On the Peak of Aris

Chapters

A Hoof Extended
Setting Sail
Second Impressions
One Huge Thing
The Storm
A Major Confession
An Extra Special Kind Of Thing
Epilogue
Rolling Thunder

A Hoof Extended

Captain Fizzlepop Berrytwist stepped out into the castle foyer for the third time this morning, seeing the rays of the rising summer sun coming through the east windows. Princess Twilight liked to have them open at this time so the warm morning breeze could move through the castle. It was quite a welcome change from how stuffy it could get in here during the hottest of days.

Two more months had passed since the Ponyville E.U.P. had completed their barracks downstairs, and she was thrilled to have expanded the squad to twenty members. In that time, the castle upkeep had gotten much more routine, and Ponyville's already infinitesimal crime rate had been cut in half. Mayor Mare was ecstatic to say the least, and now they were in talks with moving all weather duties to pegasi members of the E.U.P.

She had even been writing bi-weekly letters to her old fillyhood friends in Vanhoover. The reunion in the castle library had been quite emotional, to say the very least. But thanks to them, she now wore the remains of her horn on a simple necklace. It reminded her where she came from, and just how far she had come.

The morning breeze moved through her mane and tail as she descended the center steps. Twilight, Starlight, and Spike were having breakfast, and she was completing another quick patrol of the castle before she'd report to the Princess of Friendship for any specific tasks that she would like to have done or at least started today. Fizzlepop was thrilled to have surpassed all of the Princess' expectations thus far.

Her front hooves had barely touched the ground floor before she heard a commotion from the two guards out on the front steps.

"Incoming!" She heard Lieutenant Thunderlane shout, followed a half-second later by a panicked "Look out!".

The large front doors of the castle burst open, and Captain Fizzlepop barely had enough time to raise her aetherial staff and fire up her horn. Her magic coursed through the conduit ring underneath her helmet and passed through the staff to the gem of aetherium at the tip. Magical energy surged forth from the gem and wrapped around the pegasus who had come careening through the front doors, and luckily slowed her to a halt before she collided with the stairs.

Taking a deep breath after the split-second reaction, the Captain looked at Ponyville's fastest mailmare; for better or worse. She quickly glanced past the now-stationary pegasus, and saw that Thunderlane had to nearly dive over the right banister of the front steps to avoid a collision. He had cleared it only halfway, and was now slumped over it.

"Derpy, you know how much I appreciate your expedient service, but maybe it would be a good idea for you to slow down just a little bit." Fizzlepop told her, releasing her magical hold on the pegasus.

"The Royal Express Mail slows down for nopony, Captain Berrytwist ma'am. This one is for you."

Derpy, now under her own wing power again, turned her head, and fetched a sealed scroll from her mailbag, giving it over to the guard captain. With that, she gave a salute and turned to leave the castle.

"You okay, Lieutentant?" Fizzlepop called outside, where Thunderlane pushed himself off of the banister and slumped down onto the stairs. He gave his Captain a nod, then shot Derpy an annoyed look as she floated by to continue her morning deliveries.

With that, Fizzlepop magically closed the doors, and turned her attention to the rolled and sealed scroll. She unfurled it, and began to read, her eyes and smile widening as she did so. After a minute of reading, she was now grinning wildly, and she turned towards the west wing and galloped towards the dining hall. As much as she wanted to burst in with the news, she recalled protocol, and excitedly knocked on the double doors leading to the dining hall.

"Princess Twilight, I have news!" She announced.

"Come on in, Captain." Came the reply from the Princess of Friendship. Fizzlepop opened the door and trotted over to where she and Spike were enjoying their own individual stacks of pancakes. She gave a crisp salute, and then levitated the scroll to Twilight's place at the table.

"We finally received a reply, Princess." Fizzlepop told her, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.

Twilight took a bite of pancakes, then levitated the scroll in front of her face and read:

To the Princess of Friendship and Ponyville E.U.P. Captain Fizzlepop Berrytwist,

I am pleased to confirm, following discussions between Princesses Celestia and Luna, myself, and Princess Skystar, that we would gladly accept your Captain's proposed assistance with our reconstruction efforts in Hippogriffia at Mount Aris. It is my hope that cooperation in this endeavor can lead to easing the somewhat strained diplomatic relations between our two kingdoms.

However, I must recommend that your party not travel lightly. Ever since the Storm King's defeat at Canterlot, his legions have splintered off into several independent raiding parties, and a few of these warlord-led mercenary groups have been spotted in our vicinity, in the Sea of Clouds, as well as in the Pine Needle Barrens. It has made getting supplies to the top of Mount Aris considerably more difficult. Please exercise caution, as we cannot guarantee your safety until you are within our gates.

Whenever and however you arrive, please see Captain Stratus Skyranger of the Queen's Guard at the front gate.

We look forward to this and future cooperative endeavors.

Sincerely,
Queen Novo of the Hippogriffs

"Well what d'ya know. She actually agreed to it. Congratulations, Captain."

Fizzlepop smiled with pride.

"I hereby request permission to lead the expedition, Your Highness."

Twilight took another bite of pancakes and swallowed as she rolled up the scroll.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I'm responsible for what happened to Hippogriffia, and I would like nothing more than to see these rebuilding efforts firsthand. Also, if we get unlucky and encounter one of these warlord-led Storm Guard factions, nopony has more experience with them than I do."

"I mean are you ready to be away from the castle for that long?" Twilight said more specifically.

"I am completely confident in Commander Rainbow Dash's ability to take my place, Your Highness, and in her absence, in Lieutenant Amethyst Star's as well."

Princess Twilight seemed satisfied, levitating the rolled scroll back to her Captain.

"Then the expedition is yours, Captain. You may begin preparations immediately."

Fizzlepop smiled, gave a bow, and trotted out of the dining room. As soon as the doors were closed, she magically took hold of her staff and broke into a gallop, coming back out to the foyer in under a half minute.

"Commander Rainbow!" She called, and moments later, Rainbow Dash came through the front door, having been standing guard in the morning sun with Thunderlane.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" Rainbow asked, but the look on Fizzle's face told her everything she needed to know. She was looking forward to this as much as the Captain was.

"I know you're up for having the run of the squad to yourself, Rainbow, but some things have got to happen first, and fast. Have Lieutenant Rivet report to me immediately."

"Right away." Rainbow said, giving a salute. "What's next?"

"We've got an airship to hire. I need you to get me in touch with Captain Celaeno."

Setting Sail

"So I did hear Rainbow right. We're really doing this?" Lieutenant Rivet asked his commanding officer upon hearing the news down in the barracks.

"You heard her right, Lieutenant. That crane of yours is going to be essential in helping load and offload hauls from the quarry, and if we can attach it to Celaeno's ship, it'll make precise placement for rebuilding a breeze. You have your team selected?"

"I do, Captain; eight of my best workers; five earth ponies and three unicorns. We've already disassembled the crane and it's waiting to move to wherever Celaeno is scheduled to land. Once she's docked, we can have it assembled in a matter of hours, and be on our way."

"You've already got it disassembled?" Fizzlepop asked, amazed at the efficiency of his crew.

"We're not the number one construction outfit in the region for nothing, Captain. As soon as Commander Rainbow got word to me that we were headed for Aris, I had them start taking it apart before I left." Rivet told her.

"Excellent. How long can your crew be away from Ponyville?" She asked.

"I've got the rest of my crew covering the smaller jobs. For us, we don't have any major upcoming projects for the next two months. And I will add that my unicorns specialize in shield magic, usually in the case of protection due to structural failure. I only mention this because I've been made aware of the mercenary threat we potentially face. Rest assured, they're ready to defend at a moment's notice."

"You're putting my mind more at ease already, Lieutenant Rivet. Excellent thinking. Come on, let's go grab lunch."

The two officers hadn't even taken three steps towards the exit before Rainbow came in.

"Captain, you'll be pleased to know that Captain Celaeno has accepted our job offer, and will be docking in front of the Ponyville Dam in approximately 46 hours."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the two of you are after my job." Tempest smirked.

"Only if you're promoted to Princess, and honestly, if that happens, I'd never stop making fun of you." Rainbow shot back.

"Commander Te- er, Captain Fizzlepop. I have to admit, this is one of the more awkward jobs I've taken." Captain Celaeno greeted upon parking their ship at the Ponyville Dam. The canyon the dam was built into was the closest area that allowed easy airship docking other than Ghastly Gorge, and Fizzlepop wasn't in the mood to deal with quarray eels during the loading process. Celaeno hopped over the ship's wheel, jumped down onto the main deck, and deployed the ship's gangway out to the cliffside, where Captain Fizzlepop, Lieutenant Rivet, and his eight construction ponies were waiting.

"I'm glad we could come to an understanding, Captain Calaeno, and that we can put our... Unpleasantness... Behind us." Fizzlepop told her, as she shifted uneasily.

"Well, Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash vouched for you, and you're paying top bit for this run, so that's good enough for me. The irony isn't lost on us either. Could've sworn we were done with deliveries after that song of hers."

"I doubt this will be as monotonous as it used to be. I trust you've heard of the Storm warlords wandering the sourthern regions?"

"That's precisely what we've been paid to deal with ever since leaving Canterlot with our new ship. Celestia was kind enough to give us the vessel, and included a Letter of Marque along with it. So we've been hunting Storm airships for the last four months on behalf of Equestria. We get a small cut of whatever plundered riches we find aboard, and Canterlot helps return the rest of it to the nations they stole it from. Best part is, we get full possession of any equipment we can successfully salvage. We managed to detach a pair of thrusters off of one two weeks ago. Can't wait to test those babies out."

"So from pirates to delivery birds to privateers." Fizzlepop commented. Celaeno gave a nod and smile.

"So I'm told we're attaching a crane to the deck, correct?"

"If we're able to, yes. If we can keep the method of loading and unloading in the air, I figure it'll cause minimal disruptions for their reconstruction."

"I'll let your ponies get to work, then. We can head south as soon as everything's secured. Feel free to familiarize yourself with the main deck, Captain."

As Celaeno walked away to oversee the crane rigging, Fizzlepop began to make her way to the bow of the ship.

"Well well, if it isn't Miss Change-of-Heart." A familiar voice said from up above her. She craned her neck up, and up in the crow's nest stood a slender furry figure. The first features she recognized were the green eyes and the long red coat underneath a black cape with purple accents.

"Well isn't this ironic. A cat acting as lookout for a crew of birds." Fizzlepop shot back, smirking up at him.

Capper Dapperpaws threw a tied rope out of the crows nest, took hold, and jumped out, grabbed the pole with one paw, and slid down to the deck, his feet landing with a light thud.

"What can I say? For standing up there, keeping an eye out, it pays well enough. And it gets me that much closer to recovering Abyssinia's stolen treasury. Certainly beats going back to my old ways in Klugetown. I assume I can say the same about you. Pretty slick armor you got there."

Captain Fizzlepop gave him a much more genuine smile this time.

"Thanks. So you're from Abyssinia?" She asked him.

"Indeed I am. I had the misfortune of being in Panthera when the Storm King invaded and made off with the entire treasury. That's why I'm here. Not only does it get me closer to recovering my nation's wealth, but every Storm airship we raid, that's more treasure returned to the southern nations where they came from."

Fizzlepop's expression changed to something more sorrowful, and Capper noticed immediately.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Panthera was years ago, long before you ever joined up. In fact, I'd wager that you're not responsible for almost all of the destruction he left in his wake."

"Thanks, but I've got my share of dirt on my hooves, and we're headed south to make amends."

"Captain Fizzlepop!" She heard an all-too familiar voice call from the cliffside. She looked off the starboard side to see Princess Twilight with a royal guard, but it wasn't anypony from her squad. She returned down the ship's gangway onto land while Rivet and his crew began to load and assemble the crane. She trotted down to where Twilight was standing, and went to attention.

"Captain, allow me to introduce Major Speartip, Diplomatic Advisor to Princesses Celestia and Luna."

With the hoof not holding her staff at attention, Fizzlepop gave a sharp, crisp salute to the Canterlot E.U.P. unicorn, as was customary towards a senior officer, no matter the division. Speartip immediately returned the gesture as a show of mutual respect.

"Pleased to meet you, Major. What can I do for you?" Fizzlepop greeted.

"Likewise, Captain Berrytwist. I understand that you've undertaken this expedition to aid in Hippogriffia's reconstruction efforts. I'm here to inform you that Princess Celestia wants to also treat this as a diplomatic mission, and has requested that I accompany your unit to advise on any situations of a diplomatic nature."

Princess Twilight eyed her Captain carefully. Princess Celestia had only made this request this morning, and she wasn't sure how Fizzlepop would react to a senior officer from another E.U.P. division accompanying her on this mission on such short notice.

"I welcome your assistance, Major. Honestly, I was a bit concerned about having to tiptoe around any of those potential situations. Although, I know the Canterlot E.U.P. is a pretty tight ship; though Lieutenant Rivet is the only other member of my squad accompanying me, I hope you don't find any of our informality off-putting." Fizzlepop cautioned. The Major appeared unfazed.

"Relax, Captain. I'm not here to step on any hooves. Princess Twilight has said nothing but good things about your outfit. My role here is purely advisory. I look forward to working with you in the coming days and weeks. I'll see myself on board." Speartip said, and left the Captain alone with her Princess.

"So, excited?" Twilight asked.

"Determined, more than anything, Your Highness. Outside of Equestria, Hippogriffia's destruction is what I'm most directly responsible for. I want to do whatever I can to make amends."

"Best of luck to you, Captain, and I look forward to your return. It won't be the same without you. I'm actually somewhat concerned that Rainbow is going to let the power go to her head. You mentioned your squad's informality to Speartip but who knows, you might come back to a fully-fledged 'tight ship'."

"I trust in your ability to reign her in if it comes close to that." Fizzlepop replied, laughing.

Twilight laughed along with her, and then broke formality herself as she came in and hugged her Captain.

"Be careful out there." She told her.

After a moment, Fizzlepop returned the hug, then they released.

"I'll be back before you know it."

Second Impressions

The HMS Eclipse wasn't exactly a state-of-the-art vessel, but that hardly mattered to Captain Celaeno and her crew. Because what the Equestrian airship was was bigger and faster than what they lost over the Sea of Clouds. Not insanely bigger; it was still manageable with her and her crew of five, now including Capper. With Captain Fizzlepop, Lieutenant Rivet and his construction crew, and Celestia's diplomatic advisor, that brought the Eclipse's compliment for this mission to seventeen.

What the Eclipse also came with was considerably better armaments than their last ship. Before, they had to rely on grapples and boarding enemy vessels, but now they had broadside cannons, and even a chaser gun in the bow. It made raids on the Storm airships much less risky, and they didn't even have to worry about the weight of cannonballs; the cannons were loaded with enchanted spheres that launched bolts of energy instead of physical artillery. They were good for thousands of shots before they needed recharging by Canterlot mages.

"Ahoy! Mount Aris on the horizon!" Capper called from the crow's nest. Celaeno peered forward as the clouds cleared to reveal the Pine Needle Barrens, Basalt Beach, and the South Luna Ocean beyond that, and the single towering peak of Mount Aris began to poke above the horizon.

This announcement brought all attention to the horizon, and the few who were below decks came up to see their destination.

"We're gonna have quite a climb." Celaeno warned, making small adjustments with the wheel. "This region has had Storm mercs lurking around, and we don't want to get too close before we formally introduce ourselves."

Fizzlepop remembered how long the climb took with Grubber all those months ago. If they took it slow and steady, it wouldn't be completely exhausting.

Ten minutes later, they cleared the Pine Needle Barrens, and Celaeno slowly started to descend as they passed over Basalt Beach to the South Luna Ocean. As they closed in on the towering island that was Mount Aris, Celaeno continued to slowly descend by pumping air into the ballonets until they were only 50 feet above the water surface.

Docking the airship was a not-so-delicate balance of inching closer to the island and Celaeno's crew disembarking with ropes to anchor the ship to land. When it was reasonably secure, they deployed rope ladders to make both leaving and returning to the ship an easier task. Then it was time for the climb for Fizzlepop, Speartip, Rivet, and his eight construction workers. The path up the immensely steep mountain was mainly thousands of stone stairs that zigzagged from one end of the front to the other. Luckily the climb wasn't exhausting because of the lack of gear everyone was carrying; most of it was back on the ship.

A half-hour later, they finally reached the peak, where two large, identical bird-like monoliths stood facing each other, serving as the frame of a large wrought iron gate. Two gold-armor-plated hippogriffs stood on either side of the gates.

"Who goes there?" The one on the right called out. The deja vu hit Fizzlepop as she recalled the commanding voice of the Captain of the Hippogriff Royal Guard; Stratus Skyranger.

"Expedition from Central Equestria, here at the invitation of Queen Novo to aid in the reconstruction efforts." Captain Fizzlepop replied, as the group slowly closed in on the gate.

"Approach, and present your invitation." Stratus replied.

The eleven ponies came up to the gates, and Fizzlepop pulled the rolled scroll from her chest plate. As she presented it to the expectant Stratus, his eyes met hers, and the armor-clad Hippogriff immediately took on a look of surprise.

"By the wind... I know you..."

Skyranger brought his spear to bear on Fizzlepop.

"Stop right there!"

Fizzlepop froze in her tracks, and so did the entire party behind her. She stared at the tip of Stratus' spear, inches from her snout.

In the back of her mind, she had been afraid of this.

Keeping his weapon pointed at the dark orchid mare, he carefully eyed the scroll which had been presented to him. Looking it over, his gaze returned to Fizzlepop. He turned to the guard on the left, who had also gone into a defensive position.

"Keep watch. Nobody moves. I'll get to the bottom of this."

With that, Stratus leapt up into the air, scroll in claw, and flew up and over the gate into Hippogriffia. The group stood silently, with some in the back showing looks of confusion; they assumed they would be welcomed here. Three minutes later, they heard beating wings approaching, and it sounded like more than one pair. Stratus Skyranger descended and landed in front of the gate with Queen Novo, ruler of the Hippogriffs.

"Captain Berrytwist?" She asked in a demanding manner, looking over the entire group. Fizzlepop took a single step forward.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"So that's what you're calling yourself now, is it, 'Cherry Pie'? Did you honestly think we would forget you? Is this Celestia's idea of a joke?"

"No, Your Majesty. I was the one who requested to help you rebuild." Fizzlepop replied.

"I thought I saw you in Canterlot during the celebration. I don't know what strings you pulled to evade punishment in Equestria, but why in the wind do you think I would ever let you through these gates again?!"

Lieutenant Rivet stepped up to Fizzlepop's side.

"Your Majesty, I am Lieutenant Rivet. My team and I are here to help you in your reconstruction efforts. Our Captain is the official envoy of the Princess of Friendship."

"Yes, one Princess Twilight Sparkle. If I recall, she was behind the second attempt at stealing our Pearl."

Fizzlepop slowly reached up and removed her helmet, tucking it under her left leg.

"Your Majesty, please. I know what I did was wrong. I was foolish and desperate... To the point I believed the Storm King's empty promise to restore my horn if I got him your Pearl. That's why I am here. Princess Twilight has spared me from life in prison and given me a second chance. I wish to make amends for my past."

Queen Novo appeared somewhat unconvinced.

"Admirable words, but they are only words. You deceived and lied your way through these gates before. I don't know exactly who you are, but I know what you're capable of. But what of everyone else?"

Major Speartip stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I am Major Speartip, Diplomatic Advisor for this expedition."

"Major Speartip," Novo reiterated. "I assume out of everyone here, you have Celestia's ear?"

"I do, Your Majesty."

"Then I would speak with you. The rest of you, remain here."

With that, Speartip stepped forward, and Queen Novo showed him through the gates. They didn't leave the sight of the expedition, but they did move well out of earshot, where they sat down at a street corner, the wind and sounds of construction making eavesdropping quite impossible.

"Major, I can only assume there has been some tragic miscommunication here. This 'Captain Berrytwist' is the same unicorn who attempted to steal our Pearl of Transformation, our kingdom's most sacred treasure, months ago. She's the entire reason behind this reconstruction."

"We are aware of her crimes against the Hippogriff Kingdom, Your Majesty. She has not tried to hide it from us. I believe that is why she chose to lead this expedition. She wishes to make amends for her past deeds."

"And the rest?"

"Lieutenant Rivet is the central region's best construction forepony, and he has hoofpicked his crew of eight. The HMS Eclipse is captained by Celaeno and her crew of five privateers, here not only for our transportation, but to aid in the moving of construction materials from the quarry at Basalt Beach to your city, should you wish it. They'll also aid in keeping a lookout for any hostile airships, I understand the region has had mercenary Storm Guards ever since the King's defeat."

"So back to Captain Berrytwist; you believe her intentions are pure?"

"I have only known Captain Berrytwist for the duration of our two-day voyage, I cannot speak from personal experience, Your Majesty."

"Then what can you speak from, Major?"

"Hearsay, Your Majesty. Since her pardon, she has created an exemplary militia in the central valley town of Ponyville in service of Twilight Sparkle. She requested this expedition from you, and volunteered to lead it."

"I would prefer that this joint endeavor not collapse due to trust issues, Major, but concessions will have to be made."

"Understood, Your Majesty, but I am only here in an advisory role; any concessions would ultimately be up to her."

Saying nothing more, Queen Novo made her way back to the main gates, with Speartip right at her side. Standing between the two guards, she looked at the expedition.

"Lieutenant Rivet, you and your team are welcome to assist our builders, under escort at all times, and none of you are allowed in the castle under any circumstances. The Eclipse is welcome to assist with hauling from the quarry and unloading directly above the city. This joint endeavor can proceed on one condition: Captain Berrytwist, you are not allowed inside these gates. You may remain aboard the Eclipse during loading at Basalt Beach, and make camp outside the gates under watch from Captain Skyranger when it is unloading."

Rivet turned to look at his commanding officer, who only took a few moments to respond after glancing over at Major Speartip.

"Very well, I accept these terms. I will stay outside city limits and make camp outside the gates."

Queen Novo eyed her carefully, but found this acceptable.

"Lieutenant, my guards will provide quarters for your team."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but we will stay with our Captain."

Fizzlepop walked up to her second-in-command.

"Rivet, no. Your team is here to help rebuild, not keep me company by the gates."

"But Captain-"

"That's an order, Lieutenant. We want to improve relations with the Hippogriffs. Accept whatever accommodations Queen Novo gives your team."

Rivet looked like he wanted to continue debating the point, but knew it would be futile, not to mention embarrassing in front of foreign dignitaries.

Queen Novo gave a whistle, and two more pairs of royal guards came to escort Rivet and his team into the city. Major Speartip approached Fizzlepop.

"I'll head back down the mountain to the Eclipse to assist in making way. I'll have Celaeno drop your camping kit here when they pass over. Will you be alright until then?"

"Yes, Major. Thank you." Fizzlepop replied. The major gave her a nod.

"I know this isn't your most ideal situation, Captain, but I commend you on handling it well." Speartip told her, and with that, headed back down the mountain at a trot, leaving only Fizzlepop, Novo, and the pair of guards at the main gate.

"Captain Skyranger, let me make myself perfectly clear; she does not leave your sight, or the sight of the night watch. Clear?" Novo asked.

"Perfectly, my Queen." Skyranger replied immediately. With that, Queen Novo returned inside the city limits, flying back to the castle. For now, Fizzlepop returned her helmet to her head, and sat and watched as Major Speartip disappeared back down the steps to the Eclipse.

One Huge Thing

For the past two days, the Eclipse had made four round trips a day to and from the Basalt Beach quarry. Captain Fizzlepop was trying her hardest not to feel disheartened at the way things had played out so far. She was glad that the expedition was going as planned... For everyone else involved. But if she was honest with herself, she had traveled out this far to have a personal hoof in Hippogriffia's reconstruction. She only got distant views of the daily progress; homes and arches being rebuilt. The most she had seen up close so far was the impressive amount of basalt the Eclipse had hauled over to Hippogriffia. But she had to disembark at the front gates each time. That time was coming up for the second time, as she stood on the starboard side of the Eclipse's main deck. and before she did, she had something to talk about with Major Speartip.

"Major? A word?" She asked, approaching the gray unicorn in Canterlot E.U.P. armor.

"Yes, Captain? What can I do for you?" Speartip said, checking how close they were to the front gates, so they wouldn't miss her exit point by being distracted by conversation. As they neared the city walls, Celaeno had slowed the ship considerably, so they had a couple minutes.

"I'll get right to the point, Major. I'd like to formally transfer command of the expedition over to you."

Speartip's eyes on an otherwise completely composed face showed that this really wasn't what he was expecting.

"Is that so, Captain? May I ask why?" He asked.

"I'll be frank; I'm not really in any position to make any decisions. I formed this expedition, but I don't think Queen Novo is going to be budging anytime soon. You have access to the crew quarters, the construction sites, the quarry, you've opened a dialogue with Queen Novo, and you have military and diplomatic experience that I do not. I think it's best for the goals of the expedition that you handle things from here." Fizzlepop told her.

"Is this what you really want?" Speartip asked her.

"It's not really about what I want. Because of Queen Novo's restrictions, you're in a much better position to lead."

"Mm," Speartip agreed, giving a soft nod, almost as if he wanted to be impressed. "If you insist, Captain, I'll take command of the expedition to the best of my ability. What will you do?"

"Stay where Queen Novo wants me. I'll keep watch outside the front gates, and oversee loading at the quarry."

"Very well, Captain. I believe this is your stop." Speartip said, nodding to the gates they were about to pass over.

"And so it is. Thank you, Major."

Captain Fizzlepop tossed a secured rope off of the starboard side where the gangway would be during docking, and jumped over the edge, sliding down the rope with one hoof and her staff snugly held in the other. She descended for five seconds before her hooves hit the ground with a thud, a mere twenty feet from her campsite. She tugged the rope twice, and it was quickly pulled back up before the Eclipse passed over the front gates into the city limits. It continued to slow until it came to a stop after a couple hundred more feet, then the crane was put to use to offload the basalt directly at the sites they were building at. If today went better than yesterday, they would finish unloading before sunset, and would pick up first thing tomorrow morning.

She walked up the final steps that she had landed on up to her small campsite, which itself was about twenty feet from the front gates and guards. It consisted of a stone fire ring, her bag of rations, and a small one-pony tent with a black wool bedroll. It kept her plenty warm when the temperature dropped after sundown. Lastly, the whole camp was well within view of Stratus Skyranger and his front night watch, Cirrus Drift.

She sat down in front of her fire ring, and used some gathered kindling to prepare a fire. She had eaten her last apple, so now had to start going through the eggs in her ration tins, and that required heat for cooking. And fire building was easiest when there was light, which she only had a few minutes left of.

Princess Skystar cradled a lidded wooden bowl in her right wing as she walked out to the main gates. Opening the gates with a creaking sound got the immediate attention of Stratus Skyranger, who would be off duty in a matter of minutes.

"Princess Skystar, what are you doing out here?" Captain Skyranger asked.

"Just taking a nice evening stroll through our healing city." Skystar replied, pausing only for a moment to address the captain of the guard, then resumed walking towards Fizzlepop's tent.

"Does your mother know you're out here?" Stratus asked, bring pause to Skystar's steps again.

"You know what, I don't think she does." Skystar said with a hint of sass, turning around once more to face Stratus. "She might not approve, either. Maybe you should go tell her. Oh, that's right. I believe you're under strict orders to not let our guest here out of your sight, and unless something has changed about her not being allowed inside the gates...?" Princess Skystar trailed off, waiting for some kind of response from the flummoxed guard. After several seconds, she gave him a smirk.

"Mm. Bummer. So if you'll excuse me."

She continued down to where Fizzlepop was tending to her fresh fire.

"Hi there, I don't believe we've been introduced. Princess Skystar, pleased to meet you." The hippogriff greeted, sitting down next to the dark orchid mare.

"Captain Fizzlepop Berrytwist, likewise, Your Highness."

"Oh, don't give me the Highness mumbo jumbo, I never was one for honorifics and all that." Skystar playfully chastised, offering her the wooden bowl, lifting the lid off.

"I thought you'd like some of what we made for your team in there."

As the lid came off and the aroma hit Fizzlepop's nostrils, she had to concentrate on not salivating then and there. In the bowl along with a spoon, was a helping of steaming, creamy broccoli cheddar soup.

"You're too kind. I have my rations to hold me over."

"Lieutenant Rivet told me the same thing, and I figured that's exactly what you could use a break from." Skystar replied.

The hippogriff noticed the tip of the staff on the ground next to Fizzle glow, as the bowl was levitated out of the hold of her wing, and brought over to her, where she sipped a spoonful. Immediately, the evening air didn't feel as chilly.

"This is delicious, Your Hi-, er, Princess. Thank you very much." Fizzlepop replied. She was used to standing on ceremony.

As Fizzlepop continued to sip at the soup, Princess Skystar took the opportunity to scoot closer.

"Listen, I'm... I'm sorry about my mom." She offered. Fizzlepop looked over at her and placed the spoon back in the half-empty bowl.

"You shouldn't be. None of you have to apologize for anything. I'm here to make amends for what I did."

"But I'm sure you wanted to have a more hooves-on role to it, right? They aren't really letting you do anything."

"I've been seeing enough from the air on our approach from the quarry."

"Still... I hope she comes around. When Major Speartip told her that you had given command to him, the first thing she asked was if you were leaving. It was a pony who taught me that one small thing can seem a lot bigger than it is."

"Hm?"

"Yeah. Like a bowl of hot soup." Skystar said, pointing to the bowl Fizzlepop continued to sip at. "That's a small thing. What you're doing for us isn't small; it's huge. Do you have any idea how much faster our city is going to rebuild thanks to the efforts you've planned? Before you came along, we had to haul the basalt across the ocean in our dinghies, then fly them up to the peak by claw. It was going to take us nearly a year to get it done. Now with the airship you've hired, and your team, we're on track to do it in a month. You have no idea what that means to us."

"Well, if the Princess of Hippogriffia is out here bringing me a bowl of delicious soup, I think I have some idea of what it means."

As Fizzlepop continued eating the soup, Princess Skystar cleared her throat as she prepared to ask her next question.

"So, I'm, uh... I'm not sure how often you get this question, but... What happened to your horn?" She asked gingerly. Fizzlepop looked over at her, and smiled gently, knowing that it was a perfectly safe question to have asked.

"Accident in my childhood. Went chasing after a ball when I really shouldn't have." She told the Princess succinctly.

"I'm... I'm sorry to hear that. To have something like that happen to you when you're that young..."

"I'm sorry too. I did a lot of questionable things because of what happened to me. I thought unicorns were nothing without their horns, and I spent years searching for ways to have it restored. Pretty soon, I ran into tyrants that took advantage of my desperation."

"The Storm King." Skystar guessed, and Fizzlepop nodded.

"He offered to restore my horn if I stole your kingdom's pearl. Whatever your mother has told you about me is probably true. I lied my way into your city, took advantage of your mother's hospitality, and tried to steal the pearl at the first opportunity I got. When she caught me, that's when the fight broke out, and that's why you have all that destruction in there that you're dealing with now."

"So that's what's on your necklace?" Skystar asked, eyeing the skeletal remains of a horn tip at the end of her ball chain necklace around her neck.

"That was actually just returned to me recently. Some old friends had found it right where I had lost it."

"So you've done wrong, you've made mistakes, but you're here now, and even though my mom isn't letting you help, you've brought ponies and parrots and a cat along that are helping in your stead. Maybe she's too stubborn to see that you've changed, but I hope it means something that I see a good pony in you."

Fizzlepop smiled at her.

"Thank you, Princess."

The sun finally dipped below the horizon, and Cirrus came through the front gates to relieve Stratus.

"I better get inside before my mom starts losing her feathers looking for me. It was nice meeting you, Captain. Enjoy the rest of the soup, I'll bring you more tomorrow!"

As Cirrus took his post, Princess Skystar followed Stratus inside as the gates were closed again.

"A little lesson for you and my mom, Stratus. A little kindness can go a long way."

"With all due respect, Your Highness, your mother and I speak from personal experience, with her, when I say I know exactly where kindness takes us. It is why we're rebuilding in the first place."

The Storm

Two more weeks had gone by, and Captain Fizzlepop was thrilled with how Hippogriffia looked from the air. Homes were rebuilt, streets were being repaved, and even the gorgeous arches in front of the castle were beginning to take shape. But as always, she had the rope in hoof on the starboard side of the Eclipse ready to jump out at the main gate.

"Captain," Lieutenant Rivet began, coming up to her side. "I don't understand why you're letting Queen Novo treat you like this."

"I thought it was a bit obvious that Queen Novo and I have history, Lieutenant." Fizzlepop replied. "I led the attack on this city six months ago, just like I did Canterlot. They are absolutely within their right to question my every statement and deed. If I have to camp out here and keep watch for the rest of the month to improve Equestria's relations with them, then that is what I am going to do. See you in the morning."

With that, Fizzlepop vaulted over the edge of the Eclipse, and slid down the rope with practiced ease. When her hooves hit the ground, she looked up at her campsite and saw that Skystar was already waiting for her. This latest trip had taken a bit longer than most, the sun having set nearly twenty minutes ago. They greeted each other with a wave as she approached her tent. Skystar already had a fire going.

"Good evening, Captain Stratus." Fizzlepop greeted as she approached the Princess.

"Evening, Captain." Stratus replied. In the past two weeks, he had at least grown to be cordial with his guest outside the gates.

"What have you got tonight, Princess?" Fizzlepop asked, coming up to the fire that had been stoked. Princess Skystar's nightly visits had quickly become her favorite part of the day. A new friend with conversation, and meals that had been ten times better than her rations.

"One of your favorites, with a twist." Skystar replied. Fizzlepop took a seat, and the Princess offered her what seemed like a small, round loaf of bread, but quickly saw that the center had been cut out to create an edible bowl, and inside, more of that delectable broccoli cheddar soup.

"A bread bowl?" Fizzle asked, taking her first spoonful of soup.

"Yep. Rivet finally got power restored to the main square, so now the ovens in our bakery work again." Skystar replied.

"That's great news." Fizzle said with a smile.

"Yeah, we're actually ahead of schedule in there."

Fizzlepop was about to take a second bite of soup when she heard a low, bellowing horn trumpet out from the Eclipse that was still slowly passing over the gate above them.

"Stormship! Stormship to the south!" She heard Capper call out from the crow's nest, and dread began to creep up Fizzlepop's chest as she recalled her attack on Hippogriffia months ago.

She heard a bang echo through the walls of the city and stood up just in time to see a projectile smash into the left monolith of the main gate. She dove towards Princess Skystar, tackling her out of the way before a chunk of rock from the monolith landed on the fire, sending embers into the wind. Stratus rushed up to them.

"Princess Skystar, are you alright?" He asked hurriedly.

"Yeah," Skystar immediately replied, getting up along with Fizzlepop. "Thanks to her." She nodded at the mare.

Fizzlepop glanced up at the Eclipse which had begun to fire it's chaser gun out to the south.

"Captain, permission to board the Eclipse over city limits." She requested to the hippogriff currently looking Princess Skystar over for injuries, picking up her aetherial staff. Stratus glanced through the main gates, up to the Eclipse and back down to Fizzlepop, who anxiously awaited an answer.

"Granted, but how will you get up there? I have to stay and defend the gates in case they come from the north." Stratus replied.

"I've got something in mind. Princess Skystar, if you please?" Fizzlepop asked the royal hippogriff, holding her staff horizontally above her head. Skystar immediately got the hint, and took to the air.

"You got it. Hang on!" Skystar warned, swooping down and took Fizzlepop's staff in her claws, beating her wings furiously and taking the Captain to the sky as she hung on to the far sides of the staff with her hooves.

As they cleared what remained of the left monolith, Fizzlepop's eyes widened when she saw the ship as it was lit up by the lightning flashes of the storm clouds it was coming out of, and the muzzle flashes of its broadside cannons, which besides the gate monolith, fortunately hadn't hit anything but the side of the mountain so far.

"That's my ship..." Captain Fizzlepop said as the pair ascended the along the side of the Eclipse.

As soon as they were over the main deck, Skystar released her hold on Fizzlepop's staff before turning and swooping back down into Hippogriffia, and Fizzlepop dropped and rolled onto the planks of the main deck. She saw numerous hippogriff guards take to the sky with spears and crossbows.

"Glad you're here, Captain," Celaeno said, turning the wheel as the chaser gun fired bolts of energy at the raiding stormship, to little effect. "What can you tell us?"

"That's the Typhoon. It must be Thunderhead. He was one of my bodyguards. He's not the brightest of the bunch, but he's tough as nails- Ahh!"

Another cannonball smashed into the Eclipse's current load of basalt blocks, nearly disintegrating the entire pile, showering the main deck and city streets below with bits of rock, before coming out the other side and reducing a section of railing to splinters. The next thing she heard was wood smashing as the ship jolted from another hit.

"Shields!" Rivet shouted down to the main square that they were currently hovering over. Moments later, three bright pink energy beams soared skyward before splitting off above the Eclipse and spreading a glowing energy shield dome over it and the entire city.

Queen Novo watched with her daughter and Major Speartip as the pink energy shield enveloped the city entirely. As the broadside cannons of the Stormship now impacted against the shield, sending ripples throughout it, but otherwise causing no further damage, the hippogriff monarch turned to the Major.

"An adequate defense, for now. Will it hold?"

"I've only seen this spell once before, Your Majesty. Captain Shining Armor performed something similar in Canterlot during a Changeling attack. It'll buy us time, but it will not hold forever." Speartip warned.

Cirrus Drift came up to his queen.

"Our guards are holding the Storm Creatures at the cliffs for now, but we don't have the means to hold off that Stormship. Should we use the Pearl, Your Majesty?" He asked.

"I appreciate the haste, Commander, but I'm not going to retreat underwater just yet. We don't have the means, but they might," She said, pointing up to the Eclipse, whose stolen thrusters were keeping them in a hover 100 feet above the main square.

"In the meantime, get the fledglings to the castle. If they fail, Hippogriffia may be lost."

Fizzlepop's mind was going through the possibilities as she watched the Stormship slow in it's assault on the shield.

"Ah, parrot puke! That last hit dislodged the rudder chain. We're dead in the air." Celaeno said, as she rotated the thrusters upward to put the ship into a hover above the main square.

"Options?" Rivet asked.

Captain Fizzlepop turned towards the poop deck, where Celaeno released the now-useless wheel.

"Right now the only thing that shield bought us is time." Celaeno said. "Once it goes down, nothing is stopping that Stormship from resuming it's bombardment. We're not angled for a broadside, and any more hits may put us right down on top of the main square. I don't like this."

"Storm Guards won't fight without the leader. We take out Thunderhead, they'll scatter." Fizzlepop offered.

"And how do you propose we do that? Last I checked, I don't have a gangplank five hundred feet long." The parrot captain shot back.

The situation was indeed dire. Fizzlepop scanned the main deck, checking for any options that might hold water.

Her eyes settled on the crane.

"Captain Celaeno, if you put the starboard thruster full forward, what would that do?" She asked, walking over to the crane.

"Pretty much make us spin in place." Celaeno said, glancing over at the levers next to the wheel that controlled the thrusters.

"Exactly what I was hoping for. Rivet, I'll need you at the controls." Fizzlepop said, taking hold of the hook at the end of the crane's chain.

"For what purpose, Captain?" Rivet asked.

"Celaeno, if you get this ship spinning fast enough with the crane extended, with me at the end, I could slingshot over to the deck of the Typhoon."

Celaeno and Rivet exchanged glances.

"Are you insane?" The parrot asked.

"I don't see another way of catching them by surprise and dealing with Thunderhead. We're on borrowed time here." Fizzlepop said, firmly grabbing hold of the chain, placing her back left hoof in the curve of the hook. "Rivet, extend the boom as far out as you can."

"Uh, Captain Fizzlepop, last I checked, cats have nine lives, not ponies." Capper said as Rivet climbed into the controller's seat of the crane.

"Yeah, well I suggest you hold on to something up there if you want to keep however many you've got left." She yelled up at him as Rivet began to extend the boom out beyond the starboard side of the ship. As soon as it was far enough out, Celaeno put a claw on the lever for the starboard thruster.

"Anyone who can't hold on to something, get below deck." She warned, and with that, pulled the right lever back, which rotated the starboard thruster to forward at full burn. Sure enough, seconds later, the Eclipse started to rotate to the left. Slow at first, it slowly picked up speed, and Rivet watched as his captain was slowly pulled away from the edge of the ship as the end of the crane swung out. He extended the boom out further, as far as he believed safe for the integrity of the ship, and locked it in place, grabbing hold of the support bars to avoid falling out of the seat as the ship's rate of rotation continued to increase. After thirty seconds, the Stormship resumed firing on the shield, alarmed at whatever the Eclipse might be doing.

Fizzlepop held the crane's chain with an iron grip as the wind whipped at her face. She was going to have to nail this. If she didn't she was going to either smash herself against the hull, or be very wet, and Hippogriffia would be doomed.

"I think that's as fast as we're gonna get, Captain! Whenever you're ready!!!" Celaeno screamed up at her. The chain the mare hung onto was nearly horizontal now.

Hugging her staff close to her body, Fizzlepop mentally counted down, then when the Typhoon came into view again, she let go of the chain, and she was flung forward into the air towards the stormship. At the right exact moment, she cast a spell through the staff that passed her through the dome shield, and she continued to arc towards the main deck of the stormship.

She was expecting she'd have to skid to a halt. She wasn't expecting to collide with a Storm Guard on the main deck, sending her tumbling end over end, and knocking the guard over the edge, sending him a few thousand feet down into the water. As she rolled across the deck from starboard side to port, her helmet came loose, and bounced off the opposite side of the ship. She herself collided with the railing, and groaning in pain, got to her feet, realizing what had happened to her helmet.

"Traitor!!!" Came a deep, gravelly voice. Fizzlepop looked over to the wheel, and a hulking Storm Guard jumped down onto the main deck, wielding an iron war hammer. The orchid streak going down his otherwise white fur on his head confirmed his identity. Thunderhead.

Fizzlepop grabbed her staff and held it in a defensive position. Thunderhead rushed forward with a horizontal swing of his hammer, which she expertly dodged, bucking him in the thigh, and jumped up to the wheel, spinning it to the right, and the ship lurched as it turned, and the broadsides were no longer lined up. Thunderhead quickly recovered, and leapt up for an overhead strike. Fizzle took a deft leap back, then up and somersaulting over back onto the main deck as the swing came crashing down, smashing the wheel to pieces. When she landed back on the deck, she realized what had happened; the silk headdress containing her conduit came off, and was immediately lost to the gusts of wind that the storm cloud was producing.

Now she had no choice.

She fired up her horn, and unpredictable arcs of lightning shot forward in all directions. Some bounced a few times, and others shot right off the edges of the ship, before exploding in pyrotechnic displays. All the while, the gem of aetherium began to react to the unstable magic, glowing brighter and brighter as it tried and failed to control and contain the magic flowing from her broken horn.

Turning around from the remains of the wheel, Thunderhead slammed his magical hammer down on the deck, and a shockwave surged towards Fizzlepop. It connected, and it knocked her off her feet, slamming her into the main support for the hydrogen balloon above. He took another leap up, bringing his hammer up over his head again, and as he brought the hammer down, the only thing the mare had time to do was angle the tip of her glowing staff towards the hammer's path. The last thing she saw was it smashing into the prongs at the end of the staff.

From the now-stabilized deck of the Eclipse, Celaeno, her crew, and all of Hippogriffia had a front row seat to Captain Fizzlepop's flying unicorn stunt, and the rather unexpected fireworks display that followed as the hull of the Typhoon began to buckle. Then, barely five seconds later, there was an enormous shockwave that nearly knocked them off their feet, and the stormship split completely in two, right through the keel.

As it began to lose altitude, the arcs of lightning sparked the ship's now-exposed fuel supply, and the entire aft of the ship disintegrated in a spectacular explosion. It sent the bow of the ship lurching downward, accelerating it's rate of descent to the South Luna Ocean.

"Captain!!!" Rivet cried out, leaping out of the crane and galloping to the bow of the Eclipse.

Lastly, the flames reached the vast balloon overhead, filled to the brim with hydrogen, and it too disappeared behind a wall of flames. The bow of the ship crashed into the water as flaming pieces of debris fell all around it as it slowly sank into the depths.

Major Speartip, Stratus, and Cirrus were the first to dive off the back cliffs into the water. If Fizzlepop somehow survived that, she didn't have more than a few moments. Princess Skystar leapt up into the sky and flew down the north face of Mount Aris, over the steps and down to the shore where the city's dinghies were docked. She grabbed the rear of the lightest one with her claws, and flew as fast as her wings would carry her around the west side of the towering island, water spraying up in the boat's wake.

When she got around to the site of the wreckage, nearly all of the flames had died down, but the black smoke generated by the hydrogen burning off had completely obscured the moonlight. Luckily, she saw a mote of light in the water, and as she got closer, she saw that Major Speartip had the foresight to light the tip of his horn as a signal. She pushed the boat up next to him, and helped him pull a sopping wet and limp Fizzlepop into the boat. He climbed in after, and immediately went about unbuckling her armor's chest plate. He tossed it to the other end of the boat, and immediately started giving her chest compressions.

"Come on, Captain. Come on back... Come on back, Captain..."

Author's Note

I wrote the second half of that chapter to Pirates of the Caribbean music.

I hope it paid off.

A Major Confession

Captain Fizzlepop sat at her morning campfire, hoping the imminent warm muffins would wash the lingering taste of salt water out of her mouth.

After she saw Thunderhead's enchanted hammer smash into the end of her staff, the next thing she knew was she was coughing up mouthfuls of seawater in one of Hippogriffia's dinghies. Speartip, Rivet, and Princess Skystar took her back to land, and laid her next to a fresh fire while the hippogriff guards rounded up the very few cliffside stragglers that were left among the wreckage. When she could think clearly again, she realized that in turning herself into a ship-to-ship projectile, she had lost her helmet, her silk conduit, and what made her heart ache the most, her staff and her necklace in the free fall after the numerous explosions that tore the Typhoon to pieces.

But yet, deep down, fighting past her heartache, she knew it was worth it. Hippogriffia was safe. There wasn't one casualty in the defense. Even though she had her mind set on resuming her watch duty the next morning, Major Speartip pulled rank on her, and insisted she spend at least twenty four hours in bed. But that was as far as she slid; she was outside her tent in what was left of her armor at the next sunrise.

"Captain?" She heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned, and saw Speartip, holding an item that had grown very dear to her. He walked forward, and offered her staff to her.

"We found it washed up on the rocks this morning. We haven't found anything else." He told her in a saddened tone. Fizzlepop took the staff in her front hooves, and saw the damage. The top four inches had been bent nearly ninety degrees, all three prongs had been smashed in towards the center, and worst of all, a few bits of gem dust was all that remained of the aetherium gem in the center of the prongs. It would take a few hours in front of the smithing furnace to straighten everything out, but the aetherium was sadly another story.

"Thank you very much, Major." Fizzlepop told him, setting it gently down next to her tent.

Major Speartip nodded, took another step towards her, and removed his helmet.

"Captain... I have a personal confession to make. I was in Canterlot during your attack, and I was disgusted with Princess Celestia when she surrendered you into Princess Twilight's custody. I believed you should've been in chains for high treason. Princess Celestia asked me to accompany you on this mission because she doesn't quite trust you on anything having to do with international diplomacy. She expected me to take command the moment anything started to go wrong. But then you voluntarily gave me command simply because I was in a better position to do so. Seeing how you've carried yourself here... How you've acquiesced to Queen Novo's every request of you, even after risking your life, which by the way, was the most foolhardy stunt I have ever seen in all my years of service, and it paid off spectacularly. You've made me a believer of second chances. Your behavior, Captain, is continually unexpected. I want you to know that I'm going to speak to the Canterlot Mage's Guild when we return, and try to get you another gem of aetherium. It's the very least you deserve for what you've done here."

Fizzlepop gave him a warm smile.

"I appreciate that, Major. I'm glad I can sway the opinions of some ponies that were there."

"And I'll be speaking to Queen Novo about letting you in."

"No, no. That's quite alright, Major. I want to prove myself to her. I'm not going to have others speaking on my behalf. If what you say is true, and she saw me fling myself over to the Typhoon like that, then I'll wait for her to make that decision. Princess Skystar's gratitude, not to mention her meals, are thanks enough so far."

"If that's how you really feel about it, Captain, then consider my lips sealed."

An Extra Special Kind Of Thing

"Alright, Captain Celaeno, I believe that's the last of it." Major Speartip said, as the last of the supplies were hoisted up by the crane as they made the final preparations to depart just outside the main gates of Hippogriffia.

"I can't believe we did it that fast. Three-and-a-half weeks. I believe that's six days ahead of schedule, even with the scattered cannonball damage. Sometimes I amaze even myself." Lieutenant Rivet said.

"Is that hubris I detect, Lieutenant?" Fizzlepop asked.

"Not at all, ma'am. Reality." Rivet replied with a smirk. Captain Fizzlepop laughed.

"Well, one thing's for sure, when we get back to Ponyville, first round is on me. That includes you and your crew, Captain Celaeno. That's the best ship-spinning I've ever seen."

"Don't mention it. Now I know the precise maneuver the next time I need to launch a unicorn 550 feet." The parrot privateer replied.

The front gates creaked open, and Captain Skyranger came out.

"Captain Berrytwist?" He asked, and Fizzlepop turned to him.

"Yes, Captain?" She asked, stepping up to him.

"Her Majesty Queen Novo would like to see you in the throne room before you depart. If you would please come with me."

Captain Fizzlepop's heart skipped a beat. It took her a moment to actually get her hooves to move and follow Stratus through the front gates.

They continued through the main street at a steady pace, and Fizzlepop took a look around at the absolutely amazing work that had been done to Hippogriffia in the past twenty five days. Homes had been reconstructed and repaired, majestic arches loomed over the main street to the castle. It wasn't as pristine as it was when she first came here months ago, but compared to the ruin they left it in, the difference was night and day. Hippogriffs of all ages went about their evening, and that was the most important part. The city had become functional again.

The two guard captains ascended the steps to the front doors of the castle. In the foyer, there was a magnificent fountain that was once again working. She felt so different now. The last time she walked these corridors, it was on a trail of deceit. But now, her team had done this. All of them had helped this city heal, and in her case, had helped defend it from those who were still after its treasure. The stragglers who got away would surely spread the word that Thunderhead had met his demise at Mount Aris, so that would probably keep the remnants of the Storm Fleet away. And if not, Rivet had told her that the first addition the Hippogriffs were going to make to the cliffsides were cannons and ballista siege weapons.

They walked around the right side of the fountain, up a wide round set of stairs, and continued straight towards a second set of tall double doors. The two guards standing there opened them for their passage, and they set their hooves and claws in the throne room. It was magnificent. Three chandeliers ran the length of the ceiling, and a shimmering pearl throne was elevated at the back wall. Princess Skystar came trotting through a side door, and immediately spotted Fizzlepop.

"Oh my gosh, there you are! We were hoping they'd catch you before you guys left. It took a week, but I finally found it this afternoon! I finally found it!" She exclaimed, happily coming up to the pair.

"Found what?" Fizzlepop asked, smiling at the ecstatic hippogriff who had kept her fed nearly every night and morning.

"I knew sooner or later there would be an excuse to turn myself back into a seapony for some swimming. I had to cover an awful lot of seafloor and overturn a lot of planks, but..." Skystar paused, spread out her left wing, and stretched it out to Fizzlepop, offering her ball chain necklace with the skeletal tip of her horn. "I found it."

Fizzlepop's eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly as Skystar came up, took the necklace in her claws, and put it over her head and around her neck, where it rested on her chest plate.

"I'm just sorry I couldn't find your helmet." The Princess apologized. Fizzlepop was dumbfounded.

"Are you kidding? Don't apologize for that. That can be replaced. Just... Just..." Fizzlepop started to fumble with her words, so just leaned forward and embraced Skystar, who immediately returned it. "Thank you so much."

"And that isn't all we summoned you for." Came another voice, and Fizzlepop and Skystar separated to see Queen Novo come through the same side door, with two guards behind her carrying a chest. The monarch came up next to Skystar, as Fizzlepop and Stratus gave a bow, and the guards set the chest down next to her.

"Thank you guards. Please leave us." Novo said, and the two guards immediately bowed and left with Stratus.

"Captain, I believe I owe you an apology." Queen Novo began. "You have changed, even though it took me longer than you deserved to make myself see it."

"No apology needed, Your Majesty. I tried to steal from your kingdom, and I was just correcting my mistakes." Fizzlepop replied.

"Yes, and you have more than paid us back. Skystar has told me how you two talked about your life, both before and after the Storm King, over the breakfasts and dinners she brought you throughout your time here. Of how you were desperate enough to believe his promise, of how you believed a unicorn was nothing without their horn, and I have to say I disagree, Captain Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Since you've returned, I've seen what you are without a horn. How selfless, honorable, brave, and friendly you are. You put everything on the line for us. You saved my daughter, you saved my city, and that is something I will not soon forget."

Queen Novo reached over and unlatched the chest that had been set down next to her. She slowly opened it, and with both claws, carefully took out the Pearl of Transformation.

"Now Captain, if you will, I would now like to give something back to you."

She slowly held the Pearl out, and it began to glow brighter as it started to float inches above her claws. Dual beams of sparkling red energy slowly spiraled towards Fizzlepop in a helix. The glowing energy spun around her neck, and made it's way up. Before she knew it, Queen Novo and Princess Skystar vanished behind a blinding white light. Flizzlepop slammed her eyes closed, and felt her entire head start to tingle.

She wasn't sure how long it lasted, but eventually, the tingling slowly decreased to nothing, and the light faded, allowing her to open her eyes to see the throne room and see the Queen and Princess again.

"Well, what do you think? Huh? Huh?" Skystar excitedly asked.

"Think about what?" Fizzlepop asked, shaking her head, still feeling a little lightheaded.

"Well just look, silly Fizzy!" Skystar said, coming up to her and lifting up her necklace, which now had nothing on it.

...Which now had nothing on it...!

Fizzlepop's breath left her as Skystar held up a small mirror in front of her face, and she saw her horn completely intact on her forehead. She drew in short shallow breaths as her eyes widened and tears fell freely down her cheeks as she looked back at Queen Novo.

"Y-Y-Your Majesty... I..." Fizzlepop bit her lip as she began to weep in front of the hippogriff monarch. All four of her legs collapsed to her knees as she found herself unable to stand at the shock of the gift she had just received. Queen Novo came up and likewise lowered herself down to Fizzlepop's level.

"If words fail you, don't use them." She softly told the emotionally overwhelmed mare, as she returned the Pearl to its resting place in the chest. Fizzlepop nodded as her tears hit the marble floor of the throne room. Queen Novo gently ran the tip of her left wing under the Captain's eyes, wiping away her tears, though more immediately followed.

"Just as we will never forget what you did for us, I hope you will never forget what happened to you on the peak of Aris, and that you are always welcome in the Kingdom of the Hippogriffs, Captain Berrytwist."

Fizzlepop forced herself to sit up, and threw her front hooves around Queen Novo and Princess Skystar, to express her gratitude in a way that words never could.

Author's Note

Okay, I hope I'm not overwhelming anyone's Favorite alerts, but this is seriously the most I've written in a 24-hour period in at least three years.

While I'd love to wrap everything up and get the Epilogue done right now, sadly I've got to get to bed.

You really don't know how much fun this was to write this week, and while some may not have gotten quite enough paragraph time, I sincerely hope I did the extended cast from the movie some justice.

Stay tuned for the Epilogue in the coming days, and again, thank you so very much for reading and commenting.

Epilogue

"I don't get it." Captain Fizzlepop said as she gazed out the window at the passing scenery, as the Canterlot Express climbed the mountain on it's way to Equestria's capitol.

"What don't you get?" Twilight asked, who was sitting next to her.

"When I got back to the castle after arriving back in town, Pinkie came up to me and said, 'Since the author doesn't have a clue how to write all the reactions to you getting your horn back, better just skip ahead to the train a week later.' I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about."

Twilight let out a short giggle.

"Pinkie is bit of an acquired taste. You'll get used to it eventually." The Princess of Friendship told her captain.

As the train rounded the final bend, the magnificent city came into view, and Fizzlepop noticed the HMS Eclipse docked at the Canterlot Shipyards.

"You still haven't told me what this is about, Princess." Fizzlepop said as the train whistle blew, announcing their proximity to the platform.

"Yeah, and in my line of work, I rarely get to keep surprises from you, so just go with it." Twilight teased, smiling at her. Fizzlepop smiled back, then looked over to her brand new helmet, given to her by Rarity just in time for this train ride. It felt good to have a complete set again, even minus a few previously essential parts. The designer-by-day-blacksmith-by-night was all too happy to repair her staff, which she now kept as a memento.

After the train arrived at the platform, Princess Twilight and Captain Fizzlepop got off to immediately see a carriage waiting for them right off the platform. They both got on the carriage, which was taken up the curving streets right up to the front castle gates. Walking past the guards into Canterlot Castle proper, Twilight turned to her captain.

"Alright Captain, please report to the receiving room, and we'll be ready for you in a few moments." She told her, before going off on her own way. Fizzlepop ascended the main set of stairs, to the receiving room, or the gathering place right before the large double doors that lead to the throne room. There, she was surprised to see the sixteen others that had traveled with her on the Eclipse to Mount Aris.

"Well, long time no see." She greeted them, now getting somewhat of an idea what she was doing here. She noticed that Celaeno and all five members of her crew wore the white, gold, and navy blue Canterlot dress uniforms that were issued to Privateers, with Celaeno also wearing her tricorne, Lieutenant Rivet and Major Speartip were both in full armor, and Rivet's crew of eight construction workers all had formal wear. Regardless of whether Princess Twilight wanted to keep it a surprise, it was clear they were here for a ceremony of some kind. Accompanying them in the room were two Canterlot royal guards, who were probably waiting for the signal to let them inside.

"Been in town long?" Fizzlepop asked Celaeno.

"All week, headed up here after we dropped you all back in Ponyville. We've been getting the Eclipse repaired and refit. She's nearly ready to go."

Five minutes later, the right throne room door creaked open a couple inches, and the guard on the left listened in, and nodded affirmatively.

"Alright, everyone, let's get you situated. Rank and file, please." The guard said, getting their attention. It was time.

They lined up much like they had when they had marched up to the gates of Hippogriffia. The front line of four had Major Speartip, Lieutenant Rivet, Captain Fizzlepop, and Captain Celaeno. Behind them, were the crew of the Eclipse; Boyle, Lix Splittle, Mullet, Murdock, and Capper. Behind them, in two rows of four, the eight construction workers. With everyone lined up, the two receiving room guards opened the doors to the throne room, and escorted the seventeen members of the Mount Aris expedition into the throne room. They marched to the tempo of the trumpeting stallions who musically announced their procession down the center carpeted walk towards the throne, where several regally-dressed figures were standing and waiting.

Fizzlepop was about halfway down the throne room carpet when she recognized all of them. Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight, all in ceremonial dresses and crowns, along with Queen Novo, Princess Skystar, and Captain Skyranger. Off to the side, were Glitter Drops and Spring Rain, her childhood friends. Separating the Equestrians from the Hippogriffs was a large display case, facing away from them.

They were marched up to within ten feet of the throne, where the trumpets stopped, and they were halted. Princess Celestia took a single step forward.

"Members of the Mount Aris Expedition. We have gathered you all here today to recognize your month-long journey, and the fruits your labors have produced. May I introduce someone you've all become familiar with, Her Majesty Queen Novo of the Hippogriffs."

The reigning hippogriff monarch stepped forward, while Celestia took one back.

"I still have trouble finding the words to express my gratitude for all the work all of you have done for my kingdom. The astounding progress you helped us make has made our city livable again, and while I did not have the opportunity to express my gratitude to each of you before you departed a week ago, I thought it imperative that we come and thank you for all your efforts. Your successful expedition is the sole reason that I am extending an offer of Friendship and Cooperation to the sovereign nation of Equestria. I am pleased to present each of you with the Hippogriffian Crest of Service, in recognition of all you have done for us."

"Likewise," Princess Celestia continued, "For aiding in the defense of Hippogriffia in its time of need, I am also pleased to present each of you with the Equestrian Pink Heart of Courage."

The horns of all four princesses lit up, and out of the display case came enough medals for each of them; the silver-plated Hippogriffian Crests of Service were hung around each of the expedition members' necks first, then the Equestrian Pink Hearts of Courage were pinned on the left side of the neck ribbon.

"Congratulations to each and every one of you. Now, there is someone here whom we must recognize for her distinguished efforts on this journey. Captain Fizzlepop Berrytwist, please step forward." Celestia announced. Keeping herself composed, Fizzlepop took several steps forward, so she was one complete pace in front of the front row, and stood at attention.

"Captain Fizzlepop Berrytwist; although we initially met on the worst of terms, you have been a consistent surprise since you accepted your commission of Captain of the Ponyville E.U.P. Guard six months ago. On a personal note, I would like to congratulate you on finally achieving the healing and restoration you set out in search for so many years ago. The prestigious award you are about to receive from the Kingdom of the Hippogriffs is reserved for the most distinguished service in the Hippogriffia Royal Guard. You are the first Equestrian to receive such an honor. Who here will speak for her?" Celestia asked the rest of the gathered expedition.

The first to take a step forward was Major Speartip.

"I will speak for Captain Berrytwist's humbleness. While there is no doubt that she is proud of what she has accomplished, she did not let that pride affect the decisions she made. When the situation called for it, she stepped aside and let others act in her stead."

Fizzlepop's emotions began to rise up further as Celaeno took a step forward.

"I, and the crew of the HMS Eclipse, will speak for Captain Berrytwist's bravery. She put life and limb on the line for both soldiers and civilians, both domestic and foreign, above and beyond her station."

Princess Skystar took a single step forward.

"I will speak for Captain Berrytwist's kindness. She accepted gestures of friendship even though she considered herself unworthy of them. We have gotten to know each other over the course of the expedition, and I consider her a worthy friend of the hippogriffs."

Captain Fizzlepop's lips trembled slightly as tears threatened the corners of her eyelids, as she remained standing at attention.

Lieutenant Rivet took a step forward, nearly coming up to her side.

"I will speak for Captain Berrytwist's leadership. Since forming the Ponyville E.U.P., she has helped those under her realize their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. She is always encouraging, and never demeaning. There is no one else I would sooner follow into the fray."

Fizzlepop was forced to bite her lip to keep herself silent, and as she risked blinking, tears finally spilled over down her cheeks, as Captain Skyranger took a step forward.

"And I will speak for her honor. She remained tenacious and courteous in the face of those who thought her irredeemable. She put her well-being on the line to ensure that her past transgressions were corrected."

Finally, Queen Novo stepped forward, stepping down directly in front of Captain Fizzlepop, and turned to Celestia, who lit up her horn, took the last medal from the case, and levitated it over to the hippogriff monarch, who unfurled the neck ribbon, and let the shimmering silver winged crest hang as she turned back to the E.U.P. Captain.

"Though you have already received my personal thanks for your actions, it is my privilege now to present you with the Wings of Valor, the highest decoration the Hippogriff Kingdom can bestow." Queen Novo stated, taking the two ends of the neck ribbon, reaching around her neck, and fastened it, allowing the medal to hang above the Crest of Service. Her deed done, Queen Novo saluted with her right wing, and received one in return, Fizzlepop using all her willpower to keep her saluting hoof from shaking.

As Queen Novo returned to her place beside Princess Skystar and Captain Skyranger, Celestia nodded to Princess Twilight, who stepped off the elevated throne platform, and walked down and stood in front of her Captain.

"Captain Berrytwist, no one is more proud of everything you've accomplished than I am. In your service to Ponyville, and your involvement in forging the bond of friendship with the Kingdom of the Hippogriffs, you have surpassed every single one of my expectations of you. Captain..."

Fizzlepop noticed the sides of her chest plate begin to glow with Twilight's magic. She heard soft metallic pops on both sides near her neck, and saw that Twilight had detached both sets of double silver bars; her armor's rank insignia. She pocketed them inside her ceremonial dress, and came out with two golden oak leaf insignia.

"By the authority vested in me by the Township of Ponyville, I hereby promote you to the rank of Major, with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto."

Once they were attached, Twilight took a step back, and unable to hold back a smile, saluted the Major of her E.U.P. Guard.

Smiling back, Fizzlepop returned the salute.

"Congratulations, Major Fizzlepop Berrytwist."

Author's Note

Once again, I would like to thank all of you for reading and commenting.

Especially all of you commenting and giving feedback on each chapter, distinctively, those who kept trying to convince me there was a story to tell here, back when A Place Among Her Kind was just a 2100-word oneshot. Now, thanks to you, it has come all this way to a two-part, 24,000-word pony tale.

Love,
milesprower06

Rolling Thunder

The Typhoon was one of the mightiest ships left in the Storm King's once vast fleet of conquest. Once serving as the personal flagship of his King's enforcer, Commander Tempest Shadow, it was now under the command of Thunderhead, one of the commander's bodyguards.

Once the final Equestrian princess had been secured in the throne room, Thunderhead had been instructed to return to the Typhoon and await further orders. But when the tornado came down from the sky right in front of the castle, and he witnessed the storm begin to pick apart the Storm Guard on the ground, Thunderhead made the call to move the ship away from Canterlot, and it was one of the only ships to survive.

Whether their King was captured or defeated mattered not; his reckless endangerment of his own troops proved once again that he was long past due to be replaced by someone better. The strong were not only meant to rule the weak, but lead them, make them stronger. A conqueror without a capable army was no conqueror at all. Every warrior on the ship had pledged loyalty to him, and now all that mattered was keeping them strong... Strong enough to eventually take back what their Storm King had so immaturely thrown away. The lands of Equestria could wait. When they grew powerful enough, they would bring the rest of the ships under their banner, retake the Storm King's castle, and become the conquerors they were meant to be.

"Lord Thunderhead," The first mate came up to his side as the towering Storm Guard manipulated the wheel, taking care to keep the Typhoon in their chosen cloud cover in the Sea of Clouds. "The others do not understand why we wait. It has been days since they passed through."

"Patience," Thunderhead told him calmly. "For prey is easiest to catch when it feels safe. Soon, we will accomplish that which our King nor our Commander could not, and we will transform ourselves into something far greater than we are now."

Author's Note

A disgustingly short chapter, I know. It just didn't seem right putting this at the beginning or end of another chapter, and I also didn't want to go into the final parts of this story blind, so here's a few paragraphs of background on where our one-off villain comes from.