Chapter 10
“Alright everypony! I think that’s enough training for the day.” Captain Armor called out across the water in a voice that was surprisingly loud, nearly every Pegasi present who was still in the air dropping to the ground with exhausted relief while Yamato looked on in amusement.
After the initial reveal of just how absurdly fast the Wonderbolts could go, Captain Spitfire put her ponies, and every other flying equine present, through a series of tests to determine just how much better they were than Yamato’s planes…the results of which were not quite as much in their favor as Spitfire likely thought they would be.
Sure, the Wonderbolts could go far faster than what any living thing should be able to go, and could turn practically on a dime without falling unconscious to the change in G-force which defiantly gave them the edge in maneuvering. But at the same time, it was clear that Spitfire had greatly exaggerated when she claimed that the Wonderbolts were near invincible when it came to aerial combat. The Pegasi had become quite spooked at the rapid fire staccato of her planes machine guns, even if they had only been firing paint bullets, which was clearly throwing off their movements. And one stallion in particular, having grown cocky over the course of the battle, had begun to fly literal circles around one of her planes. Unfortunately for him, the pilot’s wingman was quick to punish the Pegasi for his showboating. A punishment that was clearly visible to all ponies present due to the numerous splotches of neon pink paint crossing his backside.
And while it was clear that the Wonderbolts were the most skilled fliers amongst Equestria’s army, the rest of the Royal Guard were no slouches in the air either. They might not have been as agile as the Wonderbolts, but they made up for it through shear force of will, the ponies of the Royal Guard remaining unflinching in the face of machine gun fire. And the Thestrals…well, Yamato assumed that their lack of coordination was simply due to the fact that they were operating in their equivalent of the middle of the night. That, and Jolly had been pretty clear that the Night Guard specialized in reconnaissance, espionage, ambush missions as opposed to head on combat, so she didn’t hold it against them…too much. But it was something they would need to adapt to if they wanted to survive an encounter with Abyssal night patrols.
Of course, none of this mattered if they couldn’t find a way to bypass the Abyssal ability to negate magic. Thankfully, from what Yamato had witnessed, it appeared that the ability wasn’t a purely passive one like it had been often depicted being. Instead, it appeared to have been one that needed to be activated to affect others. So, as long as a pony was moving fast enough that the Abyssal failed to detect them, it was possible that Pegasi would be able to attack an Abyssal and get out before getting caught by their power…At least, that was the theory behind her observations. She would of course never order any Pegasi into the fray with such shaky intel, but the Shipmare didn’t have to be able to see the future to know that eventually they would have plenty of evidence as to just how the Abyssals were able to effect magic, she could only hope that such precious data did not come at too high a price.
Not that she had too long to worry about such questions, as somepony started to speak to her, drawing her out of her darkening thoughts. “Umm…Yamato, I get that Captain Spitfire was getting a little cocky, but did you really have to go all out on everpony like that?” Princess Cadance couldn’t help but ask as she watched the procession of miserable Pegasi with a look of pity, more than a few of the unlucky fliers sporting brand new multi-colored coats. Her concern brining a grin to the Shipmare’s muzzle as she reminisced.
After the tenth round of combat, with all ten battles ending in Equestrian victory, Spitfire had fluttered down to gloat as she had for each and every one of their victories. And after so many blows to the pride of her pilots, and by extension herself, Yamato decided that enough was enough. And so, she threw out a new idea for training to the Wonderbolts and the rest of the Pegasi, since they were so much more skilled than Yamato’s planes, that the next training battle should be against Yamato herself, an offer that Spitfire was quick to accept, likely believing that they could handle anything at this point…A fallacy that Yamato was quick to destroy.
Sure, the Wonderbolts were still so fast that Yamato could only just barely keep track of them and their reaction speeds were certainly what one would expect from an elite unit…but such speeds simply didn’t matter when a pony had to fly straight at their target to get a hit in, and said target had over one hundred guns, some of which could fire off over two-hundred rounds per minute, pointed in their general direction. The end result of such a battle being that a number of Pegasi were nursing welts and grumbling about having to wash their coats while Yamato was forced to suppress her giddiness at her anti-air armament finally fulfilling some purpose other than making her look imposing.
“Of course, it was necessary. The whole purpose for this whole training exercise is to prepare the military of your nation for what is to come. How could I allow anypony to leave here without seeing the true extent of what a Shipmare is capable of?” Yamato denied as she once more forced down her smirk as Spitfire landed nearby and proceeded to give her the stink eye.
“Uh-huh…and it was just a coincidence that your weapons were aimin’ at me the most, right?” The yellow Pegasus questioned incredulously, her accusation almost causing Yamato’s composure to crack…almost.
“Indeed, it was. As I did not give any directions to my Fairies other than to target the closest fliers. That you were targeted so much simply shows how much closer you got to me than any of your peers.” Yamato returned, only half lying. While it was true that she hadn’t given her Fairies any actual direction on priority targets, if her Fairies honor demanded that they exact revenge against a braggart, then who was she to correct them?
“…Rrrriiiigghhhttt.” Was all the mare said in reply before turning to the rest of the Wonderbolts and ordering them back to their barracks for a few hours of rest before they would receive their next orders, both Captain Armor and Captain Jolly performing similar actions with their respective units.
After dismissing the gathered ponies, the three captains returned to stand in front of Yamato for a debriefing. “Alright then, the fastest fliers of the Equestrian Guard will be responsible for informing our militias what we have learned here today.” Captain Armor explained, Yamato narrowing her eyes in consideration before replying.
“Very well, but before you send them on their way, I would remind everypony that the events here today were merely a training exercise, and that if a flight of Pegasi were to encounter Abyssal planes any wounds suffered would likely result in death. Nor do I believe that swords or spears will have much effect upon any such planes. And since no pony has encountered any Abyssal planes, we don’t’ know if said planes will be able to cancel out Pony magic. And as such, I would advise against engaging any Abyssals for now and to retreat as quickly as possible.” Yamato explained, a seemingly rare, serious expression on Spitfire’s face at her words.
“Fair enough. But with all due respect Lady Yamato, even if we Wonderbolts are mainly deployed for parades and air shows we’re still a part of the Equestrian military. Same as any other Pony who serves the Princesses’, from the Royal Guard to any militia. And if we have to give our lives to protect civilians, then there isn’t a single one of us who would hesitate to do so.” The fiery pony replied, a similar look to her own on each of the Capitan’s that surrounded her.
Yamato’s first response to the unexpectedly heated words of the normally casual pony was to blink owlishly in surprise, but she managed to recover quickly and moved to clear up the misunderstanding. “Of course, I did not mean to insinuate otherwise and I apologize if my words gave offense. I merely wished to advise caution until such a time as we have developed weapons that other ponies may use against Abyssals, and a means of preventing their powers from stealing the magic from everypony. I apologize if my words gave offence.” She explained, the heated look on Spitfire’s face fading just as quickly as it had come.
“Eh, don’t worry about it. And ya, you’ve got a point about fightin’ against them, but don’t worry about us not havin’ weapons for long.” Spitfire started, a grin slowly spreading across her muzzle. “Seein’ your flyers in action gave me a few ideas on how we might stop these Abyssals, assuming they’re similar to your planes. Just gotta run my idea by the Royal Alchemist and secure some supplies from the armory before we try anything.”
“Well then Capitan, don’t let us keep you.” Shining Armor commented to the Wonderbolts leader. Spitfire nodding to her fellow captains, bowing her head first to Cadance and then to Yamato, before her and the rest of the Wonderbolts flew off into the city proper.
“I believe I shall take my leave as well.” Jolly announced before yawning in a very cat-like manner. “With our training for the day taken care of, it is high time for the Night Guard to return to our barracks in preparation for the coming nightly duties. So, without further ado, I wish you a pleasant rest of your day, Princess Cadance, Lady Yamato.” The Thestral finished with an exaggerated bow of his own before flying off in the direction of the castle.
Yamato watched as the Night Guard returned to the castle, a good number looking like they were about to pass out any moment now that the tension of battle was gone, before turning back to Cadance and Shining Armor. “So then, with our training complete, what is next on our agenda?”
“Lunch, of course.” Cadance answered immediately, with a serious expression on her face. “With how much magic we’ve all been using this morning, I’m sure everypony has worked up quite an appetite.”
Well, she’s not wrong. Yamato thought in amusement as she received a report from one of her Lieutenants warning that her quartermaster was last spotted making his way up to the bridge with murder in her eyes due to an unplanned deployment that they did not have the supplies for, and while Yamato might have the bravery to stand her ground against an Abyssal battlegroup, not even a ship of her stature would dare face the wrath of an angry quartermaster if she could help it. “That sounds agreeable.”
“Well, hopefully the chiefs of castle are more prepared for their own trial by fire than the Royal Guard was, considering how much you ate this morning and how much fighting you’ve done this could be the greatest battle they have ever faced.” The Princess continued, her serious demeanor beginning to break the further she got into her sentence. Clearly the Princess of love enjoyed poking fun at others, but Yamato could clearly see that the Princess was just joking around, and she had more than thick enough armor to not take such simple ribbing seriously.
And so, she was left with only a single choice to make, to get in on the joke herself. “I make no promises in regards to sparing your cooks. After all, I swore to do my best to both protect Equestria, and prepare every citizen within for what is to come. And how can I claim to have done my job to the level expected of the nameship of the Yamato class if I do not prepare your chiefs as well?” Yamato finished, a small smile on her own face as both Cadance and Shining Armor broke out into laughter, although the Guard Capitan’s was much more subdued likely due to his position.
“Then let us be off! To our next battle!” Cadance declared as she pointed a threatening hoof at the castle, the laughter never leaving her voice.
For the one hundredth and seventy fifth time since she received Princess Celestia’s letter, Twilight had to force herself to calm down by preforming her breathing exercise…not that it helped at all. The purple Unicorn trying her best to not stare at the slowly approaching view of Canterlot outside the train’s window that was starting to look less like the majestic capital it was and instead more like the entrance to Tartarus.
Everything had changed ever since she had received her teachers letter last night. And it had been such a nice day too! She had made a breakthrough on her current research project, had helped Fluttershy look up the nesting habits of a particularly rare breed of Blue Jay that had ended up in Ponyville, and she was able to take detailed notes on for the Equestrian Wildlife Preservation Society. And best of all, Pinkie Pie hadn’t shown up in any places that were normally physically impossible for anypony get into and giving Twilight a heart attack!
Yep, a perfectly normal, happy day…right up until Spike handed her a scroll with the royal seal stamped upon it, meaning that it was official correspondence from the Princess herself instead of a reply to her friendship reports or even a rarer but very much appreciated personal letter from the Princess.
And as if her nerves weren’t already shot just by getting such a scroll, the contents of said missive did nothing to calm her. An official summons to Canterlot by way of train, with a ticket included?! No mention of why she was being called to the capitol!? Mentions of a magical issue that the Princess wanted her to solve!? Th-this was bad!
“Th-this is obviously a summons for a super-secret special practical magical test! O-Oh no! I haven’t prepared at all!” Twilight had thought in a panic last night…which was why the purple unicorn had spent the entire night studying every branch of magic she could get her hooves on and reviewing her various emergency checklists …and which was why she hadn’t slept at all before getting onto a one-way train to her doom.
Oh no, oh no! W-what am I going to do? I only spent one hour, thirteen minutes, and forty-nine seconds studying transmutation compared to the other schools of magic! Wh-what if that’s what the Princess is going to test me on? Twilight couldn’t help but consider, her thoughts so scattered and so anxious that she barely noticed when the train pulled into Canterlot station and was only startled into returning to the real world when the conductor cleared his throat loudly, so loud in fact that Twilight inadvertently teleported away from whatever had startled her and ending up on the opposite side of the platform from the castle. No, no, think Twilight. The Princess wouldn’t be so obvious as to test you on something as simple as the common schools of magic! So, does that mean this will be a test on Friendship? B-but I haven’t reviewed my old friendship letters in twenty-eight hours! What if she asks me about one of my lessons from last year?! O-Or what if she wants to test me on one of the more obscure spells? Like Astral projection or coordinate based teleportation arrays! O-Oh no, this is bad, so very bad!
Twilight’s thoughts continued to spiral downward into near complete panic as she made her way into the castle, the librarian completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere of everypony moving about the building, not to mention the increase in guards trotting through the halls, so overwhelming was her fear of the coming test. And while she had tried to delay the meeting for as long as she could by dragging her hooves, eventually she reached the doors to the throne room, the chamber that would be where her fate would be decided…
…Or it would have been, if Twilight hadn’t arrived at the doors to the throne room, only to be told that Princess Celestia was currently preoccupied with meeting her advisors. The solar Diarch having left a message for Twilight that she should await Princess Celestia in the Alicorn’s private dining room for lunch.
Which was just perfect! The Princess had never tested Twilight during meals, which meant that she had plenty of time to mentally review her most important friendship notes for the upcoming test! What a stroke of luck!
And so, with a newfound spring to her step, Twilight made her way deeper into the castle in the direction of the Royal dining room. “Jeez, I can’t believe I let myself get so worked up for nothing! I’m sure the Princess just called me here for something else, not some silly test!...U-unless she wants to test me on my table manners?!” Twilight thought out loud, the mare’s steps faltering for a moment before she shook her head. “No, no, get it together Twilight, the Princess probably just has a friendship question for me, one related to the magical issue she wrote about…or maybe she has a new magical lesson for me! Ohhh, that would be amazing!” Twilight finished with a wide smile and a barely suppressed giggle of excitement as she broke into an excited canter.
As she made her way through the castle, Twilight’s mood continued to improve as she considered all the possible spells that the Princess might want to teach her- Princess Luna might even be willing to teach her magic from a thousand years ago, how incredible would that be! – as she rounded a corner to see a sight that raised her spirits to their limit. There at the end of the hall was the Princess! And…was that her B.B.B.F.F and Cadance accompanying the Princess?! Oh, this was even better! There was no way the Princess was going to give her a test with the Capitan of the Guard and another Princess there! And now she got to have lunch with three of the most important ponies in her life.
And so, with newfound elation swelling within her heart, Twilight trotted forward with an excited grin on her face. “Hello Princess, Shiny! Cadance! It’s so good to see you all!” She greeted as she approached, all three ponies turning to look at her. Shinning Armor looked happy to see her at first, but his expression quickly morphed into one of…dread? Constipation? Twilight couldn’t really get a good read on the complex expression on her brother’s face as he glanced between Twilight and the Princess. Princess Celestia had turned her head to stare curiously at Twilight…and it was then that Twilight noticed something unusual about her teacher…was her coat a different color? And had she dyed her mane? Huh, that was kinda weird, but it must have just been a lack of light in the corridor, the studious mare rationalized to herself. After all, there was nopony else that size in Equestria, so who else could it be but Princess Celestia? Not that she had much time to think on these inconsistencies, as Twilight’s thoughts on the Princesses’ new look halted when she saw Cadance’s excited expression once the two mare’s gazes met. Despite both having lived in the castle before Twilight had moved to Ponyville, Twilight hadn’t had a chance to see her old foalsitter in over a year. What with Cadance having her own duties to attend to and Twilight having her studying as Celestia’s student and then going to Ponyville to study friendship they just never had a chance to really see each other.
“Twilight!” The Princess of love shouted out as she pranced forward, Twilight mirroring her excitement as she too rushed up to the group.
“Cadance!” Twilight returned as she smiled widely as she began to bounce up and down, with Cadance mirroring her movements. “Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves, and do a li-little…sh-shake?” Twilight trailed off as a realization of world-shattering proportions crashed down on her with the weight of every book in existence. The realization being that Princess Celestia was missing quite a few important parts. Namely her horn, her wings, and her normal crown…three facts that, just now, managed to connect in her mind to bring her to the realization that Celestia was in fact not Celestia and was thus a pony that Twilight had never met before…a mare who was apparently a ruler of a nation based off her crown…A ruler who was currently staring intently at her and Cadance…and Twilight was showing off her rear to this foreign pony in an extremely immature greeting with one of the three Alicorns of Equestria.
Before this moment, Twilight had never considered the possibility of spontaneous combustion due to excessive embarrassment, as the sheer number of magical particles one would need to cause self-immolation due to excited particle movements was far beyond what even an Alicorn was capable of. But right here, right now, she was certain that once she vanished form this world, Cadance and her brother would dutifully report such a discovery to the academia of Equestria.
“Oh, do not mind me. You may continue your ritualistic greeting. Since I have not witnessed this before now, and do not wish to continue to shame myself by not performing such a greeting to the Diarchs of your nation, I shall dutifully continue to take notes on this type of reception for future reference. I would not want to shame myself when meeting other dignitaries after all.” The unknown ruler declared in complete seriousness. Forcing Twilight to begin preparing an emergency teleport in order to escape. Princess Celestia had warned her against teleporting without being aware of one’s destination, but considering just how unsalvageable the situation was, there was simply no other choice.
Fortunately, or unfortunately considering she interrupted Twilight’s concentration and therefore she was still standing at the site of her greatest failure, Cadance walked back over to the large pony to playfully shove her shoulder. “Oh, stop that Yamato, can’t you see that the poor mare is about to blow a gasket from your teasing?”
“Ah, a fair point.” The now identified Yamato, a name that Twilight was currently running through her mind in case Celestia had mentioned a cousin or anycreature else by that name before, before she bowed to Twilight. An act that only added to the purple mare’s mortification. “I apologize miss. It was merely an attempt at humor. I did not mean to cause any harm through my words. I beg your forgivness.” The mare apologized as she bowed her head, which only made Twilight freak out all the more.
“Ah! N-no! Please don’t lower your head, Miss! It’s my fault and I am so, so sorry!” Twilight apologized. Oh gods, if the Princess finds out that I made a foreign guest apologize for nothing, she’ll send me back to school for royal etiquette classes again! Not to mention what she’d do to me if she found out I was going to try and teleport without a destination in mind just because I was embarrassed. Twilight thought, a shudder passing through her body at the thought of the disappointed look that would be on her teachers face when she learned of what happened here.
Thankfully, Shinning Armor was there to notice her starting to go into a downward spiral, the captain clearing his throat to grab her attention. “Twilight, let me introduce you to Lady Yamato of…come to think of it, where do you hail from, Lady Yamato?” Shining started to introduce before turning to the Alicorn-sized mare, said mare humming in thought for a moment before answering.
“…There are two answers to this question, either from the United States of America, or from Japan. Both nations have claim over me at this point, so it is fine to introduce me by either.” She answered, Shining nodding as he returned his attention to an extremely curious Twilight who was currently trying to place either of those nations on a mental map.
“Then let me introduce Lady Yamato of the United States of America. Lady Yamato, this is Twilight Sparkle, apprentice to Princess Celestia and my younger sister.” Shining finished his introduction, Cadance smiling happily as she threw a foreleg over the once again embarrassed Twilight.
“And one of the best fillies that I have ever foalsat.” The princess of love continued. Lady Yamato smiling as she once again bowed her head, although not as low as she did before.
“A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sparkle.”
“Oh! And it’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Yamato!” Twilight was quick to reply as she lowered her own head, making sure to bow even deeper than the taller mare as a show of respect.
“Oh good, I was hoping that you would have met Lady Yamato before our meal. I am happy to see you’re just as punctual as ever Twilight.” The melodic voice of Twilights teacher echoed from down the hall, the librarian turning and seeing Princess and her attendant approaching.
“Princess Celestia! It’s so nice to see you!” Twilight greeted as she cantered over to the Princess and nuzzled against her foreleg, the Princess returning the embrace with one of her wings. “I came as soon as Spike handed me your scroll and I’m ready for whatever assignment you have for me! O-or did you want to test me on my friendship lessons again?” The librarian asked nervously, Celestia laughing lightly at her question.
“No, no, my dear student. Unfortunately, I have no tests for you today.” Celestia replied, Twilight feeling both relieved and a little disappointed at her words, as the Diarch continued on. “Although I do have an assignment for you.” She stated as she walked forward and nodded in greeting to the three other ponies waiting watching Twilight and the Princess, all of which were staring at them with warm smiles on their faces. “Captain Armor, Cadance, Lady Yamato, I trust the training exercise went well?”
“More than well, I would think. The Pegasi guards in your employ have a number of advantages against my fliers, advantages that will serve us well in what is to come. And Capitan Spitfire has apparently received some sort of inspiration for a means to fight against Abyssal planes, though she did not wish to elaborate until she spoke to the Royal Alchemist.” Yamato answered as Twilights brother and Princess Cadance nodded in agreement. Twilight’s curiosity being peaked at the unknown terms as Celestia smiled.
“That is very good to hear. Very good indeed.” The Princess replied as she glanced down and smiled at Twilight. “But before I hear the results of the training, I believe that it would be best if we sat down for lunch and brought my dear student here up to speed on the situation.”
“Up to speed on what situation Princess? Is this related to what you wrote on the scroll?” Twilight asked, her nervousness returning in force at the now serious expression on her teachers face.
“Yes, that is correct. A new, previously entirely unknown threat is encroaching upon our nation. A threat that almost begs belief, one that-.” Celestia, a grave expression upon her face, started to explain. Only to be interrupted by an unnaturally loud growing noise, a noise that seemed to be coming from Lady Yamato. “But come, let us not speak of existential threats to our nation in the middle of the hall. We can continue our explanation once we sit down for lunch. After all, we would not want Lady Yamato here to rescind her offer of aid for failing to feed her.” The Alicorn joked, Twilight actually freezing in place at the fact that her teacher just made a joke at the expense of a foreign dignitary! But thankfully Lady Yamato seemed to take it in stride.
“It is an option brought up by my Fairies, though I have ordered such plans shelved for the time being for when a truly grievous insult is levied against me.” Yamato joked back before looking down with a sly grin at the now much more nervous Twilight. “And it would probably be for the best if Ms. Twilight was seated for the coming explanation in case her legs give out on her in shock.”
“Oh! You don’t half to worry about me Lady Yamato! I’m sure I can handle it!” Twilight returned with a resolute look on her face. After all, she had been the pony to figure out Nightmare Moon’s return and had defeated Discord with the help of her freinds. She could surely handle whatever story everypony had to tell her.
.
.
.
She was oh so very, very, wrong.
Twilight couldn’t help but gawk at the ponies gathered at the royal dining table, all the manners that her parents, Cadance, and her teacher instructed her in momentarily forgotten as her mouth hung open. But most of her attention was focused on Lady Yamato, who was staring at Twilight with a look that was a mixture of satisfaction and relief, much to Twilight’s confusion.
So many different trains of thought were running through her head, too many for Twilight to form a complete understanding of the situation out of. Overwhelming excitement at the prospect of learning about an entirely different world of ponies and their cultures through Yamato. Anxiety over these Abyssals that were apparently out there ready and more than willing to attack innocent ponies for no reason. Confusion over why the Princess asked for her specifically instead of calling for the rest of the girls so they could use the Elements. But eventually she settled on the most prominent thought in her head to voice first.
“…Bwuh?” Ok, so it wasn’t the most elegant of questions, but it did accurately sum up her current thoughts pretty well. A sentiment that the Princess seemed to agree with considering the smile on her face.
“Yes, that is a fairly accurate summation of most of our reactions to hearing Lady Yamato’s explanation.” Princess Celestia replied as Lady Yamato shot her a disbelieving look.
“Is that so? When I explained myself that day you and your sister barely batted an eye at my outlandish tale. After seeing such a lackluster reaction from you two, I feared that such calamitous events were common place in this world.”
“Well…now that you bring it up…there have been an increasingly growing number of possible Equestria-ending situations these last few years.” Princess Celestia thought out loud, a look of concerned realization on her muzzle as she did so, but before the solar Diarch could continue Twilight interrupted.
“Wait, wait. I just…I don’t-.” Twilight stuttered before pausing, taking a deep breath to calm down, before continuing. “I understand that there’s evil beings approaching Equestria.”- She didn’t understand, not one bit, but she was already mentally writing up a whole list of questions to ask Lady Yamato after lunch so she could put aside her confusion on that front for now. - “But there’s one thing I don’t get.”
“Why? Why do these Abyssal ponies want to hurt and kill innocent ponies? We didn’t do anything to them right? So why?” Twilight couldn’t help but ask, Lady Yamato blinking owlishly at Twilight before staring off into space with a contemplative look on her face.
“…In truth, I have spent so much time considering the how of our situation, I had not considered the why…” Lady Yamato muttered with a sigh. “The legends never mentioned what reason the Abyssals seek out the death of others, or even what the Abyss truly is, so any reasoning I would give you would be nothing more than speculation. Are they manifestations of spiritual beings that seek to strike to punish mortals for their abuse of the seas? Are they some sort of parasitic eldritch creatures simply using the ruins of warships as bodies to hunt down the living for unfathomable reasons? Are they some sort of natural sea creatures inhabiting the shells of ships trying to protect their natural habitat? I simply do not know.”
It was at that point that Lady Yamato returned her gaze back to the group, Twilight sucking in a startled breath at the intense look on the mare’s face. “But if you are asking for what I believe is their reason for such aggression…then I would say they likely have no real justification for their actions. When I spoke to them that day upon the sea, they did not make any demands, did not offer us a chance to surrender, they gave no terms, they only informed me of their desire to kill us all. To make us sink beneath the waves and join them in death. As far as I have seen, they have no reason for their violence other than to see the world burn.” The mare finished, her morbid observation causing every pony at the table to remain silent for a time before Cadance finally spoke.
“Well then, it’s a good thing you’re apparently so good at putting out fires.” She joked, bringing some relived smiles to nearly everypony present while Princess Celestia had an indulgent one upon her own face. Although Lady Yamato’s smile was a little more knowing that the rest.
“Tempting, but I doubt my damage control hoses will inflict any damage on Abyssals. Though I imagine they would be quite effective if I ever find myself ambushed by foals with water balloons.” The tall mare joked before returning her attention to Twilight, the lavender mare gulping and sitting up straight under her gaze. “And that, Ms. Twilight, is the situation your nation now faces.”
“…I see.” She still didn’t see, at least not in regard to one important part of the equation, which is why she turned her attention back to the Princess. “Princess? I don’t mean to be rude, but I just have to ask. Why did you just ask me to come here? Shouldn’t the rest of the girls be joining us so we can use the Elements if these Abyssals are so evil?” Twilight couldn’t help but ask, the bookish mare noticing a curious look on Lady Yamato’s face as the Princess answered.
“Perhaps I will call upon your friends in time, but for now I had two tasks I wished to entrust to you, my student. Two research tasks to be specific.” Princess Celestia started, Twilight sitting as straight as she could at the thought of a new subject to study, one given to her by her teacher no less! “Firstly, this ability of Abyssals to negate Pony magic must be overcome if we are ever to have a chance to protect our nation and to fight alongside Lady Yamato. And I can think of no pony who I would want to be part of the team researching this ability than the Element of Magic.” The Princess started to explain, and despite her unease over the whole situation Twilight couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of a new research project. “And secondly, Equestria has sworn to find a way to send Lady Yamato back to her home dimension. This too, is a task I would entrust to you, Twilight.” The Solar Diarch concluded, her final words drawing a surprised look from Lady Yamato before the shipmare forced a cough to draw everyponies attention.
“…While I appreciate the gesture Princess, if committing resources to my return takes some from understanding Abyssal abilities, then you do not need to concern yourself with it at this moment. Just the knowledge that you intend to look into such a means is enough for me. Especially if you would ask Ms. Twilight here to work upon both tasks, surely that would be too much for anypony to manage.” Yamato said, Celestia smiling knowingly at the Shipmare.
“Thank you concern, but you do not need to worry over Twilights health. If anything, having two magical projects at once will merely provide even more motivation to my student here.” The Princess explained as she glanced at her student, Celestia’s smile only growing as she did so. “In fact, I believe we have already lost her, right Twilight?”
And with those words, the gathered ponies turned their attention to Twilight, who was long gone by now. Her thoughts already turning to the many avenues of magic she could begin looking into in order to start her new project. Oh! This is so exciting. Magic for traveling between Worlds was only theorized before now! And I get to be one of the ponies who will discover an entirely new branch of magic?! Ohhhh, I can hardly wait to get started! The purple pony began to giggle to herself. These Abyssal ponies weren’t going to find Equestria such an easy target now that she was on the case!
Yamato couldn’t help but sigh explosively as she turned over for what must have been the twentieth time that night. It had been three days since Twilight Sparkle had arrived in Canterlot, two days since the Princesses had sent out their fastest fliers with all the information Yamato had provided about the Abyssals to be spread to all corners of Equestria…and six hours since the world at large had learned of the coming war.
The Shipmare had been curious as to how the Princesses would break such devastating news to their nation without the convenience of modern technology. A press release to be copied and sent to all corners of the kingdom? A summons given out to local leaders who would then spread the news on behalf of their rulers? Some other fantastical method of transmitting information that the Shipmare had no knowledge of? After all, she had witnessed the Princess burn a scroll that Ms. Twilight had asked to be sent to a pony named “Spike” asking him to watch over the library and to inform her friends that she would be staying in Canterlot for longer than she originally planned. The ash from said letter swirling through an open window and off into the distance without any wind to speak of. And after seeing such a curious means of sending mail, Yamato’s imagination had been working quite fervently in an attempt to figure out just what magical means Equestria would use to spread the news…
Only for Yamato’s expectations to be shattered in one of the most horrifying ways the Shipmare could think of; that the Princesses intended to inform Equestria via a speech that would be delivered to the public of Canterlot, a speech that Yamato would be featured in and expected to speak at.
Back when she had been a human, Yamato had barely been willing to speak to people she didn’t know. And now she was going to be expected to speak to thousands upon thousands of ponies? Ponies who would be confused, angry, and looking to her for words of reassurance? Words that she could scarcely believe herself? How, just how was she going to accomplish that?
But no matter how much she worried over her speech and tried to figure out what to do, Yamato could not stop the forward march of time. And so, she eventually found herself standing behind the two Princesses as they stood upon an ornate balcony staring out over a sea of both confused and, much to Yamato’s horror, excited faces. The gathered civilians likely not having any idea why they had been summoned and simply being excited to see their Princesses.
But their anticipation quickly faded when Celestia began to speak solemnly of those who would be soon assaulting the shores of Equestria. Of the dangers Abyssals posed to their shores, and much to Yamato’s surprise, even mentioned their ability to nullify pony magic. The fact that a national leader was willing to be so open with their subjects would have been a breath of fresh air if it weren’t for the fact that they were informing said subjects about an utterly terrifying aspect of their foes.
It was then that Luna spoke up, the Princess of the moon calming the fears that could be heard bubbling up from the crowd. She spoke of how the Equestrian military was already preparing their shores for attacks, how strategies were being formulated to combat their tactics…before finally coming to the point that Yamato had both anticipated and feared, her introduction. Luna spoke of “a champion that had come to Equestria’s aid from shores far beyond, how this champion wielded the similar magics to the Abyssals and would use them to defeat these vial creatures. That through her knowledge of their enemy, her courage at being willing to stand against a foe for a nation not her own, and her unmatched strength, Equestria would endure, nay, defeat these foes…” before stepping aside and nodding to Yamato, a clear signal that it was the Shipmare’s turn to speak to the waiting ponies.
For the briefest of moments Yamato had the impulse to turn tail and run, that what was to come was an even worse fate than facing down the rifles of Abyssals, but she squashed it an instant later as she slowly stepped up to the front of the balcony…and instantly regrated her decision to stay. Below her was a sea of faces, all focused on Yamato, with each face a mixture of fear, concern…but also hope. An incredibly fragile hope that was now in Yamato’s hooves, a fact that was even more terrifying that she had expected. How should she respond to such looks? What could she possibly say to assure their fear? She wasn’t a leader, heck, she hadn’t even been a pony for more than a few weeks at this point! She didn’t even know who she really was for crying out loud! What on earth could a twisted, broken being liker her say to keep a nation from falling into the depths of despair?
` She didn’t know. She couldn’t know. And so, with no words coming to mind, and all the preprepared words she had planned to say disappearing from her mind like a mirage in the desert, Yamato was left with only the oath she had given to the Princesses and the leaders of Equestria’s that first day to reiterate to the crowd…with some slight omissions. She didn’t want to admit to being from a different world after all. She spoke her oath; would suffer any wound, fight any battle, to preserve the lives of the innocent creatures of Equestria, be they pony or otherwise. And while hope may seem like a distant dream at the moment, she first of the Yamato line, would not abandon Equestria to fight this battle alone.
There were no cheers when she finished speaking, not that she expected there to be, and the shipmare could only make out a myriad of emotions in the eyes of those below her. Fear, anger, confusion, these were the most prominent of the looks adorning the faces of the ponies of Equestria. But there was another look held by the audience below, though it was present in far lesser quantities than all others. A look of…of…
Yamato couldn’t help but release yet another explosive sigh and, with the idea of simply lounging in bed waiting for sleep to find her not very appealing, Yamato rose and made her way to the entrance of her room. Opening the door, Yamato couldn’t help but blink in surprise at the three ponies who turned their attention to the Shipmare, two Night Guards who were stationed on both sides of the door along with Midnight Breeze, who was standing against the far wall and who dipped her head in acknowledgement the moment the door opened.
“Lady Yamato? Is something the matter? Or do you require our services?” Midnight questioned as she lifted her head.
“No no, I have no issue that can be helped I’m afraid. Sleep just does not find me easily on this night, and I felt that nighttime stroll would be perfect for calming my racing thoughts. Would you care to join me?” The Shipmare offered, although she was pretty sure she needn’t have bothered, as she was certain there would only be one answer Midnight would give.
And sure enough, Midnight once again bowed her head in deference. “Of course, Lady Yamato, we would be honored to join you for your walk.” The maid replied neutrally as the two guards silently took up positions on Yamato’s flanks.
The four ponies walked in silence through the mostly deserted hallways of the castle with Yamato in the lead, the Shipmare walking on with no real destination in mind. She had debated attempting to strike up a conversation with Midnight, but unlike the daytime staff members who attended to her, Midnight seemed to be more than content to remain silent unless Yamato asked her a question. A truly professional maid the like of which Yamato had never encountered before, which made her all the more intimidating to speak to the mare. And it would simply be rude to try to have a conversation with either of her on duty guards. They had a job to do after all, and it wouldn’t due to distract them even if Yamato found the thought of an Abyssal sub managing to assassinate her in the middle of the castle absurd. They were here for her protection after all, and even if they were primarily there to keep nosey reporters away from her, it would be disrespectful to distract them from their duties without proper cause.
And so, Yamato was left with no conversation partners to distract her and her own thoughts betraying her, she decided to wander the halls in contemplative silence, her navigators making sure to record her surroundings so they would have an accurate map. Yamato herself mentally reviewing the layout of the castle to make sure she would know where she was going in case of an emergency or some other situation in which she found herself without an escort…
But despite her attempts to distract herself with anything she could think of, her mind constantly returned to the concerned, almost accusatory looks of the crowd. Those who looked to Yamato for answers…answers she just didn’t have.
Seemingly moving on autopilot, Yamato found herself standing in a beautiful courtyard, a court whose beauty she was unable to appreciate as her negative thoughts continued to spiral around in her head. Why? Why was she even here? What could have possibly possessed her to think she was someone capable enough to fight against a horde of evil ships all alone? Why did she ever think that she was important enough to stand alongside the leaders of a nation and guarantee the protection of the innocents who called said nation home?
Yamato released a pent-up breath that had been building in her chest as she turned her eyes skyward, the Shipmare seeking comfort in the night sky to distract herself. She knew that considering such thoughts was pointless, that if she ever wished to return home, she had no choice but to throw herself into the meat grinder in order to secure the aid of the local population of this world…but that did not mean she didn’t desperately want to flee as far away from this world’s oceans as she could.
…Huh. There aren’t any constellations in the sky that I’m familiar with, at least none I can make out… Yamato noted distractedly as she continued to stargaze. It had always been one of her most loved hobbies back home, just staring up at the sky and enjoying her extremely limited view of the universe. It had been a passion of hers all the way back when she was just a little girl, her father taking her and her siblings out camping to get an unobstructed view of the heavens…and now she couldn’t even enjoy that small part of her human past. Yet another part of herself lost to this strange yet familiar world. It doesn’t even look like there’s a north star to guide my way during nighttime operations…that will make navigating all the harder if it comes to that. The Shipmare considered as her depression only continued to grow as she turned away from the sky, intending to return to her room and simply endure the rest of her sleepless night.
However, before she could fully turn back to her escorts and request that they return to her chambers since she still didn’t have a complete mental map of the castle, a surprised, regal, and familiar voice called out to her. “Lady Yamato? The hour has grown late, may I ask why you still remain awake? Is there some business that you must still attend to?”
The Shipmare turned to the source of the voice as she schooled her face into a mask of calmness, the Shipmare rotating around to find Princess Luna staring at her curiously. The Lunar Diarch being escorted by Captain Jolly along with a small group of ponies, all of whom bowed their heads in greeting when the shipmare’s gaze landed on them. “Good evening, Princess Luna. No, no business of my own…it is simply that sleep eludes me tonight. And so, I sought out the comfort of the night sky for a moment to try and calm my restless mind before retiring to my room once again.” Yamato explained as she tried to prevent the Lunar Diarch from reading too much into the situation. After all, she had no desire to take up any of Princess Luna’s precious time considering what was going on in their country and the demands for her time that were likely piling up every moment the Alicorn spent speaking to her. Better to just let the ruler think nothing was wrong than to draw her into Yamato’s foolish insecurities.
But despite her attempt at subterfuge Yamato couldn’t determine whether or not Princess Luna believed her, as besides for a brief moment where the Diarch looked almost proud, there was remarkably little the Shipmare or her intelligence officers could read from her face. And her chance to gleam anything from the Diarch was lost when Luna turned to address the head of her Night Guard. “Capitan Jolly, please escort the representatives of the Arcanum College to the nearest conference room. I have something to discuss with Lady Yamato.”
“Of course, Princess.” The Thestral answered with a bow to Luna before turning to Yamato and nodding and finally leading the gathered ponies off into a different corridor. Princess Luna on the other hoof, turned to walk down one of the corridors that neither Yamato or Luna had arrived from. “Lady Yamato, would you care to grant me a moment of your time?”
“Of course.” Yamato answered with a slight smile forced upon her lips in spite of her disappointment at the situation panning out just as she feared it would. The Shipmare moving to walk alongside the lunar princess, her own entourage moving a respectful distance back to give the two mares a semblance of privacy.
The two mares walked in silence for a while through corridors Yamato was not familiar with until they arrived at an entirely different courtyard, although this one held what appeared to be an extensive garden instead of a simple plaza. Yamato couldn’t help but privately wonder just why the Lunar Diarch had led them here instead of just remaining at in the previous area, but she supposed that they did have a better view of the moon from their current location. Luna did not speak at first, leaving Yamato to simply enjoy the evening view, but eventually the Lunar mare spoke. “So, now that we find ourselves away from prying eyes and ears, would you be willing to share with me the anxieties that keep you from your well-deserved rest?”
“…Am I really so easy to read?” Yamato replied defeatedly, a self-deprecating smile on her lips.
“Nay, thy mask is nearly perfect, second to only one other pony that I have met besides mine own…Unfortunately, that pony is mine own sister, and so I have quickly developed the skills to read through such unfaltering facades.” Luna explained as she turned to stare at Yamato, a look of genuine concern on her face. “While I may not be a pony you have known for long enough to confide in, nor are you a subject of mine whom would fall under my protection. I would still offer to you my oath of confidentiality that any woes you may speak to me of, I will keep between us. So please, share with me what troubles you.”
For a moment Yamato said nothing, the resolve the Shipmare could see in her eyes momentary shocking her into inaction…and what option did she have but to meet such conviction but with equal conviction of her own?
Yamato turned her gaze back to the heavens, unable to meet Luna’s gaze for long considering the many secrets she still withheld from Equestria, before beginning to speak. “…It was my part of the speech today that keeps me from sleep.”
“Truly? I for one thought that for a mare who has had no formal training in public speaking you did quite well.” Luna rebutted, only for Yamato to shake her head in denial.
“While I thank you for your kind words, even if I do not believe them, it is not the content of my speech that bothers me…Rather, it was the crowd’s reaction to my words.” Yamato admitted with a sigh. “And no, it was not their anger, nor their anxiety that haunts my thoughts…it was their admiration, their hope that has disturbed me so.”
And indeed, it was simply the most absurd notion, something that she just couldn’t comprehend. That despite the doom their Princesses had informed them of, in spite of the possible bleak future that Yamato painted for them, many of the ponies watching her gazed up to her with looks of hope. Hope so incredibly fragile, so pure, and solely directed at the Shipmare who had just proclaimed that she would fight for Equestria.
“…How? How can they put such faith in a pony that no one had heard of until a week ago? And how could I possibly live up to such expectations? I may have kept my voice level during my speech, and may present myself with confidence when asked, but the simple truth is I am far outside my comfort zone. Before sailing out to meet those Abyssals, I had only been in three fights my entire life. And even my ship half only ever in one battle before I was thoroughly crushed…I simply do not know how I can meet the expectations heaped upon me. And the thought of failing to meet such expectations terrifies me to no end. Because if I fail to reach the lofty heights that are expected of me, ponies will die. So why?” Yamato admitted, trying as hard as she could to keep her desperation for an answer, any answer, out of her voice.
Luna did not answer immediately, instead choosing to study Yamato’s face intently for a moment, before finally replying. “So then why remain? You have no connection to Equestria, no ties to bind you nor bonds to compel you into our service. Yet here you stand, having given your oath to our defense despite the risk you will take on our behalf. Why?”
“Because you and your ponies are my only means of ever returning home.” Yamato answered bitterly, although she couldn’t help but blink in surprise at Princess Luna’s immediate shake of the head.
“Nay, that may be a reason, but I for one do not believe that it is your primary reason for offering us aid.” Luna refuted with a slight smile. “You offered aid to the ponies of the Wavecutter twice before any promise of magical aid had been extracted from my sister or I. No, it is clear to me that your heart is far too noble to allow such injustice to occur in your presence.”
“…Maybe, but all the principles in the world mean nothing in the face of a conflict that I am only barely prepared for.” Yamato half-heartedly countered, Luna’s smile not faltering in the slightest at her words.
“Perhaps, but who among us is ever truly prepared for expectations heaped upon them by others?” The dark Alicorn countered easily. “Even my sister I were unprepared for the grueling rigors of leadership when it was thrust upon us.”
“…Truly? That sounds hard to believe considering how you both hold yourselves before others.” Yamato couldn’t help but question incredulously, Luna nodding in response.
“And yet it is the truth. My sister and I were not born into our roles. Rather, we were forced into them at the moment of our ascension…although modern history books seem to have forgotten this once commonly known fact. Regardless, the two of us were driven into a situation we had no understanding of. And while I cannot fully speak for my sisters’ state of mind at the time, I for one was utterly terrified of failing to live up to my newfound duties.”
“…Then how did you overcome such fear?” Yamato whispered, entirely focused on the lunar mare.
“I never truly did.” Luna admitted with a self-deprecating smile of her own. “But I lessened my anxieties by sharing the burden of responsibility with others. My sister and I had advisers to instruct us the ways of ruling a nation, generals to tutor us in the art of war and how to safeguard our borders, and citizens who…well, gave one of us the respect they deserved.” She finished, Yamato gazing at her curiously at the bitter tone the lunar Diarch, but before she could question why Luna moved on. “Not that my sister and I did not stumble and fail. Indeed, I am still paying for one of my failings to this day, but with ever misstep there were others to aid us no matter what the situation.”
“Yamato…While it may be true that for now, and for the foreseeable future, we of Equestria cannot aid you in this battle. We have asked you to stand tall against these creatures from the deep and act as a beacon for all ponies to look to for guidance in a war that even we Alicorn’s are unprepared for…But do not mistake our inability to aid you in combat for indifference for what you will endure for us. We will not allow you to stand upon our battlefields alone for long, even if that means we must take to the field without the benefits of magic.”
“You may fight alone for now…but I swear to you here and now, that you shall never be without our aid.”
Yamato couldn’t help but blink owlishly at the earnest promise from one of the rulers of Equestria, the Shipmare unable to detect even the slightest trace of an attempt at manipulation in her gaze. Luna was absolutely serious in saying she would not leave Yamato to fight alone, even if she lacked her normal means of fighting. And despite a small part of Yamato’s mind wondering just how exactly a pony, let alone an Alicorn, would fight without magic, a greater part of her was simply thankful.
“Ah, I see. Thank you, truly. It means more than I can properly put into words to hear such reassurances.” Yamato eventually said, a truly warm smile across her lips before shaking her head in mock embarrassment. “Honestly, you’d think that after you and your sister have reassured me so many times, I would have taken such words to heart. But I suppose it just takes that long to get through my thick skull.” The Shipmare chuckled although Luna frowned at her self-deprecating comment.
“Nay, thou have been forced into an impossible situation with no time to prepare, and in a world not your own. An unenviable situation by any measure, and as such no one has any right to expect you to bear such weight without complaint. And as such, if tho- if you need one such as myself to listen to your fears or complaints in order aid you in bearing such weight, I am more than happy to be such a pony.” It was then that Luna shot Yamato a smile, one with a not so insignificant amount of pride held within. “Although, if instead you choose to enjoy my night sky in order to calm your turbulent heart, that is also an acceptable means of calming yourself if I do say so.” The Lunar mare not so subtly bragged, an indulgent smile upon Yamato lips.
“Yes well, since it’s such a beautiful sight I just couldn’t help but stop and appreciate it.” Yamato admitted before her smile became tinged with sorrow. “I had actually been looking for any constellations that I could recognize from my own world, but failed to see any at all. Although with you here, if you wouldn’t mind pointing out some of the local ones I would appreci-.” The Shipmare admitted before noticing the curious look Luna was giving her.
“A curious word, and one I am unfamiliar with. And these “Constellations” are meant to exist within my night? Curious. What, pray tell, are these constellations then?”
“…Well, that’s quite a surprise. I just assumed…” Yamato thought out loud before shaking off her disbelief before continuing. “They are a group of stars that are interpreted to form a pattern or picture in the night sky. We use these pictures to immortalize heroes or as representations of stories told in the past.”
“That…that is a truly marvelous idea!” The Princess shouted, so loud in fact that Yamato could have sworn she heard the windows of the castle rattle in their frames. “I am almost annoyed at myself for not considering such a concept before now.” The Alicorn admitted, an excited twinkle in her eye as she smiled at the Shipmare. “If you’d be willing, I would love to learn just what was the measure of the heroes of your world that they were worthy enough to be emortilized in the heavens.”
Yamato hummed as she considered her options. She was fairly well informed about the stories of some of the constellations, such as the tales of Orion or Sagittarius, but others she had no idea about. I mean really, who the heck would ever commit the story of Cancer the crab constellation to memory? It would be far more convenient if there was a story about a pony, but the only one that comes close is Sagit-.
And then it hit her, the most obvious Constellation to talk about. One so obvious that she nearly face-hooved in embarrassment that it took her this long to think about it.
“Well then, if you will indulge me for a few minutes more, allow me to tell you the tale of a progenitor pony of my world, one who fought an abomination of the sea not too dissimilar to what we face today now that I think about it, and who earned his place in the heavens by flying into them; The Pegasus.”
And so, Yamato began to recount an admittedly butchered and sanitized retelling of the legend of Pegasus, with the horse in question simply taking the place of the various heroes who rode him into battle. And while she didn’t manage to finish it before Luna had to excuse herself to return to her duties, when at last Yamato returned to her bed and found her rest much easier this time. With only the faintest sounds of Helldivers and Avengers at the edge of her radar to disturb her tranquility.
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Well this was a pleasant surprise. I picked this up a few months ago, not expecting another update (I know how it is sometimes) so seeing it continue gives me more to look forward to.
O neat, a new chapter.
Good as always.
Yes! A New Chapter!
If abything fighting Yamatos aa would be easier then what they will face. Japanses aa sucked
Excellent, new chapter, and 10,000+ words, nice! :D
Between Yamato's interaction with Cadance and Shining, Twilight's appearance and Yamato's talk with Luna, this chapter definitely hit the right spots for me!
Question, is this before or after the whole Changeling affair?
As the spirits of old warships rise up from the depths to fight the monstrous Abyssals in a certain universe, so does this story return! I wonder how would the ponies react to the meaning of Yamato's name when they ask her though. I'm looking forward to another chapter! I love this story!
I really see no reason you should apologize: life happens, and we must all accept that even if it affects our dear fantasy tales. I would be a hypocrite if I critized you for not posting anything before now, as I have a seriously unfinished fic over on Fanfiction that,t been on hiatus for almost 11 years now. Like I said, life happens.
With that out of the way, I do hope to see more of this story, and can't help but ponder if the aircraft Yamato hears at the end is a sign of a new ally?
Perfection takes time
Good story, it's really good one, while I do like Kantai Collection but I like Azur Lane more do to a more flashed out lore and the more mature ships like Bismark, Akagi, Kaga and a few more, but I do like this story of yours alot so go on I will wait for you so take your time
question will there be any other shipmares not just Yamato
other than I shudder to think what would happen if Yorktown and Cadance should meet.
I also am hesitant about the CMC and any destroyer filly or fillies working together to get their cutie marks I'm not sure I want sweetie Belle screaming out burning love regularly
Captain on Deck welcome back captain what are your orders sir ⚓⚓⚓
11800111
To be fair, "Burning Love!" seems like something Cadance (or the Nighmare Moon equivalent of Cadance) would be yelling...
Excellent work
Great to see this wonderful story continue.
It lives! Just re read the story and got to say great chapter!
Glad to see an update to this story. I can relate that the past few years have been a pain, 2020 has definitely left some scars. Hopefully we are finally starting to see a break in 2024.
I don't mind the delay for this is a story that when I saw it on my list of new chapters had me say out loud "oh fuck yeah". You've done something right with this and if I must wait the same amount of time I will do so.
We require more readables!
An amazing story so far! I only have one request: take your time on the next chapters, work done well is work done with care.