Same World, Different Realities

by Mocha Star

Taking Off

Twilight’s ears twitched as the ship wobbled slightly sending creaks of wood and metal as it swayed in rhythm and a smile grew widely across her features. She climbed from her bunk and practically pranced to the doorway and through the threshold, closing the large wooden door after herself as she made her way to the stairs. Two flights of stairs up and the wind blew lightly against her face as she passed the sound buffering spells.

She inhaled instinctively and closed her eyes as a calming sensation went through her before she opened her eyes and listened to the sounds of the airship’s crew called commands and slowly took the ship from the Canterlot Docks onto their exploratory excursion to the far north.

Financed by Twilight to learn more about the frozen north and lands beyond before they had to return to known friendly lands to supply and return home.

She took a few paces on deck and stumbled to the side as a young stallion rushed past her carrying an urgency she’d come to know as ‘important message, don’t bother me.' Humming in agreement at his dedication she looked over the railing and watched as Canterlot pulled away with much fanfare and well wishes for her and the crew.

She waved for a couple minute to the ponies at the docks until she noticed a prismatic contrail approached the airship and Rainbow Dash slowed to hover in front of Twilight with saddlebags and a duffel bag in tow. “Hey, Twi. Glad I made it? Can you imagine how boring this vacation would be without me?”

Twilight rolled her eyes in good nature. “Rainbow, you’re hours late and they won’t stop if you didn’t show up,” she smiled to Rainbow. “But I am glad you showed up, it’s always nice to travel with friends. Or a friend, in this case.”

Rainbow flew over the deck and landed, dropping her bags. “Hey, is this the poop deck?” she snorted and grinned.

“No, that’s back there,” Twilight waved a hoof behind herself and stopped as Rainbow burst into laughter.

“Yeah, that’s where it comes from, alright! Just let me know to watch out, so I'm not stepping on your poop deck!”

“Rainbow, please,” Twilight sighed loudly and turned to the stairway, pointing. “The rooms are two floors down, and you’re on patrol, second shift, so get some rest or have fun,” she held a hoof to Rainbow and looked seriously at the mirthful mare, “but remember that when you’re on duty, you have to be serious.”

Rainbow stood tall and saluted. “Yes, ma’am. As a Wonderbolt, I will be seriously on duty when I’m on the poop deck, ma’am!” Flashing a thousand bit grin, Rainbow gathered her bags and flew down the stairs and out of Twilight's sight.

“That mare,” she shook her head and let the frustration evaporate off her, “sure likes to have fun. I shouldn’t have told her about the main parts of a ship before she decided to come along,” Twilight made her way to the poop deck mumbling. “I just wish she’d take this more seriously, we’re taking a voyage, not a vacation, of exploration to uncharted lands.

“Even the yaks don’t know what’s beyond their borders, you’d think that’d be interesting enough?”

“Ma’am?” Twilight looked up and smiled. “Captain Stone Heart, nice to see we’ve made birth so easily.”

“We've cast off, your highness. To berth is when we dock.”

“Are you sure,” Twilight looked at the city slowly shrinking behind them, “birth is usually expelling one object from another.”

He snickered and sighed, letting a hum escape. “Princess Twilight, ‘berth’ as is ship term isn’t the same as ‘birth,' as in foaling.”

Twilight sucked in air and stood tall. “I knew that,” she exclaimed and looked aside anxiously, “just making sure you’re worth your sugar, as they say.”

Several nearby crew members made a point to look away from her as they restrained their laughter.

“Aye, well,” Stone chuckled, “I’ll prove I’m worth my salt in time, hopefully, this’ll be a peaceful voyage and none of my special skills will truly be put to the test.”

“Captain Stone, we’re on a mission of peaceful exploration. Why would anyone think otherwise of us?”

He looked at Twilight and exhaled slowly. “I’ll level with ya, your highness. The fact we’re taking a royal frigate is a might bit intimidating to those that might not know us.”

Twilight huffed. “I wanted to take a simple merchant ship, but my plans kept getting bigger as the maps became larger,” she looked him in the eyes, “I’m sorry if this ship’s inconvenient, but we need who and what we have explicitly for the journey ahead and back.”

“Ma’am, would you care to hold the wheel?” Stone changed the topic and stepped aside as Twilight giddily took his place. “Just look here at this here compass, keep’r lined up just like that. Little turns and motions. That’s right, just keep it up while I have a word with my navigator.”

Twilight nodded as she watched the compass with glances ahead to make sure the ship wasn’t in collision danger as they coasted through the air. She glanced up at the envelope and the balloon over her, the common thing keeping them aloft was so simple and fragile. Twilight remembered how she’d always admired such a simple thing and its importance. The lives it cared for without ever knowing, much like herself and the other princesses.

She looked ahead again and yelped as a mountain was nearly at the bow. She spun the wheel as a reaction and lost her footing, sliding with the tilting deck for a few feet until the ship stabilized and she noticed there was nothing ahead of them except open skies.

She looked at the sound of laughter and instantly joined the rest of the crew in frowning at Rainbow Dash as she dropped a travel magazine. “Rainbow! What do you think you’re doing?! You could have caused somepony to get hurt.”

“Sheesh, relax, Twi. Everypony’s fine, and you should keep your eyes on the skies, not the balloon, or maybe you will crash someday and it’ll suck a lot more than- oops, later!” she flew away and then toward the top of the sky mast.

Stone Heart glared at Twilight then softened his expression. “Princess, perhaps you’re not ready to pilot an airship yet. You’re more than welcome to try and find a place to rest and read the book that will be delivered to your room shortly.

Twilight smiled weakly and nodded. “I’m sorry about that, it wasn’t very professional of me, but I promise I’ll learn in time. I’ll see you later, call me if you need anything, okay?”

He let a crewmember take the wheel while he bowed slightly to Twilight and turned to give orders to a pegasus relating to Rainbow Dash and her supper.

Twilight wasn’t keen on punishments, but it would offer them more food later and a lesson to the prismatic mare about how to behave on an airship.

She made her way below deck and into her quarters, smiling at the books on her bed. Looking them over as she took them in her magic she thought back on her conversion with the captain.

“I'll start with Nautical Terms for Beginners.”

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[Crescent Glaive]

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[Mocha Star]

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Tomorrow!