Chapter Five
Captain Skyla and Ms. Nightshade
That night, when everypony else except Ao was asleep, I flew down to the top of a mesa near the arch gateway with a couple of items from my personal supplies. One was a delicate necklace of rubies and barred silver chains.
When worn, the necklace loosely looped asymmetrically three times around my neck. When unlooped and set out on the ground, it circumscribed an area large enough for a pony to stand in. The bars of the chain were inscribed with runes and flow matrices, and the rubies were superb specimens, each charged with as much mana as they could hold.
It was a parachute of sorts. The inscribed spell and alicorn sigils were designed with one purpose; to punch a dimensional gate through to Equestria from wherever it was located. It would work without any magical input. All that needed to be done was to twist and push the clasp in a certain way, and whatever was within the loop of chain would be transported back home. To account for unforeseen situations, it was deliberately overpowered, so I thought it might be strong enough to briefly overcome the "thickened" nature of the interdimensional substrate we had caused.
The second item I carried was a sealed letter to Luna with a note promising five thousand bits to whoever delivered it to her. I hoped that my explanation would lessen Luna's concern. After all we'd been through together, I assumed she'd trust in my ability to look after myself, but I couldn't help feeling guilty for giving her cause to worry.
I put down the necklace on a spot that I figured would be congruent with the central square back in Twilight Town and placed the envelope inside the chain. I left it in three loops to magnify the effect; it didn't need to transport something pony-sized. Then I twisted and pushed the catch in the correct way and hurriedly stepped back.
The rubies flashed into life and the tiny markings on the chain glowed with a silvery light. The air above the metal began to distort and waver with the heat the chain was throwing off. That was not a good sign. I backed further away.
Just when I thought the necklace was going to melt itself, there was a muffled hiss, and the letter disappeared into a shimmering little patch of ground about the size of a small saddle. The light from the necklace died away, and when I tried picking it up, the rubies shattered, some crumbling to glittering sand.
That may have been the most expensive letter ever sent, but it was worth every bit if it eased the minds of Flurry's parents and Luna even a little.
I sat on the mesa for a while, letting the silver chain cool down and playing at making constellations out of the alien stars. When I got to the point where they didn't remind me of anything but the specks in the mane of a certain alicorn, I gave up and flew back to the ship.
The next day, the first thing I did was make some castings of the crystal sockets in the arch. There wasn't any plaster aboard, but paper-mâché worked fairly well. I hated to lose the paper, and Cream Puff protested at the loss of the flour, but I wanted to make sure that we knew the exact size and shape of the gems we were hunting for.
Flurry was delighted that we weren't going to simply float around waiting for rescue, and she immediately agreed with my plan to search out and "acquire" the power crystals. She would have gone along with the scheme anyway—it was very similar to what she had intended when she made off with my Nebula, except for the intended larceny—but she was positively ecstatic that my plan necessitated making her captain of the airship.
It was just barely possible that Ao could have served as the commander of Nebula's crew, but she had a strong preference for avoiding any sort of command position, we had no evidence that there were any kirin in the world, and ponies would be most comfortable communicating and negotiating with someone familiar anyway… which emphatically excluded me. Captain Skyla was the obvious choice. With a greatcoat to hide her wings, she would appear to be an exceptionally statuesque unicorn mare.
I wished we hadn't wasted energy from the engine crystals practicing, but there was no help for it. I tried charging one of them myself, and calculated that it would take many working days for Flurry, Ao, and I, along with the single unicorn in the crew, to bring the gems all back up to full charge—and we'd only manage that if we weren't using them in the meantime.
It was time for the crew to learn how to sail.
Of the five ponies that had accompanied Flurry, only two had any aeronautical training at all, and they only had experience with the most modern craft. They were used to having big engines and automatic systems that could power them out of any adverse conditions with brute force alone. I was beyond dismayed to find that they had hardly any innate feel for an airship's character.
I took on the role of Nebula's sailing master.[1] I moved my things into the first mate's berth, even though Flurry generously offered to let me retain the use of the captain's cabin.
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[1] And éminence grise. Flurry was only captain on my sufferance, after all.
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Ao made a little nest in the cupola on the forward dorsal line and served as a general lookout while I got things shipshape and trained the crew. I told her to keep an eye out for any more pack trains. Travelling ponies or burros would be able to provide us with a lot of local geographical information. I had enough money on board to pay for such if necessary. The coins were Equestrian bits, but gold is gold and it has at least some value on any world.[2]
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[2] Except on the Planet of Gold, of course.
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The two pegasi, Swift Wing and Sirocco, were assigned to do the work of setting out the fore and aft studding sail booms, the bowsprit yard, and their attendant sails. The keel mast and yard could be lowered from on board by winch, and the staysails were so simple even a foal could set them. I stationed Stalwart Lance, the big earth pony, where he could easily reach the winches and capstan. Cream Puff, our other earth pony, and Filigree, our sole unicorn, would handle whatever braces and sheets I directed them to. That left the top yards and sails and the keel top mast, yard, and sail, but those would only be used when there was almost no wind, and needed more crew than we had to use safely.
They were smart and competent ponies despite their inexperience and took to the work readily enough. The most difficult part of the training was to get them to learn the individual names of all the sails and the lines required to operate everything.
The spell that provided a magical keel that would enable us to sail into the wind, was just as enfeebled by the lack of flow as every other active spell. That didn't mean it was useless, but we couldn't make more than three points to windward and so our upwind maneuvering would be severely restricted at the best of times, and non-existent in heavy weather.
When everything was set to my satisfaction, I went aft to the quarterdeck and positioned myself next to Flurry… no, Captain Skyla, as I would get used to calling her thereafter.
"Nebula is ready to sail, Captain," I said.
"Oh… uhm… good?" she said uncertainly.
Oh. Right. "Skyla" also needed a little schooling.
"Just tell me to set sail," I told her in a near whisper from the corner of my mouth. "Say, 'Very good Ms. Spa...' Oh stars, you shouldn't call me Sparkle."
"I shouldn't call you Ms. either! You're a princess!"
"It's aeronautical tradition. You call any mate or midshippony Ms. and use their last name if they have more than one." I frowned. "I'll have to come up with a pseudonym."
"Nightshade fits you pretty well right now," Skyla said, only smiling a tiny bit.
We needed to get going, and I couldn't come up with anything better on the spur of the moment. "Fine. Say it loud enough for the crew to hear it."
Her grin grew wider. "Can I say 'avast there'?"
"No! Avast means stop," I told her. "You can say 'if you please' which—counterintuitively—means it's an order, not a request."
"Sailors are weird," she said. Then she turned forward and said in a much louder voice, "Ms. Nightshade, set sail if you please!"
"Aye-aye, Captain!" I replied. Then to the crew standing by the sheets and halyards, "Loose stu'n'sls! Haul out and sheet home! Tighten up there, Sirocco! Cream Puff, make fast the starboard fore stu'n'sl outhaul!"
Well, they tried. And after a bit, when they had gotten Cream Puff untangled, they actually got Nebula moving. Slowly.
I turned to Skyla and saluted. "Nebula is under way, Captain."
She nodded imperiously. "Very good, Ms. Nightshade." Then she leaned over slightly and whispered, "That was kind of fun!"
"The comedy isn't over yet," I whispered back. "Tell me to increase sail."
"Increase sail, Ms. Nightshade!"
"Increase sail, aye, Captain!" It really was fun. I hadn't sailed in ages. "Loose sprit'sl! Take up on the starboard sheet! Loose the kee'sl and sheet home. Look lively there, you lubbers!"
Eventually, with more than a few telekinetic nudges from me, all the sails were set and drawing well, and Nebula began to move along at a decent speed.
We had no idea where we were going, but at least we were going.
= = =
We followed the trail the burros had taken, assuming they would be heading for some sort of settlement, if not a town or city.
The rugged terrain below us flattened out into a rocky desert cut with arroyos and dotted with strange spiky trees. We had a fair wind to follow the beaten dirt path and only wavered from our course a little bit, now and then.
An hour or so after noon, the whistle plug in the speaking tube from the cupola blew a shrill note, making Swift Wing jump a bit. He was at the wheel and Skyla was standing beside him. I was lying further back on the quarter deck, near the stern rail, with some notebooks and instruments spread out on the deck around me. I looked up to see Skyla glancing back at me. I nodded toward the speaking tube.
She pulled out the plug and spoke into the tube. "Yes?" Then she put her ear to the tube and listened for a moment before replacing the plug.
"Hold your course," she said to the helmspony and turned toward me. "Twi… uh… Ms. Nightshade? Ms. Ao has sighted the burro pack train."
"Ah," I said, rising to my hooves. "Then you'll no doubt want the crew to slow Nebula when we're above them so that we can hail them."
"Yes," she said. "That is exactly what I want." She paused a second and then added, "See to it, Ms. Nightshade."
"Very good, Captain," I replied. And then to Swift Wing, "I will take the wheel. Go forward and prepare to shorten sail."
The sail working went much more smoothly than it had in the morning, and we shed speed in a nicely controlled fashion. But the burros didn't stick with the plan. The tube from the cupola whistled again and Skyla relayed Ao's report that the burros had scattered when it became obvious we were headed toward them, and had taken cover behind the largest nearby outcroppings of rock.
It didn't matter all that much except as an indication that a friendly airship was not what burros in the vicinity expected as a matter of course. I made a mental note that they had run off the trail in the upwind direction.
Skyla took a big megaphone out of the deck locker and went to the windward rail. "Greetings!" She spoke through the cone, not needing to magically amplify her voice. "We mean you no harm! I am Captain Skyla Windsong and I would like to—"
The megaphone went spinning across the deck and she let out loud yelp of surprise as I tackled her. There were several dull thumps as a half-dozen crossbow bolts hit the hull, mast, and underside of the envelope, but, thankfully, no cries of pain.
"Why can't it ever be easy?" I muttered to myself. Then, at full volume, to the crew, "Everypony stay down! Let go the sheets and let her drift. Sirocco, steer downwind. Don't worry about a specific course."
I have no idea what was going through the minds of the burros below, but they didn't shoot at us again. I hated to be driven off like a lowly highway pony, and the odds of running into anypony else anytime soon in this wasteland were pretty low. I thought it over for a moment, then went to the speaking tubes. "Ao? You okay up there?"
"This one is disappointed in the character of certain caravaneers, but otherwise fine, Majesty."
"I think brute force isn't going to work in this situation," I replied. "Do you remember the minotaur reivers?"
There was a pause and then she replied, "Ah! Yes, the taijitu trick! That may serve well, this one thinks."
"Good! Come down to the quarterdeck and keep the envelope between you and the burros. We don't want them to see you before our grand entrance."
"On the instant, Majesty!"
Ao slithered down on the far side of the envelope, then used the mizzen mast as cover to reach the quarterdeck. She crouched beside me, and we went over the plan, quickly and quietly. I told Skyla to have the crew turn Nebula when she was out of crossbow range and hold station until we got back.
The burros hadn't taken anything for granted. After Nebula turned away from them, they had gathered up their loads and galloped upwind, across the rough terrain away from the trail.
Glancing back, one of them saw Ao and I swooping down on them and cried out a warning. His companions dropped their packs again and took what cover they could. The click and snap of crossbows being cocked and loaded was clear in the still desert air.
That was our cue.
"We forgive you…" I began in a sibilant growl.
"...little ones," Ao completed the sentence in her softest, bell-like voice.
"You did not know…" I said.
"...that it was us," Ao finished.
We landed on a high point where the burros could get a good look at us. That was the critical moment. They'd either fire in blind panic, or listen for a few seconds more. Fortunately, those burros were just as curious as their cousins back home. With griffons, it would have been a very different story.
I mantled my wings slightly, letting Ao twist around my body. Up over my rump and around under my belly, then across my shoulders until her head rested right next to mine. I snapped my wings fully open then, the primaries making a sharp pop as they flicked out.
"We come to…"
"...bless you."
"And also to…"
"...enrich you."
Finishing each other's sentences was a simple thing, something that could be seen in a comedy routine in a music hall. But when executed by such an outré pair as Ao and I, it had quite an effect.
There was a hurried, whispered exchange between a couple of the burros and then one said, "Can ya elaborate on that 'enrich' part… uh… ma'am?"
"We don't rightly know who y'are," put in one of the others, who was immediately hissed to silence by the rest of the group.
"We are the spirit…"
"...of balance and harmony."
"We lift up the downtrodden…"
"...and cast down the exalted."
That line always went over well with people scrabbling to make a living no matter what their species. Burros hauling heavy packs through a scorching desert had to fit that demographic. And, sure enough—
"Well, we's jest about as downtrodden as they come, Ms. Spirit, ma'am!"
"'Cept mebby the unicorns," another put in, almost beneath his breath.
That was an interesting comment, but we couldn't let ourselves be sidetracked from the routine. I levitated a few dozen gold bits out of my mane where I had quickly stashed them before leaving Nebula.
"This is but a part..."
"...of what we will give you."
"Come forward and…"
"...claim your gold."
There was a fair exchange of looks between them, but the one that had been doing most of the talking put down his crossbow and slowly stepped forward.
Ao and I moved our heads to either side as he approached. He nearly went walleyed as he walked up to us and tentatively raised a hoof to take the floating coins. Without looking away, he put one coin between his teeth and bit down.
"Well, ain't that something," he muttered, convinced the gold was not only real, but of high quality.
"What is…"
"...your name?"
"I'm called Cuarzo, ma'am," he replied. "I'm right pleased to meetcha. Sorry about the little bit o' shootin' back then. Like ya said, we didn't know it was you. Actually, I'm sorry to say that we hadn't heard tell of ya before now."
Talkative. Good. Also remarkably adaptable. He'd calmed down quickly even in the face of the strange chimeric creature Ao and I appeared to be.
"Thought ya was earth ponies. Mebby imperials, mebby just raiders, but not folks we wanted much truck with."
"That is…"
"...perfectly understandable."
"Thanks a heap for understandin', ma'am." He glanced down at the coins in his hoof. "Uh… are ya fixin' to do any more upliftin' hereabouts?"
"Oh yes…"
"...we are."
"But first we would like…"
"...a little information."
Cuarzo's expression turned wary. "What sorta news are ya interested in?"
"The stone arch…"
"...near where you first saw our ship."
"What happened to the gems…"
"...that were set into its top?"
His expression cleared. "Oh them? The imperials took 'em right after they beat the old king and took over the kingdom. Did they belong to you, ma'am? 'Cuz them imperials could use a bit of gettin' cast down, if'n yer so inclined."
"Do you know exactly…"
"...where they are?"
"'Fraid not, ma'am. Imperial palace or treasury would be my guess. Them rocks were worth a heap, as I reckon you must know. Mebby they've fitted one or two to some device or set them in a war machine, but I can't say for sure. Folks in the capital might know more."
"And which direction is the…"
"...capital from here?"
He frowned in thought for a moment. "I ain't never been there, but it's east of here a fair piece. Take more'n a month to hoof it, as best I can figure."
We had gotten as much information from him as could be hoped for, so I levitated the rest of the coins out of my mane and floated them over to him.
"Take these with our blessings…"
"...and our thanks."
"May you and your companions…"
"...travel safely."
"Thank you kindly, Ms. Spirit. I hope ya get yer gems back."
Ao unwound herself from me and we took to the air.
"And give them imperial stompers a bit of down-castin' for me, will ya?" Cuarzo called after us.
We didn't reply, but I caught one last exclamation from him as we flew back to Nebula.
"Well, don't that beat all!"
= = =
=
Are you also planning to do a chapter about what is happening in equestria after they receive the letter from Twilight? I expect them to be quite worried at this point.
And I foresee a war in the near future. Unicorns are low-class because of the limited amount of magic in this world, is my wager.
And the story continues . iisaw, how do you write such enthralling stories? (Rhetorical question).
Racial tensions that aren't unicorn supremacy? Magical war engines that belong to earth ponies? How delightfully interesting.
8041256
Actually, I was considering a side-story about that! I mean, just the initial conversation between Luna and Cadance would be so much fun to write!
Stage magic works in all possible universes.
I guess that Twilight and Ao got into the spirit of things.
I hope that Captain Skyla can keep the Nebula in the sky.
Those burros were just given some golden opportunities.
Why do I have this image in my head, of Twilight "Nightshade" Sparkle dressed as a pirate captain, showing a pointy teeth smile and going "YARR! Prepare the cannons!"
8041601
I guarantee there will be at least one yarr in this book, possibly more.
Nice one. Loved the Spirit spiel.
8041370 That'd be awesome! The more stories from this univ— uhm...this...saga the better!
8041693
... What about a flying spaghetti monster?
8041257
My thoughts exactly!
Nice moves!
8041257 Or the only one who could extract magic at all. Mongols discriminated Chinese and use their war machine, after they were conquered.
8041437 No, no, no, they were bits. Golden bits.
You must seize opportunity. To be given it is no true gift at all.
8041693 "Let them taste the triple guns."
Intriguing. Seems Twilight and Co. might have to stage a rebellion just to get home. Let's hope this ends with another world of ponies worshiping Twilight as their dark God Queen.
8042184 Technically she isn't lying.
Well then... Flurry's learning how to be a captain. Twilight's showing how good she is at teaching. Twilight and Ao make a great pair in general. I still think Ao sounds positively adorable.
Anyways, I'd like to think that Twi will be overthrowing said imperials, but without magic, that would be a lot harder for her than even she might think.
This chapter has definitely added fuel to the hype train, I can't wait to see where it goes!
Maybe it's finally Ao's turn to be in the romantic spotlight?
Yeah, dirt would probably be more useful there.
Hey wait, is the Planet of Gold a high-magic world? Cuz that is a serious source of cash-monies.
Or at least source for magically reactive materials, if you didn't want to risk upsetting the equestrian economy.
The whole chimera scene was great, and especially the "This guy is surprisingly composed, given the situation."
8041370
*Letter arrives, explaining that Twi was caught up in Cadance's half-baked escape plan that stranded them on another world*
Luna: "Of all the nerve! Going off on another adventure without an invitation or even warning me ahead of time! It's the doghouse for her when she gets back!"
Cadance: "Exactly! How could she take my little Flurry-wurry on an adventure of questionable morals!? Flurry is going to come back liking Twi more than me! I'll have to spoil her when she gets back."
And thus, all blame for the misadventure was placed squarely on Twilight, while Flurry probably got a private air-ship and all her crew got raises. Well, the ones that survive anyway. Also please don't kill of Ao. I like her.
8043127 This got me thinking how hilarious it would be to have Twilight waking up in the same bed for whatever reason with Flurry and thinking in her sleepiness that she was Luna.
Sorry, sorry, you saw what I was doing earlier in the week... well that plus World Within the Web updated so, had an even longer commentary to do.. then just kind of lost track, so, no to seeing Twilight lead 'Skyla' and a screw with no clue what they are doing on an epic journey through a new land to loot, plunder and steal what they want to get home, all without letting in that if they screw this up, they don't go home...... Flurry... you really are related to Twilight, when you screw up, you do not half ass it.
Luckily for you Flurry, Twilight has had a long history of screw ups like this and has come prepared to deal with things. And I love this, with all she's been on, I can fully buy her having a near Batman like assortment of goodies stashed on herself and all over the ship 'just in case'.. also I'm sure Pinkie helped with some of that. Again you really see how much Twilight has grown and learned and changed over the years, while still being, at the core, Twilight Sparkle.
So the question is, what does this one do?
Ohhh she's got an emergency escape hatch, very nice, and again, very Twilight, even engineering it to work without any ambient magic, very well done and yeah I can see her prepping for needing it. And also easy to see why she didn't mention it, small radius, just enough for a pony so, couldn't get them all home, and certainly not Nebula. At very most, maybe her and Flurry Heart, so yeah, this is "Everything else goes to shit" last ditch escape plan to get Flurry Heart home.
Wait, she's sending the letter through? I mean, yeah let Luna know what's up, but still... this better not be a one shot deal and drain the necklace fully to do leaving you no hope of using it again...... Maybe just use up the stored energy and require her to slowly recharge it?
... Twilight..... at least she can be happy that the odds of you nearly destroying Equestria this time are very low. But still, yeah...... whatever they do run into is going to be very sorry if they try to mess with Twilight.
Sending this thing is going to melt the amulet, isn't it?
Well fuck.. then again, given how it reacted, looks like it wouldn't quite have worked out for you anyway, if triple intensity for a small thing like that shorted it out... guess a pony moving through it wouldn't have worked at all. Small favors, you didn't screw yourself out of a way home.
Twilight Sparkle, setting every possible record for highest bills associated with adventures ever.
D'awwwww, and this is nice, they are in love so, it's great the story remembers this and has it come up naturally now and then.
She hadn't been 'intending' any larceny, just, kind of figured it would happen at some point along the way 'on accident'.
Wait, why her? Or, just a, technically the 'captain' when they deal with other ponies due to, well....... Twilight better off being in reserve for when they need to scare the crap out of them?
Okay, makes sense... now how long till she fucks this up and needs Auntie Nightmare to save her and traumatize a few villages?
Okay, so they CAN fully charge them if needed, it will just take awhile, some good news at least. Now, stop and refill them before it's a last ditch emergency.....
Oh this is going to go so well.... but yeah, makes sense, conserve the mana till needed.
Oh wow, Flurry managed to land them in pretty much the worst circumstances possible that didn't require her to be totally idiotic.
AND I LOVE IT!!!!!
Damnit story, you are going to make me google this aren't you?
*One Google search later* Hmmm, that makes sense. Flurry can play at being captain, keep up the act, but Twilight holds full authority to overrule her.... so right now, basically Flurry Heart would be the captain, but Twilight is the ships owner more or less?
1. because of course she went to one of those
2. Order of the Stick already did that joke, so I can picture it quite well. So, how well is the exchange rate going to go?
YAY diagrams to make this all make more sense!
Oh boy, this is just... to damn fun watching her try to et this figured out.
Just accept it Twi... errr Nightshade.
YAY Nautical terminology. Also "This is voluntary" means "you better have your ass down there doing it" and "Stomach virus" means "Food poisoning, but we don't want to admit that."
You have NO idea...........
Yeah, kind of figured that would take longer for them to get it figured out.
AYE! LOOK SHARP OR YOU'LL BE SWAPPING THE DECK TILL TAPS!
Maxim 63: The brass knows how to do it, by knowing who can do it.
So, unsure what the weird flying doom thing in the sky is, or used to anything in the air just being evil? Either way, ohhhh they are going to have so much fun.
Yup, so is it, unused to airships, or just friendly ones? And, they ran upwind, so hint they might be the latter since they know to make it harder for it to catch them?
"It never goes smooth, why doesn't it ever go smooth?"
Also, because that would be no fun, and you know it. So crossbows... fun.
"Emissary from the gods/spirits/higher powers" scheme?
And going for the extra creepy stuff, very nice.. also, this is kind of epic, and damn do these two work well together.
And then she finds out that Griffons in this world... are all like Gabby, and the only danger is getting suffocated with hugs.
Meanwhile, back in Equestria, Luna just felt an quick pang of jealousy for no reason.
Yeah... yeah can't argue that.
More or less.
Heh, and you just KNOW Twilight won't be able to do this without taking down at least one or two uppity nobles.
Hmmmm, so, unicorns are being treated like shit and Earth Ponies are the more direct threat, Imperialistic or just taking to being pirates... well, already learning some stuff, do go on. Also, so airships are known, and primary and EP thing...... Well quite the opposite of Equestria
Yup, time for 'Casting down the exalted' well, have to deal with an entire Empire to get them back... it really never can go easy....
Oh even better! This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!
Well, not likely going in TRYING to do that but, well, Twilight and 'collateral damage' are nearly as perfect a pair as Twilight and Luna.
Alright, so some more good set up, getting a feel for the world, and a goal in sight. So far so good, just, nothing major to add, loving it still.
8041388 Trixie as greatest possible traveler of the Multiverse confirmed!
8042571 There can never be enough of those.
8048574
Food poisoning: also known as the 24-hour flu!
Again, thanks for the detailed comments!
Oh great. They're in a universe where there is a tyrannical Pony Empire. This can only get worse.
Of course, knowing Twilight's luck, she'll end up beating the current Empress through a combination of wisdom, guile and sheer raw power. Then, when Celestia and the rescue team turn up, they'll have to work out how best to let 'The Dark God-Empress' abdicate the throne and a petrified-but-faking-it-well 'High Marshall Skyla' retire from commanding the Empress's all-annihilating armies without inadvertently triggering a world war.
Yeah, I can see this turning into a comedy-of-errors reworking of Ponyhammer 40000
oh, that made me think of an episode of "lost in space", where they were searching for the hidden treasure of a pirate who came from the Planet of Gold...which turned out to be just scrap Iron!
worth more than Gold on his home-world, but since they didn't know where that world is...
Da symbol of StrongQuestria: ALICORN HOLDIN' A KIRIN!
8156409
I prefer Asahi myself... oh wait.
perfect place for would you kindly reference, all well.
8253215
You're right! I need to work that in someplace!
Well, that is interesting. I guess in a low-magic world, the people who depend on it the least would be inclined to rise to power. Well, we have conflict, a nebulous antagonistic force, and a decent cast. Now we just need one of the crew other than the big three to grow a name or two and a character.
Any? Male ones included? Perhaps when the tradition started nopony expected them to exist or it was intended to signify extra respect.
Also curious that Twilight only thinks about Flurry attracting stallions earlier.
8041388
The Great and Powerful Conqueror ?
Trixie would be Queen.
How many degrees does a point refer to in this context?
9932125
11.25 degrees, so she's talking less than 35 when Nebula can usually max out around 45.
I loved the way that you managed to incorporate these bits of naval procedures and nautical lore into your stories I for a brief moment could hear Twilight barking orders in my mind. I actually did a bit of sailing myself way back in high school but only ever on sunfish and other small craft, I visited the USS Constellation when I was in Baltimore last year for Bronycon. In any case, twere I to return to such pursuits a remedial class or three might be in order.
10557106
I'm a total Age of Sail geek, and have crewed on several replica and restored craft!
oh, "Planet of Gold" reminds me of an episode of "Lost in Space", where they were hunting a long-lost treasure that had belonged to a pirate who originally came from a planet of gold no one could find...
it turned out to be a pile of SCRAP IRON, since he thought gold was worthless!
10787386
Makes sense! Y'can't make a cutlass that will hold an edge out of gold!