Chapters Deception on the Darkest Night
It was a good twenty minutes before the first ponies went below the Darkest Night 's deck, the culprits being Greenback and Diamond Wishes, their whispers and giggles finally silencing as they went off to make the old stallion happy. The next pony to leave was Prince Blueblood, bored of the sight of Canterlot at sunset retreating below and having nothing to watch now that Wishes was gone. Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis left a short time later as Canterlot faded into the clouds and twilight faded into dusk.
Two ponies remained on the stern of the ship, however, watching the rolling clouds beneath them as the moon began to rise, its gentle glow turning the sky into a silver ocean through which they sailed. Only the constant chill of the high-altitude air and the occasional pegasus flying by to check the rigging on the balloon above broke the illusion for Ink Well and Rose, who kept each other company like they hadn't been able to do in so long.
Had either of them thought about it, they probably would have found it funny that the only two still out under the moon's glow were the ones who'd flown quite a bit before, one on his own wings and the other on a gossamer spell, but that was the last thing on their minds. Though neither had said it, they had both traveled back to that night when she had first flown, the night of their first date, the night they both knew had drawn them together. They relived it now, Rose's head on Ink Well's shoulder, his head resting on hers, his wing around her back as he pointed out the little moonbows where the eddies of the ship kicked up a bit of frost. They could have stayed like that forever, the world forgotten apart from the warmth of each other.
Unfortunately it was not to be, as their bubble was popped by the entrance of a white unicorn, the one Ink Well had guessed was the ship's steward. “Excuse me, Master Well, but dinner and this evening's entertainment are about to begin. We humbly ask that you join the others in the dining room.”
Both of them turned around when they were addressed, feeling the moment they were sharing fade and get left behind the airship. “Thank you, but please, don't give me any title or anything. Ink Well's fine, Mr...?”
The steward nodded. “My apologies, Ink Well. I will remember in the future. My name is Silver Bell, though you may refer to me as the Steward, if that is most convenient.” Silver Bell gestured off to the side. “If you would kindly follow me, I will show you to your table.” He set off before either Rose or Ink Well could say anything, but kept a pace they could easily follow as he strode across the dark wood deck and to the door to lower decks, holding it until both of them had entered.
The interior of the ship was surprisingly bright considering the night sky motif the exterior sported. The silver trimming and deep blue panels flowed in from outside, running along the lower half of the wall, while the upper took on a light cream paint, with clouds in the design. It made the hall feel surprisingly airy without being excessively decadent or stylized. Tasteful paintings hung along the walls, with silver sconces providing a gentle, even lighting throughout. It was all practical, yet with an air of sophistication and style only a princess’s ship could have.
As Ink Well and Rose admired the interior, Silver Bell continued to lead them down two flights of stairs, stopping at a set of double doors with crescent-moon windows through which the dimmed interior could be seen. “I am sorry, it appears that the show may have started without you, so I ask that your remain quiet as I take you to your chair.” He opened the doors quietly, something unnecessary as the drum roll playing inside drowned out all noise, running under a mare's voice just as she began talking.
“Feast your eyes on the most astounding, most sensational, most mystifying show you have ever seen. Prepare for feats no mortal could comprehend, that have even the unicorns at Canterlot University mesmerized.” Silver Bell led the couple to a table with Prince Blueblood, who completely ignored them coming, his eyes set on the swirling spotlights on the stage. “Watch and be amazed by the one, the only, the Great and Powerful Trixie!” There was a puff of swirling silver blue smoke, from which appeared a blue mare with a silver mane in a magician's hat and cape, purple with stars covering both, a large diamond holding the cape to her chest.
Rose smacked a hoof to her face, drawing a raised eyebrow from Ink Well. “Oh no... not her.”
Ink Well leaned in close, so as not to disturb the prince ogling the showmare. “Who is that?”
Rose looked at him curiously. “You weren't there for that? She came to Ponyville a few years ago boasting about how great at magic she was, then got the whole place destroyed by an Ursa Minor before she was scared away by Twilight Sparkle. She messed up my shop, was completely full of herself, and didn’t even pay for the damages. If I'd never seen her again it would have been too soon.”
Ink Well looked over at the stage, where Trixie was starting her act. “Now, for Trixie's first act, please observe this simple deck of cards.” With accompanying fireworks and music, Trixie's magic enveloped the cards, conveying them across the stage to show that, in fact, it was a standard deck of cards. Then, with a flourish, the cards began to act like a ribbon, racing around her and whipping through the air with more flair than a gymnast before condensing above her and exploding out, an even amount flying to all four tables. The cards landed perfectly on each, spelling out 'Trixie,' each one having turned into a queen, her face for the picture and her cutie mark for the suit.
Blueblood, Diamond Wishes, Greenback, Fleur, and Fancy Pants all began to applaud, the first three raucously, the last two politely, while the other five in the room remained silent in varying states of disbelief. Well, that wasn't entirely true: the male guard of the Gryphon ambassador looked eager to applaud, but his position held him back. Still, the rest looked unimpressed, a fact you'd hardly notice from the bowing being done on stage. “Thank you, thank you! Yes, Trixie is amazing, and the show has not even begun!” She began to set up her next trick, but Ink Well was zoned out, examining the card in front of him.
It was a fairly simple illusion holding the picture there and, ever since his run with The Doctor and the gift of a piece of psychic paper he'd received afterward, he'd found himself able to recognize illusions a lot faster. Probably some side effect of using the paper, he really didn’t know, but it definitely hurt the impact of the show. All of the light and smoke, all of the flash and glitz Trixie put into her act... it was all meaningless, not real magic, just a very good illusion... One rather full of itself, if the choice of image was any guess. And the way she kept announcing herself by name... Ink Well leaned in towards Rose, brushing the cards into a pile near Blueblood as he did. “I can see how she got on your nerves.”
Rose just nodded slowly, sighing and looking across the room. “At least I'm not the only one, though you'd hardly tell in this group.” Not a moment later Blueblood began whistling and cheering as Trixie detached herself from the chains holding her to the ceiling, the kitten strapped to the knife-filled wheel mewling cutely as it was taken offstage. Rose looked at the Prince with her nose wrinkled in disgust before adjusting her dress and leaning on the table. “I wonder what’s on the menu...”
As if he'd sensed her curiosity, Silver Bell appeared behind Ink Well and Rose, a menu floating between them with his magic. “Our choices this evening are a Caesar Salad served with your choice of dressing, a rose petal pesto with fresh cut basil and pine nuts, or a bouillabaisse with a fresh baked garlic bread bowl. Here is a wine list, a drink list, and I will return momentarily for your order.” He left, circling the room and giving the others his prepared routine as the show continued, making sure to ask them in lulls in the activity.
By the time he returned to Rose and Ink Well they had decided on getting the pesto and the bouillabaisse respectively, as well as the suggested wines. Neither of them were known for drinking, but with dinner, especially in a setting like this, it really wasn't a question. The show continued on, the couple taking a passing interest in it, but more often looking around the room than at the magician on stage.
Fancy Pants and Fleur had ended up sharing a table with Greenback and Diamond, and while all of them kept their attention on the show, Fleur and her husband seemed only to be doing so politely because this was a social occasion and it was the thing to do. This didn't stop the other two from pointing out things between kisses they thought they were stealing sneakily, but at least it kept the whole table occupied.
Blueblood, realizing that his table didn't seem to be appreciating the show, at least kept his cheering and leering to ponies other than Rose. He whistled at Trixie, and Diamond Wishes, at an engineer that had hurried through the back of the room, at the gryphoness guard again, and almost had done so at the Steward before realizing the pony holding the drinks was the wrong gender for his attention. It was so loud and so obnoxious that, completely unconsciously on the part of Ink Well and Rose, their wine glasses had been refilled twice before the bread rolls had even come out.
The final table, which was quite large and richly decorated, held the ambassador and his two guards. This was obviously supposed to be the Princess's table, but since she was unable to come, the gryphons had free reign. The ambassador watched the show with interest, not loud like the others, but studying, analyzing, while the guards didn't seem particularly impressed with the flashy magic. That wasn't to say Trixie wasn't putting on a fantastic show, just that they were so intent on looking tough that nothing was going to rouse much from them.
Rose's cheeks were flushed the same color as her mane by the time dinner came out, causing her to sit quietly, smile, and stare intently as she tried to work a fork designed for a unicorn with her hooves. Ink Well, unable to contain his giggling at Blueblood's catcalls and slowly egging the prince on, took a wavy look at the stew in front of him before coming to the conclusion that he should eat it. It was superb, precisely what would be expected from a royal chef, even to the point that he almost forgot the fish inherent in the dish. Still, it was delicious and didn't seem to disagree with him, even if he had been the only pony in the room to order it.
Not the only person, mind. A quick glance over at the gryphon's table showed that they had all ordered the bouillabaisse as well, savoring it like a fine wine. Well, the ambassador was. The guards were eating it and trying not to look impressed.
Trixie's show began to run a little flat as the Steward came around to offer desert, but with one final trick and a blast of fireworks she was gone, pulling one final round of applause from the room. Many sad to see her go and some sad she hadn't left sooner.
Dessert held a Gryphon rum cake for Rose and Ink Well, again something that seemed to be avoided by the ponies in the room, but not the gryphons. Ink Well, in his wine-fogged head, felt like he should feel proud or something, but he mostly felt that the cake was a lot tastier than he expected.
As the desserts began to dwindle from everypony's plate, Ink Well looked over at Rose, who was currently sipping her drink quietly, her cheeks maintaining their glowing, rosy hue. It was really adorable. Unable to help himself, he leaned over, kissing Rose gently on the cheek. “Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet tonight.” He giggled to himself as he went back to sitting up straight, overshooting it on his first try.
Rose swayed after trying to lean into the kiss, her drink returning to the table as her mind simply couldn't do two things at once. “I'm fine. I just haven't had this much fun in a long while.” She hiccupped, then giggled, looking at her husband shyly, a slightly wicked grin on her face. “Who knew bad table mates made good entertainment?”
In unison both of them looked over at the third member of the table, whose attentions were solely drawn to the gryphoness guard, his other attempts for the night going unnoticed once Fleur had shifted her seat to look away from him and Diamond Wishes had fallen into nigh-endless giggling at the constant whispers from Greenback. As Ink Well watched, he got an extremely mean idea in his head, which caused him to lean forward, patting the prince conspiratorially on the back. “Hey, colt, I think she likes you.”
The prince responded absentmindedly, not noticing either the slightly fuzzy speech pattern or the mocking tone of voice. “Do you really think so? She had seemed so gruff, but there is something undeniably exotic about her.”
Ink Well blew air dismissively through his lips. “Nah, she's just a guard. She's supposed to look mean. She's really into you.”
Prince Blueblood looked at him and Rose, obviously excited by the prospect, but still a little wary. “Are you sure?”
“Go for it! Now's your big chance,” Ink Well said encouragingly while Rose, completely in on the act, nodded and waved a hoof for him to hurry up.
Prince Blueblood looked at the rosy cheeked couple and nodded, looking extremely confident suddenly. “Of course! Who could ever say no to a prince?” He got up from the table, causing Ink Well and Rose to high-hoof and do their very best to hold in their laughter. A moment later the Prince could be heard at the other table. “Hello fair maiden, what brings you upon this fine vessel?”
The gryphoness's voice was tough and low, no nonsense and completely insulted it was being talked to. “What do you think ?”
Ink Well peeked over, having to try very hard to stop his wings from springing out in excitement as he saw the prince sit down next to the gryphoness guard, pulling chuckles from the other guard and another analyzing look from the ambassador. Without a hint of backing down Prince Blueblood kept talking, his voice dripping with sleaze. “Well, I'm sure your employer wouldn't mind allowing a night off. Have you ever slept in a royal bed? It's an experience you'll never forget.”
The resulting tension could be cut with a knife, and only the giggling from Ink Well and Rose brought any levity to the room as all eyes fell on the gryphoness.
Her hackles raised and a sound somewhere between a roar and a screech built up in the back of her throat as she spread her wings, showing the blades there and shooting even sharper daggers with her eyes. “You royal dweeb, what did you just say to me?” She started to stand, looking for all the world like she was about to descend violently on the Prince, whose pupils shrank as he began to shiver and cower before the predatory rage before him.
However, before anything could happen, a cough sounded at the front of the room, amplified by the microphone on the stage. “Excuse me everyone,” the Steward said, his voice completely calm despite the bloodbath that was about to begin. “We regret to inform you that, for your safety and for a few final checks on the workings of the ship, we are going to have to ask you all to go to your cabins for the evening. Starting tomorrow you shall have free roam of the passenger sections of the Darkest Night at all hours, but until then if you could each go to your own rooms, it would be greatly appreciated. If you do not know where they are, please follow me.”
As Silver Bell stepped off of the stage, the gryphoness's attention returned to the Prince, the fire returning to her eyes as she brought up a claw to strike him. Before she could, however, the ambassador's claw rested on her shoulder, a few words being spoken in his native tongue. After a tense second, the guard backed down, folding her wings and returning her claw to the floor as the party made their way after the Steward. Before she left, though, she growled at Prince Blueblood, an undeniable threat behind the noise.
Prince Blueblood stood there, frozen, as the others passed by him, Rose and Ink Well still giggling to each other despite the dangerous situation, a little too far gone to care what happened to the annoying sovereign. Eventually he was able to steady himself, following the others as everyone made their way up a level to the cabins.
From the stairs a single hall extended, four doors on either side, one at the far end, and one directly behind. The steward guided each of the groups into their cabin as they came; Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis in the close right, Blueblood in the far right, the gryphons in the close left, Greenback and Diamond Wishes in the far left, and, since the large room they were near was reserved for the Princess herself, Rose and Ink Well held the room at the end of the hall. Everyone thanked the steward as he led them to their rooms, though he left before witnessing Ink Well and Rose lean on each other and stumble down the hall to the door at the end.
Their cabin was fancy, Ink Well was sure, but the first thing that he noticed was that he was incredibly hot, so as soon as he got the door closed behind him he peeled off his tuxedo coat, with much fumbling around the buttons with his wings. By the time he got it and the shirt beneath it off, he turned to find Rose in a similar state, her beautiful ivy dress pooled around her hooves as she unlaced the ribbons on her shoes and stepped onto the carpeting. Her cheeks were a little red, almost matching the lighter pink in her mane, but it looked like a well-applied blush on her, making Ink Well smile just at the sight.
Unfortunately, Rose didn't seem to share the sentiment as she walked across the room. “It's very hot in here, isn't it?” she mumbled as she threw open the doors to what seemed to be a balcony and was silenced by the rush of chill air. Ink Well followed after her, the cool rush of air just enough to stop his stumbling as he made his way to her side, brushing up against her as he did. When she didn't react, he looked out at the sight, and suddenly he understood why.
The two of them stood on a small balcony beneath the bow of the airship, built so exquisitely that it wasn't even visible when he'd looked at it at the dock. But now, under the front of the hull as it soared through the clouds, he couldn't be happier it existed.
Beneath them, sprawling out like a fluorescent spider web, with lights stabbing into the air in every color, was a city he instantly recognized. He had flown there many times a few years ago, sometimes during the day, sometimes in the stunning night, and it had always been alive and always been beautiful. It was Manehattan, the city that never slept, the Big Apple itself, shining like a beacon when seen from the ground, but from the air it was a light show that outdid any firework, with an intricacy in the glittering lights of all those ponies below that put snowflakes to shame.
Ink Well felt a shiver from Rose, the nighttime air freezing so high up, and extended a wing subconsciously over her, pulling her into a hug as they both looked down at the sight. It was the one thing he'd wished he'd been able to show her between the rehearsals and the mess with the Doctor. The one sight that could rival that moonlit night over Ponyville. “I always wanted to show you this, but I never got around to it...”
Rose leaned against him, her warm cheek pressed against his chest. “It's beautiful... And to think we almost missed it.”
Ink Well smirked, kissing his wife tenderly on the top of her head. “Manehattan has a lot of charm, the lights glitter quite well, but there is but one beauty here, and I'm under her spell.” It took only a moment for Rose's head to look up at him, a matching smirk on her face. He shurgged, looking at her innocently. “I only do the couplets because you like them, and I only said it because it's true.”
Rose shook her head knowingly, then leaned forward, letting their lips touch as she showed her appreciation. After much too short a time for both of them she pulled back, her ivy eyes locked on his emerald ones. “I'll admit, I do love it. But that doesn't make it any less cheesy.” She nuzzled against him as she returned to looking at the lights below, settling comfortably in his embrace.
Ink Well's wing began to rub her back as he did his best not to disturb her. “Cheesy or not, you deserve no less. You don't get nearly enough credit for what you do and not enough time to relax as you should.” He looked at her again, her face caught in both the silver glow of the moon and the warm light of Manehattan, and yet neither warmed it as much as herself. She wasn't a model like Fleur, or primped and preened like Diamond Wishes, but, as he caught a glimpse of the ink pot earring she wore, matching both his cutiemark and the earring he had of hers, he knew she would always be the most beautiful mare in his life. Because she was his and he was hers.
Smiling a little deeper at that thought, he realized she'd caught him staring, and he just spoke what was on his mind. “You looked ravishing tonight, Rosy. Even better than you did at the opening.” Rose opened her mouth to speak, about to brush aside his compliment, but he didn't let her, meeting the words at her lips and silencing them with another kiss, deep and caring. And when he was sure she got the message that he wouldn't let her put herself down again, he pulled away, placing his forehead against hers. “I love you Rose. I always will.”
Rose snuggled against him, throwing her hooves around his neck in a hug. “I love you too, Inky.” However, as she came back, her eyes were half-lidded, looking at him invitingly... hungrily. “Hmm... you said I look ravishing this evening?”
“Yeah...” Ink Well said weakly, his slightly fuzzy mind very much appreciating where this was going as he kicked the doors outside shut behind him.
Rose continued to lead him back towards the bed, stopping when her rear hoof bumped against it and she sat on its edge. “Well, Mr. Writer, I don't think your description was enough. You told me about a lovely little picture...” Her hooves tightened around his neck, her warm, wine-scented breath washing over him as she whispered in his ear. “Now make me feel it.”
Ink Well's eyes widened, only opening further when she pulled him forward onto the bed, the chill, the glow of Manehattan, and the silvery moon outside were all forgotten, as was the stifling heat inside the room. After all, he thought to himself as the airship continued on its way, he'd promised her a relaxing vacation. And he never breaks his promises.
Bright sunlight speared into the bedroom the next morning, rousing the sleeping lovers from their bed and bringing pained moans from both of them. A pair of matching headaches had them both squinting at the light, Rose the one to actually get up and close the curtains while Ink Well just shielded his eyes with a wing and held his head with his hoof. “Remind me not to drink like that again, could you? No matter how nice the night was, the morning's not to be trifled with.”
Rose opened the balcony door to let some of the heat and smell from the room, but as the memory of last night hit her, she turned around, smiling sheepishly, a blush on her cheeks. “You don't think anypony else... minded, do you?”
Ink Well looked at her for a moment, his throbbing head taking a moment to realize what the question was. “What? No. Are you kidding? With the way Wishes had her tongue down Greenback's throat as they went into their room, I suspect we weren't even the only ones.”
Rose didn't seem as calmed by his explanation as he'd hoped she'd be. “But it's the Princess's private yacht! What if she finds out? And it's supposed to be a diplomatic voyage! If the others heard us...”
Ink Well got up, walking over to Rose and wrapping her in a comforting hug. “Rose, this is a pleasure cruise and a vacation, remember that. You're here to relax and enjoy yourself, and that's all that you did. If anything, the damage was done when we egged the prince into hitting on that gryphoness.”
“Oh, don't remind me,” groaned Rose, though an unmistakable smile began to form on her face. “Watching that pompous ass get shot down was entirely worth it.”
“Agreed. And since the Princess did ask me to play diplomat for a little while, I'll try to smooth things over with them tonight.” He hugged her again. “But don't worry about a thing, alright? We're just going to enjoy the trip like everypony else.” When he was done, he got up, moving across the dark blue carpeting to the closet that contained their trunk. “Now come on, there's probably breakfast already waiting.” He turned around, donning his battered brown fedora as he did.
Rose rolled her eyes as she walked towards the trunk, her dress and his coat from the previous evening both hung over her foreleg. “You're going to go out in that thing? Really?” She hung up both pieces of clothing in the closet before reaching into the trunk herself, looking for something.
Ink Well stood behind her, looking slightly annoyed. “Yes, I am. Fedoras are cool, and after the first night it's not about looking good, even though I do look good in this hat, it's about being comfortable, right? That's why we only brought the one fancy outfit for a four day cruise.”
A sigh escaped the trunk as Rose pulled her head out, running a brush through her mane and tail. “Yes, we're supposed to be comfortable, but we can still look presentable. That old hat's seen better days.” With her hair brushed back to perfection, she dropped the brush back into the trunk and continued looking for whatever she'd been searching for initially.
While she busied herself in the trunk, Ink Well took off his hat, frowning as he examined it. Sure, it looked a little beat up, but it wasn't actually shabby or torn. And considering it was in his bag when the Weather Factory collapsed, meaning it was buried under Luna-know's how much rubble after falling a few thousand feet to the ground, he thought it looked just fine. In fact, arguably, he looked worse than the hat did. Between the discoloration around his hooves from the fire during the Equirer incident, the scar in his side from his encounter with Viper, and the large scar in his chest from his time with the Doctor, he figured the hat looked far better than he did. “I'm a little worse for wear myself. You don't ask me to cover that up.”
There was a pause in the rummaging through the trunk, then Rose pulled herself out of it, looking at him sadly, but with a small smile on her face. “Because I love you exactly as you are, scars and all.” As she spoke, she placed a flower behind her ear: the crystal rose, the only one of its kind, brought from the future and used to propose to her. Even with the curtains drawn, the crystal caught the light in the room, the inside of the clear petals full of dancing rainbows.
The sight of his gift to her being worn made Ink Well smile. Then, after a moment of consideration, he took the hat off of his head and offered it to her. “If you've got a better idea, I guess I'll defer to your judgment.”
Rose took the hat hesitantly, hearing the disappointment in his voice despite his smile. And what a smile it was... one that had brought her through many years of hardships big and small, and none of them as bad as his. She didn't have a scar on her body and worried even now that he'd have less on his if she'd been there just a little more. She thought for a moment, peeking into the trunk at the top hat she'd stashed to the side from his other outfit. He'd look so good in it...
In one smooth motion she placed the fedora back on his head, tapping it lightly to set it in place. Then, after looking at him for a moment, she smiled. “Nope, I think you're right. You look great in that hat, and the others will just have to appreciate that.” Seeing his face light up wiped away any doubt she had in her decision as she closed the trunk and walked to his side. “Ready to go?”
“After you, dear.” Ink Well held open the door, letting Rose walk out into the hall and start the social part of their day.
Breakfast was a much less formal affair than dinner, with a buffet table set up for whenever the guests awoke. The setup was still fancy, almost all of it food of a higher quality than Rose or Ink Well had ever really had, but without the show or the set tables, the whole affair was much lower key.
The couple decided to sit with Fleur and Fancy Pants, watching the other guests trickle in slowly and maintaining a pleasant, if subdued, conversation. However, as Greenback and his wife walked into the room, Fancy's tone got a touch quieter. “I say, did you hear the racket those two were making last night? One could hardly imagine them willing to be that uncouth on a voyage sponsored by our lesser princess.”
While Ink Well's face scrunched up in annoyance at the sentiment Fancy showed to their host, Rose's face was carefully flat, a slight hint of red at her cheeks. “You don't say...” she said, seemingly dead focused on the grapefruit crepe before her.
“Oh, my, yes. The young mare was quite vocal, even down the hall.” Fancy Pants took out his monocle, cleaning it off with a soft cloth held in his magic while Fleur simply nodded in disappointed agreement. “One could hardly imagine a pony being so rude, and on the first night no less. Calling out. moaning, demanding to be ravished and simply... are you alright?” Fancy replaced his monocle as Rose and Ink Well coughed in unison, the first wiping her eye with her napkin while the second placed down his glass of juice, holding a wing to his mouth to keep it in. Both also seemed to be avoiding eye contact with each other. “Will you be alright? Should I get the Steward?”
Ink Well was the first to recover, the pink on his cheeks fading away as he put his wing down. “No need, we are just fine. I just don't recall hearing anything of the sort last night, though I suppose we were rather tired, weren't we Rosy?” Rose nodded, still looking away from the table as she wiped her face. Fleur looked at her with a raised eyebrow, while Fancy gave a slight smirk. Covering for her, Ink Well leaned in, his voice low. “Let's be honest, you'd be a bit tired too if you'd been forced to share a table with the Prince.”
Fancy sat up slightly straighter, his smirk becoming his pleasant, if slightly condescending, smile. “Ah, yes, quite the young lad, Blueblood. He looked rather crestfallen when I saw him earlier. I think he overheard the banker and was rather jealous.” He looked across the room, where the unicorn in question was sitting forlornly at his table, a very fancy crescent roll in front of him. “It's hard for one to be disappointed at the immortality of our rulers with heirs of his caliber out and about.”
Fleur's slightly confused look shifted from Rose to Fancy Pants, her face showing a tinge of anger she wasn't going to let out at the table. Ink Well watched, not particularly wanting to respond to that comment as he looked over at Blueblood. However, by the time he looked, the Prince was much happier, his face positively perky as he looked across the room. Ink Well followed his eyes to the object of his attention: a pegasus mare walking through the back of the hall, the staff uniform on. Ink Well recognized her as the one who almost ran into him at the hangar, and was unsurprised to see her shuffled off by the Steward as he watched.
He was also, to his own chagrin, unsurprised to watch Prince Blueblood quickly finish his food and head off after her. Even Princess Luna is ashamed of him... I think we can go past pleasantries here. Gossip is practically an upper-class pastime. “Yes, well, somepony has to continue on the royal bloodline, right? Though if he could do it a bit less avidly...” By this point Rose had recovered, and with how little Ink Well wished to badmouth the rich and powerful, the topic was soon changed and the food finished pleasantly.
After breakfast Ink Well and Rose went up to the deck of the ship, wondering what exactly there was to do. As it turned out, not much. The deck had shuffleboard, which looked to be about as boring a game as Ink Well had ever seen, if the expressions of those playing could be used to judge. Or, rather, the fact that Wishes and Greenback were paying absolutely no attention to the board, much more content to whisper sweet nothings to each other, to the everlasting annoyance of Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants, who were making a much better showing. Apart from that, inside the ship, there was a study with a substantial library, a chess set, and a full bar in the corner.
And that was it, a veritable wasteland of things to do. And, since neither Rose nor Ink Well were drinkers, the two of them sat at the chess table, idly moving pieces as they thought about their situation. “So, how is it that ponies stand cruises?” Ink Well asked as he took a pawn with his knight. He was playing black. It was polite to let the lady go first.
Rose moved her queen, removing Ink Well's poorly protected knight from the board. “I don't know... I thought there would be more to do, or more to talk about, but Fancy Pants and Fleur are the only two ponies I'd like to actually be associated with, no matter how powerful the others are, and... well, Fancy Pants was a bit rude earlier, wasn't he?”
Ink Well snorted, moving a pawn forward. “'Our lesser princess'... It's statements like that that are why Luna held this voyage, and she was called away from it by her sister. If I were still writing articles the culture of our higher class would be all over the place by now.” He leaned back in his chair, adjusting his hat. “I'm glad we kept him up last night...”
Rose coughed politely as she moved her knight, taking the offered pawn. “Check. And, please, if we could not mention that to anypony...” She placed an elbow on the table, leaning her cheek on a hoof as she played with the dead pieces with her other hoof. “Still, without the Princess here it's just a very long time locked in an enclosed space with ponies we don't like. Though I suppose avoiding them could make for an interesting sport.”
Ink Well took the knight with a bishop, frowning. “I hate the rich. Canterlot snobs can be even worse than the worst thieves and killers anywhere else. There's a reason the city has the reputation it does. I mean, really, look at all the pale unicorns flouncing about in the lap of luxury while everypony else toils away… They even had a magic show for their entertainment. Avoiding them might be for the best, really.”
Rose replaced the bishop with another knight. “Check. But you can't think like that, Ink Well. That's very unpolitical talk, and weren't you the one our Princess called on to play diplomat in her absence? You were probably invited to be a friend, but instead you get to be her confidant. You should be proud, even if the work is a little difficult.”
Ink Well's king moved, hiding behind a pawn and locked firmly into its castle. “I suppose you're right, but they're all so unpleasant. If one of them had Rarity's class, then they might be worth the time, but the only pony close is Fleur. And I would talk to the gryphons, but they've been aloof the whole time. Have you seen any of them today? Maybe I'll get lucky and be bailed out this evening when Luna gets back from her trip.”
Rose shook her head. “I wouldn't count on it, Inky. And unpleasant or not, you're going to have to deal with them. Just try to make nice. Engage the gryphons. Convince the others to give Princess Luna the chance she deserves. I'll do my best to help you out, but ultimately the job falls to you.” After looking at the board intently, she picked up her queen, taking the pawn sitting in front of the king. “Checkmate.”
Ink Well looked at the board for a few moments, seeing all of his missteps along the way, and just shrugged. “I'll do my best, but I think you've already proven you're better at this sort of thing than I am. And you've just proven that you're more clever.”
Rose smiled playfully. “Well, we always knew that, didn't we, dear?” When she saw the annoyed look on his face she rolled her eyes. “Oh, lighten up. You never give yourself enough credit, and this is no exception. Just give it a shot.” She smiled at him again as he sat there, fore hooves folded over his scarred chest and battered hat sitting on his head. And yet, despite that, she'd never think of him as anything but handsome... it was almost strange how that worked. “Take it from me. You've got charm, a certain charisma most ponies would envy. All you have to do is use it.” As she talked, she placed the pieces back in starting position on the board, gesturing to them once they were set. “Another game?”
Ink Well shook his head. “No. I'm good. I can only lose so much.” He sighed, then stood up from the chair, walking over to Rose's side and giving her a peck on the cheek. “I'll find you a little later. I have some gryphons to chat with.”
Rose smiled, waving him off as he left. “Good luck!” With that she got up herself, moving to the library to find a good way to pass the time. After a very short search, a book caught her eye. Of Wings and Horn was pulled from the shelf, a small smile on her face as she settled into a comfortable chair to reread her past.
Despite Ink Well's best efforts, the gryphon ambassador and his guard remained an elusive bunch throughout the day, which was quite the accomplishment considering the size of the Darkest Night . While impressive, it was by no means large. There were cruise ships, both sea and air, much bigger than this yacht. Since he couldn't seem to find the gryphons, he instead spent his time admiring the ship.
It really was amazing how a few tons of wood and rope could be lifted by just the balloon above them. Sure, it was massive, but sitting beneath it and considering the ship, the white orb hanging above it seemed so very, very small. Slightly curious about the balloon's design, he flew up to it, only to hear a voice call out to him as he reached towards it with a hoof. “Don't touch the canvas!” He stopped his hoof immediately, looking for the source of the voice on the deck below, only to hear it continue from a little to his side. “It's very fragile with all the tension on it, and any roughness on your hoof might cause a small leak. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but it could eventually become a problem.”
A sky blue pegasus mare floated beside him, yellow mane tucked under the dull grey uniform of the engineers. She had a few items attached to her belt, but her yellow eyes were running over the canvas, making sure he hadn't damaged anything. After a moment, Ink Well realized that he knew this mare: she'd almost run into him in the hangar, and the Prince had followed her around earlier that day. After a moment, he extended a friendly hoof. “Sorry about the scare, didn't mean to worry you, just wondering about the ship. The name's Ink Well, and you are?”
The mare began to offer her hoof, then stopped, looking at Ink Well suspiciously. “Silver Bell told me not to introduce myself to the guests, and he's already yelled at me twice for being in their way...”
Ink Well's smile faded slightly. “Well, I was asking for your name to be friendly, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't lump me in with the the others. I am but a humble writer. I'm just interested in how the ship works and hoping Blueblood didn't try anything too bad with you.”
The look of annoyance on her face said it all. “He was on me like a dog! I had to loop around through the staff-only maintenance tunnels just to get away from him, though I contemplated hopping out a window before then.” She took a rag off of her belt, wiping it on what looked to be an oil bottle before spreading the liquid onto the ropes that held the balloon in place. “He kept talking about how amazing he was, obviously aimed at me, but acting like he was having a conversation with the air, then waiting around for a complement. I... I don't know how a stallion can be like that.” Satisfied with her work, she moved to the next rope and repeated the process. “And I have no idea how he's prince.”
Ink Well followed her as she applied lubrication to the lines, not sure of it's purpose, but glad to see the machine he was riding was so well tended. “Yeah, well, I had to sit with him at dinner last night. It was the first night I've gotten drunk in years. He hollered at the magic show, and Trixie herself, like somepony much 'beneath his station.' Really, I don't think princes are at all like you read in books.”
The engineer sighed, finishing up her oiling of the rigging. “Shame. Still, now that I know how he is, I can avoid him in the future. And thanks for the talk. I don't usually get to chat while working. Ink Well, right?”
“Yes, a pleasure, Ms...?” Ink Well extended a hoof again.
Taking the hoof and shaking it, she smiled at him. “Morning Dew. Now, since I know some of the others might have a heart attack if they see you up here, you should probably go back onto the deck. Nice meeting you!” She flew off and down the exterior of the ship, off to check some other part for maintenance, presumably.
“You too!” Ink Well called after her before making his way back to the deck. Not particularly wanting to talk to the ponies there, he went back into the library, waiting for a more opportune time to actually start his diplomatic role.
Ink Well's chance came that evening as dinner was called, Rose and him showing up in their formal attire once more, though today he wore the top hat too. As they scanned the room, both couldn't help but notice that everypony had changed into new outfits, leaving the two of them to feel slightly silly in their one nice one. Still, with the lights dimmed and another performance from Trixie on the docket for this evening, they hoped nopony would notice.
As the Steward started to show them to their seats, once more with Blueblood, Ink Well decided to take a more direct approach. The gryphons he was supposed to be talking to had not shown up once on or below deck, leaving Ink Well to assume they'd stayed in their room. Now that they were out and about he wasn't going to let them continue to nest away from everyone else, stealthily slipping from the Steward and making his way over to the table. As he approached, he saw the ambassador appraising him, a subtle motion with his claw standing down the guards. “Good evening,” Ink Well said. “Would you mind if my wife and I join you for dinner tonight?”
The ambassador's beak spread into a friendly smile. “Not at all. If you don't mind the company of my guard, I would not mind yours in the least.” He offered them seats with a sweep of his claw, which the couple graciously took.
Ink Well offered his hoof politely to shake. “Thank you very kindly. My name is Ink Well, and this is my wife, Rose.”
Ink Well felt the claw close around his hoof, and just for a moment a memory much deeper than his own appeared. Instinct of a time when a claw like that was death took hold, spiking his adrenaline and calling for him to pull his hoof away, but he fought it back, looking into the predator's face as his hoof was gently shaken. “A pleasure to meet you both. I am Silverbeak Earhart, ambassador for the Gryphon Kingdom. These are my guards, Gilda and Steelwing.” Ink Well nodded politely to the guards, who each nodded back, knowing as well as he that this was no time to be rude.
There was a silent gasp as Rose saw the gryphoness guarding the ambassador, only recognizing the pink feathers that ringed the eyes of the gryphon that had caused trouble in Ponyville when her name was mentioned. Granted, it hadn't been much trouble to Rose herself, but she'd bumped the perfume stand, broke two bottles, and left without paying. Still, this was hardly the time to bring up old grudges, so Rose backed down, though Ink Well could feel the tension in her system.
The tension only grew as the ambassador leaned forward, sighing and talking rather candidly. “Did you know that the custom in gryphon lands for ambassadors is for the host country's members to introduce themselves first? I seem to recall this being the case in Equestria as well, but the only ones who seem to have remembered this custom are you and your Princess of the Night.” The way he looked at the two of them was intelligent and dangerous, analyzing them both for much more than just what they wore. Within the silver mask of feathers lay the eyes of a predator, which had an unsettling effect on its prey.
Ink Well immediately noticed how loaded the statement was, realizing about a million ways to disarm it and a million more to avoid it. But just because he saw them didn't mean he liked them. Ever since he'd stopped working for the Equirer he'd had a personal rule of truth in all things, and this was no exception. “You cast an imposing visage on the other guests, Ambassador, and have not been completely social yourself. And, if you will allow me to say so, even the most open minded of Canterlot's elite is well known for sticking with their own. Princess Luna, on the other hoof, has had much interaction with your country after the incident and is much more aware of your customs.”
The ambassador nodded, his eyes momentarily going to the stage as Trixie began her. They soon returned to Ink Well. “Ah, yes, the ‘incident.’ Quite a lot of ugly business there. A lot of ponies wish to move on, and there is even talk of building a new Weather Factory. Some might interpret this worse than others.”
Ink Well kept his face calm, knowing he was representing not just himself, but Luna as well. He was only glad he'd kept up on current events in his retirement from journalism. “The new factory has received funding after a young colt brought some very interesting ideas to the right ponies. Of course, due to the stigma of the old factory, it shall be under close supervision and public checks, as per Princess Luna's orders. When the story of the atrocities within the Weather Factory went public, it did so in a way that could not be forgotten, and neither princess wishes to repeat the past.” He leveled himself coolly, meeting Silverbeak's gaze straight on. “Of course, it will take international communication to make sure history isn't cyclic.”
Silverbeak nodded appreciatively. “Of course. To know the past, to some, is to know the future, but to those with the greatest aspirations, the past only foretells the present, leaving the future to be written.” He stopped speaking as the Steward arrived with a menu, quickly ordering for himself and his guard. Ink Well and Rose took a little longer to decide, but they ended up ordering the same.
As the Steward left to place their orders, Ink Well smirked, looking over at the gryphon. “Ah, to be forward thinking…” He waited a moment, realizing all sorts of possibilities he’d already messed up. Oh well. It was time to go for broke. “I’m really not a diplomat, but I did have something of a more serious nature to talk to you about, if you have a moment.”
Silverbeak’s amused smile faded, his face suddenly very serious. “Of course you are not a diplomat. You spent all of the last dinner getting hammered and part of the night getting nailed.” Both guards sniggered as Rose choked on her water at the blunt words, eyes bulging out in realization that they were caught. Ignoring her, the ambassador kept speaking. “Really, all we need is a Ruler and a tray of screwdrivers and the whole toolbox would be on display.”
Ink Well, who had been patting his wife on the back to help her recover, started to defend himself, but a chuckling Silverbeak held up a claw, signalling he had more to say. “However, knowing who you are and what you have done for my people and my country, a bit of lost sleep is a small price to pay to know you are happy. And you weren’t the only couple indulging. For all her flash, she is surprisingly quiet…” He let a furtive glance slip towards Diamond Wishes, then let his gaze fall on Ink Well once more, his smile returning, but not so aloof.
“You are Ink Well, a savior among the gryphons you saved from the factory and well respected in our lands, but do not try to be a diplomat. It does not suit you. What was your real reason for sitting here? You wish to speak on Princess Luna’s behalf, correct?”
He’d been read like a book, and that threw Ink Well off, considering he was normally on Silverbeak’s side of the situation, but he wouldn’t let it stop him from completing his goal. With little hesitance, he started to make his case. “The Princess asked me to make sure you stay around after the cruise so that she may talk to you. Knowing her, it is completely against her wishes that she was taken from the trip, and, especially after the factory, she has strived to make ties with the Gryphon Kingdom to ensure that something like that doesn’t happen again.”
His speech on her behalf done, he let his posture slip a little, getting more comfortable to speak for himself. “On top of that, she is a strong, caring friend and, I believe, could be an amazing and influential leader if given the opportunity. The problem right now is that everypony in Equestria still views her as Nightmare Moon trying to usurp the throne, and not as a diarch of the land with equal power to her sister. With your support backing her and your testimony of how she personally ran everything after the fall of the Weather Factory, it would be a wonderful boost.”
He held up his hoof, much like the gryphon had moments before, making sure his next point would be heard. “I don’t ask you to do so on faith alone, or even to take my word for it. Talk to her when this trip is done, get to know her yourself, and determine if it’s best for your country to back her or not. I am but the messenger, it is ultimately on her merits that the deal is actually made.”
Ink Well sat calmly after that, though internally his heart was pounding at the thought that he might have said something wrong or offensive to the ambassador and hurt Luna’s chances. Ink Well glanced over at Rose, who squeezed his hoof for support, in a similar worried state as him. After what seemed like an eternity waiting for the response, Silverbeak smiled, drawing a relieved sigh from both ponies at the table. “A fine messenger she has chosen, and that speaks wonders to her character. I shall do as you ask, Ink Well, and speak with her when this is all over. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, of course.”
“Of course. Thank you very much, Ambassador Earhart.” Ink Well smiled, nodding his head in understanding and appreciation as he stood to leave the gryphon to his meal. He assumed after the talk of business that the gryphon wouldn’t feel too keen to have him grovelling around pushing Luna’s merits.
He assumed wrong. “Please, Silverbeak will do at the table, and do not feel you have to leave now that the business is done. Stay, let us talk. This is a pleasure cruise, after all.” With a friendly claw he gestured to the seats Ink Well and Rose had just vacated, asking them to sit back down: an invitation they didn’t refuse. Food arrived fairly soon after, and all three members of the table talked, laughed, and for the most part ignored the show.
All in all, it was an enjoyable evening.
Rose and her husband stood on the deck of the Darkest Night once dinner was over, letting the moon wash over them and reflect off of the ocean far below. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight, and, since most of the guests were going to sleep, only ghost lights kept the ship from utter darkness. In their dim glow it would have been a crime not to gaze at the stars, or to not see the way the balloon caught the moon’s glow, almost becoming a captured sister to the celestial body.
As beautiful as the sight was, the chill air was biting, sending a shiver through Rose as she leaned against the railing. Ink Well immediately moved a step closer, his warm wing closing over her as his feathers insulated him against the cold. “Would you like to go inside? It’s getting a bit late.”
Rose shook her head, a lock of her mane falling over her eye as she did. “Not quite yet.” She looked up from beneath the balloon as the moon moved towards it, becoming one larger sphere in the sky above. She moved a hoof to get rid of the strands in front of her face, but stopped it as Ink Well took care of the task, smiling gently at her as he did. She smiled back, leaning against him as she continued to look up at the moon, something truly magical about the sight. It held them both in awe until, slowly, it passed behind the balloon and both of their faces fell into shadow.
With the absence of moonlight the spell was broken, two souls caught in the silver glow becoming a couple shivering in the cold. “Alright, now we can go in.” Ink Well led the way, keeping his wing over Rose’s shoulder to keep her warm, the feathers resting gently on her fur. It was little things like that that she had grown to appreciate… and she’d almost forgotten what it felt like. This trip was definitely the right idea.
The two moved slowly through the ship’s lower decks, keeping quiet so as not to disturb the other guests when they got down to the cabins. Suddenly their room at the far end of the hall seemed miles away, but, as they began to creep towards it, a sound caught their ears. It was muffled squawking from within the gryphon’s chambers, along with the sounds of movement. It could barely be heard through the panelling, but it was definitely there, and curiosity got the better of Ink Well as he went closer to the sound.
Rose followed behind, wanting to go to her room, an explanation already in her mind. “They gave us privacy last night, give them theirs tonight.”
Ink Well raised an eyebrow at her, placing an ear to the door. “All three of them? Silverbeak didn’t seem the sort, and the other two would find a more quiet spot than their boss’s room, surely.”
“Well, you don’t know. It could be a-”
What Rose thought it could be never was heard as a shriek came from beyond the door with three indisputable parts: it was avian, it was horrified, and it was in pain. That was enough for Ink Well to act, trying the doorknob to find it locked. He knocked on the door with a hoof, calling out. “Silverbeak! Are you alright? What’s going on in there?”
Another terrified shriek was heard, this one fading as it went, slowly overrun by a duo of voices calling for help. Ink Well slammed his shoulder against the door, trying to shove it open, but doing little more than proving it had a solid frame. After a few more tries, Rose tapped him on the other shoulder. “Get out of the way.”
With one swift motion she turned, using all of her natural strength as an earth pony to buck the door hard with her hind legs. It gave way beneath her strength, swinging open and letting Ink Well rush in as Rose regained her balance. By the time she turned, Ink Well was on the other side of the room, looking out the window, while Silverbeak and Gilda were by the bed, the ambassador behind his guard, whose sword was drawn. He was the one calling for help, along with a call that now echoed into the hallway.
“Assassin!”
In the middle of the room lay Steelwing, groaning in pain as a puddle of blood formed slowly beneath him. Rose took one look at him, then immediately ran for the nurse, no instruction needed as she made her way past the wall of confused unicorns exiting their rooms.
Deception on the Darkest Night
By the time Rose returned with Sainte Ampoule, the ship’s doctor, there was a lively crowd surrounding the gryphons’ cabin, forcing the two mares to push their way between Canterlot’s frightened elite. Inside the room things had gotten no less grim, the small pool of blood beneath him thankfully growing no wider thanks to some pressure applied by Ink Well’s hoof. It was morbid how the blood in the room caught the moonlight, gleaming like nothing was wrong. The blood on Steelwing’s wing blades even seemed to glow, as though energized by the light of the moon.
As soon as the snow white unicorn arrived, she took over, her magic glowing a deep red as she checked on Steelwing’s condition and began to bandage him up. She thanked Ink Well, but he was already across the room, his right forehoof leaving bloody prints on the carpet as he walked to the window, looking out of it curiously. He looked down, then up, one glimpse of his face showing that his mind was racing.
Rose watched the doctor work, remembering far too many nights of nursing Ink Well to health so soon after they had met… She found herself mentally noting Ampoule’s bandaging techniques, which was silly, really. She didn’t have the magic to pull them off. Sighing softly to herself, but glad to see the gryphon guard in capable hooves, Rose took a quick look around the room. It was set up exactly like their own one at the end of the hall, minus the balcony and with two cots set up for the guards. Gilda was still in the corner, her face grim and her eyes darting, searching for another threat like the one that got her partner, while Silverbeak seemed to be coming down from a state of shock.
Rose had a feeling the room was going to be getting very loud in a moment, especially as she heard the Steward raising his voice at the other passengers outside, and decided to use what little quiet time remained to gain some insight into Ink Well’s mind. She joined him at the window, looking out at the night sky, the distant clouds gleaming in the moonlight suddenly feeling much less safe. She watched Ink Well, lost in thought, and decided to keep her questions simple. Sometimes, if he was really distracted, he would answer automatically. She was hoping this was such a time. “What’s on your mind, Inky?”
Ink Well’s expression didn’t change as he looked from the window to his hoof and the blood slowly drying on it, but as he opened his mouth to speak, both of their attentions were drawn to the screeching across the room.
“I demand that you land this ship now! I could have been killed, and one of my guards has been seriously wounded!” Silverbeak had murder in his eyes as he stared down the Steward, who was showing a surprising amount of calm considering the situation.
“I am afraid we cannot do that, sir. The ship is currently over the ocean. It has been for most of the day, and, despite its appearance, it is not equipped for a water landing.” Behind him in the hall a murmur of worry was rumbling through the elite. There was a juicy, dangerous story going on in the cabin and none of them had a good view. It couldn’t be made out, but Rose could tell the tone from a mile away. It was the one thing she always hated about doing Canterlot business deals. The clients were such gossips…
The Gryphon Ambassador, however, was deadly serious. “Then I demand you turn this ship around! I will not spend another instant here while there is an assassin running loose on the decks!”
The Steward jumped at the accusation, motioning with a hoof for Silverbeak to lower his voice. “Please, sir, I would like to keep the others from being panicked, and-”
Gilda spoke up from the corner. “Panicked? Why should they be panicked? It’s not like one of those dorks have to worry about some unicorn running in and stabbing them !”
Ink Well’s ears perked at Gilda’s words, another piece of the puzzle revealing itself to him. Before the Steward could respond, Ink Well voiced his question. “Can you describe what happened?”
Gilda looked at him, a heated fury barely restrained in her eyes as she realized it was Ink Well trying to help. “I don’t remember much, just waking up to the pop of magic going off in the corner, then it was all knives and hooves. We took the trained defensive stances, Silverbeak started calling for help, and right before you burst in there was a bolt of magic and Steelwing was stabbed. Then the attacker ran for the window and leaped out of the ship.”
Ink Well raised an eyebrow. “And you say it was a unicorn? Was it a mare or a stallion?”
“Please!” The Steward jumped between Gilda and Ink Well, glaring at Ink Well as he did. “Can we refrain from these questions until the morning? I would prefer we not raise any more alarm.”
Gilda looked like she was about to throttle him. “Not raise alarm? Someone just tried to kill us! It’s a little late for alarms! Now get this ship to port and get Steelwing to a hospital!”
The Steward turned around, looking at her placatingly. “I am sorry, miss, but that is not possible. We have already passed the furthest point of the trip and are turning back, but it will take just as long as it took to get here. Until then Sainte Ampoule will take very good care of him with the finest medical attention this ship can give.”
“What was that about somepony trying to kill us?” The elderly voice of Greenback called from the hallway.
Blueblood’s face appeared in the door. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that maniac turned against her ‘friend!’ You already saw what she tried to do to me in the dining room!”
Gilda turned on him, her eyes burning hotter than any sun. “What did you just say, dweeb?!” She advanced on the prince, who began to cower back, but found he couldn’t move for the ponies behind him, and let out a shrill scream.
“Gilda! Calm down! He doesn’t know what he’s saying!” Ink Well ran in front of the advancing gryphoness, his wings wide and his hooves pleading for her to stop. She walked right past him, eyes locked on the screaming Prince. The Prince didn’t stop his squeal until long after Gilda was held back by the combined efforts of Ink Well and Rose, and only once Fancy Pants tapped him on the shoulder and pointed out that he was safe.
Not a second after Blueblood stopped screaming, a door slammed in the hallway. “Can’t you all silence that awful din? How is The Great and Powerful Trixie supposed to get her beauty rest with all this noise?” All eyes turned to face the blue unicorn with the disheveled silver mane, purple star-patterned sleeping mask sitting just above her horn.
It took a moment for everypony to register that Trixie was in the hall. It took a couple more for them to notice that she had just exited from Princess Luna’s private cabin. It took significantly less time to jump to conclusions as to why. “Get her!” “Grab that miscreant for questioning!” “The assassin reveals herself!”
“What?!” Trixie’s sleepy and stunned face only managed to get that far before she found herself captured in a silver bubble, the Steward calmly walking from the room and past the elite, who looked rather smug as they stared at the trapped magician, each feeling pride for their part in capturing her. Trixie’s yelling continued inside the bubble, but no noise could be heard.
The Steward spoke to the bubble calmly. “Trixie, you are under arrest in connection to the attempted assassination of the Gryphon Ambassador. You will be detained in the brig for further questioning.” He then turned to the rest of the assembled crowd. “If you could all please return to your rooms, this matter has been solved. We should all try to get some rest and consider our options in the morning. Dr. Ampoule, please follow me.” The Steward took his prisoner to the stairs down, followed closely by the doctor, who held a sedated Steelwing on a red barrier of magic. Within moments all four of them were gone.
“Right, well, you heard the Steward. If there is to be no further excitement, I shall return to my rest.” Fancy Pants announced as he nodded to the assembled ponies and gryphons. He then made his way to his room. Fleur de Lis followed reluctantly, looking back many times at where Trixie had been captured. The other members of the elite all went to bed as well, leaving Rose, Ink Well, Gilda, and Silverbeak alone at the scene of the attack.
As Rose tried to calm down Gilda, who seemed rather fired up by the arrest, Ink Well turned to Silverbeak, a frown on his face. “Silverbeak, I would like to offer you our room for this evening. After the attack and seeing as we broke your door, I can’t imagine you’d feel secure in this room tonight.”
Silverbeak looked him over guardedly, examining every last aspect of Ink Well before responding carefully, no hint of appreciation or warmth in his shaken voice. “I am afraid I have to decline, Ink Well. While it is most regrettable what happened in this room, we shall keep vigil here for our injured comrade. The assassin has been caught, and even if she escapes, we gryphons are a proud race of accomplished fighters. We will not be caught off guard twice.”
A thought rolled through Ink Well’s head, the worry that a guard of their ‘proud race of accomplished fighters’ had left his blood all over the floor, but Ink Well kept it to himself, instead nodding respectfully. “Very well, Ambassador. We will leave you to it.” With that he walked to the door, letting Rose exit before him and closing the door behind him. He could hear the broken latch catch weakly in the doorframe. Hopefully that would be enough.
Immediately he walked towards the stairs, nearly leaving Rose behind as he moved, his face locked in a determined scowl. However, by the time he reached the deck she had caught up, and she knew that look on his face better than she should have. “Trixie wasn’t the assassin, was she?”
Ink Well didn’t even turn around, just snorting as he walked towards the railing. “Of course not. For one, she’s far too showy and self-centered to make an effective stealthy killer. Also, she was legitimately surprised by the group outside. She didn’t even try to run, which the guilty party would have.” He looked over the edge of the railing down the siding of the ship, then far, far below to the ocean waves.
The dark water rippled gently, the full moon reflecting brilliantly off of it, sitting just as home in its reflection as in the sky. Ink Well shook his head. It may shine like a mirror, but it would be us being shattered if we fell from this height. He then looked up at the balloon, noticing nothing at all out of place about it. When he looked down, he saw Rose looking slightly confused, obviously wondering what he was looking for. “The last reason that Trixie can’t have been the assassin is this: They flew out of the room.”
Rose nodded her head in understanding. “That’s why you were looking out the window…” A moment later her brow furrowed in confusion. “But… Gilda said they appeared in a pop of magic.”
Ink Well nodded. “That’s what worries me. I know when I entered that I saw a form jumping out the window. This leaves us with two options: either the assassin killed themselves when their plan failed, or there were actually two assassins, a unicorn to get them in and a pegasus to do the deed. I can’t imagine it’s the first, especially since I saw the form flying up, so it has to be the second. But then the unicorn could be anyone, and the pegasus could be any member of the ship’s crew…” He grew quiet, looking around the ship’s deck for any clue here. There were none, not even a crew member to question. Maybe the captain or the co-captain, whichever was on duty, but even that was starting to seem a slim chance.
Rose could see the restlessness building up in her husband’s mind, deciding to cut it off before it started by grabbing him in a hug. “Inky, I know that you’re worried, the clever pony you are, that you have to focus on this right now. I understand that. But fretting through the night isn’t going to help anypony.” She released him after that, placing her hoof on his as she continued her thought. “The rest of the passengers have gone to bed, and what crew is on duty is bound to be busy right now. Trixie can survive a night in whatever holding cell they have for her. Working yourself into a frenzy will just make the details fuzzy. Sleep on it, come to it in the morning, you’ll have it solved in no time.”
Ink Well looked almost confused at her words, but after a few silent seconds of looking into her eyes, he slowly smiled, nodding. “You’re right. I’ll just make a mistake if I act before I know the facts. We might not have the largest time frame, but whoever did this will be found as long as we think coolly and logically.”
Rose smiled back. “There we go. Now, let’s get to bed. And, for safety’s sake, let’s keep the windows closed and the balcony locked.”
Ink Well chuckled nervously as the two started back below deck. “Agreed. It won’t be a good night’s sleep tonight without a little caution.” With that thought firmly in both of their minds they walked silently back to their room, locking their door behind them.
Morning was unusually usual on the ship. Breakfast was served, the elite trotted about like nothing happened, even the gryphons were out in show, though they looked the worse for wear. Gilda had a couple of bandages on her, while her body was on full alert, eyes darting at even the slightest noise. Only the bags under her and Silverbeak’s eyes showed the true strain of the night before.
And yet, with all the excitement and the now missing entertainment, nopony seemed to… well, care. The unicorns were on their own, the crew kept on working its usual hours… and as Ink Well yawned he wasn't going to let that continue.
Rose and he followed the routine, joining Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis for breakfast with the normal pleasantries, waiting for the moment to steer the conversation the direction he wanted it to go. He didn’t have to wait long.
“Dreadful mess what happened last night, hmm? Who would have ever guessed that there was an assassin in the staff? Goes to show you don’t know who you can trust, eh?” Fancy Pants held a knife in his hoof, moving the sharp blade carefully over the grapefruit he held in his other hoof.
“No, you really don’t,” Ink Well said, keeping his eyes on the other couple’s face. “Though, I suppose it’s lucky I was walking by his room when I was. A moment later and who knows what could have happened.”
“Zat would have been dreadful!” said Fleur, carefully wiping the milk off of her upper lip. “I am so glad zat zey are safe.”
Ink Well shook his head solemnly. “They really are nice people, when you sit and chat with them. Though I think you’d have to be a little more careful to do it now.” He shrugged, leaning against the table to examine his food. “So, I’m assuming all of the noise what what brought the two of you out of your room, right?”
Fleur nodded. “Yes. Eet was ze sound of ze door opening and ze screeching zat got me up. I got out of bed and opened ze door, and by zen our heroeen of ze evening had already ran for ze doctor.” She smiled warmly at Rose, though something occurred to her and her delicate features started to crease. “Alzough I guess Fancy must have heard eet before me. He was already up.”
“Oh? Did you hear more of the struggle, Fancy Pants? I suppose it would make sense, you being in the room across.” Ink Well’s curiosity was friendly, but as Rose glanced over, interest peaked by his line of questioning, she saw the analysis going on in his tired eyes. He was in reporter mode, though for once he was covering it fairly well.
However, Fancy Pants seemed to notice his gaze, looking slightly shaken by the question. “If you must know, I had to get up to relieve myself in the cabin restroom. The timing was coincidental. When the door was kicked open, I came out to see the matter myself, and- Aaah!”
Suddenly Fancy Pants pulled his arm up to his lips, dropping the knife to the table in the process. Red gleamed on the tip, a few drops of blood dripping down to stain the tablecloth from the injured stallion’s hoof, more staining his mouth as he pulled it away. “Ah! Dear me, that is deep. Rose! Would you be so kind as to show me to the infirmary?”
Rose got up quickly, escorting Fancy and his worried wife from the room and leading them to the infirmary. When they were gone, the Steward came by, having heard the commotion but too slow to help. Nevertheless, he removed the stained cloth, causing Ink Well to scramble to save his food. When the waiter was gone, Ink Well sighed, needing a new subject to question.
Picking up his oatmeal bowl, Ink Well made his way over to where Prince Blueblood sat, placing it down across from him as though nothing had happened. Unfortunately, the Prince wasn’t in the same mindset. “Oh, please, commoner, don’t you even think about sitting with me. Abandoning me last night for the gryphons and tricking me the night before, do you really think you’re welcome here?”
Ink Well huffed indignantly. “Look, it’s not my fault my conversation partner injured himself at the table. I was going to try to bury the hatchet, but I see you’d rather see it stuck in my face.”
“Ugh, such vulgar use of language. No wonder you had to make such a commotion last night. I was having a pleasant dream until you went and burst that door in.” The Prince looked Ink Well up and down, then scoffed. “Though I’m sure you know nothing about beauty sleep.”
Ink Well’s eyes narrowed, a deep breath the only thing stopping projectile oatmeal. Instead he just picked his bowl back up. “Fine. I’ll go somewhere else.” He was debating trying to chat up Diamond and Greenback when he saw both of them leave, so he just finished his meal, waiting for the Steward to return with a fresh tablecloth to ask him a question.
“Excuse me, sir. If you would just move for a moment I can cover the table and take your bowl for you, if you wish.”
Ink Well complied, picking up the bowl as the Silver Bell worked. “So, Silver Bell, can I ask what you’re doing about the assassination attempt?”
The unicorn visibly stiffened, but returned to work without more than a moment’s pause. “The assassin has been caught. I see the need for no more worry on our end. And, please, refer to me as the Steward.”
Ink Well frowned inwardly, never knowing any working class member to prefer their title to their name. Shoeshine would have had a cow… Wait, didn’t she get married recently? I will have to catch up to her when this is done. “Alright, but humor me, Steward. If I wished to ask the crew members a few questions, find out how Trixie did it, where would I go to do that?”
The Steward sighed. “Since I see you have no intention of letting things lie, I will allow you access to the crew bunks on the bottom level. But be careful! Not only is that level primarily for staff only, but going into the wrong room could have you near some potentially dangerous machinery. Do be careful. We don’t need any more injuries on this trip.”
Ink Well rolled his eyes, but understood the Steward’s plight. “I will do my level best. One last question: Where were you just before the attack?”
The Steward turned, a coldness in his eyes and his face very carefully neutral. “I was in here setting up for this morning, though I did stop by the kitchen multiple times. Any of the staff awake at the time can confirm this.” With an insistent glow of his magic the bowl was firmly taken out of Ink Well’s grip. “Good day to you, sir.”
Ink Well watched him go, sighing inwardly. “Well, you certainly aren’t making many friends on this boat, Ink Well. Guess you might as well pester yourself a few more enemies.” With that he went to the stairs, heading into the lower deck.
Fancy Pants, his arm bandaged carefully, and Fleur de Lis, worried for her husband, walked out of the medical bay, leaving Rose with Ampoule and the unconscious Steelwing. He hadn't hardly moved since the attack the night before, though he was breathing fine and would hopefully make a full recovery. Rose looked over him sadly, tears welling in her eyes for a moment as she imagined Ink Well in his place. He'd been there before...
She shook her head, unwilling to keep that picture in her mind any longer. She was here for him this time. She wouldn't let him go rushing off on his own like that. For once she was able to help him with whatever mystery he was involved in, and she wouldn't let it come to that.
As Rose walked into the hall, wiping a tear from her eye, she heard the very pony she'd been crying about. “Rosy, are you alright? Is something the matter?” Ink Well walked up to her, hugging her gently as soon as he saw her.
She shook her head, returning the hug gratefully. “No, Inky, I'm fine. It's just hard seeing anyone as injured as Steelwing. We need to figure out who did it before anyone else is hurt.”
Ink Well maintained the hug for a few moments, letting Rose know he was there for her, before pulling back. Unfortunately, where his smile that told her everything would be alright normally sat there was a worried frown. “We'll figure this out. Don't you worry. In fact... I need you to talk to the gryphons and the accused and get as much information from them as you can.” He shrugged. “I seem to be making enemies with my questions, and what they know is too important for that. Also, if you could talk to Greenback and Diamond Wishes, find out what they were up to right before it happened.”
“Alright,” said Rose, smiling some reassurance at him. “You can count on me, dear.”
Ink Well's smile appeared at that. “I always can.” He then leaned forward, kissing her quickly. “Good luck. I'll meet up with you in a bit.” With that he went into the crew quarters, leaving Rose to figure out the best order for things. She did know where Trixie was being held, as she had walked past it while helping Fancy Pants, but she figured it was best to get as much information as she could first, and most of that could be gleaned from the remaining gryphons.
Plan set, Rose went up to the passenger cabins, unsurprised to find the gryphon ambassador and his guard holed up in their room. Gryphon pride at its finest. She knocked calmly on the door, about to announce herself when the door shot open, razor-sharp talons closing around her neck and steel-lined wings spreading for an attack. She struggled for a moment, eyes open in horror and hooves out in a sign of surrender, before the gryphoness holding her finally recognized her.
Gilda's claws removed themselves from Rose's throat, her wings folding down. “Sorry about that, Rose. I'm just a little jumpy.”
Behind her Silverbeak shook his head. “Gilda, you are lucky that it is one of our friends on the other side of that door. The others would not have been so forgiving of your actions.” With that he gently brushed his guard aside, offering the room to Rose. “Please, come in. I hope you are well.”
Rose nodded her head, running a hoof over her neck to make sure she wasn't bleeding. “I'm fine. Just a little startled.” She eyed the room, noting that the door was still broken and the blood stain hadn't been removed. Is this a fault of Silver Bell, or Silverbeak? She let the thought slip away as she looked at the ambassador once more. “However, I am afraid my visit isn't purely for pleasure. I was hoping to ask a few questions about last night, if you don't mind.”
Silverbeak raised an eyebrow. “Satiating your husband's curiosity? Because I can assure you, we are more than capable of defending ourselves. Nothing like last night will happen again on our watch.”
Rose could see the guarded way he held himself, as well as hear the words unsaid in his answer. His stubborn nature was annoying, but she knew how to talk with stubborn ponies. She would just have to hope it crossed species. “I am here for my own curiosity as well. I don't wish to see anyone, gryphon or pony, hurt like Steelwing is. Knowing how the assassin attacked will help make sure it doesn't happen again on any watch.”
Silverbeak appraised her there, a look she'd seen more often on herself than the perfume she'd sold in Canterlot. She was annoyingly used to it, and knew not to back down. Her character would win out in the end, a fact confirmed by his eventual nod. “Very well. Gilda! Tell our guest what you saw. I am not ashamed to admit that I was resting when the attack came, but she saw everything.”
Rose turned, seeing a slightly hunted look in Gilda's eye. She walked over, placing a gentle hoof on Gilda's claw. “Please, any little bit helps. Just tell me what you remember.”
The hidden look of fear within her eyes faded with Rose's gesture, though Gilda quickly looked away, focusing on the bloodstain as she said what happened. “There was a tiny pop, like air being pushed away, and Steelwing was the first to spot the target. It was a scrawny unicorn, all glowing horn and whirling blades. But the coward hid in the dark, so I couldn't get a good look at them.”
Gilda sighed. “Steelwing told me to defend Silverbeak, which I did, blocking whatever flew our way while Steelwing fought the punk... They were like a wall of knives, every attack met with a blade shooting around them. And then I blocked one, and it was caught in the magic, and shot into Steelwing's back... He screeched, and the next one went into his chest. The bastard was going for a finishing blow when you burst open the door, and then Ink Well ran to the window, so I guess they left that way.”
Rose shuddered at the story, once due to the explanation of the attack, and again thanks to the wall of knives. She knew more than she cared to admit on that fighting style... Her and Ink Well had only barely managed to stop it, and that hadn't even taken down the unicorn using it. She was not looking forward to a repeat of that battle. However, there would be one useful piece of information. “What color was the magic being used?”
Gilda had to think for a long while before she answered. “Green. The glow was totally green, but it was really hard to see.”
Rose nodded, walking over to the gryphoness. “Thank you. This is going to help a lot.” And then, seeing Gilda still staring at the blood stain, Rose didn't even think as she wrapped her hooves around the larger gryphoness in a motherly hug.
Gilda leaned into it for just a moment, her lion tail wrapping around Rose, before she suddenly stiffened and jumped away, eying Rose suspiciously. “Woah! Woah! I don't care what mushy stuff you think you're doing, but I don't need that. You got what you want, so get going.”
Rose wasn't too surprised when Gilda jumped away, and she gave the gryphoness a warn smile anyway. “Of course. Sorry to presume. Have a good day.” She turned around, nodding to Silverbeak. “Both of you.”
Silverbeak saw her to the door, holding it open for her. “And you as well, Rose. May Ink Well and your search go well, and the wind be beneath your wings.” There was a touch of a smile on his face as he closed the door, and once more Rose found herself alone in a hall.
However, this time she knew precisely who to look for. There is only one guest on this boat that has green magic, though I can hardly believe it's him. Still, the cover made sense. If you were going to be an assassin, then you'd want the most bumbling, least suspicious cover you could possibly have.
Rose walked out onto the main deck, seeing precisely the pony she was looking for laying on a deck chair. “Excuse me, Mr. Greenback! May I have a word with you?” As she walked towards him, seeing Diamond Wishes hovering over him, a thought occurred. Wait... there might be a unicorn with green magic on the crew... no conclusions until I talk to Ink Well.
Diamond Wishes intercepted Rose, looking the earth pony up and down. “Yes? What is it?”
Ignoring the rudeness of being stopped like this, Rose just smiled. “I was hoping I could chat with your husband, and yourself, if you are available.”
Diamond huffed, fixing her overdone mane with a hoof. “Of course I am available. There is dreadfully little to do on this 'pleasure' cruise once we locked that delightful sorceress up. But you must be quiet. Greenback is asleep, and any rest is bliss.”
Ah. Hiding your contempt well, I see. “It was a terrible business that happened last night. It must have really ruined his sleeping pattern.”
Diamond fixed her tiara with a glow of magic, giving Rose a glare that could cut through stone. “Are you kidding? He slept like a rock through almost all of it. But he got up when I did. All that noise from the gryphons really hurt my beauty sleep. I'm surprised I didn't get bags under my eyes after that.”
Rose kept an even temper, though she had a lot to say on Diamond's manner just from their short time together already. “Yes. How terribly inconsiderate of the gryphons to be brutally attacked in the middle of the night.”
“They should have paid more attention. At least give us until morning to worry about them.” She pulled out a makeup compact, checking herself in the mirror, which was good because it meant she missed the incredulous look Rose gave her. “Anyway, it's all taken care of now at least. We can get back to the important things.”
Rose had found that she couldn't stand the presence of this mare a moment longer, so for that last statement she could actually agree. “So, just to be sure, you and Greenback were both in your room before the attack, correct? Sleeping soundly?”
An aged tenor chuckle came from the chair. “Why yes! After the activities beforehoof, one could hardly expect an old stallion like me to do much but sleep soundly!” Greenback looked up from the lawn chair, smiling lecherously as he looked through Diamond's legs to meet Rose's eyes. “I've done a lot of work, Mrs. Roseluck, I try to relax as hard as I can on my few days off. Wishes! Be a doll and see if the bartender can't get me a frou-frou umbrella drink, could you?”
Diamond Wishes had an unamused look on her face as she headed off towards the doors inside, and Greenback watched her sway her way there. When she was gone, he looked at Rose, his dirty smile not fading in the least. “She is a complete pain in the flank, and she only wants my money, but the paltry agreement I made in the pre-nup is well worth watching her go.” He cackled to himself. “Got to enjoy the later years! Or what was the point of all that hard work?”
Rose, not sure how to say anything without being offensive and sure she should be feeling more offended than she was, just contemplated the stallion silently as he did the same. After a moment he stretched before getting up and facing her as an equal. “Alright, alright. Business is business. Now, Mrs. Roseluck, what was it you wanted to ask me?”
“Just what you were doing last night, but I believe you answered that question.”
Greenback chuckled again. “Yes, well, what can I say? At this point I could have a bunch of secrets, or I could make everypony's life simpler by keeping things obvious. I get enough complexity with contracts and business deals. You should see some of the wording in those letters. Speaking of which...” He looked Rose straight in the eye. “You're the lovely mare I'm getting that Rose Ink stuff from, right? Rosewater shop, in Ponyville?”
Rose raised an eyebrow, her small scented ink line the last thing on her mind. “Yes, that's mine. Though I didn't realize you were ordering, if I'm honest.”
Greenback waved her last line away with a dismissing hoof. “'Course not! I got it for the admin offices at the bank, not for just myself. The soothing scent in the ink keeps business partners calm, it really helps with negotiations. I don't remember which noble it was that turned me on to the stuff, but I have to thank you for it. And, if I may ask, do you have a card? I can smell the scent you're wearing, and it's much nicer than whatever my wife drenches herself with.”
Rose may not have been ready to talk about her products when she'd come to talk to this pony, but that didn't mean she wasn't prepared to sell them. She reached into her mane, pulling out the spare card she kept tucked in there for just such an emergency. “Here you are.”
Greenback took the card in his green magic, tucking it into his jacket pocket. “Thank you kindly. I'll be in touch.” He gave her a friendly smile, one of the few genuine ones she'd gotten from any of the nobles on the trip, and it made her thoughts stutter.
This kind stallion can't possibly be a killer. There's something I'm missing. “I look forward to-”
“Doll! There you are! I was starting to wonder.” Greenback's attention was completely off of Rose's appreciative response as he grabbed the drink from his wife's magic and flopped back on the chair. “Now come over here, sit on my lap, and enjoy the view. These clouds aren't going to view themselves.”
Not sure if he's an assassin, but he's definitely not kind. Don't know what I was thinking. Rose left the couple on their chair, cuddling and giggling like creepy old school ponies as she went below the decks.
“You must believe Trixie when she tells you she is innocent! It is no right of yours to accuse her in such a manner!” Trixie pounded against the small crew cabin she'd been locked into, the closest thing they had to a brig below the ship. It was a small consolation to her that she was at least forcing the doctor to sleep the the medical bay. At least a tiny bit of discomfort would be felt by somepony else.
Still, she'd been going on and off yelling for most of the morning, both the early dark hours and, after finishing her rest and being served a tiny, tasteless breakfast, the remainder of the morning. It was now starting to get into the afternoon, so far as she could tell from her window, and still nopony had come to save her!
“The Great and Powerful Trixie demands you open this door right now! She has a show to perform!” The blue mare kicked against the door frame angrily, then sat back down on the bed. She was more than tired of this, and the chain around her hoof wasn't helping things. She wasn't even sure where they had gotten a shackle, but it wasn't from her kit, or she would have had the false pin out in no time.
Maybe if she conjured enough fireworks she could set fire to her cell... Then they'd have to let Trixie out! Then she could do her show and win them over again!
“It's not a very good show, though your tricks have gotten better since Ponyville.” Trixie turned to the door, poised with her rapier wit to retort, but the tip was dulled by amazement when she realized the door was open.
“Trixie thanks you, kind servant! Now, out of her way!” Trixie ran past the cream colored earth pony mare, making a b-line for the opening, only for the chain to catch her and bring her rather unceremoniously onto her back. The other mare just shook her head as she watched, closing the door behind her.
“You aren't free, Trixie, and I am not a servant. I am a passenger on this ship, and I wish to ask you a few questions.” The red and pink maned mare had the nerve to walk past Trixie and sit on the bed calmly, a slight smile on her face, as though she found it amusing!
Trixie would not stand for this! “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands your respect!” She said, standing for this next line. “If she were truly accused of the crimes suggested, she could have killed you like that!” A spark traveled from her horn, popping threateningly before fading away.
The other mare's smile left her. “If I thought you'd done it, I wouldn't be here to ask you questions! You're lucky I'm not asking you to pay me back for the roof of my shop.” Her glare told Trixie two things: that she wasn't going to take any more nonsense, and that she knew Trixie was not the mare she claimed to be, both of which put the lid on Trixie's ego, causing the silver maned illusionist to sit calmly on the floor. Once Trixie was settled, the other mare cleared her throat, smiling. “My name is Rose. My husband is Ink Well, and neither of us think you are guilty.”
“Then convince them to let Trixie go! She had nothing to do with the assassination of that eagle!”
“Gryphon,” Rose corrected, a hint of annoyance in her tone. “And I was about to say that if you can account for where you were last night, I might be able to convince the rest about this. Now, what were you doing in Princess Luna's suite?”
“Trixie was...” Trixie didn't have shame, not after all of her shows, not after a lifetime of lies, and not after she had that heart to heart with Sparkle those years ago. She did, however, have a quiet, personal voice she rarely used. It came out now. “I was in there because I wanted some comfortable sleep and the crew quarters are far too loud. Besides, I knew it was going unused, and the bed is a dream to sleep on.”
Rose seemed to have expected this, though as she heard Trixie speak, her face grew softer and friendlier. “Trixie, could you please recount everything you remember from last night? Any detail could be important.”
Trixie nodded, thinking back to the night before. “Well... the show's reception was dampened from the evening before, so I finished my act a little early. I was in a foul mood, so I was going to use the time I knew that the guests were eating to go out on the deck and get some fresh air, but as I passed I saw the hall, and the great doors of the Princess's chambers... I knew it would be my one chance, so I ducked inside, making sure nopony saw me, and... that was that. I washed, I stood on the balcony she had built into the back, I watched the clouds roll by, I grew bored, and I went to sleep. I didn't even have an exit plan for the next morning, I just... I wanted to be pampered, for once, like I used to be... Before Ponyville...”
Trixie sighed. Sure, life had only gone up since that one mistake so long ago, but by the same coin, it had been work. Performance after performance, from silly little theaters to the mansions of nobles, and yet each night she still returned to her modest apartment, or whatever was provided when she wasn't in Manehattan, and that was it. Her Showmare life had been so much... better when she was a traveling hero. Sure, it was in a wagon, but with all the gifts she'd gotten, that wagon was nice... She missed it almost every day...
Trixie realized she had been staring off at the floorboards for a while and immediately brought her eyes to meet Rose's. “And that is all. I was sleeping soundly until I heard the crash of the door opening and the screeching of those eagl-err gryphons, and then with the racket in the hall... I couldn't control myself.” She massaged one hoof into the wood before her. “Trixie is grumpy when she is interrupted from her rest.”
Rose looked at Trixie expectantly, but the show mare shook her head. “That's everything, I swear. The rest of the night was the bubble ride here and yelling at the door.”
After a few more moments of inspection, Rose nodded. “I believe you. Unfortunately, your alibi isn't much to go with, but I'll see what I can do. Thank you for this, Trixie. Hopefully you'll be out of this room by morning.”
Trixie stood up, bowing her head in thanks. “Any escape would be appreciated, Rose. As much as Trixie wishes, she can't teleport from her chains in here, no matter how much amazing she is on stage.”
Rose smiled, walking towards the door, though she paused there for one last question. “Out of curiosity, knives were used in the attempt. They aren't from your performance, are they?”
Trixie shook her head. “I can't imagine they would be. Trixie's knives are dull. It's a fair bit of illusion to make them appear on the spinning board like that, but I don't even think I could throw a knife like that if my life depended on it.”
Rose nodded. “Just curious. Sit tight, try to relax, you'll be free soon.” With that Rose exited the cell, closing the door and leaving Trixie to pass the time.
She was so very bad at that part. “If somepony touched Trixie's knives...” Another spark shot from Trixie's horn, threatening the empty room. “Like that!” she announced triumphantly. But she was performing for an audience of one.
Ink Well walked out of the crew quarters rather annoyed. He had spent all day talking to pony after pony, and all he'd come up with was that the entire crew had very solid alibis. Or slept very hard... it was almost annoying. Still, his search hopefully wouldn't prove fruitless. There was still the co-captain to talk to, who was currently setting up to fly for the night and didn't want to be disturbed, but claimed he wouldn't mind company in the wheelhouse. Everypony else was a bust.
As he neared the stairs to the floors above, a door opened behind him, and turning he found a pleasant surprise. “Rose! There you are! I hope your search has gone better than mine.”
Rose smiled as she trotted over to him, a look of pleased excitement on her face. “Oh, yes it did! I found out from Gilda that the pony that attacked them was definitely a unicorn, and it used green magic. The only one I ran into that fits that description is Greenback. It has to be him, unless there's one on the crew that fits it.”
Ink Well shook his head. “No, most of the ponies working behind the scenes are pegasi and earth ponies, and the ones that aren't... well, I didn't test magic color, but they all had good alibis. The problem is... I know I saw the attacker fly out of that room.” He took a few steps, tilting his head in thought. “Though... I did just see them diving out the window. There might have been a rope out there, or a quick spell to hide against the ship...” It was more than possible. Twilight probably had a host of spells that could do something like that. It wouldn't need the Element of Magic herself to learn just one.
“However, there are still a few ponies I'd like to talk to before we jump to conclusions. And it must be getting late. We can keep an eye and ear out at dinner, see if we missed anything.” Ink Well's attention was caught by a sky blue mare walking into a door further down the hall. “I knew I was missing somepony.”
Heading to the door in question, Rose following closely behind, Ink Well opened it to find a dim engine room, magic charged crystals glowing and rotating rapidly, connecting to a series of gears and drives that powered the massive propellers outside. The only light in the room came from the crystals themselves, making the tight quarters a bit tricky to traverse, but tucked away in the back sat the mare in question, carefully looking over the gears with on oil can in her hoof.
Ink Well called to her over the din of the gears. “Morning Dew! Do you have a moment?” Immediately he could tell that bothering her while working wasn't the best idea, as she started at his voice, her hoof getting a bit too close to the gear. Luckily, the one she was working on was rather small, so it was only a quick pinch and a small trickle of blood for the consequence. Of course, that didn't help her mood as she quickly wrapped her hoof with a kerchief.
“Ink Well! What do you think you're doing down here? Guests aren't allowed on this deck at all, let alone in the engine room!” She held up her injured hoof, glaring at the couple in her work space. “It's dangerous!”
Ink Well rubbed the back of his mane nervously. “I didn't mean anything by it. I was given permission by Silver Bell to be here, and was hoping to ask you a few questions about last night.”
Dew's glare held for a few moments, passing over Rose as well, who had the courtesy to shy back and mouth an apology. Then she let out a sigh, looking down at the bloody kerchief, the dark red almost seeming to glow in the light of the crystal. “Well, I know it wasn't intentional, and luckily my shift is done after this, so you have my attention until we reach the doctor.” She started out on three limbs, keeping the forth held in front of her as she tottered. “Hop to it! It's not bleeding any slower!”
Rose and Ink Well both backed out of the room quickly, Ink Well even offering to help balance Dew once they got outside, though she declined. “That's alright. It's nothing major, and I'm tougher than I look. Have to be to be a ship engineer. Now what were you curious about?”
Ink Well cleared his throat, making sure not to be too far away in case Dew lost balance while they moved toward the infirmary. “Where were you last night after dinner?”
“Last night? I was in my bunk. I finished up my rounds while dinner was happening, then ate and went to sleep like normal.” After a second she stopped, looking at Ink Well quizzically. “This doesn't have to do with that magician they've got locked in Ampoule's room, does it?”
Ink Well looked curious, but Rose picked up from there, having been the one to talk to Trixie. “Actually, it does. When she came out of the Princess's chambers, she was accused of an attempted assassination of the Gryphon Ambassador. We're trying to find out who actually did it, as well as prove Trixie's innocence.”
Dew's eyes widened in surprise. “An assassination? On the Princess's ship? That pony's got guts...” She then started walking again, the rag over her hoof getting deeply soaked when they stalled. “No idea anything like that had happened, but I don't think it was her. When I found her in there she was asleep, and I let her be.”
Ink Well put a hoof to Dew's chest. “Wait, you knew she was in there and didn't do anything about it?”
Dew just looked puzzled. “No. Why would I? Silver Bell's a snob, and the room wasn't being used anyway. If anything, I was just jealous I hadn't thought of it first.” Ink Well lowered his hoof, letting the engineer keep going. “Anyway, I can't promise you about later, but when I saw her she was snoring louder than the Friendship Express, and judging by the drool on the pillow, she wasn't planning on moving any time soon.” She turned into the infirmary doorway, seeing the bloodied and bandaged gryphon on one of the tables. “Yikes, you weren't kidding about an attack...”
Rose shook her head. “No, but I sorely wish we were.” She looked to the doctor, who seemed to share Rose's feelings on the matter, though Ampoule's face hardened moments later as she saw the new injury. She just motioned for Dew to come in and she'd take care of the rest.
Once Dew was settled, Ink Well gave her a friendly smile. “Thank you for your time, and sorry about the distraction. Have a good evening.”
Morning Dew nodded. “You two too. And good luck with your mystery here.”
Neither of the couple responded to that, but both were thinking the same thing. We're going to need it.
By the time the two got back to the upper decks dinner was being called, this one with no show. The stage was dark, the room better lit, and the food and conversation was going to be the main entertainment. And, while everyone was a little more on edge from the night before, a pattern could be picked out of the conversations.
“To think that such a thing could happen on Princess Luna's boat... It shows a terrible lack of forethought on her part.” Fancy Pants moved delicately with his injured hoof, much care being taken as he worked his utensils over his food. “Imagine if she were actually given power equal to Princess Celestia...”
Diamond wishes rolled her eyes. “A pleasure cruise to build up support? And yet she only invites three noble families and one entertainer? What was she thinking?”
Greenback lifted his food to his mouth, chewing, but not swallowing, before he talked. “I hate to say it, but you're right. Should have at least had some back up entertainment. The ride I got from the French bankers was much more entertaining. Much bigger ship too.”
Even Prince Blueblood had something to say on the subject. “This ship doesn't even show off the power and pride of Equestria. Sure, it's got class for a private affair, but my aunt Celestia could float the Grand Galloping Gala with little effort... It might be nice too. I should ask her to propose that to the budgeting committee...”
Fancy sighed, adjusting his monocle. “Bought with her own coffers... It is nice, I'll grant her that, but if this was her best idea I'm afraid I don't know where her mind is.” As he spoke, Fleur's carefully neutral face slowly grew tighter, her glances heading his way more and more. “And allying with the Gryphons, of all things! As if they would truly have the pull in Equestrian society. Yes, yes, her work after the collapsing of the weather factory was rather altruistic, but her stalling the plans for a new one really does her no credit.”
This was the point at which Rose excused herself from the table, taking her food with her as she traveled across the room and joined her husband and the gryphons. Ink Well had left after the third time he was shot down trying to defend Luna against the Canterlot politics, and neither of the gryphons wanted anything to do with that bunch of unicorns. Only two had even tried to greet them, and one of them was Blueblood...
“Politics.” Ink Well spat out the word like a bit of rotten hay. “No wonder the Princess sunk this low. She just raises the moon every night, nothing special. Only trying to bridge a gap with another nation. No, that deserves no respect at all. Not friendly enough with some pompous old money in Canterlot...”
Silverbeak sighed into his food. “Ink Well, you speak much too plainly, and there are always people listening.” He looked over at the table of unicorns, his face remaining neutral. “Their fears are not unfounded, and I admit that I am not impressed by the lack of guard on this ship. But it was naivety on all our parts to think something like this would not happen. Many years may have passed between our nations, but some bruises, while invisible on the surface, take ages to heal beneath the skin.”
Ink Well's determination and bitterness didn't fade. “Ambassador, I promise we will find out who it was that attacked you before we land tomorrow evening. What happened to Steelwing is not the Equestrian way. The Princess would not have stood for it, and as both her proxy and my own pony, neither will I.”
Silverbeak chuckled. “Ink Well! Please, your theatrics are unfounded. I may still not be impressed by the guard on this ship, but I am more than impressed with the company your princess chooses to keep. I am sure there are many ponies she could have invited that would still be sitting at that table over there. There is only one who would join me here. Justice will come, in time, but the meeting promised your princess has not been effected.”
“Thank you, Ambassador, but there are some things I just can't abide. Somepony is hiding something big, and I am going to find out what.” Ink Well looked over at the other table, trying to dissect the ponies there with his eyes, but was distracted by a huff coming from the table's fourth member.
“Tough words from a writer ...”
“Gilda, hold your tongue. You do remember who you're talking about, right?” The intense look Silverbeak gave Gilda silenced her, wiping her cynicism from her beak. He then smiled at Ink Well. “We chose our professions, but they do not define us. What was that saying...? Ah, right. 'One source, endless possibilities.'” Both Ink Well's and Rose's astonished looks were met with a soft smile. “It was something I heard from some of the gryphlets as they were returned to our country. Quite the inspiring message, don't you think? Some in our country even think them words to live by.”
Ink Well's smile widened as the Ambassador spoke, but it was Rose that actually responded. “Some of the most noble I've ever heard.” She nuzzled Ink Well gently as she spoke, smiling support up at his beaming face for all he'd accomplished out there. He just smiled back, placing a wing around her as the four continued to eat.
When dinner finished, Rose and Ink Well made their way up towards the deck, Rose letting out a rather long yawn as the day got to her. As they reached the crew quarters, Ink Well stopped her. “Rosy, I want you to get some sleep. I'll go talk to the co-captain and watch the deck for Greenback.”
Rose shook her head. “No, Inky. We're in this together. You can't just send me off because of a little yawn.”
“It's not the little yawn. It's tactics.” He turned to face her, smiling as he did. “I've always been a night owl, staying up late isn't an issue, but eventually I'm going to need to get some rest. Of the two of us, you're much more suited to being woken up early and actually functioning. After a few hours, I'll come wake you up and we can swap places, deal?”
Rose frowned, but she saw the logic behind what he was saying. “Oh... alright. But promise me you won't go off on your own and get hurt while I'm sleeping, okay?”
Ink Well kissed her gently on the nose. “I promise. When I go rushing off to get hurt, you'll be right there with me.” He chuckled as she punched him on the shoulder, then they hugged one more time.
“Be safe. I'll see you soon.” Rose kissed Ink Well's cheek, then went down the hallway, opening the door to their room just as he started up the stairs. She wanted to go with him, but it was more important to make sure they caught Greenback in the act.
After nearly half an hour rolling around in an empty bed, Rose finally managed to get some sleep.
Rose's restless sleep was interrupted by the sound of hooves in the hall by the door, stopping at it for just a moment, as if hesitating. She rolled off of the bed, not feeling particularly rested from her light sleep, and went to the door, opening it quietly. On the other side stood Ink Well, looking slightly surprised to see her there. “Oh... hello Rose.”
Rose frowned at him. “Hello, Ink Well. Is it time for my patrol?”
Ink Well shook his head, though the momentary confusion in his eyes didn't pass unnoticed. “No, didn't mean to wake you. Just patrolling a bit on my own.” He rubbed his hoof on his leg, a quick smile crossing his face. “Got to keep watch for that assassin.”
He seemed a little nervous, but then, she would have been too if she was in his shoes. “Alright. Well, don't go for too long. I'm here to relieve you when you need me.” Ink Well just nodded, starting off down the hall, which left Rose slightly disappointed. She was hoping for a hug or something. “Goodnight, Inky.”
Ink Well stopped, looking towards her and smiling. “Goodnight, Rose.”
Rose closed the door to her room, wondering what could have gotten her husband so on edge as she walked back towards the bed. She'd never seen him that kind of nervous... not even as she'd walked up the aisle at the wedding. He had always been calm, even when beneath the surface he was terrified... This must really have been bad.
She walked to the bed, sitting down on it and starting to get comfortable, but her mind couldn't stop focusing on Ink Well's face just now. The hint of fear in his eyes, the way he hadn't hugged her, even the nervous ticks weren't ones she'd seen... Even if he hadn't told her, she knew him more than well enough by now to know something was wrong.
Setting her goal in her mind, Rose got off of the bed, walking back into the hallway. Ink Well had already gone off somewhere else, but that was to be expected. She was just going to make sure everything was alright. Or, more realistically, make him tell her what was wrong. Probably start her shift then, too. She was up anyway.
However, as she walked past the gryphon's broken door, noise could be heard coming from it. A struggle, fighting... and a voice she knew by heart was involved. Without a moment to lose she bucked against the door, kicking the weak frame open wide.
Gilda was bleeding badly, standing in her same defensive position she'd maintained the night before, Silverbeak behind her outstretched wings. Further in the room... Rose couldn't believe her eyes.
Ink Well was fighting himself, the two mirrored forms facing off, but one was covered in cuts and gashes, while the other had a dagger floating before him, a green aura around its hilt and glowing from his eyes. Eyes which turned towards her for just a moment, letting the bloody Ink Well's hoof connect with the imposter's cheek. The fake looked stunned, his glowing eyes widening for just a moment, before narrowing in rage. In throwing the haymaker, Ink Well had left himself open. The glint of metal in the candlelight was all the warning anyone had before the dagger sank into his chest, his eyes widening in shock.
“No!” Rose gasped out as she ran into the room, fury blazing in her eyes as she saw her husband hurt. Ink Well couldn't even react to the blade embedded in him before it was twisted, his face writhing in pain. And then the steel was pulled back out, dripping deep crimson as it lashed out at Rose, sending drops of her love's blood smattering her face. She had to stop her charge or meet the blade head on, but as soon as it had passed she resumed, chasing the fleeing false pony towards the window. One more slash and a few more drops of pegasus blood hitting her cheek and the assailant was gone, leaping from the window once more. Rose followed him, leaning out to look to where he dropped, only just seeing the tip of his tail disappear beneath the hull of the ship.
With him gone, Rose's full attention returned to her Ink Well, collapsing to the floor, clutching at the hole in his chest. She was with him in an instant, tears trailing through the blood on her face as she looked to the ambassador. “Get Ampoule, NOW!” The force and fear in her voice send the mighty gryphon out without hesitation, screeching for the doctor as he ran down the hall.
Rose didn't pay the noise any mind as she cradled Ink Well in her arms, pressing her hoof to his chest to stop the bleeding. But there was no telling what was inside, or what damage had already been done. “Inky... Please hold on. The doctor is on the way! Just breathe and stay calm!” As she spoke, tears began to cloud her vision, horrible, horrible thoughts entering her mind. Thoughts where she and Newsprint were alone... Thoughts of a wonderful stallion leaving this world.
She felt a hoof on her cheek, a warm wetness following it where it moved. She followed the parchment colored fur down to Ink Well, looking at the sad look on his face. “Sorry...” His voice came out hoarse and wet, almost like it was blowing bubbles inside him.
“Don't talk. Save your strength. You'll be fine!” Rose was stopped by the same hoof moving down to her chin, then onto her muzzle to shut it. She could see the blood covering it, and taste what it left on her lips.
Ink Well shook his head. “Sorry... I broke... my.... promise.” The hoof slid down from her muzzle, falling onto his chest and grabbing onto her, joining her efforts to keep up the pressure.
Rose just watched as his eyes closed, all of his energy going into breathing and keeping his heart beating. “Don't worry Ink Well. You'll be fine! The doctor is on the way!” Rose's vision clouded with tears, but she kept talking. “This isn't how it ends, love. We're going to have many long years together. You promised me!”
She felt his breathing slowing, ever so slightly, the gurgling in his chest not quite as intense. “You promised...” His hoof began to grow slack, just resting on hers as she kept up the pressure, almost manually keeping his lungs moving. She even leaned down, blowing her breath into him, then leaving it with a kiss. He didn't respond.
She cried onto him as she began CPR, ears listening for the doctor, mind hoping to the moon, the sun, and all the princesses that would listen that this would not be the end. After seemingly countless cycles, she paused, tears falling onto his coat as she reminded him of one important fact.
“You never break your promises.”
Deception on the Darkest Night
Rose continued CPR, mind blank of everything except the warm body beneath her. She was aware of the growing crowd appearing at the door, the noise and yelling, her own tears rolling down to drip onto Ink Well's blood covered chest, but none of them mattered. The only thing that did was him, to keep the heart she held so dear pumping, to see him safe and home once more.
She felt him be pulled away, her grip instinctively tightening around him as she continued her work. Then she felt a hoof on her shoulder, returning her focus to the din of the world around her. She looked up through tear-blurred eyes to see Dr. Ampoule there, the soft red glow of her horn and the caring look in her eyes telling Rose everything. Rose let go, letting Ink Well be surrounded by the doctor's magic.
Rose felt empty as she watched the doctor rushing from the room, Gilda limping behind as best as she could. She had to trust that he would be alright, but the void she felt, the coldness on her fur where Ink Well's blood was drying on her face, her hoof, her chest... it left her numb. Vaguely she could hear the Steward demanding for calm, and if she listened very hard she might have heard the hooves of the passengers as they nervously returned to their rooms, but all she could focus on was Ink Well being taken away... And the fear it would be forever.
A gentle claw came to rest on Rose's shoulder, bringing her out of her daze. Silverbeak stood over her, countenance soft and caring. Without a word he gently shepherded her down to the infirmary, and she was thankful for that. Her legs felt like lead, and every wish she'd had to follow her husband and stay by his side had been lost to their insurmountable weight. It was only with Silverbeak's constant guiding force that she could bring herself to move.
It was a slow process getting down to the infirmary, and when they entered there was a heavy air. Steelwing now had a partner in the other bed, bandages wrapped around his form, an IV drip going into his arm. Ink Well looked almost peaceful, sleeping... and the gentle rise and fall of his chest pulled the weight from Rose's legs as she ran to his side, hugging him with all her might, or at least as much as she could while avoiding his injuries.
Ampoule didn't stop her once she saw the care Rose was taking, merely coming up beside her to talk. “He has lost a lot of blood and suffers from a punctured lung, which not only was pooling with blood, but actually collapsed. Luckily, you kept him going until I got there, so he should, eventually, make a full recovery. However, he should remain in bed rest for at least a week and refrain from anything strenuous for a month minimum, ideally two.”
Rose smiled, looking at the mare that had saved Ink Well's life. “Thank you... thank you so much.”
The doctor merely shook her head, which was reinforced by Silverbeak speaking. “It is you and Ink Well that need to be thanked here. He for saving Gilda's and my life, and you for saving his.”
Gilda sat in a chair in the corner since the only two beds were occupied, though she was nearly as bandaged as their occupants. “Yeah,” she muttered. “Last time I make fun of a writer...”
“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we shall be returning to our bedroom. This evening has been trying, and the rest would be appreciated, even with the mess on the floor... Gilda, let's go.” Silverbeak waited at the door for Gilda to get up.
Before they could leave, however, a cold voice spoke to them. “So... that's it? You're going to minimize the doctor's good work, then hole yourself up in your broken nest of pride and vanity and wait out the storm?” Silverbeak, utterly confused, turned to see Rose standing next to Ink Well's bed, a freezing fury in her eyes. “If you really care about what Ink Well did for you, then go to our room and lock the door.”
“Mrs. Roseluck, as much as we-”
“No!” Rose cut the ambassador off with a bark, silencing the proud warrior and making him nearly cower in fear before the smaller mare. “Go into our bedroom, lock the door, and do not open it for anyone . No pride, no 'buts.' You had your chance, and this is NOT HAPPENING AGAIN! ” She had stalked closer the entire time she was talking, but as she ended her command she glared into both Gilda and Silverbeak's eyes, daring them to go against her. “Understood?”
Silverbeak gulped visibly, his claw shaking as he went to bow. “Yes. Indeed. The kindness of your offer knows no bounds.” The two gryphons then nervously scrabbled to the upper decks, leaving Rose with the surprised Ampoule.
That felt good, and Rose didn't know if it was the exhilaration of her love living or the knowledge that his attacker was still out there, but Rose was a mare on a mission. Now that Ink Well was in good hooves and the gryphon's foolish pride had been checked, there was just one thing to focus on. There was a changeling on this ship that had hurt her love, that had impersonated him to do it, and it was going to pay dearly for what it had done.
It and nopony else. “Doctor, I am assuming the Steward has the key to Trixie's shackles, correct?” Ampoule just nodded. “Good. You'll have your bed back within the hour.” Rose marched out of the infirmary and up into the upper decks, searching for Silver Bell. However, with the purpose behind her walk and the fact that she was covered in enough blood for a murder scene, it didn't take long for the Steward to find her.
“Miss Roseluck, if you could-”
Rose turned and glared at Silver Bell. “First of all, it's Mrs., thank you very much. Second, why haven't you released Trixie yet?”
Silver Bell looked confused. “Why would we release the suspected assassin?”
It took all of the new Rose's willpower not to slug the prim unicorn butler. “Because she can't possibly be the assassin if she was chained up in Ampoule's room while my husband was attacked!”
The Steward noticed the angry look in Rose's eye, but stood firm on his point. “Just because there may be a second attacker does not mean we should let the first run free. And I am sorry about your husband, but that doesn't-”
Rose grabbed the unicorn by his fancy lapel, staining it red immediately as her bloody hooves pulled him towards her. “You are going to come with me and release Trixie, then you are going to tell the doctor that her room is available to her, and then you're going to clean up the bloodstains in the gryphons’ room. Don't worry, you won't be disturbing them, but the blood disturbs us all. Do this, and maybe it’ll only be my husband’s that I keep tracking around the ship.” Rose wasn't normally a violent mare. In fact, she'd only ever really been in one fight in her entire life, but at this moment she was willing to buck that trend.
The Steward, however, was not. “Please! Just remain calm and release me and I shall go release Trixie forthwith.” Rose let go of Silver Bell's lapel, causing him to visibly shudder at the blood left behind. “And, if I may so request, please wash up before doing anything more.” He bowed, then headed downstairs, Rose ignoring his advice and following him closely.
However, her mind was elsewhere. Now that she knew that she was looking for a changeling, she was almost kicking herself for not realizing it earlier. It was so obvious... how hadn't she seen it? She tried to remember everything she could about them. They feed on love, but were repelled by a wall of it. They can change their form, they can fly and use magic... um... They're good fighters...
Unfortunately, general knowledge of changelings was fairly basic. To supplement it, she tried to put herself back in Canterlot during the Royal Wedding. She and Ink Well had managed a spot on the extended guest list, which had them inside the city, though not inside the castle. They had experienced the full brunt of the changeling's attack, the green goop they captured ponies in, the surprising physical strength of the feeble looking creatures...
Ink Well, rushing to intercept a magic bolt that was flying towards her. It had knocked them both back, stunning them when they hit the wall. Or rather, it stunner her, as Ink Well lay nearby, blood pouring from his chest.
Rose stopped in her tracks, shaking her head. That was tonight, not then. He tried to defend against them, but was captured and strung up with me... She tried to run the memory again, herself and him, wrapped in that goop and attached to the wall, out of the way. Two of those changelings walked up to them, snickering at their catch.
Then one drove its horn into his side, silencing him for good. She screamed and struggled against the goop, unable to do anything.
Rose stopped again on the stairs, this time drawing the attention of the Steward as she put her bloodied hoof to her head. “Are you alright?”
Rose pulled her hoof away, feeling the cold tacky blood now stuck to her forehead. Stop this Rose! You need to focus. How often have you worried about Ink Well? How often has it been founded? “Yes, yes. I'm fine.” She continued down the stairs, walking over to the room where Trixie was held, but her own question got the better of her as Silver Bell opened the door.
The burns on his hooves, the cut across his cheek, the scar in his side, beneath the wing, the scar in the center of his chest, his weak front-left hoof from the break and the crash, and now a collapsed lung... She remembered every injury, the recovery times... his once pristine fur now so marred with scars. The worst were his legs, the tiny rough cuts almost too numerous to count... She hadn't been able to stop any of those. Hadn't even been able to help this once, when she was just two rooms away...
There was one evening when she'd been even closer. He'd been just up the stairs, so close she could hear the fight, the clashing of metal, the sword impacting against the wood... and Viper coming down, her suddenly chitinous form covered in Ink Well's blood. She wasn't even a changeling! Rose sunk to her knees, experiencing a nightmare she thought she'd forgotten so long ago. He came back... he always comes back. He will this time! She placed her hooves over her head, unable to shake the fear clutching at her heart. Tears started to form again as she remembered every cut... but this time, her love didn't survive them. He broke his promise... he didn't come back.
She fought against them in her mind, wrestling with her guilt to remember the now and the real. He will smile again, and when the ship lands and the beast is caught, he will look at me, hold me close, and say-
“THANK YOU!” Rose's forming tears were flung aside as her body was pulled in a crushing hug, her mind barely able to notice a silvery mane before she was shaken from side to side. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to express her sincerest thanks for her release! She is eternally grateful!” The rapid shaking was cut short, however, as Trixie's face pulled away, a tacky wetness on her cheek. Without removing her hug, Trixie's eyebrow rose. “Trixie wonders why Rose is covered in blood, and how much of it is hers. Also if there is a shower nearby...”
Rose pulled herself from Trixie's grasp. “I'm glad you're free. You're innocent. The attacker was a changeling, and they struck again. Most of this... is my husband's.”
Trixie gasped, taking a step back. “A changeling?! Trixie promises her aid in ousting this foul beast who dared hurt her good friend Rose's loved one!” She struck a dramatic pose, one neither the Steward nor Rose were really in the mood for. Her mane and tail waved in a wind only she seemed to be caught in, and then, just as suddenly as it was struck, the pose was dropped. “Tomorrow. Tonight, Trixie will shower and sleep in her own room.”
Rose stood, watching the mare go, a new bout of tears trying to form as her tired, frazzled mind tried to cope with Trixie's dismissal of her plight. It didn't seem fair! They had to search now! Ink Well had to be avenged!
“Perhaps you could learn a thing from the showmare.”
Rose looked incredulously at the Steward, who simple closed the door and began to walk away. “Perhaps a shower and a good night's rest will get your mind in order. Running about in this state will only cause more harm than good.”
She wanted to yell at him, but she couldn't find any words that made her right. Just the night before she'd met Inky in this state, and not nearly as disheveled as she was... He'd be laughing at her, telling her how silly she looked disobeying her own advice. She needed to let the night pass and look at this problem through the clear mind of the morning. With a defeated sigh in the empty hallway, she made her way upstairs and to her bedroom.
Her locked bedroom.
She felt like she would explode when the realization hit, somewhere between indignant rage and sorrow that her one good deed of the night would not go unpunished. Yes, she had given the gryphons her bedroom, but that didn't mean they could lock her out of her own bed!
She didn't know whether she'd rather kick in the door or curl up in front of it and bawl, but with far more willpower than she thought she possessed at the moment she just got up and walked down the hall. There were two rooms left unoccupied: the gryphon's room, full of blood and broken doors, and the Princess's suite, which Trixie had promised was like a dream. Even if I am yelled at in the morning, a dream is infinitely better than wallowing in the nightmare.
She turned the knob on the door, as far down the hall as could be from her own room, and sighed in relief when it opened under her grip. She didn't care about the tiny bit of blood she left behind on the silver knob or the beautiful, plush carpet perfectly depicting the night sky. She hardly noticed the immaculate silver shower, or the tiles that seemed a perfect match for the moon high above. And she definitely didn't notice the incredibly light and unbelievably warm sheets she crawled under, smoother than silk and lighter than air as they perfectly contoured to her tired body, resting as it was on a bed that made a cloud seem hard.
All that she knew was that, as quickly as it came, her sleep was restless and her dreams troubled. Even direct intervention from Princess Luna herself would not have helped this night.
Rose groaned as she pushed herself up from the bed, the sheets thrown every which way by her turning in the night. She kicked them off as she rolled to the edge, standing ready to face the day. She didn't know how long she'd been out, and she felt like it hadn't been nearly long enough, but she had a changeling to find, and there was one sure place she could observe everypony: the dining room.
When she got down to it, however, she found that it wasn't the breakfast spread out, but in fact the lunch food. Did I really sleep that late? Rose looked around the room, finding a clock at the wall that, indeed, was marking the time as just before noon. Rose cursed silently to herself. Only a few hours to find the attacker... Looking around the room, it wasn't at all what she expected. It was, however, more like the day after an attack should be.
Half of the guests were missing from the room, and the other half were cold and distant. Rose tried to go between them, to see if she could maybe get some information, but all she received were cold stares and dismissive words, even from Blueblood and Greenback, both of which had been kind enough to her on the trip... okay, Blueblood had creepily hit on her, but it was at least nice to know she was still attractive to ponies that weren't her husband.
A husband that nopony seemed willing to console her about. Sure, Rose wasn't in a corner crying her eyes out, but that was only because she had a job to do. The huge bags under her eyes and the fact that her mane was out of sorts should have been more than enough to at least warrant an 'are you alright?' And yet she got nothing. All of them seem like monsters... Finding a changeling in this group will be impossible.
Rose walked over to the buffet table, stomach empty, but not hungry, causing her to look at the spread listlessly. As she did, Fleur passed her by, a tray laden with food carried delicately in her pink magic. As soon as the model realized who she was walking by, however, she paused, turning to Rose. “I am so sorry to 'ear what 'appened to your 'usband. Eet was a very noble thing zat 'e did for ze gryphons.”
Rose smiled weakly at the kind mare. “Thank you very much for saying so. He has always been the kind to rush to the aid of others. Though maybe he'll be more careful next time.” Rose managed a halfhearted chuckle at her own joke, which was matched with a polite giggle from the model. However, Rose noted the lack of gryphons once Fleur mentioned them. “Have you seen Silverbeak or Gilda today? I'd just like to make sure they are alright.”
Fleur smiled at Rose's worry. “Zere iz nothing to fear! Ze gryphon ambassador and 'is guard are locked securely in your room. Some of ze food on zis tray iz for zem, actually. Zey do not seem too keen on leaving zeir room today. Je ne les blâme pas... ” She shook her head slowly, then pointed to a separate part of the tray. “Ze rest iz for my darling 'usband. 'E seems to 'ave caught a chill, az 'e aches and 'is nose iz running. 'E must 'ave caught eet out in ze night air before bed last night.”
If my husband were only so lucky. “Well, I wish you the best on your delivery, Fleur, and I hope your husband gets well soon.”
Fleur nodded in appreciation. “Thank you Roze. I wish for a speedy recovery for your 'usband too.” As she set off, though, she winced, the magic surrounding the tray faltering for just a moment. Luckily, Rose was able to jump for it, keeping the food from spilling everywhere. Fleur took it up in her magic again almost instantly.
Rose looked a little worried for the unicorn. “Are you alright?”
Fleur nodded. “Oui, I am fine. Eet was just a passing 'eadache. I think I may 'ave caught Fancy's chill az well...”
Rose frowned, grabbing an orange off the table and placing it carefully on the tray with a smile. “That's for you. Citrus will do wonders for a cold, and it's best for you to not also be getting sick.”
Fleur smiled as well. “Thank you for caring for me. Now I must be off, I 'ave already been too long.” With that she trotted off, heading up to the cabins to deliver her food.
After watching Fleur leave, Rose returned her attention to the table, only to immediately be waylaid by a blue and silver blur, getting pulled under the food table and covered by the tablecloth. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has rested and may now help you!” Crouched as they both were beneath the table, Trixie still removed her hat and bowed deeply, her cape scrunched up on the floor. “How may Trixie amaze you?”
Rose was not amused. “I'd like to know what we're doing under here, for starters, and then I would like to get some food. I can only do so much thinking on an empty stomach.” She still wasn't actually hungry, but she would be... that would be an issue better to head off now.
Trixie raised an eyebrow at her. “Trixie thought you would prefer to hear her information in private, away from prying, eyes. Also... Trixie gets yelled at for eating with the passengers.”
Rose sighed. “Silver Bell?” Trixie nodded to confirm. “Don't worry about him. He'll be too angry at me for sleeping in the Princess's suite. Now come on.” Rose got out, helping Trixie out as well and grabbing a jelly-filled doughnut and an apple from the buffet. She then walked over to an empty table, sitting down and starting with the doughnut, for a bit of quick energy. Trixie soon sat across from her, a plate completely laden with everything the spread had to offer landing in front of her, then very rapidly dwindling under Trixie's voracious appetite.
By the time Rose had struggled the apple into her stomach Trixie's plate was empty, the showmare quite satisfied with herself. Rose shook her head at the thought of having to ask the mare for help... but it was her best option. “Trixie, if we're hunting a changeling, what can we do? Unless you can do that love-bubble thing that Princess Cadence did, how will we ever discover the shape-shifter?”
Trixie frowned deeply. “Trixie cannot 'do that love-bubble,' as you put it, but she can provide information!” She smiled then, leaning in close so that only Rose could hear. “There are a few things that are common knowledge: changelings can transform, they feed on love, they can do that weird mucous cocoon thing, their magic is green... it's all well known. What isn't well known is this: the blood of a changeling, while alive or fresh, glows with their magic. Essentially, they pump so much magic into maintaining their altered shape that their blood retains it after being spilled.”
Rose frowned at the information. “Their blood glows? How would you know this?”
Trixie smiled knowingly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was doing shows in Manehattan during the Royal Wedding. After the scare, she was subjected, and witness to, many tests. Many a hidden changeling among Manehattan's population was discovered when a drop of their blood glowed on the street. The glow only lasts about ten minutes and is only really visible in low light, but it is the single most foalproof way of discovering a changeling without a pony 'doing a love-bubble.'”
“So if their blood glows... that explains the glow I remember on Steelwing's wing blades! They were glowing in the light, though it was hard to tell under Ampoule's magic. But... why does that...” Rose wracked her brain for more information... there was another glowing injury, one she had attributed to something else, but now... “Trixie, could you get me into the main crew quarters?”
Trixie's smile widened. “But of course! Trixie is only curious as to why?”
Rose's face was set in determination. “I have a few questions for a certain engineer...”
Morning Dew sat on her bunk, looking at the tip of her hoof angrily. Hooves weren't the most dextrous things in the world to begin with, and so far having one of hers wrapped up in bandages had made some of her normal daily tasks far more difficult than they had any reason to be. But the fact that they were still stained red, even after she had just changed them, meant that the cut from the gears was deeper than she'd thought. Still... better to lose some use than to be getting oil in her wound.
Just as she was finishing putting on her uniform to go back out, she was walked up to quite purposefully by the mare from the night before, the magician trailing close behind. “Morning Dew, right? Do you have a moment?”
After taking a moment to remember the mare's name, Dew responded. “I might have one laying around, Rose, but I won't for long, especially not after your little interruption last night.” She moved to walk past the two mares, but they formed a wall, keeping her near her bunk. Dew cleared her throat. “If you'd let me by, I have a bit of maintenance to attend to.”
Dew went to push past Rose, finding the earth pony to be a surprisingly sturdy barrier. “It won't take but a moment of your time.” Rose's voice was cold, and she looked like she hadn't had a wink of sleep all night, not at all like she had the night before. “I was wondering if I could see your cut.”
Dew raised an eyebrow, definitely not liking how pushy Rose was being. “I just finished bandaging it back up. It's still bleeding, and I'd rather not get anything in it.”
A small smirk edged onto Rose's face, her eyes still hard. “Oh, is it now? Well, I may not be a professional, but I like to think myself an accomplished nurse. I could take a look at it, if you haven't gone back to the infirmary.”
Dew managed to shoulder past Rose, even as her nerves started to fray from Rose's stare. “I wrapped it myself, I keep a first aid kit at my bunk. Now, I'm running late...”
Rose's hoof descended on her like an iron vise, keeping Dew from going on. “Well, if you had seen the doctor, you'd have known that my husband was badly injured last night defending the gryphons from another assassination attempt. The assassin was a changeling.” Dew could feel Rose's eyes boring into her, studying her for any reaction. “Now, I'll ask again. Can we see your cut?”
The lack of a reaction was annoying to Rose, and yet expected. The complete lack of a reaction, however, was far more telling than any other would have been. “I'm very sorry about Ink Well, but I don't see how that concerns me.” Dew's voice was stern, steady, and impatient. She wanted to get away, which she only confirmed when she tried to twist out of Rose's hoof.
Rose wasn't going to let that happen. A second hoof went out, her weight shifting along with Morning Dew's, causing Dew to stumble and giving Rose a moment to pin her to the edge of her bunk. “Trixie, if you could.” Dew struggled in Rose's grip, weakly at first, but as Trixie's lavender magic started to undo the bandages, her efforts redoubled, showing far more strength than Rose expected. Still, the magic began to pull the bandages away, even against Dew's slightly pleading protests.
Rose continued to study Dew even as the pegasus struggled, noting the hint of fear in her eyes. As the bandage was about to fall off on its own, Dew's eyes squeezed shut, a tear appearing at their corner. Rose's resolve faltered for just a moment, worried that she had gone too far. Her grip on Dew's wrists weakened for just a second.
At that same second Dew pushed off from the wall, showing far more strength than she had even a moment ago and easily overpowering Rose. However, before her pounding hooves could take her anywhere, Trixie was on the case, slamming the door to the next room shut with her magic and flicking off the lights. The room plunged into darkness apart from the glow of Trixie's horn.
And then, as Rose's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was able to see Dew standing defensively in the corner, the picture of a caged animal. A caged animal with a glowing green smear beneath its hoof, matching spots resting on the bandage and marking its every step to its spot.
Rose's eyes narrowed, all pity for the mare lost in an instant. “Why did you attack them?”
Dew's eyes still had tears on the edges. “I didn't attack anyone! I didn't know about any of it until you told me!”
“Trixie and Rose are wise to your tricks! You cannot fool us with simple lies!” Trixie held the door shut with her magic, ensuring nobody could get in or out, which seemed to be a problem for whoever was knocking on the other side of the door.
Dew's voice lowered at the knock, but its intensity was still there. “I am not lying. I had nothing to do with the attack on either the gryphons or Ink Well.” She looked up at Rose, her eyes sincere. “I would never hurt a guest, especially not the one that showed me kindness.”
Rose's resolve didn't waver, her voice ringing in the room. “The fact of the matter is that a changeling attacked-”
“And I am not the only one on the ship!” Dew's voice cut Rose's off, silencing even the echoes of Rose’s statement. The spell was broken almost immediately by the insistent knocking on the door outside and the muffled inquiries into what was happening. The three mares in the room all studied each other, wondering where the next move would come from.
It came from Dew, her cornered pose dropping into one of defeat. “Look, I will tell you whatever you want to know, do whatever you ask, just, please, can we talk somewhere more private?” Before her meaning could even be asked for, she cut the question off. “The engine room. The noise will drown us out.”
Rose heard the knocking at the door, noting the increasingly worried nature of the voice, but kept her eye on Dew, who seemed to almost cringe away from the door. “How can we trust you? How do we know you aren't lying to us again? How do we know you won't run? Or that you won't hurt us in there where nopony can hear us call for help?”
Dew's eyes were pleading. “Please, you just have to trust me on this one. If I was the one you wanted, I would have jumped off the boat last night. If I wanted to hurt you just now, I could have quite easily.” She bowed her nose to the floor, showing complete submission. “I don't want any trouble at all and will do whatever you want, just, please... let me have this.”
Rose's hard eyes studied the bowing mare... no, that was only a disguise. And yet... the tone was true, and her tears earlier... “Trixie, turn on the lights and open the door.” She could see the indecisive look on Trixie's face, but the showmare trusted Rose's judgment, doing as she instructed.
Behind the door was a fairly worried engineer, the strange scene before him doing nothing to help. “Morning Dew, are you alright? I thought I heard shouting.”
Dew stood up from her bow, hoping the tears had left her eyes as she spoke. “I'm fine. Everything's been cleared up. And the oil can you're looking for is on your bunk, West.”
The crew mate called West looked between the three mares in the room, not fully satisfied by the answer, but not willing to actually do anything considering he was running late. He just nodded slowly as he walked to his bed, picking up the can Dew had pointed out. “If you say so...”
Once West had left, Morning Dew let out a tired sigh. “Alright. Engine room. Not a word until we get there.”
“I'll lead the way.” Rose was not about to let a confessed changeling have even an inch of breathing room. If what she said was true, then Rose would figure things out from there, but after what she'd seen in Canterlot, and after what just one changeling had done to her husband the night before, Rose was taking no chances, making sure Trixie stayed in back to keep Dew in line.
However, neither of them were forced to react to anything except walking slightly slower than normal, as Dew was keeping her injured hoof off of the ground to avoid tracking blood spots behind her. When Rose opened the door to the engine room, muscles coiled and ready for a chase, she was almost disappointed when Dew just walked into the room with no trouble. Trixie and Rose both even stood between Dew and the door, a seemingly unneeded gesture. “Alright. I know you have questions, what do you want to know?”
In the dim light and whirring noise of the room, Rose decided to cut to the chase. “If you are not the assassin, who is? Who is the other changeling?”
Dew looked her straight in the eye. “I can't tell you that.”
“Are the two of you working together? Are you buying time for them to get away? Are you a spy wishing to steal Trixie's magical secrets?” Trixie lit her horn like a spotlight, shining it on Dew's face and causing her to place a hoof up to cover her eyes.
“I can't tell you because I don't know! Even a changeling cannot pinpoint another changeling in disguise.”
Rose frowned at the explanation, though it did make sense with what she saw in Canterlot. More than one changeling had taken a blast from another when the guards, both real and fake, met the changeling swarm. However, there was now something new gnawing at her. “Morning Dew, which I doubt is your real name, could you drop your disguise? I'd like to see who I am talking with, and then I'd like you to explain yourself.”
It looked like it pained Dew to do it, but in a flash of green the sky blue mare was gone, fur replaced by the shiny black chitin of a changeling. The fangs, the frills, the holes, even the insectile eyes and wings were there, but none of them showed anger. If anything, the way her ears were folded against her head, the way her tail drooped low... Dew was ashamed of her form. “Fine, but please, I am Morning Dew. It's the only name I have.”
Rose noted the odd statement, but nodded. “Please continue, Ms. Dew.” Seeing the way Trixie's light shined through the holes in Dew's leg, making her block less effective, Rose motioned for Trixie to take the light away. It was met with a very confused and suspicious look from Trixie, but she complied.
Dew, thankful for the consideration, put her hoof down, explaining herself. “A changeling's disguise is perfect. It's not just an illusion, it's not mind control or trickery. From tip to tail, fur color to blood type, a changeling is their disguise. To ask me to pick a changeling from a pony would be like asking me to pick a rock from a geode at sight alone. However, we can feel each other's magic in an area, and through our own instincts and smarts, can figure out friend from foe.”
Morning Dew took a step forward, her alien face completely serious. “There is a changeling among the guests, and none among the crew apart from myself. I don't know if I can be of any more help than that, but I will do whatever you want me to. If for no other reason than to avenge Ink Well.”
Rose pondered that statement as well for a moment. “What is it that Ink Well did that's got you so fired up?”
“He was kind to me.” Morning Dew looked Rose in the eyes, sincerity showing through. “He came up to me and started a conversation knowing that I was staff. He made me laugh and showed interest in my work merely because he wanted to. And last night, after the injury, he offered to help me walk even as he questioned my alibi. He wasn't worried I would hurt him, he didn't care that I was a suspect... and his wording was clear. He wanted to 'prove Trixie's innocence.' Not dig up dirt on her, not try to test her, but go out of his way to make it known she wasn't guilty. All of this while investigating something he, like everypony else, could have let lie. He even got hurt defending the gryphons from an attack! I would like to see any of the elite on this ship do something like that. Especially the way Silver Bell talks about the gryphons in the staff areas...” Her determination grew as she talked. “Ink Well is the kind of pony everyone should look up to. Only a monster would stand by and let his attacker go free.”
Rose found more questions forming in her mind for the mare she stood before. The mare who had seen everything in a day Rose was still finding out after years married to Ink Well. “Dew... why did you become an engineer?”
Morning Dew seemed almost shocked by the question, taking more than a few moments to get her mind wrapped around it. “Well... because it's something that I am highly interested in. I can't say it's my special talent or anything, but I worked hard to get where I am, and I enjoy my work with a passion. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing.”
“And why are you doing it in Equestria?”
That one took no time to answer. “To live the dream. To be a happy, healthy pony like you all are. To have the same opportunities, the ability to become whatever you want to be. We don't even have airships back home. Most changelings are sent from the swarm. They are on missions to strengthen the queen, to give power to the hive. Very few choose to leave it, and even fewer can do so on their own... But many still dream.”
The silence left after Dew spoke thrummed with energy, the engine's constant sound a reminder that time was moving on. And, as the reminder became more pressing, Rose finally broke the silence. “Morning Dew, be ready to go out. We have an assassin to find.”
Rose watched with interest as the green flames formed around Dew's hooves, sweeping up and engulfing the changeling, leaving behind her sky blue coat once more. She nodded when she was done, signaling Rose to open the door and step out in the hall.
It turned out that the secrecy was unneeded, however, as the hall was much louder than the din the engine room was making. There seemed to be a great struggle coming from nearby, and all three mares began to trot towards it almost on instinct.
“Please, you have to remain calm, or I am going to have to sedate you!”
“You just try it! I am walking out of here, or I-” a hacking cough interrupted the rest of the sentence, but the voice sent a flutter through Rose's heart. She knew it anywhere.
By the time she reached the infirmary door the scene had escalated, Ink Well's bandaged and battered body bent behind his bed, deftly dodging the doctor's dangerous hypodermic. Ampoule grabbed Ink Well in her magic, lifting him up bodily and pulling the struggling pegasus's arm into needle range when Rose spoke up. “Wait! Doctor, please, let him go.”
Ink Well's eyes lit up, a smile on his face, despite the blood dripping from his mouth. “Rose?” His voice was weak, and even that one word started another coughing fit that only added to the mess around his mouth, but he was happy all the same.
The nurse, however, was not. “Mrs. Rose, I'm afraid I can't condone this. I know how much you wish to see your husband, but he shouldn't even be awake for a few days, let alone moving around the ship.”
“I told you, I need to look for the changeling before we dock today!” Every word Ink Well said was breathy, like he hadn't the air to continue.
“And I told you that you had a collapsed lung and shouldn't be yelling like that!” Ampoule tugged on Ink Well's arm once more, her needle hovering dangerously over his fur until Rose walked over, grabbing the needle with her teeth.
“One,” she said, placing the needle down on the table, “he doesn't like needles. At all. With the way he freaked out when I was at the hospital, you would've thought he was the one going into labor.” A giggle floated from all the mares in the room, causing Ink Well to blush. “Two, once he gets like this, you can't stop him.”
Rose frowned, turning to face Ink Well still floating in the doctor's magic. “He walked out of my house on a broken leg, four burned hooves, and smoke inhalation because he didn't want to be a burden on me. This isn't going to stop him.” Ink Well looked slightly sheepish when Rose glared at him, but the smile that formed on her mouth managed to reach his too. Right until he was unceremoniously dropped onto his bed.
“Fine. Go on, go collapse your lung again. I really appreciate my hard work being undone like that.” Ampoule muttered as she walked over to Steelwing's bed, where the gryphon was still unconscious. “At least some patients know how to act...” Ink Well coughed on the bed, wiping the blood that came up off on his bandaged arm. Before it could retreat, however, Rose was holding his hoof in hers, just happy to know he was alright.
“Am I interrupting something?” The light tones of Fleur de Lis floated from the door, where the slightly bedraggled mare was looking quite confused.
Ampoule grumbled from her place beside her patient. “No. Not at all! Apparently they don't need my care.” She then walked around the gryphon and towards Fleur. “So what's wrong with you? Stabbed in the back? Fractured tibia? Maybe a sudden case of Cutie Pox?”
Fleur shook her head, backing away at the accusations. “Ah. Non , I was just 'oping you might 'ave something for a terrible 'eadache? Eet 'as been unbearable today...”
Ampoule almost snorted in annoyance, a 'hmmf!' coming out instead. “Is that all?” Without looking she magicked open a drawer, levitating out a small bottle, then pulling a tablet from that and giving it to Fleur. “Take that with water, it should take effect within the hour.”
While this was going on, Ink Well's concern came back. “We need to get out there. There's a changeling on this ship and we-” Rose placed a hoof on his mouth, silencing him before she hugged him tight enough to make him wince.
“Don't worry, Inky. I'll explain everything in a moment.” With a knowing smirk on her muzzle born from Ink Well's confusion, Rose turned to the door just as Fleur was about to leave. “Trixie, Fleur, could you do me a favor? Could you ask the Steward to collect the guests in the dining room?” Her gaze traveled from the two unicorns to Morning Dew, the 'pegasus' just as out of the loop as the others. “It's time to end this whole mess.”
“Are you sure you want to do this, Inky?” Rose asked as she finished dressing him in his suit, very neatly hiding most of the bandages from his most recent fight, as well as the scars from his previous adventures. “I could probably do your job this time, maybe let you take it easy just this once?”
Ink Well shook his head, removing the bandaging around it as he did. The cuts there were shallow and not bleeding, but the way he teetered slightly unnerved Rose. He brushed his mane quickly with a hoof, setting it in place, then peeked out of the stage door. The guests were assembling. “No. As Princess Luna's stand in, I have to do this. But that's not the only reason.” He moved slightly, showing him the main door to the room, where Trixie stood guard, and the one to the kitchen, where Dew watched for the guests. “In all likelihood, the changeling, if they're still here, will try to escape. I can't do anything about them in my state, but you can.”
He looked at Rose, his emerald eyes meeting her ivy ones and showing just how much this meant. “You have already done so much, but I need you to do one more thing for me.”
Rose nodded before leaning in and giving Ink Well a loving kiss. “I will. Just... promise me, when this is done... Don't you ever scare me like that again.”
Ink Well nodded solemnly. “I promise. Though I think you have the Princess to blame for making a liar of me this time.” He smirked, but his chuckle was cut off with a cough, bringing up some blood from his injured lung. Just as he was about to wipe it with a sleeve, Rose dabbed his mouth with a napkin, placing it in his lapel. Originally it had been white, but the red set off his coat better anyway.
Ink Well just smiled, then looked out the door again in time to see Dew react and nod his direction. The changeling was there... As he peeked at those who entered, though, his heart sank. Every single one of the guests had crowded in at once, save for the gryphons, who were lagging by the door. He sighed, his head drooping to the floor. “Couldn't make it easy on me...” He then gave Rose a quick hug. “Go on, get in position. The show's about to start.”
Rose made her way out from backstage, taking a position by the entrance to the dining room just as Ink Well took the stage. As he reached center and opened his mouth to speak, trumpets blared a fanfare and fireworks went off behind him, causing him to jump slightly and glare towards the showmare in the back of the room. “Thank you, Trixie...” He coughed to clear his throat, then turned his attention to the audience, his voice strong despite his injuries. “Ladies, Gentlecolts, and Esteemed Gryphons, I am sure you are all wondering why I gathered you here this fine afternoon.” There was a general collective yawn from the crowd except from those who had the decency to look worried for his health: Gilda, Silverbeak, Fleur, and Fancypants.
Unfortunately, Ink Well had been expecting more of a reaction than that, but he didn't allow his annoyance to show too readily. “I am here because, as you well know, there is an assassin on this boat.” Again, muted reactions, but at least their attentions were on him now. “And, to be perfectly precise, in this very room.”
That at least got a reaction. Fleur de Lis and Diamond Wishes both gasped, while Greenback, Fancypants, and Silverbeak began casting suspicious eyes on the others in the room. Blueblood looked completely indignant that he was sharing air with a criminal, while Gilda was practically jumping at the chance to start tearing into ponies.
The Steward huffed. “What makes you think that these fine members of the Canterlot Elite would ever sully their hooves with something like that? And how do we know it's not you? You and your wife were the only ponies seen entering the gryphon's room.”
Ink Well smirked, pointing an accusing hoof at the Steward. “And you would be the one to know that, wouldn't you? Considering you were watching the gryphons like a hawk.”
The Steward reeled back from Ink Well's hoof. “Whatever are you talking about? Of course I have been. I keep a careful eye on all of my guests.”
“Sure, sure. And this is why, at every incident, you were the first on the scene, trying to brush it off, trying to keep everypony's attention off of them. Almost like you wanted them out of your mane.” Ink Well stepped off of the stage, walking up to the Steward. “Admit it, those claws and paws walking around, tearing up your carpets, the guards always at the ready. Uncultured brutes as you saw them. I’m sure you questioned why they were even on the ship.”
The Steward snorted. “This is ridiculous.”
“Oh? The crew below doesn't think so. You mutter once you get below decks, Silver Bell. And a stuffy snob like you could never like the gryphons. That's why you didn't hardly react when they were attacked. That's why you grabbed the first pony to present herself as the the criminal, and most damningly, that's why you never cleaned up the blood stains in their room.”
The Steward stood up, his normal calm seeming to slip as he jabbed his hoof in Ink Well's face. “They never should have had a room to begin with, and neither should you! Equestrian politics stays within Equestria, and the standards of a Princess's ship should never be sullied with claws any more than bloody hooves! The unicorns of the Canterlot Elite are the only ones worthy of this honor.” He held his nose high, glaring down it at Ink Well before the sounds of Gilda being forcibly held back caused him to drop his hoof. “In any case, I don't see how this could possibly make me the attacker!”
Ink Well smirked. “It can't, I just wanted to get that all out in the open.” He coughed into his napkin, grimacing at how damp it was getting. But if it ended this... a little pain was worth it.
Silver Bell blushed and sat down, feeling Gilda’s piercing glare boring into the back of his head while Ink Well started to make his way back onto the stage. He was stopped, however, by a scoffing remark from Blueblood. “What reason could anypony possibly have to attack the gryphons?”
Ink Well smiled knowingly. “I'm quite glad you brought that up, Prince. You see, I was wondering the same thing. Silver Bell said it himself, Equestrian politics belong in Equestria. If your dear aunt Luna did get the backing of the gryphons, then so what? Who in this room would let that have any influence on them? So then I thought, perhaps, that it was a crime of passion. A certain silly colt getting a lust for the exotic, turned down, enacting revenge. It would be so easy! And you would even be favoring your favorite aunt in the process.”
“I would never lower myself to something as debasing as touching a gryphon!” He said the word gryphon like one might the word trash, causing an instant drop in temperature around Gilda and Silverbeak, which Blueblood seemed all too happy to ignore.
“No, I suppose you wouldn't. Not enough down to fill your pillow, or perhaps her blood is just too common. Didn't stop you from eying her, and every mare in the room since you got on the ship, but I notice you never actually asked but one out.” Ink Well grinned cruelly. “It's actually something I rather like about the Royal Families. Apart from Shining Armor, all but one has guts, and none of them have balls.”
“Why you common hooligan!” Prince Blueblood stormed up to Ink Well, lifting a glove from his pocket with a flick of his horn's baby blue magic and slapping the antagonizing pegasus across the face. “I challenge you to a duel of honor!”
Ink Well reeled with the blow like he'd been hit by a brick, his body listing heavily, drawing a collective 'ooh' from everyone present. Blueblood looked quite pleased with himself, watching the injured pegasus.
“Challenge accepted!” Ink Well roared as he got up, using the momentum of his swaying to put even more strength behind the hoof that collided with Blueblood's nose. Unfortunately the unicorn didn't live up to his name, his muzzle staining itself red as he fell over, hitting the ground and not moving. Ink Well coughed again, his blood falling onto Blueblood's pristine coat. “I have wanted to do that since I got on this ship...” Ink Well shook his hoof, the force of the impact making him wince. “Hit on my wife again and you'll be in much worse shape than that.”
Diamond Wishes, Greenback, and the Steward all dropped down next to Blueblood, doting over the fallen prince, but Ink Well didn't pay them much mind. He also ignored the thumbs-up Gilda gave him, continuing with his thoughts. “Gilda, when she was attacked, confirmed the attacker's magic color as green, which really left only one suspect. And who better to hide a secret profession as a killer than an old, sleazy, friendly banker?” He looked at Greenback briefly, seeing the glare and the move to defend himself, but cut the old stallion off with a hoof. “However, I was attacked the second time by myself, which not only confirmed my suspicion that the attacking unicorn had wings, but made it fairly obvious we were dealing with a changeling.”
That got everypony's attention, pulling it away from Blueblood and back to Ink Well as he kept talking. “But changelings have tells: green magic, parasitic feeding on love, glowing blood... so a changeling trying to hide in plain sight, they've got to be careful. Especially if they've been injured in their failed attacks, like ours was two nights ago. Mysterious injuries can only be hidden so well.” His eyes locked onto Fancy Pants, and suddenly everyone else's eyes did too. “Fancy, how is your arm?”
Fleur almost seemed to be trying to defend the prim unicorn as he cleared his throat, pulling up his jacket to show his arm, the cut barely noticeable amid the fur. “Much better, thank you. I seem to have healed rather nicely.”
“I can see that. Still, I get the feeling this whole mess could have been avoided if you'd just used your magic with the knife.” Ink Well tapped a hoof to his chin. “You know, come to think of it, I haven't seen your magic once on this trip...”
“Well, I was tired that morning, you see, after the ordeal the night before, and I was coming down with a cold as I started this trip. Neither are ideal conditions for magic, my dear colt, though you would have no way of knowing that.” Fancy Pants kept up a very calm demeanor, despite all eyes being on him. Even Fleur was looking at him strangely.
Ink Well noticed this, his voice amicable as he turned towards her. “Fleur, how is that headache of yours? And when did they start to appear?”
“My 'ead iz still pounding, even after ze medicine.” Her eyes widened in horror as she looked at Fancy Pants, all of the strange looks he'd received before paling in comparison. “And zey started yesterday evening...”
“What a coincidence! Don't you think that a strange coincidence, 'Fancy Pants?'” He looked directly at the noble stallion, who adjusted his monocle and slowly backed away. He didn't get very far, however, before he backed right into Rose.
He turned to face her, rubbing a hoof behind his leg and flashing her a quick smile. “Ah, hello Rose-”
“Hello, 'Ink Well.'” Rose placed a hoof on his cheek, pushing a little and sliding it to the side. Fancy Pants winced in pain, and when Rose pulled her hoof back, a bit of white makeup was on it.
Revealed for all to see on Fancy Pants's face was a nasty bruise, right where Ink Well's blow had landed the night before. Fancy Pants sighed at the collective gasp, a grim smirk forming on his face as he closed his eyes. “Only so much you can take. You heal what you can, you hide what you must...” When his eyes opened, a green glow suffused them, a matching glow forming around Trixie at the door. “And you learn to make a quick exit!”
'Fancy Pants' shouldered Rose hard, sending her skidding to the side as he took to the air. He also sent Trixie flying towards the other guests with his magic. Rose was moving before she even recovered, vaulting over Trixie, hooves pounding the floorboards as she chased the imposter from the room.
He moved incredibly fast, but the narrow corridors and stairways of the ship only allowed so much movement, and Rose was determined. He was not going to hurt anypony else, and he was not going to get away. She bolted past the cabins, where his crimes had been committed. She shot through the lounge, leaping onto the chess set, then the bar before vaulting the railing of the stairs to the deck. She burst through the doors to see 'Fancy' on the bow, standing up on his hind legs, his arms outspread as he looked at her, a smug smile on his face. She pounded across the deck, but she could only watch as green fire flickered over his whole form, 'Fancy Pants' turning into a dark green pegasus before falling slowly backwards, about to fly away beneath the ship...
Oh no you don't! Rose grabbed an end of loose coil of rope in her teeth as she sprinted the last short distance, then leaped over the railing, diving into the open sky.
Ink Well wheezed as he landed on the deck, lungs burning and pain shooting through him for his exertion, but it all turned to ice when he saw Rose's tail disappear below the ship, only a thin rope trailing behind her... He choked back the coughing fit that threatened to stop him, closing his eyes in concentration and squeezing every bit of air out of his lungs as he ran for the rapidly disappearing coil of rope. He would have sighed in relief when his teeth closed around the rope if he hadn't been so busy coughing up blood onto it, and any relief he had was lost when he opened his eyes, seeing the last few loops of spare rope uncoiling.
Rose dived straight down through the sky, the wind whipping through her mane and tail and causing her eyes to water as she chased after the dark green figure below. A few clouds shot past her, but what rapidly filled her vision was the giant green landscape so very far beneath her. Suddenly the tiny rope in her teeth felt so insignificant...
She shook her head, not letting doubts enter her mind here. It was too late for that anyway. She pulled her hooves against her sides, the wind roaring in her ears as she sped up her fall, tilting herself towards the rapidly growing pegasus. She only had one shot at this, she had to make it count.
Luckily, she was the last thing the imposter expected.
She crashed into the winged runner, whose gentle flight instantly became a harrowing fall as Rose wrapped her hooves around him, sending them both tumbling towards the ground. Wherever this took her, they were going there together.
There was no time to even think about tying the rope to something before it went taut and Ink Well was pulled bodily across the deck, his hooves scrabbling against the shuffleboard courts for any sort of purchase. He left four gouges in his wake as he was dragged all the way to the railing, his shoulder catching on one pole, his rear leg catching against another, and his wing wedging him against the top bar.
Most of his body dangled over the edge, his lungs feeling like they were imploding as he spasmed in pain, coughing up more blood on the rope firmly held in his teeth. He wrapped the hoof of his injured shoulder around the pole there, feeling the heavy rope jiggle and shake, attempting to pull itself free.
But he didn't care if it knocked out all of his teeth in the process. What was on the other end was far too important to let fall.
Rose and the changeling tumbled through the sky, green flames flying behind them as its disguise melted away, fangs bared and chitinous hooves flailing for freedom. It kicked and bit at her, but she held fast, able to do nothing else as the rope suddenly went taut, pulling against her teeth and stopping the two from falling. Instead, they now swung through the air, Rose's neck straining with the weight of two ponies.
The changeling never stopped struggling, its wings buzzing and the sharp edges of the holes in its legs scraping against Rose's fur at it bashed at her limbs. It had gotten this far in its escape, and some earth pony dangling thousands of feet above the ground wasn't going to stop it.
Unfortunately, Rose knew precisely what would happen if the beast were to get free, so she put her effort into a bone-crushing hug. It returned the favor by bashing its head into her jaw, its twisted horn barely missing her head. It then sank its fangs into her arm, drawing blood and causing her to cry out between her teeth.
As they reached the top of their swing, Rose squeezed hard, managing to wind the changeling for a second. With her one arm occupying the changeling's mouth, she brought the other under its neck, hoping to finish the fight as quickly as she could.
However, it noticed the move, squirming against her legs in its attempt to free itself. It didn't manage that, but it did manage to twist, rearing its head back to attack her exposed neck. One bite, one little puncture from one of those fangs, and it would all be over.
The fangs never bit down there, however. When it let go of her arm, she brought the bleeding appendage up as quickly as she could, successfully saving her neck by sacrificing her arm. As they did, she squeezed and pulled with her other arm, applying pressure to the changeling's windpipe. Eventually, slowly, the changeling stopped fighting, the wing beats slowing, the grip on her arm weakening until, finally, it went limp, becoming dead weight in her hooves.
She sighed with relief, wiping the sweat off of her brow, before looking up at the boat, so very far above her... Her jaw was sore, her arm was weak and losing blood, she could feel the adrenaline ebbing, its absence making her shaky... Whatever had the rope at the other end, she hoped it would start pulling soon.
As she pondered what keeping her from plummeting to the ground, a single drop of blood landed on her nose. She closed her eyes, at once calmed and terrified. She was in good hooves... She just wished they were stronger right now.
Ink Well couldn't even dream of pulling Rose up... if Rose was even still on the other end. He was grateful when the movement on the rope had stopped, but... there was nothing he could do. He felt like he was dying just holding himself there, whatever force had gotten him this far starting to run out. If he didn't get help soon... he wasn't even going to think about it.
Just then four hooves landed next to the railing, a worried voice calling out to him. “Ink Well! Hold tight! I'm going to pull you back in!” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Morning Dew grab his tail, her steady hoofsteps drawing it over the deck and pulling the hair straight. He felt a tug, then two... but he didn't feel himself moving.
Try as she might, Dew's strength wasn't enough to even ease the pressure on Ink Well's injuries. He whimpered around the rope when she spat out his tail. “I'm sorry! I'll get more help!” Ink Well made a negative sound, all that he could do with his mouth full of bloody rope. Every second was of the essence... who knows what would happen if she left him dangling there.
She didn't understand. “I can't pull you up! What do you want me to do?”
You're a changeling... use your magic. He didn't know how empathetic changelings were, but he pleaded with his eyes, hoping she might get the message.
Somehow, she did, but that scared her more. She shook her head. “If they find out... if anypony learns...”
Rose will die if you don't! I don't care what I have to do, you will not be punished for saving her... just... please save her! She continued to hesitate, either not understanding his plea or refusing to believe it. And every moment she did, he felt his grip slipping, his strength disappearing...
He knew exactly what he'd do if that rope fell. He'd let go of the railing and dive after it, no matter who tried to stop him. Because the only alternative was a life without Rose... He wouldn't even begin to imagine that. It wasn't a life worth living.
However, whether it was considering the possibility or just the pain and fatigue catching up to him, Ink Well started to cry. The tears slipped away into the sky, falling past the rope stained with his blood, falling past the light of his life, so far below... How could he possibly raise Newsprint without her? How could he even wake up in the morning without her there? He had always been the one out risking his life, but it was her that brought him back. If she was gone... How could he even live?
Luckily for him, he'd never have to know.
He felt his tail being pulled on once more, and then a tingling over his entire body. He was wrapped in an aura of green, which extended down to the rope, pulling it up with him. Within moments his body was on the deck, and once he touched down he added his hooves to the effort, straining with what strength he had to make sure the rope was brought up as quickly. He took just a moment to glance at his savior, the ghostly outline of a jagged horn lit up on the pegasus's head... He didn't dare to take the rope from his teeth until Rose was safe, but the tears in his eyes were no longer sad.
It seemed like ages, and the rope that coiled up on deck seemed far longer than what he had initially grabbed, but eventually the task was done, an exhausted and bleeding Roseluck pulled up on deck, flopping down next to the unconscious changeling. Ink Well immediately let go of the rope, going to his wife's side and pulling her into a desperate hug, just to know she was there. “Oh thank you... thank you thank you thank you-” He said it to Dew, to Rose, to the Princesses, to the rope, to everything that ever had a part in her being back in his arms, tears running down his face as he did.
Rose hugged back weakly, kissing Ink Well on the nose. “Don't cry, Inky. It's alright. We did it.”
Ink Well hugged her closer, what little strength he had in his arms going into the embrace. “Don't you ever scare me like that again! You make me promise you, then go and do that ?”
Rose chuckled lightly, returning the hug with what strength she had too. “You're right... I promise too. Never again.” The couple, both battered, both bruised, both bloody, lay together on the bow of the ship. There would be commotion... there would be work, but for a few moments, they just wanted to rest knowing they were together and safe once more.
Deception on the Darkest Night
While Rose and Ink Well rested wearily in each other's arms, Morning Dew looked down at the unconscious changeling before her, not looking forward the the long trek of dragging him downstairs to be locked up. Before she could begin, however, the sound of trotting hooves brought her attention to the rest of the deck.
Coming up to her were Fleur de Lis and Silver Bell, both glaring rather angrily at the captured changeling. Behind them the door to the lower decks was jammed full of guests, with some spilling out as the stragglers ran up, all curious as to the outcome of the chase.
Dew stood at attention as Silver Bell approached. “The attempted assassin has been captured, Steward. We got him.”
Silver Bell's voice was cold as he observed the fallen changeling. “I am well aware.”
Fleur looked like she was about to burst into flames, an enraged hoof lifting up as she approached her husband's imposter, only to stomp down next to his head. “You are lucky zat I am against violence, or with Celestia as my witness I...” She snorted at the fallen body, then looked to Rose and Ink Well. “Thank you both so much for everything you 'ave done.” She then looked towards Dew, a moment of hesitation showing in her eyes. “And thank you for saving zem. We are een your debt.” She then looked to the Steward. “Would eet be possible to send a scout to Canterlot? I fear for my real 'usband's safety.”
Silver Bell nodded. “Of course, miss. We will send our fastest flyer out momentarily. Now, terribly sorry to trouble you, but could you take the prisoner downstairs? I have a little business I have to attend to.”
Fleur smiled with relief when Silver Bell mentioned the flyer, a look that disappeared completely as she glared down at the prisoner in question. “Eet would be my pleasure.” A pink aura wrapped around the perforated hoof of the unconscious changeling, unceremoniously dragging it across the deck behind the model unicorn.
Dew winced as she watched Fleur reach the stairs and pointedly not pick up the changeling, not envying him for the headache he'd have when he woke up. As she did, though, she noticed Silver Bell continuing to glare at her. “Um... Steward, don't you have a flyer to send and guests to take care of?”
Silver Bell's mouth turned in a sneer. “Oh, don't even try, Dew. You know exactly what this is about.”
Dew's heart sank, but she pressed on. “Is it about telling Rose how you would make fun of the gryphons below deck? Because, to be fair, I didn't know what Ink Well was doing either.”
There was no warning as Silver Bell's horn lit up, a silver barrier forming between him and Morning Dew. She tried to back up, but she ran into another wall, a dome of magic holding her in. “What are you doing?!” she screamed in the bubble, her frightened voice echoing around the magical barrier.
Silver Bell's voice was muffled as he spoke through the magic. “I can't believe two of you disgusting insects tried to hide right under my nose!”
“No! Please, just listen to me!” Dew pounded against the wall of the barrier, eyes wide with panic, but her pleading fell on deaf ears. She turned to the other side, trying to get Ink Well's attention. “Tell him how I helped you! How I saved you! Ink Well!” Despite the resonance within the bubble, she didn't know if any of it was getting out, and even if it was... Ink Well wasn't moving. Neither was Rose... they'd betrayed her...
Dew's footing became unsteady as the barrier lifted, the bottom of the bubble forming beneath her hooves. She continued to smash her hooves against the rounded surface, trying desperately to get Ink Well's attention. “You promised nothing would happen! You needed me, now help me!” She sunk down in her prison, her body curling in the curved bottom of the floor. “Please...”
“What in Tartarus do you think you are doing with Morning Dew?” Dew's ears perked up her head popping up at the voice of hope. But it wasn't coming from Rose or Ink Well, both still laying where they were. “Trixie asks once more, what do you think you are doing with Miss Dew?”
Trixie stood defiantly in front of Silver Bell, cutting off his path and glaring at the Steward, who only looked incredulously at her. “I am taking her in! She's a changeling.”
“And what does this have to do with anything?”
Silver Bell took a step back. “Are you crazy? Equestrian Law states that all changelings are to be brought in on sight. You saw what the other one did! How dangerous he was! Who knows she’s not just as bad!”
“What are you, dumb? You let her go right now!” Gilda leaped from the door, flapping her wings once before landing just in front of Trixie, glaring at Silver Bell.
Silver Bell stood firm, though sweat began to bead on his brow. “Now, Gilda, I know that your laws are different, but let me assure you that-”
“Screw the law! She just saved two ponies' lives and aided in the capture of a changeling assassin. One you said wasn't a problem!” said Gilda, prodding Silver Bell in the chest with her claw.
“And one you locked Trixie up for being!” chimed in Trixie.
“B-but she could aid the other in-” stuttered Silver Bell.
Gilda cut him off when she grabbed his lapel, growling in his face. “She ran after the changeling while you tried to keep everyone calm! She risked her life and her safety to save the lives of the pony who saved my life and the pony risking her own to bring the attacker to justice. She had been working steadily on the ship when you couldn't even be bothered to clean up the bloodstain in our room! So I don't give a flying feather what your law says, if anyone's getting locked up for helping out that changeling, it's you! Now let. Her. Go.”
With a soft 'meep' from Silver Bell the bubble around Dew disappeared, dropping her to the deck. Gilda just smiled and let him go. “Thank you.”
Silver Bell ran off towards the door, but Dew called after him, “Don't forget to get a messenger for Fleur!” As she saw his tail disappear, she turned to Trixie and Gilda, the latter of which she barely had the pleasure of knowing. “Thank you... both of you. Without you, who knows what I'd be subjected to right now...”
Gilda shook her head. “Don't worry about it. Any friend of Ink’s is a friend of G.” She held out a claw in greeting. “Name's Gilda, by the way.”
Dew shook the claw. “Morning Dew... though, why didn't Ink Well defend me?”
Trixie sighed. “Soundproof bubble. Trixie knows from experience. But, then, look at them.” She pointed towards the bow of the ship, where Rose and Ink Well lay against each other, both sleeping soundly, a gentle smile on their faces. “Would you really want to be the one to wake them up?”
Dew smiled at the sight, able to feel the love between them even where she was. “No... no I wouldn't.” She then turned towards the door, noticing the absence of a certain pony. “C'mon. Let's go get Ampoule. She's good at breaking bad news.”
Sunset descended upon Canterlot like a silken sheet, casting the pristine towers of the castle in amber, which flowed rich and deep over the rest of the town. Shops were closing for the evening, ponies were heading home, and, high above them, the Darkest Night was coming in to port, it's deck just as full as it had been when it had left four days before.
Although most of the occupants were injured in some way, most of the minor ones from the flinging of Trixie and one from Ink Well's hoof, even those with major injuries would have been remiss to miss the beauty of descending into town. All of the passengers were on the deck, even Steelwing, barely recovered as he was, as were many of the crew eager to be home. In fact, only two ponies were noticeably missing. Silver Bell, who hadn't come up since Gilda had spoken with him, and Fancy Pants, who wasn't even on the ship anyway.
As the great hangar doors opened to allow the ship to land, the interior was already crowded. A few workers were preparing for the landing of the royal yacht, but outnumbering them ten-to-one were royal guards at attention, awaiting their prisoner. Also awaiting the ship's arrival were Princess Luna herself and a vision that made Fleur de Lis weep with delight. She waved and called eagerly, all of it met by a very tired, slightly disappointed, but overall happy Fancy Pants.
As the ship made its docking maneuvers, Fleur turned to Rose and Ink Well, who were both bandaged and tired, but glad to be so nearly home. “Oh, thank you both so much! I dread to think what could 'ave 'appened 'ad you not discovered ze impostor! My Fancy Pants, all wrapped and 'ung up in some dark cave... Without you, 'e would still be zere!” She flung her arms around Rose, who winced at the pressure against her many bruises.
Ink Well chuckled, tapping Fleur on the shoulder and easing her off of his wife. “Fleur, please, think nothing of it. It was our duty to investigate, and we're just glad to have helped.”
Fleur shook her head. “Non! I eensist! You both did so much more zan you 'ad to, and in return, please, ask us for anything. Eef myself or Fancy can 'elp you een any way, just send us a letter!” Her eyes opened wide after that. “I know! I shall make sure to wear your perfume exclusively! Fancy does like ze scents, but I 'ave so many zat yours is sometimes lost in ze shuffle. But no more! Zere is but one perfume I endorse, and eet is Rosewater!”
Rose tried to be excited, she really did, but her tired body was just not letting her show how happy she was. “Fleur, already that is more than I could ask for. Please, at least let me-” The sound of wood hitting stone echoed around the hangar, and Fleur's ears perked at it.
“Ah! Ze gangway is down, I must depart!” She kissed Rose, then Ink Well on the cheek before running off. “Remember! Eef you need anything, just ask!” The couple watched Fleur run down the stairs and towards her husband. “Fancyyyyyyy!” she squealed as she jumped against him, holding him close, much to the amusement of anypony watching. Whatever the reunited pair talked about was lost to the din, however, as ponies began to move.
Ink Well, who hadn't been nearly as excited as Rose, turned to her with a small smile. “So... how big is her endorsement?”
Rose shook her head, still hardly able to believe it. “Fleur is the single biggest model in Equestria right now, and Fancy Pants is one of the most important ponies in Canterlot. Having their exclusive endorsement will do for my perfumes than what having the Princess's did for your books.” Ink Well remembered the spike in sales after Princess Celestia had said she'd read his book. For over a month they simply couldn't be printed fast enough. He was excited at the news, but he saw a worried look on Rose's face. “I am going to be very busy...”
Ink Well smiled, kissing her on the cheek. “We are going to be busy, Rosy. But when haven't we been?” They both shared a smile at the joke, but it was interrupted as a couple guards stormed past and into the ship. While most of the guests were asked to stay on the ship, the gryphons were all led away to speak with the Princess down below. Ink Well couldn't hear any of it, but he was hoping that Silverbeak would live up to his deal.
Before he could determine anything, the prisoner was brought out of the ship in chains, flanked on all sides by royal guards and followed rather smugly by Silver Bell. The whole group marched down the gangway and to the Princess, who was still talking with the Ambassador. She nodded to the lead guard, then sent them off, but Ink Well saw Silver Bell walk up to her, talking low. She looked very serious for a moment, then nodded, sending him off as well. He quietly walked back up onto the ship, disappearing below decks again.
It was then that the rest of the guests were allowed to leave, and Ink Well and Rose decided to stay back, letting the healthier ponies take their exit first. Prince Blueblood held nothing but a scowl and an upturned nose with red-stained tissue stuck in it for either of them, but Greenback and Diamond Wishes at least had the courtesy to bid them farewell. Ampoule just warned both of them about overexerting themselves on their injuries before she disembarked.
Trixie was the last one to leave the boat, waiting for Rose and Ink Well to grab their trunk and go with her before she did. With the injuries on both ponies, carrying the trunk between them wasn't nearly as easy as it had been when they arrived, but they managed. And neither dreamed of carrying it alone. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would like to extend her deepest thanks once again for proving her innocent.”
Rose shook her head. “Really, Trixie. It was nothing. And you've helped out quite a bit on your own with capturing the changeling.”
Trixie smiled, nodding smugly. “Yes, Trixie did, but that's not the point. The point is that the next time you two are in Manehattan, let Trixie know. You'll get in to the show, free of charge.”
Ink Well remembered the show he saw, and wasn't particularly thrilled to see it again, if he was honest. “Trixie, that is kind of you, but I don't think-”
“Did you know Trixie was the only pony ever to beat Princess Sparkle in a magical duel?” She noted the stunned look on both of their faces, her grin only widening. “That's what Trixie thought. When you come, you can see the show that did it, as well as have an exclusive interview with Trixie herself, Mr. Well.” At the bottom of the gangway, she bowed deeply, swirling her cape around her as she did. “Trixie shall see you there.” There was a puff of smoke and then Trixie was nowhere to be seen, which was fairly impressive considering Ink Well was actually watching for her exit.
Rose smiled as she watched him search for the missing magician. “You know, she's still full of herself, but she does know a thing or two about showmareship.” Ink Well chuckled at that, starting his way out of the hangar.
Long before he reached the door Princess Luna spotted him, calling to him as he walked. “Ink Well, we wish to speak with you.” Ink Well turned towards Luna, who beckoned with a hoof. With a slight groan he put down his end of the trunk and started towards her. “And bring Roseluck as well!”
At that Ink Well smiled, turning to look at the startled mare asked for. “Come on, Rose. The Princess awaits.” He waited for Rose to make her way over to him, then both of the bandaged ponies walked side by side up to the Princess of the Night herself, bowing at her hooves.
Luna rolled her eyes. “Please, Ink Well, we already asked that you refrain from such formalities. And in your injured states, we wish you not exert yourself more than need be.” When they got up, their eyes raising to meet the gaze of the Princess, it also met Luna's beaming smile. “Words cannot express our thanks for all you have done in our stead, Ink Well. Ironically, it was a changeling threat upon the nation that called our attention away from where it was most needed. And though you may have 'tweaked some noses,'” her glance darted briefly to the departing Prince Blueblood, a slight smile appearing on her face, “you have also secured open relations with the Ambassador Silverbeak and the Gryphon Kingdom with the apprehension of the changeling assassin. With all of our heart, we thank you.”
Ink Well went through the praise in his mind, a small frown appearing on his face as he did. “I'll take credit for some of that, fair enough, but I can't take all of it. Without Rose's help that changeling would still be out there, and I wouldn't even be standing here. Once more I can honestly say I couldn't live without her.” He looked over to Rose, who was blushing slightly at his words. “If there's a pony you should be thanking, it's Rose, not me.”
The Princess's smile fell on Rose, her imposing regal figure relaxed as she looked Rose over. “Ah, yes, of course. We regret that we have not seen you since your wedding night, though Ink Well has written much about you. If what both you and the Ambassador say is true, then she is definitely a mare worthy of praise.” Luna cleared her throat, taking a step towards Rose. “Roseluck, we thank you for the securing of the changeling assassin aboard our ship, as well as saving the lives of those upon it.” She then, in a sweeping motion, brought Rose into a hug, resting her chin gently on Rose's shoulder. “We ask that you call us Luna, and wish it known that we call you friend.”
Rose was stunned by the display of affection from one of the Princesses, almost into silence. However, at the last moment, she remembered her manners, returning the hug given to her. “Thank you, Luna. Really. Please, call me Rose.”
Luna pulled back from the hug, her smile still on fading. “Then Rose it is.” With that done, she looked between the two ponies, looking slightly anxious. “We wish to hear about your trials, and ask that you rest and recover from your injuries in the castle.”
Rose was still a little shell shocked from everything going on. Really, she still could hardly believe that she had jumped off the ship all those hours ago, and now one of the Princesses was offering her a stay at Canterlot Castle... they hadn't even had that offered when they were married there! And yet... that wasn't at all what she wanted to do... And, when she looked over at her husband, it seemed Ink Well was having the same thoughts as her.
“Luna... as much as we would love to take you up on your offer, and as much as you deserve to know the whole story, I'm afraid the only thing we really want to do is go home to our little colt and leave all this political adventure behind us for a bit.” Ink Well looked sheepish as he spoke, as though it really pained him to do so. Considering his injured lung, it probably did. “I really hope you don't mind...”
Luna looked from Ink Well to Rose, seeing both of them to be of one mind. “Ah, right, little Newsprint. Probably for the best that he was left at home, considering...” A frown appeared on Luna's face, but she nodded. “Very well, we understand your wish to return to the comfort of your home. You wish to catch the evening train, yes?” Ink Well nodded. “Then we shall let you go. It will be leaving much too soon for dallying. However, we do wish for a detailed account of your experiences as soon as you find the time.”
Ink Well and Rose both nodded at that. “Of course, Luna,” said Ink Well. “As soon as we get settled back in.”
“Very well. Travel safely, friends.” Luna nodded to the couple, sending them back off towards their trunk as she seemed to contemplate her ship. Just as the couple picked their trunk up again, however, her voice called out. “Rose, would you be so kind as to speak with us for a moment?” Rose looked at Ink Well, who motioned her off, then made her way to the Princess.
At first, Luna made no motion to indicate she knew Rose was there, her stern gaze focused on her ship. Following her eyes, however, Rose was able to see that Luna was watching one particular pony: a pegasus with hair the color of the morning sun and a bandage on one of her front hooves. After watching for a few moments in silence, Luna spoke. “Rose, we both know the law quite well. What do you suppose we should do with the changeling 'Morning Dew?'” Rose looked over to see Luna now carefully watching her, her eyes studying Rose carefully, with a silent intensity.
After all those times Rose had studied the moon, various thoughts flooding her mind, it was a little disconcerting for the moon to be studying her back. Still, after careful deliberation, Rose voiced her thoughts. “I think that nothing should be done with Dew. She is causing no harm and doesn't want anything more than to stay in Equestria. If there is a way for her to be marked officially as a changeling allowed within our borders, I'd say do it. And if she could be registered without everypony knowing, that would probably be for the best. She just wants to keep living the dream, and who are we to take that from her?”
Luna, the keeper of dreams, smiled a little at Rose's words, looking once more at Morning Dew working happily on her ship. “Those were our thoughts exactly. We merely wished for the opinion of one who nearly lost somepony precious to a changeling.”
Rose smirked at those words. “A changeling, yes. But not that changeling.” She looked up to Luna, seeing an even larger grin than the one she had been sporting earlier before Luna nodded her head, signaling for Rose to leave. Rose looked around, finally spotting Ink Well at the door, having found somepony to help him with the trunk. She waved to him, then turned to the Princess once more, bowing her head. “Goodbye, Luna. Have a pleasant evening.” With that she set off to meet her husband, ready to finally be going home.
It was early the next morning when Rose and Ink Well's overnight train rolled into Ponyville. The conductor had not been particularly glad to have two bandaged and bloody ponies led on by some royal guards, but at least it meant he didn't bother them for the ride home. Which wasn't to say they did anything interesting, they mostly just stuck close together and tried to sleep away the injuries, but it was nice not to be disturbed.
Ink Well and Rose hobbled off of the train together, Ink Well's fedora sitting on his head to inform ponies looking to ignore the bandages, this was business as usual. They got off of the platform and all the way to the front of the building before they needed to take a break, and it was lucky they did. “Hey, Ink Well! Rose! Somepony's glad to see you home!”
Off to the side of the station stood Scootaloo with a very small colt running around her feet, his pink and rose mane, the opposite of his mother's, blowing in a gentle breeze. The cream furred foal took one look at the couple, then sat down on his haunches, bursting into tears. Immediately both of his parents dropped their trunk, moving as quickly as they could on their injured limbs. Rose was the first there, scooping the foal up. “Newsprint! Newsy, it's okay! We're alright! Mom and dad are fine, right?”
Newsprint looked from the bandaged arm holding him to Ink Well's bandaged everything, tears at the ready. However, he was stopped when Ink Well walked over, nuzzling him on the nose. “There there. I'd be frightened to look at us too. But it won't happen again, we promise.” Newsprint looked up to his father, his emerald green eyes looking for strength in his father's face, and he found it in the fedora Ink Well placed on his head.
When Newsprint managed to get the oversized hat up above his eyes to look at Rose, his face just beaming, Rose smiled at her son. “You should listen to him. He always keeps his promises.” Newsprint's smile grew from there and he hugged himself against Rose's chest, seemingly even happier than they were for the family to be together again.
Scootaloo sniffled off to the side, trying to hide the tear rolling down her cheek, and Ink Well chuckled at her. When she blushed and turned away, his laughter only grew. “So I trust everything went well while we were gone?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Yep! Ellipsis didn't destroy anything, Newsprint was a blast to be around, and I figured he'd been so good, he should get to see you first thing you got back.” She looked at Ink Well then, seeing the blood staining through the bandages on his chest. “Looks like you almost didn't make it back.”
Ink Well shook his head. “You have no idea. If you're interested, I'll tell you the story another day, but right now we need a few hours to unwind and unpack.” He saw Scootaloo nod, not quite able to place the look in her eyes. “Thank you very much for taking care of little Newsy.”
Scootaloo nodded again. “Thanks for letting me! Nopony ever seems to trust me with foals, I don't know why. Just because I don't have a cutie mark for it doesn't mean I'm gonna blow up the baby. How else am I supposed to practice for my own?” She stuck out her tongue at the town in general, making fun of whoever had denied her before, but Ink Well couldn't help but mull over the last thing she said. He didn't have very long to, however, before she waved at him. “Goodbye Ink Well! I've got to go, but thanks again!”
Ink Well waved back as Scootaloo ran off around the corner of the building, a slightly puzzled look on his face. “Rose... did you hear what Scootaloo said? About practicing for her own foal?”
Rose rolled her eyes and smiled. “Mares think about those sorts of things a lot younger than colts do. It can't mean anything. She's much too young for it. She doesn't even have her cutie mark yet.” She walked over to the trunk, placing Newsprint, who was still trying to figure out how to wear his father's hat, on top of it. “Now come on, the trunk won't carry itself home.”
As he went to join her, he saw Scootaloo walking away from the station with a wiry young pegasus colt, their wings over each other's backs. He just shook his head as he walked back to the trunk. “Rosy, let’s go home. I need a vacation from our vacation.”
With a mighty heave the trunk was suspended between Rose and Ink Well once more. But now it wasn't just a trunk. It was an airship, captained by the daring Newsprint. And, despite how even his tiny weight strained their tired muscles, the couple wouldn’t have it any other way.
Author's Note
Thank you to each and every one of you who has come this far in the series, and thank you for taking the time to read it. I hope you enjoyed it, and look forward to the final installment of Ink Well's saga, coming soon (tm).
Deception on the Darkest Night
The whistle trilled loudly over Ponyville Station, calling all passengers to make their way onto the train or be left behind. The crowd thinned out, some ponies heeding the call while others bid them farewell, some for a day, some for much longer. Near the back of the train, one couple was drawing out a heartfelt kiss, the steam from the wheels dancing around them and shrouding them in one perfect memory of each other.
A parchment-furred pegasus looked at them from across the platform while fixing his brown fedora over his ink-black mane, a little envious that his trip to the station couldn't be quite that nice. Oh, sure, Ink Well had gotten a couple of farewells like that back when he was working on his play, but that was four years ago now... Things had gotten a lot less romantic in his house lately.
He looked over to his darling wife, her cream colored fur and bi-toned rose and pink mane looking beautiful, even in the early morning light. Of course, both of them had tried to dress up a little for the occasion, but all of Rose's preparations were going to go to waste if she didn't stop talking to the foalsitter soon. “And remember not to let him stay up past eight, with naps as need be-”
Ink Well sighed to himself as the platform rapidly emptied. “Rosy~.”
“-and make sure not to do any food with peaches, as he doesn't much seem to like them-”
Ink Well could see the foalsitter's face starting to glaze over, the words overwhelming her poor mind. Rose had always cared for those close to her personally, so he could tell that the trip was worrying her, but it was going to be a moot point if she didn't hurry up. “Dearest-”
“-and if you need any help at all then Dinky Doo has been put on standby in case things get to be too much for you, and Lily and Daisy are watching the shop in case-”
Ink Well cleared his throat loudly, nudging his wife in the side while lifting up their trunk. “Rose! We need to move!”
“ALL ABOARD!” It was as though the conductor of the train had been scripted, but Ink Well couldn't thank him enough as Rose was pulled from her last-minute instructions.
“Oh! That's us. Please, take good care of little Newsprint, we'll be back in a few days.” Rose ran towards the train, grabbing one end of the trunk as she did, which left Ink Well with just enough time to talk to the bewildered young mare Rose had been talking to.
“I've left a note in the bag with all of the instructions, but it's five days, he's an earth pony, and he bounces. I don't think there's much you could do to him.” He gave her a reassuring smile, then felt the tug on the trunk, starting to run so he wouldn't be dragged behind. “If anything Ellipsis will give you more trouble!” He called back to her, knowing just how territorial his dog could be.
Rose and Ink Well ran up to the train just as the conductor was about to close the doors, and, though he gave them both an annoyed look, he let them in anyway. Thanking him, they made their way to the private booth they'd booked, setting the trunk down between them and smiling happily at each other. It was then that the train started to move, throwing Ink Well off balance and into Rose, making both of them land awkwardly on the cushioned seating, wrapping each other in a clumsy hug. Ink Well planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose, looking into her ivy green eyes. “Thanks for the catch, Rosy.”
Rose just nuzzled her nose against his, giggling as she did. “Of course, Inky. Just watch your step next time.”
“I don't think the conductor likes us. Again... We really need to stop getting on the train like this.” The two of them laughed as they untangled themselves into more comfortable sitting positions, Rose looking out the window at the slowly retreating Ponyville landscape.
She pressed her nose against the glass, eyes focused on the station. “Do you think he'll be alright for so long? We've never left him for more than a couple of hours, and we've never had Scootaloo foalsit before...”
Ink Well draped a wing over his fretting wife, settling in next to her. “Rose, she insisted, and I'm sure that Newsprint will be the same darling little colt when we get back.” When he saw that she still wasn't completely convinced, a state of being that had started when he first suggested the trip to her, he sighed. “It's been three years, Rose. You've been a wonderful mother to our son, but even you need a break, and this is going to be just the thing.”
Rose pouted at him, even as she leaned into his side, the edge of her mouth curling up into a gentle smile. “I don't need a break. There haven't even been that many orders lately, and after his last birthday he's-”
“You're going on this wonderful vacation and that's final.” Ink Well said, his face stern, but a smile at the corners of his lips too. “It's not every day that you're invited on the Princess' private airship, you know. You should be more excited.” She tried to give him a flat look, like she didn't care about it, but he saw through her ruse, just hugging her closer. “I know you'll love it Rosy, and nopony deserves it more than you.”
Rose's smile grew as she sat there, showing that she appreciated the trip more than she was letting on, and she nuzzled against her husband lightly. “If you say so. It has been quite a while since I got to look nice...”
Ink Well had to refrain from nodding, not wanting to send the wrong message as he nuzzled back against his wife. Ever since the Weather Factory fell their life had been a bit of a blur, neither of them having time for much of anything. Ink Well, despite his best efforts to stay out of the process, had been called in as a key witness for the trial against Ozone and the Weather Factory, which had severely slowed down the process of buying that house for Rose he'd promised. By the time the trial was complete and the house was bought, Rose had begun to show her pregnancy, which made moving all the harder. When finally they had their new house all moved into, it was the time of year for Rose to fire up the stills in the perfumery and get back to work, and she had hardly stopped since.
Of course, their son was a blessing, and Ink Well managed to convince her that Rosewater could spend a month closed and everypony would understand, but even so, after her recovery Rose had gone back to her shop quickly and tirelessly, and there she'd stayed. And that probably would have been fine if she'd let Ink Well help with Newsprint as much as he wanted to, but Rose kept insisting when she got home that she'd take care of him, meaning from waking to sleep she never took a rest for herself.
And she'd done that for three years. In the same three years Ink Well had written, as an author does, using his notoriety from his previous articles to sell his new novels. He'd started a series, science fiction, which was probably cheating considering his travels, but it just meant that they were more convincing. He'd finished two books and the third was sitting at home half-penned, where it would be waiting for him when he got back.
What time he didn't spend writing he spent listening and watching, because some habits die hard. There was trouble brewing ever since the factory's fall, minor things said and done, little lines in papers, but all pointing to an unrest slowly growing in the nation. Something similar was hinted at in a letter from Princess Luna.
While the trial was happening Luna and Ink Well had sent messages back and forth, primarily on the nature of his article. Nothing was changed, which amazed both him and the Night Princess, who had expected different from her sister. After the trial, however, it simply became a habit for a letter to pass between the two every couple of weeks, and they had grown to be friends when he proved himself a loyal ear to the Princess's troubles.
Ever since the incident she had been trying to take a more active role in Equestria, attempting to reassert herself as one of the diarchs of the land, but she was having a hard go at it politically. She wrote of how she was still seen by some as Nightmare Moon, how she had very little actual say against her sister's wishes in political matters, how hard she had to work to get herself into information loops she should have been in from the start, and how often she got sent off on errands while her sister sat safe in the castle. However, no matter what she tried, she didn't seem to be garnering any respect.
That is, until today. Today she was launching a personal airship, the Darkest Night , and, as a sign of good faith, she was allowing members of the Canterlot Elite on its maiden voyage. While initially Ink Well hadn't been on the list, a writer from Ponyville not ranking in among nobility, when Princess Twilight had been called away to a problem near the Badlands, the Princess of the Night saw fit to extend the invitation to her friend.
He'd almost refused as he read the letter, and probably would have had Rose not walked in looking completely frazzled, tired, and overworked just as he'd started the reply. Seeing her walk into the house and collapse on the couch like that, there was just one proper response.
That was a week ago, and she'd protested all the way here. But three years was much too long for them to be mostly in different worlds, her working, him writing, meeting only when they woke up, went to sleep, and on the very few days Rose let herself have off. They both still loved each other dearly, and hopefully a few days away from work and the foal to experience it again would bring them just that much closer together.
Ink Well looked at his wife, remembering the comment she'd said before his mind started wandering. It was true they both had brushed their manes and tried to look nice, and before they got to the hangar they would be in full formal attire and dressed to the nines, but right now, just sitting by her side with no worry to ruin it... she looked radiant, the same mare he'd fallen in love with those happy years ago, and he decided to tell her. “Rose, it might have been some time since you last dressed up, but you have never once stopped being the beautiful mare I love.”
Rose blushed, pushing at him lightly with a hoof. “You're just saying that.” She watched him accusingly, but when she saw the genuine look in his eyes, her face softened, her smile returning fully. “But thanks, my handsome stallion. I love you too.” The two moved just a little closer, drawing from each other support and warmth as the train steadily left Ponyville, making its way to Canterlot.
By the time the train arrived at its destination the couple had transformed. Ink Well was wearing a stylish brown coat Rarity had designed and cut, accentuating his features nicely and bringing out his fur color marvelously, while Rose had on the same stunning ivy-themed outfit she had worn to the premiere of his play, three years and a foal causing no strain on the rose-shaped clasp at her shoulder. She was a practical pony, not one for new outfits for every occasion despite the conniption fit it nearly brought out in Rarity. Besides, she still fit into the sleek and stunning dress. Just that fact was enough to make her smile wide and full, a wonderful compliment to her natural looks.
Unfortunately, the effect was dampened slightly by the travel trunk the couple carried between them, giving them the look of ponies not used to high-society, something the royal guards at the air docks caught onto quickly. One of them stepped forward as they approached the royal hangar, his polished armor gleaming in the afternoon light, bright enough for Rose to check her makeup in. “Excuse me, but it is invitation only beyond this point.”
Ink Well forced a smile, knowing exactly what the guard was implying, but not wanting to cause trouble so early. “Well then, I suppose it is a good thing that I have an invitation.” He reached into his pocket with a wing, pulling out the silver edged invitation, the royal seal on the top of the midnight blue card. Silver words in a beautiful script, written personally by the Princess, were perched elegantly on the invitation, looking so delicate they might crumble if read.
I, Princess Luna of Equestria, cordially invite the holders of this card, one Ink Well of Ponyville and his wife Roseluck, to the maiden voyage of the Darkest Night.
Below it was the date, time, room they would be staying in, and Luna's crescent moon seal gleaming in the same silver ink as the rest. The guard looked it over, then at the two ponies before him, before giving it back and bowing respectfully. “Apologies for the inconvenience, sir. Madam. Please make your way through and enjoy the flight. Some of the other passengers are within, and the Princess will address you all before boarding begins.” He got out of their way, letting them pick up the trunk and continue inside. Though both Rose and Ink Well kept their smiles on, they could tell what the other was thinking, both knowing memory of the flustered look the guard had when he realized he'd troubled the Princess's guests would keep them warm on some cold night.
A small hallway brought the duo into the interior of the expansive hangar, emptying them right next to two classy looking unicorns. Rose immediately recognized them as Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, two of the finest ponies she'd done business with in Canterlot's upper crust. They were sitting in a small seating area in front of a stage set up within the hangar, presumably where the Princess would talk to everyone later. As Ink Well and Rose made to approach them, a pegasus darted in front of them, sky blue with yellow hair like the first rays of the sun, a wrench held in her mouth as she shot by. “Sorry! Coming through, don't mind me!”
“Not through the seating area, Miss Dew! Go around!” A stuffy looking white unicorn with a slicked mane and mustache approached them, looking like an upgraded version of the train conductor, or more likely, the ship's steward. “My apologies for the disturbance. Please, allow me to take your trunk to the ship.” Before either of them could say anything the trunk was lifted in a light purple glow and carried towards...
Ink Well's jaw dropped at the sight, his hoof automatically pulling out the notebook and pen he kept in his pocket for just such a stroke of inspiration. The Darkest Night dominated the center of the hangar, sitting behind the stage in all its magnificent glory. The exterior was a field of navy blue, silver rivets speckling the hull like stars in the night sky while the trimming wrapped around it like the paths of meteors lighting up the dark. Portholes ran along the sides of the ship, windows like planets looking out at the many pegasi flying around the hull in final preparation. But the most impressive thing was the balloon, hanging above it all like the moon itself, with ropes and banding covering it no more obtrusively than a wispy cloud on a magical evening... The ship was aeronautical beauty incarnate, the kind that could not be described in words, though Ink Well would certainly try.
Rose, less enraptured by the sight, though equally as impressed with the ship, gently guided Ink Well over to a seat, where he sat, nose in his notebook and pen furiously working in his mouth. As she sat down as well, Fancy Pants chuckled, smiling over at her. “Is this your first time aboard an airship?” As he spoke, Fleur leaned on his shoulder, looking over at Rose with inquiring eyes.
Rose nodded sheepishly. “Yeah. It's actually not my first time flying, but I've never even seen an airship before except as a dot from the window of my home... I never realized they were so big.”
Fancy's smile was warm and friendly. “My word, yes, and they glide through the air smooth as silk. I'm afraid this number even tops my yacht.” He chuckled to himself, Fleur giggling and nodding at his side. “I suppose that's the difference between a royal budget and my meager earnings.”
Rose smiled back, well aware that Fancy Pants was one of the wealthiest ponies in the world after the royal family. And yet he'd bought perfumes from her of all ponies... and even contributed some money to her side projects, like the scented ink she could smell wafting up from her husband's notebook. “If I'm going to ride on an airship, I can't think of one more beautiful. And, if you'll excuse me for falling into business for a moment, maybe I'll be able to discuss that other line of perfumed inks I was telling you about. Rose Ink is actually selling surprisingly quickly, and I have been having demands for other varieties, if you're interested in investing.”
Fleur looked happy, nodding at the proposal, but Fancy Pants seemed worried. It was brief, but after a definite moment of panic in which he reset his monocle, he straightened back up. “Terribly sorry. I would be more than happy to discuss these matters further, but it appears I have forgotten your name.”
Rose noticed Fleur give him a strange look, as though he'd just caught on fire, but Rose chalked it up as a moment of bad memory making him seem uncharacteristically rude in Fleur's eyes. “It's Roseluck. Owner of Rosewater, in Ponyville?”
Fancy Pants nodded once, smile coming calmly once more. “Ah! Yes, of course. Well, I would love to discuss the prospects later, but on this trip I would prefer to stick to a vacation mindset, if you don't mind. Send me a letter with the details when this is over, would you?” Rose made a mental note of that, confused as to why Fleur was still looking at him so strangely, when Fancy nodded towards an approaching party. “My, I wonder who those fellows are?”
Ink Well looked up from his notebook just in time to see three gryphons enter, the first one lavishly dressed in silks and furs, while the other two had the distinctive look of a guard about them. Perhaps it was the way they flanked the first gryphon, perhaps it was the wary looks they gave every last pony in the hangar, or more likely it was the blades delicately hidden among the feathers of the wings and the swords strapped to their sides, but there was no doubt that this was a very important gryphon.
The trio walked with much pomp into the seating area, taking a spot at the back where the guards could do maximum flanking without disrupting the others there. Once seated, the decorated gryphon smiled at the assembled ponies, showing the ease with which he held the situation, but otherwise remaining silent.
As the gryphons settled in, two unicorns entered, one ancient, sage green with a long grey beard and a very old, very fancy suit. To his side was an almost criminally younger mare, bright and perky and made up past perfection, the blue dress hanging on her white fur completely gaudy in the sheer amount of pearls and diamonds that adorned it. Her light blonde mane was styled high and held in place with a diamond tiara, which shook as she giggled and led the older stallion inside.
Ink Well looked at the pair, an eyebrow raising at the sight before he looked at Rose, who wore a similarly curious face. Fancy Pants must have caught their looks, because he chuckled and spoke low. “Ah, I see you've noticed Greenback and his new wife, Diamond Wishes.” He smiled knowingly. “The chap owns the single largest international bank chain in the world, you know, though his choice of wife was an interesting one.” He looked at his own wife, his classy smile not moving. “I see the appeal in marrying for looks, but status only can only hold so much attraction. There simply must be something deeper there. Isn't that right, darling?”
Fleur nodded, leaning against her husband's side lovingly. “Eet iz true. Zere must be more zan just money to call you to ze stallion of your dreams, no?” Her French accent was thick, and as she kissed Fancy lovingly on the cheek, it was clear to see she was at least a little embarrassed by it. She looked at Rose with her question, and Rose unconsciously wrapped her arm around Ink Well's, smiling as she did.
The banker and his bride sat down in seats far away from the others there, the old stallion whispering into the mare's ear constantly, while all she responded with were giggles, blushes, and “Oh, stop it! Not out here,” said with about as much conviction as a whiny schoolgirl. It was almost shameful, but even that was beaten out by the next entrance.
Trumpets rang out in the hangar, bringing everypony there to their hooves as they looked curiously towards the door. A pair of royal guards entered, standing to either side of the entrance, and through the door a flowing mane speckled with the night sky could be seen. However, at the last second, it was pushed aside by a white stallion in a royal red jacket, his chest puffed and preened, a rose stuck in his lapel, his hair slicked back just so, and his eyebrow raised so very lecherously. “Sorry I'm late everypony, but one cannot rush perfection.”
He sauntered past the stunned guards, into the seating area, and had the nerve to wink not just at Diamond Wishes, but at Fleur, Rose, two pegasi working on the ship, and even the female gryphon guard, only stopping when his last advance was met with a growl and the shimmer of bladed wings. A single lock of his hair went out of place, but he rebounded spectacularly, fixing it as he chose a seat and pretending like he hadn't noticed.
At the door the Princess of the Night coughed at her rude interruption, distinctively void of clothing fancier than her tiara and standard regalia as she entered. “Prince Blueblood, I see your timing as impeccable as ever.” A nervous laugh passed between the assembled ponies, giving Princess Luna enough time to get onto the stage, her coat accented beautifully by the ship floating behind her.
She gave the assembled ponies a genteel smile, then addressed them. “My friends, colleagues, and honored guests, I welcome and thank you all today to experience the maiden voyage of my personal ship, the Darkest Night . This is not a member of the royal navy, nor is it a boat bought through frivolity with the taxpayer's money, but a gift from myself to the ponies of Equestria, and dignitaries from other lands, to spread goodwill and solidify our friendship.”
Ink Well smiled to himself, nodding at the Princess's words. She has gotten a lot better at speaking with a more modern tone, but I don't know who she's fooling. This ship isn't for everypony, it's for very specific ponies, or it wouldn't have been invite only. However, as he looked around, he seemed to be the only one whose thoughts were along that line. Greenback and his trophy wife were flirting in the corner still and Blueblood seemed to be asleep on his hooves, but the others, Rose included, were smiling and accepting every word as though it were truth.
Except he knew Rose, and he could tell what this was. She was wearing her business face, the polite smile she put on when things got, and he groaned internally as he thought of the word, political . Of course that was what it was, but that didn't change his distaste for the whole thing. He didn't like how often truth and politics conflicted, and he was almost disappointed in the Princess for going down this route.
Almost. It was her job, after all. “Unfortunately,” Princess Luna continued, seemingly unaware of the ponies not paying her any mind, “I cannot accompany you on this trip. It pains me to say this, but I have been called away to an important matter and I am afraid it does require my full and immediate attention. I will do everything in my power to meet up with the airship before it reaches the sea, but if I am unable to resolve matters quickly enough, it is with my deepest apologies that I will miss the flight, though I will make myself fully available upon your return to discuss anything you may wish to.” Her eyes were on the gryphon party the entire time she spoke her promise, her face neutral, but her eyes showing just a hint of anger at her own words. “The official christening will be in a few short minutes, but until then please feel free to make yourself comfortable on the deck. Again, I thank you for being here and for understanding my absence.”
A murmur ran through the crowd as they left, quiet, but definitely discussing what could possibly have drawn Princess Luna away from the launching of her own ship. Even the gryphons could be seen exchanging looks, though they were careful not to say anything where they could be heard.
Rose turned to Ink Well, who shrugged as they started towards the deck, moving at the back of the group. “I don't know any more about it than you do. I suppose whatever Twilight was called for is more serious than I thought.”
Rose frowned. “Isn't this all a political maneuver anyway? Wouldn't it be better if she put it off until she was available.”
Ink Well looked over at Princess Luna, who was talking pointedly with the ship's steward. “Perhaps it is to better show she is dedicated to the nation, but something tells me she didn't have a choice in the matter.” As he looked at the princess, she looked over at him, their eyes meeting for a moment. She tilted her head, calling him over to her, then went back to talking. When he had failed to move after the first one, confusion on his face, she did it again, raising her eyebrows to ask if he got the message, and this time he did. “Excuse me Rose, I'll be right there. Save a good spot for us.”
Ink Well left a slightly confused Rose to follow the others onto the deck as he made his way to the Princess, reaching her just as the steward left. She turned to him as he approached, smiling down at him kindly. “Ah, Ink Well, we are glad to see that your journey was safe. Your foal is well?”
Ink Well smiled back, thinking to himself that it was actually comforting to hear her using the older language. It just sounded right from her. “I made it here in one piece, Princess, and Newsprint is in good hooves, even if Rose is still a little on edge.” He chuckled a little at that, then looked at the hull of the airship hovering so very close to him. “I still can't actually believe you're letting me ride on this beauty.”
Princess Luna shook her head. “It was no difficulty at all! Of course we would invite our friend, we only regret that the first choices had to be of a more political nature.” Her smile faded slightly, a little of the levity in their conversation drifting away with it. Her stress showed, though she hid it surprisingly well. “Unfortunately, due to the insistence of my sister, we cannot enjoy our own ship as we would have pleased. This, unfortunately, means we have a favor to ask of you.”
Slightly leery of the prospects, Ink Well frowned. “A favor? Like what?”
The Princess didn't seem any more pleased than him as she elaborated. “With our absence from the ship comes a trying time in regards to relations with the Gryphon Kingdom's ambassador, Silverbeak Earhart. While we loathe to impose this upon you, we must ask that you speak to him in our stead and ensure him that we still wish to talk when the Darkest Night returns.”
Ink Well held up a hoof, brow furrowed at the implications. “Wait, Princess Luna, with all due respect, you want me to play ambassador to the gryphons? Don't you have another option? Maybe another member of the royal family...” Both of them shared the thought of Prince Blueblood talking to the gryphons, and while it was an amusing scene, it wasn't exactly diplomatic.
Luna was the first to come out of the trance. “Our nephew, we are ashamed to say, was forced upon our ship by our sister. He is not... suitable for delicate situations.”
Ink Well wanted to continue arguing, but something was bugging him. “Your nephew? I thought he was your sister's nephew. Is there a third sister nopony knows about?”
Princess Luna smiled mischievously. “Tia does not appreciate it, for it makes her feel aged, but he is her... more greats than we care to count grandson.” Her smile changed, becoming friendly. “But that is merely another reason why we place our trust in you. We are still making an impression with the other ponies, and we remember the stallion that started Blueblood's line. We never saw what Tia did in him...”
Ink Well shook his head, brought back on track from an issue centuries in the making and a secret so freely shared with him. “But I'm not a diplomat. I'm not even a high class pony, I'm just a writer.”
“The writer who liberated hundreds of gryphons from slavery and printed the truth for all to see. If anypony holds more esteem within their nation, we do not know of them.” The Princess smiled again, knowing she had a winning point here. “Remember, the right pony in the right place at the right time can change the world, and you have certainly changed theirs. They may not recognize you now, but simply introduce yourself and they will.” After she said that, she waved the thought away with her hoof. “But that is of little consequence. We do not wish for you to be a diplomat on our ship, and we know you would not be if we did. We simply ask for you to remind them of my wish to discuss matters with them. If they are willing to talk when the journey ends, your job will be completed with the highest commendation we can offer.”
Ink Well shook his head, now as unsure of the trip as his wife had been the whole way here. “I don't need anything for my efforts, Princess, but I'll do my best.”
The Princess's smile grew. “We knew you would! And we knew you would accept no reward, so instead let us offer you this: Do not address us as Princess in private, if you please. Luna will be more than adequate.”
Ink Well bowed his head, honored. “Thank you Pri-, Luna. I will do my best.”
“We are sure you will Ink Well. We hope you and your wife enjoy the trip and We shall greet you most joyously when you return.” Luna nodded her head, dismissing Ink Well to the ramp to find his way to his wife's side as Luna prepared to christen the ship.
When Ink Well finally got there, Rose was, of course, curious, going to his side and talking low. “What did the Princess want to speak with you about?”
Ink Well shook his head, smiling as he saw the eyes of the rest of the passengers on him. Who is he who the Princess would talk to in private? It was amazing what a small gesture did to the political landscape... “Luna wants me to play diplomat, but more importantly, she wants us to enjoy the trip. Thus, we will focus on the second.” Before Rose could ask, Luna's voice rose from the front of the ship, ringing out proudly within the hangar.
“I, Princess Luna of Equestria, christen thee the Darkest Night ! May your flights be safe and the winds be always behind you!” There was a crash of glass breaking against the hull of the ship, followed by a cheer from the crew and passengers aboard the ship. Behind them the massive hangar doors opened, giving the ship passage out of the mountain and into the crisp air surrounding it as it slowly maneuvered itself free.
From up here even Canterlot Castle looked small, a tiny toy building in charge of all of Equestria, which rolled out in every direction far beneath the hull of this one ship. A few Pegasi flitted about the balloon, securing lines and checking that the propellers behind the ship were working properly, while on the deck the many unicorns, unused to flying, enjoyed the sight presented for them. The gryphons, much more jaded to the sight, went below deck.
And near the bow of the ship, Ink Well and Rose leaned on the railing, Ink Well's wing draped over his love's shoulder to protect her from the chill. They had both flown before, but not like this, and not with such a wonderful sight spreading beneath them. Ponyville was beautiful, but the sight afforded by the cool mountain air, chilling and clear and letting even the furthest corners of Equestria be clearly seen, was something unimaginable until it was seen. As they saw the sun beginning to descend, the light gleaming gold off of the top of the clouds, the couple pulled themselves closer together, Rose leaning her head on Ink Well's shoulder.
No matter what happened, political or not, one thing was definitely clear: this was going to be a trip neither of them would ever forget.
