It was the early evening, and a warship was patrolling the sea off Equestria's south-eastern coast, beneath the darkening sky. The warship was fifty yards long, and sixteen in width. It had a gilded frame around its ebony body, and many stallions in sailor gear were patrolling the five decks above.
"All right, everypony." said Durasteel, the earth pony captain of the ERS Falchion to his crew. "We just got word that someone or something has attacked Baltimare harbor. We don't know what it is, but Royal Commander Star Shield needs the Royal Navy to scour the area for it."
"Aye-aye, sir." said his first mate, a unicorn sailor. "Turning her around."
"Take her slow and steady. We're gonna be sailing through Neo-Templar territory, and things are uneasy as it is with them. So whatever you do: In the name of Celestia, do not open fire on them...unless we're given no other choice."
"Aye, sir!" said another sailor.
The ship continued onwards for a while. They were nearing a coastline that was lined with mahogany trees. The Falchion drifted noiselessly through the advancing darkness. They could hear a fog-horn in the distance, and flickers of light from the shore. Some of the sailors could make out silhouettes of colonial-styled houses along the coast, and several pony-shapes galloping to and fro in single file.
"We have a settlement on our port side, sir." said the first mate to the captain, who had gone to the bridge deck.
"Keep going." said Captain Durasteel. "We're not stopping anywhere until we're out of Neo-Equestrian waters."
"Aye, sir." said the first mate with a salute, before turning to the sailor turning the wheel. "Keep this baby going forwards. We're not in neutral territory yet."
The Falchion carried on, the sound of the fog-horn echoing in the gloom. It wasn't until the warship entered a thick cloud of fog that the horns died away. Durasteel was scrutinizing his map and consulting the navigator on what they would take next. There was a clatter of hooves as another sailor galloped down a stairway from a higher deck and rushed breathlessly over to the captain with a salute.
"Cap'n, we've got us some trouble."
Durasteel went up to the highest deck of his ship, where more sailors were loading the ballistas mounted there with steel-tipped projectiles. There were two or three armored warships circling them, none of them resembling those used by Equestria's Royal Navy. They were sleek, black, and had a chrome finish with armored plating on every side, being moved through the water by a large steam engine protruding from the keel-side.
"What's the situation?" said the captain. "How did these ships get so close to us?"
"I dunno, they must've passed through the fog-banks." said sailor. "Or maybe we got right into the middle of them?"
Durasteel looked beyond one of the ships, and saw a large port along the shore to the Northwest. It wasn't Baltimare, nor any other cities they recognized, so they could only assume this was a foreign settlement, and Durasteel didn't need to guess before deducing whom lived there.
There was a clap of thunder, and it began to rain wildly without warning. The warships turned on electronic floodlights mounted on the port and starboard sides, and shone them upon the Falchion's gunwale and sides.
"Attention, Royalist vessel!" blared a voice rising up from one of the armored ships. "We are the Neo-Equestrian Marine Forces, 6th Ironclad Division! You are trespassing in waters that rightfully belong to our government! You are advised to turn away immediately, or we will open fire! We have weapons trained on every side of our ironclads, so don't do anything you'll regret, which is highly likely."
"What should we do, sir?" the sailor asked Captain Durasteel.
"Hold your fire." replied the captain. "We aren't here to fight them."
He took a megaphone, and his own voice echoed throughout the bay.
"This is Captain Durasteel of Equestria's Royal Navy, assuring you that we mean no harm to the Neo-Templars nor the citizens they protect. We are simply passing through to get back to our--"
Suddenly, there was a massive build-up of bubbles in the water surrounding the Falchion.
"What in the--" Durasteel exclaimed.
There was a low moaning as the water started to get darker and darker, and something monstrous rose out of it on all sides, and a droning roar filled the air as the darkness rose and completely surrounded the vessel. There was widespread panic aboard the ship, both topside and below deck Captain Durasteel could only look around in horror as the entire ship was swallowed up in the closing jaws of the great leviathan. Sailors were frantically hollering orders to each other to load and fire the weapons, and discharging the ballistas in vain at the monstrous creature's interior. As the jaws closed, all went dark and silent.
The storm raged on, and lightning was striking atop the nearby buildings along the shore, and the rain was worsening with each second, the water splashing against the ironclads surrounding the monstrous thing that was rising out of the water.
The crews of the three ironclads watched in sheer awe as a massive humped shape slowly rose out of the water, then clamped itself shut with the Falchion inside its jaws. The great beast of the sea had a shiny and black exterior like chitin, ominous red lights like eyes dotting its length on all sides, the monster was scarcely describable, especially in the darkness of the night and the chaos of the storm. However, it was still visible to them, leaving a perfect opportunity to shell this new terror into oblivion. But before the templars could aim their cannons and open fire on the creature, the humped shape submerged itself, and the templars were able to catch glimpses of its colossal shadow in the water as it moved in on them.
There was movement in the middle of the shadow, and several glowing lights rose upwards by the cluster. The lights were at the ends of glistening tendrils, that rose up to meet the ironclads' armanents, which were blasting at the lights with all their might...
THREE DAYS LATER...
In Canterlot, Royal Commander Star Shield was in an intense debate with Neo-Equestrian Admiral Jak Maelstrom, with Princess Celestia and a few representative from both sides of the government in attendance.
"I assure you, Admiral." said Star Shield. "That ship had no right being in your territory. It was all a misunderstanding. However, there was also no need to sink it, either!"
"Commander Shield, my boys did not open fire a single shell on the Falchion." said Maelstrom, angrily. "But I do think it's clear that your ship sank mine! There were three shipwrecks in the water by the time we got there, and not a single sign of yours."
"And what makes you so sure that it was our ship that destroyed them?"
"Because the last thing that was sent back to us before the ironclads were destroyed was a mention of how they encountered a Royalist warship in Neo-Equestrian waters, and then a distress signal just three minutes later. I think that's enough proof that your ship was involved, in one way or another."
"Admiral, if we wanted to declare war on your government, we would've made it more clear." said Celestia. "Don't forget that your own citizens have wronged mine...quite recently, in fact."
"What Firewing's boys did in Fort Echidna was not condoned or even authorized by any of our ministers." said Jak Maelstrom. "We may not like the idea of having one of you be our leader, but that doesn't mean we go enslaving and torturing--"
"Then you should understand that things can happen beyond our control." said Star Shield.
"Sure, like a sea monster swallowed up your ship and destroyed all three of my own." said Maelstrom, sarcastically. "That's a load of horse-apples, commander. Our ships were sunk by something capable of firing projectiles strong enough to penetrate our ships' armor, which may I remind you were reinforced with titanium alloy! There are no creatures, big or small, in those waters that could be capable of destroying them so thoroughly."
"Our naval vessels don't have the armanent required--"
"So you're saying my ships destroyed each other?" said Jak Maelstrom.
"Were there any survivors?"
"None." said Maelstrom. "Not one was left alive when we got there, and your ship was nowhere in sight."
"That is not our fault." said Star Shield. "In fact, this is the second time one of our ships disappeared. Another was taken from Baltimare harbor just last week, never to be seen again. Considering what happened in that area last month..."
"You're accusing me of stealing your ships?"
"Either you, or the sea monster that the locals in Baltimare described."
"There are no monsters in the known world capable of swallowing a warship whole!" said Jak Maelstrom, defiantly. "It's just impossible!"
"Anything is possible, admiral." said Princess Celestia. "Just relax. I know you're upset about what happened to your ships, but the one responsible wasn't us."
Maelstrom took a moment to collect himself, and sighed. He looked straight into Princess Celestia's eyes, and she looked into his. They stared each other down adamantly, before Maelstrom scoffed.
"Perhaps not." he said, wearily. "We'll just have to see what happens. However, if another encounter like this happens again, I can't be responsible for what the other templars will do in retaliation. There may be some monstrous beast out there destroying our ships, or maybe not. But unless we can find a sufficient amount of evidence to prove this...thing exists, further exchanges could lead to more...drastic measures. Until then, I bid you all adieu."
He turned back to his entourage, and they left the castle unabated.
Star Shield sighed.
"Commander?"
Star Shield turned to his ruler.
"He's scared of whatever is out there." said Princess Celestia. "I could see it in his eyes."
"And I wouldn't blame him." said Star Shield. "A lot has happened these past months. And that's not even getting into what happened with Tirek and Discord."
"Of course." said Celestia, shuddering at the reminder. "I just hope Equestria can survive whatever these problems lead us all into."
"What should we do though?" asked Star Shield.
"Our cities in the far corners are in danger." said Celestia. "And there's one stallion that I know can help us...if he can still be reasoned with."
"Would you like me to send with you an escort?"
"That won't be necessary." said Celestia. "But you can never be too careful these days, so go ahead."
"Where will you go, your majesty?"
"Las Pegasus. I think it's time I paid a certain somepony there a long-overdue visit." Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Commander Shield, I'm going to need you and the Guard to watch the castle while I'm away. I won't be long."
"Understood, ma'am." Star Shield saluted.
"Also, I expect Sunset Shimmer and Captain Radiant Dawn to be returning soon. Send somepony to make sure they aren't delayed, will you?"
"Of course, your majesty." nodded Commander Shield.
Master Zed stood amid the sand-dunes to the East of New Mustangia as he watched the sky. A templar guard from the colony galloped to him, almost out of breath.
"Master Zed." he panted. "We've just received word about a temporary ceasefire with the Royalists, in order to stop this insanity and confusion."
"And...?" said Master Zed, monotonously as he saw a dark mass drifting across the stormy sky, in their direction..
"And so, I have orders from Minister Sterling not to attack the--"
Suddenly, there was a series of rustling noises, as several pony-shapes dug themselves out of the sand: a squad of armored mercenaries. All Pegasus stallions in black armor, with spiked helmets and gas masks similar to those worn by Zed.
"I'd like to introduce you to my elite unit." said Zed to the templar. "Arrived just a few days after myself. I've gathered them all here solely to topple that airship."
"But--"
Zed turned around.
"That's it." Zed told his troops. "The airship flown by the group codenamed 'E.O.H.'. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of your objectives."
The mercenaries all nodded in unison.
"But didn't you hear me?" said the templar. "You've been given orders to stand down and return to--"
Plunk!
A hoof-blade was embedded halfway in his front-right leg. The blade belonged to one of Zed's men. The templar sank to the ground, groaning painfully.
"But...how...why?!" he gasped for breath.
"Let's just say...I have bigger priorities on my mind." said Master Zed, gripping the templar by the neck. "And since they're changing their own plan, I'm changing mine."
"You'll be--"
"There is no misdeed that the ministers could deal..." said Zed, roughly. "That I haven't already experienced in the past."
He smashed his hoof into the side of the templar's head, and let him fall limply into the sand, where he groaned in pain while clutching the blade-wound with his hoof.
"A storm's brewing up there, boys." said Master Zed, turning to his mercenary force. "And I need anypony unwilling to follow me into that storm to take a step back, since this is your last chance to back away."
None of the armored pegasi moved an inch.
"Excellent." said Master Zed, as the Summerstar passed over them, hiding them under its tremendous shadow. "Then once the rain starts falling, we ascend to the merciless heavens above."