Royals. Problem?

by Split Scimitar

To a Little [Big] Island Trotting

“Hello?”

“Hey, I know this is really short notice, but can you make space for a private charter on my tab? Celestia and Luna are here, along with a few friends. Can we reserve a full ship for a few hours?”

“I can make the space. What day do you want to go up?”

“Day after tomorrow okay?”

“Should be. Let me see if we have ships available.”

A few moments later, she says, “okay. I can fit you in. Where do you want to go and what time do you want to depart?”

“Uh, Waipio, the areas that were affected by Kīlauea. Pretty much a slight modification to the volcanoes tour.”

“Okay. Let me plan the cross-country and get you an estimate. Check back in a half-hour or so?”

“Yeah. We’re circumnavigating the island tomorrow. Should we go clockwise?”

“Probably better. That way at the end of the day, you’re at least around Kona when the sun goes down.”

“Yeah. I would say to go counterclockwise to keep the sun out of view.”

“But if you want to be close to home, and if Celestia or Luna want to see the nightlife, Kona’s more for the urbanite.”

“Fair enough. I’m at their mercy, so I don’t know when we’ll be leaving, but go ahead and plan. You want to meet for dinner?”

“Why not? Where are you thinking?”

“I need to plan that with the others. I should have word by the time you call, or we can go over everything at dinner.”

“Okay. Talk to you soon.”

“Okay, bye.

“Alright. Good news,” I then say to everyone. “We might have a tour available, we’ll know in an hour or so. Since Rosalina is certificated, she can fly us personally. With all of us, we take one helicopter, so if we can, we’ll have at least one day taken care of.”

“I hope we can. Flying is fun when it’s not under your own power!” Luna exclaims.

“Well, if my wife can meet us for dinner, we can discuss the trip. What kind of food do you want?”

“Twilight did tell us about a food she liked when she was last here.” Celestia says immediately.

“There were two, one was steak, and the other Chicago pizza. I imagine she spoke highly of the latter, but the former isn’t as difficult to find. I’m already wearing the uniform. Do you have fancy dress?”

“I do.” Starlight says as she heads for her room to change.

“Can we go like this?” Sol asks as she gestures toward her outfit of blazer and chinos.

“I don’t have a problem with it. The place I’m thinking of doesn’t have a strict dress code. Just no ripped clothes, hats, loose/baggy clothing, etc.”

“That’s why I brought these.” Starlight says as she returns with a pair of jeans in a slightly lighter color than the ones she had on, and not ripped.

“Good call.” I say as she also takes her beanie off.

The two remaining resident equestrians then emerge donning polo shirts.

“If you’re ready, we can go.”

When we arrive at the steakhouse, we’re seated almost immediately. I give the keys to Starlight and decide to splurge on some drinks before Rosalina arrives.

When she does, we all share hugs and get formally acquainted with the equestrians. She then sits next to me and begins discussing the flight with me before relaying it to the others.

The seven of us take one whole helicopter, and with plenty of time and fuel allowances, we can visit all sides of the island as we see fit. And yes, my house has a helipad, so we can request the ship for a day, since we’re kind of in a low-traffic time period.

With that, we plan the trip over a steak dinner, sharing plenty of laughs and stories for the night.

Next morning, I beat the sunrise and get ready to go road tripping. Before we leave, we stop at a petrol station to top off and buy some travel snacks. I opt out of snacks themselves since I’m trying to watch my salt intake, so I just add water. And because it’s me, thanks to Rarity’s influence, I have both sparkling and still water, because I don’t know which one I’ll prefer.

Once stocked and ready to go, Starlight takes my iPad and keeps maps handy as we set off for our little island drive.

Most of the island’s traffic is in the neighborhood of Kona and Captain Cook. We’ll be there tonight, so maybe some stop and go will be good for me at least.

Setting course for Hilo, we pass the turnout for Waipio. Since I’m not doing a tour like I did in Chicago, I’m just a means to make sure our suns and moons don’t get lost.

Since we passed Waipio and bypassed Upolu Point, it’s worth saying that we’re basically just driving from Kona to Hilo, using the major highway. The reason is so that I can get reacquainted and the others can see the big island from the ground, since we’ll be seeing some of it from the air tomorrow.

The town of Honokaa is too close to warrant a stop, but we do make note of it on the route. From there though, I decide to hold a cruising speed of 65 since no one else is on the road with us.

Suddenly, a yellow Jeep overtakes us. There’s Rosalina booming her way down the road.

“All traffic halted,” I say as she brakes hard for a red light.

“That car has guts.” Starlight quips.

“That car is my wife.”

“How do you know?”

“License plate, and I’m also pretty certain she’s the only one who has a Wrangler fitted with all the equipment it does. Full spec.”

“I see. Well, let’s hope she joins us at our next stop.”

Our next stop for my sake is the town of Laupāhoehoe for the train museum, and because we have a bit of time. My appreciation for Hawaiian railroads dates back to my first trip to Maui, where we rode on a restored train on the old line. A few years after that trip, the company went under and the line was overtaken by vegetation. The line was rescued by a local businessman who is currently restoring the full line for the sake of “one of Maui’s most recognizable attractions.”

Here on the big island, the story ends long before I ever came to be. The railroad certainly wasn’t the first on the big island, but one of the most prolific. In 1946, much of the line and some of the trains themselves were swept away in a powerful tsunami. Most of the old line has been superseded by the highways, and the museum is located in the house of the railway superintendent.

As a gesture of solidarity for a fellow railroad enthusiast, I drop a couple hundred anonymously but leave the note “from one sugar cane railroad enthusiast to another.”

We make haste in the parking lot, but Rosalina leads us the rest of the way into Hilo.

Hilo is much more local-oriented, compared to Kona which is more tourist/family. Rosalina shows us to her favorite restaurant in town and puts her name down.

After we place food and drink orders, Celestia and Luna start talking about what activities they want to do, so after we get our food, I get lists from each of the princesses of what they want to do. I’ve never done anything this severe in terms of sheer activity, so they’ve got me beat. Except in eating, where I always win.

After Rosalina and I both review their lists, we make a big decision.

“Alright, since the four of you want to do things in sequence, Rosalina and I will have to split up your activity doing. I assume the day after the helicopter ride, we can take it in turns to do what each of you like. However, for some activities, I cannot join you.”

“What? Why not?” Luna responds indignantly.

“I specialize in certain doings, such as eating and scenic drives. Rosalina is more equipped to outdoorsy and physical activities.”

“Art thou afraid of injuring thyself?”

“No. I‘m just not a fan.

“Though for you, I’ll see what I can do if it makes you feel better.”

“Mr. Scimitar, thou needn’t worry about people’s perceptions of thyself. I personally don’t enjoy such activities.”

“So you understand my plight?”

“Yes, but… the point is we’re doing said activities together.”

Predicting her response from a mile away, I concede defeat and say, “I take it you’ll want me with you. I’ll join then if it means that much to you.”

“Thank you Mr. Scimitar.”

“Please, call me Max.”

“I’m sorry. Even after all my years readjusting to modern society, I still slip into ye olde Englische. Titles come automatically as well.”

“I understand.”

“Max,” Sol then says, “if our visitors want to summit one of the volcanoes, can you bring one of your cars?”

“If you want me to. I can make a trip home and grab a few off-roaders.”

“It‘ll save you the cost of rental too.”

“Tell you what? How about I run home and grab a couple of them. You can do activities as you see fit. If you want to island hop, I can grab a smaller aircraft.”

“Actually, we can leave from here. I’m sure there are other places on the mainland we can visit.”

“Alright then, I’ll leave tonight. Anyone want to come with?”

“You know what? I think a red eye flight will be nice.” Selena says. “Luna, would you like to do a flight through the night?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I couldn’t leave my sister behind.”

“Then I’ll stay as well.”

“Alright then.” I say. “I don’t mind going alone.”

After we finish the meal, Rosalina shows us around Hilo and introduces the first activity for us, Kaumana Caves. While not cave diving as Celestia would’ve liked, the nice walk is still a nice warmup for us as we check out the beauty of nature through secondary succession as the flora that grow from lava flourish in these areas protected from the sun and wildlife.

There are 25 miles of cave to explore, and because of Celestia’s eagerness to see it all, we cover just over half of it before the clock strikes 14:00, even though some portions of the cave are on private property. Happily though, I’m glad to have gotten my cardio in, but Celestia craves more excitement, seeing as how she got a landowner to allow us to explore the cave on their land.

Even though the best time to see the place is early morning, we then backtrack and head to Rainbow Falls. Here, we relax and admire the beauty of the falls before Celestia rallies us to a spot out of bounds to get a clearer view of the refracted light projections.

We spend a bit of time here, but because of the pool below, Celestia can’t jump in the water. There’s no way to get out.

When we return to Hilo town center, I restock on water, exclusively still this time. We still have a few hours before sunset, so at Rosalina’s lead, we head for the Ka Lae turnoff, but take our time.

Leilani Estates was arguably the most affected by the Kīlauea lava flows, with the most displaced residents. As a result, the law states that only people who knew residents, and especially those displaced, can enter the area. As such, we remain clear, but Rosalina communicates it as such by turning on her hazard lights. Starlight and I look over towards the town, but quickly get back up to speed when a couple of cars catch up to us on the road.

As the road dead ends at a beach, we U-turn at the beach parking lot and head back to the main highway.

As we drive over roads that have very inconsistent paint markings and conditions, more or less consistent with pyroclastic flows, we take our time yet again as Rosalina leads us down to Ka Lae turnoff. The road is forbidden by our rental contracts, so pointing it out will have to do. If they want to drive it, we can when I return with cars of my own.

We continue quickly now that the sun is in our faces for the bottom of the island. Here, the area is almost entirely residential. No real towns to stop and take in, and no petrol stations for about 100 miles or so. I can drive economically, as can Rosalina. I have plenty of water, I don’t need to snack on anything, and with the rolling scenery of the big island, we press on.

Thankful the road bends and contours with the terrain rather than a long and continuous straight, I keep engaged and completely unable to consider falling asleep at the wheel. Of course, I don’t have that kind of trouble unless I go more than 36 hours without proper sleep, but nevertheless, Starlight seems to enjoy the ride.

When we pass the next town, Kēōkea, Rosalina starts driving a little slower on average.

“Hello?” Starlight answers her phone.

“Um, I don’t think so. I’m okay right now.

She then peers over to see how the others are.

“The others look fine.

“Max, Rosalina wants to talk to you.”

“Hello?” I call when she puts her phone on speaker.

“Hey, you want to stop at Manini?”

“Why not?”

“Okay. Follow me.”

“Alrighty.”

“Ok bye.”

“Yay. I’ll get to get sand between my toes again.

“You alright, Starlight?” I then ask. “You’ve been awfully quiet this leg.”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I’m just not much of a talker. I know Princess Twilight wants me to become a little more comfortable with these situations, but I’ve never been able to like start a conversation.”

“You know, I’m the same way. I don’t like starting a conversation, but I’m more than happy to chip in when I can and continue it if necessary.”

“I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of surprised. You seem to always have a lot going on in your head. Surely you have something to offer most of the time.”

“I don’t like diving into conversations. “‘Tis better to be silent and thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”

“Classic. Haven’t heard that one before.” Starlight chuckles.

“Did Twilight use that on you?”

“Not on me.”

“Well then.” I say perfectly timed to when we park. “I need to stand up, stretch, and get some sand in my toes, and probably my feet wet too.”

I set up camp with a towel, but Luna sets a foldable lounge chair next to me. Laying it out and getting comfortable, I place my things down next to her and head for the water, joining Starlight, who is getting her feet wet, and Rosalina, who is going for a full swim.

After a few minutes under water, Rosalina asks me to get her towel, but she only dries off her hair.

“If only I had my surfboard.” I say. “Though there’s a reason it sits in Honolulu.”

“Yeah, this isn’t really a surfing beach.”

“No, but it does make me wish I had it so I could use it. It has been a while.”

“Hmm.” She agrees. “How are you telling Celestia from… Celestia?”

“I’m calling the Celestia you know ‘Sol’ and her sister ‘Selena.’”

“Aren’t they royalty? You could get away with calling them ‘Princess’. A lot of Mushroom people called me that.”

“They called you ‘Princess Rosalina’?”

“Yes.”

“I feel like I knew that. Though I don’t ever remember you ever saying so.”

“I never did.”

“Well then. You learn something new every day, don’t you?”

“Yes indeed.” She says as she towels off the rest of her body.

“Surprise!” Celestia exclaims as she shakes off excess water on the both of us.

I shut my eyes to keep out seawater but half-chuckle as Celestia feigns embarrassment.

“You enjoy swimming in the ocean?”

“Can we go diving?” Celestia nods.

“Sure!” Rosalina says.

“Ooh, we should do a night dive!” I exclaim.

“How about tomorrow night after the helicopter ride?”

“Yes! Let’s do it.”

“I’ll book it when we get home. You wanna make our special dinner for our guests?”

My face lights up, and she smiles, knowing that’s all she needs to see.

“Costco closes in 2 1/2 hours. Then I can leave and get the off-roaders for Mauna Kea. By the way, which ones should we use?”

“What did you give Fluttershy’s group?”

“Q5’s. I probably won’t use them for this, even though it would be a plush ride for the royalty.”

“If you’re going for plush, use the Q7 at least.”

“It is Mauna Kea we’re gonna trek with.”

“It’s not that rough. You could get by with almost any 4WD.”

“I’ll probably just grab a Land Rover.”

“You only need one. We can use mine, but you have to drive.”

“Good enough for me.”

When Luna and Selena finish packing up, we stop by Rosalina’s so I can pick up a couple things that need to go back to California. Then, with a “see you tomorrow” and a “rest well” - even though I’ll be flying all night, we head home, and after I take a shower and brush my teeth, basically getting ready for bed, I head out and file a flight plan back to VCV.

When I get to the airport, I request a ground power unit so I can preflight. All lights check, fuel is as I ordered. No anomalies, just waiting for my flight plan to process.

After about 5 minutes, the flight plan is on file, so once I get the engines started with the help of the GPU, I get the engine temps and pressures into operating range before I do the flight control check.

Set flaps 15. “Kona clearance, Boeing 76055, IFR to Victorville.”

“Boeing 76055, cleared to Victorville airport via as filed. Maintain 9,000. HCF departure frequency 126.0, squawk 2412.”

“Cleared to Victorville as filed, 9,000 on departure, Honolulu control 126.0, squawk 2412, 76055.”

“Boeing 055, readback correct. Ground .9. The ATIS is Sierra.”

“76055.”

“Kona Airport Information Sierra, 0755Z, wind 150 at 5. Visibility 10. Sky clear below 12,000. Temperature 22, dewpoint 16, altimeter 30.09. ILS runway 17 and visual runway 17 in use. Landing and departing runway 17. VFR aircraft say direction of flight. All VFR aircraft contact clearance delivery prior to taxi. Read back all runway hold short instructions. Advise on initial contact, you have information Sierra.”

“Kona ground, Boeing 76055, Sierra, taxi.”

“Boeing 76055, Kona ground, runway 17, taxi via A.”

“A to 17, Boeing 76055.”

Taxi light on. North on taxiway A to runway 17.

“Kona tower, Boeing 76055, north on A, will be ready upon reaching.”

“Boeing 76055, Kona tower, roger. Expect takeoff clearance shortly. IFR release.”

“Roger, 76055.”

Making the left turn to the hold-short line, I turn on the landing and pulse lights, waiting for the strobes for the takeoff clearance.

“Boeing 76055, runway 17, cleared for takeoff.”

“Cleared for takeoff runway 17, Boeing 76055.”

Strobes on, autopilot armed. Lined up on centerline.

Takeoff thrust set. Airspeed alive. Gauges in the green.

80 knots.

V₁

Rotate.

V₂

Positive rate, gear up.

Flaps up.

“Boeing 055, turn right heading 340, contact HCF departure. Good night.”

“Over to departure, Boeing 76055, g’night!” “Honolulu departure, Boeing 76055, off Onizuka, 2,200 climbing 9,000, turning heading 340.”

“Boeing 76055, Honolulu departure, radar contact. Proceed direct Upolu Point, climb and maintain 9,000.”

“Direct Upolu, 9,000, 76055.”

Comments

[Fetch]

Next time he has the Princesses as passengers, he should use 'Eclipse 2' as tag. Why not 'Equestria 1'? That would be if Princess Twilight Sparkle was aboard. Same with 'Crystal 1' for Princess Cadance.