33 hours before arrival at Equestria, on the bridge
“That's right.” said Fluttershy, gently, to the snow leopard. She didn't pat it – it wasn't all that healthy right now, and her body heat wouldn't do it any good at all. “You eat up that ice. All of it, okay? It's good for you.”
The snow leopard growled and crunched up another bit of ice.
On the other side of the bridge, Twilight and Sunek were preparing yet another game of chess. Setting up the board was amazingly quick – Twilight levitated all the pieces at once, and set them each down in their correct spots almost simultaneously(1).
“Hiiiiiiiiii!”
Sunek wasn't quite sure where the pink pony had approached from, but she was just suddenly there, peering intently at the board. “What'cha doing?” she asked.
“Sunek's been teaching me this game.” said Twilight. “It's called 'chess'.”
“Twilight is very good at it.” added Sunek.
“I've lost every game so far.” pointed out Twilight.
“Only due to inexperience.” said Sunek. “I have been playing chess for decades.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” continued Twilight, “Pinkie, you said that Sunek reminded you of your sister?”
“Ooooh, yes.” said Pinkie, nodding. “He's just like Maud.”
“Really.” said Twilight, contrasting the flatly unemotional Sunek with the flamboyant Pinkie Pie. “How could he possibly be like one of your sisters?”
Pinkie zipped over to Twilight's side, and put one foreleg around the unicorn's head. “Look there.” Pinkie turned Twilight's head so that she was facing directly towards Sunek. “Look at his eyes.” she said. “You see it?”
“See what?” asked Twilight.
“His eyes look just like Maud's.” insisted Pinkie. “Don't you see it?”
“Pinkie, I've never met your sister.” pointed out Twilight. “You're saying that they're similar because they've got the same eyes?”
Pinkie looked at Sunek's face – the flat, emotionless gaze; the mouth that neither smiled nor frowned; and the eyes that saw more than they let on. “Eh, there's other similarities as well.” she said. “But the eyes are most of it.”
“Ah.” said Twilight. “Right.”
“Scootaloo!” called out Pinkie, suddenly. “Where are you going?”
“Oh, I, uh, just wanted to go stretch my wings a bit?” she said.
“You know the rules!” Pinkie rushed across the bridge to her. “Until we find that cockatrice again, nopony, nopony, goes anywhere alone! So I'll come with you, okay? Sweetie Belle? Applebloom? Would you like to join us?”
Twilight and Sunek watched as the party pony bounced off the bridge, followed by all three Crusaders.
“Is your friend often that energetic?” asked Sunek.
Twilight shook her head. “Not at all.” she said. “Normally, she's far more energetic than that. Annnnd apparently she thinks you're just like her sister because you have the same eye colour.” Twilight sighed. “Her idea of logic can be a bit hard to follow sometimes.”
* * *
32 hours before arrival at Equestria
“Gah.” Applejack staggered onto the bridge, and slumped on the floor. “Ah think Ah got bruises on mah bruises.”
“That was rather... intense.” agreed Rarity, who was still standing by sheer willpower alone.
“I know I dodged more this time that last time.” insisted Rainbow Dash, slumping down next to Applejack. “Why does it hurt more?”
“You'll learn to ignore it more,” stated Var'aQ, “as you improve.” He sat down on the pilot's chair, the swivelled around to face the three ponies. “Applejack,” he said, “your strength is impressive. One good kick will probably incapacitate most foes; though the fact that the kick must be given backwards, to a foe you cannot see, is a weakness of your technique. I recommend that you work on your awareness of your surroundings in battle. Rainbow. Your mobility remains your greatest asset. You should never allow yourself to be tied down to a single opponent if it can be avoided. Rarity. I do not know how best to make use of your telekinesis in battle. It is not an ability that I have come across before. I can show you how to fight, to both take and deal blows; but I can only teach you physical combat, not magical.”
“Oh, that's – that's no problem, darling.” Rarity tried to wave one hoof, then sat down, quite abruptly. “I'm sure I could ask... find someone back in... back home.” She looked down at the floor, then added. “If you don't mind, though, I think... I think I'm going to pass out now.”
She lay down gently, and before long, began to emit the sort of snores that she'd vehemently deny being capable of if anyone were ever to be so uncouth as to suggest that a lady might snore(2).
* * *
On the other side of the bridge, where Fluttershy and one of the humans had been quietly watching Twilight and Sunek's chess game, Fluttershy looked a little concerned. “Do you think they're okay?”
“They look... okay, I guess.” said Twilight. “I mean, tired and sore, but not injured.”
“Klingons are a warrior culture.” pointed out Sunek. “I am certain that Var'aQ knows exactly what he is doing.”
“Oh, I see.” said Fluttershy. She looked up at Sunek. “I hope you're not too upset about your mother.” she added, meekly.
“Her passing was an unwelcome surprise to me.” admitted Sunek. “But she had lived a long life, and she had been prosperous. I could have asked for no more on her behalf.” He reached out to move a rook. “But how did you know of it?”
“Oh.” Fluttershy squeaked. “I... heard you talking about it with Susan earlier... at the observation deck...”
“Fascinating.” said Sunek. “There is no universal translator on the observation deck. How did you understand what we were saying?”
“Oh. That's my special talent.” Fluttershy gestured to her cutie mark, then scurried to the side, half-hiding behind Twilight. “I can understand the speech of all sorts of creatures...”
Sunek considered this for a moment, but before he could speak, the human with him spoke up. “You've got a universal translator tatooed on your butt?” he asked, incredulous.
Fluttershy hid the rest of the way behind Twilight. “eep”
(1) Sunek was very impressed by the level of control required to accomplish this. And Twilight seemed to attach no importance at all to it, even glancing away to look at the three foals whispering to each other without her concentration wavering.
(2) It sounded a bit like someone trying to cut down a very large tree with a very noisy saw.