> Two Mares and a Carpet Bag
>  by Icenrose
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> In Which Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon Embark Upon an Epic Journey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1: Train, The Friendship Express

The sharp cry of the train whistle echoed through the nearly empty Ponyville Station, eliciting cries of despair from Starlight and Trixie as they hustled from the ticket booth to the platform.  The train slowly began to pick up speed, and they broke into a full gallop.

“Starlight, you have to get us on that train,” Trixie panted.

“It’s a moving target,” Starlight gasped.  “I’ve never done that before!”

“First time for everything, filly!”

With a grimace, Starlight shut her eyes and concentrated.  The air filled with the smell of ozone, and with a bang, the pair were unceremoniously deposited in the aisle of the rearmost passenger car.  They skidded to a stop along the floor, and the single carpet bag Starlight had packed appeared a moment later, crashing down upon Trixie’s head.

Starlight stood, sweat matting her mane to her forehead.  “Are you okay?”  She levitated her bag off her friend.

“Trixie is… I am fine.”  She afforded Starlight a prim smile as she righted her hat upon her head.

The pair slipped into the nearest compartment.  Starlight cracked the window open to let in the crisp autumn night air, and the two mares settled into their seats opposite one another.

After they had both caught their breath, Starlight asked, “Okay, so why are we in such a hurry?  Everything happened pretty quickly at the castle after I came downstairs.”

Trixie broke into a cocky grin.  “I'm going to win a bet against Princess Twilight and her friends, and you agreed to help me.”

“Right, I gathered that.  What was the bet?”

“They bet that it was impossible to travel around the world in fewer than eighty days.  I said five thousand bits says we can.”

“Five thousand–”  Starlight nearly fell over in her seat.  “Have you completely lost your mind?  Do you even have that much money?”

Trixie's grin faltered.  “Well, no."  She put a hoof to her chest.  “But it doesn't matter, because I – we – are going to win this bet.”  The cocksure grin returned.  “Trivially.”

Starlight shook her head as a small smile crept across her face.  “So we’re really doing this.  We’re actually going to travel around the world.”

“In fewer than eighty days,” Trixie pointedly reminded her.  “Twilight has no idea what she’s talking about – the fastest way to Saddle Arabia is through Griffonstone.”

Starlight had read the same Canterlot Chronicle article outlining the fastest route around the world as Twilight, and thought their advice – to sail directly from Baltimare to the Saddle Arabian border town of Suet – was sound, but she held her tongue.  Instead, she said, “Makes sense to me.  You really know your travel routes.”

“It all comes from liking the road so much,” Trixie smirked as she nodded at Starlight’s bag.  “What did you wind up packing?”

“Ha!  I should probably repack; I kinda just threw everything together.”  Starlight opened her bag and began rearranging the contents.  “Let’s see: my traveling scarf, an Equestrian atlas, a pamphlet of timetables for Equestrian rail lines, a travel toiletries kit, and a few of Sweet Apple Acres’ finest apples.”  She sat up straight with a gasp.  “Oh, we didn’t stop by your cart!  You didn’t pack anything!”

Trixie waved away Starlight’s concerns with a hoof.  “Not to worry; I learned a long time ago to always carry the essentials with me.”  With a flourish, she doffed her hat.  From within its recesses she levitated a toothbrush, a small coin purse, a silver mane brush, and a deck of cards.

“Clever,” Starlight said with an approving nod.

“Indeed.” Trixie lowered her voice and leaned in with a conspiratorial grin.  “Useful for when you’re being run out of town.”

They shared a giggle as the train chugged through the night towards Canterlot.

> In Which a Golden City Loses Some of Its Luster
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1: Canterlot

The gilded marble columns of the Royal Equestrian Bank and Trust glinted in the dawning light of sunrise behind Trixie as she descended the polished granite front steps, the vast majority of her worldly wealth – a thick roll of banknotes totaling two thousand bits – tucked within her hat.  She spotted Starlight idling on the second landing, carpet bag at her feet, gawking at the city as it slowly shifted from grey to gold, and trotted over to join her.

“It’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?” Trixie asked.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Starlight breathed.

Trixie tilted her head.  “Really?  You’ve lived in Ponyville for this long, and you’ve never been to Canterlot before?”

Starlight slowly shook her head, eyes never leaving the city skyline, and the golden hills and fields below it.  “Never found the time.”

Trixie turned to admire the scene herself.  “It’s my hometown.”

Starlight reluctantly pulled her eyes away and turned them to her friend.  “Why would you ever leave?”

“I love to travel.”  Trixie’s gaze fell to the stone steps.  “And… other reasons.”  She looked back up to Starlight and offered a tight smile.  “I’m sure you understand.”

Starlight returned her smile in kind.  “More than most ponies could.”

They turned back towards the sunrise and basked in the morning glow.  For a hooffull of moments, they lost themselves.

“Ugh, tourists.”

The duo were snapped out of their reverie by a tall unicorn stallion clad in an ascot and top hat, diamond-encrusted wife in tow.  “How our fair city is still allowed to be overrun by gawping yokels is quite beyond me.”

Starlight’s eyelids fell to half-mast.  “Nice to meet you, too.”

The locals simply turned up their noses with a scoff as they strode up the steps to the bank.

Trixie scowled after them.  “That would be another reason why I left.”

“Yeah.  The city seems to have lost some its charm, now.”  Starlight glanced at a nearby clock tower.  “We’d better get back to the train station – The Friendship Express leaves for Manehattan at eight o’clock.”

Trixie grinned at this.  “Neigh, my friend – I’m taking you to my favorite bistro before we leave.  I never visit Canterlot without stopping in for a bite.”

“But Trixie, the train!”

“I learned from the bank manager of a much better route to Manehattan – we set sail at quarter to two.”

Starlight blinked at her.  “‘Set sail?’”
> In Which Trixie Lulamoon and Starlight Glimmer Make a Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1: Airship, Heavensward

The enormous envelope of the airship Heavensward was painted with the ochres, umbers, and violets of a glorious sunset.  The creak of the rigging that lashed the main body of the ship to the envelope was accompanied by the quiet thrum of the propellers as the airship gently backed out of its mooring.  Starlight and Trixie marvelled from the rail of the top deck as the Canterlot Sky Harbor fell away.  The colorful ponies that roamed the streets of the city shrank to the size of ants before vanishing altogether amidst the backdrop of twisting streets.  

Once the airship was clear of the city, the engines cut and three pairs of long booms swung wide to the sides.  Glimmering telekinetic fields from the crew lowered the massive violet sails, which promptly filled with the autumn breeze and carried them away.  Canterlot became an island of carved stone and polished domes, surrounded by a sea of clouds.

“Is this how pegasi feel all the time?” Trixie asked, eyes wide and shining.

A pleasant, husky voice with a lilting cadence to it replied from behind them.  “Most o’ the time we take it for granted; hard to marvel at the sights when y’gotta watch where you’re goin’.”

The pair turned to see an emerald green pegasus stallion with a shaggy cyan mane, a little older than they, wearing a golden scarf fixed with a sapphire brooch.  He bowed with a warm smile.  “Apologies for my rudeness; Heavy Sails, at yer service.”

Trixie’s right ear flicked.  “Is that a western Griffish Isles accent I hear?”

“Well spotted, miss!  I do have the distinct honor o’ hailing from the Fair Isle’s shores.”  

Starlight returned his smile.  “You’re a long way from home, then.  What brings you to Canterlot?”

“I had to fly in to renew my shipping license; I’m one o’ the primary importers of raw materials from Griffonstone.”  He adjusted his wings as he spoke.  “Who might you lovely ladies be?”

“Oh!  Well, I’m Starlight Glimmer, and this is–”

“The Great and Powerful Trrrixie!”  Trixie cut in with a flourish of her cloak.  “World-renowned stage magician; Starlight here is my Great and Powerful Assistant.  Charmed, I’m sure.”

Recognition dawned behind Heavy Sails’ eyes.  “I thought I reco’nized that hat; I caught one o’ yer shows a few years back.  You put on quite the performance!”

Trixie positively radiated glee at this, but reined herself in as she took a bow.  “You’re too kind, sir.”  Starlight smiled as she did her best not to roll her eyes.

Heavy Sails beamed back at Trixie, then asked, “So, what brings you ladies to Manehattan?  Scoutin’ locations for your next tour?”

“Oh hey, there’s a thought,” Trixie mused as she tapped a hoof to her muzzle, “But no, we’re actually travelling around the world!”  She gasped.  “Say, you know your ships – what’s the fastest way to get from Manehattan to Griffonstone?”

“Ah, on a tight schedule, are we?  Well, the fastest way would be through Trottingham – steamships leave fer Trottingham from Manehattan Harbor almost every day.  As for Trottingham to Griffonstone—” he pulled a small pocketbook from the folds of his scarf “—ah, good – the Hoofaestus will be on approach to Trottingham by the time you get there.  She’ll be able to take you straight to Griffonstone proper, without having to hoof it from Griffonstone Station.”

“The Hoofaestus is an airship, then?” Starlight asked.

“Hoho, she’s not just any airship.  You’ll know her when you see her.”  Heavy Sails winked.

Trixie gave a small frown.  “I thought griffons didn’t like airships docking directly in town.”

“They don’t like passenger airships docking in town – part of their territorial nature.  But the Hoofaestus is a cargo hauler.  In fact, the idea for her came from the griffons themselves – they were tired of lugging cartloads of ore down the mountain for shipment to Trottingham.”

Starlight’s eyebrows knitted together.  “A cargo hauling airship, though?”

Heavy Sails chuckled at this.  “Like I said, you’ll know her when you see her.  Tell Captain Gretchen that H. S. sent you and she’ll let you on board… fer a nominal fee, at least.”  He pulled a silver pocketwatch engraved with a lily from the folds of his scarf.  “Right, well, I’m headed below decks fer a bit o’ summat to eat.”

“Oh, would you like an apple?”  Starlight Glimmer levitated one out of her bag.  “Sweet Apple Acres’ finest.”

“Cor, who could say no to that?” Heavy Sails happily accepted the apple and took a crunchy bite.  “Mmm.  That’s the stuff.  Y’know, the first job I took working for me da’s company was runnin’ a steamship full o’ Zap Apple Jam from Baltimare to Suet.  Y’never saw ponies make such a fuss when we docked.”

Trixie ignored Starlight’s sidelong glance as she asked, “Are there any airship routes from Griffonstone to Saddle Arabia?”

Heavy Sails shook his head.  “Nah, the winds howling out o’ the Abysmal Abyss knock anything an’ everything out o’ the sky all the way to Suet – the only ways to Saddle Arabia are either by land or by sea.  And I wouldn’t go by sea, if half o’ what I’ve heard is true.”

“Oh?”  Starlight raised her eyebrows.  “Is there dragon trouble?  I thought Dragon Lord Ember’s been keeping raiding in check for the past few years.”

“Aye, the young Dragon Lord’s kept ’em all to heel, and shipping down the Griffonstone Seaway has ne’er been better.  But I’ve been hearin’ nasty things about pirates all along the Saddle Arabian coast these past few months.  Best stick to land, if y’can.”

“We will!  Omigosh, thank you so much for all your advice!”  Trixie grinned.

“You’re certainly welcome, ladies.  Take care o’ yerselves, now.”  With that, he trotted away, leaving Trixie and Starlight to enjoy the view of the rolling countryside below once more.

After a minute or so of quiet contemplation, Trixie asked, “What do you suppose he meant by ‘steamship?’”
> In Which Starlight Glimmer Points Out a Small Miscalculation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 3: Airship, Heavensward

Starlight sat at a small table in her shared cabin, frowning over a pair of pamphlets and a small stack of monogrammed parchment.  Her magic enveloped a quill as she scribbled notes.  “Trixie, I’m going over these timetables, and I’m not so sure about the route you picked.”

Trixie sat on the edge of her bed, basking in the morning sunlight streaming through the half-circle window and brushing her mane the requisite one hundred times to ensure its silken quality.  “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re right in that The Friendship Express to Manehattan makes several stops and meanders across the countryside, and the Heavensward is a direct flight…”

Trixie moved to look over Starlight’s shoulder.  “Right, that’s why I chose it.”

“...but the Heavensward is a luxury liner – it travels slower than the train.  Even with the direct flight, taking the Heavensward actually lost us five hours.”

“What?”  Trixie stopped brushing at eighty-seven.  “That can’t be!  I was told the airship was the faster route!”

“Well, technically it is, but we also departed six hours after the train, remember?”

Trixie scowled, then sat back on the corner of her bed with a “Humpf.”

Starlight decided it would be best to leave the vast difference in ticket prices between the train and the airship unmentioned.  “Y’know, instead of just being along for the ride, maybe I could help out with planning ahead.” She raised the pitch of her voice along with her eyebrows.  “I’m pretty good at organization.”

Trixie’s scowl deepened, and Starlight winced.  

To her surprise, though, Trixie took a deep breath, then smiled.  “Well, Tr – I did hire you on as an assistant for a reason.”  She levitated her roll of banknotes out of her hat, took a few for herself, and hoofed the rest to Starlight.  “That’s our travel budget.  I doubt it’s enough to get us all the way around the world, but we can buy and sell things along the way to make a profit.”

Starlight allowed herself a relieved smile.  “Sort of like the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange, but spread out across the world?”

“Exactly!”  Trixie tapped a hoof against Starlight’s chest.  “For example, I know for a fact that concertinas made in Manehattan sell for a killing in Griffonstone.”

A muffled hum filled the cabin, and the sunlight shifted from Trixie’s bed to the far side of Starlight’s as the Heavensward made her final approach.  “C’mon, friend, let’s get topside,” Trixie said as she donned her hat and cloak, “I want to see Manehattan as the pegasi do, too.”
> In Which Starlight Glimmer Suffers a Mild Case of Claustrophobia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 3: Manehattan

If Canterlot had glowed beneath the rising sun, Manehattan positively glittered.  Row upon row of soaring skyscrapers reflected golden morning sunlight back and forth in a dazzling display, with smaller buildings filling the spaces between within the rigid grid of streets and thoroughfares.

Trixie and Starlight disembarked at a crowded airship dock on the upper west side of the city.  To Starlight’s eyes, Manehattan looked even more impressive from the ground; the same buildings that had appeared as foals’ toys from above now towered over her head, some so tall she could scarcely see the windows of the top stories.

In fact, it felt to Starlight as though the massive walls of concrete pressed in upon her, and the crowded streets and constant traffic did little to alleviate a sudden tightness in her chest.  She frowned to herself as Trixie, seemingly unperturbed, led the way through the throng of ponies to a fleet of taxis.   

They boarded a cab pulled by a gruff, muscular stallion by the name of Lead Hoof, and they were off, bound for the central shopping district.  Contrary to his name, the cabbie transported them deeper into the city with alarming alacrity.  

As the cab careened along, Starlight stared at the ponies on the sidewalk, so tightly packed that they blurred together.  It was as though the city blended the whole of ponykind into one faceless technicolor mass, and it deepened her sense of unease.

Doubt and homesickness tugged at the corners of Starlight’s muzzle.  She found her thoughts turning back to Ponyville, to the home she had made within Twilight’s castle.  She thought of studying late into the night by the roaring fireplace alongside Twilight, and of the regular card game nights they enjoyed with their friends.

The same friends who had banded together to goad Trixie into this rather absurd wager in the first place.  Starlight sighed, then looked over to her currently present friend.

Trixie smiled as she looked about out her side of the cab, oblivious and carefree.  Starlight snorted and tried to emulate her, but whenever she looked anywhere else, the city closed in on her once again.

Suddenly the city opened up into a vast, well-kept central park area, and Starlight’s heart leapt at seeing the sky once again.  She breathed deep the smell of fresh cut grass and fallen leaves, and felt the tension start to ebb from her neck, even as she wiped away the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hoof.

The park was lined with shops selling all manner of goods.  They were easily able to procure a nicely furbished concertina for a song, along with a large tin of honey-roasted peanuts from a confectionery next-door.  They also purchased a stout set of galoshes, should the weather turn foul in the travels ahead, and a set of saddlebags for Starlight to help carry it all.

Once finished shopping, they headed further south to the harbor district.  Both Trixie and Starlight’s eyes widened as they took in the piers, docks and quays stretching out of sight around the island in either direction, which harbored boats and ships of all shapes and sizes.  The smell of the sea permeated everything, and dockhooves shouted at one another as they hauled cargo to and fro.

The clear, sharp whistle of a metal-clad ship, entirely devoid of sail, coming into port arrested their attention.  She was painted a gleaming white with a copper lily stamped on her bow, with black smoke belching from a pair of colossal smokestacks.  A modest flock of pegasi ran guidelines from the ship to the earth ponies on shore, and with their assistance she glided up to a nearby pier.  The whistle sounded again, and the pair could see the plume of steam rise in the cool afternoon air as it sang.

“Oh,” Trixie said softly, “so that’s a steamship.”

Starlight simply nodded, slack-jawed and numb.

Once the mares returned to their senses, a brief inquiry with the harbormaster pointed them towards the Essence of Bergamot, a steamship a few piers down, bound for Trottingham at eight o’clock the next morning.  The captain, High Tea, seemed to run a tight ship as he barked orders at his crew, but he was courteous enough when they asked to book passage with him.

As the sun set, Starlight and Trixie wandered back towards the central park, and were surprised to find a theatre troupe setting up for a performance on a newly constructed stage.  After some discussion, they decided to stay and enjoy the show.  It was a charming period piece, hilarious and heartwarming in equal measure, even if the acting left a little to be desired.

When the troupe took their final bow, Starlight looked about her as she sat within that crowd of cheering ponies: at the happy families with young children, at the elderly mare resting her head on her wife’s shoulder, at the half-dozen young adults laughing and chatting amongst themselves.  It felt to Starlight as though she were back home in Ponyville, and that this community, while small, was as tight-knit as any.  

The city suddenly felt much more intimate, instead of a looming monstrosity threatening to consume her.

The duo retired to their room at the Manefair Hotel.  As Trixie brushed her teeth, Starlight looked out the window over the vast ocean of lights below.

She wondered what the view out of the next window would look like, and smiled.

> In Which Starlight Glimmer And Trixie Lulamoon Learn About Steamships
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 4: Steamship, Essence of Bergamot

Starlight and Trixie boarded the steamship with a few minutes to spare, and so settled into their quarters before heading back above deck.  They watched as the crew hurried about their tasks, casting off lines and securing the last of the cargo.  An arcanotech winch hauled up the anchor with the touch of a crewmare’s horn, and they were away.

To Starlight’s eyes, the crew behaved as a well-oiled machine, carrying out their tasks with practiced ease.

Trixie, however, wore a frown as she observed them.  “Something’s wrong.”

Starlight looked at her with a start.  “Wrong?  How do you mean?”

Trixie waved a hoof at the crew.  “Look at their faces.  See how sullen they all are?”

“I guess?”  Starlight looked around, bemused.  “I’ve heard sailing is hard work.”

“That’s just it; they’re working hard, but there’s no–”  Trixie gasped.  “They’re not singing!”

Starlight blinked at her.  “Should they be?”

“Yes!”  Trixie sputtered.  “Or at least, whenever I sailed to Trottingham or Baltimare or wherever, the crew would always sing in time to the work they did – hauling lines or furling sails or raising the anchor.  It helped bring them together and work as one happy family.”

A russet earth pony crewmare with a fiery red mane cocked an ear towards Trixie.  “No reason to sing, now,” she said, eyes never leaving the coil of rope she was gathering.  “No sails, no lines—” she nodded at the winch “—no haulin’ the anchor.”  She slung the coil of rope around her neck and over her shoulder.  “Just a paycheck.”  She headed below without another word.

Starlight watched her go, then turned to Trixie, who looked positively stricken by what she had heard.

“No reason…?”  Trixie breathed.

The whistle cried out, and the Essence of Bergamot lurched towards open water.





Around mid-afternoon, once Starlight Glimmer had a chance to get her sea legs underneath her, the pair of travelers wandered about the top deck to get a good look at the open ocean.  They ran into Captain High Tea just as he was leaving the bridge to make his rounds inspecting the ship, and at his invitation, they followed along, peppering him with questions. 

“So the ship is powered by coal?”  Starlight asked, eyes bright.

“Aye, more powerful and more reliable on longer voyages than anything powered by magic.”  The captain swept his gaze across the foredeck, then began to descend below decks.

“But I’ve seen magical devices all over the ship,” Trixie countered as they entered a cargo bay.

A pair of deckhooves saluted the captain before returning to inspecting the straps and buckles that held the cargo in place.  He nodded at them, then said, “That you have, but it’s not what powers the ship.  The Artificer’s Guild learned a while back that one reaches a point of diminishing returns once you start using more powerful magic than the average unicorn wields.”  They passed through another packed cargo bay, then descended again.  “Easy enough to build and enchant a device to haul up an anchor or light a passageway—” he nodded to the half-globes embedded in the bulkheads above them and at their feet “—but it’s another thing entirely to move a ship this size.  Technically possible, but industrial mana batteries are not terribly cost effective when coal is so much cheaper.  So long as you have enough coal to keep the engines turning, the ship will keep moving.”

The smells of engine grease and smoke began to thicken in the air.  A deep rumbling noise got progressively louder the further aft they traveled, and Starlight had to raise her voice when she asked, “What’s the Artificer’s Guild?”

“Heavens above, you two must be from the mainland,” the captain almost shouted as they approached a room lit a bright orange from within.  They entered to find a pair of earth pony mares wearing filter masks over their heads, steadily shoveling coal into a furnace beneath a massive boiler.  The captain yelled, “How fares the boiler, Ocean Sunset?”

One of the mares removed her mask to reveal herself as the russet earth pony from earlier that morning, her coat color only evident where the mask had covered her face.  “Steady as she goes, Captain,” she hollered dully, then donned the mask once more and returned to work.

The captain nodded, then shouted, “Come, let me show you how the engines work.”

Starlight followed, eyes wide as she stared at the massive machines turning and churning and creating one hell of a racket.  All around her, massive pistons and cams and cranks danced around one another in an intricate dance of brass and iron and steel.  Amidst the cacophony Starlight could barely hear every third word Captain High Tea said.

She turned to see what Trixie thought of it all, and was startled to see she wasn’t right beside her.  Looking back towards the boiler room, she saw Trixie bathed in harsh orange light as she looked at the ever-shoveling crewmares, saw her exchange a halfhearted wave with one of them, saw her sigh as she trotted back to catch back up.

Starlight tried to ask what was going on, but Trixie just shook her head and pointed at her ear.  Starlight nodded, and they continued on, humoring the captain in his attempts at shouting over the mechanical din.

Afternoon rolled into evening, and Starlight and Trixie headed towards the galley for dinner.  As they walked, Starlight asked, “What was all that about in the boiler room?”

“Oh,” Trixie said, putting on a brave smile.  “It was nothing.”

Starlight snorted as she whapped Trixie with her tail.  “It’s never nothing.  C’mon, out with it.”

Trixie slowed to a stop.  “It was just, those two mares were working so hard, and I couldn’t help but think…” She took a deep breath, then softly said, “It was just so quiet.”
> In Which Trixie Lulamoon Fails To Learn How To Play Whist
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 7:  Steamship, Essence of Bergamot

Trixie sat across from Starlight at a small square table in the mess alongside the navigator, a middle-aged dun unicorn named True Bearing, and the relief helmsmare, a young indigo pegasus named Guiding Star.  It was early in the evening as the crew took their meals in shifts.  Ocean Sunset sat by herself at the next table over, staring listlessly into her tin mug of bean soup.  A few pockets of crew sat elsewhere, eating or quietly playing games of chance.

“It’s a trick-taking game,” Starlight explained as she shuffled the cards.  “Two teams of two compete to take the most tricks of cards, and at the end of the round, the team with the most tricks scores one point for every trick beyond six they took.”  

“Seems simple enough,” Trixie said, distracted as she looked about the middeck.  The crew all had the same downcast pall, listlessly going through the motions.  There was no enthusiasm to be found anywhere.

There was no joy.

Jaw set, Trixie stared at her cards, mind whirling.  Starlight continued on about the rules of the game, but Trixie didn't pay her any heed.  She had to think of a way to–

She sat bolt upright as an idea struck her.  She turned to True Bearing, and in the most conversational tone she could manage, asked, “Oh, say, was you ever in Rye-o Fields?”

Starlight arched an eyebrow at the poor grammar; the other two at their table just stared blankly at her.

True Bearing blinked, then snorted.  “Long way, to Rye-o,” he replied.

A wide grin slowly crept across Guiding Star’s face.  “I hear that their soldiers all bear golden shields,” she giggled.

All three of them turned to Starlight, who looked very confused.  “Are we bound for Rye Fields?” she asked.  “I thought–”

Trixie hid a snicker behind her hoof as several nearby crew members began to laugh.  Starlight frowned as looked around.  “What?”

As the laughter died down, Trixie’s eyes darted around the mess hall.  There was silence for a pair of heartbeats.  Trixie bit her lip.

Ocean Sunset smiled down at her tin mug as she softly began to sing.  “Heave away, sailors, away.”

Guiding Star and True Bearing added their voices.  “Long way, to Rye-o!”

Several more sailors, along with Trixie herself, joined in for the rest of the chorus.  “Sing fare-thee-well, my bonnie young mare, for we’re bound for Rye-o Fields!”

Trixie leapt upon the table, keen on keeping the crew smiling.  “Oh, Manehattan town is no place for me!”

Guiding Star whistled as the rest called back, “Long way, to Rye-o!”

Trixie conjured an image of Starlight’s carpet bag and leveled a hoof at a nearby porthole.  “I’ll pack up my bag and I’ll head out to sea!”

The crew began to stomp their hooves in time to the beat.  “For we’re bound for Rye-o Fields!”

The crew filled the mess hall with resounding voices as they shouted and sang the chorus.  There was a fluttering in Trixie’s chest as she led them all through verse after verse, casting illusions to enhance the show, the energy of the room rising like the tide–

“Captain on deck!”  Everypony’s eyes flew wide as they immediately clamped their mouths shut and scrambled to stand at attention.  Trixie froze on top of the table.  Again, Starlight glanced around, confused.

Silence, save for the lapping of waves against the hull and the distant thrum of the engines, accompanied Captain High Tea as he strode forth to the center of the room.  He glared at each crewmember in turn, then asked, “Who is responsible for starting this din?”

As one, the crew turned to look at Trixie, whose ears plastered against her head as she raised a hoof.  “I-it was me, sir.”

“You!”  He advanced to glare up at her, and such was the power of his gaze that Trixie slunk down from her perch to stand beneath his scrutiny.  “I certainly didn’t expect this manner of ruckus when I agreed to have you aboard!”

Starlight moved to place herself between him and Trixie.  “Hey, she was just trying to improve morale around here, captain.”

Captain High Tea turned his baleful gaze upon Starlight, who, in spite of herself, also flattened her ears back.  “Oh, I’m sure that was her intention,” he hissed.  “Do you have any idea what kind of ship you booked passage on?  What kind of crew you’re sailing with?”

“Um…”  Starlight backed a step as she looked around the room, then back at the captain.  “... no?”

Captain High Tea whirled to glare about at the crew once more.

Then, in a bellowing voice, he sang, “She’s a deep-water ship and a deep-water crew!”

The room exploded with cheers and whistles as the crew answered, “Long way, to Rye-o!”  Trixie would have collapsed, had Starlight not been standing beside her.

They stayed up late into the night as they sang shanty after shanty.  Crew came and went as their duties allowed, and eventually all had a turn leading their favorite song.

Sometime well past midnight, the captain finally sent everypony to bed, and they laughed and sang as they went.  Trixie smiled as she closed her eyes for the night, more content than she had been for a long time.

> In Which Starlight Glimmer Meets a Pair of Trixie Lulamoon’s Old Acquaintances
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 11: Trottingham

The sun had just touched the broad horizon behind them as the Essence of Bergamot docked in Trottingham Harbor.  Starlight and Trixie said their protracted goodbyes, the whole crew wishing them well on their journey as they went ashore.

At first glance, Trottingham was much like Ponyville.  Starlight noted that the buildings were generally taller, and the town was certainly more expansive and more densely populated, but the aesthetic was similar enough that if she turned her back to the sea, it almost felt like home.

It was only after they walked the streets of the town proper that the major differences became apparent.  For starters, Ponyville didn’t have a lighthouse, nor did it have a cluster of refineries and smelters casting a permanent veil of smog over a wide swath of the town.  Many of the gabled wooden roofs sheltered wide, doorless openings, reminding Starlight forcibly of birdhouses.  Perhaps most glaringly, a major driving force of the economy appeared to be dead fish.

And, of course, there was the constant presence of griffons.

Starlight had never seen a griffon up close before.  She didn’t much like the piercing nature of the glances griffon passersby gave her, and the click of talons against the cobblestone street raised the hair on the back of her neck as they walked past.  It was difficult for her to keep from shrieking as she watched one purchase a particularly large fish from an open-air market stall – from a pony, no less – and tear into its flesh with apparent relish.

Feeling more than a little ill, Starlight kept pace with Trixie, who seemed unphased by the gruesome display as she chattered on about her previous visits to the bustling island community.

The duo hastened to the sky dock up the hill from the harbor, and learned from the pegasus dockmaster that the Hoofaestus was not due in until the following afternoon, and would not be departing until the morning after that.  Dejected, they looked out over the town as the red and gold landing lanterns were lit around the sky dock towers, and the brass gas lamps along the main streets flared to life, limning the roads with a comfortable glow.

“Well, now what?” Starlight asked.  “Find a steamship that leaves in the morning?”

“No,” Trixie shook her head, “the nearest port from here without going backwards is Suet, and I don’t like what Heavy Sails said about pirates.”

“We could try going north,” Starlight offered, but she realized her foolishness as soon as she said it.

“And try our luck in Bug Bear territory?”  Trixie said incredulously.  “We’re not that desperate yet, friend!  And I stand by what I said – the fastest way to Saddle Arabia is southeast through Griffonstone.”  She set off back the way they had come.  “C’mon, I know a little place we can rent a room for cheap.”

Trixie led the way to a seedy brownstone three-story building off the main harbor road named Hope’s Refuge Inn & Tavern.  The ancient wooden door’s hinges shrieked in protest as the pair walked in, and they were greeted by a wall of noise.

Starlight looked around the crowded common room at the mixed bag of patrons – ponies, griffons, sailors, dockhooves, lamplighters, foundry workers – all united by the common goal of getting trashed on whatever was handy.  They were a rowdy, rough-and-tumble bunch, laughing and cursing and shouting outlandish tales at one-another.  It was a decidedly different environment from what she was used to, and as much as she wanted to keep an open mind, her stomach began to clench.

Her unease turned to shock when she saw a pair of young dragons as tall as she was tending the bar.  Her hooves rooted her in place, muzzle agape.

Her jaw fell further still when Trixie greeted them like old friends.  “Scorn!  Bellows!  You whelplings finally manage to get your claws on some decent wine?”  She marched up to the bar as though she owned the place, a still-gawping Starlight in tow.

Bellows, the brown one, snapped his reptilian gaze up at his name, and his face split into a broad, toothy grin.  “Trixie Lulamoon, y’crazy wench!  What new hell have y’brought t’me door?”

“Oh, you know, traveling around the world to spite a princess and win a wager for more bits than you’ve ever seen in your short, sheltered life.”  Trixie pretended to examine her hoof.  “The usual.”

Scorn, the copper one, blew a plume of smoke out his nostrils. “A likely story,” he grumbled as he jerked a claw over his shoulder towards the back wall of the bar.  “Y’can set up inna corner.  No funny business, eh?  Ah dinnae wan’ tae hafta pay fer anoother window.”

“Adorable as always, Scorn.”  Trixie smiled, then headed back to clear away all but one chair from a table.

Starlight followed, shaking her head in a vain attempt to catch up with reality.  “You threw somepony through a window the last time you were here?”

Trixie’s face fell.  “Um, not exactly.”  She didn’t elaborate as she pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling.  “Keep an eye on the crowd, will you?”

It was a productive night as Trixie – with a little help from Starlight, once she stopped flinching at every loud noise – performed card tricks, table magic, and other sleight-of-hoof feats of legerdemain late into the night.  By the time the last drunkard was shoveled out the door, they had earned themselves enough bits to rent a surprisingly homey room for the next two nights.

> In Which Starlight Glimmer Learns of Trouble Brewing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 12: Trottingham

A morning tour of the uptown marketplace did little to quell the restlessness that slowly built within Starlight and Trixie, though upon hearing that the mares were bound for Saddle Arabia, they were sold a ship-in-a-bottle by a curio merchant who swore it would sell for hundreds in Al’Hisan.  They enjoyed a modest lunch of balsamic vinegar soaked fried potatoes and greens, then wandered over to a small park upon a hill overlooking the industrial district to watch the Hoofaestus come in.

Starlight watched as a small army of porters gathered below, and griffons and pegasi soared above to pull back the cloud cover from the sky.  “Seems like a lot of fuss for just one airship.”

“Mm-hmm,” Trixie nodded as she squinted at the eastern horizon.

It began as a low rumbling noise, as though a particularly severe thunderstorm was rolling in.  

“There,” Trixie pointed, and Starlight saw an enormous anvil-shaped cloud moving towards Trottingham against the wind.  

Their jaws fell as it became clear that it was no mere cloud, but the largest airship they had ever seen.

The Hoofaestus’s envelope alone was larger than two steamships side-by-side.  Her hull was obscured by a mass of angry storm clouds, boiling and folding in on themselves as the ship approached.  Violent bolts of lightning arced from the clouds to strike strategically placed lightning rods surrounding the landing area, increasing in frequency until there was a constant electrical discharge linking the ship to the ground.  

The Hoofaestus descended slowly until it nestled within its docking cradle.  The electrical discharge ceased as the storm clouds dissipated, revealing cloud generator coils the size of two ponies standing on top of one-another.  They were fixed to a skeletal steel superstructure which barely contained a massive cargo hold and little else.

It was around this point that Starlight remembered to blink.  She turned to see Trixie with an almost manic grin on her face, and couldn’t help but smile herself.  “C’mon, let’s go introduce ourselves.”

Trixie only giggled.

To Starlight's dismay, the swarm of porters and other hired hooves flying about the ship made it impossible to get in contact with any of the crew before they vanished into the city to enjoy a night’s shore leave.  They managed to learn that the ship would not depart until ten o’clock the next morning, and so they vowed to return bright and early to secure their passage.





Hope’s Refuge was even more crowded and rowdy that night as a pair of griffons on guitar and lute and a pair of pegasi on bongos and fiddle led the crowd through a long succession of bawdy reels.  Trixie was in the thick of things, casting pyrotechnics and prestidigitations between each suggestive verse.

Enraptured by her siren song
He asked, “Why is your tail so long?”
She leaned to whisper in his ear,
“The better to whip you with, my dear!”

The constant noise, the oppressive heat of so many bodies in such a cramped space, and the stink of sour ale, sea salt, and sweaty dander proved too much for Starlight.  She stepped out a side door into the alleyway to get some fresh air.  

Of course, the alley was where the garbage was stacked, and the stench of rotting fish made her gag.  She trotted towards the nearest open road, tasting bile.

Just as Starlight was about to round the corner, somepony careened into her with enough force to send her tumbling to the ground, scuffing a knee in the process.  “Ow!  Dammit, watch where you’re-”  

She gasped as she realized her accidental assailant was a rather heavily pregnant zebra mare, laden with a pair of saddlebags.  Starlight immediately changed her tone as she got her hooves underneath herself.  “Omigosh, I am so sorry!  Are you okay?”

The zebra mare looked flustered as she replied in a low, halting voice, “I am okay, and I am not okay, pony.  I am sorry for running you down.”  She took a few steps past Starlight, further down the alley.  “I want to get off the road before somepony sees me.  Are you well?”

A scuffed knee being nothing to worry about, considering, Starlight laughed it off.  “Oh, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”  Her brow knitted together as the zebra’s words, and her lack of rhyming, sank in.  “Are you in some sort of trouble, miss…?”

Starlight could have sworn she saw some of the color drain out of the zebra’s facial stripes as her ears flattened back.  “I-I must go.  Please, do not remember me, pony.”  She turned away and started back down the alley.

Starlight hurried after her.  “Wait!  Is there anything I can do to help?”

The zebra paused, and half-turned her head to give Starlight a sad sidelong glance.  “No.  Nopony can save my homeland from destroying itself.  I only hope I reach the Crystal Empire before…”  She cast a self-conscious glance at her belly.

Starlight offered what she hoped was a sympathetic smile as she said, “Well, I know there’s a steamship called the Essence of Bergamot that’s leaving port tomorrow morning for Manehattan.  Tell them Starlight and Trixie sent you, they’ll be happy to have you aboard.  From Manehattan it should be pretty easy to catch a train heading to the Crystal Empire.”

Ears slowly pricking back up again, the zebra smiled.  “Thank you, friend pony.  It is good to not run while blind.”

Starlight’s reply was cut off by a pair of laughing, drunk pegasi as they swooped overhead between the buildings.  The zebra’s ears flattened again as she said, “I must go.  Thank you for your kindness, friend pony.  I hope to meet more like you before my journey ends.”  With that, she hustled down the alley as fast as her swollen belly would allow.

Starlight sighed to herself as she watched her go, then turned back towards the main road to leave.  As she neared the open road, a glint of reflected lamplight caught her eye.  

She looked down to see a small obsidian case, intricately carved with symbols she didn’t recognize.  Opening it, she discovered a small bundle of black and green feathers, bound to a white stone with a length of some type of cord.  The stone was also engraved with mysterious symbols.

When Starlight levitated the charm out of its case, it practically sang with contained magical energy, and the stone - no, it was bone, she realized - was cold to the touch when she placed it on her upturned hoof.  Unnerved, she hastily replaced it in its case and snapped the lid shut.

The thought struck her that the zebra mare may have dropped it in their collision, but she was long gone.  Starlight exhaled through her nose, then, not wanting to wade back through the crowded, noisome tavern, teleported back up to her room.

She found it difficult to fall asleep as she turned the zebra’s words over in her mind.  The Zebrahara was a long way away, and to travel so far in her condition...

Trixie stumbled through the door, slurring half-remembered lyrics to herself, and passed out fully clothed upon her bed mid-stanza.  Obnoxious snoring promptly filled the room.

Grumbling to herself, Starlight got back out of bed and repacked their bags, transferring the smaller items to the saddlebags for easier carrying.  She considered the obsidian case for a moment, then packed it in her saddlebags as well.  Lacking anything else to do, Starlight returned to bed and scowled at the ceiling.

Eventually Trixie’s snores gentled as she settled into deeper slumber, and the slow susurrus of her breathing lulled Starlight to sleep.
> In Which Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon Are Miserable
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 13:  Airship, Hoofaestus

Captain Gretchen cut an impressive figure, even by griffon standards.  The golden feathers around her eyes and within her plumage shone in the morning sunlight, and her scarlet scarf billowed in the ocean breeze as she spoke with Starlight and Trixie in front of the Hoofaestus’ docking cradle.  She cocked her head to the side as she asked, “You do realize this isn’t a passenger vessel, right?”

“We do,” Starlight replied, “but we’re on a tight schedule, and Heavy Sails said this would be the fastest way to get to Griffonstone.”

Captain Gretchen flashed a toothy grin.  “Well, he’s not wrong there.  Look, I’m happy to take your bits.  Just be aware that there isn’t much in the way of creature comforts aboard the ship.”  Her grin fell as she fixed them both with a glare.  “I don’t wanna hear any moanin’ about airsickness or missing hot showers or any of that nonsense when we’re only two days out, got it?”

Trixie flicked her mane with an indignant huff.  “The Great and Powerful Trixie has spent many a night sleeping rough on the road.  A simple airship journey shouldn’t be any harder than that.”

The captain laughed.  “You’re wrong, but you’ll learn.  Come on, I’ll show you to your bunk.”  She turned and flew up the loading ramp with a single beat of her wings.

Starlight and Trixie exchanged a glance before they followed.





The fascination with traveling on the bleeding edge of airship technology wore thin less than three hours after takeoff.

The lightning blasting from the electrical discharge rods caused almost continuous peals of thunder to wash over the ship.  While it was rare for the massive ship to suddenly pitch in a particular direction, it constantly vibrated, at times badly enough to shake loose the mares’ earplugs.  The cloud generator coils flooded the ship with a fine mist that clung to everything, particularly their coats.  Their bunk was little more than a pair of hammocks bolted to the walls of a metal room barely big enough for both mares to turn around.  The crew, entirely comprised of griffons and pegasi, spent most of their time flitting about their tasks, ensuring the ship properly discharged its static load and the clouds generated enough lift, and steadfastly ignoring their flightless passengers.

In short, the pair soon found that wandering the outer deck was a quick way to become damp and deaf.  They were trapped on a steel raft, endlessly hurtling through a blank expanse where all sense of time ceased.  There was only the noise, the wet, and the misery.

The airship’s one concession to sanity was a moderately-sized soundproofed cafeteria, just ahead of the crew quarters and just aft of the bridge.  It was there that Starlight and Trixie soon planted themselves, playing cards and conversing with the Hoofaestus’ resident Artificer, a cream-colored pegasus named Stig.

“‘Stig?’”  Trixie snorted.  “What kind of a name is that?”

Starlight glared at her, but Stig waved the question away with a grin.  “It’s short for ‘Stigglefeather’.  The captain thought it was a bit of a beakful when she was barking orders, so she shortened it to ‘Stig’, and it stuck.”

A copper glint on the lapel of Stig’s flight jacket caught Starlight’s eye.  “Is that a lily I see?”

“Indeed it is!”  Stig’s grin faltered.  “Haven’t you seen one before?”

“Well,” Trixie said, “not as a pin, but that lily keeps popping up everywhere we go.”

Stig’s expression switched to one of awe.  “You’re from Equestria, aren’t you?”

The mares exchanged a glance.  “Why do ponies keep saying that?” Trixie asked.

“It’s just…  How else wouldn’t you know?”  Stig shook his head.  “The Artificer Guild doesn’t have much truck within Equestria, is all, by royal edict.  Princess Celestia barely tolerates the steamships that visit Equestrian ports, and that’s only because she knows she has little choice if she wants to keep up with trade.”

Starlight frowned.  “Why would she ban your guild?”

Stig shrugged.  “She’s taken an irrational dislike, is all I know.  Princess Luna, on the other hoof-”

There was a howl and a blast of thunder as one of the doors burst open.  A ruffled red-feathered griffon bellowed from the doorway, “Stig!  Get your flank astern!  One of the primary rods ain’t dischargin’ its load!”

“Aye, I’m comin’.”  Stig flapped his wings to hover over Starlight and Trixie as he donned a pair of tinted brass goggles.  “Duty calls.  I’ll see you ladies around!”  Thunder boomed once again as he soared out the door, which the griffon slammed shut behind him.

Merciful silence settled back over the cafeteria.  Starlight and Trixie breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and enjoyed a moment of peace.

Starlight gave a tight smile as she asked, “Wanna actually learn how to play Whist this time?”

Trixie snorted.  “Well, without an audience, sure.”
> In Which Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon Don’t Sleep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 14:  Airship, Hoofaestus

“I’m just saying,” Starlight grumbled as she gracelessly slid from her hammock.

“Well, don’t ‘just say’!”  Trixie stomped an angry hoof.  “What do you mean, ‘we should have listened to the newspaper’?”

The crew quarters were not as soundproofed as the cafeteria, and so Starlight and Trixie had spent most of the night jolting awake every few minutes when the closest electrical discharge rod let fly.  When the ever-present mist outside their porthole turned from pitch to ash, they had abandoned the pretense of sleep in foul moods.

“Trixie, admit it – if we had taken a steamship from Baltimare straight east to Suet like the Canterlot Chronicle had calculated, we’d be halfway across Saddle Arabia by now.”  The glare Starlight leveled at Trixie was laced with contempt.

“Oh, don’t!” Trixie shouted as thunder boomed.  “Don’t you dare!  You didn’t know about steamships any more than I did – how was I supposed to know we wouldn’t have to worry about sailing against the trade winds for an extra week?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Starlight spat back with a roll of her bloodshot eyes, “maybe by actually traveling to Saddle Arabia!”  Without waiting for Trixie’s retort, she flung open the door, assaulting the both of them with a torrent of rain and wind and thunder.  Wordlessly Starlight lowered her head into the storm and plowed on to the cafeteria, Trixie a step behind.

Immediately upon slamming the cafeteria door shut behind them, Trixie rounded on Starlight.  “How dare you walk away from the Great and Powerful Trixie in the middle of a discussion!”  This caused the assembled crew, Stig and Captain Gretchen included, to look up from their breakfasts.

“Oh, so we’re reverting to third person now?”  Starlight sneered.  “How about the Boastful and Ignorant Trixie explain how, for all her worldly travels, she doesn’t even know what a steamship is?”

Stig gave a quiet cough.  “Actually, it’s only been within the last seven years that–”

“Shut up, Stig,” Starlight, Trixie, and Captain Gretchen said in unison.

Stig lowered his head back to his bowl of oatmeal with a muffled apology.

Trixie returned her glare to Starlight.  “Trixie never said she’d been to Saddle Arabia!”

Starlight’s eye began to twitch.  “Then how do you know Griffonstone is the fastest way?!”

“Books!”  Trixie gestured wildly with a hoof.  “Trixie has been studying travelogues and explorer’s guides since she was a filly touring with her grandfather’s–”

“Oh goddesses.”  Starlight fell to her knees as she clutched the sides of her head with her forehooves.  “You’re as bad as Twilight!”

A deep gasp tore its way from Trixie’s throat.  “Excuse me?”

“You’re both so sure of the infallibility of the written word!”  Starlight felt a bout of helpless laughter boil in her chest, but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop if she started.  “Books don’t magically update themselves as new information presents itself!  You need to get out there and actually do some research in the field every once in awhile!”

Trixie marched up to Starlight until they were nearly muzzle-to-muzzle.  “Trixie has done plenty of ‘research in the field,’” she hissed.  “She has been on the road since the day she got her cutie mark!”

Starlight matched Trixie’s glare as she got back to her hooves.  “And a fat lot of good that’s doing us now, trapped ten thousand feet in the air on a rickety death trap–”

“Hey,” Captain Gretchen called over, “I get that you two are having a lover’s quarrel or whatever, but leave my ship out of it.”  She made a circular motion with a foreclaw.  “How about you two go back to your bunk and, uh, buck it out.”  She turned to Stig.  “Is that the right expression?”

“It’s a bit on the nose, Cap’n.”

Starlight and Trixie both blushed furiously as they lapsed into silence.  After a pause, Starlight asked, “Captain Gretchen, is there any way to make the Hoofaestus go faster?”

Captain Gretchen said “no” at the same time Stig said “yes”.  A low growl rumbled in the captain’s throat as she glared at him, and he slunk low under the table.

Starlight fixed her gaze on Stig.  “How?”

His eyes darted between her and Captain Gretchen, who eventually sighed and motioned for him to continue with a claw.  

He cleared his throat, then said, “Well, if we fed the auxiliary power cell into the main feed, we could boost both cloud generator lift and envelope engine propulsion by a quarter.”  Seeing Starlight’s blank stare, he added, “We can cut a day and a half off our trip.”

Before Starlight could respond, Captain Gretchen cut in.  “But, it would drain the auxiliary power cell as well, and I can’t stress this enough, alicorn-tier mana batteries aren’t cheap.  As profitable as this run is, I’m not gonna waste hundreds of bits on getting a pair of whiny passengers to their destination a little faster.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow.  “How many hundreds of bits?”

Captain Gretchen blinked, then said “twelve” at the same time Stig said “nine”.

“Stig!”  Captain Gretchen’s glare promised a painful death.

“Y’know what, I’m just gonna go,” he said as he gathered his dishes.

For the first time that morning, Starlight smiled.  “So, nine, then.”

In a blink, Captain Gretchen was staring imperiously down at her, feathers fluffed.  “Eleven.  We’ve never gone full burn with a load of cargo, and my crew deserve hazard pay for the risk we’ll be runnin’.”

Starlight was unphased.  “Ten.  Your crew get an extra day and a half of shore leave.”

The captain narrowed her eyes.  “Ten-fifty.  You don’t wanna spend a second longer on this ship than you have to, and we’re doing just fine at our current speed.”

Starlight narrowed her eyes as well.  “Ten-twenty, and I throw in a tin of honey-roasted peanuts.”

Captain Gretchen stared at her for an uncomfortable moment, then grinned.  “Always wanted to see what this boat could really do.”
> In Which Starlight Glimmer Has an Eventful Morning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 16: Airship, Hoofaestus

Starlight had thought the voyage could not possibly get any more unpleasant.  On the second morning after the auxiliary power had kicked in, as she formed the shield against the veritable hurricane outside her bunk for the morning trek to the cafeteria, she couldn’t help but laugh at her own naivety. 

The ship now actively tried to shake itself apart beneath her hooves.  Instead of occasional bouts of rain, the mists now produced a constant deluge, whipped all the harder by the ship’s increased speed.  The lightning rods discharged a few times a minute, producing a constant cacophony that had to be shouted over anywhere other than the cafeteria.

Not that she had anypony to speak to.  Trixie had been giving her the silent treatment since their tiff two days prior, and the crew of the Hoofaestus had a lot more on their plates in order to keep the ship in one piece.

Still, Starlight had been able to grow accustomed to the endless rolling thunder, and had managed to sleep through the night.  She faced the storm from behind her shield almost revitalized, and didn’t even mind Trixie closely following in her wake.

She even managed a friendly wave to Stig as he fumbled with a replacement lightning rod off the port side of the ship.  He looked up, smiled, and returned the wave.  

Insodoing, he lost his grip on the metal spire, which slipped down to make contact with the rod he was about to replace.  There was a blinding flash, and Stig fell from view, trailing singed feathers.

“Stig!”  Starlight rushed to the edge of the metal scaffolding to see where he had landed, but the clouds hadn’t caught him – his feathers passed right through the cloud layer and continued falling.  She looked around, but nopony other than Trixie, whose eyes were wide and had a hoof to her muzzle, had seen what had happened.  She couldn’t even see any other crew members through the mist and rain.

Starlight swore, then flung herself off the edge after him.

Immediately the scent of ozone flooded her nose, and she channeled more energy into her shield.  The incoming lightning blast harmlessly splashed around her as she plummeted towards the sea below.

Bright morning sunlight assaulted her eyes as she cleared the storm clouds holding the Hoofaestus aloft.  Stig’s ragdoll body fell through the air, but he was already over a thousand feet below her and still accelerating.  She dispelled her shield and erased that distance in a blink with a bang.

“I gotcha, Stig,” Starlight yelled as she wrapped both him and herself in her telekinetic field.  She tried to gently slow their descent, then saw the rapidly approaching wall of water below them and abandoned subtlety.  “Okay, gotta slow down.”  She strained against the almighty power of gravity pulling at them both.  “Sloooow down.”  An overglow enveloped her horn.  Still the water loomed ever closer.  “Slowdownslowdownslowdownslowdownslowdown–”

They plunged into the Celestial Sea slightly slower than if they had jumped off a diving board, but the cold was still enough to force a reflexive gasp from Starlight.  Seawater burned her lungs, and on instinct she blasted back the water with a wall of force.  She coughed and sputtered as her hemisphere of air bobbed like a cork on the sea swells.

She looked down just in time to see Stig’s tail slip beneath the surface.

Starlight gasped.  “Stig!”  Concentration broken, the sea rushed back in and slammed Starlight from all sides, spinning her about.  Disoriented, she looked around for Stig in the briny blue, and saw him a dozen feet below, sinking slowly into the darkness.  She grabbed ahold of him with her telekinetic field once more, and dragged them both to the surface.

They floated for a moment while she caught her breath and cleared the seawater from her nose, then she levitated them above the sapphire swells.  It was a gorgeous day, with puffy white clouds dotting a cerulean sky – aside from the stormy path the Hoofaestus was carving through it, at least.

Starlight’s horn began to ache under the continued strain of hauling both herself and Stig around, so she cast a quick cloudwalking enchantment on herself and teleported them both to a cloud roughly on the same plane as the Hoofaestus, rapidly fading into the distance as it hurtled along.  She felt the cloud give a bit under her weight, but it held, and so she released herself and Stig from her telekinetic grip.

Stig dropped straight through the cloud like a stone.

“What in Tartarus–”  Starlight hopped off the cloud and grabbed him once again before he got too far away, then brought him up to eye level for an examination.  He was soaked to the bone, mane and tail still dripping water.  Black burns on the breast and back of his flight jacket marked where the lightning had struck him.

It was then that Starlight realized he wasn’t breathing.

“Oh goddesses, Stig, don’t do this to me!”  Starlight felt another surge of adrenaline flood her system.  “Medical facilities!  The ship has to have – but I don’t know where it is.  The cafeteria!”  She looked at the distant figure of the Hoofaestus, easily a mile away, as it only just started to come about.  “Not fast enough.”  She tried to find the outline of the envelope above the roiling storm clouds.  “Seventy-five yards aft of the nose cone and thirty yards down, bridge, cafeteria – hnnngh!”

Starlight grimaced in pain as a double overglow enveloped her horn, and with a loud bang Starlight and Stig exploded into the Hoofaestus’ cafeteria.  They slammed bodily into the corrugated metal floor and skidded with terrible speed across it, eliciting surprised squawks from the griffons within.

Through the mind-numbing pain of severe magical overexertion, Starlight realized her error in not matching the airship’s velocity with her teleport just as the back of her skull collided with a bolted-down table leg.

> In Which Starlight Glimmer Awakens on Foreign Soil
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 19: Griffonstone

Warm sunlight and a cool breeze gently lured Starlight back to consciousness.  She cracked open an eye and found herself tucked into a fluffy down bed in a room she didn’t recognize.

She tried to sit up, and her horn, head, and body screamed in protest.  She groaned as she nearly passed out once more.

“Whoa, easy there, filly,” a familiar voice said.  “Take it slow.”

Starlight’s eyes grudgingly focused on the source.  “Captain Gretchen?”

“In the feathers.”  She added a few pillows behind Starlight and helped prop her up against them, then sat on the floor next to her.  “How you feelin’?”

Starlight raised a hoof to the bandages around her head, and winced at the dull ache in her shoulder.  “Um, I kinda hurt.  All over.”

“Ha, that makes sense.  You’ve been out for three days now; your fever only just broke last night.”   Captain Gretchen reached over to the rough-hewn end table next to the bed and poured a glass of water from a silver ewer.  “Here, have something better than seawater.”

A few painful sparks shot from Starlight’s horn as she tried to take the glass telekinetically, so she forced her limbs to take it by hoof.  The water was laced with something sweet and slightly bitter, and by the time she finished the glass the edge had been taken off her headache.

Able to think more clearly, Starlight looked around her modest room, empty save for the table and bed.  She certainly wasn’t still aboard the Hoofaestus.  “Um, where are we?”

“Guest room at the Griffonstone Artificer Guildhall.”  Captain Gretchen’s smile was apologetic.  “Figured it was the best place to take you, since it’s the only place where you can reliably find, y’know, other ponies.”

Starlight almost chuckled, but it hurt to laugh.  “Speaking of other ponies, where’s Trixie?”

“I sent her to go get us some griffon scones, and some fresh air.  Poor mare’s hardly left your side since you got back on the ship.”  She poked Starlight with a talon.  “That was a gutsy stunt you pulled, by the way.  You sure you don’t have any griffon blood in you?”

The good humor of her jest didn’t reach her eyes, and Starlight felt a tightness in her throat when she asked, “How is Stig?”

There was a soft sigh as Captain Gretchen’s gaze slid to the floor.  “He didn’t make it.”

There was a silence as Starlight’s eyes filled with burning tears.  Her headache returned full force as she choked back a sob.  “D–did he drown?  I tried so hard to get him back in time–”

Captain Gretchen looked startled.  “What?  Oh, no!”  She laid a claw on Starlight’s forehoof.  “Good Grover, no, I’m sorry, Starlight.”  She shook her head.  “No, Stig’s death had nothing to do with what you did.”

Starlight sniffed as she rubbed at her tears with her bedsheet.  “What happened, then?”

Captain Gretchen took a deep breath.  “Well, Trixie said that Stig fell straight through the clouds after the lightning got him.  Is that right?”

“Yes.”  Starlight nodded, then froze as her eyes widened.  “You mean…”

Another sigh.  “Yeah.  He was dead before you even went over the side.”

Despite Starlight's efforts, a sob broke through her defenses, quickly followed by several more.  She turned to lay her other hoof on top of the griffon’s claw and managed to choke out, “I’m sorry.  I’m so, so sorry.”

Captain Gretchen laid a claw on top of Starlight’s hoof, completing the tower.  “Hey, you don’t have anything to apologize for.  Whether or not you could have saved him, that was still one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen a pony do.  You’re a hero, as far as I’m concerned.”

Starlight sniffled as she looked up to see Captain Gretchen’s warm eyes and sad smile.  She remembered her friendly wave to Stig, and she broke down again.  “But–”

“No buts.”  Captain Gretchen extricated a claw and gently guided Starlight’s chin so she was looking her in the eye once more.  “Stig was a handy stallion to have around, and a good friend besides, but that idiot should have known better than to fly around a live discharge rod without disconnecting it first.”  A fierceness crept into her eyes.  “What happened is one hundred percent on him.”

Starlight heard the hurt in Captain Gretchen’s voice as well as felt it in the suddenly tighter grip of her talons.  She took a shuddering breath to collect herself, and said, “Okay.  Thank you, Captain.”

The tension eased from the griffon’s eyes.  “Heh.  Call me Gretchen, filly.  You’re not my passenger anymore.”  She turned to look over her shoulder.  “I think I hear Trixie coming back, so I’ll get out of your mane.”  She got to her feet.  “If you’re ever in the neighborhood and need a ride, I’ll only charge you half price.”

The mere thought of setting hoof on the Hoofaestus again made Starlight’s head pound harder, but then she caught Gretchen’s wink.  She smiled as she said, “I’ll bear that in mind.”

Gretchen laughed as she walked over and opened the door for a mildly surprised Trixie.  “Hey, Trixie, look who’s up!”

Trixie gasped and dropped her bag of griffon scones in her rush to give Starlight a massive hug.  “I knew you were too great and powerful to stay asleep forever!”

Starlight couldn’t help but laugh as she returned the hug.  “I thought you weren’t speaking to me?”

“Oh, hush,” Trixie said as she squeezed harder.

“I think that’s my cue to leave.” Gretchen ate a scone in a single bite and dropped the rest of the bag on the foot of the bed.  She raised a claw in farewell as she headed out the door and said, “Safe travels, you two.”

“You too!”  Starlight said as she returned the wave.

“Bye, Gretchen,” Trixie called.

A peaceable silence descended as the mares continued their embrace.  At length, they separated to enjoy their scones.  After Starlight drank another glass of the medicinal water, Trixie asked, “Do you think you can walk?”

Starlight nodded as her senses further cleared.  “I think so.  I feel a lot better now that I have some food in me.”

“Good!”  Trixie hopped off the bed.  “We’ve got a lot to do today, then.  The local Guildmaster wanted to talk with you, and I think I’ve found a quick way to get down the south side of the mountain to the village of Featherfall.”

“South?”  Starlight asked.  “I thought– wait, are you still planning on going around the world?”

Trixie let loose a bark of laughter.  “Of course, silly!  And we have a lot of ground to make up – we have sixty days left, and we’re not even a quarter of the way around the planet!”

Starlight stared at the Bright and Eager Trixie’s face and remembered the magnitude of the wager at stake.  She sighed as she got out from under the covers, in spite of her better judgement.  “Alright.  Let’s get to it.”

> In Which Starlight Glimmer is Honored
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 19: Griffonstone

The Griffonstone Guildhall was opulent, as griffon buildings went.  Mosaic tile floors in black and white stone lined the corridors, with wooden molding intricately carved with motifs of leaves, nuts, and berries.  On every wall hung vibrant tapestries, untouched by dust or time, depicting important moments in griffon history: the fall of King Guto, the finding of the Idol of Boreas, the siege of Trottingham Keep, the burning of the Ebon Aerie.

Starlight and Trixie found Guildmaster Graham – a stout, muscular griffon with feathers the color of tilled soil – within the guildhall library, leaning over a spread of open books and loose papers, having an animated discussion with an amethyst crystal mare and a slate grey earth pony stallion.  All conversation ceased as Starlight and Trixie approached.

“Ah, Miss Glimmer,”  The guildmaster rumbled, a kind smile on his beak.  “So good to see you up and about.  How are you feeling?”

“A little shaky,” Starlight said as she returned the smile.  “I feel better the more I move around, though.”

“Excellent, excellent.”  Guildmaster Graham turned to the crystal pony.  “Doctor Dawning, would you kindly?”

“Of course.”  Doctor Dawning pulled out a cushioned chair from the table and gestured to it with her hoof.  “Have a seat, dear.  Let’s take a look under those bandages.”

A quick examination showed that, while mildly dehydrated, Starlight was recovering nicely.  Doctor Dawning concluded by saying, “I’d rather you stay another night for observation just to be safe, but I understand you two are on a bit of a tight schedule.”

“That’s correct,” Trixie said with a nod.

Guildmaster Graham cleared his throat.  “Right, then.  Ordinarily, we Artificers do this sort of thing with a bit more pomp and circumstance, but frankly, we have things that need doing and so do you.  So—” he grabbed a thin wooden box from atop a stack of books “—on behalf of our fallen comrade, the Artificer Guild would like to award you this for your service.”  He passed the box to Starlight, then solemnly bowed along with the two ponies behind him.

Starlight opened the box to find a small silver pendant on a length of silver chain, stamped with a copper lily.  She found it difficult to swallow past the sudden thickness in her throat.

“That medallion marks you as a friend of the Artificer Guild,” Guildmaster Graham said as he straightened.  “Show it to any Artificer on your journey, and they will be happy to lend you aid as they are able.”

The earth pony stallion nodded to Starlight.  “Stig was a friend to all o' us.  That ye’d go tae such lengths tae save ’im speaks worlds.”

Starlight bowed in return.  “Thank you.”  She didn’t trust herself to speak further.

Trixie bowed as well.  “Thank you so much for your hospitality, too!”

“Always happy to help a friend.”  Guildmaster Graham grinned once more, then stepped back to the table.  “Now, we’d best get back to it, and so should you.  Be safe on your travels!”

Starlight and Trixie waved farewell to the Artificers, passed through a darkened foyer, and stepped into the stark, sunny streets of Griffonstone.  They blinked against the sudden brightness, and stood for a moment to let their vision adjust.

“Oh,” Trixie said, “when Gretchen sent me off to fetch some scones, I took the opportunity to sell off that concertina as well.”  She levitated a roll of banknotes from the carpet bag to Starlight’s saddlebags.

“Good,” Starlight replied.  “We spent almost everything we had left to speed up the Hoofaestus.  How much did we make?”

Trixie grinned.  “Nearly a thousand bits, which should be plenty to get us down the mountain and all the way to Suet.  C’mon, if we hurry I bet we can make it to Featherfall before nightfall.”

As the mares walked at a brisk pace through the packed dirt byways towards the southern market square, Starlight looked around, bemused.  “Y’know, Griffonstone isn’t what I thought it would be, considering the stories Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie told me.”

“I know, right?”  Trixie shook her head.  “This place isn’t nearly the dump it was when I was here last.”

Starlight bit back a snarky reply as she continued surveying the city.  Indeed, amidst the main background noises that could be heard above the rising marketplace chatter were the hammering of nails through shingles and saws carving through wood.  On nearly every street they passed there was either a new construction project or a renovation of some sort in progress.  Many buildings were still in sorry shape, with sagging roofs or partially collapsed walls, but it was clear there was a concerted effort being made to rebuild.

They entered the market square, and again, what Starlight saw did not gel with her now tattered assumptions.  “I thought most griffons were supposed to be antisocial jerks.”

Trixie snorted.  “They are.”  She looked around and sighed.  “Or, at least, they used to be…”

Griffons throughout the square conducted their businesses not with clenched talons, but open gestures.  The smattering of conversation Starlight’s ears picked up on, rather than screamed epithets, were amicable discussions about prices, local politics, and the weather.  Small flocks of griffons flitted about, laughing or chattering amongst themselves.  They carried themselves with a sense of purpose – and, perhaps, pride.

As they approached the south end of both the square and the city, Trixie asked, “What do you suppose happened here?”

Starlight shrugged.  “Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, maybe?  It’s been years since they’ve been through here.”

Trixie rolled her eyes.  “Right.  Because a pair of mares can make that much of a difference.”

“Hey, if even half the reports I’ve read concerning the Cutie Map are true, they can.”  Starlight smiled as she bumped into Trixie sidelong.  “Don’t knock it.”

“Hmpf.”  Trixie failed at hiding a smile of her own as she turned down a shady, cramped alley. 

The alley opened to a small clearing at the edge of the plateau Griffonstone sat upon.  Trixie stopped before the sole structure in the clearing, a large blue and white striped tent.  “Well, here we are.”  She raised her voice.  “Hello?  Crank?  Shank?  I’m back sooner than I thought I’d be!”

Starlight couldn’t contain a snicker.  “Crank and Shank?”

Trixie shrugged.  “They’re brothers.  Inventors, too, they said they could–”

An oily voice came from within the tent.  “Well well well, brother of mine, it appears our wayward traveler has returned!”

A second, even slicker voice replied, “Indeed, brother, and with her companion as well!  Let us introduce ourselves.”

Starlight’s jaw fell as a pair of tall, lemon yellow unicorn stallions with matching glistening jet-black manes sidled out from beneath the blue and white canvas.

“Welcome, young filly!”  The mustachioed stallion nodded to his nearly identical brother.  “He’s Crank.”

The clean-shaven stallion nodded back.  “He’s Shank!”

In unison, they cried, “And we’re the world-famous Crank-Shank Brothers, traveling Artificers nonpareil!”
> In Which Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon Confront a Pair of Frauds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 19: Mechanical Spider, Super Speedy Mountain Scaley 9000

After Harold and Gerald finished their self-indulgent bow, their horns glowed green as they tossed back the folds of the tent, revealing a monstrosity made of black iron and brass pistons.  It looked vaguely like an oversized carriage bolted to the back of an angry, demonic spider.

“Behold,” the stallions cheered, “the Super Speedy Mountain Scaley 9000!”

A hot fire stoked itself within Starlight’s chest.  “You!”

The stallions froze.  “Who, me?” they asked.

Starlight grit her teeth through the pain as she zapped them both with a minor cleansing spell.  Black dye sloughed off of their manes, revealing the vibrant red beneath.  Starlight’s grimace deepened.  “I knew it!  You’re Flim and Flam!”

“Aheh.”  Flim pulled at the collar of his seersucker shirt.  “Have we met?”

“No,” Starlight spat, “but I’ve heard more than enough about you.”

Trixie stepped forward, jaw open.  “Are you two really the Flim and Flam?”

Flam sidled up to her.  “Ah, do I detect the presence of a fan of our–”

“A fan?!”  Trixie telekinetically grabbed Flam’s tie and yanked him down to eye level with her.  “Do you have any idea how many towns Trixie has been to where your little schemes have almost destroyed or bankrupted them?”  She shook him hard enough to bobble his head back and forth.

Starlight advanced on Flim.  “So what’s the scam, Flim?  Sell hapless tourists a quick way down the mountain, then toss them over the cliff?”

Flim stood straighter.  “How dare you impugn our honor so?  I’ll have you know that my brother and I are members of the highest standing of the Artificer Guild!”  He pointed a hoof to the shiny lily on his collar.

Starlight looked closely.  “That's made out of gold.”

“Of course they are!  As I said, the highest–”

“Artificer lilies are made of copper.”

Without missing a beat, Flam said, “Not if you’re Guildmasters, they’re not–”

“Yes, they are,” Trixie said, shaking Flam one more time.  “Even Guildmaster lilies are made of copper – it serves as a reminder of humility.”  She slid her glare from Flam to Flim.  “Something Trixie doubts either of you have ever felt.”

Flim arched an eyebrow.  “And how would an outsider know what Artificer lilies should and should not be made of?”

Starlight removed her Artificer Medallion from its case and slid it over her head.

“Ah.”  After a pause, Flim donned a nervous grin and said, “Well, fillies, it’s been fun, but if you’ll just release my brother, we’ll be on our way.”

“Oh, Trixie doesn’t think so,” Trixie hissed.  In a flash, she hogtied both stallions with their own ties.  She turned to Starlight and asked, “What do you think?  Drag them through the market square on the way back to the guildhall?”

“Wait!”  Flam craned his neck to look at Trixie.  “Surely we can still come to some sort of agreement!”

Trixie took a deep breath.  “Very well.  As part of your atonement for past misdeeds, you will take Starlight and I down the south side of the mountain to Featherfall.”  She lowered her head to look Flam in the eye.  “For free.”

There was an audible squawk from both Starlight and Flim.  “Trixie, you can’t seriously be thinking of letting them go!”

Trixie scoffed.  “Of course not – we’ll just turn them in once we get to Featherfall.  We are still on a schedule, after all.”

“Wait just one moment, filly.”  Flim enveloped his tie in his own green magic, which promptly slithered from around his hooves to its proper place around his neck.  He stood, a scowl on his face.  “What’s in it for my brother and I?  If we’re made either way, I’d just as soon do it here.”

“You’re bluffing,” Trixie said, though her glance to Starlight betrayed her unease.

Flam, too, untied himself and got to his feet.  “Indeed, brother.  No sense in doing our captors any favors.”

“As a matter of principle,” said Flim.

Trixie faltered, and the brothers adopted predatory grins.

Starlight saw where this was going.  “Trixie, it’s fine.  We can still take the northern road out of Griffonstone–”

Flam stepped between the mares and rounded on Trixie.  “Is it fine?  It’s two days at least to take the long way around the mountain to Featherfall.  After all, you are still on a schedule.”

Flim moved to tower over Trixie, further blocking Starlight’s line of sight.  “So here’s the deal: we, free of charge, transport you to the fair village of Featherfall, and you swear upon your honor that you won’t tell anypony who we really are.”

Starlight shoved Flim aside and looked Trixie square in the eyes.  “Trixie, don’t.  It’s not worth it.”

“It’s fine, Starlight.”  Trixie cleared her throat.  “I, Trixie Lulamoon, do solemnly swear–”

“Trixie Lulamoon?” Flim and Flam asked in unison.

Trixie backed a step.  “Um, yes?”

Flam tapped a hoof to his chin.  “Well, now that’s a pony of a different color.”

Flim began to circle Trixie.  “See, we’ve spent a fair amount of time in Featherfall.”

“Taking in the sights,” Flam said.

Flim circled a hoof in the air.  “Spending time around certain monuments.”

Starlight watched the color drain from Trixie’s face.  “What are you getting at?” Trixie asked.

“Not to say your word isn’t worth anything,” said Flim.

“But family ties can bind so much better than silly things like ‘honor,’” said Flam.

“And in that spirit, instead of your honor—” Flim leaned in close “—swear upon your grandfather’s grave.”

The hair on Trixie’s face was now almost as pale as her mane.  In an unsteady voice, she began again.  “I, Trixie Lulamoon, do swear upon m-my grandfather’s grave that I will not reveal the identities of Flim and Flam to any force that may seek to do them harm.”  Angry tears began to well up in her eyes as the brothers cackled to themselves.

“Climb aboard, fillies,” Flim called as he hopped into the driver’s seat.

“We’re losing daylight,” Flam added as he sat next to his brother.

Trixie levitated the carpet bag into the back seat, then turned to Starlight, and in a hollow voice, said, “Starlight, get in the carriage.”

Starlight had never seen Trixie in such a state before.  “Trixie–”

Trixie interrupted her, visibly trembling.  “Get.  In.  The carriage.”  A single tear traced its way down her cheek.  Trixie didn’t seem to notice.

Starlight stared at Trixie, then boarded the iron spider without another word.





The trip down the mountainside was, in a word, intolerable.

With every lurching step the mechanical spider nearly flung at least one of the passengers from the carriage.  It was all the four unicorns could do to hang on for dear life as they were jounced around, colliding with every solid surface as often as they banged into each other.  At times, it was difficult for Starlight to tell whether or not the Super Speedy Mountain Scaley 9000 was doing anything to slow their descent, or if they were simply crashing down the mountain.

From the looks on Flim and Flam’s faces, they couldn’t tell, either.

After three grueling hours the spider crested a small ridge, and the modest buildings of Featherfall came into view below.  Flim turned back to Starlight and Trixie.  “Not to worry, fillies, as–”

The mechanical spider planted three of its legs at the top of a scree and promptly went out from under it.  All further conversation was replaced by screams as the main body of their conveyance slammed into the ground and slid along.  They gathered speed as mechanical limbs pinwheeled away, and the carriage began to spin.  At the base of the scree the carriage rolled once and skidded to a stop some dozens of feet away from the foot of the mountain.

Starlight was the first to extricate herself from the wreckage.  “Is everypony okay?” she called.

Flim and Flam toppled out from the forward seat, now facing skyward.  They panted for breath, having poured most of their magic into the machine to try to hold it together, and made noncommittal noises regarding the state of their health.

Trixie calmly hopped down from the rear seat, unnervingly placid, carpet bag in tow.  “Come, Starlight.  Featherfall should be less than half a mile from here.”

Starlight felt about as bad as she had when she first woke up that day, but she forced her hooves to follow Trixie, promising herself that a feather bed would be worth a little more effort.

Flim waved a hoof as he called feebly, “Pleasure doing business with you!”

Flam, lying on his back, chest heaving, waved as well.  “Don’t tell your friends about us!”

Upon reaching the outskirts of Featherfall proper, Trixie made a beeline for a large tavern.  Starlight had to canter to keep up with her, and had to pause to catch her breath once they made it inside.

Trixie looked around the main common room, then marched over to a trio of ponies playing cards with a griffon.  She addressed a burly pegasus wearing a handlebar mustache on his muzzle and a silver star on his vest.  “Excuse me, sheriff?  I hate to interrupt, but I think there’s a pair of stallions in need of your assistance at the foot of the mountain, just to the west of here.”

Everyone looked up from their cards.  The sheriff acknowledged her with an “Oh?”

“Yeah, I think they’re high-ranking Artificers or something?  The lillies on their collars were made of gold, I know that much.”

The griffon, with a turquoise scarf pinned around her neck with a copper lily, narrowed her eyes.  “Gold?”

Trixie nodded.  “Definitely gold.  I think their spider contraption must have crashed – they look in pretty bad shape.”

“Spider?”  The short teal unicorn sitting at the table blinked, then turned to the griffon.  “I thought you said tests weren’t supposed to start until next week?”

“They’re not.”  The griffon folded her cards and stood.  “Sheriff, I think we need to check these two out.”

“I agree,” the sheriff said, and the three ponies stood as well.  He tipped his hat to Trixie.  “Much obliged, ma’am.”  With that, the quartet trotted out the door.

Starlight simply stared at Trixie.

Trixie turned to her.  “What?  Don’t look at me like that.”  She walked towards the bar.  “I never said who they actually were.”