Chapter 1
Sixteen Years Later
Sixteen years later, in the space port city of Manehattan, a young unicorn stood in an alley with a cloak and hood, peaking past the corner to see the scarlet and yellow coated unicorn soldiers talking to a steward. The thief picked up a rock and threw it, aiming for the metal trash can near the guards, causing them to turn pointing their laser muskets at the source of the sound. The thief grinned as she dashed past the guards with the silence of a cat toward the huge harbor. She ducked behind some heavy barrels of wine.
She can hear the guards march past her hiding spot. She pulled back her tan shirt sleeve and pulled out a knife that was tied against her arm. She flipped open the knife blade to stick it into the wood of a barrel nearby to feel it go through completely with a smile. She stuck her knife back into her sleeve, looking over the barrel to make sure nopony was looking in her direction.
She looked up, hearing the whistles from the bosun mate above in the giant vessel. As she continues to gaze up at the boat her eyes widen in awe seeing the beautiful ship called the ERS Cadenza. The ship was a merchant galleon, a rare sight this far from any Equestrian planet.
The thief watched as the solar sails were being unfurled as spacers dressed in white and yellow clothes. She watched as the spacers climbed up the ratlines to the yardarms, hanging or sliding down the shroud lines that were keeping the masts from breaking or falling onto the deck. She can see the space engines, about the size of giant space whales, at the lower aft section of the ship being treated with special care by the spacers before launch into space.
The thief let out a wistful sigh, wishing someday to own and commandeer a ship like this giant beauty. But of course she can’t dwell on such dreams, since she is a Hybrid after all and a menace to the purebloods of the royal Unicorn and Pegasi Alliance. She shook those thoughts out of her head, she has to keep her mind on the mission. She took a glance around the area, again, to make sure nopony was watching her. She then stood up, popped the lid off an empty barrel, then jumped inside it. She grabbed the lid by the handles that she installed on it two days prior, then pulled the barrel lid down and twisted it to make sure it was snug so it wouldn't pop out. But just to make sure, she got herself into an uncomfortable position of placing her shoulder blades on the bottom of the barrel then she placed her feet on the lid, holding on to the handles with her dirty white hands, and pulled back hard making sure nothing could pop the lid off. She groaned, feeling a pulled muscle in her neck, she closed her eyes trying hard to ignore the pain as she waited in her empty barrel.
She heard the shouts from outside and the thunk of the barrels being dropped on their sides to be rolled away. As she waited, she started to think through her plan from earlier that day. She was going to be a stowaway on this ship. Why would a Hybrid, that was a street rat and a thief, do such a thing? She licked her lips imagining the treasure inside the hull of this baby.
Yesterday at one of the hidden pubs in Manehattan a spacer, from this very ship, boasted about the riches of the ship and where it was headed. It turned out that a special princess was being transported to the royal planet of Canterlot, where she’ll become a princess in line to the throne. So this ship would be filled with jewels from the richest ponies from this part of the galaxy; also joining the journey was Prince Blueblood and his younger brother, Prince Tick Tock, which was a strange name for a Unicorn. And of course he’s the idiot prince that married a Unicorn Hybrid from the streets of the Manehattan Space Port.
The thief had thoughts lately, that possibly, she might find her true love. But what were the chances of that ever happening? She's a Hybrid. Who would love a Hybrid when Hybrids were dying every day and being hunted down like rates? And besides being hunted, she was used garbage. What stallion would want to have a used mare like her?
She was about ready to moan of her losses, when she felt her barrel being pushed hard to the ground. The motion caused her face to press against the wall of the barrel, making her swear in the back of her mind to kill the son of a bitch that was pushing her barrel. But the rolling motion got her upright again as she rode with the roll and up a ramp into the ship.
The rolling lasted for about ten minutes until finally, the pony that was smuggling her without knowing, rolled her up a ramp and into a rack with other barrels of wine. There was a loud bang of a door being closed and the thief sighed and released her handles and sat quietly in the barrel, waiting for launch to begin her treasure hunt.
She closed her eyes and pulled her hood lower over her face to sleep. She blinked remembering an important detail. She pulled out her knife and used the handle to knock out a pre-cut piece of the barrel to the floor outside, refilling her barrel with fresh oxygen. Once she was happy with her position, she got herself comfortable and fell asleep with the smells of food drifting into her barrel, making her dream of riches. She had at least another hour before the ship set sail.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
The mare upstairs, in one of the ERS Cadenza suites, spun again, revealing her beautiful ultramarine dress. She stopped her spin to hear her father clapping his hands.
“Beautiful, Octavia, simply gorgeous,” Prince Tick Tock exclaimed, standing up from his chair. Princess Octavia turned to him with a blush on her face. She wrapped her arms around him feeling his arms tighten around her.
"Thank you Papa, for this beautiful gift." Octavia said, pulling up her skirt to cursty before him. Prince Tick Tock laughed as she stood back up. He sighed, reaching to stroke her gray face and dark mane.
“A beautiful gift, for my beautiful daughter.” he whispered before kissing her on her forehead.
“She is the most beautiful thing to ever grace this ship.” Duchess Sapphire Melody said, walking over to hug her daughter and kiss her on the head. “It seems like it was just yesterday when I birthed you into this world, and now look, you're sixteen!” She swooned, crying into her handkerchief.
“Oh Mama, I’ll still be your baby.”
Her mother made a small moan as she hugged her daughter again. “Soon you will be under your great aunt Queen Celestia herself, and you will be her lady in waiting and... Oh, I’m just so happy for you, my dear!”
Octavia turned to her father for help as her mother started to cry into her shoulder. Prince Tick Tock chuckled at the sight, then cleared his throat.
“Come now, Melody, give Octavia a chance to breathe.” He said with laughter as Sapphire Melody nodded backing away wiping carefully with her handkerchief so to not mess up the makeup her friendly servant had done for her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered with a smile. “Oh, I guess you two would want to be alone. I’ll be in the state room, dear.” Tick Tock nodded and kissed Sapphire, letting her go out the room. Tick Tock watched how she smiled back at him before closing the door. He felt like a new man. His daughter is turning sixteen today and his wife was very happy for this day. He turned to see Octavia admiring her reflection from a mirror as she practiced curtsies in front of it, causing Tick Tock to chuckle, placing his hand on his chin to admire her.
Octavia turned to see him staring at her. “Something wrong, Papa?”
“Not at all, Sweetie. I was just thinking, that’s all.”
Octavia put her clasped hands behind her back, a little bit embarrassed to see her father admiring her. He wiped a stray tear from his face, beaming. He sighed.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Sweet Heart, I agree with your mother. It seemed like it was yesterday when I first held you in my arms and now it seems like time has slipped away from me,” He chuckled reaching into his vest pocket to find his golden watch and checked the time.
“Hmm, the ship should be taking off soon.”
“Papa,”
“Hmm,”
Octavia blushed looking down at the ground. “Can we watch the launch? Please,” she begged with pleading eyes. Tick Tock started laughing.
“Octavia darling, you can’t be serious?”
“But Papa, you promised!”
“Well that was before I gave you the dress,” he countered with a scowl.
“Can we sit outside before the launch, then?”
Tick Tock thought for a moment, looking out the windows of the suite, to see the ponies below on the port busy working and admiring the ship. He thought hard, wondering if it was safe for his daughter to be outside. But the reflection from the glass shown Octavia’s eagerness. He smiled shaking his head.
“I swear, by Blessed Luna herself, that you have my sense of adventure.”
Octavia blushed turning away again. “So does that mean, yes?”
“Only for you my dear,” he said grinning. “Come along now, we must go before they close off the deck for the launch.”
Octavia squealed and ran out the door. Tick Tock sighed shaking his head as he reached for his three corner hat, hanging on a coat rack near the door, and followed his daughter out the door. Octavia turned the corner and bumped into another pony.
“Oh! My apologies,” she said quickly, rubbing her nose. She gasped backing away. Tick Tock walked past the corner catching Octavia as she backed into him. He looked up and smiled.
“Ah, Captain Rainbow Dash,” Tick Tock said cheerfully.
Rainbow Dash bowed to the two Royals. “Highnesses,” Rainbow raised her brow at the cowering mare. “Might I ask where you two are going this late? The party hasn’t started, yet.”
Tick Tock chuckled. “Octavia and I were heading above decks to watch the preparation of the launch.”
Rainbow hummed her thought, keeping a cold eye on Octavia. Octavia turned away from the old Captain’s hard gaze.
“Really, perhaps I should escort you there.”
“Of course,” Tick Tock stated patting Octavia on her shoulder. Octavia gasped silently looking up at Rainbow, again to see her bow to her before turning and start to lead the two royals to the main stairwell.
As they marched up the carpeted stairs, the sounds of the outside grew louder. Rainbow Dash reached the set of double doors, leading to the above decks. She opened the doors to let in the bright sunlight from the harbor. Rainbow stood at attention to the side, bowing to the royals as they walked outside into the loud atmosphere of the decks.
Octavia’s fear of the old Captain soon melted away with fascination and awe of the outside. She looked up at the giant masts of fifty or so solar sails, watching the spacers dressed in their uniforms of white long sleeved shirts with yellow trousers, hats, and kerchiefs around their necks, climbing up to the sails preparing to let them loose.
“Wow, this is magnificent, Papa!”
Behind them, Rainbow stuck out her tongue, shaking her head. Tick Tock turned to her with a raised brow, getting a grunt from his teacher at the stare. She cleared her throat.
“Your highnesses must excuse me to be blunt, but I must stay with you until launch. For safety's sake, you understand?”
Octavia gulped looking up to see Rainbow’s glazed eye. She remembered her father always tell her of Rainbow Dash’s heroics in the war and her latest catches of assassins and bullets that had protected them for so long. Captain Dash took a splinter in the eye protecting Octavia’s mother from a bullet that hit a wall. The splinter tore her left eye and now it made her look even more monstrous. The Captain lost two fingers, has scars on her neck, her right ear was mangled from the Discordian War, her rainbow colored mane was turning dull with age now, and was cut short, even her tail was cut short.
Octavia was never very close to Rainbow Dash, like her father was. There was just something by the way the old Captain stared at her, showing anger or disgust like all the other royals in her family did. She never really understood why they stare her down like a servant Hybrid. True, she is a Hybrid, but she’s more Unicorn than Earth pony and many seem to accept it. So why not the old Captain?
Rainbow Dash followed the two as they reached the starboard railing to look out at the city before them. Rainbow Dash stood a distance away, to give them privacy, but also to keep an eye out for assassins. Octavia soon forgot the old Captain, to admire the streets below to see the stewards and cooks rolling in the last of the wine barrels into the vessel. She looked up to see the city of Manhattan, filled with orphans, servants, Hybrids, and even some other creatures, too, like Griffons in their barbaric uniforms, and Diamond Dogs selling weapons and jewels.
Octavia let out a sigh, dreaming of one day meeting a Griffon or a Diamond dog, or even a simple pony. She watched as a group of young foals ran up and started laughing. The foals all run away cheering and laughing. Octavia sighed sadly, thinking. She never had any friends growing up, except for her father. She turned to see her father gazing up at the sky, feeling the light wind in his graying mane. He blinked and turned to her with a small smile.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“Huh? Oh nothing, Papa. I was just thinking.” Octavia quickly said blushing, returning her view to the streets. Tick Tock nodded leaning forward on his elbows on the rail.
“Once we get to Canterlot, I’ll finally be at ease.” he mumbled out loud looking around, even at the sailors eyeing them and whispering to one another. Rainbow noticed and yelled a warning, telling the spacers to go about their business. At that bark, the spacers would go about their business. Tick Tock sighed, scratching the back of his head.
“Octavia, darling,”
“Yes,”
“You understand what would happen once we reach Canterlot, right?” He asked calmly, with worry in his eyes. Octavia nodded, remembering her mother’s stories of the beautiful planet of Canterlot, filled with castles and forests alike. But of course she was told of the risks being there.
“I do, Papa. But don’t worry, everything will be alright. I have been preparing for this moment all my life. I won’t let you down.”
Tick Tock grined turning away from her. “I know you won’t,” he leaned over to kiss her on the head, wrapping his arm around her, pulling her close.
“Ahem, I hate to interrupt, Highnesses,” Rainbow’s blunt voice toned in, giving Octavia a shiver. They turned to her to see her bowing. “But we must return below decks. The launch will take place soon and I don’t want any accidents to occur.”
Tick Tock nodded. “Of course, Captain. It is getting a bit too warm anyway.” Rainbow nodded and allowed the two to pass by her then she followed close behind them watching every sailor and soldier on the deck.
"Ugh, once we get to Canterlot, I'll have a drink and relax, for once. The Princess will have better guards to protect her there. If we make it there in one piece, at least." Rainbow thought as she closed the doors behind her then followed the two down to their room. Rainbow bowed to them for her leave then shut the door for them. She walked over to her station at a corner, and stood guard. She rubbed her sightless eye only seeing darkness from that side. She leaned against the wall and let out a sigh, scratching her ear, and closing her eyes for only a moment to rest.
That moment felt like hours as she witnessed the full blunt of her memories.
War cries, death, and dying.
She can see herself as a teenager running along the side of the railing on a battle ship grabbing a sailor screaming at him only to find him bloody and dead.
Rainbow!
Rainbow turned hearing a young filly’s voice.
Rainbow Dash!
She turned to see a young unicorn probably thirteen years old waving her purple hand back and forth.
Come on, hurry!
Rainbow stood up running feeling blood gushing down her face. Then suddenly . . . the explosion-
KAAAAAABBBBOOOOMMMM!!
Rainbow jumped out of her state, pulling out her pistol, pointing the pistol at the potted tree at the corner where she stood. Then she felt a lurch and slammed against the back wall coughing and sputtering from the impact. She went down on her knees on the blue carpet as the ship launched into space. Rainbow started to breathe easy as she stood back up and slowly rubbing her face from the horrible memory, feeling tears in her eyes.
War never left her. The war continued to haunt her every night of her life. The regrets she felt were more painful then the last every time she envisioned her dear friends before they were separated. She looked down at the medals on her chest, all war time medals and few medals she received for saving the royalty. She gritted her teeth, closing her eyes as tears fell. She would never find peace until her last breath.