Chapter 1: Waking Nightmare
Zeestone tossed in her bunk, her sheets long thrown off in her fearful sleep-fits. This was becoming a regular event for her, her dreams haunted by the final moments of the Great War, her ship overrun by aquatic demons, their teeth ripping into the flesh of her crew, while she desperately fought to stay alive with a sword held firmly in her mouth.
“Captain Crescent! We can’t hold them off! They’ve breached the hull! By the Princesses! Celestia help us~!”
The images played over and over in her dreams, her unable to do anything to help her crew, locked in combat with one of the demons. Then came the great rumble, the one which signaled the end of the Great War and the defeat of Equestria. In the distance, the great mountain of Canterlot caved in, the city falling far beneath the surface, before it was sealed away…
Zeestone shot up in her bunk with a shriek, gasping for breath as she held a hoof to her chest. The nightmares were becoming more frequent. At first they had only come a few times each month, but now they were tormenting her every night. She looked down at herself, trying to slow her breath, when her door flew open, a tan pegasus rushing in with a sword held tightly in his right wing.
“Cap’n, are you alright?” The pegasus asked, hurriedly moving to Zeestone’s side, keeping his sword ready.
“I’m… I’m alright, Cock Up.” Zeestone took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Just… Nothing”
“Are the nightmares back, Cap’n?” Cock Up sheathed his sword, placing a hoof on Zeestone’s shoulder his expression one of worry, but Zeestone had little interest in talking about her nightmares.
“Do we have any jobs pending, Cock Up?” Zeestone deflected the pegasus’ question as she got out of her bunk, her hooves hitting the iron deck with a light thud. Even if they didn’t have a job, she would need to get up anyway. They had to ship out soon, before the harbormaster realized that they had yet to pay a single bit to remain in harbor for the week that they had been there. Today she and Cock Up would head to the Canterlot Bazaar for supplies and fuel, then leave by noon, job or no job.
“Actually yes. A posting came for a cargo ship to carry a shipment of ivory from Port Shining back here to Canterlot. A bit odd that the job was posted here, but it pays enough to cover the food and fuel for the round trip, so I took it.” Cock Up shrugged, not usually one to question things which appeared odd. While Zeestone personally wasn’t always accepting of his overly trusting nature, it was what led him to be captured by cannibals at Equicidal Castle, but it always served to keep the rest of the crew in decent spirits, seeing somepony be calm in the face of incredible danger.
“Well, better than nothing, I suppose. Though you couldn’t find a job that took us to anywhere but the Elder Continent? You know that’s a dangerous place for ships.” Zeestone rolled her eyes as she got dressed, pulling the black overcoat over her pale blue body.
“I figured it paid well enough that it was worth taking the risk. Maybe a trip back up the canal.” Cock Up offered, knowing that there was nothing Zeestone loved more than to feel natural sunlight on her face, but it was rare that she got the chance, since using the canal was expensive and lightboxes were illegal in Canterlot. Tempting her with a vision of the surface was an almost guaranteed way of getting her to agree to take a risk, within reason anyway.
Zeestone sighed, nodding to her friend and subordinate. She would do almost anything to see the sun again, even if it meant going near the beasts of the Elder Continent.
“Alright, if it’s paying that much, we’ll take the job. Now come on.” Zeestone walked out of her quarters, out to the deck of her cargo ship. The scent of the zee wafted over her, mixed with the noxious aroma of burning coal. Far above, the ceiling of the ‘neath stretched far and wide, the vast expanse of black stone interrupted only by the occasional twinkling of Luna’s Tears, gemstones which gave the impression of stars in an eternally dark sky. The spires of Canterlot, faintly lit by by gas streetlamps, reached into the darkness like the claws of a primordial beast, desperate to escape the suffocating blackness.
The two made their way through the streets of Canterlot towards the Moondown Markets, the sunken city holding little of the upper class crust which had dominated the city while the sun still shone upon it. In the place of fancy nobility and extravagant boutiques, the city was now mostly home to countless zailors, working out of brine-smelling shops, peddling the wares they had accumulated from their journeys across the zee. One would see a unicorn from the Canterlot Bazaar and an Earth Pony zailor arguing over the price of a crate of abyss pearls, then right across the street, find another crate of those same pearls being exchanged for a dozen crates of food.
Ponies wearing ‘fancy’ suits with tattered edges stood atop piles of crates, trying to sell ponies the idea of fantastic creatures that could be seen just inside their tents. Zeestone chuckled as she passed by one of them, shaking her head. Sometimes they had real thing, other times it was just some horrifying amalgamation of zeebeasts sewn together. She loved the pale look the swindlers would get when she would start naming each bit of zeebeast they used in their exhibits, right in front of their other customers.
The markets were also one of the few places in the Unterzee where the various races which lived there could be found getting along, or at least getting along long enough to trade. The Sun-Touched from High Carnelian, their eyes giving off a glow which was only partially hidden behind their dark spectacles. The Drownies of the Coral Depths, their cold, slimy coats interrupted at their necks by sets of gently flapping gills. The Tomb Colonists from Tartarus’ Gate, their shambling bodies mummified in dusty wrappings. Outside of Moondown, none of them could stand one another, and nearly all of them despised the ponies of Canterlot in one way or another, but none of them could deny the value of trading within Canterlot.
Zeestone made her way with Cock Up through the markets, the two haggling with a half dozen merchants, trying to get the best prices possible for coal and food. By the end of it, the two were lugging carts which had crates upon crates of coal and food stacked up, slowly making their way back to the docks.
“Cock Up? I thought you said we would only be bringing cargo from Port Shining?” Zeestone’s brow furrowed as the Hoofget Sound came into view, a group of ponies that weren’t members of the crew standing on the pier beside the vessel, an assortment of barrels alongside them.
“That’s what the post said…” Cock Up looked to the group, then to the one presumably in charge. “Cap’n, I think that’s the mayor, she’s far too fancy to be from the docks.” Zeestone focused on the one mare dressed fancily. She was a unicorn, clothed in a fine gown which, by the way the lapping waves seemed to avoid her, had to be enchanted, then there was the shape of her body, suggesting a corset underneath.
“I think you’re right, Cock Up, but what’s she doing here?” Zeestone scowled as they made their way down the pier, still hauling their supplies.
“Ah, Captain Sapphire Crescent, I presume?” The elegantly dressed mare walked up to the two, smirking dangerously down at them.
“Lady Mayor Deep Six, to what do I owe the privilege?” Zeestone bit her lip to keep herself from snapping at the use of her real name. “Your coming is rather sudden, we are just about to leave for Port Shining.”
“Precisely why I came. I am the one who requested the ivory from the colony, and I merely ask that you bring a… special cargo as well. In addition, I request that this be done discretely. The Governor may not even desire this shipment, so it is best if nopony knows you have it in your hold.”
The request to carry it discretely was a big red flag in Zeestone’s mind. Deep Six was known to be as corrupt as nobles come, and a swindler to boot. Whatever the real reason she wanted these shipped was, it wasn’t going to be good.
“And if the Governor refuses to take this cargo? Will I still get payment for hauling this cargo there and back?” Zeestone asked cautiously. While a ‘yes’ would not really comfort her, a ‘no’ would mean she’d just throw the barrels overboard as soon as she left Port Shining.
“Yes, you will be compensated should you have to bring my cargo back with you. I guarantee it.” Deep Six nodded, her smirk never leaving her lips. That alone made Zeestone nervous about the whole thing. She’d most likely just turn it over to the Port Authority when she returned and not have another interaction with the Mayor in the future. To make the feeling in her gut worse, just behind Deep Six, Zeestone could swear she just saw one of the barrels move on it’s own.
“Well, while I have my reservations, I’ll take on your cargo, Lady Mayor.” Zeestone reluctantly agreed, thinking that even if she had to give them over to the Port Authority, she’d make more than enough off the ivory shipment that it wouldn’t matter. Deep Six gave a genuine smile which, while brief, did put a little confidence back into Zeestone.
“Excellent. I thank you, Captain. Alright boys, you heard her, start loading this onto the ship.” Deep Six barked to the stallions behind her, who quickly began rolling the barrels up the gangplank onto the Hoofget Sound.
“Just leave them on the deck, if you don’t mind. My own crew will take it from there.” Zeestone interjected, not wanting the Mayor’s hired goons to go into the bowels of her ship. Knowing the stallions Deep Six hired as enforcers, they’d likely steal from the provisions already aboard. At least the stallions were willing to comply, leaving the barrels in the center of the deck. As soon as the barrels were all aboard, Deep Six and her goons made their way to leave.
“Farewell Captain, stonespeed to you.” Deep Six smiled, offering the blessing of the most caring god of the zee.
“Thank you, Lady Mayor. Celestia guide you.” Zeestone countered. She didn’t believe in the gods, thinking of them as nonsense picked up by the superstitious once Canterlot sank. She never stopped believing in the Princesses as goddesses, their divine grace never fading in the zailor’s mind.
With the sound of the ship’s foghorn and the deep rumble of its engines, the Hoofget Sound pulled away from the pier, moving through the harbor at low speed. Once they had cleared Barnet Reef, the edge of Canterlot Harbor, Zeestone ordered full speed, the engines roaring to life as they forced the old cargo ship onward, headed southeast towards Port Shining.
The zee. Wide and dark, broken by a few chains of islands. This was where Zeestone felt the most in control of her life, even though that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The zee ruled all who sailed it and it was a cruel tyrant to most. All one could do was learn to sail beneath its notice. But even with that, Zeestone was free from the politics of Canterlot while she was out at zee, free from the need of money. Out here, all she had to care about was finding food to eat and fuel to keep going. If she wasn’t forced to return to Canterlot from lack of either of those, she’d spend the rest of her days sailing the zee.
“Well, Cap’n, at the this rate, we should be at Port Shining within a week.” Cock Up interrupted Zeestone’s train of thought, the mare just staring off into the distance until her bosun broke her out of it.
“A week? A little faster than I expected. Are you sure you charted the route right?” Zeestone raised a brow quizzically. It should take longer than a week to get to Port Shining directly from Canterlot.
“Positive, Cap’n, it’ll put us at Port Shining in a week.” Cock Up repeated, nodding. “Come on Cap’n, you’ve never doubted my routes before.”
“I know, Cock Up, but something about this job just doesn’t feel right to me, I’d honestly prefer to stay at zee for as long as possible. I’m positive I saw one of those barrels move.” Zeestone looked towards the deck, the barrels being as far beneath them as she could stow them.
“Cap’n, you’re being paranoid” Cock Up chuckled, trying to diffuse Zeestone’s nerves. “Come on, let’s head down to the galley, get you something warm in your belly.”
“Alright, but water only, we’re not opening the wine until we see the surface, got it?” Zeestone allowed herself a small smile, nodding before waving to one of the deckhooves to take the helm in her absence. The two walked down to through the passageways of the ship down to galley, the smell of baking bread wafting through the cramped corridors.
“Ah, I love the smell of food fresh out of harbor, something other than hardtack and whatever we can scrounge from the zee.” Cock Up laughed, taking an exaggerated breath through his nose. “Fresh bread and vegetables, mm’mm.”
“Then we are lucky that you managed to plot a course to Port Shining in just a week then, we can replace what we eat before we leave.” Zeestone stifled a laugh at her bosun’s over-the-top excitement over the food, taking a carrot off the cook’s table as they walked by.
“Maybe we can make a stop in Tartarus’ Gate after we get back to Canterlot, have the whole crew eat at the Bandaged Connoisseur before we head to the surface.” Cock Up suggested optimistically, with a loud cheer erupting from the crew in response.
“We’ll see after we get paid, Cock Up, though that is a great idea. It’s been a while since we paid old Dust Root a visit. She might even give us a discount if we bring a newspaper with us.” Zeestone finally allowed herself to laugh, her throaty zailor’s laugh mixing nicely with the cacophony of the rest of the crew.
Dust Root, the proprietor of the ‘Bandaged Connoisseur’, was a Tomb Colonist who, before she died and was resurrected, was an old friend of Zeestone’s from the surface, who was absolutely obsessed with knowing what was going on in the zee. Which was possibly why she opened her restaurant in the first place.
“Come on, Cap’n, if you really want ‘er to give us a discount, all you’d have to do is kiss ‘er” One of the zailors jeered, eliciting another round of laughs.
“Oh please, we all know Cock Up’s the one who’d want to dab her, much more than I would anyway.” Zeestone elbowed Cock Up, her bosun turning bright red as his wings flared out.
“Cap’n! That’s a real jump there betweening kissing and fucking!” Cock Up protested, though didn’t deny that he wouldn’t do exactly what Zeestone was joking about.
“We’re not hearin’ a ‘no’, Cock Up.” Another zailor laughed.
The joking went on for quite some time, until the ship’s horn sounded for the night crew. While day and night were ambiguous terms in the ‘neath, ponies still referred to the times as ‘day’ and ‘night’, mostly out of habit, but also out of respect for the memory of the Princesses, even if they weren’t worshipped as goddesses by most of Canterlot anymore.
Zeestone sighed as she walked into her quarters, closing the door behind her. Shedding her overcoat, she strode over to the nearby porthole, resting her head on the edge. Looking out over the dark zee was her form of relaxation, not because she enjoyed looking out across the most likely cause of her eventual death, but because she would think of one day leaving it behind forever to return to the surface, to feel the sun on her face again for longer than a few hours before she had to return to the ‘neath.
“One day… One day.” Zeestone whispered before she left the porthole, climbing into her bunk. Another night at zee, something awaits her in port.
The Elder Continent was an enigma to Ponykind. Unlike much of the land in the ‘neath, the Elder Continent was lush with jungles and wildlife, though most of it was hostile to ponies. At least the ponies from the surface.
That was the most surprising discovery in the ‘neath made by the ponies of Canterlot when they first began exploring the Unterzee, the Elder Continent was home to a strange, secretive group of ponies which had been shaped by the ravages of the Elder Continent into being incredibly durable. The sharpest blade or largest bullet left little more than a scratch on the hides of these ponies, and when Port Shining was founded, its walls had to be lined with lightning generators to keep them at bay. Some in the Bazaar whispered that those ponies were the masterminds behind the invasion of the surface all those years ago, though no real evidence of that has emerged in the rare dealings with the Elder Ponies as of yet.
Zeestone watched the coastline from the helm as the ship sailed past. They were about a mile out to sea, but even at that distance, the feeling of dread and unwelcomeness was clear. She could tell that whatever power truly ruled the jungles, it had no love for the lifeless hull of her ship, nor for the foreign ponies who crewed it.
“Come on, Cap’n, there’s no way anything from the shore can reach us out here.” Cock Up spoke up, taking a glance towards the shore himself.
“You know that’s not true.” Zeestone shook her head, before pulling down the horn to the engine room. “Captain to Engine Room, full power until we reach Port Shining!”
“Engine Room to Cap’n, aye Cap’n!” One of the engineers’ voices replied through the horn, the engine beginning to groan in protest as they began stoking the flames. The water behind the Hoofget Sound became choppy as the ship sped up.
“Cock Up, I want weapons loaded and ready to fire until we reach the port, searchlights on full power, and keep a lookout for any lights beneath the water. I’m not going to get caught off guard by an angler crab.” Zeestone ordered her bosun/first mate, the pegasus nodding quickly before setting off to work.
The crew of the Hoofget Sound exploded into activity as Cock Up relayed the captain’s orders, readying guns and searchlights. All of them knew how dangerous the Continent’s beasts were, having seen flocks of birds bearing razor-like claws, giant crabs the size of warships, and eels as long and girthy as a Canterlot tower. Nearly everything from the Continent was capable of turning Canterlot ships into scrap at the bottom of the ocean.
The tension aboard the ship was tangible for the time it took to come within sight of the walls of Port Shining, the crew somewhat twitchy despite the best efforts of Cock Up to ease the stress. While the pegasus wasn’t concerned about the possibility of attack by zeebeasts, he was also concerned that there would be accidental firing, one of the gunners twitching a little too much and wasting ammunition. But, as the lights and walls of Port Shining came into view, Zeestone’s commanding voice sounded across the deck.
“Stand down! We’re coming up to port!”
Port Shining was Canterlot’s sole colonial possession, forcibly carved out of the jungle surrounding a small, natural harbor. If it wasn’t for the lucrative sapphire mines, the sheer expense of keeping the colony would have resulted in its closing years ago. From attacks by native beasts and Elder Ponies to the seemingly endless plagues and fungal infestations, there was never a time when the colony wasn’t teetering on the brink of collapse, only to be saved by an influx of miners hoping to strike it rich in the sapphire trade.
It’s harbor wasn’t exactly teeming with ships, like Canterlot’s were, but it had a relatively respectable number of merchant vessels lying at anchor, making Zeestone wonder why Deep Six hadn’t just commissioned a ship from here to carry her oh so secretive cargo.
“Cock Up, you stay with the ship, I’ll go see to getting the cargo.” Zeestone ordered, neither her voice nor her actions giving any room for argument as she leapt over the side onto the pier upon bringing the ship to a halt.
“Um, aye aye, Cap’n.” Cock Up nodded unsurely, never really wanting to leave Zeestone’s side if he could get away with it. But, she had ordered him to stay, so that was what he was going to do. In his head, this was likely just so Zeestone could be in and out of the port as quickly as possible. “Ah well, looks like we won’t be taking on any fresh food while we’re here, lads.”
The crew on the deck gave an audible groan, the hope since that first night being that they’d take on some more fresh fruit and vegetables before the voyage home.
“Alright, so that’s twenty crates of ivory?” Zeestone raised a brow at the merchant she had the order for, the sandy colored unicorn nodding dismissively.
“Yeah, twenty crates of stygian ivory, perfectly for those high-society types in Canterlot, ready to ship. Your ship that one that just came into the harbor?” The unicorn asked, wanting to be done with Zeestone about as much as she wanted to be done with him.
“Yes, it is. Just get it down there, my crew will load it on when it’s delivered.” Zeestone passed over the order.
“Alright, good luck to you then.” The unicorn nodded as he took the order, leaving Zeestone to start moving the crates down to the harbor. Zeestone moved to leave herself, her destination being the Governor’s Palace, to try and get rid of Deep Six’s unnerving barrels. If she didn’t get rid of them now, she’d have to haul them back to Canterlot, and if she could avoid that, she would.
For as ramshackle as the rest of the colony appeared, the Governor’s Palace was surprisingly well built, either that or it was enchanted to resist the Elder Continent’s corrosive effect on the artificial structures of Canterloters. In all honesty, it was likely the latter, since even the expense of the enchantment would be far less than constant upkeep on the structure.
Guarding the entrance to the palace were two Royal Guardsponies, their pitted and scratched armor a grim reminder that there was no real royalty to protect anymore.
“Morning, gentlecolts, I’m here to see Lord Brightwork on a matter concerning a shipment from Lady Mayor Deep Six of Canterlot.” Zeestone recited in a practiced voice. There was always a level of presumed sophistication when conversing with Royal Guards, so for one to be taken seriously by the soldiers, one had to meet that level.
“Lord Brightwork isn’t expecting any deliveries from Canterlot. Lady Mayor Deep Six would had sent a message ahead of your arrival. Now move along.” One of the guards gruffly ordered, the saddle-mounted rifle at his side swinging down, the sharpened bayonet less than an inch away from Zeestone.
Not willing to risk irritating the Guardsponies, if only to keep from getting speared or shot, Zeestone nodded, turning, and walking away.
“Must have been a mistake then, thank you, sirs.”
“So, we’re keeping the barrels?” Cock Up raised a brow as Zeestone returned, ordering the lower levels of the cargo hold be locked.
“Yeah, the Governor’s goons wouldn’t let me talk to him about getting rid of them, so we’re bringing them back for Deep Six to make somepony else’s problem.” Zeestone snorted, shaking her head as she took the helm. “The ivory is all in place, right?”
“Aye, Cap’n. We made sure it’s all loaded up in the hold.” Cock Up nodded, looking back to the Governor’s Palace. “Wonder why Deep Six would send us out with those barrels if we can’t get past the guards.”
“That’s what I really don’t want to find out, Cock Up.” Zeestone took in a deep breath, before grabbing hold of the horn to the engine room. “Captain to Engine Room! Full reverse!”
“Engine Room to Cap’n! Aye, Cap’n, full reverse!” An engineer called back, once again, the engines roaring to life. The Hoofget Sound slowly pulled away from the pier, pitching starboard as Zeestone guided it to be able to leave the harbor.
“Excuse me, Harbormaster?” A courier ran up to the burly earth pony who was in charge of the docks in Canterlot. The courier was dressed in the uniform of a mayoral servant, carrying an envelope bearing the seal of the Mayor of Canterlot.
“Yes? What is it?” The harbormaster barked, turning to face the courier, who presented him the envelope.
“The Lady Mayor has learned of a zee-captain who is attempting to smuggle zee-beasts into Canterlot. Inside the envelope is a report sent ahead by Port Shining authorities, containing a manifest on the ship, its crew, and its cargo.” The courier relayed the message given to him by Deep Six herself. The harbormaster opened the envelope, looking over the report on a merchant ship known as the Hoofget Sound, registered under a ‘Captain Sapphire Cresent’, who herself went under the alias ‘Zeestone’. According to the report, the ship was to arrive in Canterlot within the next week or two.
“Hmmph. I’ll make sure the smuggler is dealt with, you can assure the Mayor.” The harbormaster nodded curtly, pocketing the report.
“Your dedication to the safety of Canterlot is admirable, Harbormaster.” The courier allowed himself a small, genuine smile before he ran off to report back to the Mayor.
Zeestone felt a wave of uneasiness come over her as she pulled her ship into harbor in Canterlot. Something didn’t feel right to her, as if the city itself had become unwelcoming in their absence. The large group of harbor guards waiting at her rented dock certainly didn’t help ease her nerves. The guards didn’t wait for permission to board, walking onto the deck as soon as the gangplank was lowered.
“Captain Sapphire Crescent, you stand accused of smuggling living cargo into Canterlot. Your hold and all of its contents are now subject to search.” The head guard, a stone colored pegasus, stated bluntly as he walked up to Zeestone, his squad pushing past the ship’s crew to get down into the cargo hold.
“Smuggling live cargo? You can’t be serious, I’m only carrying ivory, that’s seems pretty dead to me.” Zeestone protested, not wanting to believe what was going on. She had been gone for two weeks and now her spotless record was ruined with suspicion. She was sure that there was nothing living in her cargo hold, unless… Deep Six’s cargo wasn’t something allowed within Canterlot. That explained why she was supposed to be discrete about it. The arrival of another one of the guards snapped Zeestone out of her thought.
“Sir, we found a number of brine filled barrels in a locked portion of the hold. We’re bringing them up now.” The newcomer reported, to which the head guard looked back to Zeestone, his expression full of contempt.
“Only carrying ivory?” The head guard drew his sword with a wing, leveling the blade at Zeestone. “Captain Sapphire Cresent, you are under arrest for smuggling.”
“I didn’t know what was in those barrels! Deep Six stowed them on my ship without telling me what was in them!” Zeestone exclaimed, shaking her head quickly as she protested. It was at that point the first barrel was brought onto the top deck, followed by the sound of a gunshot, though nopony could tell where from.
The barrel exploded in a shower of salty brine, revealing a faceless, tentacled beast which immediately began lashing out at anypony nearby. That was when the deck itself exploded into chaos. Both Zeestone’s crew and the harbor guards drew weapons to combat the zeebeast, only to end up shooting and stabbing at one another as confusion reigned.
Seeing an opportunity, Zeestone headbutted the head guard, bolting towards the secondary entrance to the cargo hold, hoping she could seal off the rest of the beasts before any more of them could break free. Unfortunately, her move was seen very differently by the head guard, who quickly recovered from the headbutt and followed her down into the hold.
“Alright smuggler, after all of this, an arrest is too good. That little stunt you pulled with the barrel is enough for me to shoot you” the guard snarled, drawing his pistol as he ran after Zeestone. A shot rang out as Zeestone tried to make for a large stack of crates, one of them collapsing, spilling the ivory out right on top of her, a large chunk slamming into her head. She collapsed as her vision became blurry, the last thing she saw before blacking out being the cold face of the guard.
“Hey, this one’s got something stuck to her hoof. Think we should try to take it?” One of the guards poked Zeestone’s unconscious body, thinking her to be a corpse. On her hoof was a strange blue gauntlet, which seemed relatively out of place among the pile of ivory and the zailor’s body.
“Nah, zailors pick up weird shit all the time, no point in saving it. Throw her over with the rest of ‘em.” A second guard rolled his eyes, helping picking up Zeestone’s limp form, pulling it up to the top deck, before throwing it overboard.
Chapter 2: Pawn of the Great Game
Blackness. Inky blackness which surrounded Zeestone, trying to drag her down deeper into it’s suffocating embrace. She thrashed against the grasping tendrils, desperate to break free before the darkness overtook her. With a gasping breath and hacking coughs, Zeestone’s head breached the surface of the water, her mane plastered against her head, covering her eyes. Her overcoat was gone, thrown off in her desperate attempt to breach the surface of the water, and, almost more importantly, her tricorn hat was gone as well.
Pushing her mane out of her eyes, Zeestone could see the lights of Canterlot in the distance, and from that, she quickly got her bearings. She began swimming west towards the shore outside of Canterlot, dragging herself onto the black sands. She didn’t make it very far before collapsing, rolling over onto her back just as a wave collided with the beach.
She remained there, lying on her back, for a good long while, trying to collect her thoughts on what had happened to her. She remembered being set up by Deep Six and chased down into the cargo hold. She remembered a crate bursting open beside her, then everything going black until now.
Zeestone groaned, lifting her hoof to her head, and recoiling at the cold sensation she felt. On her hoof was a peculiar gauntlet, appearing to be made of crystal, which had the feel of iron, but was as light as paper and gave off a faint blue glow.
“What in Celestia’s name…?” Zeestone whispered to herself, looking over the gauntlet. She lifted her other hoof to it, trying to get it off, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t budge. She gripped it with her teeth, attempting to wrench it off, but when that didn’t work either, she shifted position, bracing against a nearby rock. She lifted her hind legs to the gauntlet, trying to push the gauntlet off with her full strength rather than just her free hoof.
“Aaaaaaah! By Celestia! Ok, so it’s not coming off.” Zeestone snorted, having stopped just before her leg became dislocated from her shoulder. She stood up, wiping the sand from her body, and looking towards the lights of Canterlot. “With any luck, they won’t be looking for me because they think I’m dead.”
Though in her head she wanted to get moving, her body was in no condition to do so. She could barely stand up and taking the first step sent her face first into the sand. The adrenaline rush from fighting against the cold embrace of the zee had faded, leaving her body aching. Everything she had experienced since being thrown off the side of her ship suddenly became painfully obvious, numerous bruises suddenly making themselves known.
“Come on, get up, get up.” Zeestone muttered through clenched teeth. The zee was not friendly to those it considered weak and a mare lying on her stomach within reach of the tide was going to be an all too tempting morsel for the ravenous deeps. With a pained groan and whatever strength she could muster, Zeestone forced herself back up onto her hooves, biting her lower lip to keep from crying out in pain as her muscles caught fire in protest.
The Hoofget Sound was still in its usual place in the harbor, but was teeming with Deep Six’s cronies. Zeestone, looking down from the walls surrounding the harbor proper, watched as they wrecked her ship, taking everything from within and dumping it all on the top deck. The cook’s supplies, the gunner’s ammunition, Zeestone’s own personal effects. One particular item thrown from her cabin caught her attention, her safe.
“No, no, no, if they break anything in that safe I’ll gut every last one of them.” Zeestone swore under her breath.
There was no way for her to get down to her ship right now, though given she was still sore all over and was on her own, there was no way she could take on all of the goons on her own. She couldn’t get to her safe for now, but, at least for the while, she had a more pressing concern.
“Well, I can at least start looking for somepony who can tell me what this thing is, or at least how I can get it off.” Zeestone sighed, looking down to her hoof. She knew most of the supposed ‘zee experts’ here in Canterlot were shams, so she’d have to poke through the more obscure areas of the Bazaar or leave the city.
The Canterlot Bazaar was one of the strangest places in the city, some saying that it was here before Canterlot itself sank, which of course was just superstition, but it didn’t help the air of eeriness which permeated the great dome of the Bazaar. The main nooks and cells in the Bazaar were held by mostly legitimate businesses, though those weren’t the only services the Bazaar had to offer, provided one looked just beyond the crowds.
“Listen, you have never been wrong before telling me what the stuff I find is, so what can you tell me about this?” Zeestone lifted her gauntleted hoof onto the counter, taking a look back to the curtain separating the cell from the dark alley it was on.
“Zeestone, you usually give me some forewarning before you show up, and where’s Cock Up?” Wreck Diver raised a brow as he took a look at the gauntlet. The look on Zeestone’s face discouraged the veteran salvager from pressing the subject further. “Well, is there any way we can get this off of you?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Wreck, nothing I did could get the thing to even budge.” Zeestone shook her head, brushing her mane out of her face.
“Hold on, I got some jelly in the back, should do the trick.” Wreck’s horn illuminated as he levitated over a jar full of petroleum jelly and a dull knife. Dipping the knife in the jelly, Wreck pulled out a sizable glob, slathering it all over Zeestone’s leg, right above where the gauntlet ended, trying to get as much of it between the gauntlet and her leg as he could. “Alright, this stuff dislodged a giant scintillack from the inside of a cannon, so getting your hoof out should be easy.”
“I certainly hope so, just try not to take off my hoof, alright?” Zeestone steeled herself for the strain of Wreck attempting to pull off the gauntlet.
“Just tell me when to stop then.” Wreck said as he nodded, taking hold of the gauntlet with both his hooves and his magic, before yanking hard. Just like before, the gauntlet refused to budge, and no matter how hard Wreck pulled, it was Zeestone who felt the most force.
“Aaaaah! Stop! Stop! You’re going to tear my hoof off, Wreck!” Zeestone pulled her hoof away as Wreck let go, shaking it to try and dispel the painful tingles. “Ok, that didn’t work either.”
“I’d be impressed if it didn’t mean I can’t keep it to sell.” Wreck huffed, shaking his head as he put the jar away. “Alright, well, if you’re willing to risk it, I know a Sun-Touched merchant who can get you down to High Carnelian. If anypony will know what that thing is and how to get it off, it’ll be those glowing-eyed boffin types.”
“The Sun-Touched? Are you sure? I’m pretty sure they’re too busy worshipping that machine of theirs.” Zeestone was always skeptical of the Sun-Touched. Last time she visited High Carnelian, they wouldn’t let her off the pier, and they always left her feeling like a part of her was missing.
“I know, it’s not ideal, but unless you’d rather wander the Elder Continent, the Sun-Touched are your best bet on finding out what that thing is.” Wreck confirmed, though it was clear he didn’t think it was the best option either. Compared to the jungles of the Elder Continent though, the fortress port of High Carnelian was preferable.
“Alright, if that’s the best you got, where can I find this merchant of yours?” Zeestone asked. “I assume that they’re not in here with us, right?”
“Nah, she’s down by the docks, probably loading up to head back to High Carnelian. If you leave now you should be able to catch her. Her name’s Fallen Dawn.” Wreck gestured to the door, causing Zeestone to groan.
“You could have told me sooner. Goodbye, Wreck.” Zeestone turned and bolted out of the cell, pausing only to grab a heavy overcoat from one of Wreck’s shelves, donning the heavy, concealing garment as she rushed past the crowds in the Bazaar to make it down to the docks before the Sun-Touched left.
Compared to the ships surrounding it, the Sun-Touched cargo ship was almost offensively bright, the gold hull seeming to glow brightly in the dark waters. Of course, that made it very off putting to Canterloters, who were far too used to the dark environment in which they resided.
What struck Zeestone as odd about this particular Sun-Touched ship, the Golden Shores, was that she wasn’t disturbed by it. The feeling of unease that she always felt when being near the Sun-Touched wasn’t there. It wasn’t comforting, but it at least wasn’t unnerving.
“Dark-lighter! I think you’re at the wrong dock!” One of the Sun-Touched zailors called down to Zeestone, looking over the gunwale down at her.
“Well, that depend!. I’m looking for a mare named Fallen Dawn!” Zeestone shouted back up to the zailor. “I was told she was on this ship!”
“Really now?! Alright, hold on!” The softly glowing zailor moved away from the gunwale, out of Zeestone’s sight. He returned a few moments later, this time with a well dressed mare. She had the same soft glow about her body that the rest of the Sun-Touched possessed, her coat was a rich red color, unlike the muted tones of Canterloters, her mane a series of bouncy orange and yellow streaked curls, and her eyes… They were like all other Sun-Touched eyes, that eerie glowing gold color, one which seemed more like a pair of lanterns were lit behind her eyes instead of the nerves which were behind the eyes of normal ponies.
“I wasn’t expecting any Dark-Lighters to call on me, state your business!” the mare, presumably the merchant, Fallen Dawn, looked down over the gunwale at Zeestone, her expression a mix of irritation and exasperation.
“I’m looking for passage to High Carnelian! Wreck Diver said that you would be able to carry me down there!” Zeestone rolled her eyes, glad for the positions of the two Sun-Touched, as they wouldn’t be able to see her gauntlet from where they were. Most of it was hidden beneath the sleeve of the overcoat she ‘borrowed’ from Wreck, but the bottom of her hoof was still exposed, and the last thing she wanted was to wake up during the voyage to find one of the Sun-Touched trying to saw her leg off.
“Wreck Diver?! That salvager?! Fine, I’ll take you down to High Carnelian, I owe the Dark-Lighter anyway, so this is repaying that debt!” Fallen nodded, then turned to the other Sun-Touched, the zailor. “Go open the boarding hatch, let her aboard.”
“Aye aye, ma’am.” The zailor disappeared from view and within minutes, a door near level with the dock opened with a hiss of steam, a gangplank falling onto the dock beside Zeestone. Just inside was another Sun-Touched zailor, his bored expression alleviating Zeestone’s worries of the gauntlet being noticed just yet.
“Come on, Dark-Lighter, we’re not going to wait long.” The zailor rolled his eyes, lazily gesturing for Zeestone to come aboard.
“You are very, very lucky that none of the crew care enough about Canterloters to actually question about the unusual ‘horseshoe’ beneath that coat of yours, Captain Zeestone.” Fallen scolded the zailor once they were alone in her quarters, except Fallen was no longer a Sun-Touched. She was a Changeling named Silent Whisper, in service to the Admiralty as an agent. Her task was to spy on the defectors who were now the Sun-Touched.
“Well, Deep Six tried to have me killed, presumably for this thing, so yeah, I can imagine the Sun-Touched would want it too . Unfortunately, that means they might know something about what it is, since I can’t exactly say that your own employers will know anything, given that they hire out captains like me to tell them everything.” Zeestone said as she rolled her eyes, shedding her overcoat. The gauntlet shown in the faint light which seemed to come from every exposed surface on the ship. Silent groaned, shaking her head.
“Fine, I can understand why you’re going. When, not if, things go bad, I’ll do my best to have a ship ready for you to get out of the city on. At least that way I can tell Wreck Diver that I kept you alive to the best of my ability. If you die after you leave, then there was nothing I could do.” she said while poking Zeestone’s chest with a chitinous hoof.
“Well thank you for that much, I guess.” Zeestone rolled her eyes, taking Silent’s hoof, and moving it away from her chest. “Now, I’ve had a long, painful day, so I’m going to sleep. Wake me when the galley’s got food set out.”
Zeestone walked past Silent, the exhausted and bruised zailor falling down onto the nearby bed, the one belonging to Silent, falling asleep on the spot.
“This is the last time I help a zee captain.” Silent muttered under her breath, her form changing back to that of Fallen Dawn in a puff of green flame. “Admiralty be damned.”
High Carnelian was originally a coaling station for Canterlot ships on their way to Port Shining, but when the light of the Dawn Machine reached the island, its denizens declared their independence from Canterlot, and since it was most of what was left of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines who were declaring independence, there was nothing Canterlot could do to stop them.
That was the rumor spread through the Bazaar anyway. While there is a lot of truth to it, given there is a lot of old Royal Navy ships and equipment there, there’s likely a lot more to it than that.
What Zeestone knew for sure about the city, past that it was built on top of a massive crimson gemstone, was that it was the home of the Sun-Touched, and for the most part, Canterloters weren’t allowed past the harbor. Zeestone hoped that her past service in the Royal Navy, back before they were forced to live in this ‘almost-hell’, would allow her to get further into the island, to find somepony who could tell her what the gauntlet was, or how to get it off without removing her whole leg.
“Hold it. No Dark-Lighters allowed past the docks, return to your ship.” A Sun-Touched Marine scowled at Zeestone, pushing her away from the gates of High Carnelian with the butt of his rifle. Zeestone scowled back, before taking a deep breath.
“I am Captain Sapphire Crescent of Her Majesty’s Royal Equestrian Navy, I request permission to speak with the governor of the island.” Zeestone declared in as authoritative voice as she could muster. It had been a long while since she had needed to use a militant tone of voice, so she just hoped that she didn’t come off as out of practice to the Marine. The Sun-Touched soldier’s eyes narrowed, but he relented, moving just out of the way.
“Very well. I will take you to the Governor’s Palace to meet with Admiral Countersunk, Captain Crescent.” The marine took a place beside Zeestone after she walked through the gate into the city proper, leading her along through the clean, cobblestone streets of High Carnelian.
“I must say, it’s been a good long while since I’ve spoken to a, ahem, former captain of the Royal Navy.” Admiral Countersunk waved a shimmering wing at the Marine who brought Zeestone to her, him leaving the two alone.
Countersunk was a soft teal color, possibly having been a deep blue before becoming a Sun-Touched. Her blonde mane was done up in a tight bun, while her tail hung out free from beneath the coattails of her fitted naval peacoat. Her eyes, like every other Sun-Touched, glowed that soft yellow light, an unnatural yellow light too reminiscent of the Sun to be anything other than off putting.
The room the two were in was lavish, clearly modeled after the finer manors of Canterlot before it fell. The floors were a checkerboard pattern of marble and granite, interrupted by woven rugs from Saddle Arabia and the Ottomare Sultanate. Above their heads, a row of golden chandeliers ran straight down the center of the ceiling, running between a grid of corbels. The furniture in the room was remarkably plain in comparison to the rest of the room, being simple carved wood and beige cushions. In fact, the only bit of ornate furnishing was a large fainting couch, placed against the far wall, facing the strangest part of the room.
The exterior facing wall was lined with large, arched windows, looking out over the zee. In the distance, just far enough for Zeestone to be unable to make out clearly, was the source of the light which graced the bodies of the Sun-Touched, the Dawn Machine. Zeestone reflexively looked away from the light, the great machine being almost sickening. Even though the usual unease of being around the Sun-Touched was gone, the sheer unnaturalness of the Dawn Machine was far too great.
Countersunk took notice of Zeestone’s discomfort and while it amused her to watch the Canterloter recoil in fear from the Dawn Machine, she truly wanted to speak with the captain, which she was unable to do so long as Zeestone was fighting against the light. Taking a brief moment, the Admiral flew to the top of the three closest windows, unfurling a trio of large, near opaque curtains, throwing the immediate area around Zeestone into shadow.
“There, now we may discuss issues without the fear of the Machine.” Countersunk mused as she landed, making her way to one of the plain couches, leading Zeestone along with her.
“Yes… Thank you, Admiral.” Zeestone let out a sigh of relief as the light of the machine was blocked, the captain gladly following Countersunk onto the couch. “There are a few things I wanted to discuss with you specifically. Given our shared past in the Royal Navy on the surface, I feel you would be the best option available to me.”
“Well, is that so? Pray tell, what exactly is it that you believe worth invoking any perceived camaraderie?” Countersunk raised a brow, though her eyes widened with surprise and shock as Zeestone rolled up the sleeve of her overcoat, revealing the entirety of the faintly glowing gauntlet.
“That would be this. Through a series of events I myself do not fully understand, I have come to possess this gauntlet. I have no memory of putting it on and no matter how hard I try, I am unable to get it off.” Zeestone explained, giving the gauntlet a tug to emphasize her point.
“What do you remember of the end of the war, Captain?” Countersunk asked, seemingly out of the blue.
“The war? I was fighting zee demons off the coast of Manehatten, why do you ask?” Zeestone lowered her sleeve, now it being her turn to raise a brow.
“That is similar to the armor worn by Elder Ponies towards the end of the war, made of scintillack and bound with the leather of zeebeasts.” Countersunk explained, taking Zeestone’s gauntleted hoof in her own, pulling back the sleeve once again. “But this looks to be of a quality much finer than those of the vanguard of the Elder Ponies. I may be able to have my boffins remove the gauntlet for you and… perhaps compensate you in exchange for keeping this?”
“That’s the whole reason I came down to the city to begin with. It was either hope you could remove or have Deep Six pry it off my corpse.” Zeestone nodded, not entirely trusting Countersunk, but still allowing a hint of relief to bleed into her voice. Countersunk’s expression upon hearing the name ‘Deep Six’ only served to help Zeestone’s mood.
“Deep Six.” The Sun-Touched admiral growled. “That ass kissing gibfaced hedge-creeper. It figures she’d resort to violence to get what she likely has no understanding of.”
“She tried to have the Port Authority arrest me by hiding zee beasties on my ship, probably thinks I’m dead right now.” stated Zeestone nodded, pulling her hoof away as she stood up from the couch. “So, on to getting this thing off of me? It’s caused me enough trouble.”
“Very well. Come, I’ll take you down to the boffins. We’ll get that off as fast as physically possible.” Countersunk assured, getting up herself, and walking past Zeestone out of the room.
“The Admiral was not wrong, this is no surface-made object.” One of the boffins, a Sun-Touched stallion in a tailored suit and a bowler hat, nodded as he examined the gauntlet on Zeestone’s hoof, turning it over.
“Agreed, this is blue scintillack affixed to some kind of beast hide.” Another boffin agreed, tapping the gauntlet with a mallet.
“Good for you then, now can you get it off?” Zeestone rolled her eyes. She wanted to know about the gauntlet, mostly so she’d know what a good price to ask Countersunk for, but that want was second to the desire to get it off of her hoof.
“Hmm, we’ll have to… discuss options for getting it off, but we should be able to. One way or another.” The head boffin muttered darkly, looking back at her as he walked towards an operating room.
“Um, alright. Well, while you discuss, I’m going to look around.” Zeestone tried not to betray her feelings of worry as she nonchalantly made her way out of the examination room.
“Oh no, we’re going to need you to stay right… Guards! After the Dark-Lighter! She’s carrying something valuable to the Great Machine!” The head boffin shouted down the hall, not getting to finish his original sentence before Zeestone took off running down the hall.
Zeestone barreled past a number of Sun-Touched as she made her way down to where she remembered the main entrance was. She didn’t plan on using it, but it was on the ground level, which meant jumping out one of the huge windows was an option. A much faster option than taking the time to open the door.
Bracing herself, Zeestone crashed through the huge ornate window directly to the left of the main door, very nearly tripping on the window frame. She stumbled for a brief moment, before regaining her balance, bolting from the manor at a full gallop. Behind her, a shot rang out, an ornate pot beside her exploding in a shower of topsoil.
At the speed she was going, it didn’t take her long to make it off the property of the manor, vaulting over the stone fence and making it out of sight from the marines who were attempting to shoot her. Even in the relative safety of the city, she was still surrounded by armed Sun-Touched marines and zailors. She had to make it down to the harbor, hoping that Silent Whisper had actually made good on her promise to have a ship waiting to get her off the island.
The replacement for the marine at the entrance to the harbor wasn’t expecting anypony to came at him from behind, especially not somepony whacking him hard against the back of his head with what felt like a heavy steel gauntlet.
He crumpled to the ground in a heap, Zeestone running over his unconscious form as she made her way down into the harbor. She looked around, cursing under her breath as she realized that Silent Whisper never told her just what ship she’d leave for her.
“Captain Crescent, we’ve got to go.”
Zeestone nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt a hoof touch her shoulder from behind, before relaxing ever so slightly when she saw the face of ‘Fallen Dawn’.
“I know, they were shooting at me.” Zeestone nodded, letting ‘Fallen’ lead her to a Canterlot-built frigate, the fast, thankfully dark-hued warship crewed by equally dark colored Canterloters.
“I’ll thank you for blowing my cover later, not that I didn’t expect you to do it.” Silent Whisper snorted as she reverted back to her normal form, pulling Zeestone onto the frigate. She turned towards the bridge, shouting to the helmspony. “We’re aboard! Engines at full power!”
The frigate groaned in protest as its smokestack began billowing smoke, rapidly picking up speed as it pulled away from the harbor. It couldn’t outrun the Sun-Touched ships all the way back to Canterlot, but there was once place where the Sun-Touched refused to go near. Aetheria, the City of Light.
Author's Note
Thanks to Javarod, I finally have this this edited, and big thanks to Silent Whisper, for allowing me to use her character.
I never said what her fate would be.
Farewell for now, my delicious friends
