My Little Pony: Dawn Star and the Secrets of Hooveriaby Glow StickChaptersI: The Worst Place EverII: The Journey WestIII: The IslandI: The Worst Place EverMy Little Pony: Dawn Star and the Secrets of Hooveria By Cera Gwendolynn Gardner (Glow Stick) Chapter I: The Worst Place Ever If someone were to ask me what the worst place I had ever been to was, there is no doubt in my mind that I would answer Hooveria. Ooh, Hooveria, you lush and beautiful island off Equestria’s western coast; how you tempt me with your mimicry of a tropical paradise! It was beautiful, indeed, being surrounded by warm sands and water such a clear blue that it was transparent. I tremendously enjoyed dipping my worn-out hooves in the gentle, rippling waves as the cool breeze dried away the light droplets of sweat from the back on my neck. The wind weaving its way through the tall trees and through the strands of my mane and tail were equally delightful. In and of itself, I could not have asked for more from an island resort. No, the dissatisfaction from this location comes not from the island itself, but from the inhabitants. Well, most of them. You see, this tiny island nation always ruled itself peacefully. The Equestrian Princesses never attempted to claim it under their rule, leaving the natives to govern their islands as they saw fit. The most we Equestrians gained from this was an ideal spot to have a family vacation, while they benefitted from tourism money. It was not as if Equestrian losses were anything grand, though. It was just a small, interesting but unimportant island for many years. They tended to keep to themselves and were very hospitable. I actually planned a vacation there, once. When I was still just a small pony barely able to lift a pencil with my magic, I dreamed of living in a private resort on such an island. I had no idea how I would make it happen, but it was always my dream. At least until I became of age… I joined the Equestrian military as a Royal Guard pony for the Princesses in Canterlot. The days were long and mostly uneventful, but the pay was decent considering those somewhat frequent disastrous occurrences all across Equestria. I remember the Changeling Invasion clearly. Before I begin about how this island adventure made me want to avoid and places similar for the rest of my life, I should start off with a little of my back history up to the present. I do not want to bore you, though, so I will keep the history short. I grew up as a typical Unicorn living in Equestria’s capitol city, Canterlot. My parents were wealthy and placed me in magic school, but I never appreciated it as I do now. I was always behind and never knew the spells other ponies could perform. I excelled in other studies, however. It was not until I was older that I took an interest in magic once more. For much of my early adult life, I worked as a guard while attending magic classes at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. From my entrance test when I first joined, I hatched a dragon from an egg, much like Princess Twilight and Spike. I remember seeing them around quite often. I missed them when she moved to Ponyville. Anyway, my dragon companion needed a name. I chose Ruby due to her deep cerise scales and orange eyes. She has stayed at my side ever since. One day during the spring, I was sitting around in my home, reading up on some magic from a spell book Twilight had lent me about two years prior. The spell about fire always gave me difficulty. It was getting late, and my eyes grew heavy as I felt more and more fatigued from the lengthy day at my Castle post. I finished reading through the paragraph of the spell and shut the book. Just as soon as I set the book upon my reading table in my small library, Ruby entered with a scroll clutched in her right claw. She held her arm out to me, and I took the scroll using my levitation magic. My horn’s blue glow coated the paper as I held it in the air in front of me and flattened it out so that I could read. To my sincere surprise, it was from the Princess! My eyes burst open and my head made a sudden jolt from shock. My eyes were fixated upon the page. “Are you all right?” Ruby asked. She was so cute back when she was half my height. Not that she is not still cute being taller than I am, of course. Ha! I laugh in the face of Princess Twilight’s grammar books with my double negatives! “What?” I stumbled, still trying to understand what it was that I was reading, “Oh, yeah.” With pep in her voice, “Well, what does it say?” I had just finished reading it full, so I decided to recite it aloud, “Dear Dawn Star, with Princess Twilight and her friends away on business in Fillydelphia, I must ask for outside assistance in a most pressing matter. A dear friend of mine, a Unicorn named Heart Diamond, has not returned from her vacation. Two weeks ago, she left for a one-week vacation to the island nation of Hooveria, but as I just said, she has yet to return. It is not like her to remain so silent for so long, being a prominent Canterlot socialite. “Normally, Hooveria is a wonderful place. I have been there many times myself. However, the biggest cause for my disturbance rests in a message I received from the island. It was delivered to me in secret from the Hooverian mail. It was a request for help from a native there. From what little information I have, the elected leader of the islands has begun to turn the nation under her entire rule. I fear something larger may be in store. “This is why I am asking upon you. Based on your performances on your scores in my academy, and your experiences as my Royal Guard, I trust you to figure out what is happening, if anything at all. My intuition tells me that great danger could be on the rise. “This will be a secretive mission. I want you and Ruby to pose as tourists on vacation. Try to find out what happened to my friend, and if the leader of the islands could pose a threat to Equestria. With all that seclusion, anything could be possible. Despite this danger, be safe. You have Ruby. If you need help, send a message. -Your Princess, Celestia. Meet me in the throne room.” “So, we’re going on vacation?” Ruby asked me once I was done. I kept rereading the message to make sure it was all real. After the fifth time, I was finally sure. Without even responding to Ruby’s inquiry, I raced into my bedroom and began to pack all of my best summer beach clothes- hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen were necessities. Before I left, I strapped my black band around my neck so that it rested over my chest. “Well?” I asked her, “What are you waiting for? We’ve got a job to do!” That got her packing, though she only brought cupcakes hidden in her suitcase. We met the Princess at the Castle that night. She stood tall in her throne room, pacing down the hallway of stained glass windows. The moonlight outside did not reflect enough light from the sun to brighten up the place properly, yet the gentle glowing of the white circle in the sky coated the room in a dim aura that no other time of day could give it. As we approached her, I could see her waving tri-colored hair glimmering in the rays of white light. She heard us coming, but only turned her face toward us as she stood several feet away. I was wondering why she kept silent, but I soon understood as one of the Royal Guard walked past on his nightly rounds. He was one of Princess Luna’s night guard ponies. I always thought their bat wings were cool. Anyway… When he passed, she began to speak in a soft voice. “I’m sorry for summoning you two so late into the night, but I need your help.” I bowed and said, “Of course, Princess.” “I have an airship prepared to take you to Las Pegasus. From there, a small ship will take you to the Islands of Hooveria. You’ll be seen as a regular tourist.” I did not say anything in return, but my heart was racing. “Do you wish to take this mission? You are under no obligation to…,” I interrupted her, but out of eagerness, “I’d love to, Princess!” Why would I not want to go? It seemed like fun with just the right amount of risk to keep things interesting. II: The Journey WestChapter II: The Journey West We followed Princess Celestia from the throne room inside the Canterlot Castle to a section of balcony hanging off the side of the city. Although Luna’s brilliant moon was in its full stage, a perfectly white disc in the starry sky, all around us was so dim that it was hard to see where we were going. When the light reflecting from the moon touched Celestia’s coat and mane, she began to glow. Her mane waved constantly and so gently that it felt as though there were an actual breeze, when the reality was that there was little wind that night. The small airship that Celestia mentioned was waiting for me on the balcony, tied to a personal docking station, though I saw no other ships besides that one. It was suspended over the rocky chasms below by its lone balloon, filled with a lighter-than-air gas, which was secured to the large gondola below with heavy bolts. It was hard to tell clearly, but the gondola was painted a light shade of pink with markings indicating the Equestrian flag all over the side. The balloon was painted a solid purple. I could hear the steam engine inside humming lightly. Brief puffs of silvery smoke rushed out from an exhaust pipe and quickly dispersed into the air. Before Ruby and I made our way on board, we were stopped by Princess Luna, who came to join us. “Wait,” she said calmly. We both turned to see the darkly colored Princess draw closer to us. Her hooves patted softly against the stone surface of the balcony, and her mane and coat shimmered against the pale moonlight just as beautifully as Celestia’s. When she finally stood with us beside the airship, she said, “I’m glad I was able to meet you before you left.” I bowed and replied, “Yes, Princess.” Luna waved her right hoof and proclaimed, “Rise, Dawn, for it is you who is doing us a great favor.” I did as she requested and stood tall, well, as tall as I could for being vastly shorter than they are. Luna continued, “Our fears of some worse trouble than a missing pony are hopefully nothing more than worry and negative thinking.” “However,” Celestia interjected, “neither of us can keep a calm mind. I can just feel that something will happen.” “Yes, I can feel it, too,” Luna added. She turned from us for a few brief moments to watch, with fixed eyes, the moon. “I do not know why, but I cannot put my mind at ease.” “I’ll do my best,” I told the both of them. Ruby remained at my side, listening in silence. “What say you, Ruby? Are you prepared to embark on this mission?” Princess Luna asked her with a smile. “O-of course!” “Excellent! Then let you be off, now! There is nary a moment to lose!” Luna then shouted in a half-Canterlot voice. After that, Ruby and I turned to make our way onto the airship, when we were halted once again by another interjection, this time by Princess Celestia. “Oh, one last thing. The leader of the Islands is named Cosmic Destruction, or the Hooverian rendition of that name.” “Cosmic Dest… is that her…,” I began. I was going to ask if that was her real name. “No, it’s not. I’ve met her before. Her real name is Hehkyvalaina Ayriinko, Glowing Sun, in Hooverian.” Little more was said after that. Ruby and I stepped into the airship and the side door was closed behind us by Princess Celestia. I know this because I saw the yellow glow of her magic from beyond a small window beside the door. The ship was detached from the balcony, and we began to drift away from solid land, hovering independently over the Equestrian center. The rocks and turns of the ship made the pit of my stomach twist and churn violently. Oh, how I loathe heights! Ruby and I retreated into an aft cabin set aside for us, with a small bed for Ruby and a larger one attached to the wall for me. We shoved our possessions in the space under my bed, and tried to get some sleep. It was late, so there was no talking apart from, “Good night!” The racket from the engines and the constant fear of a sudden descent plagued my mind all throughout the night, as I stayed awake, unable to doze off. All the time, Ruby snored louder than my brother did as she found herself at complete ease. Early, very early, into the morning I actually found myself asleep. I was abruptly awakened by shouting from beyond our cabin door. With heavy bags under my eyes, I stepped out from under my warm covers and stumbled on all four hooves to the door. I used my magic to turn the handle. I approached the window and stared out onto the desert south of the Equestrian countryside. I could feel the heat through the window and the thought of sunbathing there did not sound like fun. It was very pretty, however. I loved watching the mesas and plateaus, surrounded by thin white clouds, as we moved quickly in the sky. I even spotted a tiny desert town. A cleared throat of a stallion much older than I startled me. I backed away from the window to find a grayish stallion dressed in a blackened uniform standing near my cabin door in the hall leading to the control room. He had a thick and curly moustache, which, not to be rude, was highly distracting. “We’ll be landing in about an hour,” said he, with no clear signs of emotion. “Okay,” I responded, equally as unenthusiastic. What can I say? I did not get much sleep. I returned to my cabin and closed the door. I pulled out my Hooverian grammar book that I packed along with some of my other things and began to read. I needed to learn some of the native language. I could tell it would be helpful. The airship landed south of Las Pegasus in a small coastal town. I saw little of the town because the airship landed right at the docks where our next mode of transportation was waiting. A small water ship was waiting for us. It looked old, but I could tell that it used to be a kind of ferry for passengers. A fresh coat of Equestrian blue, the color of our flag, had been applied to the sides of ship above the waterline. Ruby and I wasted no time and scurried up the gangplank and onto the ship. I was eager to get off the flying death trap. The second portion of the journey was the longest. Like before, we had our own cabin where we collected our belongings. However, the ship travelled much slower than the airship, so our ventures into the western ocean took two full days. Nothing of great interest happened during this trip. On the first day, we ate breakfast in the ship’s dining room, had lunch in the dining room, and dinner in the dining room. That night, I actually got some sleep. The second day was exactly the same. While I greatly enjoyed being out at sea, I was anxious to get out and stretch my legs on this Island, though the thought of it frightened me. During my free time, I studied my book of Hooverian. I went through it quickly. Languages were always a strong suit of mine. I practiced my new language on an unsuspecting Ruby. “Rubi, noole metaa hovaan!” This translates to, “Ruby, smell my hooves!” Whereby I would extend out a hoof or two at Ruby. Was it immature? Definitely. It was also fun. When the second day ended, I climbed into bed after saying, “Good night,” to Ruby. The tropical sun spread a humid heat throughout the ship, and some of the food did not sit well in my stomach. I had a terrible nightmare, filled with twisted demon-like creatures and unsympathetic laughter. There was screaming, shouting, laughing, and groaning within this dream so vividly that I could remember most of it even long after awakening. I awoke, shouting loudly and gasping for fresh air. My coat was covered in sweat, my lungs felt pressured, and my head was pounding. Quivering violently, I stumbled out of bed and forced the window of our cabin open. The cooler nighttime breeze rushed in and pasted my face with a salty mist. I inhaled, filling my lungs with this untouched sky. I felt better, but only marginally. My shouts of anguish awoke my companion. With a fright, she gasped, “Who, what, where?” When she saw me reaching for breath at the window, she rose to her feet and patted her claw against my shoulder. “Are you all right?” she asked. “Yeah,” I told her, “I just had a bad dream. That’s all.” “You’re sweating so much!” “It’s really hot in here. I’m fine, really. I just need to catch my breath.” “Are you worried?” She asked me. I nodded my head. Portions of my bedhead kept dangling over my face. With her right claw, she dragged the blue strands of my mane back behind my ears. I reached my hoof around her neck and shoulders and pulled her in close for a hug. “We’re in this together,” she said. “Kynäkääntasti,” or, together. III: The IslandChapter III: The Island It was early in the morning when the captain of the small vessel told me that we were approaching our destination- Hooveria. Ruby and I gathered our things and waited on the forward deck as the ship slowly broke through the rolling waves of the sea. A dense fog had engulfed us, making it near impossible to see a great distance ahead even with the flood lights blasting on high. My heart was pounding. Ruby could see that I was visibly shaken, and grasped her small claw around my right arm. The fog broke as Celestia’s sun cut through the morning night, revealing the island group several miles ahead. Even from such a far distance away, I could see green trees covering a mountain that formed at the center of the island. Beaches and rock bluffs surrounded the island, and I could see several sharp outlying rock spears all around, cut and battered by the foaming tropical waves. The water changed from a soupy greenish color to a bright, vivid, and lively blue that was so clear I could almost see to the bottom sands. Fish, the kinds I had never heard of before much less seen, swam about freely, rising to the surface to spit out water or collect an insect, only to once again descend. I pressed by forelegs up against the railing and peered out over the side of the ship to watch and study all around us. With my mouth gaping wide, I watched as a large fish approached the side of the boat. It was beautifully colored with hues of blue, green, and yellow. I wanted nothing more than to touch it. However, it felt differently, and splashed me with several buckets-worth of cold ocean water. “Phtht phat ugh!” I muttered nonsensically. It tasted awful, worse than my father’s cooking! As I think of it now, I even remember swallowing a small fish. “Haha,” Ruby chuckled. She was wet, also, but not to the extent that I was. I groaned and glared at her with a lowered brow, “It’s not funny!” She chuckled some more before replying, “Sorry.” I let out a bellowing sigh, “Great. Now my mane is a mess.” I did try to make myself presentable. It was one way I had to help pass the time. I used my magic to collect the water and dump it back into the ocean. Ruby fumbled through our bags and pulled out a mane brush that I tossed inside in a hurry. I was very glad I took it with us. Without a mirror, I pulled the bristles through the strands of my mane and untangled the mess the fish caused. It was better than how I assumed my mane looked, at least. Ruby did not say anything about it, and I had not seen myself until I looked into a mirror later that day. Once the distraction was over, I resumed my previous concern over our impending approach to the island. The old ship creaked and groaned as we were violently bombarded by rougher seas and harsh, breaking waves. We bounced up and down, left and right. I had not been ill throughout the entire voyage, but I felt so sick at no other time in my life besides that moment. My stomach could not hold the breakfast Ruby and I had just eaten. With a panicked groan, I launched half my body over the railing and let loose all I had eaten that morning. To my surprise, once that was complete, the rocking ceased. We quickly came upon the southern capitol of the Island, Ihana. Ihana was a town much like Ponyville and about as large. The town was built on the southern peninsula of the island; a large chunk was covering a small island at the southernmost point, and on a portion of the land beyond the inland river on the other side of town. Do not worry; I sketched it down for you. I did manage to find a map of the Islands while I was there. Ihana in Hooverian: Ihana map: The ship slowly docked beside a few other, smaller fishing boats on the peninsula section of the town. A small lighthouse overlooking the ‘port’ loomed upon the boat as we passed by. I was immediately met with a welcome party of constantly smiling earth ponies of every color and size. A reddish stallion grabbed my bags, while a yellow stallion picked up Ruby’s case. A mare I would soon come to know as Kolkoa shook my hooves, escorted me off the boat, and into the town of timberframe houses with thatched roofs. There was no real beach surrounding the town, so there was a sudden and unexpected transition from a tropical sea to a paved settlement like any other. Before anypony began speaking, I looked around for myself and I was curious about this new place. Initially, I was a little disappointed. Had I not just gotten off the boat seconds before, I would have sworn I never left Equestria. There was one major difference than any place in Equestria, however- the flowers and greenery. Flowers, trees, vines, bushes, and anything in between were growing in nearly every nook and cranny. Brightly colored birds flew all about, lizards climbed up the wooden posts of the homes, and there was a constant background noise of the breaking waves just beyond the small homes at the town’s edge. I took in a deep breath, momentarily ignoring those around me. Yet, my heart could not stop racing. The warnings of the Princesses lingered in my mind. I kept wondering to myself what it was that I would find there. My brief ponder was ceased when I was addressed by the ponies who had just welcomed me into their town. “Welcome, welcome!” Kolkoa, a younger mare with a beige coat, yellow mane, and dark brown eyes, exclaimed as she shook my hooves. Her accent was thick with heavy emphasis on vowels, and the letters R and K. “We have been expecting you!” Kolkoa: “You have?” I asked in my native language, cringing my teeth. I forced a smile, but their smiles and constant staring made me uncomfortable. I was, of course, not welcomed by everypony in town, but the swarm certainly made me feel like I was. “Mahtava! Of course! You’re our special guest! We do love having Equestrian tourists!” said she, with a rush of enthusiasm in her voice. Mahtava, a Hooverian exclamation: “How was your trip?” A stallion asked. “Can I get you anything?” Asked a mare. Before I could answer, my stomach began to growl. I knew they all heard it. Once the growl was over, there was a brief silence as we all stood just barely in the town. Without so much as a verbal confirmation that I wanted food, even though I really did, we were literally carried away to the Hooverian Islands Resort, which was established on the southern island part of town. I caught a good glimpse of the town this way. A few main roads connected the town together, but like Ponyville, one could simply walk in between buildings and houses, as there were few barriers. There was a great change from one section to another. The buildings on the peninsula were larger and well built, while the houses on the island were small and shack-like. However, the inhabitants did not seem to care. Every house, though worn down, was finely decorated with plants and regional pottery. Some of the ponies waved to me as we all passed by. I tried to wave back, but I was rather distracted being forced across the town. The resort was quite literally the most southern building in the nation. It was a long structure, old and worn just like every other building, and three floors tall. The resort blocked most of the southern coastline from the island’s inhabitants, saving those views for tourists who rented rooms. For some reason, I felt rather sad as we approached the aged red hotel. The open porch surrounding the ground floor looked like a wonderful place for a party, though it was now barren with broken chairs wearing away from the salty sea breeze. It was around this time I was finally able to walk around on my own. The other ponies dispersed apart from Kolkoa, who showed Ruby and I into the main lobby of the hotel. A blue-coated secretary was working behind the main counter, though it looked more as if she was reading an Equestrian newspaper. When she saw me, she rose from her seated position and stepped up to the counter. She looked much older than Kolkoa, who was approximately my age at the time. “My, my!” said the secretary, “The royal guest has finally arrived!” “Royal guest?” I asked, pretending not to know about Celestia’s plans. “You’re booked for the royal suite, are you not? Best room in the house!” I forgot about any kind of identification! I began to sweat badly. Then, before I could say anything to incriminate us, Ruby pulled out a scroll from one of her bags and handed it to the secretary behind the counter, saying, “Yep! Here!” “My, my! And a dragon!” “Voi mahalaina kylesen nes köjkka! Where did you get her?” Kolkoa exclaimed. Voi mahalaina kylesen nes köjkka! I have only heard of them! I remembered some of what I read in that grammar book, and responded in Hooverian, “Voi koolit xhas siis Kaanterlohtii.” Or, I got her in Canterlot. Voi koolit xhas siis Kaanterlohtii. “Here is your room key,” said the secretary. She gave it to Ruby. “Enjoy your stay!” “I’ll let you get settled,” Kolkoa told me as others brought the remainder of our belongings inside and placed them on a moving dolly. “Kiitojo,” I replied, which means thank you. Kiitojo. I could smell the food nearby, but I wanted to be settled, first. Kolkoa left the hotel, and the two of us were left alone in the lobby. While I enjoyed the silence, I knew we would not be seeing the last of the crowds. Our room number was on the third floor, so we took the elevator to the top. Each footstep creaked against the wooden floor. The interior of the hotel was nicely furnished, but I could tell little maintenance had been performed in a very long time. Pictures were tilted, carpets were curled and uneven, and some of the smaller side tables were coated in dust. I saw a few roaming house cleaners, but they seemed more interested in the big things or reading. We came to our room after about five minutes of wandering through the long corridors of the hotel. The lights were dim and there were few ponies around. Anxious by the silence, Ruby climbed atop my back and clutched by mane tightly. I could not blame her. I kept feeling as though I were being followed by the sounds of the progressing hoofsteps. The squeaking of the dolly I was pulling with my magic was not helping, either. Our door was at the southernmost end of the hotel. I know this based upon the window and balcony view overlooking a portion of the island. To our left, I could see the small lighthouse near the docks where we arrived. To the right were a few bluffs and ocean waves. Ruby, using the golden key, unlocked the door and pushed it open. Our room was wide and spacious, clearly what the ponies working there spent most of their days preparing.
I: The Worst Place EverMy Little Pony: Dawn Star and the Secrets of Hooveria By Cera Gwendolynn Gardner (Glow Stick) Chapter I: The Worst Place Ever If someone were to ask me what the worst place I had ever been to was, there is no doubt in my mind that I would answer Hooveria. Ooh, Hooveria, you lush and beautiful island off Equestria’s western coast; how you tempt me with your mimicry of a tropical paradise! It was beautiful, indeed, being surrounded by warm sands and water such a clear blue that it was transparent. I tremendously enjoyed dipping my worn-out hooves in the gentle, rippling waves as the cool breeze dried away the light droplets of sweat from the back on my neck. The wind weaving its way through the tall trees and through the strands of my mane and tail were equally delightful. In and of itself, I could not have asked for more from an island resort. No, the dissatisfaction from this location comes not from the island itself, but from the inhabitants. Well, most of them. You see, this tiny island nation always ruled itself peacefully. The Equestrian Princesses never attempted to claim it under their rule, leaving the natives to govern their islands as they saw fit. The most we Equestrians gained from this was an ideal spot to have a family vacation, while they benefitted from tourism money. It was not as if Equestrian losses were anything grand, though. It was just a small, interesting but unimportant island for many years. They tended to keep to themselves and were very hospitable. I actually planned a vacation there, once. When I was still just a small pony barely able to lift a pencil with my magic, I dreamed of living in a private resort on such an island. I had no idea how I would make it happen, but it was always my dream. At least until I became of age… I joined the Equestrian military as a Royal Guard pony for the Princesses in Canterlot. The days were long and mostly uneventful, but the pay was decent considering those somewhat frequent disastrous occurrences all across Equestria. I remember the Changeling Invasion clearly. Before I begin about how this island adventure made me want to avoid and places similar for the rest of my life, I should start off with a little of my back history up to the present. I do not want to bore you, though, so I will keep the history short. I grew up as a typical Unicorn living in Equestria’s capitol city, Canterlot. My parents were wealthy and placed me in magic school, but I never appreciated it as I do now. I was always behind and never knew the spells other ponies could perform. I excelled in other studies, however. It was not until I was older that I took an interest in magic once more. For much of my early adult life, I worked as a guard while attending magic classes at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. From my entrance test when I first joined, I hatched a dragon from an egg, much like Princess Twilight and Spike. I remember seeing them around quite often. I missed them when she moved to Ponyville. Anyway, my dragon companion needed a name. I chose Ruby due to her deep cerise scales and orange eyes. She has stayed at my side ever since. One day during the spring, I was sitting around in my home, reading up on some magic from a spell book Twilight had lent me about two years prior. The spell about fire always gave me difficulty. It was getting late, and my eyes grew heavy as I felt more and more fatigued from the lengthy day at my Castle post. I finished reading through the paragraph of the spell and shut the book. Just as soon as I set the book upon my reading table in my small library, Ruby entered with a scroll clutched in her right claw. She held her arm out to me, and I took the scroll using my levitation magic. My horn’s blue glow coated the paper as I held it in the air in front of me and flattened it out so that I could read. To my sincere surprise, it was from the Princess! My eyes burst open and my head made a sudden jolt from shock. My eyes were fixated upon the page. “Are you all right?” Ruby asked. She was so cute back when she was half my height. Not that she is not still cute being taller than I am, of course. Ha! I laugh in the face of Princess Twilight’s grammar books with my double negatives! “What?” I stumbled, still trying to understand what it was that I was reading, “Oh, yeah.” With pep in her voice, “Well, what does it say?” I had just finished reading it full, so I decided to recite it aloud, “Dear Dawn Star, with Princess Twilight and her friends away on business in Fillydelphia, I must ask for outside assistance in a most pressing matter. A dear friend of mine, a Unicorn named Heart Diamond, has not returned from her vacation. Two weeks ago, she left for a one-week vacation to the island nation of Hooveria, but as I just said, she has yet to return. It is not like her to remain so silent for so long, being a prominent Canterlot socialite. “Normally, Hooveria is a wonderful place. I have been there many times myself. However, the biggest cause for my disturbance rests in a message I received from the island. It was delivered to me in secret from the Hooverian mail. It was a request for help from a native there. From what little information I have, the elected leader of the islands has begun to turn the nation under her entire rule. I fear something larger may be in store. “This is why I am asking upon you. Based on your performances on your scores in my academy, and your experiences as my Royal Guard, I trust you to figure out what is happening, if anything at all. My intuition tells me that great danger could be on the rise. “This will be a secretive mission. I want you and Ruby to pose as tourists on vacation. Try to find out what happened to my friend, and if the leader of the islands could pose a threat to Equestria. With all that seclusion, anything could be possible. Despite this danger, be safe. You have Ruby. If you need help, send a message. -Your Princess, Celestia. Meet me in the throne room.” “So, we’re going on vacation?” Ruby asked me once I was done. I kept rereading the message to make sure it was all real. After the fifth time, I was finally sure. Without even responding to Ruby’s inquiry, I raced into my bedroom and began to pack all of my best summer beach clothes- hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen were necessities. Before I left, I strapped my black band around my neck so that it rested over my chest. “Well?” I asked her, “What are you waiting for? We’ve got a job to do!” That got her packing, though she only brought cupcakes hidden in her suitcase. We met the Princess at the Castle that night. She stood tall in her throne room, pacing down the hallway of stained glass windows. The moonlight outside did not reflect enough light from the sun to brighten up the place properly, yet the gentle glowing of the white circle in the sky coated the room in a dim aura that no other time of day could give it. As we approached her, I could see her waving tri-colored hair glimmering in the rays of white light. She heard us coming, but only turned her face toward us as she stood several feet away. I was wondering why she kept silent, but I soon understood as one of the Royal Guard walked past on his nightly rounds. He was one of Princess Luna’s night guard ponies. I always thought their bat wings were cool. Anyway… When he passed, she began to speak in a soft voice. “I’m sorry for summoning you two so late into the night, but I need your help.” I bowed and said, “Of course, Princess.” “I have an airship prepared to take you to Las Pegasus. From there, a small ship will take you to the Islands of Hooveria. You’ll be seen as a regular tourist.” I did not say anything in return, but my heart was racing. “Do you wish to take this mission? You are under no obligation to…,” I interrupted her, but out of eagerness, “I’d love to, Princess!” Why would I not want to go? It seemed like fun with just the right amount of risk to keep things interesting.
II: The Journey WestChapter II: The Journey West We followed Princess Celestia from the throne room inside the Canterlot Castle to a section of balcony hanging off the side of the city. Although Luna’s brilliant moon was in its full stage, a perfectly white disc in the starry sky, all around us was so dim that it was hard to see where we were going. When the light reflecting from the moon touched Celestia’s coat and mane, she began to glow. Her mane waved constantly and so gently that it felt as though there were an actual breeze, when the reality was that there was little wind that night. The small airship that Celestia mentioned was waiting for me on the balcony, tied to a personal docking station, though I saw no other ships besides that one. It was suspended over the rocky chasms below by its lone balloon, filled with a lighter-than-air gas, which was secured to the large gondola below with heavy bolts. It was hard to tell clearly, but the gondola was painted a light shade of pink with markings indicating the Equestrian flag all over the side. The balloon was painted a solid purple. I could hear the steam engine inside humming lightly. Brief puffs of silvery smoke rushed out from an exhaust pipe and quickly dispersed into the air. Before Ruby and I made our way on board, we were stopped by Princess Luna, who came to join us. “Wait,” she said calmly. We both turned to see the darkly colored Princess draw closer to us. Her hooves patted softly against the stone surface of the balcony, and her mane and coat shimmered against the pale moonlight just as beautifully as Celestia’s. When she finally stood with us beside the airship, she said, “I’m glad I was able to meet you before you left.” I bowed and replied, “Yes, Princess.” Luna waved her right hoof and proclaimed, “Rise, Dawn, for it is you who is doing us a great favor.” I did as she requested and stood tall, well, as tall as I could for being vastly shorter than they are. Luna continued, “Our fears of some worse trouble than a missing pony are hopefully nothing more than worry and negative thinking.” “However,” Celestia interjected, “neither of us can keep a calm mind. I can just feel that something will happen.” “Yes, I can feel it, too,” Luna added. She turned from us for a few brief moments to watch, with fixed eyes, the moon. “I do not know why, but I cannot put my mind at ease.” “I’ll do my best,” I told the both of them. Ruby remained at my side, listening in silence. “What say you, Ruby? Are you prepared to embark on this mission?” Princess Luna asked her with a smile. “O-of course!” “Excellent! Then let you be off, now! There is nary a moment to lose!” Luna then shouted in a half-Canterlot voice. After that, Ruby and I turned to make our way onto the airship, when we were halted once again by another interjection, this time by Princess Celestia. “Oh, one last thing. The leader of the Islands is named Cosmic Destruction, or the Hooverian rendition of that name.” “Cosmic Dest… is that her…,” I began. I was going to ask if that was her real name. “No, it’s not. I’ve met her before. Her real name is Hehkyvalaina Ayriinko, Glowing Sun, in Hooverian.” Little more was said after that. Ruby and I stepped into the airship and the side door was closed behind us by Princess Celestia. I know this because I saw the yellow glow of her magic from beyond a small window beside the door. The ship was detached from the balcony, and we began to drift away from solid land, hovering independently over the Equestrian center. The rocks and turns of the ship made the pit of my stomach twist and churn violently. Oh, how I loathe heights! Ruby and I retreated into an aft cabin set aside for us, with a small bed for Ruby and a larger one attached to the wall for me. We shoved our possessions in the space under my bed, and tried to get some sleep. It was late, so there was no talking apart from, “Good night!” The racket from the engines and the constant fear of a sudden descent plagued my mind all throughout the night, as I stayed awake, unable to doze off. All the time, Ruby snored louder than my brother did as she found herself at complete ease. Early, very early, into the morning I actually found myself asleep. I was abruptly awakened by shouting from beyond our cabin door. With heavy bags under my eyes, I stepped out from under my warm covers and stumbled on all four hooves to the door. I used my magic to turn the handle. I approached the window and stared out onto the desert south of the Equestrian countryside. I could feel the heat through the window and the thought of sunbathing there did not sound like fun. It was very pretty, however. I loved watching the mesas and plateaus, surrounded by thin white clouds, as we moved quickly in the sky. I even spotted a tiny desert town. A cleared throat of a stallion much older than I startled me. I backed away from the window to find a grayish stallion dressed in a blackened uniform standing near my cabin door in the hall leading to the control room. He had a thick and curly moustache, which, not to be rude, was highly distracting. “We’ll be landing in about an hour,” said he, with no clear signs of emotion. “Okay,” I responded, equally as unenthusiastic. What can I say? I did not get much sleep. I returned to my cabin and closed the door. I pulled out my Hooverian grammar book that I packed along with some of my other things and began to read. I needed to learn some of the native language. I could tell it would be helpful. The airship landed south of Las Pegasus in a small coastal town. I saw little of the town because the airship landed right at the docks where our next mode of transportation was waiting. A small water ship was waiting for us. It looked old, but I could tell that it used to be a kind of ferry for passengers. A fresh coat of Equestrian blue, the color of our flag, had been applied to the sides of ship above the waterline. Ruby and I wasted no time and scurried up the gangplank and onto the ship. I was eager to get off the flying death trap. The second portion of the journey was the longest. Like before, we had our own cabin where we collected our belongings. However, the ship travelled much slower than the airship, so our ventures into the western ocean took two full days. Nothing of great interest happened during this trip. On the first day, we ate breakfast in the ship’s dining room, had lunch in the dining room, and dinner in the dining room. That night, I actually got some sleep. The second day was exactly the same. While I greatly enjoyed being out at sea, I was anxious to get out and stretch my legs on this Island, though the thought of it frightened me. During my free time, I studied my book of Hooverian. I went through it quickly. Languages were always a strong suit of mine. I practiced my new language on an unsuspecting Ruby. “Rubi, noole metaa hovaan!” This translates to, “Ruby, smell my hooves!” Whereby I would extend out a hoof or two at Ruby. Was it immature? Definitely. It was also fun. When the second day ended, I climbed into bed after saying, “Good night,” to Ruby. The tropical sun spread a humid heat throughout the ship, and some of the food did not sit well in my stomach. I had a terrible nightmare, filled with twisted demon-like creatures and unsympathetic laughter. There was screaming, shouting, laughing, and groaning within this dream so vividly that I could remember most of it even long after awakening. I awoke, shouting loudly and gasping for fresh air. My coat was covered in sweat, my lungs felt pressured, and my head was pounding. Quivering violently, I stumbled out of bed and forced the window of our cabin open. The cooler nighttime breeze rushed in and pasted my face with a salty mist. I inhaled, filling my lungs with this untouched sky. I felt better, but only marginally. My shouts of anguish awoke my companion. With a fright, she gasped, “Who, what, where?” When she saw me reaching for breath at the window, she rose to her feet and patted her claw against my shoulder. “Are you all right?” she asked. “Yeah,” I told her, “I just had a bad dream. That’s all.” “You’re sweating so much!” “It’s really hot in here. I’m fine, really. I just need to catch my breath.” “Are you worried?” She asked me. I nodded my head. Portions of my bedhead kept dangling over my face. With her right claw, she dragged the blue strands of my mane back behind my ears. I reached my hoof around her neck and shoulders and pulled her in close for a hug. “We’re in this together,” she said. “Kynäkääntasti,” or, together.
III: The IslandChapter III: The Island It was early in the morning when the captain of the small vessel told me that we were approaching our destination- Hooveria. Ruby and I gathered our things and waited on the forward deck as the ship slowly broke through the rolling waves of the sea. A dense fog had engulfed us, making it near impossible to see a great distance ahead even with the flood lights blasting on high. My heart was pounding. Ruby could see that I was visibly shaken, and grasped her small claw around my right arm. The fog broke as Celestia’s sun cut through the morning night, revealing the island group several miles ahead. Even from such a far distance away, I could see green trees covering a mountain that formed at the center of the island. Beaches and rock bluffs surrounded the island, and I could see several sharp outlying rock spears all around, cut and battered by the foaming tropical waves. The water changed from a soupy greenish color to a bright, vivid, and lively blue that was so clear I could almost see to the bottom sands. Fish, the kinds I had never heard of before much less seen, swam about freely, rising to the surface to spit out water or collect an insect, only to once again descend. I pressed by forelegs up against the railing and peered out over the side of the ship to watch and study all around us. With my mouth gaping wide, I watched as a large fish approached the side of the boat. It was beautifully colored with hues of blue, green, and yellow. I wanted nothing more than to touch it. However, it felt differently, and splashed me with several buckets-worth of cold ocean water. “Phtht phat ugh!” I muttered nonsensically. It tasted awful, worse than my father’s cooking! As I think of it now, I even remember swallowing a small fish. “Haha,” Ruby chuckled. She was wet, also, but not to the extent that I was. I groaned and glared at her with a lowered brow, “It’s not funny!” She chuckled some more before replying, “Sorry.” I let out a bellowing sigh, “Great. Now my mane is a mess.” I did try to make myself presentable. It was one way I had to help pass the time. I used my magic to collect the water and dump it back into the ocean. Ruby fumbled through our bags and pulled out a mane brush that I tossed inside in a hurry. I was very glad I took it with us. Without a mirror, I pulled the bristles through the strands of my mane and untangled the mess the fish caused. It was better than how I assumed my mane looked, at least. Ruby did not say anything about it, and I had not seen myself until I looked into a mirror later that day. Once the distraction was over, I resumed my previous concern over our impending approach to the island. The old ship creaked and groaned as we were violently bombarded by rougher seas and harsh, breaking waves. We bounced up and down, left and right. I had not been ill throughout the entire voyage, but I felt so sick at no other time in my life besides that moment. My stomach could not hold the breakfast Ruby and I had just eaten. With a panicked groan, I launched half my body over the railing and let loose all I had eaten that morning. To my surprise, once that was complete, the rocking ceased. We quickly came upon the southern capitol of the Island, Ihana. Ihana was a town much like Ponyville and about as large. The town was built on the southern peninsula of the island; a large chunk was covering a small island at the southernmost point, and on a portion of the land beyond the inland river on the other side of town. Do not worry; I sketched it down for you. I did manage to find a map of the Islands while I was there. Ihana in Hooverian: Ihana map: The ship slowly docked beside a few other, smaller fishing boats on the peninsula section of the town. A small lighthouse overlooking the ‘port’ loomed upon the boat as we passed by. I was immediately met with a welcome party of constantly smiling earth ponies of every color and size. A reddish stallion grabbed my bags, while a yellow stallion picked up Ruby’s case. A mare I would soon come to know as Kolkoa shook my hooves, escorted me off the boat, and into the town of timberframe houses with thatched roofs. There was no real beach surrounding the town, so there was a sudden and unexpected transition from a tropical sea to a paved settlement like any other. Before anypony began speaking, I looked around for myself and I was curious about this new place. Initially, I was a little disappointed. Had I not just gotten off the boat seconds before, I would have sworn I never left Equestria. There was one major difference than any place in Equestria, however- the flowers and greenery. Flowers, trees, vines, bushes, and anything in between were growing in nearly every nook and cranny. Brightly colored birds flew all about, lizards climbed up the wooden posts of the homes, and there was a constant background noise of the breaking waves just beyond the small homes at the town’s edge. I took in a deep breath, momentarily ignoring those around me. Yet, my heart could not stop racing. The warnings of the Princesses lingered in my mind. I kept wondering to myself what it was that I would find there. My brief ponder was ceased when I was addressed by the ponies who had just welcomed me into their town. “Welcome, welcome!” Kolkoa, a younger mare with a beige coat, yellow mane, and dark brown eyes, exclaimed as she shook my hooves. Her accent was thick with heavy emphasis on vowels, and the letters R and K. “We have been expecting you!” Kolkoa: “You have?” I asked in my native language, cringing my teeth. I forced a smile, but their smiles and constant staring made me uncomfortable. I was, of course, not welcomed by everypony in town, but the swarm certainly made me feel like I was. “Mahtava! Of course! You’re our special guest! We do love having Equestrian tourists!” said she, with a rush of enthusiasm in her voice. Mahtava, a Hooverian exclamation: “How was your trip?” A stallion asked. “Can I get you anything?” Asked a mare. Before I could answer, my stomach began to growl. I knew they all heard it. Once the growl was over, there was a brief silence as we all stood just barely in the town. Without so much as a verbal confirmation that I wanted food, even though I really did, we were literally carried away to the Hooverian Islands Resort, which was established on the southern island part of town. I caught a good glimpse of the town this way. A few main roads connected the town together, but like Ponyville, one could simply walk in between buildings and houses, as there were few barriers. There was a great change from one section to another. The buildings on the peninsula were larger and well built, while the houses on the island were small and shack-like. However, the inhabitants did not seem to care. Every house, though worn down, was finely decorated with plants and regional pottery. Some of the ponies waved to me as we all passed by. I tried to wave back, but I was rather distracted being forced across the town. The resort was quite literally the most southern building in the nation. It was a long structure, old and worn just like every other building, and three floors tall. The resort blocked most of the southern coastline from the island’s inhabitants, saving those views for tourists who rented rooms. For some reason, I felt rather sad as we approached the aged red hotel. The open porch surrounding the ground floor looked like a wonderful place for a party, though it was now barren with broken chairs wearing away from the salty sea breeze. It was around this time I was finally able to walk around on my own. The other ponies dispersed apart from Kolkoa, who showed Ruby and I into the main lobby of the hotel. A blue-coated secretary was working behind the main counter, though it looked more as if she was reading an Equestrian newspaper. When she saw me, she rose from her seated position and stepped up to the counter. She looked much older than Kolkoa, who was approximately my age at the time. “My, my!” said the secretary, “The royal guest has finally arrived!” “Royal guest?” I asked, pretending not to know about Celestia’s plans. “You’re booked for the royal suite, are you not? Best room in the house!” I forgot about any kind of identification! I began to sweat badly. Then, before I could say anything to incriminate us, Ruby pulled out a scroll from one of her bags and handed it to the secretary behind the counter, saying, “Yep! Here!” “My, my! And a dragon!” “Voi mahalaina kylesen nes köjkka! Where did you get her?” Kolkoa exclaimed. Voi mahalaina kylesen nes köjkka! I have only heard of them! I remembered some of what I read in that grammar book, and responded in Hooverian, “Voi koolit xhas siis Kaanterlohtii.” Or, I got her in Canterlot. Voi koolit xhas siis Kaanterlohtii. “Here is your room key,” said the secretary. She gave it to Ruby. “Enjoy your stay!” “I’ll let you get settled,” Kolkoa told me as others brought the remainder of our belongings inside and placed them on a moving dolly. “Kiitojo,” I replied, which means thank you. Kiitojo. I could smell the food nearby, but I wanted to be settled, first. Kolkoa left the hotel, and the two of us were left alone in the lobby. While I enjoyed the silence, I knew we would not be seeing the last of the crowds. Our room number was on the third floor, so we took the elevator to the top. Each footstep creaked against the wooden floor. The interior of the hotel was nicely furnished, but I could tell little maintenance had been performed in a very long time. Pictures were tilted, carpets were curled and uneven, and some of the smaller side tables were coated in dust. I saw a few roaming house cleaners, but they seemed more interested in the big things or reading. We came to our room after about five minutes of wandering through the long corridors of the hotel. The lights were dim and there were few ponies around. Anxious by the silence, Ruby climbed atop my back and clutched by mane tightly. I could not blame her. I kept feeling as though I were being followed by the sounds of the progressing hoofsteps. The squeaking of the dolly I was pulling with my magic was not helping, either. Our door was at the southernmost end of the hotel. I know this based upon the window and balcony view overlooking a portion of the island. To our left, I could see the small lighthouse near the docks where we arrived. To the right were a few bluffs and ocean waves. Ruby, using the golden key, unlocked the door and pushed it open. Our room was wide and spacious, clearly what the ponies working there spent most of their days preparing.
