the chest and desk drawers. After she finished, she sat and looked around one more time, making sure everything was where she wanted it. Satisfied, she picked a book about Commonwealth politics off the shelf with her magic. As she was walking to the table, there was a knock on the door. Twilight placed the book on her desk, then opened the door. Spitfire was standing in the hall wearing the golden armor that was standard to the royal guard, though it was a lighter version, made up of flexible, interlocking plates allowing for a wider range of movement during flight. She had a musket slung over her shoulder, and a long blade ran along the edge of each of her wings. “Hello Spitfire. What can I do for you?” Twilight said, gesturing for her to come in. Spitfire stepped into Twilight’s room and stood next to her bed. She glanced around the small space quickly then looked at Twilight. “I would like to discuss my team's duties with you, to make sure we’re on the same page,” Spitfire said. "Of course, anything you need.” "As your escort, our primary concern is going to be your safety. There are six of us, so it won’t be hard to keep at least one of us with you at all times. We should be relatively safe until we leave Equestrian air space, and even then there are not many creatures out there that would tangle with an Equestrian warship. I realize that you are in little to no danger here on the ship but we are taking the precaution of having a guard with you anyway. We will do our best to keep out from under your hooves so long as you don’t needlessly risk your life.” “Hm, that shouldn't be too hard to do, but at all times? So, no privacy then?” Twilight said, giving a nervous smile. “We won’t follow you into your room or the privy at least, unless asked or if we feel as though your life is in danger. Well, we probably still won’t follow you into the privy, even if you ask,” she said jestingly. “That’s all Princess, unless you have any questions for me.” Spitfire turned towards the door but stopped to wait for Twilight’s leave to exit her room. “I do have one question,” Twilight said. “Of course, what is it?” “How’s Rainbow Dash been? I haven't gotten to see her for a while, since I've been at the castle.” Spitfire smiled and said, “She's doing great, fits right in with the team," Spitfire pointed down with her hoof as she continued, "She was down on the berth deck when last I saw her, setting her things up with the rest of the team. I gave her and Lightning Dust the rest of the day to get settled before we begin regular drills tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll come up to see you soon, so she can talk to you herself. She's always bragging about her friends, and herself of course." "That's good to hear," Twilight said with a laugh. "My pleasure. Well, if that's all, I'll be taking the first shift. I'll be out here if you need me." Twilight thanked her and she left, closing the door behind her. She trotted back over to her desk and sat down, opening her book. She flipped back to where she had left off the day before, propped her chin upon her hooves, and began to read. Her eyes drifted over the words but they quickly lost their focus as her mind was slipped into thoughts of the trip ahead and the task she was assigned. She sighed and placed the book back on the shelf, then opened the door and walked into into the hallway, but stopped when Spitfire turned and looked at her. She stood in the doorway for a moment, one forehoof raised as if to step forward. An awkward, silent moment passed, before Twilight said, “I, um… I’m going to the outside for some air.” “Alright,” Spitfire replied. Twilight hesitated another moment, “You don’t have to get my permission go anywhere on the ship, Princess. I will simply follow you when you leave. Just pretend that I’m not here.” Spitfire stepped to the side of the hall to give Twilight room to pass. “Oh, ok. Thank you,” Twilight said with a sheepish grin as she walked past her into the hallway. She squinted as she arrived on the weather deck and raised a hoof to shade her eyes from the bright sunlight; she let her eyes adjust for a moment then took a look around the ship. All the lines had been tied down, having no need to adjust the sails and rigging for the moment and the sails ruffled quietly in the gentle breeze as they pulled the ship away from Canterlot. The deck was bustling with dozens of ponies, mostly pegasi, going about their routine jobs on the ship, the sound of their hoofsteps and wingbeats filled the air with noise. A few ponies were relaxing near the edges of the ship, next to the rails, staying out of the ways of the ponies who were working. A couple of officers trotted around the deck keeping an eye on everything, occasionally calling an order to one of the crew or speaking to each other in passing. At the bow of the Rising Moon she could see a squad of Marines, all dressed in their dark green uniforms and tricorn hats, running drills. The sergeant barked orders at the Marines as they performed exercises with their muskets. Twilight trotted up the stairs to the aft castle, drawing a few quick salutes from ponies as she passed. She glanced down over the side towards the hundreds of miles of countryside stretched out, seemingly without end, before her; the landscape was dotted with settlements, surrounded by farms and woodlands. As she reached the top of the stairs she saw Luna with Captain Cloud and the brown unicorn she had noticed earlier earlier, standing around a map that was laying on a barrel near the helm. The unicorn shifted to the side to allow Twilight room to see. Cloud nodded to her as she stepped up to the map but continued speaking. Twilight was able to see, now, that he was pointing to a large highlighted area in the south-western part of the Shimmering Sea, just outside of the Horseshoe Bay. “We are going to be taking the Eastern Trade Route for most of the journey then we will make the turn north to the capitol, here,” Cloud said, tracing his hoof along a dotted line that ran from Equestria to the Badlands, south of the Commonwealth. “We will be able to resupply at Trotuga, and then continue on to the Commonwealth in short order. After we conclude our business there, we will make use of the winds blowing down from the northern reaches to make our way back to Equestria. It will be approximately a two month round-trip, give or take a few weeks, plus the time we spend in the capitol itself.” “Will weather present a problem?” Luna asked. “It shouldn’t, not at this time of year at least. The skies should be relatively calm the whole way,” the captain responded as he began rolling up the map. “And what about pirates?” Twilight said, “Could they cause us trouble?” “Um, not likely your Highness,” the thus far unnamed unicorn said, shaking his head, “They would have mostly moved on to southern skies and waters by this time of year for richer pickings. Arabian merchants will have just finished selling their wares for this year, and the ships that carried them will coming back from Equestria, the Commonwealth and elsewhere, laden with gold from their sales. And even if there are any pirates on our route, they wouldn't be too keen on attacking a frigate of the Royal Equestrian Navy.” “Good. Thank you,” Twilight said, as she stepped away from the barrel. She looked back to him, “I never got your name.” “Oh, of course. “ He removed his hat with his magic and bowed low. “First Lieutenant Shake Spear, highness, at your service.” Twilight smiled and replied, “A pleasure to meet you.” “Likewise, ma’am.” He placed his hat back on his head and trotted away, down to the half deck. Captain Cloud waved Twilight over with his hoof. “Princess,” he said with a short bow, “Luna has brought it to my attention that this is your first time aboard an airship and that you are interested in learning more about them. I have arranged for one of our officers to give you a tour of the ship." He turned to one of the nearby cabin colts and said, "Pass the word to Mr. Thunderlane, if you please, Princess Twilight is ready for him." The young stallion nodded and galloped away. “Thunderlane?” Twilight asked. “Yes, he’s our weather specialist. Do you know him?” Cloud replied, turning back to her. “We’re acquainted. I met him last year in Ponyville. He was going to help send water to Cloudsdale, but he got sick.” Twilight explained. "I knew he was in the military, but I wasn't aware that this was his post," she said with a shrug. “Well, that saves you some time on introductions then,” the captain said. A black pegasus landed lightly a few meters away, his mohawk style mane fluttering in the breeze. Thunderlane trotted over to Twilight and bowed low as she said, “hello, Thunderlane, it’s nice to see you again.” “You too, Twilight. I didn't think that you would remember me,” he said as he stood back up. “I’m glad to see that you do.” “Well, you are in capable hooves, Princess. Have fun,” the captain said. He nodded to Spitfire, then followed Luna towards the taffrail. “Now, is there anywhere in particular you would like to begin?” Thunderlane asked. “Well, how about right here? We can just go from top to bottom.” “As good a plan as any, I suppose. Some general info about the ship: the Rising Moon is a frigate, which means we only have one gun deck and the ship is smaller and faster than most others, not to mention more maneuverable. Right now, we are on the aft-castle, specifically, the bridge deck. The helm, there-” he pointed to the pegged wheel where Shake Spear and the helmspony stood, “is used to steer the ship. It is linked to the rudders, on the back of the ship and on the balloon, and the terilev generators on the orlop deck, the lowest deck of the ship.” “I’m sorry, the what? Terilev?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. “It short for Terinthium Crystal Artificial Lift Generator. They are what allow us to maneuver in the air and it helps the balloon keep us afloat. “I’ll tell you more about those when we get to them.” He looked back out over the ship and thought for a moment. “There’s not much else to say about this deck. I’m sure you know what the masts and sails are. The anchors are located on the bow and the hatch behind the mast leads down to the gun deck, then to the berth deck. Oh, and those cannons are used for shooting things,” he said with a chuckle, pointing down to the guns lining the sides of the ship. “We can head to the next deck whenever you’re ready.” Thunderlane trotted over to and down the stairs to the quarter deck; Twilight followed closely, Spitfire behind her. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust landed several meters ahead of Twilight and Thunderlane, laughing and hoof bumping each other. Twilight frowned at the sight of Lightning but trotted over to speak with Rainbow anyway. I can't believe that careless pegasus was still allowed to finish training. Twilight thought as Rainbow met her halfway across the quarterdeck. “Hey Twilight, how’s it going? What are you guys doing?” Rainbow asked. Twilight forced a smile to her face. “Thunderlane is giving me a tour of the ship,” Twilight said, indicating her tour guide. “Oh, cool! Could we tag along?” Rainbow asked, grabbing Lightning Dust by the shoulder with her hoof. “Sure you can," she replied. She pointed down with her hoof and said, "we were just about to head below, to the next deck,” She turned back to Thunderlane and they all followed him to the companionway in the middle of the quarterdeck. He opened it, revealing a set of steeply inclined stairs leading into down into the ship. Twilight squinted as she entered the lower decks. There was light streaming in from the gun ports but it was still darker than on the weather deck. After her eyes adjusted, she could see that there were cannons lining each wall resting about a meter back from each window, cables connecting them to pulleys on the wall. Several other ponies were there as well, performing various tasks. Nopony seemed to pay them any attention. “This is the gun deck,” Thunderlane said as he led them into the room. He gestured with his hoof to the guns as they passed by the first few. “This is where the main battery is housed, as you can see. We have a total of forty guns, fifteen here on either side of the gun deck and five up on the weather deck. There's also one on either side of the bowsprit.” “These are massive,” Rainbow said, mouth agape as she stood next to one of the large cannons, running her hoof over the smooth iron chase. “How far can it shoot?” “These are twenty-four and eighteen pounders on this deck, so we can fire them, accurately at about two-two and a half kilometers,” Thunderlane answered. “Yes, that’s right,” Thunderlane said. “It’s mostly used at close range. The powder magazine, where all the black powder and ammunition is stored, is two decks below us, just below the berth deck.” Thunderlane led them back towards the stairs and down to the next deck, which was considerably darker than the one they had just left. There were no windows and the only light came from several dim lamps spread throughout the deck. There were hammocks hung between each one of the beams on the deck. Dozens of ponies were lounging about in their hammocks or sitting on barrels and boxes, talking, reading, or playing games. The soft sound of a violin floated to Twilight’s ears from somewhere in the crowd. A call came out from within the coterie of ponies. “Royalty on deck!” Everypony in sight scrambled to bow to Twilight, several boxes getting knocked over in the process, spilling playing cards across the floor. Twilight blushed and smiled. After a few seconds she glanced around, but nopony made a move to get up. She turned to Rainbow, who just looked back at her and shrugged, helplessly. Twilight gave a heavy sigh and stepped forward. “I, um, thank you all for your warm welcome,” she said softly. She cleared her throat and then continued, louder, “But this really isn't necessary. We are probably going to bump into each other many times on this trip; such formalities would just become a hassle if they had to be performed every time you saw me. So, um… at ease.” The crew slowly began standing up and going back to where they had been previously. Lightning Dust chuckled at the inelegant speech. Twilight glared at her, ears flat on her head, her face flushing.. Thunderlane leaned over to Twilight and whispered, “Yeesh, I can’t imagine ever getting used to that.” “Neither can I,” Twilight replied quietly, hanging her head. “What are you talking about? I would love it if everypony I met bowed at my hooves whenever I walked into a room," Rainbow said. “Eh, I think it would get a tad awkward,” Thunderlane replied as he started walking towards the bow. “‘Awkward’ is a bit of an understatement.” Twilight said. “Well I’d enjoy it, anyway.” Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow and then set off after Thunderlane. “So this is where the crew lives, right?” she asked, catching up to trot alongside him. “Yes, the crew bunks here and will usually be down here when not on watch. Medical facilities are at the bow of this deck too. Sergeant Stethoscope is one of the best doctors in the Navy. He’s saved my life more than once.” Twilight looked back over her shoulder at Rainbow and asked, “where are you guys bunking at?” Rainbow looked around for a moment before she located their spot across the deck. She pointed it out through the crowd. Her trunk was under one of the hammocks touching the wall; Lightning Dust’s was right next to it, along with the rest of the Wonderbolts' things. Soarin was napping in his hammock, and Fleet Foot and Rapid Fire were having a conversation next to him. Thunderlane continued to the bow and then led them through a door that had a big red cross painted over it. “This is the infirmary. The Sarge should be in here somewhere.” They followed him a couple meters into the room. There were about half a dozen blood-stained operating tables lined up, three on each side of the room. The walls were covered with cabinets and hooks that held surgical tools, such as saws and clamps. The cabinets were filled with different types of medicine jars and bottles covered in labels and warnings. On the shelves, there were also clear glass jars containing various types of insects. In the far back there were two hammocks hung side by side save for a thin sheet hung between them for privacy. There was some sort of commotion coming from the back of the room. Twilight could see a pony’s rear end and tail sticking up in the air, the image of a stethoscope emblazoned on his flank, as he was rummaging around under one of the tables. The pony stood up and brandished a bone saw with a triumphant smile that poked out behind an impressive handlebar mustache. “A-ha! There you are. You can't hide from me, so don't try it again,” he said, pointing a hoof menacingly at the saw. The khaki colored earth pony continued scolding the instrument as the group approached him. “Evening, Sarge,” Thunderlane said from the opposite side of the table. “Ah! Thunderlane. I’m glad you’re here. This soldier has been neglecting his duty! I caught him hiding from me under this table. I demand that you reprimand him at once,” the stallion said, tossing the saw onto the table. “Um, maybe later, Sarge. You have guests,” Thunderlane replied, tilting his head towards the ponies behind him. The doctor looked past Thunderlane to his posse. He gave a friendly grin and trotted around the table to them. “Welcome to my humble infirmary,” he said, giving a little bow. “What can I do for you ladies today?” “Thunderlane is giving us a tour of the ship; we just wanted see what the infirmary was like,” Twilight replied. “Well, It’s a pleasure to meet you fine young mares. I am Doctor-Sergeant Stethoscope,” he said with a wide smile, grabbing Twilight’s hoof and shaking it violently. “I’ll be the one piecing you back together, should you happen to need to be pieced back together during our trip.” Each of the mares introduced themselves in turn, the doctor shaking each of their hooves. Twilight glanced around at all the outdated surgery equipment and gulped. “My apprentice should be around here somewhere, getting into something she shouldn't no doubt,” the doctor said. “That’s alright Sarge; we will be getting along with the tour. We still have a couple decks to go,” Thunderlane said. “Oh very well, you all can meet her later if you wish,” he replied with a shrug. Thunderlane led the group out of the infirmary and back into the crew quarters. They followed him back towards the companionway and then down to the next deck. Twilight took a look around the cargo hold. Crates and barrels were stacked all across the deck, several of them draped with neatly stacked ropes and lines. “Not much to see here really,” Thunderlane said. “This is where everything we need for our voyage is stored. All the ammunition and powder for the cannons and our small arms, other weapons such as boarding pikes and hatchets. Tools and supplies needed to repair the ship. Extra canvas, and food of course. The purser is in charge of the supplies; making sure nothing goes missing, that we have enough supplies, et cetera . We can head down to the next deck when you’re ready.” “What’s on the next deck?” Rainbow asked. She stood next to the stairs, ears perked up. She and Lightning Dust darted down the stairs and Thunderlane followed them in a hurry. “Don’t touch anything!” he called out as he chased them down. Twilight looked back at Spitfire who was rolling her eyes. She shrugged then followed them down. As she started down the stairs she could hear what sounded like the crackle of lightning. As she entered the room she saw a dozen large crystals, levitating between three prongs, firing magical energy into piping that was connected to the platforms they were on. The pipes ran down from the crystals and then into the walls. Each crystal hurled a bolt of magic into one of four surrounding pipes about once per five seconds, seemingly at random. There were a few unicorn engineers on the deck examining the machines. “These are the terilev generators right?” Twilight asked loudly, trying to be heard over the clamor that the crystals were creating “So how do they work?” She stepped over to the nearest machine for a closer look. “Well, I don’t know the specifics but, the terinthium crystals store the magic needed for their operation. They have enough magic stored in them for roughly two months of use, and then they must be either recharged or replaced. The pipes have some sort of a charm on them that sucks the magic out of them when it is needed for navigation. The pipes connect to the outside of the ship and push us one way or the other depending on where the helmspony is steering us,” Thunderlane explained. “Did anypony tell you magical procedure for while on board?” “No, why? Is there something special I need to know?” “Yes, the magical output of these engines makes the atmosphere around the ship somewhat unstable. Large spells can cause dangerous magical feedback and can disrupt the engines operation, or even disable them completely. So, while magic is not forbidden, you must be very careful, and don’t try anything too complicated.” “Well I’m glad somepony told me that before I tried practicing spells on deck.” “I’m fairly certain someone was supposed to have told you this before you came on board, I’ll ask the captain about it later. Ah well, that’s the whole ship,” he said with a shrug. “If you have any more questions I’ll gladly answer them. Let me know when you’re done.” They lingered near the generators for a minute while Twilight tried to figure out how exactly they worked. When they began making their way back to the quarterdeck, Twilight trotted beside Thunderlane and asked, “So, what is it that you do on the ship? Aside from giving tours I mean.” “I’m the officer in charge of the weather team,” Thunderlane replied. “We do a number of things, including moving the ship if there is no wind, guiding us through storms, things like that. As a midshippony, I also attend to duties such as keeping watch and relaying messages from the lieutenants and the captain. In battle, instead of leading gun teams as most midshipponies would, my team and I and ensure that we have the weather gauge in our favor.” “What is the weather gauge?" Twilight asked as they walked. “The weather gauge is the advantage that one ship has over another regarding wind and weather. For instance, if we are upwind of an enemy ship, then we have the advantage and control of the engagement. Having pegasi and griffons as part of the crew allows us to control these conditions, even if the weather is naturally unfavorable. So long as the wind is not blowing too strongly in one direction or another, we can manipulate it into serving our purposes. Alternatively, so can the enemy, if they have a good weather team. That makes the weather teams one of the prime targets during engagements. If the enemy's weather team is killed or incapacitated, that gives us control of the engagement. Conversely, they will try equally hard to get at our weather team, which is why we will usually be sent out with a detachment of marines for protection." They left the gloom of the lower decks and stepped onto the weather deck of the Rising Moon. A cool breeze ruffled Twilight’s mane and sent a shiver down her back. They began to make their way to the bow as Thunderlane continued. “We also have several duties outside of combat. We can also bring in fresh water; since fresh water is hard to come by on the ocean and doesn't keep well when stored, we can bring in clouds to rain on the ship restore our supply.” Twilight was absorbing all the information with the same avidity she had when reading a good book or receiving a magic lesson from Celestia. Learning how the ship worked and the jobs ponies had on it was fascinating. A bell tolled out eight times as they passed the main mast. Ponies began flooding the deck from the hatchway just behind the mast and replacing the ones who were currently on station; the ponies who had been working made their way below decks. Thunderlane looked at the position of the sun, which was now sinking back down to the horizon, and shaded his eyes with his hoof. “Well, that’s my cue. I am on this watch, so I must leave you to your own devices. I pray your tour was both entertaining and enlightening, but now I must take my leave,” Thunderlane said with a bow. “Thanks for the tour; it was fun!” Twilight said. She stretched her wings a little, letting the breeze play with her feathers, as Thunderlane trotted off to his station. “Hey Twi, ya wanna fly with us for a bit?” Rainbow asked, nudging her with the elbow of her wing. “Sure, I’d love to!” she said with a smile. “Yeah, try to keep up!” Lightning called out, already streaking off the deck. Twilight cast Lightning a sideways glance with a smirk and then took off after her, Rainbow and Spitfire hot on her heels.