Chapter 1: Lights in the Darkness
Rarity couldn't see a thing. She turned her head to look around, but all was pitch black. She could tell that the floor beneath her was earth, but she didn't dare move until she managed to get her bearings. The unicorn closed her eyes in concentration and her horn sparked and lit up, casting a soft glow a few feet all around her.
She opened her eyes and looked about, but it was still too dark to see anything off in the distance. All she could make out was herself and the dirt floor she stood on. Suddenly, she saw a light illuminate in the distance, then a ways off another, and another, and another, closer and closer until four lights upon the corner posts of a little wood bridge lit up just a few yards away from her.
Eyes awide, and seeing nothing else of obvious interest, she took her first steps toward it. Glancing about, she saw water gently rippling beneath the chestnut brown construct, and it seemed that the lights in the distance were mounted to the tips of buoys scattered across the horizon, reflecting serenely off the water. Having passed over to the other side of the bridge, Rarity paused for a moment, now feeling the distinct touch of grass beneath her hooves. She narrowed her eyes at a rather large, rigid silhouette in front of her. The unicorn took a step forward, only to flinch as the silhouette turned to stone fountain abruptly shining out, adorned with bright fairy lights. Lamp posts burst into radiant glow to reveal the park they lined, the fountain the centerpiece. It appeared that the bridge had led her to a small island surrounded by water.
Rarity let out a quiet gasp at the sight that lay before her, allowing her horn's light to dim and fade into nothing. She took a few hoofsteps forward and looked down at her reflection in the fountain. Her eyes widened. Her lavender mane was done up elegantly, with a long, loose curl hanging down along each side of her face. A silvery diamond tiara sat upon her head, adorned with several deep blue sapphires to match her eyes.
"A vision of loveliness," came a voice suddenly.
Rarity turned her head at the sound, seeing a figure beginning to emerge from the shadows into the light. The stallion stood a few inches taller than her, his coat a shiny silver, and his sleek, ebony mane tied back. He wore a blue dress-coat with gold edging and a gray sash. His eyes were a subtle gold, and the way he held himself appeared confident, but in an oddly quiet, unassuming sort of way. He also seemed to be quite young despite what his more mature demeanor might lead one to believe.
"W-Who...?" Rarity cleared her throat softly and began again. "Greetings, good sir. I am Rarity. It appears I've gotten a tad turned around. Is there any chance you could point me in the direction of Ponyville?"
His eyes widened in realization. "Good evening, Your Highness," he replied with a slight, unpretentious bow. "I am Eventide Swell, captain of the ship Mooncrest in the Equestrian Royal Fleet. You must forgive me, for I have served the princesses many years, but it appears I have yet to be informed of the newest addition to the royal elite."
"I... beg your pardon?" Rarity asked, a bewildered expression playing out on her features. "Oh!" She chuckled in realization. The stallion was obviously complimenting her further by pretending to mistake her for a princess. "Why, thank you, captain," she said coyly, playing along. "But I'm afraid you mustn't let the finery fool you. I assure you I am but a humble unicorn and a passionate designer of fashionable wear."
"Unicorn?" Eventide repeated incredulously, raising an eyebrow. "Your Highness, I do not mean to contradict. But surely you jest? Your Highness is clearly an alicorn!"
Rarity tittered. "Me? An alicorn? Come now, darling! I appreciate the flattery as much as any mare, but you needn't overdo it! And enough of this 'Your Highness' business. My name is Rarity — you should address me as such."
Eventide Surge's eyes were awide with shock. "But... Your Highness—"
"Rarity~," she corrected in a sing-song voice.
"Princess Rarity—"
She barely managed to stifle an irritated groan.
"Please, Your—" He had to swallow to stop himself from finishing the title. "As a captain in the Equestrian Fleet it would be improper for me to address a princess in such a—"
"I'm not a princess!" Rarity shouted, suddenly feeling a touch at her sides. She looked over her shoulder to see she had partly flared out a pair of white wings. She gasped deeply and her eyes bulged, her mouth dropping wide open. After a moment she closed her maw and cautiously reached a forehoof up around her shoulder, and then she quickly tapped a feathery wing several times in quick succession, pulling her hoof away quickly after. It seemed real. She did a few little turns like a puppy chasing its tail, trying to get a better look. After a few seconds she stopped and breathed heavily in place, her legs slightly splayed out as she panted. "I have... wings?!" she exclaimed.
"Your Highness is... surprised?" the captain asked her. She didn't need to answer after that display, it was just difficult for him to believe.
Eventide reached for a chalice on the edge of the fountain and filled it hurriedly. Approaching the hyperventilating alicorn, he held it out for her, and she took it into her magical grasp and greedily gulped down the full contents. She dropped the chalice and sat on her haunches.
"I'm an... alicorn?" she repeated.
Eventide began cautiously. "Since... Since you have just made this discovery, I suppose it would be alright for me to call you by name. I am only required to address coronated princesses, I believe. Rarity, was it?"
The white alicorn nodded.
"Rarity," he said with a small smile. "This is quite the honor, for a humble captain of the Navy to happen upon a new alicorn upon her first earning her wings. Might I ask, what grand feat did you accomplish to gain them?"
"I—" Rarity's mouth went dry despite the water she just drank. "I don't know!" she admitted. "I don't even know where I am! How did I get here? Where's—"
"Breathe, breathe, Your H—Rarity," he corrected himself. "It is an easy enough matter to set straight."
"What do you mean?!" she demanded, stomping a hoof and causing him to recoil slightly. "I'm an alicorn! This means a LOT of very BIG things, and I don't even know HOW I got here!"
"Calm now. Calm," he began gently. "Whenever somepony becomes an alicorn, it is through accomplishing a great feat. Perhaps your memory is a bit fuzzy at the moment due to the transformation, but one is unlikely to undertake something so great as to be worthy of alicorn-hood without impressing the event upon others quite strongly. In a short while your memory should return, or we will find somepony else who knows. All shall be answered in time. There is no need to panic."
"No need to!—" She took a deep breath to regain her composure. "Yes. Yes, there's no need to panic. I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this. Perfectly logical..." She manage to force her breaths to even out. "Captain Eventide," she began anew. "I require your assistance."
"But of course, Your Highness." He winced slightly, realizing too late he'd started using the title again.
"Ponyville," she told him. "I need you to show me the way there!"
"I can't," he replied simply.
"Why not?" she asked. "Do you not know the way to the palace where the Princess of Friendship resides?"
"I can navigate my way on the sea, Your Highness. But on land I am at a slight disadvantage, especially without the stars to light my way."
"Stars?" Rarity repeated.
"The constellations," he clarified. "I use them to ascertain which direction I should go." He pointed a hoof to the sky. "You see?"
Rarity looked up into the black abyss. Not a single star was visible, and yet strangely enough there were no clouds to be seen. It was all just utter darkness.
"Well that's strange," Rarity commented. She gasped. "What if something's happened?! The princesses! Oh no! We have to get to Canterlot! That's where my friends would be at a time like this!"
"Your h—"
"We must do something!"
"Your h—"
"Cease use of that title!" Rarity snapped.
"No, Rarity! Your horn!"
Rarity turned to look at her reflection in the fountain. Her horn had lit up with a myriad of colors. "Eventide!" she called out in a panic. "What's it doing?!"
"Calm yourself, Rarity," he told her. Perhaps her emotions were what was bringing this into effect.
"Would you please stop telling me to be calm?!" she cried.
Suddenly a beam of brilliant white light shot from her horn and into the sky, causing Rarity to yelp. The sky's stars slowly began to emerge, their gleaming forms appearing in full and suddenly the trail of light ceased its surge and diminished into nothing. Rarity fell back on her haunches, her horn smoldering with an audible sizzle.
Eventide helped her to her hooves. "Are you alright?" he asked her.
Rarity seemed dazed. "Uhh... What was that?" she asked, sounding bewildered and rather worn after the exertion.
"You," Eventide replied simply, pointing a hoof to the sky.
Rarity looked up with a gasp as she saw the shimmering canopy of twinkling stars were now perfectly visible, along with a luminous full moon. "Did... did I do that?"
"Indeed," he verified.
The alicorn touched a hoof to her horn in amazement, it was still warm.
"Well it appears I'll be able to navigate now," Eventide said with a smirk. He looked up and lifted a forehoof, tracing over the constellations as he tried to work out the direction they should go.
"Oh dear..." Rarity said suddenly. "I just realized. Even if we do find our way. How will we get off this island? At least, I think it's an island," she added that last bit hastily. "I crossed over a bridge to get here."
Eventide Swell smiled. "The bridge you crossed merely leads to another smaller, dirt island. I have a small boat, that's how I came to be here. Sometimes I just can't help but feel the need to get out on the open water for a while. It truly makes a seafarer's soul feel free."
"Oh?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "And just where is this vessel of yours?"
The stallion led her to a somewhat shadowy edge of the island where the lamp light didn't touch, and he reached down and parted some tall grass to reveal the small wooden boat. "Just large enough to hold the two of us!" he told her with satisfaction. He held a hoof out to assist her into the craft. "May I?" he asked, smiling.
Rarity smiled and took his hoof. "You may indeed."