The Open Sea

by NahB

CX1 - Setting Sail

Hey everypony! As promised, a bonus chapter! It's no longer a spoiler that Twiley's in trouble with Equestria, so I present to you - the escape!

As a backstory, Twilight and her Crew are bombarded by those who see her as a detriment to the King's image every time they return to Canter Island with annoyances and have to constantly fight their way out with words and bits. They finally pulled the ultimate on the ship. Nopony but the Mane six are on the crew at this point in their lives.

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SIX YEARS PRIOR TO CURRENT EVENTS
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Twilight Sparkle wandered the halls of Canterlot Castle, mulling things over. For some reason, she didn’t like coming here anymore – maybe something in her had changed following the Flood. She didn’t know, nor did she care. All she knew that she was at a crossroads in her life.

She had to choose – run and become an outcast of the only world she’d ever felt at home in, or become just another pawn. The choice was harder than one would think – Twilight loved her friends, her family. She could have a good life here on Canter Island. But, on the other hand, she loved her ship. For the past several years she had lived a wonderful life on the seas with her friends on her ship, the Free Mare.

But you couldn’t have one and the other. It had been made clear – the Equestrian military needed her ship, and her relatives could do nothing. Although Shining Armor and Cadance were, in fact, the ruling monarchy, they didn’t have full control. Leading a recently destroyed kingdom was no easy task, and they needed support, especially from the military.

“Dear, what’s wrong?”

Rarity had seen the troubled mare pacing, and had decided to make herself known.

“This decision is one of the hardest in my life, Rarity. My decision here will affect the rest of my life.”

Rarity walked up to the lavender unicorn and looked closely at Twilight.

“Dear, I just want you to know that, whatever your decision, the five of us are behind you. We may not have the Elements to connect us anymore, but we will always be friends.”

Twilight smiled a moment, but that fell to a frown. “That’s just it now. My decision isn’t just mine – it will affect five of the most important ponies in my life. I could make them soldiers or outlaws, something none of us had ever dreamed of becoming.”

Rarity only looked at her friend, not knowing what to say other than what she already had.

“I think I’m going to talk to my brother. Thanks, Rarity. I needed somepony to talk to.”

“Anytime, Captain,” Rarity replied with a smile. She pushed Twilight in the direction of the king’s leisure room. “Shining Armor is resting. Court is over for the day. Go ahead, dear.”

Giving Rarity another warm glance, Twilight started off. The hallways still seemed cold and gray to her, and nothing helped her find a decision.

The halls became more populated as she approached the center of the castle. She nodded and said brief greetings as she passed various ponies.

Finally, Twilight found herself at the door. Initially she reached a hoof out to open the door, but thought better of it and knocked.

“Come in,” her brother’s voice sounded. Twilight entered and found her brother, her sister-in-law and Pinkie Pie in the room. Cadance was watching Shining Armor play a game of Checkers with Pinkie Pie. Of course, Pinkie Pie was winning and Twilight’s brother was scowling at the board.
“I swear, if I hadn’t been watching the entire game, I’d say Pinkie Pie had cheated. Nopony else can beat Shining at checkers,” Cadance said, amused.

“Hi, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said, jumping up from the game and trotting over to her friend.

“Rarity said you were awful blue today, so I made you a cupcake!” With that, the pink earth pony grabbed a cupcake out of nowhere and offered it to Twilight She didn’t question where the treat hat originated, and just took it with her magic.

“Thanks, Pinkie. I just can’t seem to come to a decision.”`

Shining armor looked around, and then shot a pink bubble around them.

“Don’t know who might be listening. I just want you to know, Twiley, whatever you choose I’m privately behind you. Even if I have to publicly denounce you if you choose to desert.”

Twilight had already relayed her thoughts to hear brother the day before.

Twilight began pacing inside the pink bubble.

“I just don’t know. What to do. I’m leaning towards deserting, but I’m afraid I’d never be able to come back.”

Shining Armor nodded. “I can’t guarantee that you ever would. But I’ve been a guard, and I can tell a soldier is worse a life than that. You’d never learn to like it. I think, were I in your position, little sis, that I’d go away far away. Living with a lifetime of longing is better than a lifetime of regret.”

Twilight mulled it over, sat down. The two decisions rang out in her head. She couldn’t let the military have her ship without her captaining it – it just felt wrong. She was just tired of having to make tough decisions. Every time she returned to Canterlot, it seemed somepony wanted to take advantage of them. Somepony had taken a huge favor here against the six mares, and it was costing Twilight.

Leave to never return, or stay and never leave? Those were her choices. And they stunk.

Pinkie Pie moved forward and laid a hoof on her back. “Whatever decision you make is the right one, Twilight. Stop taking us into account.”

And when the pink mare said that, Twilight made her choice. The bubbly pony had finally hammered in what Rarity had tried to tell her. Her friends were leaving the decision up to her, so she should stop worrying about them. And if it was only herself to worry about, she had made her choice a long time ago.

Twilight got up and walked over to the King and Queen of Equestria and hugged them both. Both of them had tears in their eyes as they realized she had made her decision.

“Goodbye, Shining. Goodbye, Cadance. I hope I get to see you again in peace.”

They only smiled sadly, not trusting their voices.

Twilight looked up at Pinkie. “Pinkie, go find everypony else and get them to the Mare. We’re leaving.”

The earth pony smiled and saluted. “Aye aye, Cap’n!” She said, and ran off. Shining armor let the bubble down to let her past. Twilight made her way to the door, and glanced back.

“Goodbye,” she said.

Both her brother and sister-in-law nodded.

She walked out and began a trot towards Admiral Big Wave. She found him in his office.

“Admiral, I’ve decided to enter your service. May I and my Crew go down to my ship to prepare it?”

The admiral looked at her, eyes suspicious. “Kind of late in the night for that, isn’t it?”

Twilight shook her head. “We’ve been up all night anyway. We need something to do.”

The admiral nodded. “Fine. Here’s the pendant. The guards see this, they‘ll let you and your crew in to the harbor. Glad to know you’ve made the right decision.”

Twilight nodded, and left the room, pendant in front of her. She felt bad for lying to such a good pony, but knew there was no other way.

She left Canterlot Castle and made her way to the harbor. She was joined by Pinkie and Applejack.

“AJ was the last one. Everypony else should already be there,” Pinkie said. Twilight nodded and kept walking.

“What’s the plan, Twi?” Applejack asked.

“We’re going to try and leave the harbor without a fight. Tonight. Head to Voyage Island, try to find some work.”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie nodded. The three mares walked quietly through the streets to Canterlot, and finally the harbor came into view. The trio walked down and joined the rest of their friends wordlessly, only exchanging nods. They approached the pier to the Free Mare and were accosted by a pair of guards.

“What is your business?”

Twilight approached them and held out the pendant. “Just preparing our ships, sirs. “

The one who had spoken checked the pendant and grunted. “Alright. But don’t make too much noise – it IS the middle of the night, after all.”

Twilight and her friends boarded their ships and quietly got into position.

Twilight paced the upper deck. “Alright guys. They’re likely to send pegasus guards after us, and then a ship as soon as they can. We have to get out of here as fast as possible, with as little fuss as possible. If we’re boarded, try to just scare them off. We don’t want blood on our hooves.”

All five of her friends nodded. Twilight approached the rope securing her ship to the pier, and raised a nearby woodcutting axe.

She raised it, and nodded to Fluttershy and Rainbow dash. Her two friends let down the main sail on the mast. The two guards turned at the loud noise and shouted. Twilight brought the axe down upon the rope and ran over to Rarity. Together, both mares pushed forward on the ship with their magic to try and get it moving faster.

As the ship pulled out of the harbor, a dozen black specks flew towards the ship.

“Get ready!” Twilight yelled, grabbing one of the poles. All her friends, save Applejack, armed themselves similarly. Rainbow Dash flew out to meet the group ahead and began to wildly attack the group.

She had only brought three on herself, less than the pegasus was used to handling. The other nine made it to the ship and began to harry them. She quickly engaged one of them and brought it down with a flurry of her pole. Twilight turned and found Fluttershy in a corner with a pegasus over her, raising a large club. Twilight grabbed one of the flying ponies with her magic and smashed them into the one over Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy! Get in the Pilot deck with Applejack!”

Nodding, the terrified pegasus flew in said area, slamming the door shut behind her. Twilight checked the two she had thrown against the deck, and found them both unconscious. Looking over to her friends, she saw the rest had fallen back to the island, save for three more unconscious on the boat.

Smiling, Twilight strode to the back of the ship. None of the ships had left the harbor. They’d made a clean getaway.

“Rainbow Dash, tie those pegasi up and thrown them in the magazine. Have Fluttershy watch them. We’ll drop them off at Voyage.”

Twilight stared at the receding Canter Island as Rainbow complied with her orders. She felt a loss – they could likely never come back – but also felt a kind of freedom.

They were free. The Free Mare was on the ocean, ready to go anywhere, do anything. And Twilight Sparkle, along with her friends, were going to live their lives as their own, and only their own.

Truly, before her was an Open Sea.

Comments

[Rask]

Good idea to put up this chapter.

[TwilightsmyMare]

Excellent!

[Lancethefox]

I will admit I'm quite surprised by this story. Its is really well written and becoming very developed. This chapter really helped flesh out the the back story and I hope you plan to do more letter. Now except for the Pilot deck is there anything else that make the ship special or did Equestria just want more ships?

[NahB]

1224223

The Equestrian army "Needed" more ships in general. It was simply a ploy to shut down the bad image Twilight was giving the King, living as she was.