Time to Shine

by Easysnuggler

19. Feather Express

“Princess Skystar, what have you done?! You know surface dwellers are forbidden here! GUARDS!”

—Queen Novo of Seaquestria

19. Feather Express

Diamond Flitter tore through the skies over Zephyr Heights. His blue mane steaming out behind him, he beat his white wings and pointed his hooves towards the newly reactivated airship mail station. As he made the final turn over the palace, he saw a sight that took his breath away.

The air streamer Hurricane was floating through the nearly windless air. The Celestium lifter above the hull glowed softly.

It was an amazing sight. 6 decks and 100 lengths long and nearly a hundred years old, sleek metal and wood. The ropes had all been replaced, and new canvas snapped along the contraptions hull. Forty pegassai held it roughly in place with mooring lines. Dozens more hovered nearby. Queen Haven was standing on the upper deck with a few of her guard next to a large burly grey unicorn and a blonde, pink earth pony. A few other pegassai, unicorns and earth ponies were running back and forth tying things down and making small adjustments. The airship was afloat again, flying on its own a few hundred lengths from the cavernous palace hanger. Dozens of other airships, most much older were laying inside in reserve awaiting their turn for reactivation.

A hundred thousand pegassai had worked in these docks over the years. Dangling the ships from giant cranes over the cliffs to practice landing drills and teamwork. Learning to repair and replace the ancient equipment that was a vital part of training and drill in carrying out complex orders and following complex instruction. Experiments in flying using triple gasbags and lifting physics alone had yielded barely workable and dangerous results, and a few airships had been lost.

The pegassai had never accepted that the loss of their magic was permanent – after all their royals could fly. They had maintained the air fleet in a state of ready reserve for forty generations now. In a way the airship fleet was a tangible link to the glories of the past, and its maintenance by the pegassai royal guard was their oldest tradition, handed down to them by the last wonder bolt, and founder of Zephyr Hills Rainbow Dash herself.

Diamond changed course slightly and he headed toward the fantail of the airship it.

Raising his right hoof Diamond Flitter saluted the royal ensign, then turned to the officer standing at the gangplank which now extended out over the void. Landing gently, he saluted the mare officer on deck standing there and shouted “Greetings to the ship! Ma'am, I request permission to come on board. Courier 1^st class Diamond Flitter to deliver missives to Queen Haven."

“Come abord Diamond” said the officer, “she’s on the upper deck. Take that ladder there.” She pointed with a wing and nod. Diamond quickly climbed up the proper ladder.

The reporter Dazzle Feather was filming the launch, Dimond had to work around them to approach the dignitaries and the royal guards.

Stating his business, they waved him through, and he opened his satchel and gave the queen her missives from Bridlewood and Maretime Bay. Smiling she watched him turn and walk away to await her pleasure.

Taking her eyes of Diamond Flitter, Queen Haven glanced through the brief missives.

“What’s this about a fire in Bridlewood?” The queen peered over her sunglasses at him.

“A colt set his home on fire trying to light a candle. Everyone was ok, but it caused quite a stir. He got his cutie mark.” Diamond explained. The queen chuckled at that and smiled.

“Glad no one was hurt,” she said. Queen Haven looked over at the broad large grey unicorn “Hey Alphabittle, I take it back. It’s harder raising unicorns. Set a house on fire getting a cutie mark. Ha! Ha! - Hmmm. No.” She shook her head. “We had so many missing colts and fillies flying out windows and doors over the last few weeks. I guess we are not the only ones. We should get the word out and warn everyone. It seems magic is more dangerous to unicorns than it is to pegassai!”

“I’d think flying into danger would be worse,” Alphabittle said. He was watching his friends charge a large blue crystal. It had been flickering but was now an uneven but solid blue. He nodded. The Bridlewood unicorns signaled to the earth ponies. The four ponies lifted the crystal using main strength to lever the crystal into the large central slot. It locked back and forth slightly rotating as it was secured and balanced. At soon as it was in place, the metal gauges on the helm began to climb to green values.

“We’re ready” Alphabittle said to Phillis Cloverleaf. Phillis nodded, “Alphabittle, your majesty”. “Anchor stallions, give her a turn!” the four earth ponies grabbed hold of a capstan, and began to turn it slowly, dragging the anchor up higher and higher. As it left the ground, the airship slowly began to drift. The anchor clicked up one notch at a time as the anchor windlass below deck took up the notches of the chain. At each click the crystal rotated slightly. In less than a minute the anchor had been fully raised.

“Would you care to do the honors your majesty?” asked Captain Weathervane, turning to face the three leaders. “Just push this button here, close the handle and move the lever all the way forward. Then let go the handle and button when you hear me say ‘mark’.”

The queen moved to do as directed.

“WARE THE ANCHOR, ANCHOR DROP ON MY MARK!”

“3, 2, 1, MARK”

The queen let go of the handle.

The anchor dropped 50 feet, in seconds, a clicking sound was heard as each chain link lowered, and the central crystal spun faster and faster. When the chain finally stopped the crystal was a solid flicker.

“Anchor stallions, raise her back up!” Phillis Cloverleaf shouted. The earth ponies began to raise the anchor again, it went quicker this time. Soon the anchor was back aboard.

“Your majesty, our motivator is green, would like to give us an order to engage the drivetrain, spin the props and take her out?” asked the captain.

“Oh yes, let’s do that.” She looked out over the deck of the airship, “Engage the propellers!”

“Release stays.” shouted the captain. The forty flying pegassai returned to the deck drawing their lines up behind them. Diamond Flitter watched the captain give a nod to a midshipman, who moved the throttle to ready.

The captain said, “Three Knots”. The midshipman moved the gear and the Hurricane’s two enormous propellers began to spin. The ship began to slowly move ahead. A few minutes later, the dignitaries each had a turn at the helm, as for the first time in living memory a pony airship circled the peaks of Zephyr Hills.

Dazzle Feather and her film crew returned to focus on the Queen. She spoke for a few minutes congratulating the royal guard on the successful launch of the ship and thanking the unicorns of Bridlewood, the ponies of Maretime Bay and Alphabittle Blossomforth and Phillis Cloverleaf for their assistance in ushering in a renaissance of travel, commerce, and progress for all pony kind. The interview wound down, and she passed the missives she had received to the news crew saying only that they “should emphasize that no one was hurt, and Zephyr Heights will try and assist our neighbors as we all adjust to this brand-new world.”

Turning to Diamond Flitter, Queen Haven said “Good job Courier. Squire Diamond Flitter, isn’t it? Go get some rest. Tomorrow I’d like to send you back to Bridlewood to help the family whose home burned down. See what assistance they need and help them ok?”

Diamond Flitter saluted and walked to the gangplank. The Queen’s eyes followed his muscular stride. His generous wingspan provided a pretty show as he leapt into the air and twirled once and flew away. She sighed and returned to her work, perking up immediately when she saw Alphabittle was free.

In the hanger Diamond Flitter, reported in, and then prepared to turn in for the night. He flew to his quarters. His roommate Barrier Jet was there, greeted him, and gave him a first bump. “You were on the news! Check it out!” There he was aboard the Hurricane, standing after having given the missives to the queen.

Barrier Jet had the screen paused and rewound the feed and hit play. It was definitive.

Queen Haven had been checking out his rump.