//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Post-Battle Wind-down // Story: Faithful and Strong // by Golden Scribe //------------------------------// Hornblower stood on the quarterdeck of the Féroce as crewman Sullivan steered the vessel into the bay, just behind the Lydia. The French prisoners had been taken below and firmly secured, the worst of the debris had been cleared away, and the mast was now flying British colors. Despite himself, Hornblower felt a surge of pride; the Lydia had taken on a larger ship, one who had trounced them in the past, and managed to come out the victors. It was quite an achievement, even if that victory had been due to…some unexpected assistance. As the ship reached the safety of the bay, Hornblower could see a crowd of ponies lining the beach. The cheering was audible even from this distance, and he could see several of the pegasi performing aerial acrobatics in celebration. Seeing the Lydia must have reassured them that all was well. Perhaps the hullaballoo was unwarranted, but it was appreciated, nevertheless. When the Féroce pulled past the Lydia in order to drop anchor, Hornblower looked out over the crowd, and tensed almost involuntarily when he caught sight of two larger ponies amongst the crowd. Moments later, Princesses Celestia and Luna rose into the air and glided towards the Lydia. There was a brief pause, and then Princess Celestia flew upwards once more and approached the Féroce. The second her hooves touched the deck, Hornblower’s hand flew upwards in a salute. “Princess Celestia. It’s an honor to see you here.” “I should be the one saying that to you,” the princess said, climbing up to join Hornblower on the quarterdeck, “Luna and I teleported here as soon as we received Mayor Wedge’s note. However, you and your ship had already set out to confront the threat, and before we could lift a hoof to help, the lookout informed us that you had already won. You risked your ship and your lives to protect Equestria, despite being under no obligation to do so, and for that, I will be forever in your debt.” “That’s not necessary, Your Majesty,” Hornblower said, “I was merely doing my duty. Besides, you have been more than gracious in allowing us to remain here and make repairs; the least I could do was to provide a little assistance in return.” “Nevertheless, Equestria is grateful for your service, Captain Hornblower,” Princess Celestia said, “And if there is anything you require, merely ask and I will do my utmost to give it to you.” “Right now, Your Majesty, all I desire is to make repairs to both ships, and then to be on my way. Your hospitality has been most gracious, but it is high time we were on our way to rejoin the battles at sea.” “Very well. But I will put out the call to all skilled craftsmares across Equestria to assist you. That way, the repairs should be completed in a matter of days.” “I’m obliged to you, Princess.” “And we to you, Captain Hornblower,” the princess said with a warm smile as she took to the air once more, “My sister and I will return to Canterlot to draft the proclamation. I wish you good luck and fair winds on your travels.” With that, she flew back to the Lydia. Hornblower waited until he saw the puff of magic indicating that the princesses had teleported away until he called for a boat to take him back to his ship. Bush, Twilight, and her friends were all waiting for him, Twilight levitating a sheet of paper in front of her. “Damage report, Mr. Bush.” Hornblower said, giving him a salute and nodding to the ponies. “Miss Sparkle has compiled a list, sir.” Bush said, and Twilight handed it over. Hornblower scanned the contents; the damage was rather light, all things considered. The sides and deck would need to be patched, and a bit of topmast had broken off, but there had been no deaths, and the doctor reported mostly minor injuries. Surprisingly, all the cannons were intact this time. Once they replaced the party cannon, their gunline would be fighting fit. “Very good, Mr. Bush,” he said, lowering the paper, “I presume Princess Celestia told you of her gracious offer to help?” When Bush nodded, Hornblower continued “As the crew did a commendable job in fighting off the Féroce, I will not be setting them to work tonight. They’ve earned the right to relax and celebrate.” A movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned his head enough to see Pinkie Pie vibrating, lips pressed tightly together and eyes wide. It looked like it was taking all her energy not to blurt something out. Glancing at Bush, he saw his first officer subtly incline his head at the pink horse. “Very well sir,” he said aloud, “Is there any particular way they should celebrate?” Hornblower looked at Pinkie again. “I suppose…” Pinkie’s tail was now a pink blur waggling behind her. “…given everything they’ve just been through…” Pinkie’s eyes seemed to take up the entirety of her head. Hornblower sighed. “…That a party is in order.” The result was immediate. Pinkie leapt into the air as if propelled by her party cannon, letting out a delighted squeal. When her hooves touched the ground again, she galloped up to Hornblower and squeezed him tightly, crushing the air out of his lungs. “Ohmigosh thank you thank you thank you!” she said, nuzzling his chest, “I promise it’ll be the best party I’ve ever thrown!” “I’m sure…” Hornblower said faintly, trying to disentangle himself. Mercifully, Bush came to his rescue. “Pinkie, the captain has to write his after-action report. Why don’t you go into town to set up the party?” Pinkie let Hornblower go (Hornblower barely managing to catch himself before he hit the deck) and beamed at Bush. “You’re right! I have so much to do! Come on, girls, I’m gonna need your help for this!” With that, she bounced away, the other ponies right behind her. Hornblower rubbed his chest and saw Bush smiling at him. “What?” “Thank you, sir. I think she really needed that.” “Yes, well…she’s a large part of what made the battle a success. It seemed the least I could do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I do indeed have to record the battle in my logs.” And he turned and made his way to his cabin, wondering if there was any way to phrase the events in such a way that he could leave any mention of the ponies out of it. *** Pinkie had pulled out all the stops this time. The room was decorated in blues and golds, with representations of the Union Jack all over the walls. Fireworks were continually going off outside, there was a live band, and the tables were covered with dishes that appealed to both human and pony palate alike. There was also a liberal amount of cider available, as supplied by Applejack, and every few minutes, someone raised their glass and made a toast. Pinkie had even made arrangements for several ponies to keep guard over the French prisoners so that all of Hornblower’s crew could enjoy the festivities, plus sending over some food and drink as “condolences.” How she’d managed all this in a few hours, Hornblower had no idea. But if there was one thing he’d learned over the past weeks, it was that he could never underestimate Pinkie Pie. All things considered, it wasn’t a bad party. Yes, there was music, but the fireworks often drowned it out, and Pinkie cheerfully asked them to play a little quieter when Hornblower asked them to keep the volume down a bit. The food was good, and not saturated in sugar like Hornblower had been expecting. Everyone he encountered thanked him for fighting on Equestria’s behalf, but seemed to understand that they should be sparing with their praise, soon changing the topic to other matters. Two hours into the party, Hornblower caught himself laughing at an anecdote, and realized that he’d somehow managed to relax. The cider must have been more alcoholic than he’d suspected. He was leaning against the wall, talking with Mr. Gear and idly watching some of the crewmen trying to teach ponies how to jig, when Bush sidled up to him. “Begging your pardon, Captain.” “What is it, Mr. Bush?” “Well, it’s just…it’s going on three in the morning, sir. Everyone would understand if you wanted the crew to turn in early so we could begin the repairs as soon as possible.” Hornblower checked his watch, in disbelief that time could have passed so quickly. Putting it away, he looked out over the party, watching the men laughing and happily interacting with the ponies. They were enjoying themselves, and although there was alcohol involved, he suspected they wouldn’t get into any trouble. So he looked back at Bush and shook his head slightly. “It’s probably in the best interests of the Lydia if I return to the ship, but the men may remain for as long as they wish. I’ll still expect them to put in a good day’s work tomorrow, but they might as well take advantage of their time on land. After all, we’ll soon be at sea for God knows how many months.” “Aye, sir.” Bush said, his eyes widening slightly. Ignoring him, Hornblower made his way to the refreshment table. He had time for one more drink before turning in for the night.