The suitcase hit the mattress with a *whump* and was quickly followed up by a smaller *whump* as the front half of a kirin landed on the bed as well, the spider that had been riding in her usual spot getting thrown off and landing on the bed with a third, almost inaudible *whump*. “Finally,” Midnight moaned into the bedding, ignoring Arina’s annoyed chirping, “this trip is getting started.”

“This past week did seem to crawl by,” Sapphire agreed, nuzzling Midnight’s whither. The kirin was equal parts excited to get on the ship and sail and burnt out from the week she’d had. She really, really hoped that her first night on board would find her dead asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Speaking of, the bed felt really comfortable right then. “Don’t nod off just yet,” the pegasus told her, as if able to read her mind, “we still have to meet with Captain Hook Smith alongside Twilight.”

Midnight raised her head off the comfy bed spread. “I want cuddles,” she almost whined.

“Later,” Sapphire promised, kissing her and moved away to help Squeaks settle in. Everyone going aboard was now in the castle, all set up in the wing that was closest to the stairway leading to the ship’s secret dock. Well, everyone except for Shoal, who was taking up space in the cave the royal sisters had first found her in. The plan was that they would meet with the princesses, Twilight, and the ship’s captain tonight, then everyone would wake up and head down to the ship at the same time the next morning. Once everyone was on board they’d launch, perform some last checks, then circle around the city and head north. The meeting was so that everyone who was in charge could finally meet and coordinate before sailing so that the start of the expedition would go as smooth as possible. After they left Equestria it would be anyone’s guess how things would go.

Sighing, Midnight pulled her suitcase off the bed and placed it next to Sapphire’s as Arina skittered past, aiming to crawl onto Squeaks while her owner was in her meeting. Normally the kirin barely packed anything at all besides toiletries, seeing as she owned very few clothes and didn’t need to take everything she owned with her like she used to. This time, though, she had a number of things going with her, all of them things she could use to help show both her father and grandfather what she’d been doing her whole life. The new photo album she'd made during the few hours she had free during the week was probably the most important thing she was bringing, put together with help from her family and friends. Even if it only really covered the time she’d been in Ponyville, the past few years had been some of the most important in her life. Summer was brining one as well to show the kirin in her younger years and most were candid photos she never knew her mother had taken. Yet another consequence of being an angry teen. She had a few of the novels she liked to read, both to share with them and so she had something to do if there ever ended up being time to herself while on board. She’d also packed a few food recipes for stuff she really liked, such as the fried deer meat Scarlet had introduced her to.

Stepping out of the bedroom she watched as everyone else put their overnight stuff away. “Well, let’s get going. No sense putting off the meeting any longer than necessary,” she announced, then nodded at the door. “You too, Honey.”

“Me?” Honey asked. Sapphire and Windrunner she understood, but why did she need to go?

“You’re the changeling ambassador, aren’t you?” Midnight pointed out.

“Ah, right, yes,” Honey said, having forgot her excuse to come along. “I’m right behind you.”

Midnight grinned as they left. “Paperwork was really that bad, huh?”

Honey let out a noncommittal groan.

“You know, if you DO set up relations with the Storm Clan, that’ll actually mean MORE paperwork, right?” Midnight pointed out.

Honey groaned louder as the kirin chuckled.

Captain Hook Smith was a lot like Long Line in Midnight’s opinion, only with wings. An old sea-dog (air-dog? sky-dog?) of a pegasus who, while good natured, would suffer no problems on his ship. “You may be a captain of the guard,” he told her, “and you two might be the lead ambassadors,” he told Twilight and Honey, “but this is MY ship and unless you lot think you know how to handle an airship better than my forty years, you’ll leave me and my crew to it and listen to what I say with both ears when there’s a problem, clear?”

“He reminds me of Lieutenant Iron Ore,” Midnight said to the princesses after this little speech. “I like him already.”

“That’s good to hear, as he’s one of if not the most experienced airship captain in Equestria,” Celestia said.

“As is my crew,” Smith said, nodding to his First Officer, Mooring Dock. “So, now that formalities are out of the way, who’s going with us besides the guard and ambassadors?”

Midnight passed him a scroll with the passenger list she’d written up. “There isn’t that many beside them,” she said as he looked over it.

“Plenty enough,” Smith muttered. “Eden Rose… that’s a noble, right? She only has four with her?”

“Correct,” Sapphire said, “her personal maid, personal body guard, and her son and his pet.”

“Huh, normally they have a whole entourage. That’ll make things easier for the stewards. There’s going to be foals aboard?”

“Just two; my daughter Squeaks and her friend Ember, who is the daughter of one of my guards,” Midnight explained. “They’ll be watched carefully so they shouldn’t get under hoof. Eden’s son, Norik, is a teen.”

Smith made an ambiguous grunt and kept looking.

“We understand thine desire to bring young Squeaky Wings, but how hast young Ember come to join you?” Luna asked.

“Because someone gave information away too freely and a certain noble has gotten it into her head that the Storm Clan will “adopt” wayward kirins and dropped that particular idea into Ember’s ear,” Midnight said, giving them a flat stare.

“That wasn’t the intent,” Celestia said defensively. Luna just rolled her eyes.

“More surprising that her mother would allow such a trip,” the blue alicorn added.

“Surprised me, too, but she thinks Ember and Spine need to spend more father-daughter time together and since the ship is apparently so safe…” she finished with a shrug.

“You have three dragons coming with us and you kirin also breath fire as well, right?” Smith asked, steering the conversation back on course.

“We do. One dragon is the father of Ember and he’s small enough that he should fit aboard. Spike is smaller than a pony so he shouldn’t be a problem. Shoal can keep her distance in the air if need be or catch up to us if she lands. I’m the largest of the three kirin. All of us are very careful with our fire and live in homes made of wood in Ponyville.”

“Size shouldn’t be an issue,” Smith said. “The princesses gave me the details and there’s a fair bit of anti-fire precautions on board and baked into the ship herself but you can’t be too careful.” He looked further down the list. “A night guard consisting of thestrals and owl harpies… the night watch will love that. I only say so because sailors are a superstitious lot,” he explained when he saw the face Midnight made at his comment. “Both the air and the sea kind. They see anything like a glowing pair of eyes and the next thing you know there’s talk of ghosts and curses and ponies are jumping at every little thing and even refuse to work.”

“What if we introduce them all tonight?” Midnight suggested. “Would they feel better meeting them before we sail and understanding what they’re seeing is just my guards and not Nightmare Night spooks?”

Smith chuckled. “Aye, I think that would certainly help. The nightshift is taking their first watch tonight, so them all meeting in port will make a difference. Like I said before this is a good crew and I hoof-picked the officers myself; they’re made of a little tougher stuff than the average sailor.” He went back to the list. “Hmm, changelings, interesting. Might want to have them come tonight, too. One of them gets up in the middle of the night to use the head undisguised and someone doesn’t get a good look…” he shook his head.

“If there’s anything we can do to make things easier for you, please tell us,” Honey said.

“I appreciate that but just getting used to knowing you’re there should be enough,” Smith assured her.

“And you’re sure that none of your crew will have any prejudices?” Midnight inquired. Everyone side-eyed the kirin as her wings opened just a bit.

Smith smiled at her. “My crewmen have been to places full of griffons, minotaurs, and other creatures that would send the average, untraveled pony running away screaming and they don’t bat an eye. Sure, there was the attack on Canterlot but none of my sailors are from or have family here and if the princesses don’t have a problem then they sure don’t. Be a pretty bad crew to bring to explore the unknown, too, don’t you think?”

The wings folded back in. “Good point,” Midnight conceded.

“And finally we’ve got a few animals,” Smith said as he reached the bottom of the list. “Including a bear.”

“Those are mostly Fluttershy’s animals,” Twilight said. “They’ll either stay in the hold or on deck during the trip.”

“Well, if they’re that well trained I expect them to make the crew’s life easier and go off the side of the ship,” Smith said with a smirk.

“I’m sure Fluttershy will let them know,” Twilight said with a nervous chuckle.

“The only other animals that will be coming along are my pet spider, Arina, and two phoenixes, Pee Wee, Spike’s pet baby phoenix, and Lhikan, Norik’s adult phoenix,” Midnight added.

Smith grunted at two more fire-prone creatures. “Well, besides the night meeting we’ve agreed to and my want of extra fire extinguishers to ease my mind, nothing really stands out as a problem.”

“As there shouldn’t be,” Celestia said. “Any questions?” she asked the room at large.

“When our duties overlap, such as if the ship needs protecting, how are we handling the chain of command?” Midnight asked.

“This isn’t a warship, so the guard will be expected to handle threats such as an attack,” Smith said. “What I meant earlier is if something on the ship breaks or we run into harsh weather, I can’t have those that don’t know how to handle a ship getting under hoof. Me or one of my crew tells someone to get out of the way or go back below deck they better be able to teleport.”

“Completely reasonable; I’d expect the same from your crew if something like an attack happens as well,” Midnight said to which Smith nodded. “Twilight?”

“I’m fine,” the alicorn said, “as long as no more books are stolen.”

“You know, some birds push their chicks out of the nest to teach them how to fly,” Midnight said, her wings opening all the way this time as she stared down the purple alicorn.

“I think this has been a productive meeting,” Celestia said loudly, standing up. “Captain Storm I believe you have some guards to round up and prepare. Twilight, Honeycomb, Cadance sent some notes on negotiation you should find interesting.”

As they left the room, Sapphire leaned over and asked, “really?”

“She wants to keep bringing up me stealing an out-of-date book, I’ll just keep pointing out problems with her,” Midnight said with a shrug.

“And you two are spending at least the next month on the same ship together,” Sapphire said with an exasperated sigh. “Peachy.”

Aft Bulkhead walked through the cargo hold, checking the crates of supplies that had been loaded on board over the past few days. Apparently the next day a portion of the hold was going to be turned into a kind of zoo or barn and the captain wanted everything spic and span before it became a literal pigsty. Aft did NOT envy whoever got cleanup duty down here.

“Hey, Aft! Your light not working?”

Though it might just end up being him. Aft turned to face the stallion that called him, a crewmate and fellow earth pony called Taught Rigging. “It’s working fine, why?” Aft asked, walking over to where Rigging was standing.

“Because you missed this,” Rigging told him, pointing at one of the crates. When Aft got to it, he could just make out that one of the wooden planks was slightly caved in, meaning that at one point something had hit and cracked it a bit.

“Alright, so it’s a bit cracked, so what?”

“So I’ve heard little critters can get into some pretty tight spaces and the captain doesn’t want any of the supplies compromised with the animals coming aboard.”

Aft looked at the broken spot again. The open space was so thin he figured he’d have a hard time getting a folded piece of paper in there. “You sure?” he asked, doubtfully.

“Just report it so we don’t get our tails chewed off later!” Rigging said.

Without warning something landed on one of the crates above them and both ponies immediately swung their headlamps up to see what had happened. Had they not been at the meeting at the start of the shift they both would have gone running back up on deck so fast a Wonderbolt would have been impressed. One of the owl harpies that had been introduced to them was perched on the crate, bird talons gripping the wood as she leaned down to look at them, her slightly glowing green eyes just out if the beams of light.

“All is alright?” she asked in that halting, not quite right way of speaking they all seemed to have.

Aft recovered first. “Uh, yeah, we’re all good, just found a crate that’s slightly damaged is all.” He motioned to the spot and the owl harpy bent over more to get a better look, her orange mane falling forward on one side. “Um, you’re Wave, right? I remember you from the introductions.”

She looked up from the spot the lights were on to look at him. “Yes, I am Wave Darkfeather.”

“Well Wave Darkfeather, I’m Aft Bulkhead. It’s nice to meet you.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rigging roll his eyes.

“Hello Aft Bulkhead,” Wave said, then looked back at the crate. “I see the damage. It is a big deal?” she asked.

“According to the captain it is,” Rigging told her.

“I will report it then,” she told them, straightening up and opening her wings.

“I’m looking forward to working with you on this trip!” Aft called out as she took off.

“I as well!” She called back as she shot up to the open cargo bay door above, wings barely making a sound as she flew.

“Really?” Rigging said when she was gone.

“What? She’s cute!” Aft shot back.

“We’re on duty. How about you flirt when we’re off duty?”

“I never knew you liked working so much,” Aft teased.

Rigging snorted. “I don’t. The faster we get this done, the faster we get put on general patrol, the faster I can find a place to snooze. Makers, I hate the night shift.” With that he turned around and went down another row of crates.

Aft turned and went down the row he’d been going down before being called back. Normally he would agree with Rigging about working all through the night but with mares like Wave on the same shift, well, he had a little more pip in his step as he checked more crates.

“That’s a really big ship, mom,” Squeaks said from Midnight’s back, looking up as they entered the secret dock.

“It sure is Squeaks,” Midnight agreed as she led them up and along the carved path from the entrance door towards the gangway that would bring them on deck. 1There was a chorus of “oos” and “ahs” behind her as they climbed the steps carved into the cavern that would bring them up to the gangway. Only a few of the guard had been with them when they first saw it and while they’d tried to explain just how big the ship was it was clear they hadn’t done a good enough job. With how many were entering the cavern at the same time, as well as stopping and staring at the massive vessel, almost everything with wings took to the air as soon as they passed through the main doors. “Everyone stay with the main path!” Midnight called out behind her, hovering for a second. “Everyone needs to check in at the gangway before going aboard!” This last bit was aimed at a certain chromatic pegasus, who sighed loudly and rolled her eyes but came back to the path.

“Sweet makers, Midnight, you were right about fitting half the town in it!” Summer said, doing her best to keep walking and look at the ship without tripping.

“Those two giant balloons make it look even bigger than last time!” Snow noted, gaining some altitude to try and see the top of them.

The balloons to lift the ship had been added since they last saw her. Both as long as the ship and together just as wide and colored in a deep, dark blue with silver trim on the struts, contrasting with the light-colored (painted?) wood of the hull that was trimmed in places with gold that either had also been added since last time or hadn’t been noticeable with the workers crawling all over the ship. Midnight hadn’t noticed the night before as it had been darker and she’d been more concerned about the crew and guard getting along. The coloration definitely made it look like the royal sister’s personal ship and the only ones crawling on it now where her crew, with most of those either climbing the rigging for the balloons or huddling by the stern and presumably checking on the three engines. There were also several of what looked like lifeboats now along the railing spaced around the exposed deck, going all the way from the bow to the raised superstructure in the back. Portholes dotted the sides but only went so low before not appearing anymore, which confused Midnight as she thought that, as it was an airship, ponies on the lower decks would want to see outside as well. The portholes also stopped toward the stern of the ship and became balconies with banks of large windows on three levels of the superstructure; the very top and the two lower.

When they finally reached the gangway, they were met by First Officer Mooring Dock, who saluted them. Midnight saluted in turn as she landed, feeling Squeaks lower herself fully onto Midnight back since it looked like something official was about to happen. As she didn’t feel Arina take her place, the spider must have opted to stay on the filly’s head. “The Bearer Guard, ambassadors, and guests request permission to come aboard,” Midnight said in a serious tone. She and some of her officers had been taught a bit of proper ship etiquette the previous night and the procedure to come aboard was one of them. For ease of boarding it had been decided that she would do the saluting and request for all of them since checking in everyone on the boarding list was going to take some time by itself.

“Permission granted, Captain,” Mooring Dock said with a return salute, then picked up the nearby clipboard with his magic and made a series of checks on it. “You and your family are quartered in the Moon Suite. Go through the double doors in the center of the aftcastle and continue down the main hallway until you reach the double doors on the port side, your starboard. The ambassadors will be in the Sun Suite across from you and the bearer guard will be berthed on the decks below you. Captain Hook Smith will be holding a ship-wide safety meeting once everyone has settled in.”

“Thank you, First Officer, we’ll be there,” Midnight told him, stepping onto the gangway.

“Mom, what’s “port” and “starboard”?” Squeaks asked as they crossed.

“It’s “left” and “right” in nautical terms,” Midnight told her. “Both “port” and “left” have four letters in them, that’s how I was told to remember them.”

“Do we have to say that for the whole trip?” the thestral asked, sounding worried.

“No, just when you talk with a crewmember,” Midnight told her, “and we’ll know what you mean. I think Miss Cheerilee had a few work sheets about ships for you to do, so you should get used to hearing and using them.”

They looked around as they made the deck, which Midnight could see on closer inspection was indeed painted to look something like birch wood. To her left (port) two large pillars, what would be masts on a sea-going ship, stuck out of the center of the deck and went up into between the two balloons above with the raised bow section, about half a pony high, beyond them. It was hard to tell if the masts were stuck between the balloons as they’d been inflated or if the balloons had been shaped around them when they’d been put together. Between the masts on the deck was a raised section with square holes that she recognized as the cover to the cargo bay below. It had been open the night before to allow the flyers to go in and out quickly as well as to load a few last minute items and luggage. Beyond that the deck was clear of everything but the life boats and several areas were the railing extended a bit onto the deck, denoting places one could go down below or come up to the deck from besides the aftcastle.

To her right (starboard) was the superstructure, or aftcastle, about five stories high with the bridge windows at the top. Open stairways flanked the sides with two normal doors near them and a pair of more opulent doors in the center. Above the first story of the aftcastle the structure actually had a pointed look, tapering from the back to the front which looked about as wide as two Midnights long. With more of their large party coming up the gangway the residents of the Storm Household and Summer made their way through the double doors as directed.

The inside was just as fancy looking as she’d expected for being a royal airship. Brand new plush rugs ran down the main hallway as well as the ones branching off from it with a bright yellow centerline flanked by night blue running along the walls. On the wooden walls were fancy stands that alternated between gold and silver with electrical lights sticking out of them. When they reached the end of the hallway there was a small rotunda with the flag of Equestria hanging prominently in the center of the back wall. To their right was a set of double doors that were dark blue with silver trim while to their left was a set of double doors that were white with gold trim.

“Did the princesses give us their own personal quarters!?” Summer asked in a small voice that was both in awe and panicked.

“This trip is gonna be AWESOME!” Rainbow Dash, who had come up behind them with the other bearers, cheered, bolting into what had to be Celestia’s room.

“Dang it, Dash!” AJ yelled, chasing her inside.

“I’m sure they didn’t have a chance to really furnish it,” Midnight said, feeling a little uneasy herself. The castle guest rooms were one thing, feeling more like an expensive hotel with the presence of staff being the only thing to make one really feel out of place. Spending time in a fully furnished royal suite would be a whole other experience.

Opening the doors, she found that she was only half wrong.

While the suite wasn’t fitted out for a sole, royal occupant, it was still intimidating. Even finer carpet, dark blue as well, covered the floor, furniture made of mahogany and dark oak with dark blue upholstery and silver trim, lamps that seemed to be made of fine china on every end table and a glass main table that had a night sky of silver stars and moon painted on it made up the main lounge area, with the large windows and balcony Midnight had noted earlier letting in what light was present in the cavern. Out in the open sky on a sunny day there’d be little need of the lamps, if any. Even the kitchenette was furnished with a crafted sink and faucet, thought the small fridge and stove/oven were rather plain and the furniture in there was also on the plainer side, being made of metal. Thankfully all the breakable decorations that would normally fill such a space were absent and upon closer inspection the lamps and glass table were much sturdier than at first glance.

“You could concuss someone with this,” Honey said, carefully inspecting one of the lamps with her magic.

“And the glass is actually quite thick,” Sapphire told them.

“Do your homework in the kitchen anyway, just in case,” Midnight told Squeaks, who nodded.

The bedroom was about the same, with five decently sized beds, one alone against the back wall and two each against the side walls, with crafted wood frames, night stands with lamps, and dressers. The mirrors in the room were bolted securely onto the wall in their expensive-looking frames above the dressers and the large windows and balcony continued here as well. “So Sapphire and me in one and everyone else gets their own,” Midnight noted on the amount of beds, giving Sapphire a raised eyebrow and a lop-sided grin.

“With four others in here, don’t even think of trying anything funny,” Sapphire told her with a raised eyebrow of her own.

Midnight gave her a hard nuzzle and growl-purred.

Finally there was the bathroom, which had two of everything sans toilet, which there was only one of and blocked from direct sight with a wall. The tubs and sinks were also richly decorated, with the baths being raised on clawed feet and large enough for Midnight to fit her whole body if she let her wings droop down the outside of them. This room thankfully only had two portholes. It also lacked carpeting but instead had a tile mosaic of the night sky with the moon prominently in the center.

“This is going to be an experience,” Midnight said once the self-guided tour was done and Arina, who finally was back in her favorite spot, chirped an agreement.

There was a knock at the main doors and a changeling, Mandible, stuck his head in. “Captain, your Highness, there’s a mare here that says they’re the personal steward.”

The adults all looked at each other. “Is that like a personal maid or butler?” Squeaks asked.

“Kind of,” Midnight said. “Go ahead and let her in.” It hadn’t crossed her mind since they didn’t do it back home, at least not to the extent of standing outside the front and side door of the house, but as Honey’s royal guard of course they’d set up station right outside the doors and screen anyone wishing to enter. That actually meant that there was going to almost always be someone watching the bearers’ doors as well. There was little chance someone would try anything on this trip but one could never be completely sure. They could let her know if it sounded like anything was going on in there as well.

Mandible nodded and moved to let a purple mare, dressed in an outfit that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the castle above, step into the suite. “Ma’am, I am Violet Jessamine, you and your family’s personal steward for this voyage.”

“I see,” Midnight said. “Well, to start and ease our minds, there’s nothing in here that’s easily breakable, is there?”

“As long as everything is used as it should be and the same rules about playing indoors at home are followed here, there should be no reason to worry about damages,” Violet told her in a no-nonsense tone, enhanced by the tight bun her frosty yellow mane was in. “Also, both suites have similar furnishings and the ambassadors’ personal steward Guarded Heart has already informed me that Miss Dash has quite thoroughly tested the endurance of most of them.”

“Of course she has,” Midnight said flatly, ignoring her mother’s horrified look. “Well, we’re all better behaved than Dash has ever been, so I think we’ll be fine. Also, and forgive me for being so straight forward, but why are we getting a personal steward?”

“Personal stewards are assigned to VIPs on board,” Violet explained. “The bearers, besides being who they are, are also the heads of the diplomatic party for the voyage. Your family, being related to the Storm Clan and thus are the whole reason for this voyage, are just as important, not to mention that you are a captain of the guard, a personal friend of the princesses, and have royalty staying with you as well. Not providing you with a personal steward would be considered an insult.”

“Ooooookay,” Midnight said slowly, letting that sink in. “Well, could you tell me where everyone is staying in the ship? Maybe I could also get a map?”

Violet reached into her saddle bags and produced the desired paper, then walked over to the main table and spread it out where they could all see. “Your suite is located here on E Deck, as is the main dining area near the front of the aftcastle. The Bridge and ship’s map room is on A Deck, the officer’s quarters are on B and C deck, and the conference room is above us on D Deck. The four that came from the Storm Clan are being berthed with the ship’s officers so that they are close at hoof to the map room. The Lady Eden Rose and her group are quartered on F Deck right below us as well as the bearer guard officers, while the rest of the guard is spread between the remainder of F and G deck. The cargo bay goes all the way down from F Deck to J Deck, which it takes up most of. Below that is the engine deck and ballast deck. I’ve been asked to relay to you to please not enter those decks unless it is absolutely necessary and in that case in the company of a ship officer as those spaces are full of machinery and can become quite cramped in places. Any other such concerns of the crew will be conveyed during the ship safety review with the captain.”

Midnight nodded, memorizing the map as much as she could while it was still open in front of her. “What about the front of the ship?” she asked, pointing to the spaces in front of the hold.

“The ship’s crew and their facilities are all in the fore of the ship,” Violet explained. “It’s not off-limits but privacy is appreciated, as they will be doing the same and staying out of the aft of the ship unless necessary.”

Again Midnight nodded. Despite the ship’s size there’d be little chance of privacy and alone time while they were aboard which was bound to grate some nerves eventually. She’d originally been unhappy with the scientific part of the trip, thinking they were wasting time stopping so much, but now she felt that they could be used to get some of them off the ship so others could have some amount of alone time. Once they were under way she’d hold a meeting with the captain, her officers, Twilight, and the scientists to figure out a plan.

“I guess that would be it for now,” Midnight said, straightening up.

Violet rolled up the map and gave it to Midnight. “Please keep this for further consultation for yourself.”

“Thank you,” Midnight said, taking the map. She’d put it in the night stand drawer for now.

“Is there anything else I can get you while you wait for the safety meeting? Perhaps some refreshments?” Violet asked, look between them expectantly.

“I guess we could all have something to drink while we wait,” Midnight hedged, looking around and seeing agreeing nods and noises of assent, even from Summer. “Okay, what do you have?”

Violet pulled out a menu.

Midnight stood at the bow of Return of Harmony, waiting along with her family as the crew began final preparations for launching. During the safety briefing they all attended, the mooring lines and extra ballasts that had been keeping her grounded had been removed and there was just the slightest jerk as the ship became airborne, first causing a few worried noises followed by a round of applause as the ship successfully stayed aloft. Had there been any issues, everyone being on deck would have made for an easier evacuation.

The safety briefing itself was straightforward: don’t get in the crew’s way, don’t go places you don’t need to, flyers steer clear of the propellers if you need to stretch your wings, and those with the ability to produce fire please keep it to an absolute minimum. The only thing that really surprised Midnight was the insistence that everyone, flyer or not, had to participate in the lifeboat drill. “Why are we doing this when we have wings?” she’d asked Smith, extending her own for emphases.

“Your wing’s broken,” he responded, “or cut up to complete uselessness or you’re knocked out. You flying when you’re out cold? Everyone needs to know what to do in case of abandoning ship and there’s enough room in those lifeboats for everyone, so get in.” She had to admit he had a good point and had continued without another word. Even Dash didn’t argue, which Midnight guessed was because she’d been in the hospital because of her wing before and understood.

Not only were the lifeboats large enough for everyone, they also had their own set of balloons, which they all learned how to deploy. Most of the time, as these would be the main way they’d be shuttling ponies from ship to ground and back in them, the boats would use two inflatable balloons that were stored along both sides and would rise up to lift the boat. In an emergency there was another balloon tucked away in the center that would blow up in a few seconds and was mostly to soften the boat’s landing. There was also a sailor assigned to each boat to operate the small propeller each one had and to steer the boat.

There was also an answer to why there were no portholes past a certain point. “In the event that the ship is indeed going down, the hope is that we’ll be near water. If we land safe enough, we can reconfigure the balloons into sails and head home that way,” Smith explained. “If we’re not near water, well, that’s why there’s room for everyone.”

The captain wrapped up the safety briefing by telling them where they could be as the ship left the cavern. “We’ll be going slow out of here but once we circle around and wave a bon voyage to the princesses, we’ll be stretching her legs to Ponyville before turning north, so stay in the designated areas in case something goes wrong,” he explained. “If you want something from your cabins, grab it now before we launch.” The royal sisters had made their proper goodbyes earlier before everyone had gone down to the cavern and would be seeing them off publicly when the airship came around from the back of the mountain and did a fly-by of the city.

“This thing is supposed to go fast, right?” Dash asked. “What if we want to fly alongside as she’s going?”

Smith studied her for a second before answering. “If you can stay clear of the rigging and the propellers especially, then I’m fine with it. Anyone falls behind we’ll wait for you to catch us when we turn north over Ponyville. After that I want everyone on board when we’re going at full speed since we will only be doing so in an emergency.”

“Windrunner, head outside and let Shoal know what the plan is,” Midnight said, “and ask her if she can keep the ship between her and the city to keep the panic to a minimum.” The pegasus had hopped up with a nod and flew out of the cavern.

Back in the present, she felt a slight hum through the deck as the engines were started. Both they and the hull of the stern had magic placed on them to reduce noise so even back in the suite they’d hardly hear them but the vibrations would be felt the entire time. To her surprise many of the nocturnal guard we still on deck with them, opting to stay up even after the safety briefing to see the ship leave port on her maiden journey.

A wing gently draped itself onto her back and she looked to Sapphire, who was in turn looking up at her. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Nervous, excited, both?” Midnight said, unsure. There was a feeling in her chest that had started since they set themselves up on the bow that she couldn’t quite place but those two were the closest things she could point to.

“You’re nervou-cited!” Pinkie said, popping up on the kirin’s other side.

“That’s a fun word!” Snow, who had been standing close by with her companions, said, immediately repeating it to herself and laughing. “I have to remember that!”

“It’s like you’re about to take a great big leap into the unknown to find the answer to all your questions but you’re not sure how it’s going to go!” Pinkie explained.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Midnight told her.

“Oh yeah,” Pinkie said before bouncing away to find her own spot.

“And you’re not doing it alone,” Sapphire told her.

“We’re all here with you, no matter what happens,” Honey said.

“We’ll find grandpa, mom,” Squeaks added, Arina chirping agreement.

“And finally get some answers,” Summer added as well.

Midnight leaned over and gently placed her forehead against Sapphire’s. “Thank you,” she said, hugging Squeaks as well with a wing, then hugged both Summer and Honey.

There was a slight jolt and the cavern opening began to get closer. Slowly the bow left the cavern, the sun just peeking out from the side of the balloons above. There’d be no sunbathing on deck, though it would be a nice, dry space if they hit any rain storms. Before long half, then the entire ship was out of the cavern, for the first time fully entering what would be her natural habitat. She was floating perfectly and slowly the ship began to turn to start going around the mountain. A shadow crossed over them and Shoal glided down to pace the ship on the open air side while Windrunner rejoined them on the deck.

Slowly, Canterlot came into view around the side of the mountain. First the castle, then its grounds, then the rest of the city, laid out before them from the air like Midnight hadn’t seen before, thank to those stupid flying ordinances. Midnight hadn’t paid any attention on the short trip from the train station to the castle the day before but she had assumed there had been an announcement of some kind about the ship’s launch. Apparently not as she could just make out crowds below stopping and staring at the huge airship as it began its pass by the city. So many eyes were one the ship that it looked like no-one noticed Shoal just beyond it. At least no-one was starting to panic about a large dragon so close to the city. On one of the castle’s balconies, Celestia and Luna could be seen, waving them farewell, to which everyone waved and some called back.

2Up on the bridge, Captain Hook Smith smiled. “I think we’ve made an impression,” he said to no-one in particular.

“Aye, sir,” said his first officer.

“Well, with that done, let’s turn towards Ponyville.” The helmsman acknowledged and turned the wheel, angling the ship towards the small town in the distance. Once she had her heading, Smith turned to his first officer. “Take her to the skies, Mr. Mooring Dock. Let’s give her legs a stretch.”

With a salute the first officer grabbed a lever and moved it slowly forward, the indicator attached to it going from SLOW AHEAD to HALF and then to FULL AHEAD with a ring. The officer down in the engine room heard the ring on his own lever and moved to it the same position to acknowledge the change, then called out “Full ahead!” The ponies in the engine room watched the bank of large, magic batteries that powered the engines glow as they put out more energy. There was another, smaller bank of batteries that wasn’t glowing and that was because these were the emergency batteries in case something happened to the main ones. If those went as well, the engines could be powered directly but a normal unicorn would be drained quickly and need the better part of a week to recover. There had been pleased murmurings among the engine room crew that both an alicorn and a changeling queen were on board.

Back on the open deck, everyone could feel the change in the vibrations and the wind began to blow harder. Soon Canterlot was falling away behind them, their speed increasing by the second.

“Alright! Let’s see this baby go!” Dash called out, hoping into the air. Everyone was at a railing now, watching the ground below passing by and really getting a feel for the speed they were going at. Shoal appreciated the new pace and began to flap her wings at a more relaxed pace rather than nearly hovering.

A patter on the wooden deck announced Ember’s arrival and she looked over the railing next to Squeaks, Spine following after her and nodding at Midnight, which the kirin returned. “You think any of the other pillow knights will see us as we pass by?” she asked excitedly.

“I think we’re too far up,” Squeaks said. “I can barely see a single pony from up here.”

The young kirin thought for a second. “You think they can see my fire?”

“Remember what the captain said about fires,” Summer reminded and Ember sat back looking defeated but perked up again when Squeaks reminded her she’d brought Ogres and Oubliettes.

Spine looked back a Midnight and let out a silent sigh. “Never thought I’d create such a clawful.”

Midnight shrugged. “Help her burn off some of that energy when you’re off duty. You’re supposed to be spending time with her on this trip, don’t forget.”

Some ways down they heard Rarity squeal happily. “Oh, this is even better than the airship rides I went on back in Canterlot! I’d even compare it to a luxury cruise, minus the onboard spa, of course. I can feel the creative juices flowing already!”

“It is too bad we’re not on the water,” Fluttershy said. “I’d love to see some dolphins porpoising as we left port. Um, them jumping up and down as they swim in front of a ship,” she clarified when some around her looked at her in confusion.

“Dolphins, huh?” Dash said, getting a look in her eye. Before anyone could stop her, she had shot off the deck ducked out of sight before coming back up as if she was leaping up from below with a whoop.

“Rainbow, remember how fast the ship’s going!” Twilight called out as her friend did an admittedly good job of impersonating an airborne sea mammal, albeit not as big. To no-one’s surprise she easily kept pace with the ship and even “splashed” into some stray clouds they passed.

As she watched Midnight remembered a photo she’d once seen. Once the ship had sped up her nervousness had given way almost completely to excitement and now an idea was forming in her head that she just had to act upon. “Dolphins, huh? Don’t you think a ship this big deserves better than dolphins?” she said aloud.

“Midnight, what are you-?” Sapphire began, but the kirin suddenly jumped up and over the rail, diving down below the ship.

“What is she-!?” Summer yelled, but there was a flash of blue light and the next thing they knew a large, black wyvern rose up, twisted around, and fell backwards while letting out a loud snort of air.

“Oh, just like a humpback whale!” Fluttershy said before Midnight shot back up to “breach” once again, this time copying Dash and landing on a stray cloud, which she obliterated rather than “splashing” into it. Sapphire and Summer could only share relieved and knowing smiles while Squeaks and Ember cheered Midnight on.

“Show off!” Rainbow yelled as she was upstaged but began doing tricks to try and win back her audience while a few other flyers tried their wings at sky porpoising and keeping up with the ship.

Shoal, seeing and hearing what Midnight and the others were doing, began to do the same, the dragon and wyvern keeping some distance away from the ship so as not to concern the crew. After a few more times up and down Midnight ducked under the ship and came up on the same side as Shoal, letting out a happy roar as she buzzed her grandmother. The dragon laughed and began to chase after her granddaughter and the two played in the air as the ship reached Ponyville and began to turn north, north-west, the bow now pointed directly towards the Storm Clan.

Author's Note

Music:
1 - Leaving Port
2 - Take Her to Sea
Just tempting fate, aren't I?

I thought Twilight getting mad at me was the trouble I invoked

I said no such thing.
Also, the image of Midnight, Rainbow, and Shoal playing like whales and dolphins alongside the ship as it goes at full speed is something I've had pictured in my head for a while now, so I've finally gotten to put it on screen.
This is also a perfect example of unplanned OCs popping up, as the only crew I only ever had named were Hook Smith and Mooring Dock. Became obvious when I got to this point I was going to have to name more than just them.

And the first officer's name was just so you could reference that music track

I plead the 5th. A 5th, actually. Of BEETHOVEN! *Saturday Night Fever starts playing while I snap a disco outfit on* I regret nothing.
And for an alternate music choice for the ship's launch, you can use this music instead:
GoT Main Theme
Be real fun imaging that map being filled in as the chapters progress.