The Stink Bug

by Some1Else

Chapter 4

Twilight stirred. She had come out of a dream so pleasant that it had left her feeling ready to take on the rest of the day. Twilight pushed a hoof out from the white microfiber blanket covering her, found the alarm she had turned towards the wall, and flipped it so she could read the time. Even though the day they were scheduled to arrive at the village of the Salamanders had arrived, she still had thirty minutes she could dedicate to sleep. If the previous five out of eight hours hadn’t been enough, she couldn’t figure how another half hour would make any difference.

“I will do my best to make today a great day,” Twilight whispered to herself so she could start the morning off right.

A rumble of thunder eased through the ship. They were flying through a storm. Since she hadn’t been alerted, it couldn’t be serious. Twilight hopped out of the bed. A quick look through her cabin window revealed plenty of clouds, but none of them looked like they were carrying anything dangerous. She stumbled towards the sofa and threw herself on top of it. It would take her at least fifth teen minutes to fully wake up since she was suffering from an insomnia hangover. Her nerves hadn’t done her any good the prior evening and the only reason she had gotten any sleep at all was due to the Valerian root she had fetched from the medical bay.

Twilight cast a simple illumination spell that she aimed at the ceiling and the room was immediately given light. The spell had a noticeable effect on the paint and furniture around her. All of it began warming up, as if she were in the middle of her own personal sunrise. By the time the enchanted decorations had reached their full effect, Twilight had been fully invigorated by the light therapy around her. With a small sigh, she decided to see if Applejack wanted to join her for breakfast even though the odds were good that she had already been up for an hour or two.

Twilight walked through a door located at the side of the room into a bedroom that had been made specifically for Luna. There was a bet going around that the bottom of the deepest cave in the world had more light in it than Luna’s room. Applejack had been given a firefly lamp to keep her from tripping over everything. The lamp had been left on the bedside table and it was the only source of light in the room. Applejack had made Luna’s bed before leaving the room. Twilight let a huge yawn loose. It was time to close the door to Luna’s room.

Applejack was most likely with Fluttershy and the bug in the cargo hold. It had taken a while for the bug to get comfortable with the other ponies, so Fluttershy had chosen to sleep with it in the hold on a makeshift bed of hay even though there had been room for two in the beds of the princesses. Twilight would have to check down there a little later.

After putting on some coffee and having a quick peanut butter sandwich with a pinch of salt for breakfast out of her private supply of rations, Twilight trotted over to a desk situated in a corner that had been overtaken by books and notes. Five sheets of paper containing her notes regarding how she intended to negotiate with the Salamanders were waiting for her next round of scrutiny. Twilight reached for a pencil with her right hand and then remembered what body she was in. She caught the pencil with her aura as it rolled off the desk and then read all her ideas for the twentieth time. Nothing was out of place and she was certain she had accounted for as many possibilities as she could imagine.

Her note checking was not quite finished. Another five pages awaited her perusal. Twilight had pulled a volume on fixing magical maladies and working with enchanted crystals. Brushing up on her knowledge of both subjects had been a delightful way to pass the time and had made her feel more prepared to face all the unknowns ahead of her, of which there were many. Novices had an entire book worth of ways to screw themselves over and working with magic rocks was as delicate as performing surgery.

Twilight set her notes aside and breathed a sigh of relief. She still had some time left before she was scheduled to appear on the bridge for a short, daily meeting with Onyx. Confident she could allow herself to read for pleasure, she wandered over to a small bookcase she had already examined. Celestia devoured classics. A few horror novels were in the mix as well, thanks to Luna. Twilight had read all of them, which was a situation she was beginning to encounter more often and one that would only get worse if she continued to remain immortal.

A sudden knock came from her door, preventing her from remembering which classic she had reread less. Twilight wandered over to see who her visitor was. Two earth stallions dressed in armor were on the other side of the door. One was a little bigger than the other.

“Good morning, ma’am,” the taller stallion said. “May we speak with you for a moment?”

Twilight couldn’t place either of them. She had met all the soldiers that were now technically under her command, but these two hadn’t stuck out. “Sure. Is this important?”

“It sure is,” the smaller stallion said. “We’re not here to gawk at you. This has to do with our mission.”

The taller stallion looked down the hallway to the left. “I think somebody is coming,”

“Excuse us,” the smaller stallion said.

Twilight took a step back and raised her eyebrows in moderate alarm as the stallions rushed into her room. The smaller one closed the door with his hind leg.

“I’m Wedge,” the smaller stallion said, keeping his voice low.

The introductions were halted for a moment when Wedge and his friend looked at the bottom of the door leading into Twilight’s bedroom. They appeared to be watching for a shadow. When one failed to materialize, they relaxed and turned their attention back to her.

Wedge gestured at the taller stallion. “This is my best friend, Biggs. We were both wondering if it would be possible to be on the landing party and serve as your personal escorts.”

Twilight had not spent any time thinking about what they were asking. “I don’t know if I need any extra help. If everything works out, I won’t have to leave the ship for very long.”

Their hopeful expressions turned sour. She was about to console them when a memory played through her mind. Chrysalis had managed to knock Celestia back a considerable distance while they had all been distracted. It was said that thinking of something fiddled with the brain in the same manner that it would if the fantasy was happening. She had been doing a great job of repressing that memory and keeping it out of her nightmares, but Applejack had brought it back.

“Then again, it might not hurt,” Twilight said. Four ponies would be easier to manage than six. “What are your ranks?”

Wedge couldn’t look her in the eyes. “We’re first class initiates.”

While that was better than being a second-class initiate, it still meant that they hadn’t moved beyond public service in Canterlot.

“Have any of your assignments been risky?”

“This would be the first one we’ve been on that has involved any real danger,” Biggs admitted. “We are only here due to our high marks.”

Wedge grinned and blushed. “We might have done some begging as well.”

At least they were above lying, which was more than she could say for some ponies who had tried to earn a spot in the junior varsity league of her private platoon. Zephyr came to mind. Twilight bucked him out and decided to tease the two soldiers a bit to see how they would react. “Are you trying to gain rank?”

Biggs recoiled in disgust. “That is the least of our concerns.”

“General Adamite already knows who he wants to send with you,” Wedge said. “We’re pretty sure it isn’t us. We’d give anything to be the ponies he picked, though. We could protect you just as well as they could, if not more.” His lips bunched up in a scrunch. “Probably. More than likely.”

“You could always switch us out if you do not like our performance,” Biggs said.

“If I had the chance to,” Twilight said.

Neither of them could think of a way to argue with her.

She had been expecting that and decided to move the conversation along before they could stutter a reply she could easily rebuke. “What if I insist on just doing this with my friends like I always have before?”

“The general has been ordered by Princess Celestia to make sure you’ll be accompanied by escorts at all times while you are on the ground,” Biggs replied. “No exceptions.”

“Interesting. I haven’t heard about that yet.”

“He is going to tell you when you meet with him this morning,” Biggs said.

“There was a rumor going around about it,” Wedge said. “We didn’t know it was for real until we overheard him talking about it earlier.”

“Do you know who else you would be protecting if I let you come with me?”

“Yes, of course,” Biggs replied. “Fluttershy and Applejack. Kindness and Honesty. They’re just as important to Equestria as you are. That’s why we both really want to serve under you.”

“Alongside me,” Twilight corrected. “Why did you two join the guard?”

“Do you remember when Queen Crystalis attacked Canterlot?” Wedge asked.

Twilight nodded. “Lately it has been impossible for me to forget.”

“Biggs and I were both attending Canterlot University at the time. We met while helping some of the royal guards defend the campus. Afterwards, we decided to join the guard together. I wasn’t really feeling my area of study and Biggs wanted a break. We spent a whole year preparing for it and here we are.”

“What do you two get out of this hypothetical adventure?”

Wedge gave her a look of confusion as if the answer was obvious. “What we signed up for.”

“And what exactly was that?”

“To uphold, promote, and protect the best interests of Equestria,” Biggs replied. “With our lives, if necessary.”

Twilight would have loved to point out that he was being a little dramatic, but it didn’t seem appropriate. She mulled over everything they had told her while they fidgeted in front of her. Since Equestria wasn’t at war or in a state of emergency, new recruits were eased into less desirable scenarios such as Hydra wrangling as they gained experience. The two stallions were one promotion from being sent away to tackle more intense work, but what they were volunteering for was still further down the line than they wanted. Still, they had been picked for their potential and they seemed to have the right attitude for the job. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t lose it under the right circumstances.

She smiled, inadvertently giving them the answer before she spoke. “Alright. I’ll let you two come with us, but you had both better be prepared to pull your own weight. You two aren’t due for escorting a princess through territory known to be hazardous for a little while longer, so you will have to give this double your best possible effort. I’m pretty sure you can, so congratulations, and welcome to the team.”

Wedge’s bottom lip quivered. His eyes started getting misty. “Thank you. You won’t regret this. We promise.”

“By your leave, ma’am,” Biggs said, heading towards the door.

Twilight gave him a nod. The two earth stallions bumped into each other and stumbled into the hallway in an elated daze as they left the room to get back to what they were supposed to be doing. Troop management had taken away the urge to read for fun, so Twilight decided to head to the bridge after waiting a few minutes for her new recruits to vacate the area.

The section of the airship reserved for the princesses was kept in the best possible shape. Some soldiers had already polished the floor of the hallway, cleaned the windows, watered the plants, renewed the spell maintaining a pleasant temperature in the area, and checked to make sure the silk drapes had not been knocked out of place. The fragrance of pumpkin seeds dipped in caramel had been set into the hallway. It was all a little much, but that didn’t keep it from being something to have been proud to earn. Twilight opened the double doors at the end of the hallway. She stepped away from the illusions her status had afforded her and out into reality.

Her path to the bridge included a look at the stairwell connecting the decks together. A single unicorn soldier was waiting on the landing leading up to the flight deck. Five pegasus soldiers came in from the rain and were quickly dried off by a simple spell cast by the unicorn soldier. The pegasus soldiers began heading for the bridge while the unicorn soldier went below. Noticing Twilight, the pegasus soldiers gave her a bow that she returned before they went back to work.

The shift was changing aboard the bridge. Three sleepy unicorn mages came wandering out. Since they were out on an assignment, they were all in uniform, which consisted of wearing a silver cloak associated with the rank of master. A golden brooch in the shape of a sun denoted the rank they had achieved. They all gave Twilight a respectful nod and wandered off to retire in the chamber where the entire crew slept together.

The pegasus soldiers stopped short of the entrance and gestured for Twilight to go in ahead of them. She shook her head and gestured for them to go in ahead of her. They accepted her invitation and walked past the crystal that powered the ship to the front of the room where Onyx stood watch at the windshield. Twilight noticed that Red Iris, the only novice unicorn aboard the ship, had finally been allowed to have a go at the crystal under the guidance of the sole grand master among them, Hocus Pocus. Both were also in uniform. The novice wore a midnight blue cloak with a brooch in the shape of a moon while the grandmaster sported a white cloak with a golden hem and wore a brooch that combined the two astronomical objects that were so popular in their kingdom. If they were letting Iris work with the crystal, the storm outside was nothing to worry about. While the pegasus ponies gave a report on the weather to Onyx, Twilight watched Iris and Hocus.

Even though the crystal was bound to the ship, the enchantment was not permanent and needed to be renewed three times a day. While a permanent enchantment would have been easier to work with, a temporary one ensured the crystal could be used elsewhere since rocks capable of holding immense magical power weren’t carted out of mines by the ton. At first glance, the crystal behind the protective case at the center of the bridge was a regular chunk of alexandrite about ten hoofs high and three hoofs wide. It had been carefully cut in an emerald style. The spell in effect was tied to a wheel an earth stallion was operating.

The aura of the novice, a dark shade of red, radiated from within the crystal rather than around it and interacted with the natural color changing properties of alexandrite. Iris had her teeth clenched together. She was on the ropes, but Iris wasn’t giving up and had failed to notice that Twilight was watching her. After a moment, the crystal became completely purple as Iris’ aura danced around inside of it. A bolt of energy traveled into the floor beneath the crystal and a purple stream of magical energy traveled through all the cracks and crevices in the ship, making for an interesting light show. The ship would float for another eight hours.

Twilight tapped into the crystal and evaluated the power of the spell that had just been used. The usual problem with all cast spells was present, but did not significantly alter the outcome.

“Nice cast. Be more confident next time.”

Iris blushed while panting from the exertion she had just undergone.

Hocus chuckled. “Iris, you need to learn how to relax.”

“Believe me, I’m trying,” Iris said.

The five pegasus soldiers Twilight had seen earlier left the bridge, having finished giving Onyx their report. Onyx gave Twilight a salute. She returned the gesture.

“Good morning, Onyx,” Twilight said. “How’s the weather?”

She managed to get the faint smile she wanted out of him.

“Cloudy with a slight chance of precipitation,” Onyx said.

“Great, we need the moisture,” Applejack said.

Applejack entered the bridge with Fluttershy at her side.

“Is everything alright with our bug?” Twilight asked Fluttershy.

“She’s used to storms,” Fluttershy replied. “She’s getting a bit bored, though.”

“Have you tried reading to her?” Twilight asked.

“No, but that’s a great idea.”

“Start her off on the classics,” Applejack said. “On second thought, we might not have a copy of Green Eggs and Barley aboard this ship.”

“Celestia has The Wild Beckons,” Twilight said.

“Is that the one about the dog?” Applejack asked.

“I think that one might be a little too violent,” Flutttershy replied.

Onyx hadn’t said a word, but it was clear he was waiting for them to finish.

Twilight smiled a little. “Sorry, general. You may proceed when ready.”

A microphone covered in a khaki aura courtesy of Hocus appeared and hovered in front of Onyx. The device was not hooked up to anything, but it had been enchanted to carry the voice of the speaker throughout the ship.

“Stand by for morning announcements,” Onyx said. “The storm has slowed us down. The worst of it was about to blindside us, but that has been cleared up. We predict we will reach our destination in four hours. Expect to defend this ship. Pegasus soldiers will be sent out first to subdue any aerial threats we come across. Earth and unicorn soldiers will focus on being ready to defend the interior of the ship in case it is boarded by a hostile presence.”

Twilight tried to imagine a battle inside the airship. It was a frightening thought. The interior wasn’t too cramped because Celestia and Luna hated moving beds, wardrobes, and canons through narrow spaces just as much as anyone else. There was plenty of room to maneuver around in, but all the work that had gone into making the interior shine would be ruined instantly.

“Princess Twilight intends to meet with the Salamanders first to see if they have come into possession of magic or know of someone in the area who has. This may mitigate the need to use magic to locate who we are looking for, which is important because they might be enlightened enough to figure out they are being hunted if a spell is cast looking specifically for them.”

It was nothing that hadn’t been said before. No soldier on the airship could claim ignorance. The real fun would arrive when they had more information.

Onyx smirked. “Now for the moment you have all been waiting for. There have been rumors circulating throughout the ship that I have been asked by Princess Celestia to make sure Princess Sparkle and her companions are accompanied by at least two soldiers whenever they leave the ship. I have not said anything yet because I didn’t want them to be bothered by any of you, but that rumor is true. I have reviewed all of your files and have carefully selected two of you to be in her party.”

Twilight waved at Onyx before any names could be mentioned. She leaned forward so the microphone would catch her voice a little better. “Actually, I have already picked who I want to go along with us.”

Onyx raised an eyebrow. “You have?”

“Yes. Biggs and Wedge.”

Onyx narrowed his eyes as if he was trying not to fail a vision test. “Who?”

“They are two earth stallions who are first class initiates,” Twilight said.

The stallion at the wheel had to stifle his snickering. Onyx signaled Hocus to cut his spell and the microphone returned to wherever it had been fetched from. Two documents appeared in front of Onyx, manipulated by Hocus. It was somewhat reassuring to see that the two stallions under review had done enough to get a thick staple in the left corner of their files.

“They spoke with you, didn’t they, princess?” Onyx asked.

“They were very polite,” Twilight replied. “Maybe a little naïve, but their hearts are in it. That’s usually enough.”

“I can appreciate that they showed initiative, but they knew better than to bother you. Are you absolutely sure you would like them to come along with you?”

“Yes. We could always switch them out if we had to.”

“Your safety is not a team sport. Have you discussed this with your friends?”

“I’ll support her decision, general,” Applejack replied. “While I’d rather be down there with someone who has been in a few real fights, I’ll give those two a chance to prove themselves.”

“Everyone I’ve spoken with has been really talented,” Fluttershy said. “We all have to start somewhere.”

Onyx sighed. “Well, if that novice unicorn can keep this yacht in the air, those two might have it in them to be decent escorts. I hope.”

“Princess Luna picked them out,” Hocus said.

“I’m sure their tearful dissertations were quite moving,” Onyx muttered under his breath. The microphone from earlier reappeared. Onyx smiled, but there was no joy on his face. Only reluctance. “Congratulations Wedge Timber and Biggs Medley, you’re our lucky winners. Spear Mint and Frigid Squall, you two will be warming the bench. As for the rest of you, continue with your duties and be ready for anything.” The microphone vanished. Onyx turned to address Twilight. “There’s one other thing I believe we should discuss privately since I want my soldiers focused on now and not when.”

“Food and water, right?” Twilight asked.

Onyx nodded. “We’ve got enough to last twelve days. If we need to stretch it out, we can, but soldiers perform much better on full bellies.”

“We shouldn’t have to improvise,” Twilight said.

“Just keep it in mind,” Onyx said. “Morale is at the highest I have ever seen it. It would be a shame if that changed. Do you girls have anything for me?”

“Shelly has run out of trees and she’s getting awfully hungry,” Fluttershy said. “We will need to make a quick stop when we hit land to get some more wood.”

“Done,” Onyx said.

“You named that thing Shelly?” Applejack asked.

Fluttershy looked at her hoofs. “She didn’t like any of the other choices.”

“Let me know when the storm is over,” Twilight said. “I’d like to be out on the flight deck again, especially when we reach land.”

“As you wish,” Onyx said. “Anything else?”

They shook their heads.

“I’m glad you three are so easy to work with,” Onyx said. “If you have any other concerns, bring them directly to me.” He turned to face Hocus. “Hocus, cast a map and give me your take on our surroundings.”

Twilight was intrigued. A unicorn at the grand master level was expected to be able to get a feel for the terrain within a thirty-mile radius of where they stood. With a partner, Hocus would be able to cover more ground. Boosting morale by speaking with the soldiers as they worked or going over her notes again could wait until she knew if there was an end to all the water beneath them.

“Would you like a spotter?” Twilight asked.

“Why, it’d be an honor, Princess. I was planning to use the crystal to get additional range. Have you had a chance to tinker with it yet?”

“Yes, they even let me fly the airship for a few minutes on our first day. I don’t think you were here for that.”

“I must have been down in the cargo hold. No matter. Should I lead?”

Twilight gave him a nod. They stood together, closed their eyes, and linked their auras together. Twilight possessed a substantial advantage over her partner. It came with being an alicorn. They directed their auras into the crystal, adding more colors to its mix. Since map was a psychic spell and they had no need to project a display of what they were seeing at the front of the room, there was no fancy indication that the spell was working for their audience other than a subtle glow from their eyelids.

Muddied images of the ocean blurred with a white tint rushed through Twilight’s mind. Gaps appeared, preventing stretches of land from being seen. It was a typical start. To adjust the tracking and produce a clearer image, more focus was needed. Twilight provided it. The gaps filled in and the white blur lessened, giving them a better view. Just as Twilight had a general feel of the area surrounding Applejack’s farm or Sugar Cube Corner, she now had a good idea of what she could expect if she flew thirty miles in any direction. The effect was only temporary. Since she didn’t live in the area, her brain would pack away the information once it was no longer needed and stick it in the same cabinet it filed away how many jackets Sunset Shimmer owned.

Hocus brought in the power of the crystal. A rush of raw magical strength ran through Twilight. She could part the sea and make the ship do a flip if she wanted to. The intoxication wore off quickly. She would only get halfway through the flip before the crystal shattered and everyone got to see how seaworthy their airship was if they were lucky enough to have it land properly. Celestia and Luna would probably de-alicorn her for that. The added power almost eliminated the white blur and not a single gap was in the area they were scanning.

A nice surprise waited for them.

“Land ho!” Hocus announced. “Ten miles!”

Those on the bridge cheered and whistled, causing the image to tear slightly due to the distraction. Hocus gave an indication that he wanted to finish the spell, but Twilight kept him linked. She strained to get a better image of the shoreline. Something about it didn’t look right and Twilight was certain the limitations of the spell were not to blame. Twilight signaled she intended to end the spell. She and Hocus released their command of magic at around the same time, ensuring neither of them would be dizzy.

Twilight was ready to move immediately and addressed Onyx. “We might have a problem. Stop the ship the moment we hit land. I need to go down there for a few minutes and have a look around. Begin descending.”

Onyx looked at Iris. “You heard her.”

“Count me in,” Applejack said.

“I’ll stay with Shelly,” Fluttershy said. “If you need us, just let me know.”

“We had better get our boots on before we head out,” Applejack said.

With a simple spell, Twilight put on her boots and made sure Applejack was wearing her set as well.

“That’s fancy,” Applejack said as she admired the snug fit.

Twilight made her way to the stairs that led up to the deck. It was still raining outside. Her coat was more than happy to absorb the water and she knew it served as a prelude to how filthy they were going to get. The deck was slippery, which slowed her haste. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw a bolt of lightning cut across the sky. It hadn’t missed the ship by much. The crack of thunder was deafening and punctuated her entrance into the storm. Twilight took a moment to look up at the flag and saw it hadn’t considered submitting to the wind. She approached the railing and looked down at the ocean below as the airship began descending.

They would reach land shortly. Twilight’s worries were present and accounted for. Forcing herself not to focus on any of them hadn’t yet gotten to the point where it took less than half of her mental effort. It probably never would.

The sound of hoofs hitting the deck took her concentration away from the approaching shoreline.

“Wait for us!” Wedge called out.

“General Adamite insists you do not leave this ship without escorts!” Biggs said.

They were still in full armor, but the pair now sported brass hoofs, which would help get their point across if they had to buck something stubborn. Both stallions also carried a black saddlebag that hung over to their right.

“What have you got there?” Applejack asked, gesturing towards the saddle bag.

Wedge reached into his bag. “We’re carrying sleep discs. Here, see?”

He let Applejack have a good look at it. The disc was dark blue. A white gem as bright as a full moon had been put into the center of the disc. No further examination was necessary to tell Luna had enchanted them herself.

“It works like a boomerang,” Biggs said. “All you have to do is throw them. The magic does the rest.”

“What if your target is bigger than a pony?” Applejack said.

“It would take a few extra hits, but it would still go down and have a pleasant nap,” Biggs said.

“Alright, what if your target catches the disc, then?”

“It gets so cold that the target will be forced to release it,” Wedge replied as he put the disc back into his bag.

“Have you ever used them before?” Applejack asked.

Wedge grinned and pretended to have not heard her. Biggs shook his head.

Applejack face hoofed. “What happens if you get hit in the face because you didn’t catch the disc when it comes back at you? Do you get knocked out?”

“No, it stays in front of you until you grab it,” Wedge replied.

“Thank goodness. Could Twilight and I use them if we had to?”

“We could,” Twilight replied. “Hopefully none of us will have to.”

Applejack barked a laugh and bit her tongue. Twilight turned around to see the ground coming into view. She had to rub her eyes. It didn’t help. A thick mist hung above the soil. Various shades of brown and grey stretched on for miles. Few trees or plants were in the immediate area despite the abundance of water. Trees that had managed to grow lacked leaves and were slumped to the side, eternally weeping over memories of the beauty that had once been. Birds and fish were absent. Even mosquitoes couldn’t bear to live in such a dreary place.

“Did I miss the part where Celestia mentioned this?” Applejack asked.

“You didn’t,” Twilight replied.

The ship came to a smooth halt near the grave of a large tree that had to have looked majestic when it had harbored clear signs of life. It would do Twilight no good to teleport into a cleverly hidden pit of water, so she sent out a scan to ensure she wasn’t jumping into the deep end of the pool. Her search was temporarily interrupted by the sound of multiple hoofs landing on the deck. Pegasus soldiers had been sent up and began taking their positions across it in case they were called into action.

Once she found a suitable place to land, Twilight readied her magic. “Alright, we’re going to go have a look around. Are all of you ready?”

They nodded. Twilight beamed them down to the tree. Their hoofs were submerged, but they could bear the discomfort. Rain fell all around them, making gentle noises as it struck the stagnant water they now stood in.

“Sure is dreary,” Wedge said.

“Our coats stand out well here,” Biggs said.

Twilight couldn’t argue. A predator would zero in on them without much trouble. If there were any around.

Applejack scraped at the ground with a hoof and brought a sample of mud up to her face. “You’re not growing anything in this. And I’d bet you ten bits. . .” She trailed off as she approached the tree. Applejack kicked it hard with one hind leg, knocking off a chunk of bark with the force of the blow. She leaned in to survey the damage. “. . . that this tree would agree.”

“Would you win that bet?” Twilight asked.

“Yup. Look and see. No green. This didn’t happen yesterday.”

Twilight cast a quick spell on the tree and a small sample of the surrounding area. “The only forms of life I can detect are extremophiles that are unique to this environment.”

“Micro critters, huh? At least there’s that.”

“Life always finds a way.”

Wedge yelped as he suddenly fell into a pit of water. His armor was an anchor strapped to his body and sent him straight to the bottom. Twilight caught him with her aura and levitated him to safety. Wedge began shaking in complete embarrassment as water dripped off his mane and coat.

“Watch out for that first step, it’s a doozy,” Wedge muttered.

“What were you doin’?” Applejack demanded.

“I saw a blue light twenty yards away,” Wedge said, pointing to the south. “I thought it might be a wisp.”

The trio looked. Whatever Wedge had seen or thought he had seen was gone.

Applejack scoffed. “It was probably just gas.”

Wedge closed his eyes and sighed. He looked like he knew he was about to be fired. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Oh, don’t feel bad,” Twilight said. “We’ll sweep this one under the rug. Onward and upward, Wedge.”

The bandage she slapped over his wounded pride took hold. Wedge went back to his post, his confidence halfway restored. Twilight returned to the tree and glanced to the south one more time before deciding there was nothing to worry about. She looked at the dead branches. A theory began forming in the back of her mind.

“Shelly definitely won’t want to eat those,” Applejack said.

Twilight’s thoughts slipped through her mouth. “Unless she can bring them back to life.”

“Uh-oh,” Applejack said. “That doesn’t bode well, does it?”

“Not at all.”

Twilight trimmed several branches. Breakfast was going to be light for Shelly. They could make it up to her with a large lunch. While holding several branches in the air with levitation, Twilight zapped Wedge with a quick drying spell to make it look less obvious that he had tried to go swimming.

“We’re finished here,” Twilight said. “Next stop: The cargo hold.”

In a blink, they were all together in front of Shelly. Twilight’s sudden appearance caused several guards working in the hold to cry out in surprise. Shelly was also startled by seeing her pop into existence, but Fluttershy was there for her. A unicorn mage stood nearby and had Shelly confined to a comfortable magenta cell. The carpet Shelly had chosen to lay down in her temporary studio apartment was made of moss. Purple oyster mushrooms had sprung up in a few places. Applejack nudged Twilight and pointed at a regular bald mushroom that had found its way into the ship through Shelly. It was a relief they seemed to be the only two ponies in the room who knew the mushroom needed to be chucked over the side of the ship.

Twilight stepped inside the cell and laid down the branches in a bundle off to the side.

“She’s not going to eat those,” Fluttershy said.

“Wait,” Twilight whispered.

Shelly regarded what had been presented to her with mild interest. In a matter of seconds, life returned to the severed limbs. The branches regained a dark brown color. Pink clovers sprouted out of the wood. That was Shelly’s signal to begin dining. Twilight had not yet been present to hear the noise Shelly made when she ate and it gave her the impression that there was a chainsaw inside her mouth.

If a particularly stringent judge had been on the fence about adding Shelly to the list of protected species, they would not hesitate to do so now. The beetle possessed an unusual degree of restorative magic. It could not only create, but revive. Celestia and Luna would order it to be studied without a second thought.

“Can we keep her?” Applejack asked with a smirk.

“We’ll fly her in for a visit once every six months,” Twilight replied.

“I guess you already know what this means,” Applejack said. “If Grizzle and Celestia didn’t mention anything about that eyesore out there and if Shelly can turn a desert into a swamp just by crawlin’ across it, then there were more of them at one point in time.”

“She’s endangered?” Fluttershy asked.

“Given what I just saw while on the ground, I’d dare say she’s mythical,” Applejack replied.

Twilight felt her gut twist with worry. Anxiety had just gotten off probation. Twilight stilled herself. Acknowledging it always seemed to make it stronger, but exposed its weakness by allowing her to choose how she needed to react.

“We’ve got to get to the village as soon as possible,” Twilight said.

She took off without announcing where she was going. Her concentration was fixed on the monumental task ahead of her. Only when she reached the bridge did she notice Applejack and her two personal guards had come with her.

Onyx stood at the window. He wasn’t going to like what she had in mind. Twilight was prepared to argue with him. She positioned herself in front of the crystal.

“I’m going to teleport us as close to the village as I can,” Twilight announced. “I’ll do this by myself and I will only use a small portion of the power I can draw from the crystal in case we happen to jump directly into danger and need to get away quickly.”

“Our top speed would cut our arrival time by half,” Onyx replied without looking away from the window. “Isn’t that a better option?”

“We can do that after I’ve flung us forward as far as I can. Even if I can only shave ten miles off our trip, that’s a distance we can cover in an instant as opposed to a few minutes.”

“Princess, I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but you are teleporting an entire ship that is nearly fully crewed through unknown territory. You would be very lucky if you could gain the distance you just mentioned and you will certainly be burnt out after that.”

“This is an emergency.”

Applejack stepped in. “Now wait a minute, Twilight. Just because the wetlands are in bad shape does not mean the rest of the swamp is.”

The troublesome theory weighing down on her back and constantly jabbing two clawed fingers into the soft spot at the back of her skull might as well have been visible to Applejack. Now that it had known it had been seen, it spurred Twilight to force her to defend it while squealing loud enough in defiance to wake the dead.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Twilight said.

“We know nothing,” Onyx said as he turned away from the windshield and joined the group loitering around the crystal. “You’re operating on a guess that assumes the worst possible outcome.”

Twilight realized with some horror that she was going to have to flex her authority to get what she wanted. “This is not up for debate.”

“Princess, I know you outrank me, but I will not allow you to do this unless you honestly answer two questions,” Onyx said.

That would be easy enough, especially with Applejack standing right next to her.

Twilight accidentally gulped, subconsciously attempting to swallow her anxiety. “Sure. What are they?”

“If I let you cast this spell and you botch it, are you going to explode?” Onyx asked.

Twilight barely stifled a snicker. It had been decades since a unicorn or alicorn had accidentally exceeded their magical limits in a manner that led to such a festive demise.

“No,” she replied. “The worst thing that is most likely to happen is we don’t even get ten hoofs ahead and I get to spend the rest of the day with the worst headache I’ve ever had.”

“Good, because I don’t think any of us could bear having to scrape you off the walls. Can you guarantee that not a single member of the crew will come out the other end with their tails fused to their uvulas? I’m due to be a great grandfather soon and I wish to make a positive first impression on my great granddaughter.”

“Everything will be fine. You have my word.”

“Fine,” Onyx said. “While I do not approve of this method, I will defer to it.”

Applejack moved a little closer to Twilight. “How much is this goin’ to take out of you?”

“A lot,” Twilight replied. “I might need to drink a restorative elixir to be able to perform at my normal level once I have done this since I won’t be able to take a nap for a while. The medical ward is stocked with the brew I have in mind.”

“There ain’t no point in trying to stop you, is there? Do what you can to cut our time down, but don’t hurt yourself. Also, just so you know I’ll personally tie you up before I let you go on if I don’t think you’re fit to continue.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

If it came down to that, Twilight wouldn’t be able to use her magic to get away from her because Applejack would come find her and everything would be much worse. The elixir would help take the edge off, but the fatigue would still be there. Twilight wasn’t sure at what point Applejack would stop her and couldn’t predict how much power she would need to get through the rest of the day. She only needed to get them ten miles ahead. Then they could sail towards their destination as fast as the ship could travel.

Hocus brought the microphone back and let it dangle in front of her mouth. “You might want to let the crew know about this.”

Twilight took the microphone in her aura. “Attention. This is Twilight. I’m going to see if I can speed up our trip a little bit with teleportation. This might feel a little different, but don’t get scared. We’ll be fine.”