//------------------------------//
// The First Of Many 
// Story: These Trying Times 
// by DegeTheMighty 
//------------------------------//

	It was hard to comprehend exactly what I was doing. I knew my objective of course, but I would never truly have the chance to understand what kind of impact I would have on not just Equestria's history, but the history of the world. It was an incredibly sobering, and baffling thought.

I remember standing upon the port, gazing from the massive ship that would become our home for several months, until our hooves could finally feel land again, upon the soil of Equestria. The waters that lay ahead of us were the most deceptive waves I had ever, and will ever, see. Even with the calming ripples upon the ocean, I could still make out the definite sign of a most devastating maelstrom that we would be unable to avoid.

Glancing back to our seaward vessel, I was overcome with a feeling of anxiety and even apprehension. I was completely ignorant of the Griffon's engineering, and was uncertain how well their ships hold up to these kind of waters, but surely it wouldn't be enough. No matter how seaworthy their vessels could have been, they couldn't stand up to any storm of that caliber.

Something began to tug at my tail. Behind me, sat two of the most important fillies in the known world. The two most important beings that would ever grace our reality.

Celestia and Luna. Call them winged unicorns, or what have you. They were real Alicorns. Ones only heard of in ancient myth and legend, and yet they sat right in front of me, dwarfed only by my seniority. 

They were my mission, my goal. I had to get the two of them away from here. Only in this new land of Equestria could they thrive, and possibly even help these ponies that had settled upon that fertile soil. They would be legends, and I had to make sure that their names would be remembered for an eternity after mine was erased from the annals of time. I had to make sure they would make it there, lest everything we had done be in vain.

The young fillies looked at me with worry, Luna hiding behind her elder sister. They had asked me if we were going to be alright. Asking if this journey wasn't going to be fatal.

Of course I had to lie. I had absolutely no idea what could possibly lay ahead of us, but logic dictated that I prepare for the worse. This did not mean I had to worry the foals however. I reassured them that this Griffon transport was more durable than any simple wave, and that it would take a mountain to topple it. Oh how I wish I could believe myself.

I was already picturing us out on the seas, as we reached that sheer magnitude of the watery cataclysm. I could see us trying our best to stand against gravity, as our ship clung to the wall of water. Waves towering over any mountain I have ever seen to date, trying to crash into us, with a massive force never before on this earth. The wood creaking louder than any thunder, as we strapped ourselves to the side of the deck, praying to whatever Gods that still lived that we would not perish before our exodus was over. 

If the heavens were truly on our side, we would make to clean and calm waters. We could rest and revitalize ourselves, before the next leg of our odyssey could begin. The relief I would feel after such a catastrophic gauntlet would be an ecstasy that would forever go unmatched.

Perhaps I was being far too pessimistic, and even short-sighted. What was the most important part of out mission, was not only reaching Equestria, but making sure these two fillies were cared for. There were destined for great things, and I had no choice, nor no quarrel, with seeing their fate become realized. The first major obstacle and challenge in our wake, was the most frightening thing my eyes had born witness to in quite some time.

And this was only the prelude to their epic.

I was not about to let some simple aquatic mass stand between us and our new home. The terrors we would face were inevitable, and I was not one to run from reality. I would protect these fillies with everything I had. My heart, my mind, my body, and even my soul if it was necessary.

There was nothing that would stand in our way, not even Death.

Celestia, the elder sister, spoke to me once more. She asked me what we planned on doing, once we had arrived to our new home.

Up to this point, I was surprised we had made it this far. I had once made a promise to myself to never plan for the distant future, to live only in the present. This philosophy had served me well in the past.

But at that moment, I couldn't stop from letting my fantasies roaming wild. I had pictured a Utopia. A perfect paradise that I had watched them create. I would simply watch them grow, and guide them with gentle and subtle hoof. I was a mere mortal, and had no right to interfere with their plans.

All I had wanted, was to watch the two of them grow in peace, and become the perfect rulers that had been born to be. If only She was here to see them off.

I never had time to properly answer the filly, as our captain and caretaker had summoned us, ready to disembark on the most trying voyage he had likely ever partaken in.

I soothed the sisters' worries with sweet, and empty, assurances. I promised that I would always be at their side, come hell or high water, which is what I knew we would be facing. I told them, that no matter what may come, that I would always protect them, and that I would always love them.

I had brought them into this world, and I would make damn sure they would survive these hardships, and all the strife they would soon encounter. It was my duty, and my honor.

The were my fillies, and I loved more than anything in the world.