My Little Pony: Third Gear

Chapter 1B: Journey to the Dusk

Twilight Sparkle and her friends had gone to Canterlot plenty of times, and she had seen Princess Celestia fairly often since her move to Ponyville, but tests always made Twilight nervous. She could not help pacing a little even as Spike and her friends helped her out by quizzing her on magic during the train ride. And while riding with Gearhead usually meant getting to their destination more quickly, the Unicorn was glad to have more time with which to prepare.

When the train arrived at Canterlot Station, Twilight insisted on going ahead of the others, while Spike tagged along. At the palace, Twilight became uncertain when she saw Luna heading out, a stern expression on her face.

“Thank you for coming so quickly, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight turned her full attention to her mentor. “You said you wanted to see me? To give me a test? I brought my own quills, and plenty of extra paper to show my work!” She dropped her saddlebags, which were filled to overflowing, and a long roll of paper bounced out and started unrolling directly toward the princess. “Sorry!” Twilight scrambled to roll it back up.

“This is a different sort of test,” Princess Celestia said, quickly but smoothly lifting the parchment with her magic and rolling it back up before replacing it in Twilight’s bag. “It seems the Crystal Empire has returned.”

“Crystal Empire?” Twilight used her own magic to levitate a number of geography and history books, but she could not remember any of them so much as mentioning that location, which was strange if it was powerful enough to be called an empire. “I’m sorry, I don’t seem to have any mention of it in any of my books.”

“You wouldn’t, and this is, as I said, a different sort of test.” Princess Celestia scooped the books out of Twilight’s control, and put them away. She led her pupil closer to the throne, and lifted a large, distinctively shaped crystal from besides the throne. “Few even remember the empire ever existed.” The princess set the large ingot on the floor between herself and Twilight, and sent her magic into it.

The magic-light hologram that shone forth from the crystal showed a thriving, circular city with buildings, especially a large palace, built of crystal. Crystal Ponies were even shown happily walking the streets. “This once-thriving city was the crown jewel of Equestria, but then a dark and powerful Unicorn who sought only power took control in a bloody coupe.”

In the hologram, a grey Unicorn with a black, flowing mane and eyes that shone with green and purple energy appeared. His horn was curved, tipped in red, and his armour was ridged, with four short horns on the helm. “Sombra, whose soul was blacker than the night, was a true tyrant, enslaving the Crystal Ponies for his own desires.” The palace changed so it was made of dark blue, jagged crystals. The other previously-shining crystal structures were grey or black and dull. The ponies’ coats lost most of their colour and sparkle, and their manes drooped as they trudged past the palace in chains, some of which had dried blood on it. Sombra only laughed in seeming satisfaction as he looked on from a tower.

“Luna and I managed to defeat King Sombra, turning him to shadow and sealing him in the arctic ice. But Sombra was belligerent to the end, placing a curse on the Crystal Empire, so that when he vanished, it went with him, together with all the Crystal Ponies who were caught within its bounds at the time. Now the Crystal Empire has returned, and we fear Sombra means to re-conquer it.

“This cannot be allowed to happen, for while the Crystal Empire is full of light and hope,” Princess Celestia shot a rainbow spectrum through the hologram, and Twilight watched it light up the room. “Those qualities are reflected across Equestria. However if fear and hate take hold...” Twilight watched in fascination as Princess Celestia struggled against her better nature. The Unicorn used Shift Focus, and saw her teacher’s golden aura become muddy, until it was black. Then green and purple magic bubbled from her horn and eyes. The dark blast found the hologram’s center, and from it sprang a dark crystal. Two shadows stretched from that, and two more crystals rose from the floor, causing Twilight to backpedal quickly. Princess Celestia shifted her magic again, shattering the dark crystals with a quick wave of Light Magic.

Both mares stood in silence for a moment. “What can I do?”

“You can start by going to the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadence and Shining Armour are already there,”

“My brother’s there?” Twilight immediately perked up.

“Yes. It will be your job to find a way to protect the Crystal Empire from King Sombra. And you won’t be doing it alone: your friends from Ponyville will all be joining you.” Princess Celestia walked Twilight to the doors that led to the castle courtyard, where Luna met them again. “I cannot stress enough the importance of this task. Are you up for it, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yes, of course. I won’t fail you!”

“Good, because you must be the one to find a feasible defence for the Empire. Succeed in this task, and you will be ready for the next step.”

“But what if I do fail?”

“Hold to your resolve, and I’m certain you will succeed. Now go, and good luck.” Princess Celestia turned, and the doors closed between teacher and student.

“Well, I certainly wasn’t prepared for this,” Twilight said ruefully. She turned away from the doors, and deliberated methodically over the information the princess had given to her.

“So what happened? Did you pass?” Spike asked.

“It wasn’t a written test,”

“What, then?”

“I’ll explain when we get to the others,” Twilight said, and Spike went to follow.

“It looks like they decided to come to us,” Spike said, pointing as the five other mares became visible, walking through one of the more open sections in front of the palace.

“So what happened?” Dash asked.

“Do we get to celebrate your passing with flying colours?” Pinkie asked. She aimed her Party Canon straight up and fired it.

“I didn’t pass,”

The others gasped. Pinke's confetti somehow returned to their canon.

“Because it’s not that kind of test.”

“Oh thank Celestia,” Fluttershy said.

“What then?” Rarity asked.

“We’re going to the Crystal Empire,” Twilight proclaimed. The others gave her blank expressions to match the one that must have been on her face when Princess Celestia mentioned it: they did not know about it either.

Just then they heard a low-volume, high whine coming from above the palace behind Twilight. They turned to watch as a large silver form flew overhead. It slowed as it seemed to skid through the air, orienting on them even as it descended. Past the others’ disbelieving, dropped jaws, Twilight noticed the distinctive pinpricks of light coming off of the stern, and more prominently from the fan-like turbines on the wings, which were curving up past the object’s body. As it came in for a landing, they could all see that it was made of metal, which was good because Twilight did not know how Fluttershy would have reacted to the sight of a ramp being lowered from a living creature of that size!

Snowbelle was waiting at the top of the ramp. After the craft landed on its struts, she did a flip, and then jerked her head, indicating they should all come aboard. “It looks like our ride is here,” Twilight said.

“Then what’re we waiting for?” Dash asked, flying up the ramp and into the ship. Applejack shrugged, and then followed.

“It’d be a shame not to be able to see this reflecting the sunlight,” Rarity said, but she pranced after her friends anyway. Pinkie let out a happy gasp and zipped right up, getting aboard before Applejack made it. Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged a glance, and then decided that this could not possibly be worse than the train. When they were all aboard, Snowbelle pushed a button with her break that raised the ramp. A second button made a section of floor slide quickly into place above the ramp. It locked into place with a hiss, then Snowbelle took wing again to lead the others forward.

As Snowbelle led them forward, the mares glanced all around, at the clean grey and blue hall, interspersed with doorways. The Arctic Dragon opened a door not very far ahead of them,  to show a cockpit done in grey and red. The courtyard and the palace were visible through the viewport in the front. Gearhead was seated at a station near the center of the room. “Welcome aboard MEV-EP,” he said.

“Mevep?” Rainbow asked sceptically?

“You can call her Silver Wind if you prefer,” Gearhead said. “I know I do.”

“’Her?’” Rarity asked.

“All ships of the line are ‘hers,’ apparently,” the stallion shrugged.

“Forgive the interruption, she’s very impressive, truly. But do you know where we’re heading?” Twilight asked.

“I do not have an exactly location: Princess Celestia told me to be here for a pick-up, and she gave me a heading. I am guessing that you six are the Wind’s first cargo.”

"Seven," Spike said, and Gearhead nodded.

“In that case, could you maybe take off? We’re pressed for time, unfortunately. I’ll explain as we fly.”

“Understood,” Gearhead said. “Everyone, please take a seat at one of the stations and strap in for lift-off: it may be a little unsettling until we get to cruising speed, especially for first-time flyers.” The stations lined both the starboard and port walls as they curved toward the viewscreen.

While the others were more sedate about which of the eight available chairs they chose for the journey, Dash looped into one near the front of the cockpit, and Pinkie bounced right into the one she claimed as hers. “Ooh, what does this button do?”

“Pinkie, don’t—“ But Twilight was too late, and Pinkie was already making the keys release their little tones on the bridge.

“It is okay, Twilight: the controls will not do anything except make noise until I unlock their access to those stations. And all being well, I will not have occasion to do so.”

“Okay then,” Twilight said as they all fastened their four-point restraints. Snowbelle adjusted her size and took a seat beside Spike, who gave her a claw-up.

Sitting with his back firmly against his chair’s acceleration padding, Gearhead rested his forehooves atop a pair of glowing balls on long sticks. He pressed down on them slightly, and then when he raised his legs, the balls went with him. The Engines whined slightly, and as the slight force of motion pushed them into their seats, they saw the palace and courtyard begin to slowly fall away from the ship.

“Walls are scanning clear,” Gearhead said aloud. “Raising landing struts. Raised.” He rotated the whole ship on its near-vertical ascent (and now Twilight realized they were advancing slowly as well), until they were oriented almost directly north. “Adjusting wings for full flight... set. Silver Wind will now depart Canterlot for...”

“The Crystal Empire,” Twilight said.

“I guess I do not have to wonder why Princess Celestia gave me a heading and not a destination: that is not a location I recall being on the map.”

“That’s because it’s not. But we’re going there anyway.”

“Very good. Silver Wind, heading out.” Gearhead pushed both balls forward slightly, and Silver Wind began to accelerate. The Earth Pony had to make a slight jog to the right to get around the palace’s tallest tower, and then they were clear, but he kept climbing for awhile anyway. “We are now at cruising altitude and speed. You may feel free to move about the cockpit.”

Luna sidled up beside her sister as they watched the Silver Wind rise and then pivot before accelerating, even as it began to climb. Although it disappeared over the castle, the Alicorns continued to hear the low volume whine for another minute. “I am glad he is on our side,” the younger sister shivered.

“It is a little chilling, knowing he was able to build such a large ship without anypony knowing about it, but we can hold faith.”

“Speaking of faith, are you certain you do not want me to accompany them?”

“This is something Twilight and her friends must be able to accomplish themselves, if Equestria’s future is to be assured. And when they succeed, we will know that Twilight Sparkle is that much closer to being ready.”

“I hope you are correct, Sister.”

“Yes, I know.”

* * *

Their course and speed locked into the autopilot, Gearhead got up and stretched. “Should we brief each other now?” He asked.

“We may as well,” Twilight said, and she and the others turned their chairs around to face center.

“Ooh, story time!” Pinkie said.

“First, lets hear what we have to work with,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, I’d like to know what we’ve got at our hooves here,” Applejack said.

“Like, how fast can this bucket of bolts fly?” Dash asked.

“This is how you’re going to take Snowbelle home, isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked.

“It is,”

“Really?” Dash asked.

“Indeed. I started designing the Multipurpose Exploration Vehicle just after I got Snowbelle’s egg, but I also wanted the ship to be able to perform other tasks and go to other places when needed, thus the designation.”

“And ‘EP?’” Applejack asked.

“’Experimental Prototype,’ although I do not imagine I would be building another one anytime soon. Anyway, on the inside she is mostly adaptable cargo space, with berths for up to twelve pony-sized passengers. Right now I have it configured with the dividers for ten mares and two stallions, so awkwardness could be avoided there if we were in for an overnight flight. What are not adjustable are the galley, lavatory, and sani-steam station because their appliances must be fixed in place and properly installed to function.”

“What, pray tell, is a ‘sani-steam?’” Rarity asked.

“It is like a shower, but it uses steam to clean. That makes it easier to manage, especially since the dual-core Alicorn Engine means we do not have any power-related problems. Actually, I am experimenting with conducive fibres to bring that power directly to the ship’s different systems. If that works, and the defensive arrays work, I can imagine using them to power whole cities when they are not under siege.”

“Wait a sec, you said ‘dual core’ just now. Don’t you normally use a twin engine?” Dash asked.

“Yes, however a full-size Engine is about the size of Ponyville’s water tower, the same size I am using for the Alicorn Array. ‘Awkward’ would be the least of my worries in trying to carry something of that size. I am working on miniaturizing the complete system, but the best I have so far is still a partial render. That is why I call what I use the Twin Engine.”

“So what I hear you saying’s that even after everything you pulled out against Chrysalis you still weren’t running your Engine at its full power?!” Dash said.

“Of course, there are always tweaks. I cannot imagine getting to full power.”

“Is it just me, or is he completely nuts?”

“It’s probably him,” Applejack said.

“I think it’s awesome,” Spike said.

“You would,” Dash said.

“Lets just be glad he’s on our side,” Twilight said.

“I am right here,” Gearhead said flatly.

“Anyway, you were saying?”

“Yes. Silver Wind’s design is supposed to take strong winds from almost any direction and divide it above and below in such a way as to maintain its own flight. To help all that, we have the adjustable, retractable wings, which can be pulled completely into the hull if we get into a really tempestuous zone. The verniers on the wings not only allow faster deployment of a particle field, but they also increase this bird’s agility by over 60%. She basically could fly like I do, but not everypony might maintain consciousness that way.”

“Oh my,”

“On the defensive side, we not only have particle shields and the option of deploying large defensive magic, but the specially-designed armour. I had my assembly machines layer small ‘scales’ of dragonfired adamantine to the hull. The effect is that any force that gets through the shields will be spread and defused all along the hull. Weaker blows will simply have their force vanish. The strongest ones might run throughout the ship’s skin, and if we get hit in multiple places, the scaling will detach and isolate the defusion waves to ensure none of them reinforce another. Nothing we have encountered thus far has enough power to even do that, but it does not hurt to be too careful.”

“Oh, I appreciate that,” Fluttershy said.

“Fine, so we have invincible armour, but what do we have to hit back with?” Dash asked.

“First, not invincible. But we can take a fair hit before requiring repairs. Second, there are four short-barrel turrets on both sides of the hull. They can be controlled from any of the stations, and when a Unicorn plugs in, the blasts can even be enhanced by that caster’s magic. And not for nothing did I design the prow like a sword.”

“But isn’t that dangerous?” Applejack asked. “I mean, we are in the front of the ship, right?”

Gearhead looked out the viewport, from which all they could see was the landscape and sky as they flew between both. “I can see why you might think that. No, the essential portions of the ship are located close to its center-hull for the highest degree or protection. That includes the Dual Engines, as well as this cockpit. Computer, please open the panoramic view.”

“[Acknowledged.]” The wall panels in front of the stations suddenly seemed to become as transparent as the viewscreen in the front of the room.

“We can see outside the hull using a recording and playback method similar to the one I used before, so we can see what is happening all around the ship whenever we want to, and all without compromising the hull’s integrity with anything like windows. I mean, I tried to come up with a number of alternatives that would let us do that and still have good integrity. I could never see through them well enough, so that is probably something for the future.”

“Oh, is that all?” Pinkie feigned disappointment.

“Just about,”

“I was joking,”

“Yes, well, I never joke about my work.”

“I knew that,”

“Your turn, Miss Twilight. What is our mission?”

“Our mission is to go to the Crystal Empire and help my brother and Princess Cadence find a way to protect it from the dark Unicorn who once ruled there. The Empire apparently has a powerful magic that allows it to spread either hope and light or hate and despair across Equestria. Princess Celestia said that I’m responsible for finding out how to defend the Empire, and that we can’t let Sombra retake it.”

“Is that all?” Dash asked. “We handled Nightmare Moon and Discord, and we even protected Canterlot from the Changelings – mostly that was Twilight, but yeah, I think we can handle this one.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rainbow, but I can’t help but feel like we’re going into this with a lot less information than we should have.”

“We’ll just have to see what we can dig up,” Applejack said.

“You’re right, Applejack. I just wish we had more going in.”

“Apropos to that, we have one of the prototype turbines for the Alicorn Array aboard,” Gearhead said.

“Don’t you need, like, ten of them?” Spike asked.

“Fortunately the total number of relays required is a mere four, due in large part to how the particles from each turbine resonate with each other.”

“That leaves three more,” Rarity said.

“It’s still much better than nothing,” Twilight said.

Over the next few minutes, the landscape became more flat, with trees becoming hardier or being replaced by shrubs. Wind blew, and then they hit the snow, but Silver Wind pressed on without showing any signs of slowing. As the conditions grew more turbulent, Gearhead put the wings into a swept-back configuration he called ‘Delta,’ explaining to the others that there was an ancient letter shaped like a triangle.

Twilight had time to tell the others about Sombra, whom they might have to face. Since the group could not know what to expect when they got to the Crystal Empire, they could not come up with more than a working plan, which was to ask around about old methods of defence. It was not the sort of plan that Twilight or Gearhead liked to act upon, but Dash did not have any complaints. Any issues the others might have had faded to the background when the computer beeped twice.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said as Gearhead got into his chair.

“Not to worry: that was to notify us of a non-threatening magical detection within the sensor’s range.”

“Is it the Crystal Empire?” Rarity asked.

“I would not expect to have reached it so soon – and we have a library match. Oh Miss Twilight, would you please go back to the ramp and bring him in?”

“’Him?’” Twilight brightened and cantered right to the ramp. She pushed the buttons in reverse order from how she had seen Snowbelle do it, and the deck plating hissed open before the ramp lowered. Through the snow, Twilight spotted a stallion. He was wearing a thick grey scarf and snow blinders, but she would recognize that distinctive blue mane anywhere. She immediately called on her magic to teleport him up and onto the ramp in front of her.

“Twily! I was worried there for a sec, but I knew there was only one pony who could come up with this sort of thing. And if he’s here, that had to mean all of the help Princess Celestia promised to send was on its way.”

“Well, you were right, BBBFF.” Twilight hugged Shining Armour back. “Come on,” she said, and then she remembered to button up the hull again, and quickly pressed each button in turn.

“One of these days, Gearhead, you’re gonna stop surprising me.”

“I doubt that, Prince Armour. Situation?”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting reinforcements so soon, but I’m definitely glad for it: we’re in a desperate situation that requires regular patrols, and I’m the only one who can go out. I think, though, that it’d be better to finish explaining everything once we’re back at the Crystal Palace.”

“Crystal Palace?!”

“Oh yeah, you’re gonna like it there, Rarity. Now lets get moving: we don’t want to be out here when night falls.”

Something howled, or wailed. It was a sound like half of both.

“I don’t want to be out here right now,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“What is it?” Twilight asked as everypony sat down, and Gearhead got the ship moving again.

“Cadence and I think it’s the king who used to rule here, trying to get back into the Empire.”

“So, a Dark Magic-using Unicorn who has a thousand-year grudge for being turned to shadow and being sealed in ice wants to retake a people and city we cannot afford to lose. Or so your sister said.”

“Exactly,” Armour nodded to Gearhead.

The computer buzzed repeatedly, and Gearhead scanned his curved displays. “Then that is what we have on our scope, directly on our tail.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said when Gearhead activated the display: he closed the door so that it, and the rear wall, could serve as an unbroken screen. Even the stations nearest it filled with a black smoke, and green eyes peered out from the center.

“Here he comes,” Armour said, as the smoky being advanced on them.

“Twilight. Armour, please acquaint yourself with the two stations nearest that wall: I will enable fire control for turrets seven and eight.”

“Couldn’t you just have your fancy computer do it?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, however the computer cannot imbue the canon blasts with the qualities of Unicorn magic. If Sombra is a user of the Dark Arts, he should be most vulnerable to Light Magic.”

“Of which you have two users,” Twilight said, experimentally moving the levers and dials that had popped up out of the console.

“I think I have the hang of this,” Armour said.

“And Mom said we were wasting our time with games,” Twilight said.

“You two are such dorks,” Dash said.

“And proud of it,” Armour said. As Sombra closed, he centered his targeting reticule over the large form and squeezed the trigger. The bolts came out dark purple instead of Gearhead’s usual green or turquoise. As soon as Twilight saw that it was working, she joined her brother in his efforts. Sombra roared, and charged even faster. “I think we made him angry!”

“Or angrier,” Dash said.

“Then it is time to get going ourselves,” Gearhead said, and he pressed down on the pedals at his hooves. The Wind leaped forward, leaving a double-halo of turquoise particles behind.

“Hey, ease up a little, huh?” Applejack said.

“You kidding?” Dash said, “we slow down and he’ll catch up to us for sure!”

“Whee!” Pinkie squealed.

“He’s gaining,” Twilight called.

“Deploying particle shield,” Gearhead said, and on the screens that looked past the hull, the silvery armour took on a blue-green hue. The sensors buzzed again, and he threw the ship into curving arcs to avoid the smoke and obsidian pillars Sombra was throwing at them.

“I thought you said this thing could take a hit,” Spike said.

“As if we should bother with taking hits,” Dash said.

“Settle down a little bit, at least. Please?”

“Sorry,” Gearhead said, and then he executed a spinning roll to avoid a group of three pillars that had spring up just in front of them. When they came out upright again, Spike put his claws in front of his mouth. Dash and Pinkie whooped.

“Warn me next time you’re gonna do that!”

“Did I not?”

“When?” Rarity asked.

“When I said that Silver Wind can fly like I do,”

“But your cargo doesn’t,” Applejack said.

“It is solidly tied down,”

“Be that as it may, we are not, so a little gentler next time, please.”

“I shall fly as gently as I can so as to avoid our destruction.”

“Again, not very reassuring,” Rarity said.

“Could you girls pipe down for a moment? We’re trying to hit this thing,” Twilight said.

“I’ll be honest: I’m not sure we’re doing much good,” Armour said.

“Maybe there is a limit to how close he can get without it stinging too badly,” Gearhead suggested.

“That would be nice,” Fluttershy said.

“Not nice,” Dash said, pointing to the jagged reef of obsidian crystals rising up in their path. Gearhead set the forward sensors to a more focused examination of the obstacle as it began to rise high above them, even though they were still just under a minute away from it.

“I am detecting large amounts of Dark Magic within the structure, which may indicate an intention to trap us further if we try to go over it.”

“We don’t have the time to go around it,” Armour said.

“If we cannot go over or under,” Gearhead said, scanning for a mostly-direct path that had air pockets within it, formed by the irregular shape of the obelisks, “that leaves one option.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Spike asked.

“Oh, haven’t we had enough excitement for one day?” Fluttershy asked.

“But we haven’t even landed yet!” Pinkie said.

“I am open to suggestion, but we are also running out of sky.”

“So we’re just gonna ram it?” Applejack asked, incredulous.

“One, when do I ever ‘just’ do something? And ‘two,’ this is why the prow is shaped as it is.” Gearhead switched the forward monitor so it showed the blade-shaped prow in full. “But first, let us test my hypothesis.”

Gearhead descended until he had the Wind just meters above the ground as they raced ahead of Sombra. Nothing happened, so the stallion decided to take his ship up, as though to pass over the mass of obelisks. Still no response from behind them.

“I’d say we’re between some rocks and a smoky place.”

“This is no time for jokes, Rainbow Dash!”

“Oh Rarity, it’s the perfect time for jokes,” Pinkie snorted.

“How do we even know this is going to work?” Twilight asked.

“We do not,” Gearhead said. “On my signal, cease firing.”

“What? We’re stopping?” Twilight asked, turning from her terminal.

“Acknowledged,” Armour said. “I’m ready to resume, too.”

“No time to explain. Cease fire!” Armour, and then Twilight, stopped, and Gearhead retracted the canons. “Releasing 90% of stored particles to the blade in three,”

“Oh, now I get it,” Twilight said as Gearhead pushed the throttles until they were just below the emergency stops.

“Two,” Gearhead said, putting the Wind into a descending path that had a slight curve to it. In the rear viewscreen, Sombra seemed to have his eyes locked onto them. “One,” Gearhead said. As Sombra licked his lips, Gearhead twitched the controls to send them toward his real access point, and took his hooves off of the flight controls just long enough to tap the keys that glowed right in front of his face.

At first there were only thin lines of turquoise energy running up the blade toward the tip. They jogged and zigged and zagged crazily like lightning, but did not start to return until they were all the way at the end, and then they returned along the edges or core. The blade lit up then, almost too brightly to look at. Fortunately the viewscreen compensated almost immediately, with the side effect that the obelisks that they were heading toward looked pitch black.

“I can’t watch!” Fluttershy said, hiding her eyes in her wings.

“Me neither,” Spike said. Twilight and the others, however, had their eyes locked on the forward viewer, while Gearhead stared at his own display. He levelled off and pulled the wings completely into the ship, and then the prow was slicing through obsidian. Every time they hit a new pocket they heard the screech of metal on crystal, and when he saw the speedometer drop a little, he pushed the throttle all the way past the emergency stops, and even redirected power from the weapons to the aft verniers.

There were moments when they could only see light reflected off of the driven snowflakes through the air pockets, otherwise all they saw was the glowing nose and black. And then they punched through yet more crystal and into the blinding white of a blizzard, and the viewscreen adjusted again.

“Yahoo!” Pinkie jumped in her seat.

“Did we make it?” Fluttershy asked.

“I think we’re alive,” Spike said, while Snowbelle made sounds resembling laughter.

Gearhead checked the rear viewscreen to see the obsidian brambles crumbling, and then he called up a still shot from the moment just before they had entered it. “You will want to see this,” he said, sending it to the screens above the side terminals.

“What are we looking at, Darling?”

“I get it,” Twilight said. “It’s the particles: they started eroding the dark crystals before the nose even touched them!”

“What’s that mean?” Dash asked.

“What it means,” Armour said as Gearhead enabled the turrets’ control systems again, “is that Sombra’s main weakness really is Light Magic.”

“That’s useful,” Applejack said.

Sombra suddenly burst through the still-collapsing obelisks and sent thick columns of what appeared to be black lightning right at the still-recovering craft. Gearhead had already started to pull up, and his attempt to manoeuvre without the wings to carve into the wind rotated the ship a little too slowly.

“Grah!” Armour jerked away from his controls as they sparked, the Wind having taken the brunt of the attack around his turret.

“Shining Armour, your horn!” Twilight left her station to get to her brother’s side.

“Do not touch that!” Gearhead yelled.

“For Celestia’s sake, we’ll get your magic samples later,” Twilight said. “We have to help Shining Armour now.”

“And what about if it is still spreading?” Gearhead nodded to the black crystal shards now embedded in the other stallion’s horn. “We will collect samples after we ensure it does not get any further. Let me test this,” he said, putting Silver Wind back on a level and fast flight path.

“Sensors say the contamination to the ship has been contained in the turret compartment, so let us see if it can be purged by flooding it with particles. Since I already used all the particles from the condensers, I will have to run them directly from the Dual Core.”

“Just don’t drop us out of the sky when you do,” Dash said.

“That is not a concern,” Gearhead said. They watched as a flood of particles began to flow out from around the turret, making black shards flake off until none remained. “Contamination is confirmed as completely purged. Armour, please follow Snowbelle to the station. It has the correct systems built in. Twilight, you can go with him.”

“What about Sombra?” Twilight asked.

“We have a direct vector to the city now,” Gearhead said, nodding at the forward viewscreen, where a light aqua dome had become visible. Beside that, the computer showed a profile picture.

“Princess Cadence is doing that?” Rarity asked.

“It is her magic,” Armour said.

“Where do you want me to land?”

“As close to the plaza under the palace as you can bring us,”

“Roger that,” Gearhead said, and he returned his full attention to his flying. Snowbelle led Twilight and Armour back through the ship.

As Sombra renewed his chase, Gearhead snapped the wings back out into their delta configuration and eased the throttles back up until they were below the stops again. He aimed directly for the dome, only letting up enough to juke just enough to evade Sombra’s attacks while the condensers built their store slowly back up.

And then they were suddenly through the shield, and the air was bright, sunny, and clear. Even Gearhead had to blink, and by the time he started banking to come back around, Silver Wind was already at the other end of the city. He slowly pulled the throttle back and set the wings forward to their regular setting, then tapped a new command.

“Are you really scanning the Empire now?” Spike asked.

“Oh, I agree,” Rarity said. “Use your regular eyes just this once and you shan’t be disappointed!”

“I like to know with what I am working,” Gearhead said, as he slowly guided the ship closer to the palace.

“It’s sparkle-rific!” Pinkie said.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Rarity said.

“It’s alright,” Dash said, blasé.

“’Alright?’” Rarity huffed. “Why—“

“Gotcha,”

“Oh, very funny, Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack chuckled softly even as Gearhead brought them in, curving the wings upward, just as he had when he had landed in Canterlot. He managed to orient the nose partway toward where he saw the main gates to the palace, so getting to either of the ship’s doors would not be too arduous. With the landing struts down, he landed gentle as a breeze, and then put the systems into the cycle through standby mode. The last thing he did was to pick up his Twin Engine from where it had been stowed below his seat, and strap it on: to sit in the chair with it on would have been uncomfortable. He would have to fix that, in case he needed to deploy on a future flight.

When Shining Armour led his small group to the ramp he was completely clear of the black shards. “Unfortunately my mana seems to have already been mostly drained,” he said.

“At least now you can get it back by resting,” Rarity said.

“I’m not sure Sombra will give us much of a chance to rest,” Armour said. “But thanks anyway. On that note, I’ll take you to see Cadence now.”

Gearhead grabbed a pair of scrolls from a nearby cabinet and put them into one of his pouches. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Twilight said. Gearhead nodded to Snowbelle, who pecked the buttons. A whoosh and a mechanical whine announced the small group’s arrival in the Crystal Empire.