Chapter 27
I pop into existence exactly where I want to be, getting a grin. Thank you Dawn for the teleport drills that actually let me appear where I want to instead of some random place like a bath tub, and thank you for teaching me so many other spells. I turn to look at the reason I felt the need to teleport. The earth pony is standing there, one hoof raised in surprise at my sudden appearance. I bow before him. “Good afternoon.” I say softly.
The stallion looks at me, blinking slowly. I tilt my head and lean forward a bit. “Hello there, need a hoof?”
“Who, where?” The stallion looks around slowly then back at me, “Who are you?”
I flick my mane proudly and stand tall. “Who am I?” Smiling, “I am a nameless traveler, a humble stallion, wandering the world, setting right that which was wrong, helping those in need.” I keep my wings tight to my side, “A simple unicorn who’s horn brings light to the darkness.”
“Yer kidding right?” Stallion looks at me like I’m nuts.
“Of course, but I always wanted to say something like that. I’m Ki, just came into port on one of the ships down there.” I nose down towards the water.
“Ah, well welcome to Baltimare bay.” The stallion says with a chuckle.
“I saw you were having a rough time.” I looked at the cart he was pulling, one wheel broken completely off. “Hold on a moment.”
“Oh, you don’t need to…” His words trail off as my horn alights.
I gently lift the cart then quickly think through the spell forms, sewing, washing hooves, repairing things, that’s the one. The time spent reweaving the structure of the mast of the Waveslasher became the basis of my repair spells, I learned how to make the fibers of the wood whole and even stronger than before, I pick up the wheel, merging the axle and weaving the broken spokes together. It’s only a matter of seconds before the wheel is whole again. I let my horn quiet and smile brightly at the pony.
He shrugs out of his harness and walks over to the wheel, tapping it gently with a hoof. He turns and looks at me. “Good as new.” He smiles at me. “Why thank you.” He reaches into a bag hung on his side. “What do I owe ya?”
I blink. “Nothing. Just trying to help.” I turn and look back at the bay before a thought hits me. “What do you need with all this?”
Inside the cart is a bunch of stone working tools, as well as quite a bit of wood. He gestures. “Well, the city of Baltimare has been reluctant to spend the bits to put a light house out here at the entrance to the bay, so I decided to use my own bits and build it anyway. It’ll be safer for ships like yours, especially when coming into the port at night.”
I frown, thinking, when we were getting close to the breakwaters, Backburn had been rather cautious when it came to navigating into the bay. But he didn’t mention anything about a need for a light house. Then I think for a moment. “Well, that sounds like a wonderful idea.”
He smiles as he moves over and ducks down to get back into his harness. “Well, thank you, stranger, I do appreciate the help!” He starts to move off. I contemplate for a minute, looking back at the bay. Ghaliya and Greenbeard will probably be a while yet. I’m pretty well recovered, my magic feels like an absolute ocean of power, begging to be used. So I turn and trot to catch up with the pony.
“As I said before, my name is Ki.”
He glances at me. “Argon Starbeam." He says with a chuckle, "Just moved here to Baltimare myself, I want to run a lighthouse and some friends suggested this would be a great place. It’ll take a while, but in time, I can be the guiding light, helping sailors find safe port. "
"Their Star Beam, huh?"
"Funny how names workout sometimes." Argon chuckles, “You have to wonder about the fate and destiny of our names sometimes. Well, those of us with longer names.”
Chuckling I nod, “Oh, low blow. I’m pretty sure though, someone with even a simpler name like bubbles, could find a powerful destiny or path ahead of them.”
“Yep,” Argon gives the cart a few pushes to check its stability, “There’s a special magic in names, just like cutie marks, and I’m not sure we are truly meant to understand it.”
I nod. “I’ve noticed that with my friends.” I steal a back at the docks, the Waveslasher is visible to me, but only because I know where it is. I gesture and the earth pony grunts a bit as he starts pulling the cart. I fall in next to him as we walk. He was so close to his destination when the wagon wheel failed. We do chat a bit as we finish our walk and we get to the site. I stop, looking around. “Something that a light house will take a lot of ponies to build. You must have some resources to pay for ponies to help you build it.”
Argon chuckles as he backs the cart up to a pile of cut stone. “Nope, I’m doing this with more hopes and dreams than bits. I spent almost every bit I had on the materials.” He gestures to the tons of cut stone, wood, and glass and various other bits and pieces. I lived in Vanhoover, made plenty of bits as a stone mason. But I’ve never been rich, just comfortable.” He gestures at everything. “This land, all of this, it’s a passion for me. I’ve always loved the sea. I loved making things. So, I’ll build a light for the mariners, to light the way.” He turns to me. “Well, I have a lot of work ahead of me. I thank ya kindly on your help young stallion.”
I smile before turning, looking at the Waveslasher and taking a few steps. It’ll be nothing to flash back to the ship. But something stays my hoof. I finally turn around. “Ya know, we won’t be going anywhere for at least a few hours. I can help.”
Argon blinks. “Now, son, I’ve got years of work ahead of me, and I don’t have the bits to pay ya.”
“I’m here for a short while, and don’t have much to do.” I nod. “This will at least let me kill some time.”
He tilts his head, considering me for a long moment before shrugging. “Well, again, thank ye kindly.” He gestures before walking and I follow him, from his staging area to the actual build site. He’s got string lines laid out and what looks like the beginning of a foundation had been scratched out with a shovel. I grab a shovel, asking him a few questions about what his plans are and we get started. And before I know it, the sun has blinked across the sky.
“Ki, how did I know?” A familiar voice floats to me. I turn and look, perched on a tree is Guerina.
“I got bored,” I smile at her. “Just keeping busy.”
She glances where the Waveslasher is. “Yeah, I would have thought you would have been keeping busy aboard.”
“I thought about it, but…” Nosing over to the cart, “His cart was broken.”
“And you had to fix it. Then you had to make sure he got up here safe. Now you are helping more. Ponies,” She pinched the bridge of her beak. “Ki…never change.” With a powerful flap of her wings she was in the air and taking off.
I snort.
Argon looks at the griff. “Friend of yours?”
I nod. “Yeah, but let’s get the foundation set.”
He is looking at where the griff had taken off to. I guess he’d not seen many griff’s around. It takes him a few minutes to get back into the rhythm with me. And we continue working until the pop of teleportation gets my attention.
“Ki!” That’s Dawn’s voice, that gets me to stop as she skids to a stop. “The Waveslasher will be sailing with the tide. Greenbeard is chomping at the bit to get back to sea.” She stops, looking around. “What are you getting into?”
Argon speaks up. “It’s fine, fella. You’ve helped me do weeks of work. I can continue, there’s a good plan going on.”
I sigh. “You are right, a good lighthouse is important here. What about future vessels? It’ll be a lot safer once this is done.”
“Ki!” Dawn’s voice holds a lot of warning. “Don’t do it.”
I turn and look at her. “But, I can help.”
“Yes, you can. But this is a project, even with your magic, it’ll take days to finish.”
I find myself smirking. “Are you sure about that?”
Her eyes widen. “No, Ki.”
I nod. “Yes, Ki.” I close my eyes. I remember the plans the earth pony had shown me. It’s simple construction, no harder than when I fixed the walls of the City of Gardens. I reach out with my magic, my eyes starting to glow as I pull at the various materials the earth pony had collected. “I can do this.” I murmur softly as I pour magic into the stone and wood. “This is tiny, compared to the walls.”
“Ki, this is more complex than walls. You need to…”
I’m lost in the magic flowing through me, my eyes open, flashing bright green as all of the stone floats into the air. I don’t need mortar, I can fuse the stones together, make them stronger than the buildings in the city. Those cliffs, they are lime, I can sheathe the building in a hard barrier, make it so it will stay for all time. The basic underlying structure is simple, a moderate sized home but with the tower. I focus on the stone, making the framework of the tower out of stone, each block sealing to its neighbor. But it’s not enough. I pull lime from the cliffs, along with sand from the beach. Water is easy, and so it the last few ingredients. I bring it up to me and start sheathing the walls of the tower, using my magic to cure the ersatz cement that I’ve created as the tower grows in my magic.
As the top is finished, I step back, panting softly. “Now for one last piece.” More sand floats up from the beach as I pump Fire into it, melting the sand before I stretch it and again use threads of Fire, though this time to pull the heat out of it, flash cooling it, forming thick glass plates, lengths of brass that the earth pony had piled up is picked up and shaped quickly, forming framing for the windows I’m creating, and in mere moments the lantern room of the light house is complete. Finally I let my horn darken, looking at Argon.
“Amazing work, though.” Opening a small box he pulls out a large crystal, “The focusing crystal for the beam is…”
Blinking I look at it, “Oh, yeah, I was just thinking about mirrors but…” I light my horn picking up the crystal and tilt my head, with a nod I close my eyes and reshape the crystal a little, letting my magic flow through it, I form it into more of a faceted circle to help with the light. “There you go.”
Argon smiles and gives me a hug, “Thanks lad, I wish there was some way to repay you.”
“It was just a small thing I could do to help.” I turn and move to Dawn, who is sitting there, her mouth hanging open. She closes it with a sharp click before she comes up next to me. “Ki…why?”
“He had a good idea. One that would save lives, that would help everypony. Now he doesn’t have to spend years building it, he can enjoy it now.” I look at it for a long moment. “Though he could paint it.” I shrug. “Ready to get back to the ship?”
She sighs heavily. “Ki, what ever am I going to do with you?”
I smile brightly at her. “Hey, I’m not bleeding from my nose, no magical exhaustion now.” I bend down and nuzzle her softly. “Thanks to you.”
She stops, her face bright red. “Stand next to me, Ki.” She says softly. She lights her horn and we both disappear in teleportation.
***
Like a great bird spreading its wings, the Waveslasher’s sails unfurl and billow out almost organically. The horses of the crew have become so practiced, so skilled, that the ship itself seems to come alive under their work. As mooring lines are released the ship leans away from the dock as if it wants to be free, assisted by a quartet of unicorns on the dock who formed a circle and gently pushed the large ship into the channel. The ship turns and starts for the channel opening, the sounds of the rudder, of lines under tension of the wind and waves fill the air.
A trio of pegasi roll in, following the ship weaving back and forth playing in the air currents and turbulence caused by the sails. Staying in formation the lead mare does a barrel roll, her laugh easily reaching my ears as Greenbeard looks back at the dock, waving at the unicorns. “I could have done that easier.” She grumbles before looking forward.
I stand at the stern wheelhouse, watching the horses crawl along the rigging, adjusting lines and lashings. I want to be helping, but it takes a lot of knowledge and training to be good at it, and to work in unison and harmony like they are. Backburn stands proudly before me, one claw on the wheel as he calls out orders, pointing with the other claw. Greenbeard stands next to me, watching the deck crew, ordering them to wrap and store lines.
I smile at Greenbeard. “We are on our way.”
She nods firmly. “I’ll give you a shout when it’s time for food.” She looks me up and down. “You used a lot of magic. Are we going to have to expect a visit from Princess Celestia about this new alicorn?”
I snort. “I kept my wings under wraps.” I huff.
A scream fills the air washing across the water, looking around I see the lead Pegasus change course, heading for the cliff as fast as her wings can carry her. Leaning forward I narrow my eyes, trying to see. A small object, no a foal is falling towards the water and rocks below.
The foal is too far for my magic to catch it, I could teleport there… I leap into the void and nearly seize my magic…and, and what? Fly, show my wings? Looking at my wings, I look to the pegasus flying for the foal, she’s the closest, but she’s too slow, she can’t make it in time, she knows it and is giving it her all. But it’s not enough.
Looking around, I shake my head. If only she were faster. Faster…closing my eyes, I focus my magic, I can feel Greenbeard put her hoof on my wing. But I’m staying put. I transfer a bit of magic to the pegasus, causing her wings and her cutie mark to shine as she speeds up. I can see a shock cone forming in front of her. I grunt, I can’t have some kind of visible beam, so affecting her at that distance is almost painful. But I am going to do it. One last little burst of magic and there is an explosion. A massive rainbow torus expands out around her and a boom shakes the ship.
Trailing a rainbow behind her, the pegasus catches the foal before it hits the water and rocks and shoots up spiraling into the sky before looping back and landing on the hill top.
“What…” Greenbeard blinks.
“She went supersonic,” I say, blinking, “The water vaper in the air compressed so much in the shock cone that when she broke the sound barrier, it not only caused a sonic boom, but a rainbow.”
“A Sonic Rainboom.” Greenbeard says softly, almost reverently.
“I guess.”
Dawn moves up on the other side of me, “Ki, what… did you do?”
“He helped a pegasus create a Sonic Rainboom.” Greenbeard says.
“A what?” Dawn looks at the Kirin, confusion plain on her face.
“Okay, I just made the term up but… well its simpler then what Ki said it was.”
Dawn laughs softly. “Ki knows this isn’t over yet. Ghaliya has yet to bend his ear.” She looks at me. “And likely will tan his hide as well.”
I instantly wilt as Greenbeard chuckles. “Sorry, Ki. If she leaves your hide whole, I’ll make sure the chef stuffs you full. For now though…” Greenbeard yells out, “Raise the Spinnaker, tighten up the jib.”
Backburn looks back in shock, “Were not even clear of the breakwater ma’am.”
“I know harbor rules and I know the risks, but that magical blast was likely felt for miles, maybe all the way to Canterlot so we’re making a run for it to get clear before anypony shows up.”
“You heard that captain, we are in a race, make for speed running, keep those sails tight!” The dragon points his claws making a fist. “Don’t tell me one night in town has slowed you horses down!”
Dawn turns tail, and I follow the blue unicorn slowly below decks. The Waveslasher is a fairly large ship, and below decks is quite a bit larger than one would think looking at it at port. The main corridor stretches before me, my cabin is at the end, and right across the hall is Ghaliya’s cabin. I stop for a moment at my door, watching as Dawn opens the other door, the one to Ghaliya’s room. She stops and looks back at me.
I gulp, time to pay the piper. I briefly wonder why that phrase popped into my head before the door shuts behind me. I glance back, Dawn had not entered with me. My eyes widen. I am here, alone, with Ghaliya. I find my heart skipping a beat. Ghaliya is not reclined on the bed, as much as I would have preferred her to be. She is sitting on a cushion, sipping a cup of tea. A steaming cup is sitting across from the white horse, my nose flares briefly. Ghaliya has wonderful taste in tea, it’s always a treat to sit with her and enjoy the warmth. I move hesitantly over, she arches and eyebrow as I get close to the cushion. Okay, I must take my medicine before I can drink. I stand stiffly.
“Ghaliya, I…”
“Did I say you could speak, my betrothed?”
I blink and swallow before ducking my head.
“What were you thinking? You could have attracted Celestia! Greenbeard felt your magic use all the way at the Waveslasher. She said she could even pick out the flows, any competent unicorn would feel what you were doing. And you did so in front of an entire city with thousands of them!” She slams her hoof onto the table.
“Ghaliya…I’m…”
“You had better not be saying you are sorry, love.” Her voice gets very gentle with the last few words. She looks at her hoof, still on the table before bringing it back up to hold the tea cup.
“I…” I gulp and take a moment to subside.
She smiles. “Ki, I know you. You must help, even when those you help aren’t in a life-or-death situation.” She looks hard at me as I open my mouth. “You can find a way to think of it as saving pony’s lives. But Dawn already told me what you did. Yes, doubtlessly sea farers lives will be saved by a brand-new lighthouse. But you need to understand. Celestia is not your friend. She killed her sister. There are no other alicorns, except for you.” She huffs. “And I want her to remain unaware of your existence for as long as possible. She has respected the territorial boundaries of Saddle Arabia for generations. I don’t want her to find a reason to change that fact. Did you tell anypony where you were from?”
I shake my head then blink, a simple thought has crossed my mind, she doesn’t know about the sonic rainboom yet.
She nods. “Good, I can’t help that you are wearing robes of Saddle Arabian origin, but the pony most likely has no idea what those robes mean.” She tilts her head slightly. “You kept your wings under cover?”
I nod.
She smiles. “Okay.” She looks at me for a long time before standing from the cushion and coming over to me. She nuzzles my cheek. “You are who you are, Ki. And yes, you must help others. That is your nature.” Her eyes flick to my flank, undoubtedly thinking of the mark emblazoned there. “I could not stop you from doing that any more than I could stop you from breathing. But I want you to think, Ki. We were in Equestria. Her domain. Greenbeard was able to convince me to consent to a port visit here in Equestria. But the ponies here are not loyal to you, or to the Padishah. They are loyal to her. If something where to happen to you.” She stops, shuddering.
The door opens and Geurina pokes her head in, eyes wide in wonder and sparkles, “Ki, wow, that Sonic Rainboom, can you supercharge my wings like that so I….” Blinking the griffin looks at Ghaliya, the mares tail thrashing, “Umm, so yeah, I can come back later.” Backing up slowly the griffin closes the door.
Slowly Ghaliya turns to look at me, “And you were going to keep that one a secret?”
Raising both hooves up, “A foal was falling, I couldn’t teleport to her cuz I’d have had to show my wings…”
“So, you did something? That could be seen for half the kingdom?”
“It will be traced back to that pegasus, not me, if anyone asks it was the pink and blue Pegasus.” I gulp again, “besides, without magic she won’t be able to do it again… So ponies will likely just forget about it, the sonic rainboom thing will just become some old mare tale.”
“Ki…” Ghaliya looks at me fiercely.
I wait a few seconds before nuzzling her back. “Nopony knows that I’m not just an exceptionally powerful unicorn. They would probably assume I was trained at her school.”
She looks as though she’s about to cry. “Ki, if anything happens to you…” She leaps forward, embracing me with all of her strength. I stand, shocked, for a long moment, before I hug her back, unfolding my wings and holding her tightly.
“I will do my best to take care of myself.”
She leans back to look at me. “Are you sure about that? Not only does she possess amazing power, she has her own personal goon squad. The Adeptes Astartes. They are trained against magic users. I asked Dawn a lot about them. And they are rightfully feared. What would you do if a full circle of them were coming for you?”
“I’d run. Teleport away.”
She tilts her head. “You know there are spells to stop teleportation. If Dawn knows them, they definitely do. They could capture you, Ki. And I don’t think I could press my uncle enough to declare war for your return. You’d be lost to me.” A tear slowly makes its way down her cheek.
I reach out a wing, absorbing the tear into a feather before using the knuckle to gently pull up her head to look me in the eyes. “Love, nothing will keep me away from you.”
“Are you sure about that? Do you promise?”
I feel a chill in my chest, I know the words I’m about to say will be taken to heart. I clear my throat. “Love, whatever it takes, I would not let anypony…no…any one at all…keep me away from you. This I promise, with my heart and soul.”
She looks at me for a long moment before throwing herself once again towards me, wrapping her forelegs around me as I answer her hug as tightly with my own. She trembles for a long time, breathing deeply. Finally, she pulls away. “I don’t care about the pomp and circumstance of our wedding. My uncle will have to be satisfied with how we are doing this.”
I frown. “What are you…”
“Love, I have waited long enough. I will wait no longer. I will have Greenbeard perform the ceremony. In the way of the Kirin if need be. But, you and I shall be wed this very day.”
I blink. My silence gets a giggle from her. She reaches up a hoof to close my mouth, which had dropped open. She pulls away and stands up. “Oh, there’s so much to do!” She raises her voice. “Dawn!”
Instantly the door is opened. Dawn stands there, she had to have been listening at the door. Ghaliya taps her hooves on the deck. “Would you ask Greenbeard below, she is to perform a wedding for us today.”
Dawn’s eyes widen. Apparently she wasn’t listening at the door for anything more than her name. “But Mistress. Your uncle, your customs…”
“My uncle be damned, I don’t care about the customs of my people. I know one thing. I wish for the sun to set with Ki as my husband. Now, GO!”
Dawn turns around and scampers off. Ghaliya turns to me. “Ki, I must get dressed. I don’t have much formal clothing, but what I have must do. I will dress, and you shall be able to deflower your bride.” Her cheeks turn rosy as she shoos me from her cabin. I end up closing the door behind me, my hooves start me walking without much conscious direction. Me, married? I know that I have been dreaming of the day it would happen. Ghaliya has been teasing me about when she shall wed. She has told me of customs of Saddle Arabia, she’s told me of what was expected of me during the wedding, to have ritual combat with her father’s chosen horses, since she had no brothers to take up for her honor. The days of feasts and celebration that would ensue starting with them exchanging their vows. Since she was a royal family member, the entire City of Gardens would be involved in celebrating the new union. Even the fact that Farris, as her personal guard, would have to witness their physical union to verify that it happened. Everything we had talking about swirled around my skull.
I blink, I’m staring out at the distant horizon, watching the land recede from the ship as she rushes into the deep ocean, the water itself going from greenish brown to deep blue. How long has my mind been whirling?
I feel an impact to my shoulder, and I turn my head. Guerina is hovering there, a grin on her beaked face. “So, she decided she’s ready!”
I frown. “Who told you?”
That gets a cackle from the griff. “With the size of this boat, do you honestly that could be kept secret for more than ten seconds? But if it really bothers you, Dawn was the one who told me. Right after she told Greenbeard. That kirin has disappeared into her cabin. She’s gonna get herself all dolled up for your wedding, buddy boy. And you aren’t going to know what hit you until you find yourself sleeping in the same bed as Ghaliya.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what to think.”
She again smacks my shoulder with a claw. “Don’t think, do. Ki, you have a pile of gold sitting before you. Are you going to grab it? Or let it slip to the depths of the ocean?”
“I’m not going to say no to marrying Ghaliya. No way, no how.”
She nods, “Good. You can contemplate your future married life all you want, but for now, you had better get to your cabin so you can get ready.”
“I don’t really have much to get ready with.”
“Oh, nonsense. After Dawn told me what our plans are for tonight. I was told to head below and talk to Ghaliya. She instructed me to go to crew members. I’ve got a bag of gold from her, and I’m to buy any and all finery from anyhorse willing to sell. You are to be as beautiful as she is when you two meet on the stern of the Waveslasher this evening. By sundown you shall be married. But, I’ve got work to do. You don’t have a proper foothorse, so I’m going to have to substitute, and get you ready like the gentlestallion you are. Now, get to your cabin.” I slowly turn, which is apparently too slow for the griffon, who slaps my rear with a claw, getting me to rear a bit before I gallop below decks.
The next few hours pass as a blur as Guerina is by my side the entire time, except when she flits off to go purchase something from one of the crew. Though I’m not alone, by any stretch of the imagination, while she’s gone. Greenbeard spends time helping me, decking me out in gold and jewels, “To fit my station” she explains as she clips an earring to my ear. My robes are long gone, in their place is new robes, finer than the previous ones, the edging woven gold. Though no place for my wings to extend. Guerina had clucked at that fact, explaining that I’d just have to keep my wings tight against my sides, I wouldn’t need to fly, anyways.
A mirror is brought from the captain’s cabin. Allowing me to look at myself. And I stop everything, getting a really good look at myself. The fur of my face has even been trimmed, I wasn’t shaggy looking at all. The trimming has actually been along my entire body. The horse that did it had explained that I would want my bride to see me in all of my glory and cleanliness. Then he had used a stiff bristled brush on my entire coat, to where it gleamed in the lamp light.
I glance around. “Where’s Dawn? Shouldn’t she be helping me too?”
Ghaliya clicks her beak. “Oh, come now, Ki. You’ll see your bride once it is time, not an instant before.”
“But she…”
“Is helping Ghaliya prepare.” She elbows me. “And she’s got to prepare herself as well. It’s a big day.”
For some reason, the entire crew seemed to be throwing themselves into this experience. My cabin isn’t large, but with me and Guerina inside, along with the crew horses cycling in and out. Quite a few had refused payment for the use of their finery, simply smiling and congratulating me on my impending marriage, or offering wedding night advice. Some of which explicit enough to have me blushing furiously.
“Okay, after you do…” The horse looks back at the door to my cabin. “Yes, Captain.”
Greenbeard steps inside, squeezing a bit, given the number of bodies in the cabin. “You ready, Ki?”
I wipe the sweat from my brow, this many in such a tight space is way too much for me. “Yes.”
She nods, looking at the crew members crowded in, she gestures with her head, and they file silently out the door before she turns back to me as the door is shut. She steps close to me. “I’ve only done one other wedding aboard ship. And I’m not certain of the legalities in Saddle Arabia. But I don’t think Ghaliya cares much about that. But I want you to know, this is a pleasure. Not only learning magic from you, and being able to teach. But this entire adventure has been…” She stops, searching for the word. Finally she smiles. “Interesting. When we get you back home. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”
I nod. “We won’t. And don’t be afraid to send a message to us in the City of Gardens. I don’t think we’ll need passage again any time soon. But you never know.”
She nods. “Follow me. It’s time for you to join with your brides.”
I blink. “Brides?”
She shushes me as she leads me down the corridor. And before long, we are standing at the stern of the Waveslasher, and my eyes widen. Guerina has been able to deck herself out as well, wearing nearly as much gold and jewels as I was adorned with, along with long flowing robes of pure white. She smiles at me as I take my space.
For a long time, only the sound of the waves and the creaking of the rigging is evident. Before a few horses of the crew start to play some instruments that I’m only vaguely familiar with. I can see a rebab, a kind of lute, and even a qud. The music calms me, I’m about to marry. I’m about to be joined with the one I’ve dreamed of since I got here to this odd world. I glance around, my heart in my throat.
Ghaliya emerges, resplendent in pure white, she’d even found a veil to cover her face, but it was nearly transparent, I could see her eyes shining brightly through the thin fabric. Then another figure moves into view, much shorter than Ghaliya. Though the blue face and her mustard yellow mane held back with ribbons, she’s wearing an identical veil. I blink, my heart sinking. Did Dawn tell Ghaliya yes? Is this going to be both of them? My head feels as though it’s spinning as both of them slow march to me, side by side. On an unspoken command, they spread apart and move to be each side of me as they ascend the steps up to the stern of the ship. Each ending up one either side of me as I turn to face the Kirin, who is also dressed in white. She has a smile on her face as well.
Ghaliya leans over and nuzzles my cheek, at the same time, Dawn reaches up and nuzzles me as well. I know my face has gone beyond merely blushing. It feels as though it’s on fire. I am able to smile at the Kirin as she clears her throat.
“Kirin don’t have many traditions when it comes to marriage, much like the ponies, we tend to informally organize herds. Marriages are left to royals.” She grins. “And it’s by a happy coincidence that we have two royals here this evening. An Equestrian prince.” She glares at me as I try to object, causing me to duck my head. She raises her voice again. “By virtue of his wings and horn. And royalty of Saddle Arabia in Mistress Ghaliya here. So, I will keep it simple.”
She looks at me. “Ki, you are a foundling, found in the deserts of Saddle Arabia, with no knowledge of your heritage or lineage. But you have proven yourself time and time again as an honorable and upstanding pony. Do you…” She trails off, her eyes going unfocused as her horn lights dimly.
My eyes widen. I can feel it to. Magic, powerful magic, gathering. I turn and look, in the evening light, I can see…something. I glance at Ghaliya before I leap into the void, hurriedly embracing my magic.
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Hmm. Quite profound, that.
loving the new chapters looking forward to more
Ki told to not gain attention so he creates a giant lighthouse full of Alicorn magic with alicorn magic protective barrier, it might as well be a giant neon sign saying a alicorn was here
11583231
Oh come on, it was just 1 small thing... what harm or changes could 1 small thing have? All he did was help build a lighthouse, on the bay. In the grand scheme of things, in the fast expanse of the equestrian empire, its not like a single lighthouse would change anything.
I smell a Warhammer reference
.
Reminds me of a quote from The Chaotic Touch of Harmony.
I'm half expecting Celestia to show to up try call 'Dibs', but his brides speaking up saying "Too Late".
It is silly and small thing but i can not help but think that something was stolen from Argon Starbeam. His lighthouse is ready and will protect travelers but is it his lighthouse or the lighthouse that Ki the Alicorn build?
Just something that came to me when he finished it fully.
11583273
it's not just the lighthouse though, it's the story behind it, and the magic used to build it, anybody that asks seriously about how it was made will be ultimately led straight to Ki
Although that ending has me thinking that none of that matters now
11583397
in Argons mind, it'd probably be a blessing that an alicorn built his lighthouse.
besides, the whole thing is practically carved out of a single stone, being fuzed together like that
You're in the Speed Force...
11583406
It'll last for generations...
11583273
1 small thing have led to the fall of empires, and fate of the world changing irrepressible, in this case it get celestia attention, a sonic rainboom happens, something thought to be impossible at this time, so investigators are sent to check, they ask did anything else unusual happen during the same time, and are told of a fully complete light house appearing in a single day, they check and discover the light house is magically built with very impresses magical barriers, this comes to celestia attention she herself realizes it made with a unknown alicorn magic, she get a description and name of the unicorn that made it and orders her eye's and ears across equestria to report any sighting of this unicorn, so next time KI enters equetria a meeting with the sun princess may be unavoidable dun dun duuuun
or like you say nothing happen and Ki get lucky all depends on the whims of the author
gash dernit ki! you just sent up a massive signal flair luna likely saw from the moon! just up and airdropped alicorn to anything with a horn. if that's not celestia personally checking out the disturbance in the force she just felt. i would be very surprised. either way, dipping out during the wedding ceremony? damn, someone's sleeping on the couch with their hide on a tanning rack. alicorn skin rug.
11583397
I suppose it to be a fair question. It is a good thing that the lighthouse is there, and the keeper does not seem to have a problem with what was done (even though he “loved making thing”, and he may now proceed to operate the lighthouse (and paint it, the protagonist supposes).
Yet people often become quite disillusioned, disoriented, depressed, disenchanted when all the challenges of something are removed. As is often said, the journey of becoming matters more than the destination of being.
Seems ki’s promise to Ghaliya will be tested sooner rather then later…
Is Celestia coming to crash the wedding? Lol
11583544
He still gets to build his own "home" at the base of the lighthouse... He's got the tower, but the home will be his own :)
11583499
Oh it could be worse.. remember, he "boosted" the pegasus so the pegasus could save the foal then... ducked out... yeah, he hung a poor pegasus out to dry to buy time to escape... LOL.
a awesome chapter but the cliffhanger at the end is wow
On one hand: they finaly tried to get married.
On the other that cliffhanger can go hang itself.
Need part two........ I think I will cry
I think you used wrong character here :D