Past Actions, Future Consequences

by Rill

Fight and Flight - Part 2

…As I watch my daughter and her new husband dancing, I can't help but be reminded of the long, painful journey that got us to this point. Among the faces of the village, I can't find a single pony who hasn't sacrificed something or lost somepony special. With the gryphon threat permanently eliminated and the dragon's remains dumped in the bay a day’s trot from here, the waters of the lake that gave this town its name still grow bluer by the day, the fire lizard's blood still slowly washing away, even after all these years.

Seeing Siena happy, I can't stop myself from seeing my Umber, forever young, walking among the crowd, talking to ponies as they congratulate him, laughing at his terrible jokes. What I wouldn't give, Diary, to be able to go back in time. If a pony gave me a spell that would send me back into the past, I would take it, but where, or rather when, would I go? Would I go to Equestria before the war to try and stop myself and Luna from making that decision that cost my only child her father? Or would I go even farther, back to the Empire before it fell? If I had been there to stop that bastard Sombra… but I can't. Time travel is impossible, so I will have to live with my decisions, my mistakes, and what they cost me and everypony.

Above us, I can see our Luna looking down from her prison. How I miss her, Diary. I know she would have loved to be here. She would have loved to be the one to wed my daughter and Steady Beat. If she was here, I would give you to her as a wedding gift. Perhaps one day you would be published, so other ponies could read you and maybe understand why we did what we did. Perhaps one day you still will. Forgive me for leaving things here, Diary, but I can see my daughter and my new son-in-law heading this way, and I will not deny them a single second of my time. Not on this most special of nights. Until next time.

- Summer Breeze

Shadow doused his horn. Looking around in the muted light, he could see Twilight quietly sleeping in her bed on the other side of the cabin. In the corner, Spike was curled up in his basket. Not bothering to stifle the yawn, he slowly stretched, allowing the simple move to wake him up further. A quick burst of magic sent his sheets rolling to the foot of the bed as he sat up. Living up to his name, the young colt made it to the hallway outside without disturbing the princess or her dragon.

Making his way through the nearly empty corridor, he found himself thinking about what was coming. He couldn't honestly say that he was excited by the prospect of returning home. How would all the ponies he knew back home react? Shock, definitely. Most likely followed by suspicion he figured, which would only be fueled by the revelation of what he was. Shadow shrugged as he grabbed the handle of a hatch that led outside with his magic and pulled. The wind was a cold slap across his face that drove away any lingering sense of sleep. Taking a deep breath of the salt laden air, he allowed himself a small smile. Even if they were less than welcoming, what could they do? He had his defensive spells, and Luna said that she would accompany him. That last thought widened his smile. Would they try anything with her and her guard around? Not likely.

Gradually he made his way to the airship's bridge. Inside, the captain was slowly walking the length of the room, talking to the occasional pony as he made his tour. Deciding that he didn't want to interrupt, Shadow made his way to the floating globe, where a small dark blue dot representing the ship was slowly making its way across the ocean that separated the continent from his island home.

“Excited?”

Glancing at the larger pony next to him, the young colt regarded the ship's master as the stallion studied the chart in front of them. It had been a bit of the shock for the captain when he learned in a meeting after they had gotten underway that not only was the colt the reason for their mission, but that he was more than just a unicorn. Even now, after just over a week of flying, Shadow could still feel the occasional set of eyes on him and his wings whenever he walked about the ship. “Not particularly.” The young colt finally replied, if only to break the silence. “I wasn't exactly the most popular pony in town before I left.”

“Any family?”

“Grandparents, not that their daughter's 'little abomination' was their particular favorite, or welcome.” Shadow looked at the captain, who raised an eyebrow at that last sentence. “Their words, not mine.”

“Their loss” The officer replied.

Not wanting to be reminded about the inevitable, Shadow left the globe in favor of wandering around the bridge. Along the far left, he spotted a brass telescope mounted on a pole along the outer railing. Leaving the warmth of the bridge, the cold air slapped at him again, making his burns itch. Maneuvering a small step stool next to the telescope, Shadow grabbed the instrument with his horn as he began to scan the endless waves around them. Below, he could see a pod of dolphins swimming east, their sleek bodies launching out of the water as they swam.

At first he thought it was a flash of light off of a wave in the distance, which was why he almost dismissed it but then he saw it again, and again. Whatever it was, it was far too regular to be a wave. Adjusting the eyepiece, Shadow zoomed in on the flash. Off in the distance he could see a ship, the morning light bouncing off the main cabin's windows having been what caught his eye.

Something felt off as he scanned the ship. Moving to the stern, he could see the wheel, but nopony at it. For that matter, he couldn't see any movement on the deck. As he swept the deck, it took him a few seconds to realize something very important was missing: the mast. This ship had no mast. How was that possible? Ocean going vessels such as this needed one if they wanted to go anywhere. The ship rolled in the waves, and he got his answer when he saw the gaping hole in the middle of the ship's deck. The ship's bow was a mangled wreck; the bowsprit was missing completely, along with most of the bow itself. Across the deck, he could see shredded sections of canvas sail strewn about.

Turning around, the young colt yanked the door open and yelled, “Captain, I got something you need to see!”

Striding to the port side hatch, the ship's master chuckled to himself. Probably wants to show me some whales he spotted. “What do you got?” He asked. Looking through the proffered telescope, his sense of humor disappeared faster than a flock of birds before a squall. Horseapples “Helm, increase to flank speed, bring us about to one-eight-zero degrees and drop us to two hundred meters! Commander, sound general quarters and load all guns! Have medical teams on standby!”

“Course one-eight-zero at two-zero-zero meters sir, flank speed aye!”

“General quarters, aye!” Sure Shot called as an alarm began to blare throughout the ship. As the captain returned to the bridge, barking orders, Shadow grabbed the telescope again. Ignoring the damage, something felt familiar about the ship, yet he couldn't quite put his hoof on it. Jumping as something sounding similar to a small explosion erupted behind him, Shadow looked behind him to see the main hatch bounce off the wall it had been slammed into, a clearly unhappy Princess Luna striding onto the bridge, followed by Twilight and Spike, who was trying to block out the noise with his hands.

Ignoring everything going on behind him, Shadow continued to scan the distant ship. He knew this ship. How did he know this ship? Glancing behind him, he watched as Shining Armor and Princess Cadance trotted onto the bridge. Turning back to the telescope, Shadow’s world shrank until it consisted of everything he could see through the eye piece. Feeling a hoof tap him on the shoulder, the colt pulled himself away long enough to see Cadance’s husband standing next to him. “What’s going on?”

“Ship in distress” Shadow replied, returning to look through the telescope. Without any masts, the ship foundered in the gentle swells, turning in any direction the waves pushed it. As he watched, the ship’s stern slowly turned toward him. As it did, Shadow felt his heart stop. Even though he couldn’t completely read the ship’s name, he could see enough. Igniting his horn, Shadow disappeared, leaving Shining Armor and a clone coughing on the accidental smoke screen. Recovering quickly, the former Royal Guard Captain peered through the telescope, the name Tranquility emblazoned across the ship’s stern.

Popping back into existence, Shadow had barely felt the tug of gravity before pointing himself toward the waves far below. Stretching himself out, the colt plunged from the sky, his wings out, but close to his body, allowing himself to turn if he had to while sacrificing little in terms of speed. As he fell, the young alicorn mentally berated himself. How could he not recognize the Tranquility? How could he not recognize the ship that had taken him to Equestria? As the broken ship grew below him, Shadow couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong about the whole situation. Why was there no pony on deck? For that matter, where was everypony? Gritting his teeth at the sudden strain on his wings, Shadow pulled out of his dive, his chest getting splashed by an errant wave. Shooting into the air, the young flier made for a small nearby cloud. Feeling it give as he landed, the alicorn stared over the side. Igniting his horn, Shadow didn’t turn away as a clone burst into existence. “You better have a really good explanation” the clone whispered as it joined its creator. “Everypony on the bridge saw you take off, and the princess is not happy.”

“It’s the Tranquility.”

“And now you know why Princess Luna hasn’t had Twilight yank you back already.”

Shadow opened his mouth to respond but froze before he could speak. Looking at his clone, the alicorn knew that he hadn’t been the only one to hear something. Despite the gentle wind at their altitude, they had both heard somepony whisper and what’s more was that the voice came from below them. With nothing but a shared glance, the two colts turned around. Nodding, the pair ignited their horns at the same moment. Below them, the section of cloud just in front of their hooves rolled away like a blanket. Below it, nearly a dozen ponies recoiled at the sudden brightness. For a moment, the mix of pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies stared back at the two alicorns “Shadow?”

Seeing recognition dawn on the ponies below him, the colt turned to the ship’s navigator, whose name it took him a moment to remember. “What happened” he loudly whispered.

“That… thing… attacked us again two weeks ago” Star Chart said, fear, shock and confusion fighting for control of his voice and face. “We managed to evacuate some of the crew, but…”

As he listened, Shadow’s mind raced. If some of the crew were here, how many were left on the crippled ship below? What should he do now? He had teleported himself off the Luna without a plan. “How many fliers do you got?”

“Three, but-” The look from the colt above him cut the stallion off.

“There’s an airship that way” Shadow pointed to his right. “Get everypony out of here.”

“When did you become an alicorn?”

“Not exactly the time for that!” The colt hissed, a little harsher than he wanted.

“Right” Star Chart and two other pegasi flew out of the hole and started pushing the cloud toward the incoming Luna. “One more thing” the navigator said as Shadow and his clone took to the air “It is still in the area.”

Of course it is! Pointing to the Luna, Shadow and his clone dove for the lone ship below. Flaring his wings, the two alicorns set hoof on the deserted deck without a sound. Around them, the Tranquility lay silent, the sound of lapping waves and a gentle breeze being the only sounds around them. Pointing at the clone, Shadow gestured to his head, then the approaching airship. The clone nodded, closing its eyes for a second as it talked with the other clone. I told them about the incoming survivors and the ones left on board. They got chariots ready to go. Nodding, Shadow slowly crept toward the door that led below deck. Glancing at his clone, Shadow watched as his clone’s horn glowed, a golden field of magic appearing over the door’s hinges. Grasping the handle with his magic, the real alicorn gently opened the door, silently glad that he had learned that soundproofing spell. Seeing nothing on the other side, Shadow slowly made his way down the steps, his clone staying behind as a look out. Rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairs, the colt froze as he spotted the ship’s crew.

One by one, the stallions and mares that crewed the Tranquility looked up at their guest. Across their faces, Shadow could see shock, confusion and relief play out. Before he could open his mouth, the colt felt a hoof grab him by the shoulder and spin him around. Regaining his balance, the young alicorn followed the white hoof up its owner’s leg, only stopping as his eyes connected with those of the ship’s first mate. “What in Tartarus are you doing here?!”

“Saving you!” He whispered back, his voice barely audible.

“How?”

“There’s an airship nearby” Shadow explained, raising his voice slightly so everypony else could hear him. “How many are there?”

“Just what you see” Sea Breeze said, glancing at the just over half dozen ponies around them.

“Zetani?” Shadow felt his heart start to pound in his chest as he failed to spot the zebra.

“He didn’t make it.”

The colt felt his heart stop mid-beat at the officer’s words. “Get everypony-” Before he could finish, the ship lurched to the side. Shadow didn’t bother asking what that was. He didn’t need to. He and everypony around him knew exactly what had happened. “Get everypony ready to move!” The colt hissed as he returned to the stairs. At the top, he spread his wings and took to the air, his clone following a couple seconds later as it silently ripped the door off its hinges.

Coming to a stop several hundred feet above the ocean, Shadow looked down and felt his heart skip a couple beats. It had yet to breach the water, but from the air, he could see the creature circling the Tranquility, the ship jumping like a bobber every time it brushed against the hull. “What do we do?” The colt looked over at his clone. He had no idea what to do. What could he do? The last time he faced this thing, it had turned him into a living, screaming bonfire.

From their vantage point, the two colts watched in horror as the creature finally broke the surface. Around the crippled ship, a hoof-full of scale covered mounds rose out of the water asthe thing encircled its target. Along the Tranquility’s starboard side, the water bubbled and boiled before the creature’s head shot out of the water, coming to stop fifty feet above the ship. Unseen where he hovered, Shadow racked his brains. If they had been crippled two weeks ago, there was no telling how much longer the thing would stick around. The fact that it was still around told the colt that it recognized the ship from the previous year; and that it was finally getting its revenge. Looking around desperately, the young alicorn’s eyes came to a stop on the ship’s mast, which was floating behind the monster. Looking up, he could see the Lunar Diarch moving in, turning so that its port side guns were trained on the creature. Catching his clone’s attention, the colt pointed to the mast and gestured his plan to the clone. For its part, the clone closed its eyes for a moment before looking back at Shadow, its nod telling the colt that everypony was waiting on him.

Swallowing against a suddenly dry mouth and throat, Shadow closed his eyes, clearing his mind as much as he could. During his time in Ponyville, he had not been idle. Between school and spending time with his friends, he had been spending a not insignificant amount of time with Twilight, absorbing everything she taught him as she worked to help him control the immense power that was available to him. Once she was confident that his control was good enough, Twilight had taught him how to tap into the power that lay inside him. It was the same well of power that he had discovered the night he had been orphaned. At first, it had been all but impossible for him to access the energy. With all the practice he had gotten over the winter and spring, it had gone from a nearly impossible task to merely an incredibly difficult one. Feeling his mind go calm, the colt sensed the power in him. He could feel it in him, waiting for him. Feeling as if he was pushing through a wall of bubble gum, Shadow mentally extended a hoof. In his mind, he could see his hoof outstretched; the golden ball of power shifting and deforming as it reached out to him. As the two connected, Shadow’s eyes snapped open, his pupils gone as his eyes glowed for a moment. Inside, he could feel a sense of immense power in his chest, barely contained and straining to be released. On more than one occasion, he had lost control and Twilight had had to intervene before his magic got out of control. In the back of his mind, the young alicorn could feel a clock ticking, reminding him that he didn’t have much time before he either lost his grip on the extra power, or he lost control of it entirely.

Focusing his attention on the mast, Shadow channeled his magic through his horn, focusing it on the few remaining yards that had managed to remain attached to the mast. Snapping those off like twigs, the colt stripped everything else off the mast, until it looked like a tree that had been stripped of its limbs and bark. Changing his focus slightly, Shadow felt himself start to sweat as he slowly lifted the mass of wood out of the water. The fact that he was even able to lift it at all was a testament to his hours of practice. As the mast rose into the air, Shadow slowly moved himself until he was directly behind the massive serpent’s triangular head. Feeling the mast float into position, the colt took a couple deep breaths, preparing for the chaos he was about to unleash.

Of all the things he had learned about while in Ponyville, one of his favorites was baseball. Twilight had taken him and Spike to a game between Ponyville’s team and that of a nearby town’s and the colt had been instantly hooked. What could be simpler, or more fun, than a game where you hit something with a bat? Bats, the colt reasoned, are nothing more than shaped pieces of wood.

So are masts.

At first, the mast started slow; agonizingly so. Slowly, the long piece of wood gained speed as the colt swung it. From where he floated, the colt grinned darkly as the oversized bat connected with the monster’s head. The creature, caught completely unaware, slammed into the water with a splash that rocked the Tranquility and sent the ship tilting dangerously to the side. Maintaining the mast’s momentum, the colt directed the far end into the air. Below him, the creature shot out of the water, shaking its head as it furiously searched for its attacker, its four eyes narrowing as it spotted a pair of airborne black specks in the distance. Before it could move, Shadow brought the mast crashing down on the serpent’s head. The creature’s body seemed to compress slightly as the impromptu weapon snapped in half from the impact. Hissing in anger, the creature abandoned its prize as it charged the colts. Pulling the remains of the mast close to him, Shadow watched as the creature closed in on him. As it opened its mouth and started to inhale, the alicorn threw the mast’s remains, launching it like a spear, straight down the monster’s throat.

From where he hovered, Shadow watched with a sense of satisfaction as the thing stopped mid-stroke, coughing and gagging furiously. Shaking its head, the creature finally dislodged the obstruction, shattering the mast with a single snap of its jaws as it glared at the colt. Igniting his horn, Shadow flapped his wings, magically enhancing his speed as he closed the distance between him and the giant serpent. Focused on its tiny attacker, the creature didn’t see the chariots launch from the ship behind it, it didn’t see them land on the crippled ship’s deck and evacuate the remaining survivors. With its attention so focused, it didn’t see Shadow’s magic pick up one of the yards that he had snapped off of the mast earlier. Pulling up at the last moment, Shadow spun around in midair, watching with satisfaction as the smaller piece of wood smashed into one of the creature’s eyes.

Racing to gain altitude, the colt felt his ears ring as his target roared in pain and rage. Slowly backwinging toward the Tranquility, Shadow watched as the creature’s three good eyes locked back onto him. With speed that belied its immense size, the Tranquility’s attacker lunged at the colt, its mouth wide open as it inhaled. Igniting his horn, the young alicorn waited until he saw the thing’s throat begin to glow. The moment it began to exhale, Shadow released the spell that had been building in his horn. Around the creature’s head, a golden bubble of magic burst into existence. A heartbeat later, the monster’s head disappeared as the shield contained the creature’s fire.

Feeling a hoof grab him, Shadow felt himself being dragged backward. Righting himself, the colt silently nodded as his clone pointed emphatically at the nearby airship. Flinching as his shield shattered behind him, the two fliers felt the air beneath their wings change as the monster behind them screeched in pain and unmitigated fury. Unable to fly, the two plummeted toward the ocean. Above them, they watched as the creature’s screech blew out every window on the Lunar Diarch’s port side. Spreading his wings, Shadow caught his clone and ignited his horn, teleporting them several hundred feet above the lone airship. Locking his wings into a sharp glide, the young alicorn released his grip on the power inside him. Almost immediately, his wings faltered as the magic left him and he got hit by all the strain and effort the magic had been masking. Coming in for a landing, the two colts watched as their target fell backward, the bulk of its body crashing down on the Tranquility, crushing the ship.

Gliding past the front of the bridge, the two colts came to a halt just above the outer walkway, dropping the last few feet. Almost as soon as their hooves touched metal, they heard the ship’s Captain shout. The ship rocked to the side as, deck by deck, the Lunar Diarch’s cannons roared. Down below, the target of the airship’s guns lurched as round after round struck its body and bounced off into the surrounding ocean.

“You have got to be kidding me!”

Shadow couldn’t help but agree with Twilight’s sentiment. Even with everything he had done, all he had managed to do was anger and distract the thing. In the ocean below, the creature took one hate filled look at them and dove headfirst into the water, its tail lashing the Tranquility’s shattered pieces. For a moment, the bridge was as silent as the Tranquility’s deck when Shadow had arrived. Behind him, ponies started cheering, slowly at first, but soon nearly everypony was stomping their hooves on the floor.

Nearly everypony.

Shadow wasn’t one of them. Leaning over the railing, the colt felt a subtle tug on his tail, a small reminder that there was no way anypony would let him pull such a stunt again, but he ignored it. Surveying the floating scene of destruction, the young alicorn frowned. Why had it fled? Compared to the last time he had faced the thing, he had merely slapped it a couple times this round. Last time, it took a number of ships exploding in its face to send it swimming. In the middle of the Tranquility’s remains, the water began to bubble and boil. Oh fuck. Below the Lunar Diarch, the creature breached the ocean’s surface, shooting out of the water like an arrow. As one, both Shadow and Shining Armor - who had noticed the colt looking over the railing and had come over to see what was wrong - turned and shouted at the top of their lungs.

“SHIELDS!”

Without waiting, Shadow spun around, his horn flaring as he sent every last ounce of magic and energy through it. Along the side of the airship, a golden wall of magic burst into existence. This wall was quickly joined by a dozen others as Shining Armor, Twilight, Cadance, Princess Luna, and a number of bridge crew members added their own shields to his.

A single heartbeat after the last shield was in place, the creature’s enormous head was level with the airship’s bridge. Its mouth already open, everypony had a perfect view of the building fire in its throat. Unable to move or do anything, the Lunar Diarch hung in the air as the giant serpent exhaled, spraying fire across the ship’s side. For a moment, Shadow’s shield held against the onslaught. Feeling his grasp on the spell slipping, the colt tried to clear his mind, trying to tap into the magic he had been using just a minute earlier. Unlike before, the power he sensed wasn’t interested in helping. He mentally reached out for it, all but begging for its help. The energy inside him refused to budge. Shouting, Shadow fell to the floor; his head feeling like somepony had driven a stake between his eyes as his shield shattered and evaporated in the space of half a heartbeat.

For what seemed like an eternity, the world around the colt was pure white. Squinting, the young alicorn could see Shining Armor towering over him, his horn glowing as everything but his mane, tail and eyes seemed to merge with the white of the flames around them. Turning his head, he could see Twilight, her horn ablaze with magic. Next to her, Princess Cadance stood strong, her horn a blinding torch of light and magic. Just behind them, Shadow’s focus was drawn to Princess Luna. Standing above them all, her horn glowed a deep blue, while her mane whipped about like a flag in a hurricane. What caught his attention the most was the dark alicorn’s eyes. They were like twin blazing stars that vowed a very painful retribution.

Almost as soon as it began, the attack ended as gravity remembered its job and pulled the enormous serpent out of the air. Around him, more than a few ponies were groaning from the effort of protecting the ship. From where he lay, Shadow could see that the coats of everypony near him were smoking from the heat. Looking up, he could see the metal of the ship’s balloon glowing bright red “Captain!” Luna’s command captured everypony’s attention “Get this ship out of range and back on course. That’s a direct order!” Not waiting for a response, Luna strode through the door next to Shadow. She paused to look at the clone who had been on the ship the entire time. “I need your help.” The clone said nothing, instead opting to spread its wings and smirk.

---

Luna soared above the watery battlefield. Beside and slightly above her, the clone flapped its wings as it kept pace with her. If she was perfectly honest, the princess didn’t know how she felt about what Shadow had done. On one hoof, he had recklessly thrown himself head first into a situation he had no information about. Just on that alone, she had almost teleported him back to the ship. She still had half a mind to give him a good chewing out for what he had done. On the other hoof, he had located the ship’s surviving crewmembers and had kept this creature more than distracted enough for the Guard to evacuate the survivors still trapped onboard. Glancing over at the clone as it lost altitude to fly next to her, she could read the clone’s thoughts in a single glance as it locked eyes with her. He can be reckless, but who isn’t at his age? He’ll definitely make an interesting student. The small smile that flashed across her face vanished as she looked down; spotting a section of ocean that was bubbling and boiling.

Igniting her horn, the lunar princess created a bubble of magic in front of her. The object was twice her size and once it was completed, she released her grip on it, letting it drop. Looking over at the clone, she didn’t need to say anything. Nodding, the clone shot into the air, making itself scarce. Below her, she heard a distant explosion as her shield bubble detonated against ocean’s surface. For a moment, except for the bubbles vanishing, nothing happened. Without warning, the creature’s head shot out of the water, looking in the opposite direction of the princess as it searched for whatever had disturbed it. Hanging in the air, Luna waited as the serpent slowly turned, its four eyes locking onto her “CREATURE OF THE SEA!” Luna shouted, employing her infamous Canterlot Voice. “WE WOULD HAVE WORDS WITH THEE. YOU HAVE BEEN ATTACKING OUR SHIPS AND WE DEMAND THAT YOU CEASE THESE UNPROVOKED ATTACKS AT ONCE!”

Glaring at the pony that shouted at it, the creature opened its mouth, its fangs locking in place as it launched itself at the princess. Her horn glowing, Luna’s telekinetic response sent the creature crashing to the side. “IS THAT YOUR ANSWER?” Hissing like a boiler on the verge of exploding, the serpent launched itself at Luna again. Gliding to the side, Luna redirected the monster, sending it slamming into the remains of the Tranquility. “Tell the captain he has thirty seconds to get as much distance from this place as he can. He shall not turn around to help. Understood?” The clone silently nodded as it closed its eyes, sending the message to its counterpart on her ship.

Igniting her horn, Luna felt her skin crawl as she called on the spell Shadow had taught her. Despite its difficulty, she was more than satisfied with the half dozen clones of her that appeared around her. As one, they tore through the sky, leaving her behind as they began to circle around the creature in the distance. Silently, Luna watched her clones keep the creature distracted. When she had last talked with her sister, Celestia had shown her the spell that she had created. At the time both sisters were united in the hope that Luna wouldn’t need to use it. Unfortunately, Luna thought as she charged her horn, it looks like we hoped in vain. Please forgive me, sister.

---

Onboard the Lunar Diarch, the princess’s orders were received about as well as one would expect. The ship’s Captain didn’t like them one bit and he made his distaste for them known, but at the same time, he ordered the helm to increase speed to maximum and to put as much distance between them and their princess as possible. As the ship tore through the air, the ship’s master walked over to the small group of passengers, joining them at the railing as they watched the princess shrink in the distance. He didn’t know what spell she was using, but if it wasn’t for the glow from her horn, she would have already been out of sight. “What is she planning?”

“We don’t know” The clone said, fear and concern evident in its voice. “Whatever it is, she sent her clones out to distract that thing while she prepares.” The clone paused, its head tilting to the side slightly. “Captain” the clone turned to him “Princess Luna says to hold onto something and to look away!”

The earth pony stallion didn’t question the colt. Turning, he barked out an order and a second later, the ship’s collision alarm was blaring throughout the ship.

As long as Shadow lived, whenever he thought about this moment, the one detail that he would forever associate with what he saw was silence. The lunar princess' attack made no sound, at least initially. One moment, the creature was lunging out of the ocean at the princess’s clones. The next, it was gone, consumed by an immense shaft of light brighter than a thousand suns. The column of light struck the creature faster than an eye could blink. Everything within several miles of the floating battlefield ceased to exist in one brilliant flash. The shields around the ship had immediately darkened until they were nearly opaque, yet it hadn't happened fast enough. Shadow rubbed at his eyes, spots dancing wherever he looked and judging by the groans and curses from the ship's crew, he wasn't alone. Before he could move, the entire ship was hit by a crack of thunder - Shadow didn't know what else to call it, but knew that it wasn't nearly descriptive enough- so loud that many of the guard around him dropped to the floor out of pure instinct as the ship was thrown about by the sound and near simultaneous blast of wind. Rushing back to the window, Shadow saw an unfathomably huge column of steam rising from the ocean where the Tranquility and its attacker had just been. Through the haze, he could see the lunar princess winging her way toward the ship.

Feeling his legs beginning to shake as he ran out of adrenaline, the colt slowly sank to the floor, laying his head on the cool metal, his eyes starting to burn as everypony around them got to their hooves and the captain ordered the engines to be cut. Feeling somepony rub his back, Shadow sat up, groaning as he tried to blink. He instantly regretted it as it felt like he was rubbing hot sand against his eyes every time he did. Sensing a field of magic around him, the colt didn’t struggle as somepony lifted him off the floor and laid him on their back. He could tell just from the muscles that he was riding on Shining Armor. “Thanks.”

“No problem, kid” Cadance’s husband said, as he left the bridge. “Let’s get you to the infirmary.”

---

Taking her time as she approached her ship, Luna flew around the stationary airship, surveying the damage. For the most part, she was impressed by how well it had handled the fight. Every last pane of glass on the port side and the bridge had been blown out during the fight and the shipyard would be busy for a while repairing the damage to the balloon, but overall, the ship had weathered the fight pretty well. Making a final pass, the princess flashed her horn, teleporting onto the walkway outside the bridge. Walking inside, she could see a number of crew members rubbing their eyes and groaning as they went about their duties, while Twilight took the opportunity to pick up the shattered glass that had scattered across the floor. Nearby, Spike rode on the back of Princess Cadance; both looking unsure of where they should be or what they should be doing.

Walking over to her niece, Luna wrapped a wing around the smaller alicorn. “How is everypony?”

“Shining took Shadow to the infirmary to get his eyes checked out and I think a couple of the crew wouldn’t mind getting looked at as well.”

“Why don’t you go find somepony who can help them” Seeing her niece nod and trot away, Luna lifted Spike into the air. “I need you to stay by my side” She replied at his questioning look. “I suspect we’ll be getting a message from my sister soon.” As if on cue, Spike’s cheeks bulged. With a belch, the young dragon coughed out a cloud of green magic, a scroll bearing Celestia’s royal seal solidifying a moment later. Grabbing it out of the air, Luna broke the seal.

Luna,

What the fuck just happened?

Tia

Luna sighed. This was going to be fun to explain. Igniting her horn, she teleported a sheet of paper and writing material to Spike “Spike, take a message…”

---

Rubbing his eyes, Shadow kept his eyes closed as Shining Armor made his way to the infirmary. Around them, he could hear snatches of conversations as crewmembers trotted or ran past them. “We’re here” Shadow’s ride said a couple minutes later as he turned.

Perking his ears, the colt could hear a number of voices talking. The voices quieted as the two entered. Uninterested in resisting, the young colt didn’t move as he was picked up and set down on an open bed. “What do we got here?”

“I saw the light” Shadow said; turning his head to where he thought the speaker should be “and it feels like I got a face full of hot sand.”

“Let me guess” the unseen mare said Shadow felt her magic sweep over his head “It feels like hot sand against your eyes every time you blink.” Shadow nodded. “You’re not alone” she said. “Can you open your eyes?” Smiling gently as the colt looked at her, she didn’t flinch at the red around his pupils. “Arc burn” she said a moment later. “There’s not much I can do about it, except help with the discomfort. It should clear up in a day or two.”

Sighing, Shadow held his tongue as he felt her magic go to work, he eyes starting to feel better moments later. Feeling her pat him on the shoulder, the colt and the stallion watched her walk off to help others.

“If it isn’t the pup and everypony’s favorite stowaway” Groaning to himself, Shadow turned his head to look at the yellow and black unicorn stallion who had spoken.

Next to him, Shining Armor smiled “If it isn’t ol’ Bloody Tide.”

To the colt’s surprise, the two stallions bumped hooves “What are you two doing here?”

“Getting Shadow checked out. You?”

“Broke a couple ribs when that overgrown worm with an attitude attacked.” The Tranquility’s Second Mate winced as he took a breath.

“How’s the crew?” Shadow asked.

The stallion’s face fell. “We lost nearly a dozen crewmembers during the attack. The damn thing ambushed us and most of them wound up in the drink before they could react. Rain managed to cast a long term cloud-walking spell on a bunch of the crew and managed to get them off the ship and out of range before it got her too.”

“How?”

“She got hit by a falling yard from the main mast. It was quick, thank Celestia.”

Shadow didn’t bother trying to hide his tears. Of all the crewmembers, Spring Rain had been one of the first to accept him as part of the crew. “What about Zetani?” He asked after a while?

“Killed during the attack. Never knew what hit him.”

Swiveling his ears as somepony stepped into the room, Shadow didn’t need to look to know who it was “Princess!” The medic who treated him and High Tide said in unison, bowing to the ruler of the Crystal Empire.

“Please, don’t” Cadance said, smiling as the two stood up, before turning her attention to the mare “There are a couple crew members on the bridge that could probably use your help.” Without a word, the mare nodded, collecting an emergency bag of supplies before trotting out of the room. “How is everypony” She asked, her voice lowered so that only Shadow, High Tide and her husband could hear her.

“Not good, but better than it could be.”

The pink princess nodded as she absorbed the frank assessment. “Princess Luna has invited you and any member of your crew who can make it, to the bridge. There’ll be a short memorial before we get underway.” Nodding his thanks, the normally insufferable Second Mate turned to talk to the other members of his crew in the room. “There’ll also be a meeting afterward. Auntie Luna wants to go over everything before we get back underway.”

Sniffing as he wiped his eyes dry, Shadow slowly stood, shrugging off the help as he got off the bed. “I have to get something from our room” he stated simply. Cadance and her husband looked at each other. Silently agreeing, they left the room and turned down the hall, letting the colt be.

---

“… and so, we commit our fallen brothers and sisters to the sea. Though we do not have their bodies to give them a proper send off, we commit their names to our memories. For no pony is ever truly gone, until everyone who ever knew them or knew of them is gone as well.” Shadow stood, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill as Captain Main Stay spoke. Around the bridge, the Luna’s crew stood at attention, while along the walkway, the survivors of the Tranquility stood in various states of shock and grief. The Lunar Diarch hung silently in the air. Not even the wind blew, seeming to join everypony in a moment of silence. As the captain continued to speak, he began to name the fallen. With each name, Shadow could see a face before him: a pegasus mare who never stopped laughing, a ship’s cook who could burn a salad, a unicorn mare who showed a recently orphaned colt a bit of kindness when he was at his lowest point, a zebra doctor who gave up nights of sleep trying to keep an injured orphan alive.

Finishing with the lost members of the Tranquility, Main Stay continued to speak, not stopping as he continued to list names. Shadow recognized none of the ponies the stallion named, but apparently the Tranquility’s captain did as, with every name, it seemed to take the stallion just that much more effort to say the next. After a couple minutes, the stallion, who was holding back his grief about as well as Shadow, bowed his head, before turning to stand by his wife’s side. Next to Shadow, Princess Luna glanced over at Captain Steel Gaze, giving the stallion the slightest of nods. Nodding in reply, the stallion nodded to his First Mate, before descending the stairs to the gun decks below. For a moment, the world was silent. From below, everypony on the bridge heard the Captain shout. The shout was quickly drowned out by the roar of the cannons, as the ship’s gun crews fired each gun one by one. As each cannon sounded, the Tranquility’s survivors shuddered. Some openly wept, while others tried to keep their composure.

As the final gun’s roar echoed into silence, Shadow buried his head into Twilight’s side, barely holding himself together as she wrapped a wing around him. Feeling the ship rock slightly as the cannons were rolled back and secured, the colt looked up as Main Stay and Sea Breeze walked toward him. The two bowed to the princesses before rising. “Thank you for rescuing us, your Highnesses.”

“You are welcome, though if anypony should be thanked, it should be Shadow.” The two officers looked at the colt as Luna spoke. “He was the one who first spotted your ship and was the one who kept that thing distracted while you were evacuated.” Shadow looked up at the two, who silently nodded their thanks. There were no words they could say to properly express their gratitude, and the colt knew it, as he nodded in return. “Unfortunately, we can’t return to Equestria at the moment. We were on our way to Shadow’s home island when you were spotted. You and your crew are of course welcome to remain onboard until we return home.”

“Thank you Princess” Sea Breeze said as she wiped away a few tears. “I’ll let the crew know and I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”

Luna nodded. “I’ll have the Captain make arrangements for you and your crew. There’s going to be a meeting in an hour or so, and I’d like you two and your Second Mate to join us.” Seeing the two nod, Luna offered a small smile. “See to your crew, and if you can get me a list of the lost and their next of kin, I’ll get it to my sister, who will see to notifying their families.”

As the adults talked, Shadow silently excused himself, walking around the numerous adults as he made his way to the walkway. Feeling the breeze slowly pick up as the Lunar Diarch began to move, the colt stared out across the ocean as it glistened in the setting sun. Behind him, he could hear Princess Cadance approach. For a while, the two alicorns said nothing, content to watch the sun set. Feeling a pink wing drape itself over him, what little that was left of his composure vanished as the colt leaned against the princess and cried.

Comments

[Snowfyre]

i find myself waiting impatiently for when they finally get to the island

[Rill]

8879883
Stay tuned.

[Tale Swapper]

8879921
Looking forward to it.

[Trent Roogna]

Not like this.

I figured he'd run into Tranquility again.. But not like this.

Still, continue to enjoy. Nice writing as always.

[Rill]

8882029
Thank you.