Twilight looked across the dining room table, staring at Starlight’s choice of guest. Her student was still a little lax in the friendship department. So Twilight was willing to do whatever she could to help grow any of her budding friendships. Even if that meant lodging Trixie in her castle for a whole week. They were only three days into this arrangement and already she was starting to regret her decision.
Trixie’s behaviour only served to reinforce her skepticism. She twirled a piece of fine silverware between her forefinger and thumb, angling it to reflect the incoming sunlight. With a series of very fine movements she dragged this reflected beam of light across Twilight’s face, seemingly keen on blinding her.
Twilight cleared her throat. “Do you mind?”
Trixie smiled mischievously. “Mind what, Princess?”
“Getting that light out of my face.”
“Trixie thinks that’s a matter to bring up with Princess Celestia. She is responsible for raising the sun after all.”
“Princess Celestia isn’t trying to blind me with a spoon.”
Seated on the side of the table between the two was Starlight. She nervously cradled a cup of coffee and took a sip before nosily clearing her throat. This got the attention of her two friends. “So uh, Trixie why don’t you tell Twilight about your show in Fillydelphia?”
Trixie placed her spoon down. “It was a sold out venue. Trixie had never performed in front of a crowd that grandiose before.”
“Yeah I’m sure all eight of them were very thrilled,” Twilight muttered under her breath.
“What was that?”
“I said that’s great to hear.”
A silence re-inserted itself as each of them returned to their prospective breakfasts. Today Spike had prepared for them a wide variety of pancakes. Twilight had banana and strawberry, Starlight blueberry, and Trixie chocolate chip.
Starlight pointed her fork at Trixie. “So I heard something about you from Applejack.”
Trixie snorted. “Trixie bets Applejack had more than a few choice words about her.”
“Actually she heard about this from Snails. You know when they went on that hoof-basket-hoop-ball thingie.”
“You mean the game in Appleloosa?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah that one. Anyways, he told Applejack that apparently you have a phobia of wheels.”
“What? That’s ridiculous. Why would the Great and Powerful Trixie be scared of something as mundane as a wheel?” she scoffed.
“I don’t know. That’s just what the rumour is.”
“I mean you did kind of have that wheel-less chariot back when you tried to run my town like a dictatorship,” Twilight stated.
Trixie groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “Trixie forgot about that. Her wagon broke on the way to Ponyville and the amulet kind of made her a tinsy bit paranoid.”
“How did you find that amulet anyways? I never did get a chance to ask you.”
“Well, Trixie heard rumours about it while doing a show in Trottingham. That led her to a contact in Manehatten. Which is turn led to her to another city and another until finally she found a small shop in Canterlot which sold it. For like 500 bits mind you. Not a bad price for limitless power.”
Starlight grinned. “That kind of sound like a detective novel.”
“Trixie prefers to think of herself as a real life Daring Doo.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I actually met the real life Daring Doo.”
“What, no way. Everypony knows that Daring Doo is a fictional character.”
“Yeah the girls and I went on an adventure with her. It was pretty educational actually.”
“You’re lying to Trixie, Sparkles. She does not believe for one second you’ve been on any adventures.”
Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Trixie flushed. “Err, let Trixie rephrase that. She does not believe you have been on any adventures in the pursuit of knowledge.”
Twilight scoffed. “And what was the Alicorn Amulet. Last time I checked that wasn’t and I quote an adventure in the pursuit of knowledge.”
“It ended up in a museum,” Trixie stated. She then crossed her arms over one another and smirked coyly. “In fact that means Trixie is better represented in museums than you are.”
“What are you implying?” Twilight asked.
Trixie grinned, placing her hands upon the table and leaning forward. “Trixie is implying that she is the better adventurer.” Starlight coughed, causing Trixie to add. “When it comes to research and not you know, saving the world.”
“Would you care to put your money where your mouth is?” Twilight asked.
Trixie snorted. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’m thinking a little contest. You and I go around Equestria and see who can discover the better artifacts.”
“Trixie is intrigued. Go on.”
“Lets say we both collect five, present them to Equestria and let the people decide who has the better treasures
“And what if Trixie finds more than five treasures?”
“Hmmm do whatever you’d like with them but only five go towards your score.”
“And how will this score work?”
“I . . . have not figured that out yet.”
“And do we get a team”
“Yes, you can have two additional ponies helping you in the field.”
“Alright then, I pick Starlight.”
“What?” Starlight replied with a startled expression.
“Wait why do you get Starlight?” Twilight asked
“Because I called dibs on her,” Trixie replied.
Twilight cussed under her breath. “Fine you can have Starlight.”
“Hey, I’m right here you know. A very sentient pony being. Do I get a choice in this?”
Trixie smiled. “Oh Trixie’s sorry, Starlight. Do you want to join her crew and go on a globe trotting adventure to parts unknown?”
Starlight looked away. “I mean. That does sound pretty awesome.”
Trixie turned her gaze back to Twilight. “So what are we playing for?”
“Let’s say, winner gets 50 bits, a free dinner, and bragging rights.”
There was a silence as Trixie processed this. She then stood up and leaned over the table, offering her hand to Twilight. Twilight grabbed it and gave her competition a firm handshake. The two of them leered warily at one and other.
Trixie then sat back down and coughed. Her cheeks were mildly flushed. “Trixie must uh, admit a small problem before we begin.”
Twilight skeptically looked at her. “What is it?”
“Trixie kind of only has like two hundred bits to her name at the moment,” she replied nervously.
Twilight sighed. “Don’t worry I have you covered.”
“Wait, what? You’re going to pay for Trixie’s expedition? Doesn’t that just make things harder for you?” Starlight asked.
“It’s the principle of the matter. I can hardly claim I won in all fairness if I get to tap into a royal treasury and Trixie doesn’t. So let’s say we take three weeks to get our teams and plans together and hopefully I’ll have both of our expeditions supplied for by then.
Trixie nodded. “That sounds good to Trixie. Oh and Twilight.”
“Yes?”
“Let the best mare win.”
Twilight leaned against the edge of her balcony, looking down upon the crowd gathered at her castle. It was sizeable for her town with at least two hundred ponies of all tribes staring up at the twin oddities anchored to her keep. These oddities happened to be a pair of mammoth airships and were wonders of equestrian design and engineering.
The bottoms were made of metal and formed into a shape reminiscent of a submarine. It started with a rounded glass nose which looked sleek and streamlined. This then transitioned to a glistening aluminum which evened out into a tube which led towards the tail. At the very back was a pair of turbines anchored to the side of the gondola and a fin which allowed the ships to move with ease through the air.
Attached to the whole structure were a series of thick iron cables which anchored the shuttle to a grey balloon above. This was pregnant with helium and kept the whole vessel afloat.
Both ships had their names written upon the side of their balloons in big red letters. These names were the only feature that separated the two ships. The one on the right was the Discovery while its counterpart was the Prestige. They were both on loan from the Royal Canterlot Exploration Society. Who had leapt at the offer of sponsoring this event.
The balcony’s door opened and Twilight looked over her shoulder. Trixie entered and walked over, leaning against the railing next to Twilight.
“Think we’re being impulsive?” Twilight asked.
“Oh we definitely are,” Trixie responded with a smile.
The two of them went silent as they studied the crowd. Some eager business pony had set up a few food kiosks and was making themselves a killing off of the ever growing number of gawkers and onlookers below.
Trixie broke the silence. “So is everything set?”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, both ships are pretty much the same and each has enough supplies to last us for around two months. Plus, we’ve also been given an allowance of five thousand bits each.”
“At least we’ll have a good time if nothing else. Are you ready to get you butt kicked, Princess?”
“Oh please I have this whole thing pre-planned. You don’t stand a chance.”
“Does your plan include getting your flank handed to you?”
“While I do usually like to plan for any outcome even I find it a bit absurd to prepare for the impossible.”
The door opened once more and both mares turned to see who entered. It happened to be the other two ponies on Twilight’s team who were currently struggling to get Rarity’s luggage out of the castle and onto the balcony. Though judging by the crude words that came from Rainbow Dash the whole journey from the boutique must have been a struggle.
Rainbow Dash huffed and nearly collapsed under the weight of Rarity’s luggage. “Was all of this really necessary?”
Rarity looked offended. “Why of course Rainbow. I packed for every situation imaginable. We have gala wear, arctic coats, urban dress, beach casual, beach exotic, rainforest both cold and warm. . .”
Rainbow Dash baulked at this. “There is no way that there are cold rainforests.”
Twilight smiled. “There actually are, though cold is in comparison to their tropical counterparts. So they really aren’t all that cold.”
Rarity scoffed. “They still warrant a separate outfit. Don’t worry however. I made sure to pack for each of you. Since I doubt you two adequately prepared.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, gesturing to a single small suitcase. “Five shirts, a jacket, a pair of jeans, and some boxers. What more does a mare need.”
“Oh and do tell what happens if we get invited to a classy event.”
“One of the shirts is a button-up.”
Rarity went pale, much to the amusement of the other three mares present.
Twilight’s horn glowed and gripped some of the luggage, taking the weight off of Rainbow Dash. She then pilled it up near the gangway to their airship. By the time each piece was settled down a literal mound of baggage had been formed.
She looked at her friends and remember how tough the selection had been. Two mares out of five very close friends was never an easy decision to make.
Rainbow Dash was selected because Twilight wanted an athlete on her crew. A pony would could push farther and harder than the rest of them. Somepony who could boost morale during the toughest and more harrowing stretches of their expedition. On top of that Rainbow Dash was also quick witted and Twilight knew how handy that could be in a dire situation.
Rarity was here because of her charm and diplomatic tact. There wasn’t a pony Twilight trusted more to help haggle with the locals or diffuse a tense situation without it resorting to fists. Plus, as she looked at the abundance of luggage. The free clothing would help stretch their budget. Though she kept that detail to herself.
The door to the balcony opened a final time and Starlight’s voice could be heard. It looked like Trixie’s group had finally arrived.
The composition was surprising to say the least. There was Starlight who looked confident as she described a geological phenomenon to none other than Maud Pie. This elicited a rare nod from the mare who didn’t seem at all interested in what was being discussed.
“That is very fascinating,” Maud said in a dry monotone voice.
Rainbow Dash whipped around and looked at Trixie. “How the hay do you know Maud?”
“Trixie used to work on a rock farm that her parent’s owned. We kept in correspondence after Trixie left,” she replied.
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Yeah? Small world.”
Twilight clapped her hands, putting an effective end to any further discussion. “So is everypony here?”
Everypony looked left and then right before Trixie piped up. “Trixie counts six.”
Twilight gave a curt nod. “Alright so I’d like to say a few words before we get started. Does anypony object?”
There was a series of no’s before she went on. “Alright so while this little adventure started as a way for Trixie and I to settle another of our feuds. I would just like to say that we are doing Equestria a great service by discovering these long hidden treasures. I really hope that these expeditions positively impact the world of Equestrian science and history for generations to come. Would anypony like to add anything else?”
Everypony shook their heads before Twilight gestured to her own airship. “Alright then let’s get started.”
With that the two teams went their separate ways. Twilght’s walked along their gangway to the right ship while Trixie’s took the one on the left.
The narrow walkway wobbled and swayed under their hooves as Twilight’s crew tried to get across. The abundant amount of luggage they had didn’t make things any easier.
It took a few nerve wracking minutes but eventually they entered the vessel through a cargo hold located at the back of the gondola. Inside were several generic looking wooden crate. Each was labelled with a vague sticker which simply read, ‘supplies’.
Once the three were aboard Twilight flicked a switch and the gangway began to retract, retreating into the hold.
It was a noisy process so Twilight had to raise her voice in order to be heard. “So do you girls want a tour of the ship?”
Rainbow Dash looked around the hull in awe. “Yeah that sounds pretty sweet. Its awesome that you got us these digs.”
Rarity nodded. “I agree. It’s good to know we’ll be travelling in style. May I suggest we stop by my quarters first.” To further her point Rarity lifted the two suitcases that she herself had brought aboard.
Rainbow Dash who was burdened with a half dozen of the things nodded in agreement. “Yeah can we hurry before Rarity’s wardrobe snaps my spine in half.”
This got a sharp look from the seamstress.
“Alright, well follow me girls,” Twilight replied, carrying the remainder of the luggage in the tight grip of her magic.
The three mares eased their way through the maze of boxes, trying to get to the other side. It was a tight fit but upon getting through they found an iron door. It had a round glass window at the top and a wheel in the middle. Twilight gripped this wheel and gave it a turn, causing the door to pop open and swing outwards.
They stepped through and entered an incredibly lavished hallway. The floors were adorned by a fine looking red carpeting that stretched from the aft all the way to the fore of the ship. Interwoven among it was an equally beautiful thread that formed intricate patterns in yellow, purple, and black.
The steel of the cargo hold was replaced by a walling made from a rich dark wood. It was seamless, spreading from one end of the hall to the other without even a single flaw or deformation.
The door frames were made from a similar grain. Each of them was carved into a unique piece of art by the hands of what could have only been a superbly skilled craftsman.
Lastly, a series of chandeliers were above them. They were constructed from a wide variety of precious and semi-precious metals and each held a series of colourful magic flames. These illuminated the room, bathing it in a relaxing glow.
All of this got an impressed whistle from Rainbow Dash.
The hallway sported ten separate doors. Four to their left and right, one for the cargo hold, and another at the other end of the corridor. Twilight led them to the door immediately to their left. Unlike the cargo hold this was simply a standard wooden door with a recently polished glass knob.
Twilight turned it and walked on through. On the other side was a bedroom with flooring and walls of identical quality to the hallway.
It also contained furniture fit for royalty. A massive bed dominated the space and was covered with silk sheets that oozed wealth. A dresser was pressed against the far wall with crystal white ivory handles protruding from each drawer. There was also a hardy oak desk paired with a red velvety chair underneath a round port window. Beside this rested a bookshelf which bursted with an untold number of volumes and treasures.
Rarity was agape. “This place is absolutely stunning.”
“The explorer society has always been a rich colts’ club. So I’m not really surprised,” Twilight stated.
Rarity dropped her suitcases on the floor, giving motive for the other two to do the same.
Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and landed upon the room’s bed with a pleasant sigh of relief. “Oh my gods this feels so soft. What are these mattresses made of?”
Rarity sighed and shook her head. “What are you doing in my bed?”
“What I usually do in your bed.”
“Rainbow Dash not in front of . . .”
“Sleep.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and looked at Rarity. “Well I guess if Rainbow wants to take a nap we can go check out the other rooms. There’s the kitchen, the bridge, the armoury. . .”
Rainbow Dash bolted upright instantly. “Did you say armoury?”
“I thought you were napping?”
“That can wait. I want to see this armoury.”
Twilight exchanged a smirk with Rarity before heading back to the door. She went on through and into a room across the hall.
The interior of the new room was like going back into the cargo hold. The walls were bare metal with all manner of weaponry hanging from them. There were swords, maces, spears, and flintlocks. If there was something designed for conflict it was upon these walls.
While Rainbow Dash was focused upon the weapons. Twilight took an interest in the scientific gear that rested upon the room’s many tables. There was a bounty of equipment present with a dozen different fields of research being represented. Twilight was not an easy mare to impress when it came to research facilities but this space defiantly took the cake.
In the centre of the room was a chest which soon became the target of Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s attention.
Twilight noticed this and gestured towards it. “That would be our treasury.”
Her magic gripped the handle and opened it. Inside was a small hill of golden pieces. Though, it was hardly enough to even fill the chest a third of the way full.
Rarity’s expression soured. “That really isn’t a whole lot.”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Speak for yourself. That’s more than I see in three months.”
“I mean we are trying to fund an expedition here, darling. This will cover a stop or two at most.”
Twilight nodded. “It’d hardly be a challenge if they gave us an endless source of bits. This way we’ll have to be a bit . . . creative.”
“Well, I doubt we will have any trouble with that,” Rarity said.
“So, do you girls want to see the flight deck?” Twilight asked.
The other two mares responded with a yes. So Twilight turned and went back into the hallway before heading to the front of the ship. Much like the cargo hold this section of the vessel was segregated from the rest by a massive iron door.
Twilight grunted as she opened this and pulled it into the hallway. She then stepped through and entered the bridge.
The first thing that Twilight noticed was the view. The whole space was dominated by the glass bulb which made up the front of the ship. It offered a crystal clear image of the outside with them currently facing the massive mountains that housed Canterlot. It was breathtakingly beautiful sight.
They entered a common area upon passing through the door. It was just as lavish and luxurious as any other part of the ship. Expensive looking seats formed a semi circle around an equally pricey table. This way the ponies aboard could all socialize while having the same excellent view afforded to them. Along one wall was a bar with a wide variety of amber filled bottles behind it.
Rarity’s nose scrunched at the lingering smell of tobacco on the air. “That is absolutely horrendous.”
Rainbow Dash sunk into one of the chairs before leaning forward and opened a drawer in the side of the table. “Hey guys look what I found.”
She pulled out a battered looking box with a faded logo imprinted on the top. Her thumbs flicked open the lid and inside were a bunch of fat cigars. She grabbed one and stuck it in her mouth, putting on a smug expression. “Do I look cool or what?”
Rarity glared at her. “If you don’t take that out this second I’m going to tell Spitfire you smoke.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Test me.”
As her companions bickered Twilight walked forward. The common area transitioned into a narrow walkway that led to a rounded platform suspended in the middle of the bulb. It was covered in consoles with a mythical looking map being present in the centre. On the map two little dots floating above Ponyville. One was green, the other red.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity soon joined her, looking at the map as well.
“So how do we fly this thing?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Its navigation systems are controlled by magic. All I have to do is cast a spell, pick a location, and the ship will fly itself there,” Twilight responded.
“And does Trixie know this spell?” Rarity asked.
Twilight shook her head. “No, but I taught it to Starlight.”
Rainbow Dash placed her hand upon the map, sweeping it across Equestria. “So where are we heading first?”
Twilight’s horn glowed, enveloping the console in her purplish glow. This caused the little green light to shift to a distant city.
With its orders now in place the whole ship began to shudder, pulling away from the castle at a laboured pace. The cheer of the ponies below was so rambunctious that the sound reached them from this far up
“Our first stop is the Crystal Empire.”
