Flight of the Harmonyby SteamPoweredStallionChaptersDarkness ImpendingCaptain of VentureAirship CarouselOrder of BusinessPreparationsThe Flight Of the HarmonyDarkness ImpendingEven as the sun dives behind the mountains, Canterlot is never dark. Gas lanterns brighten the dark streets of the inner city where the Equestrian Aristocracy walks at languid paces displaying their most beautiful outfits for all to see. However, the spectacle offered by their garish clothes in the flickering lights did not distract a determined unicorn running through the road leading to the center of the fortress. As Twilight sped past the fancy cafès of boulervard Montmare, she briefly turned around to see if Spike could keep up the pace. The purple dragon was struggling not to fall behind as he dribbled between the legions of the canterlot èlite, collecting many displeased gazes as he stepped on several skirts. The castle was enveloped in flickering lights which painted the building a melancholy shade of orange. Twilight panted as she crossed the bridge, her heart thumping in unison with the sound of her hooves on the metallic floor. The guards, two heavy-set pegasi in brass-coloured power armor, let her in without a second glance; she was more than renown enough to be allowed in without question. She dashed across the castle's halls until the doors of the throne room. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath; Spike arrived right behind her, waddled a few steps towards the doors, then fell face-first to the floor, exhausted. Twilight telekinetically heaved his unconcious body and rested him against the wall; Immediately afterwards, the Throne Room's metal doors opened, rolling sideways on massive gears and chains. Queen Celestia was sitting on her throne, her majestic gown flowing down on the marble steps. An expression of calm determination was on her face as she nodded to Twilight, inviting her in. "Your majesty..." "Come in, Twilight. I am anxious to hear your latest progress." Twilight nodded, as she opened her saddlebags and extracted a large blueprint and the model of an airship. She opened the blueprint, letting it float before the Queen's eyes. Celestia observed the pjoject briefly, quickly glanced at the model, then waved her hoof signaling Twilight to put them away. "When do you expect the ship to be ready?" "We're still working on the automation system... as it is, the ship still requires a crew to fly." "And if you complete it...?" "As we envisioned it, a single pony could govern the ship... oh her own... and..." "Are you sure that's necessary, Twilight?" Celestia had a strange way of asking questions; it was hard to tell when she was asking and when stating something: one of the inconveniences of talking to an omniscent being. "Well..." Twilight looked around uncomfortably "With the ship as it is, we could do with six, or maybe five ponies..." "That sounds perfect, Twilight. I hope you have a crew lined up?" "I... well, we don't really..." Twilight looked around uncomfortably, trying to find a good way to admit she was completely unprepared without disappointing the Queen. "It's all right, Twilight." Celestia looked down on her with a caring expression. "I'll send someone from the Royal fleet to help you with this. But it is of the utmost importance that by tomorrow, the ship is ready to leave. I'll send you instructions on your assignment." Twilight nodded, slowly walking away. Rarity would have not been happy with the changes in the plan, especially if it meant flying the ship before it was fully perfected. But the Quenn's orders took precedence over their project, one way or another, the Harmony was going to fly. Soon after Twilight had exited the throne room, Celestia walked over to the coloyred glasses of her windows and opened it, letting the nightly breeze roll in. She looked up at the Moon. A dark shade covered half of it, grim omen of the impending disaster. Captain of VentureScholars of semantics, business management and alcohol have concluded after years of study that any establishment whose name contains the word "Cantina" will lure only the most despicable, suspicious and dangerous members of society. Granted, these studies are mostly comprised of collections of notes scribbled on cider-smelling napkins, but if ever there has been proof of their veracity, that is the Ponyville Cantina. After the economic boom which turned the small town into a bustling industrial city, the Cantina was reduced from the biggest bar in town to one of many establishments offering the same services to hundreds of laborers; the only customers who still frequented the pub were old time regulars and the aforementioned shifty, dangerous types. At the time, the only two customers in the bar were representatives of either category. The owner of the bar, an earth pony named Brindle, stroke his moustache as he carefully observed the two patrons, sitting at the opposite ends of the bar; the regular was a purple earth pony with a grape and strawberry cutie mark, and was currently occupied with staring at the bar through the bottom of an empty cider mug, an expression of mild confusion on her face. The other one, however, was more interesting. She was leaning on the bar, her face resting on her front hooves. She appeared to be immersed in deep thoughts, although the appearance might have been just due to the several glasses of cider she had chugged. However, what really stood out about her were her looks; it was rare enough to see a pegasus in there- let alone one with a rainbow mane and wearing an airfleet captain hat. Suddenly, the pegasus rose up, still deep in thought. "More." she mumbled. Brindle poured another glass of cider, rolling his eyes. She didn't look like the type who would take "You've had enough" as an answer. The pegasus sipped some of the beverage, before asking "Is anyone hiring around here?" "I'm assuming you're looking for a job on an airship." Brindle "Not just any airship, chump. I need something worth it. Something spectacular." "There's the royal airfleet." "Not exactly what I had in mind." "Well... you must have heard about the Harmony." "The what now?" "The Harmony. The new airship, built by Rarity Industries." "The Harmony... that does sound cool." "I have no idea if they're hiring, though." "They will be hiring when I walk in there, show off my awesome moves and leave them speechless." Brindle though for a few seconds whether it was a good idea to inquire further. The pegasus seemed very determined and equally tipsy. She trotted out, throwing a few bits on the bar. Just before walking out of the bar, she turned around and smiled. "I have a tip for you. In a few minutes, look up... and prepare to be blown away." "So, darling, tell me, why do you should I appoint you as captain?" Rarity leaned forward on her desk, looking up and down the pegasus who was applying for the position. She had already reviewed a number of applicants, but none of them was quite qualified enough o handle the Harmony. The airship rested just outside the window, occupying the entire courtyard of the main industrial complex, its gigantic indigo balloon standing out between the brick walls of the factory. "Well, I... I am good with directions, especially north..." Rarity tried to look at the applicant in the eyes. After a few seconds, she deemed it impossible seeing how one eye was firmly aimed at the ceiling and the other one looked out of the window. "...and I have traveled a lot, and seen a lot of Equestria, and also other places..." Rarity stared harder. The grey mare had a somewhat odd look to herself- like something was severely out of place, and not just her eyes. "...and I've traveled on a lot of airships, land-ships, sea-ships, a tar..." The pegasus suddenly stopped talking and turned towards the window. "...but I guess you won't need any captain anymore." For a few seconds Rarity just looked puzzled. "I... am not sure I understand..." "The ship is flying out on its own." "The...ship...is... wait..." Rarity ran to the window, her eyes widening. Outside, the massive blimp was, indeed, flying up. It had already flown above the roof of the factory and was soaring higher and higher. "GUARDS! STOP IT!" Yelled Rarity, before fainting on a conveniently placed chaise-lounge. Derpy looked around herself for a few seconds, noticing how no guards whatsoever were answering the call. She sighed. Once again, she had to do everything by herself. Airship CarouselRainbow Dash struggled to control the helm. The airship was a wild beast beneath her hooves, but she knew how to tame her. She wasn't used to driving this kind of blimp; most of her experience was on the nimble and agile Pegasi ships, and the wood and metal mastodon that she was riding was neither of those. The Harmony had her merits, however. It was a truly majestic craft, and, like most Unicorn ships, she had a complex set of levers set around the wheel, allowing the captain almost total control over the ship's movements. In fact, that was the most complex controls of any vessel Rainbow Dash had ever seen. She understood just enough of it to maneuver the main engines, and that was enough for what she had in mind. A few acrobatic stunts, a couple of flips and tricks, then she could land among the praise and admiration of all. Well, unless they took this the working way. She did, technically, steal the ship, and they might have not been too forgiving of that. But after she brought the blimp back safely, they'd have to admit her skills and good intentions. Probably. Rainbow pushed forth the altitude lever, straining it to keep control of the helm at the same time. The ship nose-dove, losing in a fraction of a second all the altitude it had gained. Just before crashing into the roof of the factory, Rainbow dash regained asset and started going up again, while grazing a chimney. The Harmony flew through the dark smoke, clearing it away for a few moments with the strength of its propellers. As soon as she was up again, Rainbow Dash left the wheel for a few seconds and leaned over the railing to look down. In the factory's courtyard, a crowd of laborers, guards and assorted ponies were gathering and looking up, mesmerized. Looking farther towards the city, she could see the ponies in the streets standing still and looking up. Rainbow saluted the crowd waving her hoof; she knew only the closest of them would even be able to see that, but the few who did responded with a chorus of cheering, yelling and insults which quickly propagated to all those around them in a great and chaotic ovation. Rainbow returned to the helm before the ship could deviate even more, with a grin going ear to ear. Now that she had their attention, she could truly start. She turned off the left engines and diverted all power to the right, while turning the wheel in the opposite direction. If the stunt worked, the hull of the ship would've started spinning around, higher an higher, until reaching the same height of the balloon, setting she ship horizontally on its side and continuing to spin like a majestic carousel. While the ship slowly inclined on its side, spinning faster and faster, the sound of bellowing from below filled the air; the tension of the cabling holding together the hull and the balloon became palpable; the ship rebelled, held back, and eventually yielded. Rainbow struggled to keep the beast under her control. After a long time, she felt truly alive. In that moment, any shade of a doubt that taking the ship might have been a bad idea escaped her mind. This was what she needed. This is what she lived for: ti fight the elements and control them, to dominate the sky and to do it in full view of everyone. The hull continued rising with each successive rotation. The deck was almost vertical by now, and Rainbow decided to leave it and spread her wings, holding to the wheel not to lose control as the ship started another spin. "Whoo, i knew only you could do this, Rainbow Dash!" A voice behind her called Rainbow back to reality, ending her euphoria. Mechanically she turned around and responded "That's Captain Rainbow Dash for you, m..." She stopped when she recognized the Pegasus who had talked. "You! What are you doing here?" Derpy was standing on the deck, which by now was fully horizontal. Her yellow eyes were focused on something one could only assume was Rainbow dash, but there was no way to be sure. "I just came by to, you know, take the ship back." Derpy "walked" upwards towards the controls, seemingly unfazed. "Oh, no! No! You cost me one ship already, now STAY AWAY!" "I said i was sorry." "Yes, but... no... that's not the point! You're not going to lay your hooves on this ship!" Rainbow tried to move in Derpy's way while maintaining the grip on the wheel, but it as too hard to balance the two things. She couldn't allow herself to lose control- any mistake would've sent the airship crashing to the ground. "Come on, Rainbow Dash. This ship isn't even yours." "I'm going to bring it back." said Rainbow Dash, trying to reach the lever to slow down the engines " … unless you crash it before i do. So, just, stay, away." Derpy continued to walk upwards, the while the wind flapped her scarf around. Rainbow Dash finally reached the power lever, holding the wheel with her frond hooves and grabbing the lever with her back hoof, sustained only by her wings. Just as she was about to pull it back to brake the ship, she noticed Derpy going for the handbrake. Without thinking, she launched herself on the gray Pegasus, pushing the both of them against the railing. The wheel, left by itself, rotated all the way in both directions, pushed by contrasting winds. Before either pony could stop it, the ship had stopped spinning and started going down. Fast. "...and another 700 bits for the window repairs, plus 1000 to fish the pieces of the Town Hall from the lake, which brings to a total of... 10450 bits." A squad of police ponies were barely keeping at bay the crowd surrounding the crashed airship. Well, not exactly crashed. Despite having hit the ground, the Harmony had survived almost unscathed. It might have had something to do with the fact that the Town Hall had broken it fall, a noble if involuntary sacrifice which resulted in the building being reduced to rubble spread around half of the city. Rainbow Dash and Derpy Hooves were standing in front of the wreck, surrounded by police and looking around uncomfortably. "Your fault." "I was just trying to help." "Silence, you two. Anything you say will be used against you." Rainbow Dash continued to silently scowl at Derpy, who kept looking around, apparently unfazed by the crash or the arrest. The crowd continued to cheer, boo and bellow anything that went through their minds. Suddenly, the crowd parted to allow the passage of a steam-powered, gilded vehicle, a sort of land-ship on treads. The vehicle parked right in front of the two Pegasi, completely ignoring the police- not that they could do much to stop it anyway. A hatch opened in the front of the land-ship and a red carpet started to unroll itself pulled by small wheels. A white unicorn in an elaborate purple dress walked out of the land-ship, quickly followed by a purple unicorn in a lab-coat and a bouncing, pink earth pony in a top hat and monocle. The purple one ran immediately towards the ship, while the other two walked (and bounced) towards Rainbow and Derpy. Rarity looked at them up and down, with a calm and controlled demeanor, before closing her eyes and yelling: "WHAT-HAVE-YOU-DONE-TO-MY-SHIP!" "I can explain!" answered Rainbow Dash. "What were you thinking? How... why..." "THAT WE THE MOST AWESOME THING I'VE EVER SEEN!" The pink pony yelled at the top of her lungs, leaving the whole crowd in silence for a few seconds. "Pinkie, darling, can you save that for after I'm done verbally chastising these two?" "But it was great! I didn't even know it could DO that! I mean, wow, how cool was that? You are amazing! You..." "Pinkie. Please." "...and the way you flew up, like, like flying up in a spiral and..." "Well, yeah, that was a neat trick, wasn't it." admitted Rainbow Dash. "What- no, Pinkie, just let me finish and..." "...and then- and then you fly all the way down like a cannon ball! WHOOOO!" Rarity decided there was no way to hold back Pinkie and instead went towards Twilight, who was busy examining the hull. In the meantime the police seemed to have quietly accepted that since Rarity's Land-Ship had rolled in, they had lost any claim to authority and were just trying to contain the crowd as best as they could. "So...?" asked Rarity, hopeful. "Well, you may not believe it, but there's no structural damage. The hull is barely scratched and it's still at full functionality from what i can tell." "Another testament to the majesty of our craft. We still need to move it back to the testing ground." "In theory... it would be conceivable to just drive it there. It's definitely in conditions to fly... although i'd have to double-check the engines... and the controls. And the hull. And..." "And we need someone to fly it. I wouldn't want to move it without an experienced pilot." "I... i don't think you'd like those two to take the wheel again, would you?" "Ha ha ha... you're joking, right?" "I... i don't know. I mean, i had no idea the ship could do that. And i designed it. Think of the possibilities!" "They almost destroyed it! Surely you don't want them to... to lay their hooves again on this amazing beauty!"Rarity leaned towards the ship, trying to hug the hull with her front hooves. "They might still deserve a chance. Under strict control, of course." Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were still discussing the amazing result of Rainbow's stunts. Derpy stood there, silently. "Well, they do have to pay off a lot of damage, don't they?" asked Rarity. "10.450 bits to be exact, m'lady" answered one of the police stallions. "Well. 10.450. I guess they'll have to work it off with... let's see... about twenty-four months without pay." "Twenty four?" "It should've been twenty five, but i rounded it down." "How... generous." Order of Business"Do either of you have a reason why I should let you set you hooves on my ship again?" Derpy kept staring into nothingness, while Rainbow Dash grumbled something. After driving the airship back to the factory, with a platoon of guards watching their every move, the two pegasi had been transported into the administration building of the factory, in a room which appeared to be the mixture of an interrogation room and a boudoir. Two high-intensity gas lamps pointed in their faces were the only light source in the room, as Rarity questioned them from her chaise lounge. "You have endangered half of Ponyville and my factory, destroyed a historical building, cost me a veritable fortune and scratched the paint on my masterwork." "..." "And yet, you have demonstrated an unsurpassed prowess. So, the question should be, what am I to do with you?" Another stony silence. "Do you now want the job?" For a few other seconds, Rainbow remained silent. Sweat dripped across her face down to her muzzle, and the light forced her to keep her eyes half-closed. She tried her hardest to hold back, to suppress her desire. Then she gave in. "I... I would do anything.... to have that ship again." "Anything?" Rainbow lowered her head, trying hard to swallow her pride. "Anything. I would even work without pay..." "I wasn't going to pay you anyway." "...but I have a condition. You won't hire her too!" She pointed at the gray pegasus. Derpy sprung up. "Why?" "This is the second ship of mine you've crashed and you're asking why?" "I didn't mean to...." "You... you just don't..." "Now, now, darlings, there's no need to argue. I'm sure we can come to an understanding." "Not with her," said Rainbow Dash, crossing her front hooves. "You have no idea what she's capable of." "Well, then, why don't you tell me. What was this accident in which she crashed your ship?" "She..." For a few seconds, silence fell on the room again. Rainbow looked at Derpy, then at Rarity. Derpy's expression had quickly changed from angry, to confused, and then to devious. Rarity seemed to have caught on to something. "...I... don't think there's any need for it." "Oh, but pleeease, I'd just love to hear this tale." "I'd rather... not say it." "Well, then, I see no reason not to hire her." Derpy grinned. Rainbow considered her options. "...You win this one, Derpy." Ponyville had grown. This was obvious, but there was something to its growth that resembled a plant. Ponyville was a tree. A apple tree giving out fruits of metal, fabric and bricks. And who cared if a few branches had been cut off for these fruits to grow? Stepping back into Ponyville was a sorrowful return for Applejack. She wasn't usually a sentimental pony; her hometown, however, had a special place in her heart, a place nothing else would fill. When she had left her home, many years before, to join the Royal Army, the separation had been just as painful: she wanted to hug and say farewell to every single tree in the orchard. But she had to leave; it came down to her or her brother, and he was more needed in the farm. So she had to go off and ensure at least a good salary. There had been a time when the Apple Family orchards were the main source of food and income in Ponyville. Then came the industries, the machines, the increase in productivity and the improvement of times and methods. And someone had to be left behind. Pruning branches to allow the tree to grow. And now she was back. Celestia had personally picked her to be her officer on the airship Harmony, something which never failed to make her feel proud. Maybe it was just to allow her to come back, maybe it was because one of her old friends was on board. Anyway, the princess took interest in her; few honors were higher than that. Anyway. The first order of business was to meet Lady Rarity- after that, there would've been time to... "BIG SIS! YOU'RE BACK!" Before Applejack could realize it, a cannon ball in the shape of her sister Applebloom hit her and the orange pony found herself clenched in a hug tighter than the grapple of most fighters. "Yup... nice to see...ya... shugahcube... could you... let... me... breathe...?" Applebloom detached herself from her sister's neck. "You're back! I can't believe it!" "It has been a while, ain't it?" Applejack backed off a bit "And look at you! Ya've grown so much! You were just a li'l foal and now you're..." "There is so much I have to tell you! You know, Granny didn't believe you were coming back, so I said..." "Shugahcube, Ah...ah really have to..." "...So she said I was just making up excuses, and come on, I wasn't..." "...Ah have to meet someone and... wait... what are you doin' here near the factory?" "Oh, I was just hangin' out with Sweetie Belle." "Huh?" Applejack struggled to remember if she had ever heard the name anywhere. "That's Rarity's little sister." "Oh, yeah... no... that Rarity?" "No. Her sister." "Rarity's sistah..." Applejack's eye twitched. "Big Sis...?" "...Let's go over this once again. The main boiler?" "Boiler bolted and prepared. Check." "The connection tubes?" "Fixed and strengthened. Check." "The turbines?" "Turbines mounted, oiled and prepared. Check." "The pressure gauges?" "Gauges at normal values. Check." "The coal injection system?" "Dragon-sized shovel primed and ready. Check." "I detect a hint of hostility, Spike." "Gee, Twilight, maybe it has to do with the fact that the only manual labor that you haven't made automatic is mine." "I've already told you, Spike, we don't have time to build another machine. We have to leave tomorrow. And we've barely begun the third check of the engine! And then we have to pack my things! And check that too! We'll be up all night!" "Why?! There's no way we're actually going to leave by tomorrow! We're missing two members of the crew, Rarity's personal baggage alone weights more than the ship's full capacity and I need my beauty rest." Twilight shot a destructive gaze to her assistant. "I think you've been spending too much time with Rarity. Anyway, the Queen's officer will be here today. She promised us that. As for the medical officer... I have no idea. I just hope Rarity isn't too picky." "She's just doing what's best for everyone." "Well, now I know you've been spending too much time with Rarity. Now, please, let's get back to work. We've wasted at least three minutes and forty-five seconds which could have been devoted to double-checking." "Is my beautiful ship at the best of its capacity yet?" Rarity strolled down the stairs into the Harmony's engine room, followed by a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. "We're making sure. The engines seem fine... at least, better than I'd expect after such an ordeal." "Marvelous. Now, meet our expedition's medical doctor, Fluttershy." Rarity stepped aside, leaving the pegasus in full sight. She took a halfhearted step forward with an awkward smile. "I'm Professor Twilight Sparkle, and this is Spike. Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you." The pegasus' response was barely a whisper. "She's such a quiet and lovely girl. I just need to introduce her to Pinkie Pie. Where is she, anyway? I haven't seen her all day!" "I haven't seen her either. I thought she was with you, actually." "Good. So we are late on schedule, I still have to contact the press and we can't find two of our crew members. Twilight, make sure my fainting couch is in good condition. I have a feeling I'll be needing it before today is done." Preparations"...An' Ah just wanted to say that Ah'm ready to... um… do my best as…" "Yes, darling, I'm sure of that. I trust you've already packed your bags?" "Yes, Ah…" "Excellent. Now, how long until we're done loading the coal?" Rarity turned to a crew of ponies pulling carts loaded with coal towards the innards of the Harmony. Applejack, who had been following her for hours- failing to speak to her more than a couple of sentences- resolved to wait even longer. The preparations of the airship were proceeding at a blinding pace, but it seemed Rarity was nowhere near satisfied. "Just 'bout another ten minutes, ma'am," answered the foreman, a gray-coated Unicorn. "You have five minutes. When you're done, help crew four with the provisions. Miss Hooves, have you loaded all of your equipment?" A grey-coated, wall-eyed Pegasus peeped out from one of the many portholes in the side of the ship. "My what now?" "Your equipment. You're here as a navigator. I trust you'll be needing maps, compasses and the like." "Oh, right! I knew there was something I'd forgotten!" The Pegasus jumped out of the porthole and flew above them, towards the factory. The airship's engineering courtyard was crowded with several teams of workers, loading crates, painting the side of the ship and working around its massive engines. The mixed sounds of welding, hammering and dragging filled the air. "Have you fought in the Pirate Wars?" asked Rarity. It took Applejack a few seconds to realize this was directed towards her. "No. Most of those who were in the Wars were dismissed. Ah was…" "A royal guard then? I cannot imagine the gossip and intrigues of palace life…." "No, none of that. Ah am just a soldier. Ah'm afraid Ah never…" "Well, never mind, then," Rarity turned around and started yelling orders again. Applejack couldn't help but feeling offended- wasn't she good enough for her? "Y'know, Ah don't think…" "…And make sure you keep that side upright. You, there, can you please keep that noise down? And… WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" "…As Ah was saying…" "TWILIGHT! WHERE IN EQUESTRIA ARE…" "I'm here! I'm here!" A purple-coated unicorn ran in from one of the adjacent rooms. Applejack quickly recognized her as Professor Twilight Sparkle, a relatively famous pony all around Equestria. "Twilight, darling, please tell me you know where Pinkamina is." "I'm afraid I have no idea. I haven't seen her since yesterday." "One of these days… oh, Twilight, meet… Applecake, is it? She's the Queen's envoy…" "That's Applejack." Applejack and Twilight shook hooves. "As Ah was trying to say, Ah'm honored to be on this mission and Ah'll do my best…" Applejack looked at Rarity "… even if Ah'm not a veteran or a general." "Of course, of course… Twilight, please show her around the ship. I'll see if I can find that… that… Pinkie." "Actually, I have to…" "You'll have time for that. Possibly," Rarity walked forward, leaving the other two ponies behind. "Is she always like this?" asked Applejack after a few seconds. "No… not so much. She's under a bit of stress." "Ah see. Listen, is this Pinkie y'all are talking about Pinkie Pie? Like, the inventor Pinkie Pie?" "Yes, that's correct. Do you know her?" "C'mon, everypony knows Pinkie Pie! We were friends a while back… before I left." Twilight giggled. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I still have to meet somepony who doesn't know-" "PINKIE PIE!" Rarity's yell surpassed any other noise in the room. Applejack and Twilight turned towards the courtyard gates where Pinkie was standing, with a smile going ear to ear, in front of Rarity. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" "I've been busy," answered the pink pony, somehow widening her smile even further. "You've been… busy." "Yes." "…Busy doing what?" Pinkie shook her head and jumped through the gates. Rarity galloped behind her, quickly followed by Twilight and Applejack. As they stepped out of the courtyard, a blinding light forced them to close their eyes. "SURPRISE!" As the three ponies opened their eyes again, the realized they were literally surrounded by a plethora of ponies armed to the teeth with photo cameras and notebooks. A podium, with a megaphone, was set up next to the courtyard's wall. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Spike were standing beside it. Above them Derpy Hooves was floating, haphazardly carrying a set of tools in her front hooves. "Well, you've already heard from most of the crew, but now, give a round of applause for the greatest scientist in Equestria, the director of the project not to mention, my dear friend, Twilight Sparkle!" Pinkie led Twilight to the podium while the crowd of journalists clopped their hooves. Twilight looked around, embarrassed. Now I know I should add "sudden press conference speech" to the list of things to always have prepared, she thought. "Are they still there, Bert?" "They haven't moved." "How about the telegraph station?" "They've searched it already, I think, but they're still guarding it." "Think we could make break for it?" The yellow-coated miner shook his head and looked at his colleague. "Them's too fast, Rocky. If we leave the tunnels they'll catch us straight away." "And if we stay here they'll catch us eventually. If we can at least ask for help…" "Ask who?" "…Someone." "Well, if that's your best plan, just ask them if they let you send a message to someone." "Very funny." The two miners kept looking out of the mine's tunnels, at the several figures poised around the entrance and on the roofs of all the outlying buildings They had attacked that morning, without provocation. Most of the miners had been captured in the initial assault and were now locked up and guarded inside the administration building. A few of them had managed to outrun the assailants and take refuge in the tunnels, and had been pinned in there since. "If we could send an SOS to the central command, they could send us the airship." "The airship?" "You know, the one everyone's been talking about "The Harmony." "That's the one. We need to get to the telegraph building and warn them. And even if they catch us, they'll just tie us up and throw us in the offices." "You think? I think they're planning something worse. I've seen one of them carrying a bit cauldron in there." "You don't mean…?" "I sure hope not. But…" "That's it! We need help! Can you at least distract them?" "Well…" "Just long enough for me to reach the telegraph station." "I don't think…" A scream interrupted the two ponies. After a few seconds, they realized the scream was coming from the inside of the mines. They looked at each other in the eyes and immediately ran out. Another scream from inside, paired with a twisted laughter. Then, the sound of claws on rocky floors behind them. The two ponies crossed the threshold of the mine. A group of enemies jumped down on them, cutting off their path. The ponies hopped to the right, galloping towards the telegraph station. The enemies quickly caught up. Bert hesitated a second, one second too many. Four dogs jumped on him, pinning him to the ground. Rocky reached the telegraph station, barged through the door and slammed it shut. The dogs immediately pounced on it, almost making it come off the hinges. Even from inside, Rocky could hear the sound of more of them jumping from the roof and scratching at the walls and windows. He ran to the telegraph. He had never learned to use the thing properly- that wasn't his job. However, he did know enough to send an SOS. He quickly set the destination to the first address he could think of- Ponyville Factory, and pounded on the device, sending the brief message. Just as soon as it was completed, he looked out of the window. The dogs had climbed the telegraph pole and were furiously trying to rip the cables. Meanwhile, another blow shook the door. Rocky paced around the room, looking for any escape. The windows were all besieged. The door was being furiously assaulted. The telegraph, even if the line still worked, was useless as he didn't know how to write any other message. Eventually, the door gave in and was thrown off its hinges. A massive diamond dog walked into the room and examined it through the mechanized goggles he wore over his eyes. The two crosshairs settled on Rocky. "Looksss like we found you. Did you call your mommy, my little pony?" The dog walked to the pony and grabbed him with his cold, metallic claw. Rocky said nothing, utterly dumbstruck. "Yessss you did, yesss you did!" The dog barked a laugh. "That'ssss… perfect." The Flight Of the HarmonyThe vibration of the machine beneath their hooves. The noise of the engines powering up. The smell of smoke and coal. The cold metal of the levers and the wood of the steering wheel. And then… Lift off. With a massive lunge forward, the Harmony left the ground. The main engines unleashed their full power, propelling it out of the courtyard and above Ponyville, clearing for a few seconds the sky of the smoke and steam. A chorus of cheers from below bid farewell to the ship, as the flashes of photographers immortalized the departure. Rainbow Dash pulled the speed lever further back as she let out a wordless, joyous scream. When she let go and allowed the ship to slow down to cruising speed, they had already passed Ponyville and were steadily flying into the sunset. Rainbow yelled out again, then pulled back her goggles and looked down at the rest of the crew on the deck. Rarity was in the process of fixing her hair while she looked around excitedly. Twilight and Pinkie were chasing Pinkie’s hat, which was rolling around on the deck and had miraculously not yet fallen overboard. Twilight finally grasped it with her telekinetic force and threw it to Pinkie, who caught it on her head with a jump. Applejack was looking down from the railing, no doubt giving a last look to her Sweet Apple Acres. The rest of the crew was nowhere to be seen. “Everybody doing okay down there?” asked Rainbow Dash. Rarity, Pinkie and Twilight nodded, and the three of them walked up to the command station. Applejack turned around, and the other ponies caught a glimpse of a greenish shade on her distressed face. “First time on an airship, eh?” yelled Rainbow Dash with a chuckle “You’ll get used to it.” Applejack turned back with a groan. “What a perfect soldier the Princess has sent us,” whispered Rarity. “A rookie with no fighting experience and who gets sick after three minutes of flight.” Twilight looked nervously at the white unicorn. “I’m certain the Princess had her reasons to choose her.” “Then you should ask her what her reasons are with your next report.” Rainbow ignored the two bickering unicorns and focused on the airship. She pulled the altitude lever, driving the Harmony upwards in the cold evening air. Pinkie observed her handling the commands as the airship stabilized itself once again. “You know, we can go faster if you use the secondary and main power at the same time.” “Huh?” “The third lever on the right. That’s the overdrive. I noticed you weren’t using it when we started…” “Oh. Well, thanks. I’m still getting used to this beast…” “I know! Isn’t this exciting? There’s so much to discover! We haven’t even tasted half of the functions!” “That’s cool… I guess… as long as none of these is the self-destruct lever, right?” “Self-destruct, you say?” Pinkie started mumbling as she scratched her chin. “Maybe… if we add a bit of… hum… and if instead… hum….” Rainbow Dash decided not to intervene and instead turned to the interphone. “Hey, Derpy! Can you hear me down there?” The noise of something collapsing was the only response. Rainbow decided to interpret it as a yes. “Are we on the right course?” “We have to turn thirty degrees north!” “And what exactly were you waiting for to tell me?!” “…” “Yeah, whatever.” Rainbow adjusted the course according to Derpy’s instruction. “So… what is our mission exactly?” she asked, turning to Twilight and Rarity “I mean… we didn’t exactly get a full briefing. All you said was that we had to reach this mine as soon as possible. Is this an emergency? Is it a rescue mission?!” Rainbow said excitedly. “Probably,” answered Twilight “We don’t know for sure. All we received was an SOS, immediately before the line was interrupted.” “Aside from that,” added Rarity, “We need to visit the mine to gather some supplies.” “Supplies? Like fuel? Didn’t know you owned coal mines, boss.” “It’s not a coal mine. We need a few Raritanium plates to reinforce the balloon. And incidentally, you’re supposed to refer to me as My Lady. Or Lady Rarity. Or if you prefer… ” “Yeah, yeah, got it. But really, a Raritanium mine was attacked?! I heard those mines were like fortresses…” “They are indeed well defended... but their main defense is the secrecy of their location.” “This means,” intervened Twilight, “That there is probably someone inside the organization who is working for the enemy.” “You mean a spy?!” “Exactly. “ “Soooo…” “So, we’ll make sure to watch you closely,” Rarity leaned in to look at Rainbow closely in the eyes, “In case you feel like stepping out of line.” “Yeah, sure,” Rainbow pushed the unicorn out of the way. “Don’t you worry; we’ll be there safe and sound.” “And if possible, let’s try to be there soon.” “All you need to do is ask.” Rainbow pulled the overdrive lever and pushed the Harmony forward into the night sky. “…And the miners?” “Them’s all locked up tight.” “Perfect. I trust no one of them has been harmed?” “No sir,” The diamond dog growled at the two gray-coated ponies standing before him “All safe and sound.” “Then proceed. Load the ore on our vessel. We need to be done before dawn breaks.” “First you pay us!” “Yesss! Pay usss!” the other dogs started yelling. “You have already discussed your payment with our superiors. You are expected to complete your assignment.” “What?! NO! We did all the work! If you don’t pay, then how about we take all of it for ourselves?!” “I wouldn’t do that,” answered one of the ponies, spreading his bat-like wings and lowering his head menacingly. “WHAT?! You little bat-donkey think you can take me!?” The dog jumped forward, rising his robotic left hand for a punch. Before he could connect, he felt an unseen force grabbing his torso and pulling him back. The other gray pony waved his horn. The dog’s metallic arm slowly started to separate from the body, while sparks started flying out from it together with the screeching of the metal. “Maybe you should remember that we are the ones that gave you those beautiful gifts,” said the unicorn. “It would be a shame if we had to take them away.” “NO! NO! NO!” the dog tried his best to keep the arm attached while sparks started coming out of his mechanized eye. The lens came undone and fell off into the dirt. “I trust you will be complying with the agreed conditions from now on.” “Yes! Yes! Of course boss!” The other dogs backed off, growling. The telekinetic force dissipated and the dog fell to the ground. He picked up the lens and backed off, walking on his hind legs holding his injured arm. “We’re going to work, but you’d better pay what you owe us.” “Of course. We honour our deals. Truthfulness is a virtue, after all.” The dogs walked off towards the mine. The pegasus shook his head as soon as they were out of sight. “How can we trust these creatures? We can’t be sure they won’t double-cross us.” “On the contrary,” answered the unicorn “We can be sure they will double-cross us. But as long as they have anything to gain, they’ll keep obeying.” “And what about the ponies? If a message has been sent, we can expect them to be here…” “If these brutes manage to do their job, we’ll be gone before they’re even in the region. Now signal the cargo ship to land; we have a long night ahead of us. “Agent C3, reporting.” “What have you seen?” “Most of them are arguing on the deck. Pinkie Pie is tinkering with the command panel. The cartographer is locked in her room. Spike is in the boiler room talking to the doctor.” “Have you been spotted?” “No. The mission proceeds as planned.”
Darkness ImpendingEven as the sun dives behind the mountains, Canterlot is never dark. Gas lanterns brighten the dark streets of the inner city where the Equestrian Aristocracy walks at languid paces displaying their most beautiful outfits for all to see. However, the spectacle offered by their garish clothes in the flickering lights did not distract a determined unicorn running through the road leading to the center of the fortress. As Twilight sped past the fancy cafès of boulervard Montmare, she briefly turned around to see if Spike could keep up the pace. The purple dragon was struggling not to fall behind as he dribbled between the legions of the canterlot èlite, collecting many displeased gazes as he stepped on several skirts. The castle was enveloped in flickering lights which painted the building a melancholy shade of orange. Twilight panted as she crossed the bridge, her heart thumping in unison with the sound of her hooves on the metallic floor. The guards, two heavy-set pegasi in brass-coloured power armor, let her in without a second glance; she was more than renown enough to be allowed in without question. She dashed across the castle's halls until the doors of the throne room. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath; Spike arrived right behind her, waddled a few steps towards the doors, then fell face-first to the floor, exhausted. Twilight telekinetically heaved his unconcious body and rested him against the wall; Immediately afterwards, the Throne Room's metal doors opened, rolling sideways on massive gears and chains. Queen Celestia was sitting on her throne, her majestic gown flowing down on the marble steps. An expression of calm determination was on her face as she nodded to Twilight, inviting her in. "Your majesty..." "Come in, Twilight. I am anxious to hear your latest progress." Twilight nodded, as she opened her saddlebags and extracted a large blueprint and the model of an airship. She opened the blueprint, letting it float before the Queen's eyes. Celestia observed the pjoject briefly, quickly glanced at the model, then waved her hoof signaling Twilight to put them away. "When do you expect the ship to be ready?" "We're still working on the automation system... as it is, the ship still requires a crew to fly." "And if you complete it...?" "As we envisioned it, a single pony could govern the ship... oh her own... and..." "Are you sure that's necessary, Twilight?" Celestia had a strange way of asking questions; it was hard to tell when she was asking and when stating something: one of the inconveniences of talking to an omniscent being. "Well..." Twilight looked around uncomfortably "With the ship as it is, we could do with six, or maybe five ponies..." "That sounds perfect, Twilight. I hope you have a crew lined up?" "I... well, we don't really..." Twilight looked around uncomfortably, trying to find a good way to admit she was completely unprepared without disappointing the Queen. "It's all right, Twilight." Celestia looked down on her with a caring expression. "I'll send someone from the Royal fleet to help you with this. But it is of the utmost importance that by tomorrow, the ship is ready to leave. I'll send you instructions on your assignment." Twilight nodded, slowly walking away. Rarity would have not been happy with the changes in the plan, especially if it meant flying the ship before it was fully perfected. But the Quenn's orders took precedence over their project, one way or another, the Harmony was going to fly. Soon after Twilight had exited the throne room, Celestia walked over to the coloyred glasses of her windows and opened it, letting the nightly breeze roll in. She looked up at the Moon. A dark shade covered half of it, grim omen of the impending disaster.
Captain of VentureScholars of semantics, business management and alcohol have concluded after years of study that any establishment whose name contains the word "Cantina" will lure only the most despicable, suspicious and dangerous members of society. Granted, these studies are mostly comprised of collections of notes scribbled on cider-smelling napkins, but if ever there has been proof of their veracity, that is the Ponyville Cantina. After the economic boom which turned the small town into a bustling industrial city, the Cantina was reduced from the biggest bar in town to one of many establishments offering the same services to hundreds of laborers; the only customers who still frequented the pub were old time regulars and the aforementioned shifty, dangerous types. At the time, the only two customers in the bar were representatives of either category. The owner of the bar, an earth pony named Brindle, stroke his moustache as he carefully observed the two patrons, sitting at the opposite ends of the bar; the regular was a purple earth pony with a grape and strawberry cutie mark, and was currently occupied with staring at the bar through the bottom of an empty cider mug, an expression of mild confusion on her face. The other one, however, was more interesting. She was leaning on the bar, her face resting on her front hooves. She appeared to be immersed in deep thoughts, although the appearance might have been just due to the several glasses of cider she had chugged. However, what really stood out about her were her looks; it was rare enough to see a pegasus in there- let alone one with a rainbow mane and wearing an airfleet captain hat. Suddenly, the pegasus rose up, still deep in thought. "More." she mumbled. Brindle poured another glass of cider, rolling his eyes. She didn't look like the type who would take "You've had enough" as an answer. The pegasus sipped some of the beverage, before asking "Is anyone hiring around here?" "I'm assuming you're looking for a job on an airship." Brindle "Not just any airship, chump. I need something worth it. Something spectacular." "There's the royal airfleet." "Not exactly what I had in mind." "Well... you must have heard about the Harmony." "The what now?" "The Harmony. The new airship, built by Rarity Industries." "The Harmony... that does sound cool." "I have no idea if they're hiring, though." "They will be hiring when I walk in there, show off my awesome moves and leave them speechless." Brindle though for a few seconds whether it was a good idea to inquire further. The pegasus seemed very determined and equally tipsy. She trotted out, throwing a few bits on the bar. Just before walking out of the bar, she turned around and smiled. "I have a tip for you. In a few minutes, look up... and prepare to be blown away." "So, darling, tell me, why do you should I appoint you as captain?" Rarity leaned forward on her desk, looking up and down the pegasus who was applying for the position. She had already reviewed a number of applicants, but none of them was quite qualified enough o handle the Harmony. The airship rested just outside the window, occupying the entire courtyard of the main industrial complex, its gigantic indigo balloon standing out between the brick walls of the factory. "Well, I... I am good with directions, especially north..." Rarity tried to look at the applicant in the eyes. After a few seconds, she deemed it impossible seeing how one eye was firmly aimed at the ceiling and the other one looked out of the window. "...and I have traveled a lot, and seen a lot of Equestria, and also other places..." Rarity stared harder. The grey mare had a somewhat odd look to herself- like something was severely out of place, and not just her eyes. "...and I've traveled on a lot of airships, land-ships, sea-ships, a tar..." The pegasus suddenly stopped talking and turned towards the window. "...but I guess you won't need any captain anymore." For a few seconds Rarity just looked puzzled. "I... am not sure I understand..." "The ship is flying out on its own." "The...ship...is... wait..." Rarity ran to the window, her eyes widening. Outside, the massive blimp was, indeed, flying up. It had already flown above the roof of the factory and was soaring higher and higher. "GUARDS! STOP IT!" Yelled Rarity, before fainting on a conveniently placed chaise-lounge. Derpy looked around herself for a few seconds, noticing how no guards whatsoever were answering the call. She sighed. Once again, she had to do everything by herself.
Airship CarouselRainbow Dash struggled to control the helm. The airship was a wild beast beneath her hooves, but she knew how to tame her. She wasn't used to driving this kind of blimp; most of her experience was on the nimble and agile Pegasi ships, and the wood and metal mastodon that she was riding was neither of those. The Harmony had her merits, however. It was a truly majestic craft, and, like most Unicorn ships, she had a complex set of levers set around the wheel, allowing the captain almost total control over the ship's movements. In fact, that was the most complex controls of any vessel Rainbow Dash had ever seen. She understood just enough of it to maneuver the main engines, and that was enough for what she had in mind. A few acrobatic stunts, a couple of flips and tricks, then she could land among the praise and admiration of all. Well, unless they took this the working way. She did, technically, steal the ship, and they might have not been too forgiving of that. But after she brought the blimp back safely, they'd have to admit her skills and good intentions. Probably. Rainbow pushed forth the altitude lever, straining it to keep control of the helm at the same time. The ship nose-dove, losing in a fraction of a second all the altitude it had gained. Just before crashing into the roof of the factory, Rainbow dash regained asset and started going up again, while grazing a chimney. The Harmony flew through the dark smoke, clearing it away for a few moments with the strength of its propellers. As soon as she was up again, Rainbow Dash left the wheel for a few seconds and leaned over the railing to look down. In the factory's courtyard, a crowd of laborers, guards and assorted ponies were gathering and looking up, mesmerized. Looking farther towards the city, she could see the ponies in the streets standing still and looking up. Rainbow saluted the crowd waving her hoof; she knew only the closest of them would even be able to see that, but the few who did responded with a chorus of cheering, yelling and insults which quickly propagated to all those around them in a great and chaotic ovation. Rainbow returned to the helm before the ship could deviate even more, with a grin going ear to ear. Now that she had their attention, she could truly start. She turned off the left engines and diverted all power to the right, while turning the wheel in the opposite direction. If the stunt worked, the hull of the ship would've started spinning around, higher an higher, until reaching the same height of the balloon, setting she ship horizontally on its side and continuing to spin like a majestic carousel. While the ship slowly inclined on its side, spinning faster and faster, the sound of bellowing from below filled the air; the tension of the cabling holding together the hull and the balloon became palpable; the ship rebelled, held back, and eventually yielded. Rainbow struggled to keep the beast under her control. After a long time, she felt truly alive. In that moment, any shade of a doubt that taking the ship might have been a bad idea escaped her mind. This was what she needed. This is what she lived for: ti fight the elements and control them, to dominate the sky and to do it in full view of everyone. The hull continued rising with each successive rotation. The deck was almost vertical by now, and Rainbow decided to leave it and spread her wings, holding to the wheel not to lose control as the ship started another spin. "Whoo, i knew only you could do this, Rainbow Dash!" A voice behind her called Rainbow back to reality, ending her euphoria. Mechanically she turned around and responded "That's Captain Rainbow Dash for you, m..." She stopped when she recognized the Pegasus who had talked. "You! What are you doing here?" Derpy was standing on the deck, which by now was fully horizontal. Her yellow eyes were focused on something one could only assume was Rainbow dash, but there was no way to be sure. "I just came by to, you know, take the ship back." Derpy "walked" upwards towards the controls, seemingly unfazed. "Oh, no! No! You cost me one ship already, now STAY AWAY!" "I said i was sorry." "Yes, but... no... that's not the point! You're not going to lay your hooves on this ship!" Rainbow tried to move in Derpy's way while maintaining the grip on the wheel, but it as too hard to balance the two things. She couldn't allow herself to lose control- any mistake would've sent the airship crashing to the ground. "Come on, Rainbow Dash. This ship isn't even yours." "I'm going to bring it back." said Rainbow Dash, trying to reach the lever to slow down the engines " … unless you crash it before i do. So, just, stay, away." Derpy continued to walk upwards, the while the wind flapped her scarf around. Rainbow Dash finally reached the power lever, holding the wheel with her frond hooves and grabbing the lever with her back hoof, sustained only by her wings. Just as she was about to pull it back to brake the ship, she noticed Derpy going for the handbrake. Without thinking, she launched herself on the gray Pegasus, pushing the both of them against the railing. The wheel, left by itself, rotated all the way in both directions, pushed by contrasting winds. Before either pony could stop it, the ship had stopped spinning and started going down. Fast. "...and another 700 bits for the window repairs, plus 1000 to fish the pieces of the Town Hall from the lake, which brings to a total of... 10450 bits." A squad of police ponies were barely keeping at bay the crowd surrounding the crashed airship. Well, not exactly crashed. Despite having hit the ground, the Harmony had survived almost unscathed. It might have had something to do with the fact that the Town Hall had broken it fall, a noble if involuntary sacrifice which resulted in the building being reduced to rubble spread around half of the city. Rainbow Dash and Derpy Hooves were standing in front of the wreck, surrounded by police and looking around uncomfortably. "Your fault." "I was just trying to help." "Silence, you two. Anything you say will be used against you." Rainbow Dash continued to silently scowl at Derpy, who kept looking around, apparently unfazed by the crash or the arrest. The crowd continued to cheer, boo and bellow anything that went through their minds. Suddenly, the crowd parted to allow the passage of a steam-powered, gilded vehicle, a sort of land-ship on treads. The vehicle parked right in front of the two Pegasi, completely ignoring the police- not that they could do much to stop it anyway. A hatch opened in the front of the land-ship and a red carpet started to unroll itself pulled by small wheels. A white unicorn in an elaborate purple dress walked out of the land-ship, quickly followed by a purple unicorn in a lab-coat and a bouncing, pink earth pony in a top hat and monocle. The purple one ran immediately towards the ship, while the other two walked (and bounced) towards Rainbow and Derpy. Rarity looked at them up and down, with a calm and controlled demeanor, before closing her eyes and yelling: "WHAT-HAVE-YOU-DONE-TO-MY-SHIP!" "I can explain!" answered Rainbow Dash. "What were you thinking? How... why..." "THAT WE THE MOST AWESOME THING I'VE EVER SEEN!" The pink pony yelled at the top of her lungs, leaving the whole crowd in silence for a few seconds. "Pinkie, darling, can you save that for after I'm done verbally chastising these two?" "But it was great! I didn't even know it could DO that! I mean, wow, how cool was that? You are amazing! You..." "Pinkie. Please." "...and the way you flew up, like, like flying up in a spiral and..." "Well, yeah, that was a neat trick, wasn't it." admitted Rainbow Dash. "What- no, Pinkie, just let me finish and..." "...and then- and then you fly all the way down like a cannon ball! WHOOOO!" Rarity decided there was no way to hold back Pinkie and instead went towards Twilight, who was busy examining the hull. In the meantime the police seemed to have quietly accepted that since Rarity's Land-Ship had rolled in, they had lost any claim to authority and were just trying to contain the crowd as best as they could. "So...?" asked Rarity, hopeful. "Well, you may not believe it, but there's no structural damage. The hull is barely scratched and it's still at full functionality from what i can tell." "Another testament to the majesty of our craft. We still need to move it back to the testing ground." "In theory... it would be conceivable to just drive it there. It's definitely in conditions to fly... although i'd have to double-check the engines... and the controls. And the hull. And..." "And we need someone to fly it. I wouldn't want to move it without an experienced pilot." "I... i don't think you'd like those two to take the wheel again, would you?" "Ha ha ha... you're joking, right?" "I... i don't know. I mean, i had no idea the ship could do that. And i designed it. Think of the possibilities!" "They almost destroyed it! Surely you don't want them to... to lay their hooves again on this amazing beauty!"Rarity leaned towards the ship, trying to hug the hull with her front hooves. "They might still deserve a chance. Under strict control, of course." Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were still discussing the amazing result of Rainbow's stunts. Derpy stood there, silently. "Well, they do have to pay off a lot of damage, don't they?" asked Rarity. "10.450 bits to be exact, m'lady" answered one of the police stallions. "Well. 10.450. I guess they'll have to work it off with... let's see... about twenty-four months without pay." "Twenty four?" "It should've been twenty five, but i rounded it down." "How... generous."
Order of Business"Do either of you have a reason why I should let you set you hooves on my ship again?" Derpy kept staring into nothingness, while Rainbow Dash grumbled something. After driving the airship back to the factory, with a platoon of guards watching their every move, the two pegasi had been transported into the administration building of the factory, in a room which appeared to be the mixture of an interrogation room and a boudoir. Two high-intensity gas lamps pointed in their faces were the only light source in the room, as Rarity questioned them from her chaise lounge. "You have endangered half of Ponyville and my factory, destroyed a historical building, cost me a veritable fortune and scratched the paint on my masterwork." "..." "And yet, you have demonstrated an unsurpassed prowess. So, the question should be, what am I to do with you?" Another stony silence. "Do you now want the job?" For a few other seconds, Rainbow remained silent. Sweat dripped across her face down to her muzzle, and the light forced her to keep her eyes half-closed. She tried her hardest to hold back, to suppress her desire. Then she gave in. "I... I would do anything.... to have that ship again." "Anything?" Rainbow lowered her head, trying hard to swallow her pride. "Anything. I would even work without pay..." "I wasn't going to pay you anyway." "...but I have a condition. You won't hire her too!" She pointed at the gray pegasus. Derpy sprung up. "Why?" "This is the second ship of mine you've crashed and you're asking why?" "I didn't mean to...." "You... you just don't..." "Now, now, darlings, there's no need to argue. I'm sure we can come to an understanding." "Not with her," said Rainbow Dash, crossing her front hooves. "You have no idea what she's capable of." "Well, then, why don't you tell me. What was this accident in which she crashed your ship?" "She..." For a few seconds, silence fell on the room again. Rainbow looked at Derpy, then at Rarity. Derpy's expression had quickly changed from angry, to confused, and then to devious. Rarity seemed to have caught on to something. "...I... don't think there's any need for it." "Oh, but pleeease, I'd just love to hear this tale." "I'd rather... not say it." "Well, then, I see no reason not to hire her." Derpy grinned. Rainbow considered her options. "...You win this one, Derpy." Ponyville had grown. This was obvious, but there was something to its growth that resembled a plant. Ponyville was a tree. A apple tree giving out fruits of metal, fabric and bricks. And who cared if a few branches had been cut off for these fruits to grow? Stepping back into Ponyville was a sorrowful return for Applejack. She wasn't usually a sentimental pony; her hometown, however, had a special place in her heart, a place nothing else would fill. When she had left her home, many years before, to join the Royal Army, the separation had been just as painful: she wanted to hug and say farewell to every single tree in the orchard. But she had to leave; it came down to her or her brother, and he was more needed in the farm. So she had to go off and ensure at least a good salary. There had been a time when the Apple Family orchards were the main source of food and income in Ponyville. Then came the industries, the machines, the increase in productivity and the improvement of times and methods. And someone had to be left behind. Pruning branches to allow the tree to grow. And now she was back. Celestia had personally picked her to be her officer on the airship Harmony, something which never failed to make her feel proud. Maybe it was just to allow her to come back, maybe it was because one of her old friends was on board. Anyway, the princess took interest in her; few honors were higher than that. Anyway. The first order of business was to meet Lady Rarity- after that, there would've been time to... "BIG SIS! YOU'RE BACK!" Before Applejack could realize it, a cannon ball in the shape of her sister Applebloom hit her and the orange pony found herself clenched in a hug tighter than the grapple of most fighters. "Yup... nice to see...ya... shugahcube... could you... let... me... breathe...?" Applebloom detached herself from her sister's neck. "You're back! I can't believe it!" "It has been a while, ain't it?" Applejack backed off a bit "And look at you! Ya've grown so much! You were just a li'l foal and now you're..." "There is so much I have to tell you! You know, Granny didn't believe you were coming back, so I said..." "Shugahcube, Ah...ah really have to..." "...So she said I was just making up excuses, and come on, I wasn't..." "...Ah have to meet someone and... wait... what are you doin' here near the factory?" "Oh, I was just hangin' out with Sweetie Belle." "Huh?" Applejack struggled to remember if she had ever heard the name anywhere. "That's Rarity's little sister." "Oh, yeah... no... that Rarity?" "No. Her sister." "Rarity's sistah..." Applejack's eye twitched. "Big Sis...?" "...Let's go over this once again. The main boiler?" "Boiler bolted and prepared. Check." "The connection tubes?" "Fixed and strengthened. Check." "The turbines?" "Turbines mounted, oiled and prepared. Check." "The pressure gauges?" "Gauges at normal values. Check." "The coal injection system?" "Dragon-sized shovel primed and ready. Check." "I detect a hint of hostility, Spike." "Gee, Twilight, maybe it has to do with the fact that the only manual labor that you haven't made automatic is mine." "I've already told you, Spike, we don't have time to build another machine. We have to leave tomorrow. And we've barely begun the third check of the engine! And then we have to pack my things! And check that too! We'll be up all night!" "Why?! There's no way we're actually going to leave by tomorrow! We're missing two members of the crew, Rarity's personal baggage alone weights more than the ship's full capacity and I need my beauty rest." Twilight shot a destructive gaze to her assistant. "I think you've been spending too much time with Rarity. Anyway, the Queen's officer will be here today. She promised us that. As for the medical officer... I have no idea. I just hope Rarity isn't too picky." "She's just doing what's best for everyone." "Well, now I know you've been spending too much time with Rarity. Now, please, let's get back to work. We've wasted at least three minutes and forty-five seconds which could have been devoted to double-checking." "Is my beautiful ship at the best of its capacity yet?" Rarity strolled down the stairs into the Harmony's engine room, followed by a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. "We're making sure. The engines seem fine... at least, better than I'd expect after such an ordeal." "Marvelous. Now, meet our expedition's medical doctor, Fluttershy." Rarity stepped aside, leaving the pegasus in full sight. She took a halfhearted step forward with an awkward smile. "I'm Professor Twilight Sparkle, and this is Spike. Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you." The pegasus' response was barely a whisper. "She's such a quiet and lovely girl. I just need to introduce her to Pinkie Pie. Where is she, anyway? I haven't seen her all day!" "I haven't seen her either. I thought she was with you, actually." "Good. So we are late on schedule, I still have to contact the press and we can't find two of our crew members. Twilight, make sure my fainting couch is in good condition. I have a feeling I'll be needing it before today is done."
Preparations"...An' Ah just wanted to say that Ah'm ready to... um… do my best as…" "Yes, darling, I'm sure of that. I trust you've already packed your bags?" "Yes, Ah…" "Excellent. Now, how long until we're done loading the coal?" Rarity turned to a crew of ponies pulling carts loaded with coal towards the innards of the Harmony. Applejack, who had been following her for hours- failing to speak to her more than a couple of sentences- resolved to wait even longer. The preparations of the airship were proceeding at a blinding pace, but it seemed Rarity was nowhere near satisfied. "Just 'bout another ten minutes, ma'am," answered the foreman, a gray-coated Unicorn. "You have five minutes. When you're done, help crew four with the provisions. Miss Hooves, have you loaded all of your equipment?" A grey-coated, wall-eyed Pegasus peeped out from one of the many portholes in the side of the ship. "My what now?" "Your equipment. You're here as a navigator. I trust you'll be needing maps, compasses and the like." "Oh, right! I knew there was something I'd forgotten!" The Pegasus jumped out of the porthole and flew above them, towards the factory. The airship's engineering courtyard was crowded with several teams of workers, loading crates, painting the side of the ship and working around its massive engines. The mixed sounds of welding, hammering and dragging filled the air. "Have you fought in the Pirate Wars?" asked Rarity. It took Applejack a few seconds to realize this was directed towards her. "No. Most of those who were in the Wars were dismissed. Ah was…" "A royal guard then? I cannot imagine the gossip and intrigues of palace life…." "No, none of that. Ah am just a soldier. Ah'm afraid Ah never…" "Well, never mind, then," Rarity turned around and started yelling orders again. Applejack couldn't help but feeling offended- wasn't she good enough for her? "Y'know, Ah don't think…" "…And make sure you keep that side upright. You, there, can you please keep that noise down? And… WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" "…As Ah was saying…" "TWILIGHT! WHERE IN EQUESTRIA ARE…" "I'm here! I'm here!" A purple-coated unicorn ran in from one of the adjacent rooms. Applejack quickly recognized her as Professor Twilight Sparkle, a relatively famous pony all around Equestria. "Twilight, darling, please tell me you know where Pinkamina is." "I'm afraid I have no idea. I haven't seen her since yesterday." "One of these days… oh, Twilight, meet… Applecake, is it? She's the Queen's envoy…" "That's Applejack." Applejack and Twilight shook hooves. "As Ah was trying to say, Ah'm honored to be on this mission and Ah'll do my best…" Applejack looked at Rarity "… even if Ah'm not a veteran or a general." "Of course, of course… Twilight, please show her around the ship. I'll see if I can find that… that… Pinkie." "Actually, I have to…" "You'll have time for that. Possibly," Rarity walked forward, leaving the other two ponies behind. "Is she always like this?" asked Applejack after a few seconds. "No… not so much. She's under a bit of stress." "Ah see. Listen, is this Pinkie y'all are talking about Pinkie Pie? Like, the inventor Pinkie Pie?" "Yes, that's correct. Do you know her?" "C'mon, everypony knows Pinkie Pie! We were friends a while back… before I left." Twilight giggled. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I still have to meet somepony who doesn't know-" "PINKIE PIE!" Rarity's yell surpassed any other noise in the room. Applejack and Twilight turned towards the courtyard gates where Pinkie was standing, with a smile going ear to ear, in front of Rarity. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" "I've been busy," answered the pink pony, somehow widening her smile even further. "You've been… busy." "Yes." "…Busy doing what?" Pinkie shook her head and jumped through the gates. Rarity galloped behind her, quickly followed by Twilight and Applejack. As they stepped out of the courtyard, a blinding light forced them to close their eyes. "SURPRISE!" As the three ponies opened their eyes again, the realized they were literally surrounded by a plethora of ponies armed to the teeth with photo cameras and notebooks. A podium, with a megaphone, was set up next to the courtyard's wall. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Spike were standing beside it. Above them Derpy Hooves was floating, haphazardly carrying a set of tools in her front hooves. "Well, you've already heard from most of the crew, but now, give a round of applause for the greatest scientist in Equestria, the director of the project not to mention, my dear friend, Twilight Sparkle!" Pinkie led Twilight to the podium while the crowd of journalists clopped their hooves. Twilight looked around, embarrassed. Now I know I should add "sudden press conference speech" to the list of things to always have prepared, she thought. "Are they still there, Bert?" "They haven't moved." "How about the telegraph station?" "They've searched it already, I think, but they're still guarding it." "Think we could make break for it?" The yellow-coated miner shook his head and looked at his colleague. "Them's too fast, Rocky. If we leave the tunnels they'll catch us straight away." "And if we stay here they'll catch us eventually. If we can at least ask for help…" "Ask who?" "…Someone." "Well, if that's your best plan, just ask them if they let you send a message to someone." "Very funny." The two miners kept looking out of the mine's tunnels, at the several figures poised around the entrance and on the roofs of all the outlying buildings They had attacked that morning, without provocation. Most of the miners had been captured in the initial assault and were now locked up and guarded inside the administration building. A few of them had managed to outrun the assailants and take refuge in the tunnels, and had been pinned in there since. "If we could send an SOS to the central command, they could send us the airship." "The airship?" "You know, the one everyone's been talking about "The Harmony." "That's the one. We need to get to the telegraph building and warn them. And even if they catch us, they'll just tie us up and throw us in the offices." "You think? I think they're planning something worse. I've seen one of them carrying a bit cauldron in there." "You don't mean…?" "I sure hope not. But…" "That's it! We need help! Can you at least distract them?" "Well…" "Just long enough for me to reach the telegraph station." "I don't think…" A scream interrupted the two ponies. After a few seconds, they realized the scream was coming from the inside of the mines. They looked at each other in the eyes and immediately ran out. Another scream from inside, paired with a twisted laughter. Then, the sound of claws on rocky floors behind them. The two ponies crossed the threshold of the mine. A group of enemies jumped down on them, cutting off their path. The ponies hopped to the right, galloping towards the telegraph station. The enemies quickly caught up. Bert hesitated a second, one second too many. Four dogs jumped on him, pinning him to the ground. Rocky reached the telegraph station, barged through the door and slammed it shut. The dogs immediately pounced on it, almost making it come off the hinges. Even from inside, Rocky could hear the sound of more of them jumping from the roof and scratching at the walls and windows. He ran to the telegraph. He had never learned to use the thing properly- that wasn't his job. However, he did know enough to send an SOS. He quickly set the destination to the first address he could think of- Ponyville Factory, and pounded on the device, sending the brief message. Just as soon as it was completed, he looked out of the window. The dogs had climbed the telegraph pole and were furiously trying to rip the cables. Meanwhile, another blow shook the door. Rocky paced around the room, looking for any escape. The windows were all besieged. The door was being furiously assaulted. The telegraph, even if the line still worked, was useless as he didn't know how to write any other message. Eventually, the door gave in and was thrown off its hinges. A massive diamond dog walked into the room and examined it through the mechanized goggles he wore over his eyes. The two crosshairs settled on Rocky. "Looksss like we found you. Did you call your mommy, my little pony?" The dog walked to the pony and grabbed him with his cold, metallic claw. Rocky said nothing, utterly dumbstruck. "Yessss you did, yesss you did!" The dog barked a laugh. "That'ssss… perfect."
The Flight Of the HarmonyThe vibration of the machine beneath their hooves. The noise of the engines powering up. The smell of smoke and coal. The cold metal of the levers and the wood of the steering wheel. And then… Lift off. With a massive lunge forward, the Harmony left the ground. The main engines unleashed their full power, propelling it out of the courtyard and above Ponyville, clearing for a few seconds the sky of the smoke and steam. A chorus of cheers from below bid farewell to the ship, as the flashes of photographers immortalized the departure. Rainbow Dash pulled the speed lever further back as she let out a wordless, joyous scream. When she let go and allowed the ship to slow down to cruising speed, they had already passed Ponyville and were steadily flying into the sunset. Rainbow yelled out again, then pulled back her goggles and looked down at the rest of the crew on the deck. Rarity was in the process of fixing her hair while she looked around excitedly. Twilight and Pinkie were chasing Pinkie’s hat, which was rolling around on the deck and had miraculously not yet fallen overboard. Twilight finally grasped it with her telekinetic force and threw it to Pinkie, who caught it on her head with a jump. Applejack was looking down from the railing, no doubt giving a last look to her Sweet Apple Acres. The rest of the crew was nowhere to be seen. “Everybody doing okay down there?” asked Rainbow Dash. Rarity, Pinkie and Twilight nodded, and the three of them walked up to the command station. Applejack turned around, and the other ponies caught a glimpse of a greenish shade on her distressed face. “First time on an airship, eh?” yelled Rainbow Dash with a chuckle “You’ll get used to it.” Applejack turned back with a groan. “What a perfect soldier the Princess has sent us,” whispered Rarity. “A rookie with no fighting experience and who gets sick after three minutes of flight.” Twilight looked nervously at the white unicorn. “I’m certain the Princess had her reasons to choose her.” “Then you should ask her what her reasons are with your next report.” Rainbow ignored the two bickering unicorns and focused on the airship. She pulled the altitude lever, driving the Harmony upwards in the cold evening air. Pinkie observed her handling the commands as the airship stabilized itself once again. “You know, we can go faster if you use the secondary and main power at the same time.” “Huh?” “The third lever on the right. That’s the overdrive. I noticed you weren’t using it when we started…” “Oh. Well, thanks. I’m still getting used to this beast…” “I know! Isn’t this exciting? There’s so much to discover! We haven’t even tasted half of the functions!” “That’s cool… I guess… as long as none of these is the self-destruct lever, right?” “Self-destruct, you say?” Pinkie started mumbling as she scratched her chin. “Maybe… if we add a bit of… hum… and if instead… hum….” Rainbow Dash decided not to intervene and instead turned to the interphone. “Hey, Derpy! Can you hear me down there?” The noise of something collapsing was the only response. Rainbow decided to interpret it as a yes. “Are we on the right course?” “We have to turn thirty degrees north!” “And what exactly were you waiting for to tell me?!” “…” “Yeah, whatever.” Rainbow adjusted the course according to Derpy’s instruction. “So… what is our mission exactly?” she asked, turning to Twilight and Rarity “I mean… we didn’t exactly get a full briefing. All you said was that we had to reach this mine as soon as possible. Is this an emergency? Is it a rescue mission?!” Rainbow said excitedly. “Probably,” answered Twilight “We don’t know for sure. All we received was an SOS, immediately before the line was interrupted.” “Aside from that,” added Rarity, “We need to visit the mine to gather some supplies.” “Supplies? Like fuel? Didn’t know you owned coal mines, boss.” “It’s not a coal mine. We need a few Raritanium plates to reinforce the balloon. And incidentally, you’re supposed to refer to me as My Lady. Or Lady Rarity. Or if you prefer… ” “Yeah, yeah, got it. But really, a Raritanium mine was attacked?! I heard those mines were like fortresses…” “They are indeed well defended... but their main defense is the secrecy of their location.” “This means,” intervened Twilight, “That there is probably someone inside the organization who is working for the enemy.” “You mean a spy?!” “Exactly. “ “Soooo…” “So, we’ll make sure to watch you closely,” Rarity leaned in to look at Rainbow closely in the eyes, “In case you feel like stepping out of line.” “Yeah, sure,” Rainbow pushed the unicorn out of the way. “Don’t you worry; we’ll be there safe and sound.” “And if possible, let’s try to be there soon.” “All you need to do is ask.” Rainbow pulled the overdrive lever and pushed the Harmony forward into the night sky. “…And the miners?” “Them’s all locked up tight.” “Perfect. I trust no one of them has been harmed?” “No sir,” The diamond dog growled at the two gray-coated ponies standing before him “All safe and sound.” “Then proceed. Load the ore on our vessel. We need to be done before dawn breaks.” “First you pay us!” “Yesss! Pay usss!” the other dogs started yelling. “You have already discussed your payment with our superiors. You are expected to complete your assignment.” “What?! NO! We did all the work! If you don’t pay, then how about we take all of it for ourselves?!” “I wouldn’t do that,” answered one of the ponies, spreading his bat-like wings and lowering his head menacingly. “WHAT?! You little bat-donkey think you can take me!?” The dog jumped forward, rising his robotic left hand for a punch. Before he could connect, he felt an unseen force grabbing his torso and pulling him back. The other gray pony waved his horn. The dog’s metallic arm slowly started to separate from the body, while sparks started flying out from it together with the screeching of the metal. “Maybe you should remember that we are the ones that gave you those beautiful gifts,” said the unicorn. “It would be a shame if we had to take them away.” “NO! NO! NO!” the dog tried his best to keep the arm attached while sparks started coming out of his mechanized eye. The lens came undone and fell off into the dirt. “I trust you will be complying with the agreed conditions from now on.” “Yes! Yes! Of course boss!” The other dogs backed off, growling. The telekinetic force dissipated and the dog fell to the ground. He picked up the lens and backed off, walking on his hind legs holding his injured arm. “We’re going to work, but you’d better pay what you owe us.” “Of course. We honour our deals. Truthfulness is a virtue, after all.” The dogs walked off towards the mine. The pegasus shook his head as soon as they were out of sight. “How can we trust these creatures? We can’t be sure they won’t double-cross us.” “On the contrary,” answered the unicorn “We can be sure they will double-cross us. But as long as they have anything to gain, they’ll keep obeying.” “And what about the ponies? If a message has been sent, we can expect them to be here…” “If these brutes manage to do their job, we’ll be gone before they’re even in the region. Now signal the cargo ship to land; we have a long night ahead of us. “Agent C3, reporting.” “What have you seen?” “Most of them are arguing on the deck. Pinkie Pie is tinkering with the command panel. The cartographer is locked in her room. Spike is in the boiler room talking to the doctor.” “Have you been spotted?” “No. The mission proceeds as planned.”
