Rose continued CPR, mind blank of everything except the warm body beneath her. She was aware of the growing crowd appearing at the door, the noise and yelling, her own tears rolling down to drip onto Ink Well's blood covered chest, but none of them mattered. The only thing that did was him, to keep the heart she held so dear pumping, to see him safe and home once more.
She felt him be pulled away, her grip instinctively tightening around him as she continued her work. Then she felt a hoof on her shoulder, returning her focus to the din of the world around her. She looked up through tear-blurred eyes to see Dr. Ampoule there, the soft red glow of her horn and the caring look in her eyes telling Rose everything. Rose let go, letting Ink Well be surrounded by the doctor's magic.
Rose felt empty as she watched the doctor rushing from the room, Gilda limping behind as best as she could. She had to trust that he would be alright, but the void she felt, the coldness on her fur where Ink Well's blood was drying on her face, her hoof, her chest... it left her numb. Vaguely she could hear the Steward demanding for calm, and if she listened very hard she might have heard the hooves of the passengers as they nervously returned to their rooms, but all she could focus on was Ink Well being taken away... And the fear it would be forever.
A gentle claw came to rest on Rose's shoulder, bringing her out of her daze. Silverbeak stood over her, countenance soft and caring. Without a word he gently shepherded her down to the infirmary, and she was thankful for that. Her legs felt like lead, and every wish she'd had to follow her husband and stay by his side had been lost to their insurmountable weight. It was only with Silverbeak's constant guiding force that she could bring herself to move.
It was a slow process getting down to the infirmary, and when they entered there was a heavy air. Steelwing now had a partner in the other bed, bandages wrapped around his form, an IV drip going into his arm. Ink Well looked almost peaceful, sleeping... and the gentle rise and fall of his chest pulled the weight from Rose's legs as she ran to his side, hugging him with all her might, or at least as much as she could while avoiding his injuries.
Ampoule didn't stop her once she saw the care Rose was taking, merely coming up beside her to talk. “He has lost a lot of blood and suffers from a punctured lung, which not only was pooling with blood, but actually collapsed. Luckily, you kept him going until I got there, so he should, eventually, make a full recovery. However, he should remain in bed rest for at least a week and refrain from anything strenuous for a month minimum, ideally two.”
Rose smiled, looking at the mare that had saved Ink Well's life. “Thank you... thank you so much.”
The doctor merely shook her head, which was reinforced by Silverbeak speaking. “It is you and Ink Well that need to be thanked here. He for saving Gilda's and my life, and you for saving his.”
Gilda sat in a chair in the corner since the only two beds were occupied, though she was nearly as bandaged as their occupants. “Yeah,” she muttered. “Last time I make fun of a writer...”
“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we shall be returning to our bedroom. This evening has been trying, and the rest would be appreciated, even with the mess on the floor... Gilda, let's go.” Silverbeak waited at the door for Gilda to get up.
Before they could leave, however, a cold voice spoke to them. “So... that's it? You're going to minimize the doctor's good work, then hole yourself up in your broken nest of pride and vanity and wait out the storm?” Silverbeak, utterly confused, turned to see Rose standing next to Ink Well's bed, a freezing fury in her eyes. “If you really care about what Ink Well did for you, then go to our room and lock the door.”
“Mrs. Roseluck, as much as we-”
“No!” Rose cut the ambassador off with a bark, silencing the proud warrior and making him nearly cower in fear before the smaller mare. “Go into our bedroom, lock the door, and do not open it for anyone. No pride, no 'buts.' You had your chance, and this is NOT HAPPENING AGAIN!” She had stalked closer the entire time she was talking, but as she ended her command she glared into both Gilda and Silverbeak's eyes, daring them to go against her. “Understood?”
Silverbeak gulped visibly, his claw shaking as he went to bow. “Yes. Indeed. The kindness of your offer knows no bounds.” The two gryphons then nervously scrabbled to the upper decks, leaving Rose with the surprised Ampoule.
That felt good, and Rose didn't know if it was the exhilaration of her love living or the knowledge that his attacker was still out there, but Rose was a mare on a mission. Now that Ink Well was in good hooves and the gryphon's foolish pride had been checked, there was just one thing to focus on. There was a changeling on this ship that had hurt her love, that had impersonated him to do it, and it was going to pay dearly for what it had done.
It and nopony else. “Doctor, I am assuming the Steward has the key to Trixie's shackles, correct?” Ampoule just nodded. “Good. You'll have your bed back within the hour.” Rose marched out of the infirmary and up into the upper decks, searching for Silver Bell. However, with the purpose behind her walk and the fact that she was covered in enough blood for a murder scene, it didn't take long for the Steward to find her.
“Miss Roseluck, if you could-”
Rose turned and glared at Silver Bell. “First of all, it's Mrs., thank you very much. Second, why haven't you released Trixie yet?”
Silver Bell looked confused. “Why would we release the suspected assassin?”
It took all of the new Rose's willpower not to slug the prim unicorn butler. “Because she can't possibly be the assassin if she was chained up in Ampoule's room while my husband was attacked!”
The Steward noticed the angry look in Rose's eye, but stood firm on his point. “Just because there may be a second attacker does not mean we should let the first run free. And I am sorry about your husband, but that doesn't-”
Rose grabbed the unicorn by his fancy lapel, staining it red immediately as her bloody hooves pulled him towards her. “You are going to come with me and release Trixie, then you are going to tell the doctor that her room is available to her, and then you're going to clean up the bloodstains in the gryphons’ room. Don't worry, you won't be disturbing them, but the blood disturbs us all. Do this, and maybe it’ll only be my husband’s that I keep tracking around the ship.” Rose wasn't normally a violent mare. In fact, she'd only ever really been in one fight in her entire life, but at this moment she was willing to buck that trend.
The Steward, however, was not. “Please! Just remain calm and release me and I shall go release Trixie forthwith.” Rose let go of Silver Bell's lapel, causing him to visibly shudder at the blood left behind. “And, if I may so request, please wash up before doing anything more.” He bowed, then headed downstairs, Rose ignoring his advice and following him closely.
However, her mind was elsewhere. Now that she knew that she was looking for a changeling, she was almost kicking herself for not realizing it earlier. It was so obvious... how hadn't she seen it? She tried to remember everything she could about them. They feed on love, but were repelled by a wall of it. They can change their form, they can fly and use magic... um... They're good fighters...
Unfortunately, general knowledge of changelings was fairly basic. To supplement it, she tried to put herself back in Canterlot during the Royal Wedding. She and Ink Well had managed a spot on the extended guest list, which had them inside the city, though not inside the castle. They had experienced the full brunt of the changeling's attack, the green goop they captured ponies in, the surprising physical strength of the feeble looking creatures...
Ink Well, rushing to intercept a magic bolt that was flying towards her. It had knocked them both back, stunning them when they hit the wall. Or rather, it stunner her, as Ink Well lay nearby, blood pouring from his chest.
Rose stopped in her tracks, shaking her head. That was tonight, not then. He tried to defend against them, but was captured and strung up with me... She tried to run the memory again, herself and him, wrapped in that goop and attached to the wall, out of the way. Two of those changelings walked up to them, snickering at their catch.
Then one drove its horn into his side, silencing him for good. She screamed and struggled against the goop, unable to do anything.
Rose stopped again on the stairs, this time drawing the attention of the Steward as she put her bloodied hoof to her head. “Are you alright?”
Rose pulled her hoof away, feeling the cold tacky blood now stuck to her forehead. Stop this Rose! You need to focus. How often have you worried about Ink Well? How often has it been founded? “Yes, yes. I'm fine.” She continued down the stairs, walking over to the room where Trixie was held, but her own question got the better of her as Silver Bell opened the door.
The burns on his hooves, the cut across his cheek, the scar in his side, beneath the wing, the scar in the center of his chest, his weak front-left hoof from the break and the crash, and now a collapsed lung... She remembered every injury, the recovery times... his once pristine fur now so marred with scars. The worst were his legs, the tiny rough cuts almost too numerous to count... She hadn't been able to stop any of those. Hadn't even been able to help this once, when she was just two rooms away...
There was one evening when she'd been even closer. He'd been just up the stairs, so close she could hear the fight, the clashing of metal, the sword impacting against the wood... and Viper coming down, her suddenly chitinous form covered in Ink Well's blood. She wasn't even a changeling! Rose sunk to her knees, experiencing a nightmare she thought she'd forgotten so long ago. He came back... he always comes back. He will this time! She placed her hooves over her head, unable to shake the fear clutching at her heart. Tears started to form again as she remembered every cut... but this time, her love didn't survive them. He broke his promise... he didn't come back.
She fought against them in her mind, wrestling with her guilt to remember the now and the real. He will smile again, and when the ship lands and the beast is caught, he will look at me, hold me close, and say-
“THANK YOU!” Rose's forming tears were flung aside as her body was pulled in a crushing hug, her mind barely able to notice a silvery mane before she was shaken from side to side. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to express her sincerest thanks for her release! She is eternally grateful!” The rapid shaking was cut short, however, as Trixie's face pulled away, a tacky wetness on her cheek. Without removing her hug, Trixie's eyebrow rose. “Trixie wonders why Rose is covered in blood, and how much of it is hers. Also if there is a shower nearby...”
Rose pulled herself from Trixie's grasp. “I'm glad you're free. You're innocent. The attacker was a changeling, and they struck again. Most of this... is my husband's.”
Trixie gasped, taking a step back. “A changeling?! Trixie promises her aid in ousting this foul beast who dared hurt her good friend Rose's loved one!” She struck a dramatic pose, one neither the Steward nor Rose were really in the mood for. Her mane and tail waved in a wind only she seemed to be caught in, and then, just as suddenly as it was struck, the pose was dropped. “Tomorrow. Tonight, Trixie will shower and sleep in her own room.”
Rose stood, watching the mare go, a new bout of tears trying to form as her tired, frazzled mind tried to cope with Trixie's dismissal of her plight. It didn't seem fair! They had to search now! Ink Well had to be avenged!
“Perhaps you could learn a thing from the showmare.”
Rose looked incredulously at the Steward, who simple closed the door and began to walk away. “Perhaps a shower and a good night's rest will get your mind in order. Running about in this state will only cause more harm than good.”
She wanted to yell at him, but she couldn't find any words that made her right. Just the night before she'd met Inky in this state, and not nearly as disheveled as she was... He'd be laughing at her, telling her how silly she looked disobeying her own advice. She needed to let the night pass and look at this problem through the clear mind of the morning. With a defeated sigh in the empty hallway, she made her way upstairs and to her bedroom.
Her locked bedroom.
She felt like she would explode when the realization hit, somewhere between indignant rage and sorrow that her one good deed of the night would not go unpunished. Yes, she had given the gryphons her bedroom, but that didn't mean they could lock her out of her own bed!
She didn't know whether she'd rather kick in the door or curl up in front of it and bawl, but with far more willpower than she thought she possessed at the moment she just got up and walked down the hall. There were two rooms left unoccupied: the gryphon's room, full of blood and broken doors, and the Princess's suite, which Trixie had promised was like a dream. Even if I am yelled at in the morning, a dream is infinitely better than wallowing in the nightmare.
She turned the knob on the door, as far down the hall as could be from her own room, and sighed in relief when it opened under her grip. She didn't care about the tiny bit of blood she left behind on the silver knob or the beautiful, plush carpet perfectly depicting the night sky. She hardly noticed the immaculate silver shower, or the tiles that seemed a perfect match for the moon high above. And she definitely didn't notice the incredibly light and unbelievably warm sheets she crawled under, smoother than silk and lighter than air as they perfectly contoured to her tired body, resting as it was on a bed that made a cloud seem hard.
All that she knew was that, as quickly as it came, her sleep was restless and her dreams troubled. Even direct intervention from Princess Luna herself would not have helped this night.
Rose groaned as she pushed herself up from the bed, the sheets thrown every which way by her turning in the night. She kicked them off as she rolled to the edge, standing ready to face the day. She didn't know how long she'd been out, and she felt like it hadn't been nearly long enough, but she had a changeling to find, and there was one sure place she could observe everypony: the dining room.
When she got down to it, however, she found that it wasn't the breakfast spread out, but in fact the lunch food. Did I really sleep that late? Rose looked around the room, finding a clock at the wall that, indeed, was marking the time as just before noon. Rose cursed silently to herself. Only a few hours to find the attacker... Looking around the room, it wasn't at all what she expected. It was, however, more like the day after an attack should be.
Half of the guests were missing from the room, and the other half were cold and distant. Rose tried to go between them, to see if she could maybe get some information, but all she received were cold stares and dismissive words, even from Blueblood and Greenback, both of which had been kind enough to her on the trip... okay, Blueblood had creepily hit on her, but it was at least nice to know she was still attractive to ponies that weren't her husband.
A husband that nopony seemed willing to console her about. Sure, Rose wasn't in a corner crying her eyes out, but that was only because she had a job to do. The huge bags under her eyes and the fact that her mane was out of sorts should have been more than enough to at least warrant an 'are you alright?' And yet she got nothing. All of them seem like monsters... Finding a changeling in this group will be impossible.
Rose walked over to the buffet table, stomach empty, but not hungry, causing her to look at the spread listlessly. As she did, Fleur passed her by, a tray laden with food carried delicately in her pink magic. As soon as the model realized who she was walking by, however, she paused, turning to Rose. “I am so sorry to 'ear what 'appened to your 'usband. Eet was a very noble thing zat 'e did for ze gryphons.”
Rose smiled weakly at the kind mare. “Thank you very much for saying so. He has always been the kind to rush to the aid of others. Though maybe he'll be more careful next time.” Rose managed a halfhearted chuckle at her own joke, which was matched with a polite giggle from the model. However, Rose noted the lack of gryphons once Fleur mentioned them. “Have you seen Silverbeak or Gilda today? I'd just like to make sure they are alright.”
Fleur smiled at Rose's worry. “Zere iz nothing to fear! Ze gryphon ambassador and 'is guard are locked securely in your room. Some of ze food on zis tray iz for zem, actually. Zey do not seem too keen on leaving zeir room today. Je ne les blâme pas...” She shook her head slowly, then pointed to a separate part of the tray. “Ze rest iz for my darling 'usband. 'E seems to 'ave caught a chill, az 'e aches and 'is nose iz running. 'E must 'ave caught eet out in ze night air before bed last night.”
If my husband were only so lucky. “Well, I wish you the best on your delivery, Fleur, and I hope your husband gets well soon.”
Fleur nodded in appreciation. “Thank you Roze. I wish for a speedy recovery for your 'usband too.” As she set off, though, she winced, the magic surrounding the tray faltering for just a moment. Luckily, Rose was able to jump for it, keeping the food from spilling everywhere. Fleur took it up in her magic again almost instantly.
Rose looked a little worried for the unicorn. “Are you alright?”
Fleur nodded. “Oui, I am fine. Eet was just a passing 'eadache. I think I may 'ave caught Fancy's chill az well...”
Rose frowned, grabbing an orange off the table and placing it carefully on the tray with a smile. “That's for you. Citrus will do wonders for a cold, and it's best for you to not also be getting sick.”
Fleur smiled as well. “Thank you for caring for me. Now I must be off, I 'ave already been too long.” With that she trotted off, heading up to the cabins to deliver her food.
After watching Fleur leave, Rose returned her attention to the table, only to immediately be waylaid by a blue and silver blur, getting pulled under the food table and covered by the tablecloth. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has rested and may now help you!” Crouched as they both were beneath the table, Trixie still removed her hat and bowed deeply, her cape scrunched up on the floor. “How may Trixie amaze you?”
Rose was not amused. “I'd like to know what we're doing under here, for starters, and then I would like to get some food. I can only do so much thinking on an empty stomach.” She still wasn't actually hungry, but she would be... that would be an issue better to head off now.
Trixie raised an eyebrow at her. “Trixie thought you would prefer to hear her information in private, away from prying, eyes. Also... Trixie gets yelled at for eating with the passengers.”
Rose sighed. “Silver Bell?” Trixie nodded to confirm. “Don't worry about him. He'll be too angry at me for sleeping in the Princess's suite. Now come on.” Rose got out, helping Trixie out as well and grabbing a jelly-filled doughnut and an apple from the buffet. She then walked over to an empty table, sitting down and starting with the doughnut, for a bit of quick energy. Trixie soon sat across from her, a plate completely laden with everything the spread had to offer landing in front of her, then very rapidly dwindling under Trixie's voracious appetite.
By the time Rose had struggled the apple into her stomach Trixie's plate was empty, the showmare quite satisfied with herself. Rose shook her head at the thought of having to ask the mare for help... but it was her best option. “Trixie, if we're hunting a changeling, what can we do? Unless you can do that love-bubble thing that Princess Cadence did, how will we ever discover the shape-shifter?”
Trixie frowned deeply. “Trixie cannot 'do that love-bubble,' as you put it, but she can provide information!” She smiled then, leaning in close so that only Rose could hear. “There are a few things that are common knowledge: changelings can transform, they feed on love, they can do that weird mucous cocoon thing, their magic is green... it's all well known. What isn't well known is this: the blood of a changeling, while alive or fresh, glows with their magic. Essentially, they pump so much magic into maintaining their altered shape that their blood retains it after being spilled.”
Rose frowned at the information. “Their blood glows? How would you know this?”
Trixie smiled knowingly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was doing shows in Manehattan during the Royal Wedding. After the scare, she was subjected, and witness to, many tests. Many a hidden changeling among Manehattan's population was discovered when a drop of their blood glowed on the street. The glow only lasts about ten minutes and is only really visible in low light, but it is the single most foalproof way of discovering a changeling without a pony 'doing a love-bubble.'”
“So if their blood glows... that explains the glow I remember on Steelwing's wing blades! They were glowing in the light, though it was hard to tell under Ampoule's magic. But... why does that...” Rose wracked her brain for more information... there was another glowing injury, one she had attributed to something else, but now... “Trixie, could you get me into the main crew quarters?”
Trixie's smile widened. “But of course! Trixie is only curious as to why?”
Rose's face was set in determination. “I have a few questions for a certain engineer...”
Morning Dew sat on her bunk, looking at the tip of her hoof angrily. Hooves weren't the most dextrous things in the world to begin with, and so far having one of hers wrapped up in bandages had made some of her normal daily tasks far more difficult than they had any reason to be. But the fact that they were still stained red, even after she had just changed them, meant that the cut from the gears was deeper than she'd thought. Still... better to lose some use than to be getting oil in her wound.
Just as she was finishing putting on her uniform to go back out, she was walked up to quite purposefully by the mare from the night before, the magician trailing close behind. “Morning Dew, right? Do you have a moment?”
After taking a moment to remember the mare's name, Dew responded. “I might have one laying around, Rose, but I won't for long, especially not after your little interruption last night.” She moved to walk past the two mares, but they formed a wall, keeping her near her bunk. Dew cleared her throat. “If you'd let me by, I have a bit of maintenance to attend to.”
Dew went to push past Rose, finding the earth pony to be a surprisingly sturdy barrier. “It won't take but a moment of your time.” Rose's voice was cold, and she looked like she hadn't had a wink of sleep all night, not at all like she had the night before. “I was wondering if I could see your cut.”
Dew raised an eyebrow, definitely not liking how pushy Rose was being. “I just finished bandaging it back up. It's still bleeding, and I'd rather not get anything in it.”
A small smirk edged onto Rose's face, her eyes still hard. “Oh, is it now? Well, I may not be a professional, but I like to think myself an accomplished nurse. I could take a look at it, if you haven't gone back to the infirmary.”
Dew managed to shoulder past Rose, even as her nerves started to fray from Rose's stare. “I wrapped it myself, I keep a first aid kit at my bunk. Now, I'm running late...”
Rose's hoof descended on her like an iron vise, keeping Dew from going on. “Well, if you had seen the doctor, you'd have known that my husband was badly injured last night defending the gryphons from another assassination attempt. The assassin was a changeling.” Dew could feel Rose's eyes boring into her, studying her for any reaction. “Now, I'll ask again. Can we see your cut?”
The lack of a reaction was annoying to Rose, and yet expected. The complete lack of a reaction, however, was far more telling than any other would have been. “I'm very sorry about Ink Well, but I don't see how that concerns me.” Dew's voice was stern, steady, and impatient. She wanted to get away, which she only confirmed when she tried to twist out of Rose's hoof.
Rose wasn't going to let that happen. A second hoof went out, her weight shifting along with Morning Dew's, causing Dew to stumble and giving Rose a moment to pin her to the edge of her bunk. “Trixie, if you could.” Dew struggled in Rose's grip, weakly at first, but as Trixie's lavender magic started to undo the bandages, her efforts redoubled, showing far more strength than Rose expected. Still, the magic began to pull the bandages away, even against Dew's slightly pleading protests.
Rose continued to study Dew even as the pegasus struggled, noting the hint of fear in her eyes. As the bandage was about to fall off on its own, Dew's eyes squeezed shut, a tear appearing at their corner. Rose's resolve faltered for just a moment, worried that she had gone too far. Her grip on Dew's wrists weakened for just a second.
At that same second Dew pushed off from the wall, showing far more strength than she had even a moment ago and easily overpowering Rose. However, before her pounding hooves could take her anywhere, Trixie was on the case, slamming the door to the next room shut with her magic and flicking off the lights. The room plunged into darkness apart from the glow of Trixie's horn.
And then, as Rose's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was able to see Dew standing defensively in the corner, the picture of a caged animal. A caged animal with a glowing green smear beneath its hoof, matching spots resting on the bandage and marking its every step to its spot.
Rose's eyes narrowed, all pity for the mare lost in an instant. “Why did you attack them?”
Dew's eyes still had tears on the edges. “I didn't attack anyone! I didn't know about any of it until you told me!”
“Trixie and Rose are wise to your tricks! You cannot fool us with simple lies!” Trixie held the door shut with her magic, ensuring nobody could get in or out, which seemed to be a problem for whoever was knocking on the other side of the door.
Dew's voice lowered at the knock, but its intensity was still there. “I am not lying. I had nothing to do with the attack on either the gryphons or Ink Well.” She looked up at Rose, her eyes sincere. “I would never hurt a guest, especially not the one that showed me kindness.”
Rose's resolve didn't waver, her voice ringing in the room. “The fact of the matter is that a changeling attacked-”
“And I am not the only one on the ship!” Dew's voice cut Rose's off, silencing even the echoes of Rose’s statement. The spell was broken almost immediately by the insistent knocking on the door outside and the muffled inquiries into what was happening. The three mares in the room all studied each other, wondering where the next move would come from.
It came from Dew, her cornered pose dropping into one of defeat. “Look, I will tell you whatever you want to know, do whatever you ask, just, please, can we talk somewhere more private?” Before her meaning could even be asked for, she cut the question off. “The engine room. The noise will drown us out.”
Rose heard the knocking at the door, noting the increasingly worried nature of the voice, but kept her eye on Dew, who seemed to almost cringe away from the door. “How can we trust you? How do we know you aren't lying to us again? How do we know you won't run? Or that you won't hurt us in there where nopony can hear us call for help?”
Dew's eyes were pleading. “Please, you just have to trust me on this one. If I was the one you wanted, I would have jumped off the boat last night. If I wanted to hurt you just now, I could have quite easily.” She bowed her nose to the floor, showing complete submission. “I don't want any trouble at all and will do whatever you want, just, please... let me have this.”
Rose's hard eyes studied the bowing mare... no, that was only a disguise. And yet... the tone was true, and her tears earlier... “Trixie, turn on the lights and open the door.” She could see the indecisive look on Trixie's face, but the showmare trusted Rose's judgment, doing as she instructed.
Behind the door was a fairly worried engineer, the strange scene before him doing nothing to help. “Morning Dew, are you alright? I thought I heard shouting.”
Dew stood up from her bow, hoping the tears had left her eyes as she spoke. “I'm fine. Everything's been cleared up. And the oil can you're looking for is on your bunk, West.”
The crew mate called West looked between the three mares in the room, not fully satisfied by the answer, but not willing to actually do anything considering he was running late. He just nodded slowly as he walked to his bed, picking up the can Dew had pointed out. “If you say so...”
Once West had left, Morning Dew let out a tired sigh. “Alright. Engine room. Not a word until we get there.”
“I'll lead the way.” Rose was not about to let a confessed changeling have even an inch of breathing room. If what she said was true, then Rose would figure things out from there, but after what she'd seen in Canterlot, and after what just one changeling had done to her husband the night before, Rose was taking no chances, making sure Trixie stayed in back to keep Dew in line.
However, neither of them were forced to react to anything except walking slightly slower than normal, as Dew was keeping her injured hoof off of the ground to avoid tracking blood spots behind her. When Rose opened the door to the engine room, muscles coiled and ready for a chase, she was almost disappointed when Dew just walked into the room with no trouble. Trixie and Rose both even stood between Dew and the door, a seemingly unneeded gesture. “Alright. I know you have questions, what do you want to know?”
In the dim light and whirring noise of the room, Rose decided to cut to the chase. “If you are not the assassin, who is? Who is the other changeling?”
Dew looked her straight in the eye. “I can't tell you that.”
“Are the two of you working together? Are you buying time for them to get away? Are you a spy wishing to steal Trixie's magical secrets?” Trixie lit her horn like a spotlight, shining it on Dew's face and causing her to place a hoof up to cover her eyes.
“I can't tell you because I don't know! Even a changeling cannot pinpoint another changeling in disguise.”
Rose frowned at the explanation, though it did make sense with what she saw in Canterlot. More than one changeling had taken a blast from another when the guards, both real and fake, met the changeling swarm. However, there was now something new gnawing at her. “Morning Dew, which I doubt is your real name, could you drop your disguise? I'd like to see who I am talking with, and then I'd like you to explain yourself.”
It looked like it pained Dew to do it, but in a flash of green the sky blue mare was gone, fur replaced by the shiny black chitin of a changeling. The fangs, the frills, the holes, even the insectile eyes and wings were there, but none of them showed anger. If anything, the way her ears were folded against her head, the way her tail drooped low... Dew was ashamed of her form. “Fine, but please, I am Morning Dew. It's the only name I have.”
Rose noted the odd statement, but nodded. “Please continue, Ms. Dew.” Seeing the way Trixie's light shined through the holes in Dew's leg, making her block less effective, Rose motioned for Trixie to take the light away. It was met with a very confused and suspicious look from Trixie, but she complied.
Dew, thankful for the consideration, put her hoof down, explaining herself. “A changeling's disguise is perfect. It's not just an illusion, it's not mind control or trickery. From tip to tail, fur color to blood type, a changeling is their disguise. To ask me to pick a changeling from a pony would be like asking me to pick a rock from a geode at sight alone. However, we can feel each other's magic in an area, and through our own instincts and smarts, can figure out friend from foe.”
Morning Dew took a step forward, her alien face completely serious. “There is a changeling among the guests, and none among the crew apart from myself. I don't know if I can be of any more help than that, but I will do whatever you want me to. If for no other reason than to avenge Ink Well.”
Rose pondered that statement as well for a moment. “What is it that Ink Well did that's got you so fired up?”
“He was kind to me.” Morning Dew looked Rose in the eyes, sincerity showing through. “He came up to me and started a conversation knowing that I was staff. He made me laugh and showed interest in my work merely because he wanted to. And last night, after the injury, he offered to help me walk even as he questioned my alibi. He wasn't worried I would hurt him, he didn't care that I was a suspect... and his wording was clear. He wanted to 'prove Trixie's innocence.' Not dig up dirt on her, not try to test her, but go out of his way to make it known she wasn't guilty. All of this while investigating something he, like everypony else, could have let lie. He even got hurt defending the gryphons from an attack! I would like to see any of the elite on this ship do something like that. Especially the way Silver Bell talks about the gryphons in the staff areas...” Her determination grew as she talked. “Ink Well is the kind of pony everyone should look up to. Only a monster would stand by and let his attacker go free.”
Rose found more questions forming in her mind for the mare she stood before. The mare who had seen everything in a day Rose was still finding out after years married to Ink Well. “Dew... why did you become an engineer?”
Morning Dew seemed almost shocked by the question, taking more than a few moments to get her mind wrapped around it. “Well... because it's something that I am highly interested in. I can't say it's my special talent or anything, but I worked hard to get where I am, and I enjoy my work with a passion. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing.”
“And why are you doing it in Equestria?”
That one took no time to answer. “To live the dream. To be a happy, healthy pony like you all are. To have the same opportunities, the ability to become whatever you want to be. We don't even have airships back home. Most changelings are sent from the swarm. They are on missions to strengthen the queen, to give power to the hive. Very few choose to leave it, and even fewer can do so on their own... But many still dream.”
The silence left after Dew spoke thrummed with energy, the engine's constant sound a reminder that time was moving on. And, as the reminder became more pressing, Rose finally broke the silence. “Morning Dew, be ready to go out. We have an assassin to find.”
Rose watched with interest as the green flames formed around Dew's hooves, sweeping up and engulfing the changeling, leaving behind her sky blue coat once more. She nodded when she was done, signaling Rose to open the door and step out in the hall.
It turned out that the secrecy was unneeded, however, as the hall was much louder than the din the engine room was making. There seemed to be a great struggle coming from nearby, and all three mares began to trot towards it almost on instinct.
“Please, you have to remain calm, or I am going to have to sedate you!”
“You just try it! I am walking out of here, or I-” a hacking cough interrupted the rest of the sentence, but the voice sent a flutter through Rose's heart. She knew it anywhere.
By the time she reached the infirmary door the scene had escalated, Ink Well's bandaged and battered body bent behind his bed, deftly dodging the doctor's dangerous hypodermic. Ampoule grabbed Ink Well in her magic, lifting him up bodily and pulling the struggling pegasus's arm into needle range when Rose spoke up. “Wait! Doctor, please, let him go.”
Ink Well's eyes lit up, a smile on his face, despite the blood dripping from his mouth. “Rose?” His voice was weak, and even that one word started another coughing fit that only added to the mess around his mouth, but he was happy all the same.
The nurse, however, was not. “Mrs. Rose, I'm afraid I can't condone this. I know how much you wish to see your husband, but he shouldn't even be awake for a few days, let alone moving around the ship.”
“I told you, I need to look for the changeling before we dock today!” Every word Ink Well said was breathy, like he hadn't the air to continue.
“And I told you that you had a collapsed lung and shouldn't be yelling like that!” Ampoule tugged on Ink Well's arm once more, her needle hovering dangerously over his fur until Rose walked over, grabbing the needle with her teeth.
“One,” she said, placing the needle down on the table, “he doesn't like needles. At all. With the way he freaked out when I was at the hospital, you would've thought he was the one going into labor.” A giggle floated from all the mares in the room, causing Ink Well to blush. “Two, once he gets like this, you can't stop him.”
Rose frowned, turning to face Ink Well still floating in the doctor's magic. “He walked out of my house on a broken leg, four burned hooves, and smoke inhalation because he didn't want to be a burden on me. This isn't going to stop him.” Ink Well looked slightly sheepish when Rose glared at him, but the smile that formed on her mouth managed to reach his too. Right until he was unceremoniously dropped onto his bed.
“Fine. Go on, go collapse your lung again. I really appreciate my hard work being undone like that.” Ampoule muttered as she walked over to Steelwing's bed, where the gryphon was still unconscious. “At least some patients know how to act...” Ink Well coughed on the bed, wiping the blood that came up off on his bandaged arm. Before it could retreat, however, Rose was holding his hoof in hers, just happy to know he was alright.
“Am I interrupting something?” The light tones of Fleur de Lis floated from the door, where the slightly bedraggled mare was looking quite confused.
Ampoule grumbled from her place beside her patient. “No. Not at all! Apparently they don't need my care.” She then walked around the gryphon and towards Fleur. “So what's wrong with you? Stabbed in the back? Fractured tibia? Maybe a sudden case of Cutie Pox?”
Fleur shook her head, backing away at the accusations. “Ah. Non, I was just 'oping you might 'ave something for a terrible 'eadache? Eet 'as been unbearable today...”
Ampoule almost snorted in annoyance, a 'hmmf!' coming out instead. “Is that all?” Without looking she magicked open a drawer, levitating out a small bottle, then pulling a tablet from that and giving it to Fleur. “Take that with water, it should take effect within the hour.”
While this was going on, Ink Well's concern came back. “We need to get out there. There's a changeling on this ship and we-” Rose placed a hoof on his mouth, silencing him before she hugged him tight enough to make him wince.
“Don't worry, Inky. I'll explain everything in a moment.” With a knowing smirk on her muzzle born from Ink Well's confusion, Rose turned to the door just as Fleur was about to leave. “Trixie, Fleur, could you do me a favor? Could you ask the Steward to collect the guests in the dining room?” Her gaze traveled from the two unicorns to Morning Dew, the 'pegasus' just as out of the loop as the others. “It's time to end this whole mess.”
“Are you sure you want to do this, Inky?” Rose asked as she finished dressing him in his suit, very neatly hiding most of the bandages from his most recent fight, as well as the scars from his previous adventures. “I could probably do your job this time, maybe let you take it easy just this once?”
Ink Well shook his head, removing the bandaging around it as he did. The cuts there were shallow and not bleeding, but the way he teetered slightly unnerved Rose. He brushed his mane quickly with a hoof, setting it in place, then peeked out of the stage door. The guests were assembling. “No. As Princess Luna's stand in, I have to do this. But that's not the only reason.” He moved slightly, showing him the main door to the room, where Trixie stood guard, and the one to the kitchen, where Dew watched for the guests. “In all likelihood, the changeling, if they're still here, will try to escape. I can't do anything about them in my state, but you can.”
He looked at Rose, his emerald eyes meeting her ivy ones and showing just how much this meant. “You have already done so much, but I need you to do one more thing for me.”
Rose nodded before leaning in and giving Ink Well a loving kiss. “I will. Just... promise me, when this is done... Don't you ever scare me like that again.”
Ink Well nodded solemnly. “I promise. Though I think you have the Princess to blame for making a liar of me this time.” He smirked, but his chuckle was cut off with a cough, bringing up some blood from his injured lung. Just as he was about to wipe it with a sleeve, Rose dabbed his mouth with a napkin, placing it in his lapel. Originally it had been white, but the red set off his coat better anyway.
Ink Well just smiled, then looked out the door again in time to see Dew react and nod his direction. The changeling was there... As he peeked at those who entered, though, his heart sank. Every single one of the guests had crowded in at once, save for the gryphons, who were lagging by the door. He sighed, his head drooping to the floor. “Couldn't make it easy on me...” He then gave Rose a quick hug. “Go on, get in position. The show's about to start.”
Rose made her way out from backstage, taking a position by the entrance to the dining room just as Ink Well took the stage. As he reached center and opened his mouth to speak, trumpets blared a fanfare and fireworks went off behind him, causing him to jump slightly and glare towards the showmare in the back of the room. “Thank you, Trixie...” He coughed to clear his throat, then turned his attention to the audience, his voice strong despite his injuries. “Ladies, Gentlecolts, and Esteemed Gryphons, I am sure you are all wondering why I gathered you here this fine afternoon.” There was a general collective yawn from the crowd except from those who had the decency to look worried for his health: Gilda, Silverbeak, Fleur, and Fancypants.
Unfortunately, Ink Well had been expecting more of a reaction than that, but he didn't allow his annoyance to show too readily. “I am here because, as you well know, there is an assassin on this boat.” Again, muted reactions, but at least their attentions were on him now. “And, to be perfectly precise, in this very room.”
That at least got a reaction. Fleur de Lis and Diamond Wishes both gasped, while Greenback, Fancypants, and Silverbeak began casting suspicious eyes on the others in the room. Blueblood looked completely indignant that he was sharing air with a criminal, while Gilda was practically jumping at the chance to start tearing into ponies.
The Steward huffed. “What makes you think that these fine members of the Canterlot Elite would ever sully their hooves with something like that? And how do we know it's not you? You and your wife were the only ponies seen entering the gryphon's room.”
Ink Well smirked, pointing an accusing hoof at the Steward. “And you would be the one to know that, wouldn't you? Considering you were watching the gryphons like a hawk.”
The Steward reeled back from Ink Well's hoof. “Whatever are you talking about? Of course I have been. I keep a careful eye on all of my guests.”
“Sure, sure. And this is why, at every incident, you were the first on the scene, trying to brush it off, trying to keep everypony's attention off of them. Almost like you wanted them out of your mane.” Ink Well stepped off of the stage, walking up to the Steward. “Admit it, those claws and paws walking around, tearing up your carpets, the guards always at the ready. Uncultured brutes as you saw them. I’m sure you questioned why they were even on the ship.”
The Steward snorted. “This is ridiculous.”
“Oh? The crew below doesn't think so. You mutter once you get below decks, Silver Bell. And a stuffy snob like you could never like the gryphons. That's why you didn't hardly react when they were attacked. That's why you grabbed the first pony to present herself as the the criminal, and most damningly, that's why you never cleaned up the blood stains in their room.”
The Steward stood up, his normal calm seeming to slip as he jabbed his hoof in Ink Well's face. “They never should have had a room to begin with, and neither should you! Equestrian politics stays within Equestria, and the standards of a Princess's ship should never be sullied with claws any more than bloody hooves! The unicorns of the Canterlot Elite are the only ones worthy of this honor.” He held his nose high, glaring down it at Ink Well before the sounds of Gilda being forcibly held back caused him to drop his hoof. “In any case, I don't see how this could possibly make me the attacker!”
Ink Well smirked. “It can't, I just wanted to get that all out in the open.” He coughed into his napkin, grimacing at how damp it was getting. But if it ended this... a little pain was worth it.
Silver Bell blushed and sat down, feeling Gilda’s piercing glare boring into the back of his head while Ink Well started to make his way back onto the stage. He was stopped, however, by a scoffing remark from Blueblood. “What reason could anypony possibly have to attack the gryphons?”
Ink Well smiled knowingly. “I'm quite glad you brought that up, Prince. You see, I was wondering the same thing. Silver Bell said it himself, Equestrian politics belong in Equestria. If your dear aunt Luna did get the backing of the gryphons, then so what? Who in this room would let that have any influence on them? So then I thought, perhaps, that it was a crime of passion. A certain silly colt getting a lust for the exotic, turned down, enacting revenge. It would be so easy! And you would even be favoring your favorite aunt in the process.”
“I would never lower myself to something as debasing as touching a gryphon!” He said the word gryphon like one might the word trash, causing an instant drop in temperature around Gilda and Silverbeak, which Blueblood seemed all too happy to ignore.
“No, I suppose you wouldn't. Not enough down to fill your pillow, or perhaps her blood is just too common. Didn't stop you from eying her, and every mare in the room since you got on the ship, but I notice you never actually asked but one out.” Ink Well grinned cruelly. “It's actually something I rather like about the Royal Families. Apart from Shining Armor, all but one has guts, and none of them have balls.”
“Why you common hooligan!” Prince Blueblood stormed up to Ink Well, lifting a glove from his pocket with a flick of his horn's baby blue magic and slapping the antagonizing pegasus across the face. “I challenge you to a duel of honor!”
Ink Well reeled with the blow like he'd been hit by a brick, his body listing heavily, drawing a collective 'ooh' from everyone present. Blueblood looked quite pleased with himself, watching the injured pegasus.
“Challenge accepted!” Ink Well roared as he got up, using the momentum of his swaying to put even more strength behind the hoof that collided with Blueblood's nose. Unfortunately the unicorn didn't live up to his name, his muzzle staining itself red as he fell over, hitting the ground and not moving. Ink Well coughed again, his blood falling onto Blueblood's pristine coat. “I have wanted to do that since I got on this ship...” Ink Well shook his hoof, the force of the impact making him wince. “Hit on my wife again and you'll be in much worse shape than that.”
Diamond Wishes, Greenback, and the Steward all dropped down next to Blueblood, doting over the fallen prince, but Ink Well didn't pay them much mind. He also ignored the thumbs-up Gilda gave him, continuing with his thoughts. “Gilda, when she was attacked, confirmed the attacker's magic color as green, which really left only one suspect. And who better to hide a secret profession as a killer than an old, sleazy, friendly banker?” He looked at Greenback briefly, seeing the glare and the move to defend himself, but cut the old stallion off with a hoof. “However, I was attacked the second time by myself, which not only confirmed my suspicion that the attacking unicorn had wings, but made it fairly obvious we were dealing with a changeling.”
That got everypony's attention, pulling it away from Blueblood and back to Ink Well as he kept talking. “But changelings have tells: green magic, parasitic feeding on love, glowing blood... so a changeling trying to hide in plain sight, they've got to be careful. Especially if they've been injured in their failed attacks, like ours was two nights ago. Mysterious injuries can only be hidden so well.” His eyes locked onto Fancy Pants, and suddenly everyone else's eyes did too. “Fancy, how is your arm?”
Fleur almost seemed to be trying to defend the prim unicorn as he cleared his throat, pulling up his jacket to show his arm, the cut barely noticeable amid the fur. “Much better, thank you. I seem to have healed rather nicely.”
“I can see that. Still, I get the feeling this whole mess could have been avoided if you'd just used your magic with the knife.” Ink Well tapped a hoof to his chin. “You know, come to think of it, I haven't seen your magic once on this trip...”
“Well, I was tired that morning, you see, after the ordeal the night before, and I was coming down with a cold as I started this trip. Neither are ideal conditions for magic, my dear colt, though you would have no way of knowing that.” Fancy Pants kept up a very calm demeanor, despite all eyes being on him. Even Fleur was looking at him strangely.
Ink Well noticed this, his voice amicable as he turned towards her. “Fleur, how is that headache of yours? And when did they start to appear?”
“My 'ead iz still pounding, even after ze medicine.” Her eyes widened in horror as she looked at Fancy Pants, all of the strange looks he'd received before paling in comparison. “And zey started yesterday evening...”
“What a coincidence! Don't you think that a strange coincidence, 'Fancy Pants?'” He looked directly at the noble stallion, who adjusted his monocle and slowly backed away. He didn't get very far, however, before he backed right into Rose.
He turned to face her, rubbing a hoof behind his leg and flashing her a quick smile. “Ah, hello Rose-”
“Hello, 'Ink Well.'” Rose placed a hoof on his cheek, pushing a little and sliding it to the side. Fancy Pants winced in pain, and when Rose pulled her hoof back, a bit of white makeup was on it.
Revealed for all to see on Fancy Pants's face was a nasty bruise, right where Ink Well's blow had landed the night before. Fancy Pants sighed at the collective gasp, a grim smirk forming on his face as he closed his eyes. “Only so much you can take. You heal what you can, you hide what you must...” When his eyes opened, a green glow suffused them, a matching glow forming around Trixie at the door. “And you learn to make a quick exit!”
'Fancy Pants' shouldered Rose hard, sending her skidding to the side as he took to the air. He also sent Trixie flying towards the other guests with his magic. Rose was moving before she even recovered, vaulting over Trixie, hooves pounding the floorboards as she chased the imposter from the room.
He moved incredibly fast, but the narrow corridors and stairways of the ship only allowed so much movement, and Rose was determined. He was not going to hurt anypony else, and he was not going to get away. She bolted past the cabins, where his crimes had been committed. She shot through the lounge, leaping onto the chess set, then the bar before vaulting the railing of the stairs to the deck. She burst through the doors to see 'Fancy' on the bow, standing up on his hind legs, his arms outspread as he looked at her, a smug smile on his face. She pounded across the deck, but she could only watch as green fire flickered over his whole form, 'Fancy Pants' turning into a dark green pegasus before falling slowly backwards, about to fly away beneath the ship...
Oh no you don't! Rose grabbed an end of loose coil of rope in her teeth as she sprinted the last short distance, then leaped over the railing, diving into the open sky.
Ink Well wheezed as he landed on the deck, lungs burning and pain shooting through him for his exertion, but it all turned to ice when he saw Rose's tail disappear below the ship, only a thin rope trailing behind her... He choked back the coughing fit that threatened to stop him, closing his eyes in concentration and squeezing every bit of air out of his lungs as he ran for the rapidly disappearing coil of rope. He would have sighed in relief when his teeth closed around the rope if he hadn't been so busy coughing up blood onto it, and any relief he had was lost when he opened his eyes, seeing the last few loops of spare rope uncoiling.
Rose dived straight down through the sky, the wind whipping through her mane and tail and causing her eyes to water as she chased after the dark green figure below. A few clouds shot past her, but what rapidly filled her vision was the giant green landscape so very far beneath her. Suddenly the tiny rope in her teeth felt so insignificant...
She shook her head, not letting doubts enter her mind here. It was too late for that anyway. She pulled her hooves against her sides, the wind roaring in her ears as she sped up her fall, tilting herself towards the rapidly growing pegasus. She only had one shot at this, she had to make it count.
Luckily, she was the last thing the imposter expected.
She crashed into the winged runner, whose gentle flight instantly became a harrowing fall as Rose wrapped her hooves around him, sending them both tumbling towards the ground. Wherever this took her, they were going there together.
There was no time to even think about tying the rope to something before it went taut and Ink Well was pulled bodily across the deck, his hooves scrabbling against the shuffleboard courts for any sort of purchase. He left four gouges in his wake as he was dragged all the way to the railing, his shoulder catching on one pole, his rear leg catching against another, and his wing wedging him against the top bar.
Most of his body dangled over the edge, his lungs feeling like they were imploding as he spasmed in pain, coughing up more blood on the rope firmly held in his teeth. He wrapped the hoof of his injured shoulder around the pole there, feeling the heavy rope jiggle and shake, attempting to pull itself free.
But he didn't care if it knocked out all of his teeth in the process. What was on the other end was far too important to let fall.
Rose and the changeling tumbled through the sky, green flames flying behind them as its disguise melted away, fangs bared and chitinous hooves flailing for freedom. It kicked and bit at her, but she held fast, able to do nothing else as the rope suddenly went taut, pulling against her teeth and stopping the two from falling. Instead, they now swung through the air, Rose's neck straining with the weight of two ponies.
The changeling never stopped struggling, its wings buzzing and the sharp edges of the holes in its legs scraping against Rose's fur at it bashed at her limbs. It had gotten this far in its escape, and some earth pony dangling thousands of feet above the ground wasn't going to stop it.
Unfortunately, Rose knew precisely what would happen if the beast were to get free, so she put her effort into a bone-crushing hug. It returned the favor by bashing its head into her jaw, its twisted horn barely missing her head. It then sank its fangs into her arm, drawing blood and causing her to cry out between her teeth.
As they reached the top of their swing, Rose squeezed hard, managing to wind the changeling for a second. With her one arm occupying the changeling's mouth, she brought the other under its neck, hoping to finish the fight as quickly as she could.
However, it noticed the move, squirming against her legs in its attempt to free itself. It didn't manage that, but it did manage to twist, rearing its head back to attack her exposed neck. One bite, one little puncture from one of those fangs, and it would all be over.
The fangs never bit down there, however. When it let go of her arm, she brought the bleeding appendage up as quickly as she could, successfully saving her neck by sacrificing her arm. As they did, she squeezed and pulled with her other arm, applying pressure to the changeling's windpipe. Eventually, slowly, the changeling stopped fighting, the wing beats slowing, the grip on her arm weakening until, finally, it went limp, becoming dead weight in her hooves.
She sighed with relief, wiping the sweat off of her brow, before looking up at the boat, so very far above her... Her jaw was sore, her arm was weak and losing blood, she could feel the adrenaline ebbing, its absence making her shaky... Whatever had the rope at the other end, she hoped it would start pulling soon.
As she pondered what keeping her from plummeting to the ground, a single drop of blood landed on her nose. She closed her eyes, at once calmed and terrified. She was in good hooves... She just wished they were stronger right now.
Ink Well couldn't even dream of pulling Rose up... if Rose was even still on the other end. He was grateful when the movement on the rope had stopped, but... there was nothing he could do. He felt like he was dying just holding himself there, whatever force had gotten him this far starting to run out. If he didn't get help soon... he wasn't even going to think about it.
Just then four hooves landed next to the railing, a worried voice calling out to him. “Ink Well! Hold tight! I'm going to pull you back in!” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Morning Dew grab his tail, her steady hoofsteps drawing it over the deck and pulling the hair straight. He felt a tug, then two... but he didn't feel himself moving.
Try as she might, Dew's strength wasn't enough to even ease the pressure on Ink Well's injuries. He whimpered around the rope when she spat out his tail. “I'm sorry! I'll get more help!” Ink Well made a negative sound, all that he could do with his mouth full of bloody rope. Every second was of the essence... who knows what would happen if she left him dangling there.
She didn't understand. “I can't pull you up! What do you want me to do?”
You're a changeling... use your magic. He didn't know how empathetic changelings were, but he pleaded with his eyes, hoping she might get the message.
Somehow, she did, but that scared her more. She shook her head. “If they find out... if anypony learns...”
Rose will die if you don't! I don't care what I have to do, you will not be punished for saving her... just... please save her! She continued to hesitate, either not understanding his plea or refusing to believe it. And every moment she did, he felt his grip slipping, his strength disappearing...
He knew exactly what he'd do if that rope fell. He'd let go of the railing and dive after it, no matter who tried to stop him. Because the only alternative was a life without Rose... He wouldn't even begin to imagine that. It wasn't a life worth living.
However, whether it was considering the possibility or just the pain and fatigue catching up to him, Ink Well started to cry. The tears slipped away into the sky, falling past the rope stained with his blood, falling past the light of his life, so far below... How could he possibly raise Newsprint without her? How could he even wake up in the morning without her there? He had always been the one out risking his life, but it was her that brought him back. If she was gone... How could he even live?
Luckily for him, he'd never have to know.
He felt his tail being pulled on once more, and then a tingling over his entire body. He was wrapped in an aura of green, which extended down to the rope, pulling it up with him. Within moments his body was on the deck, and once he touched down he added his hooves to the effort, straining with what strength he had to make sure the rope was brought up as quickly. He took just a moment to glance at his savior, the ghostly outline of a jagged horn lit up on the pegasus's head... He didn't dare to take the rope from his teeth until Rose was safe, but the tears in his eyes were no longer sad.
It seemed like ages, and the rope that coiled up on deck seemed far longer than what he had initially grabbed, but eventually the task was done, an exhausted and bleeding Roseluck pulled up on deck, flopping down next to the unconscious changeling. Ink Well immediately let go of the rope, going to his wife's side and pulling her into a desperate hug, just to know she was there. “Oh thank you... thank you thank you thank you-” He said it to Dew, to Rose, to the Princesses, to the rope, to everything that ever had a part in her being back in his arms, tears running down his face as he did.
Rose hugged back weakly, kissing Ink Well on the nose. “Don't cry, Inky. It's alright. We did it.”
Ink Well hugged her closer, what little strength he had in his arms going into the embrace. “Don't you ever scare me like that again! You make me promise you, then go and do that?”
Rose chuckled lightly, returning the hug with what strength she had too. “You're right... I promise too. Never again.” The couple, both battered, both bruised, both bloody, lay together on the bow of the ship. There would be commotion... there would be work, but for a few moments, they just wanted to rest knowing they were together and safe once more.