Aboard the HMAS Corona: Hours ago
Luna shook her head, looking at her sister with tired eyes. “You can keep the details to yourself. But…I understand the feeling, Tia. You have my support in rescuing your bug, if she is even there. Sombra, however, comes first. He was a psychopath and he wielded power like I’ve never seen in a non-alicorn. He is dangerous, Tia. Strong, fast, and when he fought me, he wasted not a thought on sacrificing his people if it led to a benefit.”
She looked away for a moment, her eyes searching the room until they returned to Celestia. “He will make us kill to defend ourselves. Are you ready for that?”
Celestia nodded, her horn sparking and her eponymous warmug appearing beside her, steam wafting off the Foalgers blended coffee inside it. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had to do that, but I am ready. I will protect my peoples and my country with my life.” She smiled ruefully. “I am Equestria’s Sword.”
“And I, Her Shield.” Luna’s smile matched her sister’s and she held out her hoof. Celestia met her and they bumped their hooves together. “Together we will prevail. Stop the evil, save the kingdom.”
“Get the mare.” Celestia finished for her sister. “Just like old times, eh Lulu?”
“I suppose so. When was the last time we did this?”
“The War of Endless Plains, wasn’t it?” Celestia took a sip of her coffee, brows narrowed in thought.
“Was it? We put down the mustang barbarians over a century ago.” Luna frowned, tapping her hoof as she wracked her mind for any more recent conflict where either of them had taken the field. “Wow, has it really been that long? I hope you’ve been staying sharp.”
Now Celestia rolled her eyes. “Not as much as I would like, honestly. I haven’t sparred with a serious opponent since I sent Sunset out to deal with that issue down in Seavannah.”
“What about Twilight? She’s easily as skilled as Sunset.” Luna smirked. “I should know.”
“Exactly!” Celestia gestured at her sister’s wheeled harness. “I want a serious opponent, not someone that might have a powersurge and accidentally put my rear in a sling!”
The dark alicorn snorted, her face serious. “This was no accident, Celestia. Twilight broke me, in a single blast. That level of power is just as insane as what Sombra wielded. It is a shame she is not with us.”
“Personally, I’m glad she’s not.” Celestia took another slow sip from her warmug. “She’s protecting Cadance. This way, neither of them will see me like this. I’ve wanted to keep war as far from their lives as possible, Luna. Part of the reason I had Cadance spying on our allies was to prevent the kinds of conflicts that destabilize whole regions of the world. I want this world to be safe and beautiful for them and for all ponies.”
“So you want them to see your war face only in paintings then? Never the reality?” Luna shrugged. “A noble pursuit.”
“Ultimately, it’s why I fight. To make the world a better place.”
“Using force to create peace tastes bittersweet to me, Celestia. But I understand how you feel about it. I see it as penance for our great arrogance...but that’s me.” Luna shrugged again. She opened her mouth to say something more, when she paused and looked back at the door behind her. Luna canceled her silence spell and the tiny cabin was suddenly filled with loud banging.
Luna opened the door and both sisters regarded the pegasus stallion that had interrupted them. The ensign wore a uniform that placed him with the helm command structure. “Yes?”
“Pardon me ma’am...ma’am’s...I was sent to inform you that Navigation has our current location.” The stallion swallowed nervously. “We’ve also sighted another airship. It’s too far to make clear identification, but it looks Minotauren. It changed course to intercept us almost as soon as we spotted it.”
“Thank you.” Celestia sighed, climbing to her hooves. “Why is nothing ever easy, Luna?”
“Blah, blah, ancient arrogance, or some such.” Luna smirked, giggling when the ensign looked back and forth between them, confusion clear on his face. “Come sister! It’s been too long and now is a good time as any to shake off the rust.”
“The rust?” The ensign backed up, one wing scratching his head while the Royal Sisters filed out of the tiny captain's chambers. “I don’t understand.”
“Is this your first tour?” Celestia smiled kindly, falling in behind her still giggling sister. She brightened a little when the pony nodded up at her. “Then you are in luck. You are about to see what happens when Alicorns go to war.”
“Don’t lie to the boy, Tia.” Luna looked back over her shoulder. “His luck is not the good kind. When we go to war, so to does Death and Destruction. You and I are not meant to ride out upon the fields of battle. Our place is in preventing those battlefields in the first place. Peace is always an option, and the one we should consider first.”
“Oh don’t be a spoilsport, Lulu.” Celestia lifted her warmug, taking a heavy sip of the steaming liquid. A moment later she looked out the porthole toward the Corona’s aft end and groaned. “Yes...that would indeed be a Minotauren airship. Gorgon-class by the looks of it, probably a couple of canons and some short range missiles onboard, if they are armed at all. We’re pretty far out for more than a scout ship.”
“Unless the Collective really does have that secret airbase out here.” Princess Luna rolled her eyes, pausing where she was to look out at the distant airship. It was too far to pick up any details other than a double envelope and glinting metal sprinkled across the gondola like some flying inverted death cupcake. “I’ll direct the semaphore to send them a request of non-interference.”
“No.” Celestia flicked out her wing in front of her sister, halting the other Princess. “Go with him to Navigation and get us moving. I will handle the semaphore communication.”
“Be sure you do not confuse the codes for ‘don’t shoot’ with some colorful insult of the vessel captain’s mother.” Luna smirked and nodded at the stallion. “Come, let us get the Corona out of range and on the way before my sister starts a fight with our neighbors.”
“I’ve never picked a fight I couldn’t win.”
“Now is not the time for bravado, Tia.” Luna narrowed her brows, her jaw firm. “We must move and do this smart, if we are to do it at all.”
“I will try to not fall from the deck, sister dear.” Celestia scoffed and took a sip from her mug.
“See to it that you do not. I’d hate to have to hold some sort of tournament to determine your successor.”
Celestia snickered, lifting her mug again to her lips and she turned away from her sister and the shocked looking airpony. She stepped out of the cramped halls onto the open main deck, the cold wind hitting her like a runaway steam carriage. A lesser pony would have stumbled, but Celestia took it in stride, her mane and tail continuing to waft about gently in defiance of the gale.
Airponies and airdogs of a distinctly more mortal classification were bustling around the deck, secure lines lashed to their waists and anchor points sunk into the Corona’s frame. Equipment was being hastily battened down, unicorns taking their places in the gunhouses that lined the edge of the deck while the cannons were being readied below. When the action found the Corona, they’d be ready to repel it.
Above her, some fifty feet over the deck, the airship’s gas envelope crawled with pegasus airponies and a few flight capable diamond dog mages. The envelope’s netting was being tightened and reinforced while the mages saw to the enormous aether rings that provided the ship’s primary propulsion. Runes glowed a bright scarlet against the silvery steel, gathering power from the ley lines of energy that traveled deep below the mountains. Unlike the standard fitting of rings, the Corona boasted two extra that made her among the fastest ships in all of Equestria or any other nation. The rings likewise had several smaller spars that reached out, away from the envelope that collected and moved air around it, like a shield, making precision targeting next to impossible. Additionally, there were two hardened containers—small armored bunkers really—on the port and starboard sides of the aether rings that protected the experimental and highly secretive drives that gave the Corona her greatest combat assets; the ability to open teleport gates without the need of a strong ley line.
Celestia rounded the airship’s wheelhouse, heading for the aft and glanced up at the one drive she could see. Besides everything else bad with being stopped by the minotaurs, letting the drives fall into their hands was not something she was willing to let happen. The deck here narrowed to little more than a walkway which was thankfully clear of other crew and allowed Celestia passage.
The strip of deck and railing curved around the back of the wheelhouse and unto a recess that was barely large enough for two ponies. The small ledge shielded the two ponies that were there already from the bulk of the tearing wind currents. Both airponies were pegasi with bright coats and glossy feathers, hoof picked for this very position. Their large wings were visible at a long distance on a clear day, and the position they held their wings in would telegraph messages to other ships or flying units.
When Celestia rounded the corner, the semaphore ponies were rapidly opening and closing their wings, changing position and sending the commonly recognized message for “friendly; do not fire.”
One of the ponies, a mare with bright blue fur and a shock of rainbow-colored hair, acknowledged her with a nod of her head.
“Princess,” the pony’s voice rasped loud against the wind, her wings moving in fluid, precise movements, “the pursuing vessel has not responded to our messages. They might not be close enough to see us clearly, but they’re gaining on us fast.”
“Any sign of weapons movement?” Celestia hooked her hoof on the edge of the railing and leaned forward so she didn’t have to shout. “I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if they make a show of force, but they cannot be allowed to halt our mission here.”
“Hard to say, your Majesty. We’re in the mountain’s shadow here, and they’re in the glare. I can make out some movement, but I can’t make out any flags or lights that might be a communique.” The mare flicked her wings in a new pattern, changing her message to a peaceful hail request. “If you think it’d be faster, I could swoop over there and ask them to let us go.”
“No point in leaving you behind, even if they stand down.” Celestia smirked. “I wouldn’t want to leave anypony in the minotaurs’ custody while we deal with another threat.”
“You wouldn’t leave me behind!” The air-pony brayed with laughter, her wings slowing down slightly. “I’m the fastest flier in the entire force! I hold the record for top aerial speed and maneuverability!”
The Princess raised her eyebrow, eyeing the pony critically. “Oh? I thought I still held that honor?” Celestia’s smirk turned competitive. “No one informed me that my old records had been beaten.”
“Oh! Uh...er...the non-alicorn record, ma’am.”
“What’s your name, soldier?”
“Rainbow Dash, Air-pony First Class!”
Dash could totally make it over there and back no problem. Even if they gave her trouble.
7570008
hopefully they won't have a need to test that theory out...
The Corona is one of the fastest ships yet another one is gaining on them really fast? Does the list of "fastest ships" include ones that are twice as fast as others on the list?
7571676
At the point when she says this, the Corona isn't moving under it's own power. After teleporting, essentially blindly, in the direction Luna pointed, they've been trying to get their bearings. They're not moving because there was a fire below decks and that had to be put out before they could get underway.
So while Luna and Celestia were having their chat in the Captain's quarters, the Minotaur ship spotted the Corona and has been closing on them at full speed this whole time. I probably should have explained that they weren't moving a bit better. I hope that clears it up for you.
7571926
Yup, sure does. Thanks. Hopefully they are able to get underway before the Mintotaur ship gets into striking range.
Have no fear Rainbow Dadh is here! Awesome chapter.
Huh, so there's Dash. So far we've seen Fluttershy as well, AJ's probably on the farm, that just leaves Pinkie and Rarity that we need to figure out where they are in this universe. At least I think, anyway, it's been a long time since I read the first book and the bulk of this one in the TwiDance collab.
I'm super stoked to see that you're still updating this Fuzzy, I only just now realized that there were two chapters that I hadn't read before. Was a happy surprise for me.
7722370
And there will be a new one tomorrow. I finished it up last night.
As for the mane6, I have them all in there in more or less the right places:
Fluttershy: physical therapist/nurse/care taker for Luna. In my mind that's not too much of a step from the same thing but for animals.
Rainbow Dash: airpony in the Royal Navy. Her need to be flashy and paid attention too is fed by her being a living semaphore and handling communications, plus her speed lets her ferry messages back forth really easily.
Rarity: she's a seamstress, but she hasn't had a scene (yet), she works in Canterlot for the Royal Sisters, and Spike still has a crush on her. He just hasn't had the opportunity/guts to say anything to her about it. She WAS mentioned once or twice in Book One, so I don't blame you for not recalling.
Pinkie Pie: probably won't get a real scene herself, but I have plans for Pinks to be there at the end. Winning against these odds would kinda call for an awesome party. I might, and this is a big "might", have a thing planned to show how Celestia and Luna faked out the original changeling assassin back in Book One. If I get around to writing it, then Pinkie, AJ and Rarity would at least show up there in some fashion.
Applejack: pretty much like you guessed, AJ's on the farm most of the time. She sales Sweet Apple Acres products in Canterlot and drives this big steampunk/arcanepunk truck that doubles as her stall when she's at market. Like Pinkie, she'll likely be in the background near the end of the story. Or she might also show up in that flashback with Celestia dodging the assassin.
7722533
Woo! That makes me very happy to read :3
Ok, yeah, all of that makes a lot of sense and is fitting for their characters. I am ridiculously happy that all of them are still following who they are in your world. There are many authors that choose to screw the girls over for the sake of screwing them over.
I still love your take on everypony in this. Celestia and Luna, in particular. I always enjoy when the both of them get to be back-to-back badasses while they banter. Twilight being her standard nerdy self with extra confidence is always a treat to see too.
7722613
See, in my mind, this is what makes or breaks an AU story. You have to be faithful to the characters so that they can still be recognizable as themselves. Details can be played with, but if you mess with the core of the character, the character really isn't the same. Playing them all out the same way helps too, helps keep the AU internally consistent.
All the changes I've made have been in service of that: Equestria is different because X, so the characters have been affected by X in the same way and therefore feel as if they belong in this version of Equestria. I screw that up from time to time, but hopefully, in my constant re-reading and referencing of the earlier chapters, I can catch most of them before post.
7722643
Mmhm, yeah, I agree. There are loads of AUs out there that I really enjoy the premise of, but the characters can tend to be In Name Only. Usually only with one or two characters that the author/ess happens to have a hate on for, so they flanderize them. But for me, at least; if I can't see the character in the show taking that action in the world they are presented in, then it's not that character any longer. When that happens, I really can't lose myself in the story. Oftentimes, I can't even continue past that chapter.
You do fine, your stuff flows together very well. I think I have to take on the habit of reading and re-reading my own stuff as well before I post. I have a bad habit of powering through a short story to get it out of my head and not bothering to do more than a spell and grammar check.