Voyages

“I can’t believe she’s finally finished.” A statuesque lavender mare, a pair of wings on her back and a long horn protruding from beneath a flowing purple mane with a lighter purple and peak streak running through it. Her violet eyes stared at the towering structure above her. There was admiration in her gaze, and an astounding amount of pride.

“Well, Princess-” There was a stallion standing beside the alicorn, a pair of wings tucked against his side. His coat was a muted brown, gray streaked through his short, once jet black, mane. “We owe this all to you.” He wore a polite smile, nerves hiding beneath his brilliant blue eyes.

Currently, the pair were standing in an enormous cave beneath the city of Canterlot. It had been carved from the solid stone of the mountain for a very specific purpose. That purpose was to hold the monolithic structure the two ponies were gawking at.

The structure itself was almost two-thousand feet long and dominated the entirety of the cavern. It’s towering frame stood almost seven-hundred feet high, winged creatures looked like mere specks as they flitted about the exterior. It was cylindrical, tapering off to a rounded tip at the bow. The stern was more box like, massive glowing spheres seemingly hovering behind it. It was made of steel, which itself was painted eggshell white with intricate golden strands of metal weaving their way up the hull from the bottom of the ship. There was also a name painted at the top of the ship in elegant purple writing.

March With Pride

“Fifteen years.” The alicorn, the Princess of Friendship herself, said with a short sigh. “A collaboration between Ponies, Griffons, Zebras, Minotaurs, and Seaponies, Yaks, Kirin, Changelings, even the Yaks. It’s finally done.” She had been at the helm of this project for all of these years, and was even the originator of such an audacious plan.

“She is a beautiful ship, Your Majesty.” The stallion stood at attention next to his monarch, casting a solitary glance at her. He had not been around since the inception, he was brought on a little over halfway through as a candidate to be the captain for this unique vessel. He had learned everything about this ship, the ‘March With Pride’, from its designers firsthoof. He knew how it operated, what it took, and every facet of its construction.

“Are you excited to finally take the helm, Captain Cloud Breaker?” It felt nice to hear his title aloud, it felt a little nicer to hear it coming from Princess Twilight Sparkle. He turned to his monarch, his smile becoming just a bit wider.

“I am, Your majesty.” He was going to keep decorum around the ruler of his people, even if he had become more familiar with her over the past few years. Familiarity was no excuse to forget protocol. “Are you excited to see her set off truly?”

In the past there had been small excursions with the massive ship, out to Cloudsdale and back mainly. It was to test that the systems were all working as they should, and to make sure that this thing could truly fly like the mages said it could. He had not been on the bridge for those moments, the Princess had commanded the vessel for those.

Now? The ship was to formally become his to care for and take out beyond the small continent so many species shared. From the moment the ship left dock, he was tasked with exploring the world beyond, documenting what was encountered and spreading harmony and friendship to whatever they encountered out there.

“A little sad, if I’m to be truthful.” The Princess started to walk, so the Captain followed. “It has been nearly fifty years since Princess Celestia and Princess Luna retired and left Equestria in my care. Despite everything that has transpired since, I still feel as though this is my greatest contribution to the world.”

Celestia and Luna, two names he knew from his lessons as a foal. His parents had worshipped the former as some sort of goddess among ponies, her reign lasting for over one-thousand years. It was a pony and a name that filled the tomes of Equestrian history, but not one he could say he had any personal experience with.

“Every creature on the continent contributed to this. The ultimate gesture of friendship to the rest of the world beyond our own little piece. An extended hoof to the great unknown.” The amount of pride that welled up in the monarch’s words filled Cloud Breaker with a sense of accomplishment that perhaps wasn’t earned quite yet.

“Thank you for entrusting it to me, Your Majesty. It is truly an honor.” The two ponies walked along the hull of the ship, exchanging nods with every creature who greeted them as they passed. Eventually they came to a long walkway made of pure magic, solid to the touch and made to walk on. The Princess looked up towards the door at the far end of the magical gangplank, then back to the Captain.

“Permission to come aboard, Captain?” In response, Cloud Breaker did his best to hide his grin, but failed miserably.

“Permission granted, Your Majesty.” It was a small gesture from the Princess, but it meant a lot to him. It was truly the symbolic passing of the torch for this historic undertaking. What’s more is the alicorn motioned for him to take the lead, ensuring he would be the first of the two to step aboard.

From the exterior, it was clear to see that the Equestrians were in charge of the decor and overall design of the ship, the interior was built to match. The Canterlotian aesthetic was ever present wherever you looked in the ship, soft white panels made up the walls, the support beams colored light gold. The doors that littered the halls were a bluish-gray over purple, which the other species deemed a little too garish for their tastes.

As for the layout, that was handled by the Changelings. Their understanding of making complex pathways built for transporting and housing thousands of individuals came in handy. The downside being, if you did not know where you were going, you would most likely get lost.

For Cloud Breaker, he had spent months just studying the layout of the ship, then practiced walking to various destinations throughout while it was still under construction. His pathing still wasn’t perfect, but it was better than most. He navigated the halls, Princess in tow.

The duo made their way to one of the many lifts that littered each deck of the vessel. This particular one, lift One-Alpha, was the one that would take them directly to the bridge. He reached out with a wing and tapped a button next to the door.

The lift’s door rotated open, revealing a rather large tube designed to accommodate at least multiple Minotaurs at once. Plenty of room for a pegasus and a single alicorn. The interior was bathed in a golden light, the walls paneled with greyed metal.

“Interface.” The Captain spoke out as the doors slid closed. Almost immediately, a small magical projection of a pearl white unicorn with a perfectly coiffed purple mane appeared in front of him.

“Yes, Captain?” Her Canterlot affectation rang out through the tube. It was pleasant, soothing and level. During the implementation of this magical construct, he was told that it’s design and voice were based off of one of Princess Twilight’s old friends, he couldn’t remember the name right now.but all he knew it was somepony once held dear by the monarch.

“Bridge, please.” Normally he wouldn’t bother with ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ for the artificial pony, but in the presence of the Princess, he would.

The interface disappeared and a small whir came from above them, from the roof of the tube. There wasn’t any shafts that ran through the ship, instead the lifts operated with teleportation magic that Princess Twilight herself had developed and perfected over the many decades of her life. It was sudden, and largely unnoticeable save for the soft hum above. There was no change in momentum, or noticeable displacement. You simply knew you had arrived when a small ‘ding’ came from above the door.

The Bridge was Cloud Breaker’s favorite part of the ship, and not just because he was the Captain. It was a big circular room, almost three times the height of the alicorn he was standing next to. A raised platform in the middle of the room, screens surrounding it and a large chair dominating the platform. The rest of the bridge was built around that one position, stations for various operations facing away from the platform, giving the raised station a view of the world everyone else was doing. Screens and positions also dotted the ceiling, places for pegasi and other winged creatures to work and not obstruct the flow of traffic on the ground in hectic situations.

On a normal day, most likely, the bridge would be bustling with activity. Status reports, charts and maps, and messages from home all being relayed. For now, it was silent and still. The only souls being that of a pegasus Captain and his alicorn Princess.

“Care to take your position, Captain?” Princess Twilight looked around the bridge with the same wonder and awe he did. She had spent so long building this ship, even taking it out for its first time and yet she was still in love with it. He only hoped he could match that enthusiasm over his entire tenure on this vessel.

He moved around to the back of the raised platform where a ramp connected it to the main floor and strode up to his position. The chair was big enough to accomodate any creature on the ship, just in case something happened to him and someone else had to take over in his stead.

He sat in the chair, looking over the rest of the bridge. He leaned in it, causing the seat to rotate so he could get a full view of the bridge from his new seat. He was going to be seeing this sight every day for the next five years, so best get to it now.

“I looked over the creatures you chose as your officers.” The Princess stood in front of a station to his right, looking over the readings and charts that sprung to life on the screen. The Egineering station here on the bridge, if he wasn’t mistaken. “A Griffon first officer?”

“You told me I needed to look at all available candidates.” The Griffon in question was a female named Ganymede and she a long history serving the Empire abroad as an officer in combat zones before the Accords had been passed. “I saw her record, I knew that the task ahead presented certain dangers that neither myself nor any other pony had ever faced. I wanted a veteran presence at my side to consult.”

“I knew there was a reason I chose you.” Twilight said with a smile and a chuckle. “A good leader admits when their knowledge is lacking, and seeks to surround themselves with those who compliment their ignorance so they can learn.” It sounded like the Princess was reciting a passage from memory, but he didn’t mind. Those were his thoughts exactly, maybe a bit longer winded. “What about your other officers?”

In response, the captain swung his chair around to face the screen closest to it. He reached out with a hoof and tapped the screen awake. He didn’t quite remember everything about his officers off of the top of his head, so he brought up their personnel files.

“Lieutenant Commander Bulwark, Second Officer and Chief of Security.” The image of a Minotaur appeared on his screen, a sour countenance splayed across the bovine face of the creature. His almost black eyes too lifelike on the screen if the Captain was to be honest. “He was a high-ranking guard to the Council of Minos and from reports, he’s frustratingly thorough when it comes to the security of whatever he’s assigned to.”

There wasn’t much to say about most of these creatures. He hadn’t even met them quite yet. He had read all of their qualifications, spoken to all of their references and listened to the hours upon hours of interviews conducted, yet he had not met them face to face just yet.

“Lieutenant Jetsam.” This time a picture of a rather chipper looking seapony graced his screen. Male, colored a soft blue that might get him lost in the currents of the sea and with startling green eyes. “Chief Science Officer. He attended your friendship school and came highly recommended from it’s headmare, Starlight Glimmer. By all accounts, he’s a prodigy in all things achanomechanical and magical in general despite not being a unicorn. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring such a brilliant young mind on board.”

“Lieutenant Vent.” The next picture to come up was of a surly looking dragon, his scales orange and crest deep red. “Chief Engineering Officer. He’s a bit older than the rest of the crew, even by normal dragon standards. But he worked with you on the engine for this ship, and I can’t think of anyone better to keep it in order. Added on your recommendation, Princess.”

“Doctor Zebansi.” The next was a zebra mare, a scar crossing her face from her left eye to the right corner of her mouth but not dimming her smile one bit. “She was Chief of Medicine at Canterlot Hospital. That, mixed with her experiences in her youth treating her fellow zebras in less than peaceful situations, made her an ideal candidate.”

“Counselor Mandible.” The final creature on his list of important officers, whom he would most likely be seeing and interacting with every day, was a male changeling. His lime green chitin and orange wings contrasted to his blood red eyes. “If I’m being honest, the most important part of our mission. If we come across any species we can’t communicate with, we’re going to need his natural ability. That, along with being the son of your former student Ocellus, made him an ideal candidate for the ship’s counselor...and last resort for first contact scenarios.”

“Do you have faith in them?” The question from the alicorn was simple, but it rattled around in his head for a few seconds. He had to wait, contemplate, before he spoke again.

“I have to.” It was the only response he could find that was adequate at the moment. “They applied for this mission, the same as me. I have to trust that their motives are pure, their hearts in the right place. I do not know them yet, but if they are true followers of harmony and friendship like you and I, then I believe we will all be friends in no time.”

“You’ve been taught well, my little pony.”

A whistle sounded out over the bridge as the lift whirred to life from the side of the room. Both ponies in the room turned to look at who exactly was coming up here at this time? Perhaps his First Officer looking to get used to the space just as he had.

“Permission to come aboard, Captain?” The doors opened to reveal a white stallion, once solid in his build but now failed by his quite advanced age. Streaks of blue gave his greyed and thinning mane a little character, just like his one cobalt eye did to the other that was clouded by age. The symbol on his flank, a shield and a six pointed star, let Cloud Breaker know exactly who he was looking at.

“Of course, Your Majesty. To have both Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Shining Armor aboard my vessel? It is an honor.” The Prince of the Crystal Empire was rounding his eighties at this time, and it showed in the way he moved. Obviously, the once proud stallion tried his best to hold a steady stride and look as intimidating as possible, but the Captain knew better.

“Shiny!” The alicorn, which had been behind him, was now galloping over to the elderly prince. She gave her brother a warm and gentle hug, her eyes filling with the same love and adoration that Cloud always assumed they had when looking at her sibling. “What are you doing here?”

“Good to see you, Twily.” Shining Armor returned the hug, but broke free from it rather quickly. “Came to see all this before it left…” There was a hesitation. “And to ask a favor of the Captain.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” The lone pegasus in the room stood from his seat and stepped down from his station. “How can I be of service? A tour of the ship, perhaps?” Cloud Breaker was going to be nothing but accommodating to the Prince, he was a hero by all accounts and a sovereign of the Crsytal Empire, one who didn’t have much time left to live. The least the Captain could do was grant a favor.

“No,no.” Shining Armor waved his hoof. “A favor, I am afraid, I can never repay in full.” Well, that intrigued the Captain. “I wish to join you on your mission.” The pegasus cocked his head to the side, doing his best to interpret the request.

“Well, surely you can come along with us to the Equestrian border. We can drop you off so you can return-” Cloud Breaker was cut off by a raised hoof from the unicorn stallion.

“No. The whole thing. All five years of your journey.” Shining moved up to the pegasus and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “I am not asking to be an officer, I am not asking for special treatment. Put me in civilian’s quarters with the families, anything.” There was a pleading tone there, an eagerness behind his eyes.

“Shiny?” Twilight stepped between the stallions, looking worriedly at her brother. “You can’t just leave for five years. What about Cadance and Flurry? You can’t just leave them, especially with how…” Cloud Breaker took a step back, so the siblings could speak without his immediate interference.

“...Old I am?” Shining finished his sister’s sentence. “Twily, I know I am old. I know that I am not exactly the picture of perfect health either.” He fixed his gaze with the alicorn’s, his full of confidence and life, hers full of worry. “You, Cadance, Flurry...you all can continue to serve Equestria and harmony for the next eternity. I’m not so lucky, Twilight.” The old stallion sighed. “They know, I asked them. They’re upset, but they understand. I want one last adventure in my life, one last chance to do something before...before I’m gone. Even being a guiding hoof for the Captain here when he needs advice would be enough for me.”

“...If you’re sure, Shiny.” The Princess spoke softly. “Captain?” Cloud Breaker stepped forward again. “Would you mind if I delayed the launch to tomorrow afternoon? If you accept my brother’s proposition, I want to spend one more night with him and my family.”

“Well,” Cloud Breaker stepped forward again with a smile. “I humbly accept your proposition, Prince Shining Armor. You have seen more than my officers and I combined, your guidance would be most appreciated.” He turned to the Princess. “Maybe it’s for the best? My crew will all be here in Canterlot,I will call them all for a dinner celebrating our impending launch. It will let me get to know them a little better.”

“A wonderful idea, Captain.” The Princess said with a smile as she put a hoof on her brother and the two royals trotted off towards the lift.

Cloud Breaker sighed when the two royals were out of earshot. He wasn’t a fan of delays...