‘Dear Captain Tide
Your presence has been requested by the Princess in the capital on business in relation to the recent passing of Vice Admiral Atoll, Naval Correspondent to the courts and advisor of 47 years to Princess Celestia, Overlord of the Navy.
Regards
Canterlot Scribe Administration Dept’
I looked up from the note that I had read and reread many time now and sighed.
‘Why do they need me specifically though?’, was all I could think as the train carriage rocked back and forth, passengers getting ready to depart, pulling bags and coats on as they readied themselves to rush to the exit.
I had been travelling all day and now it was night, and I was already yearning to be back in port. I had gotten the message late as a storm had delayed my ship, the Leviathan, whilst we had been taking some important geographic recordings and measurements in the middle of the Triton Sea. Naturally a good month from anywhere of any importance and a good 2 months from Equestrian soil.
I was surprised to have received a message at all. I had never before received such a direct order from the brass and this was the ‘Big’ brass.
‘How does Princess Celestia even know me?’, was another good question I had no answer to, as the train slowed to a crawl and steam swirled outside the windows.
I stood and ponies stepped back a bit as they tried not to stare directly at me and I had no intention to make a big deal out of it. I had never been to the Capital before, but I knew that many ponies in Equestria didn’t even know that we had a navy. It was saddening but at the same time a great relief for everypony in the navy.
We were soldiers sure, we could fight as well if not better than any Royal Guard but we were sailors, we were navigators and explorers and everything in-between. We had no wish for large ceremonies and we had no intent on marching in rank and file, at least not if we could help it.
The deep blue overcoat that covered most my body with the light red sleeve ends that came down at my fetlocks blended nicely with my deep blue coat. The shiny, brass chest buttons and stoic look I wore made me seem more important than I was, which was probably why, although I’d made no attempt to scramble out of the carriage I still seemed to be the first out the door.
Ponies I must admit were more charming and polite this far into Equestria, the East coasts weren’t, I had to admit very scholarly. Then again this was the capital of the Empire! The pinnacle of our society, the reason we endured weeks of gruelling sea patrols, the reason we mapped out and discovered new lands and the reason we fought off pirate raiders from our trade routes.
The station was grand, so many different train lines and baggage carts and ticket boxes, it was almost hard to keep tracking of any one pony. There was the occasional police pony here and there but besides that everypony went about their business, though I would say that in comparison with my hometown of Baltimare, this place was way different.
“Kind of stuck up” I had to note, looking around at all the ponies, dressed in their top hats, monocles and fine silk dresses and showing off their hair that looked bizarre to my eyes.
I checked the station clock and adjusted my Captain’s hat, also a deep blue with the coat of arms of the Royal Navy on it’s fore. My mane was tucked beneath it, a jet black but I never allowed it to grow out, keeping it short as many sailors and guards did, though apparently not noble ponies, as I noted the amount of ‘frilly’ hair styles walking about.
“Captain Tide!”
Somepony called and I spun around, my wings ruffling as I spied a young guard, dressed in the golden armour of the Princess and carrying what appeared to be a very old photo of me.
“It is you yes?” he asked and I stamped my hooves together and saluted, taking him a bit by surprise as he clumsily rushed to salute back.
He scrunched up my image, looking a little out of his depth as he explained “I’m here to escort you to your carriage, the Princess has put aside a few things in order to meet directly with you.”
I wanted to ask him why I was here and why it seemed that this little meeting would be incredibly important but he had already bowed and turned, gesturing me forwards as he briskly walked towards the station exit. Not wanting to put any spanners in the works I followed him, wondering if maybe I had actually done something wrong.
I had never interacted with Vice Admiral Atoll directly, I had only seen him once at a ceremony and in the group of Captain’s and Officers that followed my rotation we had never discussed him openly or any of the Admiralty really. All of course except for the famed Supreme Admiral Seward, but then who wouldn’t discuss such a legend.
I was bundled into a cart drawn by four other guards, all Earth ponies and with a salute, the kid who had spent the past 20 seconds escorting me, closed the door and rapped a hoof on the wood of the carriage.
So we began to trundle along, the sounds of clopping hooves on the cobblestones outside muffled by the interior of the rather lavish carriage. I wasn’t used to fancy things, not at all. I had of course as a Captain, some privy to the finer things that ponies could possess.
My cabin on ship for one was big, compared with the deck the rest of the crew slept on. It didn’t have satin purple curtains however, nor gold adorned finishings and finely crafted nick nacks, I knew some Captains liked there luxury however not I.
That was what land was for, land was for the ponies dreams to run wild, something that was taken sometimes to excess but then it was a thing worth fighting for. Sure I didn’t approve of these nobles and rich ponies decisions but I knew they were happy in their own little world. I also knew that by huge majority, Equestria was happy and with myself commanding my own ship, I was happy.
The carriage went over a bump and I was jostled to the side. I was reminded of the rise and fall of a ship and supposed that similarly this carriage was like a ship, only it rolled slowly over land and had about as much grace as a mule at the Bolshoi.
The Carriage arrived and I put thoughts of the sea and Equestria out of my mind. I was here to meet the Princess of our nation, she would not take kindly, I was sure to somepony whose mind was filled with seaweed and dreams.
The door opened and there was another guard, this time a night guard, and what appeared to be an officer at that was saluting me. I stepped down and brushed my coat, wondering if I had come under dressed, I mean I wore the overcoat everyday at sea but I did have an honorary ceremonial uniform… somewhere in Baltimare.
“Good evening sir, it is a pleasure to have you in Canterlot” he bowed and I nodded, about to ask why exactly that was but once more I had to suppress my questioning.
“The Princess has been informed of your arrival and is waiting in the upstairs drawing room for you. I trust you are ready to meet with her?”
Well besides the fact I was clueless still as to my presence here, I nodded and replied “Yes, I am ready” respectively as he turned to lead me away.
I took in briefly the front of this castle, so grand and so vibrant in design they were obviously the first of many signs of royalty to come.
I was lead into the castle, guards with the same stoic look everypony in the military was drilled with appeared, clasping spears and standing to attention, tall and proud as they should be.
For all the flashiness and the jokes and myths that surrounded the Royal Guard I had to admit I was impressed with their discipline, the navy had discipline sure, but we still felt more like a family. Who knows, maybe the Royal Guard also thought that about themselves, I was only a sea dog who didn’t know his cakes from him muffins.
We ascended luxurious stairs and passed through grand corridors made of marble and draped in vibrant red. Everything was sparkly and clean and I would not waste a second to doubt that I could eat my dinner off these floors.
I cleared my head as I sensed that we were approaching our destination and my suspicions were confirmed when the Officer stopped, turned and gestured to the door in front of him.
“She’s waiting for you, I will remain here until you are done.”
So this was it. This was where I found out that I’d been framed for the murder of the Vice Admiral and that a gigantic plot was in place to bring down the Equestrian monarchy and only I could stop the dark powers beneath the surface.
‘Or perhaps they want an update on the algae types growing in the Triton Sea.’
Somehow I highly doubted it as my hoof went to the door handle, my wings ruffling as I pushed the door open and stepped into the drawing room.
I was hit with the sight of decadent paintings of ponies in battles or portraits featuring nobles standing next to armchairs or dressed in fancy uniforms. The floors were carpeted with what could only have been the finest Saddle Arabian weave and the furnishings were old and well built, probably hoof crafted by some famed Germaneighan craft ponies of the West.
However my eyes, till this point had been only drawn to the decoration of the room and now lingered to the sole occupant, sitting upon the finely crafted couch, staring at me with the equal measure that I stared at her, both of us almost peering into the others soul as we summed the other up.
Her mane was like her sister’s, a shimmering deep blue akin to my coat that seemed to contain a sea of stars in it. Her coat was soft but darker, resembling an early night sky one would usually gaze on in the summer months. Her eyes though were the most spectacular, filled with mystery and intelligence, regret and with a drive that her sister would never be able to possess, I could tell.
I broke eye contact first however and hid my surprise well as I knelt and greeted “Pleasant Night Princess Luna, I had not expected that I would be meeting you.”
I had been far at sea when the entire fiasco over Nightmare Moon had been occurring on land and we had noticed it, we had noticed when the moon stayed in place for too long and we had put it down to an anomaly, far stranger things being reported out at sea, but in the weeks when we returned we were hit with the realisation that the myth over Nightmare Moon was true.
Of course many didn’t remember Princess Luna’s existence, for sure I was no exception, but everypony knew the Nightmare Night holiday and it was a time sailors feared. Ships sailing on Nightmare Night were usually lit well, less the shadows of the sea come to drag them down to watery graves. Superstition maybe but it resonated with even me and I was sceptic on most superstitions.
“You are excused Captain. It is common for ponies to think that they are meeting with my sister. The Scribes of the day aren’t very good at giving context in their orders” she spoke, the sound of her voice Royal but old, as if she was trying very hard to speak modern Equestrian.
I heard talk, gossip and stories aboard ship and for months Luna had been a large source. For a while ponies believes she was still evil. After that many believed she was actually an imposter. There was even one that said she was really a donkey but the eventually the full background of the Princess was fleshed out one night whilst I was entertaining a good friend of mine.
Captain Levant was my dearest friend at the Academy and we were on a convoy protection mission together and so I’d invited him and his officers to dine with me. We talked long over everything from coral to dames and eventually he spoke of how, on his trip to Canterlot to meet family, he had been given the pleasure to meet the Princess of the Night.
‘Timid little thing, apparently her powers needed to return so she looked rather small compared with Celestia. Shy I’d say, at least at first and when she spoke she sounded like she was reciting some old shanty, couldn’t understand word she said’, was his description and we’d all laughed and toasted each other.
She gestured for me to rise and I returned to my standing position and avoided direct eye contact, not sure of the etiquette to employ here.
“Begging your pardon m’lady, I hope I am not too forward about this but I wanted to ask if I was in any kind of trouble?”
My question seemed to amuse her and she smiled and gestured for me to sit on the couch opposite her. I took off my cap and did so, ruffling my coat and my feathers as I sat opposite her and watched as she analysed me with a curious face.
“You aren’t in any trouble Captain, on the contrary you are to be awarded a grand honour for your years of service to the crown. My sister was once in charge of the entire military structure but in the years since my return I have slowly gotten to grips with modern life and I am now, with the passing of Vice Admiral Atoll, going to take over the naval part of the military.”
She smiled as my eyes widened and I looked away to hide the surprise on my face.
She must have taken it as dismay as she asked “Is that something that you find concerning?”
I looked up and suppressed the urge to protest, this was not the time nor company and replied “No m’am, I’m simply surprised is all.”
In truth I knew why I was here now. The Vice Admiral was dead and it was obvious from how the Princess had spoken that I was up for promotion. The fact that the Admiralty board and all the Captain’s in the fleet were about to swear allegiance to her though, troubled me deeply.
We didn’t hate Princess Luna, I certainly didn’t but the navy had no love for her. Sea farers used the stars to navigate and the Moon to see in the dark nights, but for the past 1000 years we had our own tales of Nightmare Moon and the evil she had wished to wrought upon both land and sea.
Luna whether she liked it or not was still going to be seen as what she had been and that would be a problem for many radicals in the navy who I remembered had protested when she had been reinstated as co-ruler of Equestria.
“Well here’s something else that will surprise you. I am happy to inform that as of this moment you are no longer just a Captain. You are now the new Vice Admiral of the Baltimare Patrol Fleet and Naval correspondent and advisor to myself” she said, smile widening as she stood up and levitated a small box from a nearby table.
I rose myself and bowed as she opened it and a small badge was fitted over my overcoat's lapel, signifying my new rank.
“Thank you m’lady, I accept this honour with the highest pleasures and look forward to all that it entails. I however wish to ask, what will happen to my ship? My men?”
She waved a hoof and assured me “It is still your flagship Captain, your first mate will assume coastal patrols until you need to take her out. Naturally it was impressed upon me that sailors enjoy time at sea so the way this will work will be you taking a month of absence every other month to conduct operations and then return to port and spend a month in the Capital, advising my decisions on everything to do with the Navy."
I was glad I would stay at sea, even in part and bowed in appreciation, though I wondered if Princess Luna knew about the animosity many of the Captains and Admirals might have towards her. I knew that there would be protests and letters of complaint and I wondered if she would ask me about it.
“You look concerned? Is everything alright?” she asked me, her face deepening into a frown that I could tell she was more comfortable with.
I looked at her and debated whether I should tell her what I was thinking. After all I was her advisor now, whether I liked it or not I was duty bound to be honest with her. Then again she might take it wrongly.
“I can clearly see that you are thinking deeply on some matter involving your posting. Is it that you have a problem with the job or even myself?” she asked and I rushed to ensure she didn’t think I felt anything bad about her.
“No Princess, I am happy to serve Equestria in any way that I possibly can. I was just…”
I had reached the point where I either told a white lie or the honourable, if not hard truth and I sighed, my duty to the navy and the crown outweighing my heart.
“In truth your majesty, the Navy has been sworn to Princess Celestia for hundreds of years, they like her and well, there are old sea tales, superstitions and shanty’s going back hundreds of years...
They depict Nightmare Moon as a pony who stands against them. Although I understand that you are not that entity I know many radicals in the navy, particularly in the day-to-day crew still think of you as such.”
I decided that explanation would be the best I could possibly give to her and quietened my tongue, waiting as I saw a mixture of things overtake her face, prominently sadness it appeared as she she seemed to hunch slightly and sigh, looking away.
“I see…” Was all she said, it being clear that she was hurt by this visibly and I myself stepped away, maintaining my stoic look as I watched her sit down, solemnly now and bring a hoof to her face, stroking her cheek as if she were testing to see that she was not inherently evil.
I expected her to say something as I stood there, cap held in hoof, feeling the silence grow quite unbearable and awkward as to my surprise she looked as if she were on the verge of tears. Her eyes watered and her lip quavered occasionally and it was obvious that she had no prior knowledge of this.
“Ponies don’t hate you m’lady, it’s just that in the Navy we of course have our own little mysteries and tales. Believe me many Captain’s and sailors don’t mind who directs them. I certainly paid no heed to any of the brass before today, I received my orders and went on my way about carrying them out, no questioning or anything.”
My attempt at averting her solemn descent had failed it seemed however and she remained silent as I swallowed and tried to think of something to say. It was all very new to me, meeting Princesses and with one about to visibly cry before me, I wasn’t sure if I should excuse myself and let her be alone or console her.
“Do you believe that I still carry the evil that once infected me Vice Admiral?” She suddenly asked, catching me a little off guard.
“Not at all Princess, on the contrary I believe you to be no more evil than any one pony I meet on the street. I believe we all have capacity for evil but right now, you don’t look like a menacing creature of shadow intent on bringing endless night.”
She leaned her head to the side a little and didn’t look directly at me as I sat back down, of my own volition and asked “Do you think of yourself as an entity or darkness m’lady?”
She looked as if she wanted to say something, but it appeared that all her strength had finally run out and a tear ran down her cheek as she let the tears flow freely, trying to hide her face with a hoof as she sobbed lightly.
‘Damn it’ was the only thought that came to my mind as I watched her, wondering what to do.
I had grown up with a younger sister and whenever she’d cried I’d always sat next to her, rubbed her back and told her that ‘It would be alright’ and ‘Everything will be ok’ but this wasn’t exactly a little filly. This was a Princess, my boss, ruler of the night and now the Navy.
I sighed and banished rank and position from my mind as I stood and against my better judgement, trotted over to her, sat right next to her and put a hoof on her back.
“You are not evil Princess Luna, on the contrary, from the time I have spent with you it is obvious that you are a lovely mare and a good ruler and that you’d be a fine pony to lead the Navy into greatness.”
Her entire back went tense as I began to rub it. I frowned as my face became tinged with a blush as I wondered if she’d cut my head off for this little show of kindness. I knew that I was playing a dangerous game here and that my ship and recent position was at risk.
I expected her to, at any moment push me away. To shout at me and turn her sadness into anger at my advancement. She resisted however and to my great surprise and shock she actually leaned into my chest, sniffling and staining my overcoat with tears as I consoled her, murmuring “Shhh” under my breath and trying not to escalate the situation beyond what it was.
We stayed like that for a while, her hair sparkling above me. My muzzle brushed against it occasionally and I must say it felt softer than any fabric or fur I’d ever felt before. Like a kind of rich and warm silk or something.
She calmed down and I stopped my consolations and remained respectfully quiet. She lifted her head off of me and rose, not looking at me as she stood up, crossed over to a nearby window and stared at something in the distance.
I rose and wondered if this was my cue to leave but she suddenly asked “Are you worried that I might one day return to this evil?”
I swallowed, “Not at all. Not unless somepony did something to you beyond cruelty and I don’t know why anypony would hurt you.” I answered, wondering if this was going to go off into another solemn descent to tears.
The corner of her mouth seemed upturned for a second before it was gone again as if she had for a second seen my answer as pleasing.
“My sister has forgiven me, many citizen of Equestria have forgiven me and for a time I had believed that I had forgiven myself for what I’d done. I know that I will never be able to do that though. For the evil I wished to cause and the pain I inflicted I know that I will forever be haunted by the idea of what I was going to do.”
I shuddered as I felt a chill run through me, the room becoming cold very quickly and although it might have been in my head, the lights appeared to dim. She was, I could see now a tortured soul. I could understand why she would think like this. Everyday she must have had to suppress her guilt and I didn’t want to add anymore to it like I just had with my truths.
“We’ve all made mistakes Princess, what we do to rectify them is what makes us ponies and not lesser creatures. You are a guardian of Equestria and you’re about to be the new Overlord of the Navy. Prove to them they are wrong, spend time amongst them, learn the ways of the sea and they will fall to your presence as I fall to yours now.”
I knelt down and bowed to her. It was a true, everything I’d said had been true and I wanted to serve her, I knew that she would make a great leader and hoped that she saw this for what it was and didn’t see it as simple pandering.
She sniffed, looking at me with red eyes and I kept my face pressed into the floor, feeling a little foalish now and hoping to the ancestors that I was doing the right thing. “Please stop kneeling” she said suddenly and I looked up, seeing her frown, eyes still tinged with tears.
I felt a change in the air in the room and I apologised “M’lady I am sorry if I have offended you.”
“Just go, please” she said, cutting me off and I swallowed for the umpteenth time that night, my throat feeling dry and sore as I rose, bowed and headed towards the exit. 'Should never have told her anything' I sighed and grit my teeth, stress seeping in finally over the entire affair.
I put my cap back on and straightened it, wondering if I still had the job but by no means willing to ask if that was true.
“Tide” she said suddenly, and I stopped where I stood, although I didn’t turn to gaze upon her.
"Yes m’lady?” I asked her solemnly.
She shuffled a bit where she stood I could hear and replied “Don’t call me m’lady, call me Luna. Report to my office tomorrow night, I want a report on the activities of a general sea patrol and… some time to get to know you. That is all.”
I began to move again, eager to leave the Princess be finally. Feeling I had overdone it a bit and gone beyond the formality of my position. I was amazed she had looked past it in all honesty as I opened and closed the door, the guard standing there bowing to me as he began to speak about showing me to my quarters.
I half listened to him, nodding my head as my brain ran over everything that had just happened in the past half hour I had been in the drawing room. It had been a short time I’d spent alone in there with Princess Luna but it had probably been the most important time of my life.
This new job was going to be tough. I could tell from everything that just happened that reporting to the Princess would be tricky from now on, but besides that I wasn't Vice Admiral material really, I loved the sea far too much. My ability to advise, well that would also be tested, I hoped that it would never come to having to advise on a full scale confrontation however.
“I am such an idiot” I thought as the guard began to move and I followed automatically. Hoping that at the very least Princess… Luna would be okay.
