26-Love of the Night
Chapter 26
It was time.
It had taken a whole week. One whole week of moving arms, injured, and every ship in the Armada, but now it was finally time.
Everypony that was ready to fight had been loaded into the many airships that now dotted the Equestrian sky. The tanks were secured and ready for voyage, numerous fruits and vegetables, including sizeable donations from both the Appleloosa and Sweet Apple Acre orchards, had been stored away, and the remaining prisoners had been secured.
Although, with the recent news of Ironclaw’s actions, none of them seemed willing to leave.
The airships, many of which were recently bought air yachts with fish-shaped envelopes, hovered over Baltimare’s Horseshoe Bay, silently floating amongst the clouds, leaving a plethora of colors splashing across the sky. Reds, yellows, blues and purples marked the twenty-four ships that were now ready to leave.
“H.M.S. Celestia’s Harmony, checking in!” a voice said, crackling over the communication network.
“The Lady’s Knight is go, sir!”
“The Thundering Outlaw, checking in!”
“The Sisters’ Jewel is ready, sir!”
Alan listened quietly as everything from The Steel Crossbow, to the H.M.S. Armorer slowly checked in. He stood at the helm of the Ira Solaris, dressed only in his sword belt and his hat, which now sported a large feather in the band.
He was finally going to live all those pirate fantasies.
Next to him stood Twilight, who had taken off her armor as well, mostly just to let her breathe, although she still wore the circlet to keep her in touch with the network. On his other side stood both Prince Ironblood and Shieldhide.
With the last ship checking in, Alan took a deep breath.
It was time.
The Ira shined in her namesake star, the beams of sunlight glinting off her gold, copper, and brass bands, making her glow like a fiery gem. Which only seemed fitting since, by definition, the flagship should be the jewel in the crown that is the Armada.
Ponies scrambled across the deck, making a final check on the riggins while those below deck finished securing the cannons.
It was finally time.
For the first time since Alan’s arrival, he was going to leave it behind.
Admittedly, he was still going to be in the same plane of existence, but still.
He took one more breath before he spoke. “Alright, ponies, let’s move! All ships, set course for 82.3 degrees East. Keep a speed of sixty knots. Keep an eye on your riggings and your envelopes. If everything goes as planned, we’ll get there in about two weeks.”
“Roger that,” came the chorus of answers.
The giant propellers began to hum and spin as the massive galleons began to move forward. Before long, the other ships followed, and Alan could only watch wistfully as the last bit of Equestrian land passed underneath him.
It was time to take this war to their land.
<<<|Ω|>>>
Ironclaw woke the next day. He was hungry, cold, and tired.
But the prince was dead.
He sighed, and forced himself up. The ship rocked beneath him, and he took a moment to settle his stomach. He never really liked ships.
His stomach growled, and he began moving to the galley, hoping that maybe there was just enough food for one more meal.
As he exited the Captain’s Quarters, though, he was met with an unexpected and dangerous sight.
The entire crew was waiting for him.
The seven captains of the massive ships merely stood around him, forming a half circle of what could be his death.
It was a mutiny.
“What is the meaning of this?” Ironclaw asked, knowing full well what it was.
The griffin in the middle spoke up. “We just got word, they’re following us.”
Silence.
The leftmost griffin spoke. “And we’ve come to a decision.”
“Have you?”
“The Pendragon wants you,” another captain said.
“If we hand you over, they may let us go.”
Ironclaw could feel the griffins tense. They were expecting resistance, a fight. But Ironclaw was a general and, more importantly, a politician.
He laughed.
Confusion broke out amongst the griffins as their leader cackled.
“Idiots!” Markus laughed. “Fools! Do you really think they’ll stop chasing you if you give them me? After watching you kill their friends on the battlefield, after watching you execute the prisoners, after watching you stain your talons with blood?” He laughed again. “No, fools. They will not stop. They will hunt you down as much as me. They will not stop until they have us either dead or bound. And after what you just did to our prisoners, I doubt you’ll wish to find yourselves at their mercy.”
“It was your fault; it was under your orders!” someone cried.
“But who did the deed!?” Ironclaw shouted back. “‘I was just following orders’ isn’t a good enough excuse in their eyes. Ponies don’t think like that! They will hold you accountable! You cannot save yourselves by giving them me.” The general smirked, before holding out his talons. “But you are welcome to try.”
Silence.
“No?” Ironclaw asked. “Then get back to work!”
The griffons scattered, and the captains went to move.
“A-ta-ta,” Ironclaw chided. “Not you.”
The seven captains froze.
“Do you know what happens to mutineers?” the general asked.
<<<|Ω|>>>
It had been four days, and the Equestrian Armada was making good time.
Alan stood behind the helm, humming a tune and watching the ponies on deck with interest. “No, it’s not that,” he mumbled before whispering the music lyrics under his breath.
“What’s not it?” a voice asked behind him, and he turned to see Twilight standing behind him.
Alan smiled. “Well, have you ever noticed that whenever you sing a song, other ponies will randomly jump in for seemingly no reason?”
Twilight blinked. “What?”
“You haven’t noticed? It happened at the Gala.”
“What did?”
Alan smiled bigger. “Just watch.” The white unicorn cleared his throat and, holding tight to the mast began to bellow.
“Oh, what do you do with a drunken sailor?
What do you do with a drunken sailor?
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Ear-ly in the mornin’?
Oh, what do you do with a drunken sailor?
What do you do with a drunken sailor?
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Ear-ly in the mornin’?”
Twilight merely raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was doing until she suddenly heard the sailors on deck respond.
“Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!”
Alan spoke up again.
“Put him in a long-boat ‘till he’s sober!
Put him in a long-boat ‘till he’s sober!
Put him in a long-boat ‘till he’s sober,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!
Keep him in the long-boat and make him bale her!
Keep him in the long-boat and make him bale her!
Keep him in the long-boat and make him bale her,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!"
And the sailors answered.
“Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!”
“Give 'im a dose of salt and water!
Give 'im a dose of salt and water!
Give 'im a dose of salt and water,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!
Heave him by the leg with a running bowline!
Heave him by the leg with a running bowline!
Heave him by the leg with a running bowline,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!”
“Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!”
“Shave his belly with a rusty razor!
Shave his belly with a rusty razor!
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!
“Soak him in oil till he sprouts a flipper!
Soak him in oil till he sprouts a flipper!
Soak him in oil till he sprouts a flipper,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!”
“Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises!
Way Hey and up she rises,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!”
Alan smirked before finishing the song.
“That’s what you do with a drunken sailor!
That’s what you do with a drunken sailor!
That’s what you do with a drunken sailor,
Ear-ly in the mornin’!”
And then, as if nothing had happened, the sailors went back to their business.
Twilight blinked. “W-what just happened?”
Alan smirked, “I’m calling it ‘The Gala Effect.’ Apparently, if someone sings a couple of words to any song loud enough, others will subconsciously join in, even if they have no previous knowledge of the song or its lyrics.”
Twilight blinked again. “And...and we..I-I think I need to lie down.”
Alan pushed her close with a mana-hand and gave her a kiss. “You do that, I’ll be here.”
Twilight smiled, nuzzling him. “You’re not helping.”
Alan shrugged. “Nopony’s perfect. Luckily, half of me is not a pony.”
Twilight laughed. “Yeah, and you’re humble too.”
Alan chuckled.
<<<|Ω|>>>
The griffon ships made landfall.
“Move, maggots! Move!” Ironclaw yelled.
He had to move. With the news of the ponies following, he knew he had to begin to get his army back into shape. So, first things first, he needed to get supplies.
His eyes turned back to the sea.
He saw the eyes of the Pendragon glaring at him.
“Move! Hells claim you, move!
<<<|Ω|>>>
A week had passed, and Alan had very quickly learned the ponies really did need room to run.
The cabin fever had hit them hard. Earth ponies and unicorns were quick to perform the same boring tasks repeatedly just to get their mind off things. Tying, untying, and then re-tying the rigging seemed to be a favorite. The only ones that were not drastically affected seemed to be the pegasi, who periodically took flight and moved between ships.
The anxiousness had been rough on the ponies, and Alan didn’t need to read Sun Tzu to know that it was bad for morale.
“Watch it, punk!” a pony growled, as another tried to trip her with his tail.
Maybe ponies were naturally irritable. After all, Alan still couldn’t forget that week where Pinkie went back to her home on the Rock Farm. After the first few days, everypony had gotten on everypony else’s case, almost as if they had a bunch of attitude problems, and nothing better to do than make everyone’s life miserable.
Of course, this line of thought did present an answer. “General Pie!” he called from the helm. “General Pie!”
“Sir!” the armored mare answered, poking her head out from the hatch to below deck, saluting where she stood.
“My office!”
“Yes, sir!” she said, before bounding towards him.
Alan shook his head as he descended the stairs, watching as she did her Pepe le Pu-esque jump into his quarters. Alan quickly followed behind, and shut the door.
“What's the dealy-o, Alan-o?”
“Firstly, don’t call me Alan-o.”
“Aw.”
“Secondly, I have a mission for you.”
“A mission?” Pinkie asked, her head tilting to one side in confusion while her eyes went wide in excitement.
“Yup. A secret mission of the utmost importance.”
“Ooh! That’s my favorite kind of mission!” she cheered, hopping in place.
“Well, Pinkie,” Alan said with a smile, “trust me, it’s only going to get better.”
<<<|Ω|>>>
Vinyl Scratch wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.
It reminded her of her second nationwide tour.
There she was, minding her own business, when suddenly she was dragged to the side by Pinkie Pie of all ponies, dressed in a skin tight, black spandex suit while wearing night vision goggles, no less. She had instructed her to collect a hoof-ful of the most “secretive-ly musical-ly” ponies she knew.
Again, Vinyl wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that, but she guessed that it meant those who were musically talented and could keep their mouths shut.
“Where are we going again?” her coltfriend asked.
The only reason Neon was there was because she knew she could buy his silence with a few...favors...if need be.
“We need ponies who can play music,” Vinyl told him.
“I got that,” Neon answered, doing his best not to roll his eyes. “But why are we on this ship? I don’t know anypony who knows a sick beat here; who are we going to see?”
“Pinkie didn’t say ‘techno,’ she didn’t say ‘rock,’ she didn’t say ‘pop,’ and she didn’t say ‘dubstep.’ She said ‘music.’ By ‘music’ she could mean anything. Right now, I’m collecting every favor and contact I know in all the gigs I’ve done, just so we have all our bases covered.”
Neon nodded, before suddenly stopping. “Wait, you know some rock stars?”
“A few,” the DJ replied.
He gave her a look over his sunglasses.
“What?” she asked, returning the look.
“Did you sleep with any of them?” he deadpanned.
She rolled her eyes and kept walking. “Anyway, there’s a pegasus by the name of Snare Drum around here that should be able to provide us with a drummer.”
“Hey, Vinyl, I’m noticing you’re not answering my question.”
She continued down her list. “There’s also a guitarist somewhere on The Silver Phoenix, a pony who calls himself ‘Epic Riffs,’—”
“Vinyl?”
“—his actual name is G String, but he had it changed for obvious reasons.”
“How do you know that?”
“After that, there’s one more pony I want to talk to.”
“Vinyl?” Neon asked again.
She still didn’t answer him. Instead, she led with a smile on her face. She could let him stew a little longer...
<<<|Ω|>>>
Octavia took one last look in the hallway.
No one.
It had taken her days to find this small closet, a janitor’s storeroom that no one visited. She had spent hours on end checking and double checking this spot alone, just to make sure that nopony had any particular interest in it.
Finally, she was sure. Ducking inside the small space, she closed the door behind her, careful not to slam it and gather attention. She couldn’t afford someone looking around for a noise.
She pressed her ear against the door, listening intently for a few minutes before a smile passed across her lips.
Alone at last.
Reaching into her saddlebags, she almost reverently removed two pieces of plastic. She quickly prepared them, setting the two on the floor while the long wire that emerged from it hung in her hoof.
If someone caught her, she’d never live it down.
She quickly fell into the rhythm, her head bobbing up and down in time.
It was just so good.
Suddenly the door slammed open. “Hey Tavi! Ya in here!?”
Octavia jumped, screeching, a blush of shame erupting on her cheeks as she stared at the white unicorn with the electric blue mane that had caught her.
Vinyl Scratch blinked, before she picked up the Walkpony CD player and the empty disc case in her magical grasp.
“Sound Storm by Epicz,” she said, reading the title of the CD.
“It’s not what it looks like!” Octavia cried. “I’m merely...educating myself! Yes! I’m learning about all the different ways I hate dubstep!”
Vinyl began to smile.
“Honest! It’s trash! I regret spending the bits on that stupid piece of garbage! It reeks of tastelessness! The only good side to listening to that refuse is that now I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that his music, if you can call it that, is the absolute lowest common denominator amongst a genre that was already mocking the word ‘art!’”
Vinyl looked over her glasses, smiling. “And the reason why you dropped 80 bits on the autographed, special edition CD with VIP backstage pass for the Epic Tour of Equestria?”
Octavia blinked. “I...I...” she sighed.
She had been caught. Exposed! Revealed! It was only a matter of time before the ridicule began.
“Yeah, Epicz is nice and all, but personally I’ve always prefered Clopin’s Nocturnes.”
Octavia’s eyes jumped open and she looked her friend in her purple-veiled eyes.
Tavi blinked. “You’re kidding. You have to be.”
Vinyl only smiled. “Wish I was, Tavi, wish I was. Because if I was, I’d be able to hold this over your head forever. But...well...let’s just say that my basement is excellent blackmail material.”
Octavia blinked.
And then she smiled.
The mares broke into giggles as their secrets were revealed. Overall, it was much less painful than either of them had thought.
<<<|Ω|>>>
Twilight sighed as she read.
Alan had told her about the cabin fever epidemic, but that did not make it any less effective. She still had an incredible urge to walk off the boat, but that would be a stupid thing to do for obvious reasons.
She sighed again as her head hit the book. Even reading wasn’t helping any.
Her ear twitched.
What was that? she thought.
Her ear twitched again, and she stood up. It sounded like it was coming outside.
She crossed her room and opened the door, listening intently to the hum that now permeated the air around her.
Ponies all along the hallway stood still, each also listening.
Then a beat started. Dum, dum, dum, dum.
The sound made the ship vibrate under their hooves, and the ponies collectively began working their way to the top deck.
The sight that met them left them speechless. On the back end of the ship, just before reaching the poop deck, was a massive table. On each side of the table there were massive speakers and behind it, a mare and a stallion stood. On one side of the table stood a guitarist and a drummer, and on the other stood a cellist mare. Lasers of blue, yellow, and red flashed in the sky, outlining the mint green unicorn mare at the front.
Then she began to sing.
“One for the money,
Two for the show,
Three to get ready,
And four to go!
Five for the fans,
Six for the screams,
Seven for the music,
Eight for the dreams.
Nine for Vinyl Scratch,
Who brings us the wubs,
Ten for Octavia,
With the Classical dub.
Eleven for Epic Riffs,
Bringing the rocker heat,
Twelve for Snare Drum,
With the wicked sick beat!
Thirteen’s Neon Lights,
Who’s gonna give you a show,
And my name’s Lyra Heartstrings,
And we’re ready to go!”
Suddenly, there was an explosion of sound. Guitar riffs and cello strings mixed perfectly while the drummer and Vinyl’s own beat blended to perfection.
By this point, ponies were piling onto the deck, looking for the source of the sound.
The magical lights of MC W!sh glanced across the deck, lighting the deck in greens, blues, and reds.
Other ships began to notice, and pegasi began to gather around the Ira to see what was going on.
Many of the smaller yachts began to pull alongside the ship, while the larger ones sent a few lifeboats out to see what was going on.
The six ponies continued to play, the mix of dubstep and rock ringing in the ears of the audience.
Twilight blinked.
“What do you think!?” someone shouted next to her.
She turned and saw Alan, wearing his hat tilted forward so it almost fell over his eyes, and a dark cloth over his withers. He looked surprisingly dark tonight.
“What’s going on!?” she yelled.
“Raising morale!” Alan answered.
“Where did you get all this stuff!?” she asked.
“Pinkie!”
Well, that certainly explained some things.
“Just wait!” Alan shouted, before heading up to the stage. “Things are going to get better!”
And then he just disappeared from view.
“Alan!” she called.
He didn’t hear her.
The song began to wind down, and as it did, no one notice Neon Lights plug in Alan’s small, flat, music device into the speakers.
The Elements of Harmonics, as the small band called themselves, finished their song, and immediately began to glow in the applause.
And then, another song started.
No one seemed to be playing, but nonetheless, it began. As it did, four ponies made their way in front of the performers.
Spotlights hit them, revealing Pinkie, Surprise, Soarin, and Alan.
“Stamp on the Ground!
Jump, jump, jump, jump!”
The began to dance, jumping around on their hind legs as though they were born on them.
Soon, the ponies in the audience began to join in.
“Stamp on the Ground!
Jump, jump, jump, jump!
Move it all around!
Tap-da-da da!”
Ponies lined up, each supporting his neighbor as they formed a massive can-can line.
Soarin suddenly took center stage, taking Pinkie in his hooves. He spun her with gusto, dancing before the audience in a strange combination of a waltz, the tango, and club jumping.
Soarin suddenly dipped the pink earth pony and went for a rather deep kiss, which only made the audience scream in approval.
Twilight shook her head.
And then, before she knew it, the song was done, and the pegasi and earth ponies had vacated, leaving only Alan on the stage.
His horn began to glow, and, as a new song began to start, an odd looking, horned helmet made of hard-mana formed on his head. “Fillies and Gentlecolts!” he said. “It’s time to party, nerd style!”
And then the next song began.
Twilight only really recognized it because Alan had shown it to her once, it was called the Skyrim Remix or something like that.
The song began to thud in the oak wood of the deck, and ponies began to pair off to dance.
Except Twilight, who was suddenly picked up by the yellow-maned Wonderbolt. “Surprise!” she said with giggle, before suddenly dropping the unicorn on the stage.
Twilight went wide eyed as she suddenly stood before hundreds of ponies.
Now, Twilight was not normally one to get stage fright, but this!? She would never be heard over the thundering music, she could hardly see the audience, and worst of all, she didn’t have any flash cards!
Before she could mentally bemoan the lack of easy-to-reach notes, Alan had swooped her up, and she suddenly found herself dancing across the stage.
Spinning her around, Alan suddenly gripped her forelegs, now facing him, she saw that smile. That smile that said he was going to do something, and he was going to enjoy it, come Tartarus or high water.
"May I have this dance?" he asked, the universe all but placing a rose between his teeth.
Despite herself, she smiled, “Like I can say no on stage.”
Alan smiled back before spinning her again. The two danced on the stage, performing for the entire army as the techno version of the Skyrim theme shuddered through the deck of the great flying galleon.
Twilight was almost dizzy when the song finally ended.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts!” Alan yelled. “Are you not entertained!?”
The crowd roared in answer.
“Well it gets better!”
Suddenly, Pinkie and Soarin rolled three massive kegs onto the deck.
“Straight from the Sweet Apple Acres Secret Stash, we have the best cider ya ever did taste!”
The crowd erupted.
“Be sure to thank General Applejack, on the way out!”
A massive “Thanks!” suddenly burst from every equine mouth as they rushed the massive barrels.
“And for those that need a beat, this music’s going to be playing all night long!”
Sure enough, another techno beat pounded from the speakers behind him, and then just like that, Alan had Twilight by the fetlocks, and once again they were dancing manically.
“Luna won’t you cry for me,
I’m as lonely as I’ve ever been,
I am force-ed back into the start,
Is there anyway to fix a broken heart?”
Admittedly, if any of the ponies watching were more familiar with human dancing, they would have recognized that the two on stage actually looked kind of stupid, comparatively. Luckily, they were all rather familiar with pony dancing, and a pony dancing on his hind legs for that long was very much equivalent to the Michael Jackson slide combined with the worm.
Suddenly, two mana-hands picked her up by the forelegs, and she was bodily lifted into the air. A few more hands appeared and they began to pass her to each other, weaving her through the air.
She flew forward and backwards, turning in such elegant curves that, had she been on the ground, and not fearing for her life, she would have been rather impressed.
Then, just as the song was ending, Alan brought her down, upside down until they were nose to nose.
He smirked.
And despite the nagging part of her brain that told her she could have died just then, she smiled back.
It was...fun.
And with that thought in mind, she kissed him, while still hanging upside down.
The crowd roared in approval.
And the night was just beginning.
<<<|Ω|>>>
Thunderlane sipped at some cool cider.
Man, the Apples had been holding out on them.
Ponies were still swarming the barrels, and the dark pegasus wasn’t sure there would be much left before long.
“Every time!” shouted a cyan mare above him.
He looked up to see a very annoyed Rainbow Dash hovering above him. “Hey, Dash, what’s the problem?” he asked, getting her attention.
She landed with a huff, crossing her forelegs angrily. “Every time there’s cider I get left out! By the time I get up there, it’s gone.”
Thunderlane raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t there some now?”
“No, those barrels are empty already, there just having trouble letting everypony know.”
“Wow...that went fast,” Thunderlane said.
“Story of my life,” Rainbow grumbled.
Thunderlane’s eyes wandered down to the mostly-full stein in his hoof.
She did save my life...
Taking one quick, last sip, Thunderlane handed her the mug. “Here, take it.”
Dash’s mouth dropped. “What?”
“Take it,” Thunderlane repeated.
Dashie smiled. “Yes!” she cried, jumping into the air. She landed suddenly, ripping the mug from his hooves and guzzled the liquid faster than you could say hard cider.
Which, in fact, it was.
Coincidentally, Dashie had never been able to hold her liquor.
“Thank you so much!” she said, before kissing his cheek.
“Uh...sure...a-anytime,” he muttered, desperately hiding the blush on his cheeks.
“Hey, do you want to dance?”
“Huh?” Thunderlane asked, but that’s about as far as he got before Dash had dragged him over to the massive dancefloor.
That night, neither of them were entirely sure what happened. But they would both agree, for many years to come, that it was the start of something beautiful.
<<<|Ω|>>>
Another song ended, and still, Twilight and Alan held their audience.
They applauded again, absolutely loving watch their leaders dance.
Alan held her up, giving strength to her weary hind legs, before bringing them both down for a bow.
Then another song started up, opening with a simple guitar.
Alan smiled, “So they got into my Owl City collection, huh?”
“What?” Twilight asked.
He smiled at her again before saying, “Just follow my lead.”
“So there we were, back home from somewhere inside my head
Oh, bravely I fought off the monsters beneath her bed
Pillars of postwar books supported by frame of mind
While she memorized the pages that I tried to not hide behind”
As he sang, he pantomimed the words, Twilight quickly caught on.
“She took my hand in hers and whispered her love for me
The lantern died that night but we didn't need to see
Implying that she's the bee's knees and I am the cat's meow
It's funny how she recalls what I can't remember now
But when her smile came back and I didn't feel half as horrible
She gave me a heart attack just because she looked so adorable
We both put our sunblock on, played on the beach and vowed that we'd live and we'd learn
Yeah, but she got a tan, and I got a sunburn
I got a sunburn
So there we were out there, unaware of where we'd been
We kicked off our flipflops and swung from the rooftops again
It's awkward but I'll confess she's all I can think about
And it's funny how I recall what she can't remember now
But when her smile came back and I didn't feel half as horrible
She gave me a heart attack just because she looked so adorable
We both put our sunblock on, played on the beach and vowed that we'd live and we'd learn
Yeah, but she got a tan, and I got a sunburn”
Alan picked her up again, and they began to slowly circle each other in a ballroom-esque dance.
“Oh, afterglow, look out below
We left a trail of dust behind
As we parted ways, she held my gaze
And left an imprint on my mind
I tried not to cry as we said goodbye
And hung the clouds above my town
But I shed a tear when she disappeared
Cause now I'm a stranger on the ground
Alan let her go as the last chorus finished, just as another song started, and again, Alan acted it out.
“If you're the bird
Whenever we pretend it's summer
Then I'm the worm
I know the part, it's such a bummer
But fair is fair
If my segments get separated
I'll scream
And you'll be there.”
This time, Twilight stood still, unsure of how to act as Alan performed around her.
“Close your eyes
(Close my eyes)
Slide the cotton off of your shoulder
And feel the shine
(Feel the shine)
I'm hooked so toss me over,
And cast a line
(Well I'll try)
Oh throw a party and greet my undersea friends
(It depends)
As they arrive
(If they arrive)
You and I left our troubles far behind
(Troubles far behind)
But I still have just one more question on my mind
For all my pals who live in all the oceans and the seas
With friends like these, well, who needs enemies?”
Alan pranced around her.
“If I'm your boy
Let's take a shortcut we remember
And we'll enjoy
Pickin' apples in late September
Like we've done for years
Then we'll take a long walk through the cornfield
And I'll kiss you between the ears.”
He quickly kissed her forehead.
“If you're my girl
Swirl me around your room with feeling
And as we twirl
The glow in the dark stars on your ceiling
Will shine for us
As love sweeps over the room
Cause we tend to make each other blush
(You make me blush)
You and I left our troubles far behind
(Troubles far behind)
But I still have just one more question on my mind
For all my pals who live in all the oceans and the seas
With fronds like these, well who needs anemones?
You're the bird, I'm the worm,
And it's plain to see
That we were meant to be."
As the song finished, Alan ended with a flourish, and again the crowd shouted their approval.
Then deep snare drum erupted behind them from the speakers, and an unseen voice began to sing.
“Dementia, you're driving me crazy
This is driving me crazy,
Dementia, dementia”
Alan smirked, before singing along.
“Every light in the night flickered in and out
Every bone in my back shivered up and down
Keep the pace just in case all the magic dies
'Cause this is driving me crazy
Every voice in my head shouted 'yes' and 'no'
Every freight train of thought fought to stop and go
Keep the pace just in case all the magic dies
'Cause this is driving me crazy
Big surprise, I'm a ghost keeping out of sight
Rub your eyes, you're a star in a summer night
This is love, this is war, it's insanity
Dementia, you're driving me crazy.”
Alan picked up Twilight, who for a second wasn’t sure whether or not she should be insulted that the song was essentially calling her a mental condition.
“Every tear in my eyes dripped and wouldn't drop
Every disc in my spine shook and couldn't stop
Keep the pace just in case all the magic dies
'Cause this is driving me crazy
Every hand let me go that I tried to hold
Every warm-hearted love left me freezing cold
Keep the pace just in case all the magic dies
'Cause this is driving me crazy
Big surprise, I'm a ghost keeping out of sight
Rub your eyes, you're a star in a summer night
This is love, this is war, it's insanity
Dementia, you're driving me crazy
This is driving me crazy
(You're driving me crazy)
'Cause this is driving me crazy
Big surprise, I'm a ghost keeping out of sight
Rub your eyes, you're a star in a summer night
This is love, this is war, it's insanity
Dementia, dementia”
Alan tossed her in that air, where she was caught by a massive mana hand.
“Through the skies you're en route at the speed of light
So realize there's chaos in the air tonight
This is love, this is war, this is pure insanity
Dementia, you're driving me crazy
This is driving me crazy
Dementia, you're driving me crazy
'Cause this is driving me crazy
Dementia, you're driving me crazy”
The mana-hand set Twilight down, and they both gave a human-like bow, to which the crowd cheered and whistled.
“I think they like us!” Alan shouted.
Suddenly, a familiar heavy bass string started to play.
The two star unicorns looked back towards Vinyl’s turntable before looking back at each other.
“One more?” Alan asked.
“One more,” Twilight answered a smile on her face.
“So why don’t you come with me?
Take a trip to the other side.
Where you, you and I, we can sing, we can fly
We can dance as the stars go by.”
Again, they took up the ballroom dance stance, spinning slowly as if they were in a waltz.
“And if the heavens should open up
With a vision inside Jah love
The earth and the moon and the sun will align
With the voice from the sky above, one love.”
And then they began to slowly rise in the air, a silver platform underneath their hooves.
“So come on and shine with me
Like the beautiful star you are
So come on and shine with me
Shine with me.
Float through the sky and look through my eyes
And then you will see what happens
Nowhere to hide, look deep down inside
In life you must take your chances
And come with me
And you will see
My love is like
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
And come with me
And you will see
One love”
The began to hover out, off the port side of the ship.
“So come on and shine with me
Like the beautiful star you are
And leave it behind with me
'Cause forever is not that far
So come on and shine with me
Like the beautiful star you are
And leave it behind with me
Shine with me.”
There they hung, on a single silver platform hundreds of feet above the ocean.
"Shine on, shine on, shine on, one love
Shine on, shine on, shine on, one love
Shine on, shine on, shine on, one love
Shine on, shine on, shine on, one love”
Alan smiled as he looked his dear Twilight in the eyes. “Shall we shine for them, my dear?”
“So come on and shine with me
Like the beautiful star you are
And leave it behind with me
'Cause forever is not that far
So come on and shine with me
Like the beautiful star you are
And leave it behind with me
And shine with me
Shine with me, shine with me!”
As the last words of the song played, Twilight’s horn began to glow, and there was a sudden, bright flash of light.
When the light faded, all that was there was Alan’s silver platform, which slowly faded from existence.
<<<|Ω|>>>
On top of the massive white balloon, two figures gazed up at the sky. One, a black and white stallion, the other, a lavender mare.
“That one,” Alan said, pointing to a w-shaped constellation, “is Cassiopeia, the woman who was so vain, the gods placed her in the sky upside down. And that one,” he said, tracing out a vaguely y-shaped constellation, “is Perseus. He’s famous for beheading the Gorgon Medusa, a being so terrifyingly hideous that looking at her face would turn a man to stone.”
Twilight shook her head. “Amazing,” she muttered. Alan looked over at her, and she sat up to explain. “I can’t believe, that despite being a totally different dimension, we both lived under the same night sky.”
Alan smirked. “Not quite.”
Twilight looked back at him.
“Equestria has one more star,” Alan explained. “a beauty of a star, really, the most beautiful of the stars, and easily the brightest.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Sirius?” she asked, “But I thought you said it was a part of Canis Major...”
“No, not Sirius.”
“But that’s the brightest star.”
“No,” Alan said, leaning in closer. “I have it on good authority that it’s not.”
“But it is!”
Alan smiled. “The brightest, most beautiful star in all of Equestria, is called Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight blinked, before realizing that Alan was not actually talking about the literal ‘brightest star,’ but was actually trying to be romantic.
She blushed, half in embarrassment for nearly derailing Alan’s sweet talk, as well as from the complement.
Alan didn’t care that much though. “You are Equestria’s brightest star,” he said, wrapping his forelegs around her barrel, “and you are all mine.”
Above them, the moon shone brightly, the moisture in the air causing an aurora, a ring of light surrounding the lunar sphere. A slight corona caused a barely-visible rainbow in the sky, and in that pale light, Twilight seemed to glow.
She turned to him, and as Alan gazed into her eyes, he saw the reflection of the entire sky staring back at him.
He smirked.
“What?” she asked.
“Just...you are my star, and in your eyes I can see all of the others. Every single one I see jealously glinting in the purple midnight of your eyes.”
Twilight blushed again. “C-charmer...”
Alan kissed her.
Twilight kissed back.
And very slowly, the kiss began to lengthen and deepen.
“Hey! There you guys are!” a voice interrupted.
The two broke the kiss to look at Rainbow Dash hovering nearby.
“Everypony’s been looking for you two,” the pegasus said, a slight slur in her words. “Ponies are saying you fell into the ocean.”
Alan sighed, clearly annoyed, which was lost on the slightly tipsy Dash. “We’re fine, and we’ll be down in a minute.”
“Alright, I’ll let everypony know!”
“Thanks, Dash.” Alan grumbled.
The pegasus was already gone though.
Alan sighed.
Twilight kissed his cheek. “Come on, we better get down there.”
“Yeah, yeah I guess we should.”
<<<|Ω|>>>
Morning dawned on the Equestrian fleet, and after a very late morning, the ponies were back up and running at full capacity.
“Mornin’ Shining,” Alan greeted.
“Morning,” Shining answered, a slight bite in his voice.
“What’s with you?” Alan asked.
“Where did you sleep last night?” Shining asked.
Alan gave him a confused look. “My room?”
“Where did Twilight sleep last night?”
“Her room...”
“Keep it that way.”
“Right...” Alan said before speaking into his communicator. “Hey RD.”
“What?” a voice groaned.
“OK, I know for a fact that you had one cup of cider; you are not hungover.”
“No...” came the groggy reply, “just tired.”
Alan rolled his eyes. “Look, I just need to get to the Vindicta, alright? Get a team ready.”
Rainbow Dash groaned. “Yes, sir...”
Alan shook his head.
<<<|Ω|>>>
The griffon prisoners stood before the Pendragon and their Prince.
The pony smiled before saying, “In about five days, we shall make landfall. You have that long to write to your loved ones. On the day we arrive, I will be sending one griffon to the Onyx Keep to meet with the King so that your letters will be delivered. Sadly, due to lack of resources, you will only have one page of parchment each.”
The prisoners smiled in return.
“Have an excellent day, Gentlegriffs,” Alan said.
As the griffons began to head below deck, the Prince quickly approached. “Pendragon, a moment, please.”
“Of course,” Alan answered.
“You are sending one of my men to deliver the letters?”
“Of course,” Alan answered. “If we sent a pegasus there’s a high chance that he won’t come back.”
“So who are you sending?” Ironblood asked.
Alan smiled.
<<<|Ω|>>>
Ironclaw could swear he had burst a vessel in his forehead.
It had taken them a week, a whole week, to finally arrive at the Onyx Keep.
He had a week head start, and then his soldiers seemed to be doing everything in their power to lose it.
It was a minor annoyance. As soon as the crown rested on his head, it wouldn’t matter anymore.
But finally he was back, the Prince was dead, and all he had to do was murder his idiot of a brother, who of course, wanted a report.
As the massive doors opened, the General slowly made his way up to the King.
Ironclaw made his way up to his brother Bloodfeather, who sat solemnly on his large throne.
There was not a vizier in sight.
“Where is my son?” Bloodfeather asked.
Ironclaw sighed. “Forgive me, my lord, but the ponies repelled us. We did not even come to the walls of Canterlot.”
Bloodfeather’s face was hard. “I remember much about Ironblood,” he said, looking down at his talons, “Strong, courageous, charismatic.”
Ironclaw raised an eyebrow. He was fairly certain his brother didn’t know that word.
“Fun loving, honorable. My son was many things.”
“A paragon of all these things, your majesty,” Ironclaw agreed mechanically.
“But do you know what I’ve just remembered recently?” the King asked, looking up at him.
Ironclaw made to answer when a new voice sounded.
“Hello, Uncle.”
Ironclaw’s blood froze in his veins.
From behind the throne came the Prince, laden with a pony saddle bag filled to the brim with letters. The scowl he wore on his face matched his father’s.
“I’ve been reminded that my son is a very fast flyer.”
Ironclaw did the only thing he could.
He said nothing.
--------------------------------
And the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Ironclaw’s plot revealed!
“You were right, DM, this chapter was Awesome!”
I told you.
“You did indeed.”
“More importantly, it had Owl City. Guys. Owl City.”
Next Chapter, negotiations are made, secrets revealed, and Judgement passed!
“Be sure to leave us the usual!”
And here’s the music!
See you next time.
Bye!
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And thus ended the war
This. Is. EPIC.
Well, first off let me say that it's nice seeing your descriptions growing and getting better. Keeping working on them!
The next bit was all the music. It was kinda nice to have some, but personally I felt like you kinda over did it a bit. Maybe only have a few parts to a couple of songs so we get the idea but not the whole thing. Not if you're going to have multiple songs at least, I found myself skipping ahead to the end of the music because I lost interest in all the music when it was just music. However, I did enjoy having some songs, again I think you had a good idea and just did a little too much. At least that's my feeling on it.
Also, I feel like you might want to clarify a little that the musicians are all on board the airships. You were using Pinkie Pie I was wondering if you were bringing them in from Equestira itself. Because of how you did the party scene with the "where'd you get all this?" and then had the answer be "Pinkie" I felt like due to how you use Pinkie and make her rather unpredictable it would help if you tried to be extra super duper clear with stuff when dealing with her (except for those times though that you WANT the reader to be confused by her.)
Glad to see Shining Armor keeping Alan in his place.
Oh, you might want to clarify just how far behind the ponies are from the retreating griffins and if they managed to gain ground on them. In my mind I saw them keeping the distance between that had been developed and then not losing ground and not gaining ground. However, seeing as how a certain griffin prince made it back before his uncle did, who had that two week advantage, I think really making it clear that the ponies had closed the gap would be helpful... because at the moment the prince just seems... like he can teleport he's so fast.
Also, when working with the revelation of the plot I feel like the situation is still salvageable for Ironclaw and it's not a deadest lost cause at this point. It might be a tough sell for him but I feel like it's very much doable. So please be careful with your overthrowing of Ironclaw and don't let him lose so easily. He's a tough old bastard that knows what he's doing... even if he's had a string of misfortune.
Ironclaw get's what he deserves, The Equestrians and the Griffins settle their dispute with each other after Ironclaw's death at the hands of the Pendragon, and everypony goes back to their regularly scheduled ass-kickery of a show.
I'm right right? Yeah. I'm right. 
Hopefully.
The amount of shit about to hit the fan is disturbing to say the very lest. Good chapter
BUCK YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
Suck it Ironclaw. I've been waiting to damn log for that moment, but IT WAS WORTH IT.
Wait, what? Since when was Alan a pony?
...I don't think I skimmed any chapters...
2300513 This? It seems like par for the course to me--especially given that DM is talking about an Equestrian party. Take a look at this example if you don't believe me.
Nicely done, DungeonMiner! Please keep up the good work, for however much longer this tale lasts!
2300597 lol well you did it's in chapter 19 lol
2300669
Oh wow, really? Huh...guess I just forgot about it.
2300597 He's been a pony for a while now... since the end of chapter 19.
2300597 He's been a pony for, oh, over half a dozen chapters. I forget the transformation chapter exactly.
As for Ironclaw, hoo-boy-oh-boy. Buddy you really shouldn't have relied on a plan to get power that requires invading another country. Should have arranged a hunting accident for the Prince, hired an assassin with a middleman, slipped poison into his meal, something, anything else. But going to war, hoping the Prince dies in battle or from a placed assassin who can die in the combat? Oh dear lord, he's a Smug Snake. Not as smart as he thinks.
Oh he is smart, but more 'normal guy' smart, not 'master tactician' smart.
I think that this is my favorite chapter that didn't involve any fighting. Especially the part with the Bird and The Worm. I could totally picture that happening.
There should be more metal
I mean duh who don´t like metal?
But whatever the chapter entertaining^^ I had to laugh at he end
That's a good one liner from the king. Its simple and to the point, yet you still get the feeling of just how screwed Ironclaw is...
The mental images this chapter brought me was awesome. Sometimes I hate thinking in pictures since I have no control of what I see, but you made me enjoy every single moment of this chapter
Just had to say this, but that music scene man... stamp on the ground is the song I learned to dance hardstyle to. Great memories, only made the scene even better.
I just knew this chapter would be full of singing. Don't ask me how, I just knew.
I see someone is about to be completely and utterly buttfucked by a certain king dude...
Im not sure uf i should be happy or sorry for that dumb bastard
2300513
You make some good points.
I was thinking about cutting out some of the verses of the music, but I wasn't entirely sure I should just because of Owl City's singing style. What with his puns and alternate meanings, etc.
The only musicians on board and Vinyl and co. Everything else is through Alan's ipod. What Pinkie provided was the large turntable and speakers.
Yeah, I was afraid of that one. I tried to say and explain the delay of Ironclaw and his troops by their attitude at the end, but it's a bit of a stretch. the fact that you think it's a two week head start rather than one tells me I have to try a little harder though.
Also, as for Ironcalw sit. It would have been salvageable, if it were not for the fact that Ironclaw did x. What is x, exactly? You'll find out next chapter.
Oh man, I bet Ironclaw was just raging inside his head!
Uh oh... looks like somegriff made a terrible error.
Not horribly impressed by a chapter that's more than half lyrics from songs...
But enjoyable none the less.
2301479 why ya' 'hired' me
And the music was a nice addition, however it was a bit much. There was just sooooOOOo much music.
As for the time gap the 2 weeks is just from how long it took Alan's forces to get moving and then I never felt like they closed the gap a ton. Maybe a couple of days, but not so much that a single griffin could pass the retorting army. So I would agree that there could be a bit more to really show that Alan's closing in.
And alright, just so long as you've got something planned.
I've read many stories where a villain just gives up when they've still in it and could pull it off. So glad to hear you've got a plan. 
shit just got real again
Very fun chapter here, only downside was the disappointment when I realized the songs were at the bottom after reading. Should have made a notice or something when the music started
. But still not enough of a downside to make it a bad chapter!
Been waiting for Ironclaws reward
It was worth the wait
2301974
Yeah...I cheated...
But Every romance needs a wooing moment!
2302541
Ah, yes, that...that was me making a error, it should be one week because the crossing takes two. The idea was that by the time Alan and everypony left Ironclaw would be half-way through the crossing.
i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/009/217/1912-so-much-win.jpg
I can't remember If it was this story or another one that had mention of Hippogriffs early on. I'm just wondering, since Alan and the others are heading toward the griffon capitol, if anypony is going to stumble upon a ghetto filled with these outcast halfbreeds.
2304288
Not this story.
2301888
Heh, wish I'd been listening to Skyrim when I'd read that line, because a moment like that NEEDS awesome background music. It's like a final boss fight.
Furthermore, the entire equestrian armada is coming in, and even if the traitorous griffon somehow manages to be a karma houdini, he's still gotta answer for war crimes. Or The Griffon Empire/Griffonia is in serious, serious trouble.
Blegh dont put the entire lyrics of songs in, just the bits that matter if you have too
is this too late? aw wellweknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/shit-just-got-real.jpg
2304296 Problem with reading 20 stories at once I suppose.
Yes Finally a story with Italo brothers in it!
Can't wait until the next chapter
I have most of Owl City's music, but i have never heard Sunburn before
Do you know which album it is from, or when it was released?
2309205
It's the deluxe edition of Ocean eyes
Figures, i have the deluxe of Midsummer Station and All Things Bright And Beautiful, but not Ocean Eyes
Thanks
2321222
It's not just you.
2321534 also before i forget to mention my name just happens to be Alan (spelled like that) and my favriote pony is twilight sparkle
I think you mean week sir. A mistake should not appear in the second sentence, I can't believe I had to read chapter 4 or 5 times before I notice such a simple mistake.
So I can't really blame you or your editors. I love this Fiction and have probably read the entire thing 4 or 5 times up to current chapter. Keep up the good work!
2336047
Thomas Aquinas is, Thomas Aquillas, is not.
Aquilla is the Spanish word for eagle.
2336372
I thought it was Latin(?)
That first song needs to be made.
2412388 actually, I don't think the Spanish and Latin are far apart. if memory serves, the Latin for Eagle is "Aquila", so it would make sense for Spanish to have a near-identical word; many Latin words have been adopted and adapted by various cultures. I'm not sure about Aquinus though, I don't think it did have a translated meaning, besides someone's name.
You love Shine With Me don't you?! I DO TOO! IT'S A GREAT SONG!
stamp on the ground hit me a lot harder than it probably should have.
and the worst part is, i dont care! 
Do mine eyes deceive me? Is that...?
iambrony.dget.cc/mlp/gif/131327147782.gif
She's healed!