~~~~~
07:30 Hours
January 31, 1987
Pier 13, Manehattan Harbor
~~~~~
I looked up at the white hulled ship in front of me. The green stripe going down the side stood out against the white and around me several other ponies looked at it in awe. In peacetime the R.M.S. Equestria had been one of the grandest ships in the world; only being rivaled by her two identical sister ships.
“Ship o’ Dreams. ‘Least that’s what my sis calls it.” A voice next to me said. Looking over to the pony next to me I saw a light grey earth pony stallion looking up at the ship. “Always wanted to go on it. Never ‘magined this would be how.”
“Eleven stories tall. As long as four city blocks.” I said as I looked back at the ship. “She’s certainly big that’s for sure.” A whistle got our attention and we looked up to see a Sergeant First Class waving his hoof to indicate it was time for us to board. Trotting over to the line forming in front of the gangplank I looked past all the other ponies in uniform at the small iron door that would seal us in the ship until our arrival in the Crystal Empire. Slowly the line continued to move forward until it was my turn to go aboard. Pausing at the doorway I looked up at the giant ship. Suddenly a hoof shoved me forward, causing me to stumble and fall on my face. Thankfully the carpet cushioned my fall a bit but the laughs from those behind me put a considerable dent in my pride. Getting up I trotted off to the room I had been assigned to by the ship’s crew. Making my way up to B Deck I found the room and made my way inside. Setting my duffel bag down I looked around in amazement at the wooden walls and all the golden trim. From a connecting room I heard voices and slowly trotted over to see who else was bunked in the room. Peaking inside I saw three stallions all sitting at a small table. One of them noticed me and waved me over.
“’Ello, lad! Come have a seat!” He said through an accent I had a hard time placing. Cautiously I trotted over and sat down at the table. Looking around at the other two stallions sitting with us I saw they were almost identical in appearance and giving me dirty looks. “Don’t mind ‘em. They’re just pissed cause they got drafted and put in infantry.” He said as he waved his hoof at my military intelligence pins. “By the way, never properly introduced meself.” The brown earth pony leaned across the table with his hoof extended. “Name’s Wild Gunner. You are?”
“Regal Masquerade.” I replied as I returned the gesture and shook his hoof.
“Regal Masquerade. Sound’s familiar. You ain’t from Trottingham are ya’?”
“Naw. Canterlot.” I told him as I relaxed a bit and leaned back in my chair.
“So you’re one of them fancy, high class ponies?” Wild asked as he pulled a cigarette from his chest pocket and lit it.
“I try not to be. There’s only so much you can do when you come from a family like mine though. They expect you to wear a tuxedo and go to fancy parties where the conversation’s the same as it is at all of their so called parties and hold yourself up high like you’re better than everypony.” I told him as I levitated my own cigarette out of my jacket pocket and lit it. “Of course when your family owns one of the largest steel foundries in Equestria and you’ve got the title of Duke as soon as you’re born that tends to put a damper on going wild and having fun.”
“You’re a duke?!” Wild almost shouted as he leaned forward and cast a glance at the two stallions on either side of us. “Fellas, can we have a minute please?” The two silently nodded and trotted out of the room. Shutting the door with my magic I looked over at Wild who was leaning forward again. “What the ‘ell are you doin’ here, lad?”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow.
“I mean, what’s a wealthy stallion like yerself, who could just sit at home and drink cocktails all day, doing on a troopship ‘eaded for a warzone? You could be living the high life in Canterlot, surrounded by mares and dancing with them in dance halls, yet ‘ere you are. A private in the Equestrian Army. What the ‘ell is wrong with you, boy?” He asked me as he looked at me with a concerned look.
“Well,” I started as I leaned back in my chair “I didn’t care for the idea that others were off in a war while I sat on my ass.” I responded as I tossed my cigarette into a metal trash bin. Above us the three blasts of the ship’s whistle echoed throughout Manehattan and I felt the subtle tremor of the ship’s engines through my chair. Looking over at the porthole I took in my last glimpse of the Manehattan skyline before opening the door and stood up from my chair. Trotting into the other room I looked around again at the wooden walls with their golden trim. “Say, what’s with this place still being decked out with the oak paneling and what not?”
“Sarge said the navy didn’t want to waste time on converting it so they left it as it was.” One of the identical green pegasi said as he looked up from the book in his hooves. “Best conditions we’re gonna see during our service I’d say.” He added before returning to his book. Turning towards the door for the hallway I stopped as the pegasus spoke up again. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Why not?” I asked as I turned around to face him.
“Because they’ve got MPs patrolling the corridors. Anyone caught outside their rooms until they say so will be thrown in the brig. Captain’s orders.” He said without looking up from his book. Sighing I sat down in one of the cushioned chairs in the sitting room and settled down for a nap.
~~~~~
18:00 Hours
January 31, 1987
R.N.S. Equestria
~~~~~
A pounding on the door awoke me from my third nap of the day. Looking towards the door I saw an MP open it and step halfway inside. “The captain has cleared troops to leave their rooms. Chow’ll be served at nineteen hundred.” He stated before stepping out and shutting the door behind him. Getting up from my seat I stretched before opening the door and walking out into the white painted corridor. Trotting through the corridor I saw multiple other army troops as well as petty officers who were casually strolling the halls they had grown accustomed to. Zoning out as I walked I suddenly snapped out of it and found myself in an open room next to one of the most beautiful staircases I’d ever seen. Trotting over to it I looked at the railing and could vaguely see the marks from the tools workers had used to hoof carve it.
“If you think this is impressive I should show you the other one.” A female voice said from behind me, causing me to jump is surprise. Spinning around I saw a cream colored earth pony mare looking at me. “Sorry for startling you. I’m Red Rose. You are?”
“Regal Masquerade. And no need to apologize.” I told her as I extended a hoof towards her. She shook it and I looked at her white uniform dress and cap with a red cross on it. “You’re a nurse?”
“Yes.” She said as we broke the hoofshake. “Military intelligence.” She said as she looked at my uniform. “What do you do?”
“I study reconnaissance photos for the air force.” I replied as I looked into her eyes. As I did so I found myself getting lost in her beautiful purple eyes. They were more beautiful than the purple that paints itself in the sky at sunset.
“Regal?” She asked and I shook my head.
“Yeah?” I asked as I looked at her again.
“I asked if you’d want me to show you the other staircase.”
“Of course.” I said with a smile. She smiled back and began to trot away but stopped and looked back at me.
“Are you coming?” Red Rose asked with raised eyebrows. Blinking, I snapped out of my haze and nodded. Following her down the hallway I made sure to keep my eyes away from her skirt which flowed around her back legs. After making our way what I’d guess to be about three hundred feet towards the bow of the ship, I was met by a staircase twice the size and elegance of the one from before. Slowly my jaw began to drop as I looked around the room. The sound of somepony giggling caught my attention and I turned to see the cream colored mare smiling at me. “I told you this one was impressive.” She said as I slowly trotted up to the carving of an alicorn holding a torch in its fore hooves.
“Not even the mansion had something this beautiful.” I muttered to myself as I slowly made my way up the steps of grand staircase. Overhead, the glass dome was illuminated by the silver moonlight which reflected off the polished wood railing.
“What was that?” The beautiful nurse asked as I stopped in front of the clock at the landing of the stairs. Turning to look at her I waved a hoof for her to join me. She slowly trotted up the steps and stopped next to me. Turning to look at her I felt myself begin to get lost in the beauty of her eyes. She raised an eyebrow at me without me noticing. “Is something wrong?”
“Has anypony told you that you have very beautiful eyes?” I asked her while continuing to stare into a sea of purple. She looked blushed slightly before looking away.
“Where I’m from I’m the only one with purple eyes. I was always looked at weird as a filly.” Red Rose replied as she looked back up at the clock. “I didn’t really have that many friends.”
“Well now you do.” I told her as I gave her a playful nudge in the shoulder with my hoof. “Nopony deserves to go without a friend. And certainly not a mare as beautiful as yourself.” She looked over at me in surprise and I gave her a small smile. “If I thought a lieutenant like yourself could eat with an enlisted pony then I’d ask you to dinner.”
“Nopony’s called me beautiful before.”
“I don’t see how. You’re one of the most beautiful mares I’ve ever seen, Rose. May I call you Rose?” I asked to which she nodded her head. “Tell you what, get your food tonight and meet me on behind the old verandah. I’d love to get to know you better Rose.” I told her before turning and beginning to trot down the steps.
“Wait!” Turning around I saw Rose looking at me. “We’ve only just met. Yet you’ve asked me to have dinner with you. Why?”
“Because like I said, everypony deserves a friend.”
~~~~~
19:30 Hours
Aft of the Ship’s Verandah
~~~~~
I looked down at my watch and sighed to myself, causing a cloud of my breath to swirl and dance in the air before dissipating. Tilting my head back I saw the stars twinkling and shining against the night sky. “Figured she wouldn’t show. Way to go you dunce.” I said to myself.
“You’re a dunce, yes.” A voice replied, causing me to jump and turn my head towards the source. “But only for thinking I wouldn’t show.” Rose said with a smile as she carried her tray of food with her. “Sorry it took me so long. I honestly thought about not showing up but I figured I shouldn’t turn down an offer from such a kind stallion.” She set down her tray before sitting down herself next to me.
“Apologies for assuming. I’m just used to being stood up or used by mares. I thought it might have been the case here.” I replied as I levitated up a piece of my food. She looked over at it with a raised eyebrow and slight disgust.
“What is that?” Rose asked me as she pointed a hoof at the lump of food.
“I think it’s supposed to be carrots.” We both inspected the food with curiously disgusted eyes.
“No, looks more like celery.” Rose said aloud as she grabbed it from my magic with her hoof. “I mean, it’s green so it’s got to be celery.”
“Celery isn’t fuzzy though.” I replied as I took it back. Releasing my hold on it, the aura around the item disappeared and it fell to the deck. It bounced off the wooden deck before landing a foot away and slowly rolling away. “See? Celery doesn’t bounce like that. It’s clearly a carrot.”
“Whatever it is, it’s disgusting.” She said as we watched the piece of ‘food’ roll away. “So Regal, that’s a fancy name. Where’re you from?” Rose asked as she took a bite of her salad.
“Well, I’m actually from Canterlot but I don’t like to claim that. What about you? What town did you call home?” I asked her as I scooped up a bite of mashed potatoes with my spoon. Eating the bit of potatoes on my spoon I looked over at her and saw her looking up at the stars.
“Nowhere important. Doubt you would’ve heard of it anyways.”
“Try me. I’ve heard of a lot of places.” I replied as I set my spoon down.
“Well, you ever heard of Galloping Gorge?”
“The place that nopony dare go in without being armed?”
“That’s it. My grandparents were among a group of settlers that made their home near the gorge. Neither of them or my parents had purple eyes so none of my family knows where I got them from. I was kinda the family freak. Except to grandma and grandpa. Grandma grew up as a merchant’s daughter.” Rose looked over at me with a small smile. “She grew up around zebras, griffins, giraffes, even a couple changelings. To her, purple eyes were nothing. And grandpa,” She paused and looked at the deck as though she was contemplating whether or not to continue. “grandma and I were the only ones who knew his biggest secret.” Rose wiped her eyes with her hoof and looked back up to me. “Regal, can I trust you with my biggest secret?”
“Of course. I’m here to listen. Besides, what’s the worst it could be? It’s not like you’re a changeling or something.” I replied with a small laugh. But the clanking of a spoon dropping against the deck made me look to my right. Where Rose had been sitting now was only occupied by her tray and the sound of hooves galloping away made me stand and look around. Hurrying in the direction of the hooves I saw Rose as she galloped down the empty deck of the ship. “Rose!” Standing by myself as a cold wind wrapped itself around me; I hung my head and sighed. “Way to go Regal. You’re such an idiot.”
~~~~~
11:00 Hours
February 1, 1987
A Deck
~~~~~
I leaned against the cold steel as I propped my forelegs over the railing. Sighing to myself for the hundredth time since the night before, I shook my head. Around me a few other troops trotted around the deck, mostly just to stretch their legs, but a few to get more room for morning exercise. The sound of hooves approaching made me look to my right. Wild Gunner gave a small wave before joining me against the railing. Looking back out at the water I sighed again as my mind wonder back to last night’s events.
“What’s wrong lad?” Looking over at Wild I sighed as I placed my forehead on my hooves.
“I screwed up with a very beautiful nurse last night and I don’t even know what I did wrong.” I told him as I looked back up at the ocean.
“Mate, sometimes with mares it don’t take much to piss ‘em off. Even go near a touchy subject and they’re liable to bite yer head off. Trust me, happened to me cousin. Never ask a mare ‘bout her sister while she’s doing you a service.” He said with an attempt at comforting me yet just making me worry for his cousin. As I cringed at the thought about that happening I barely noticed the sound of hooves approaching us. As they went past I looked behind at whoever had gone by us. A familiar cream colored mare walked with another nurse as they discussed something I couldn’t hear. Excusing myself form my conversation with Wild, I hurried after the nurses.
“Rose!” She turned around and the other nurse stopped next to her. “Rose, I need to talk to you.” I said as I stopped in front of her.
“I’m sorry Private Masquerade but it is highly inappropriate for an enlisted pony like yourself to address an officer like that.” Rose said as she seemed to hold herself taller.
“My apologies lieutenant, but I wish to talk to you.” I replied as I looked at her eyes. Where kindness used to be I saw now only bitterness.
“Very well private. What do you want to discuss?” Looking over at the other nurse I sighed and looked back to Rose.
“I would like to speak to you privately, lieutenant.” I told her as I glanced over at the door for the aft grand staircase. Trotting over to the door, I opened it and raised my eyebrows at her. She slowly approached and made her way inside, glaring daggers into me as she did so. Closing the door behind us I saw her stopped in front of me; still giving me a death look. “Come with me.” Grabbing her hoof, I led her into the corridor that led to the old lounge. Stopping in the middle of the hall I made sure to pull her in close to me, which took her by surprise. Grabbing a hoofheld mirror from my pocket I held it in front of us and looked at the refection. “You know, I had my suspicions when you ran off last night.” I said as two horrified purple eyes looked at the reflection with me. “I decided to raid the officer’s library last night and I found something interesting. If they have a foal with a pony, the active camouflage gene tends to skip a generation. The only proper forms of detection are magic and mirrors. Now, I’m not judging you, but does anyone else know about this?” She shook her head as I put away the pocket mirror. “Look, when I said you could trust me; I meant it. Apologies about that other thing last night too by the way.” Giving her a smile, I noticed her looking slightly relaxed at the secret finally being out. “And let me just say, you are by far the most beautiful changeling I’ve ever met.”
