Once the girls had all showered, the first thing they did was eat the carrots the crew gave them, all of them disappearing into the mares' greedy mouths since none of them had eaten anything since their ship sunk. Once they had all eaten, Twilight and her friends tried the new clothes they had been given which turned out to be green army jackets with the same red A-like symbols on shoulders and brown army boots for rear hooves.

Rarity couldn't help but notice that the jackets were made of a material she was not familiar with. They were soft as silk and yet were not made of silk but something similar. Upon closer inspection, Rarity could have sworn that the material used to make these jackets was from the sea, but she couldn't be sure. The clothes were surprisingly comfortable and though they didn't wear any clothing often, Twilight and the others figured that they had to get used to it since they were going to stay in the submarine for a while.

As the hours passed, the girls were starting to get impatient. Especially Rainbow who still didn't like being locked up in a cabin inside a submarine deep underwater.

"*Groans* Just how much longer before those creeps let us out of this box? I can't stand being cooped up down here," Rainbow said as she paced around the cabin.

"Please calm down, darling," Rarity said.

"Calm down? How can I calm down when we're being kept here against our will?!" Rainbow asked angrily.

"That's enough, Rainbow! Being angry all the time won't do any good. Besides, this is not as bad as you think. We were given food and clothes which proves the crew of this ship cares for our well-being," Twilight reasoned.

"No, Twilight. This is much worse and we're still prisoners so don't forget it," Rainbow argued.

To prove her claim, the hot-tempered pegasus walked to the cabin's door and tried to get it open but it wouldn't budge. She even tried hitting it but all it gave her was a hoof turned red from sudden pain.

"Ouch! See? I can't open this bucking door which is probably locked from outside. It further proves that these guys don't want us to return to Equestria," Rainbow said while rubbing her hurt hoof.

"Rainbow, we know how you feel and we're worried as well but this isn't going to help. Our only hope is to talk to the captain, earn his trust, and then convince him to let us go," Twilight reasoned.

"What?! You want to make friends with these murderers just because they have a nice underwater ship? Guys! They've been blowing up our ships and killing ponies over the past year for Celestia's sake!" Rainbow yelled.

"Keep your voice down, Dash! We know what they've been doing and don't like it either. But we tried to stop them with guns blazing and it failed, so now we try talking instead," Applejack argued.

"AJ is right. The use of force didn't work so now our only option is diplomacy. Besides, think of all the benefits if we befriend this ship's captain," Twilight reasoned.

"So you want him as a friend just so you could study this rusty tin can in the name of science? Oh give me a break," Rainbow muttered.

"This ship is more than that, it is a scientific miracle, a submarine! Up until now, no working submarine have ever been built but these people have. Aren't you at least a little bit amazed that we're now traveling underwater?" Twilight asked.

Sadly, all it did was make Rainbow even more furious.

"Well, that does it! I'm getting off this submarine and no one's gonna stop me!" Rainbow yelled in anger.

Just then, a loud knocking came from behind the door. The girls turned to the door and saw the Lieutenant, along with a few soldiers, enter the cabin. After clearing his throat, the Lieutenant spoke up.

"The Captain is now ready to see you. If you would please follow me, I will take you to him," the Lieutenant said.

Sadly, the second the path to the opened door was clear, the rainbow-maned pegasus spread her wings and took off the floor.

"Hey! Stop!" The Lieutenant yelled.

"Rainbow! Don't do it!" Twilight yelled after her friend.

Rainbow, however, wouldn't stop and immediately took flight. She didn't get far, though, when someone behind the corner hit her muzzle with a spanner, causing the pegasus to roll around and fall onto her back on the metal floor.

"Ow! My nose!" Rainbow moaned in pain while holding her bleeding nose.

"Rainbow! You alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she rushed to her friend's side.

"Define okay!" Rainbow yelled. "Just who the heck did that dirty trick anyway?"

"That would be me, ma'am."

The ponies turned to the source of the voice who turned out to be another human dressed in the same uniform as his fellow crewmen except he had some tools on his belt and held a spanner in his right hand. It didn't take a genius to figure that he was the one who hit Rainbow with a spanner to foil her escape attempt.

"You should know, ma'am, never run in the corridors. You never know where you might hit your nose," the human said sarcastically.

"Oh, I'll tell you where I'll hit next. It will be your face!" Rainbow said angrily, still holding her nose.

"Whoa, you're so forward. You shouldn't kiss on the first date but I suppose there's no harm in that," the human joked.

This caused Rainbow's face to turn as red as a tomato out of embarrassment. The girls couldn't help but giggle at Rainbow's reaction which made the pegasus feel even more humiliated. Then the next thing the human did was show a first aid kit he had been hiding behind his back the whole time.

"Don't worry, ma'am. I'll patch you up," the human said.

"This is so humiliating," Rainbow thought.

Once Dash's bleeding but luckily not broken nose was taken care of, the girls followed the Lieutenant and his crewmen out from their cabin to wherever they were taking them. Just like earlier, they walked through many corridors and admired what they were seeing even though there wasn't much to see, at least not right now. They kept on walking until they stopped at a cabin door decorated with gold which Twilight assumed was the captain's quarters. When they entered, however, the girls' eyes widened in wonder.

The room had a lot of space and looked like one the royals used. There were several bookcases filled with hundreds of books and several aquariums containing rare fish and priceless specimens from every corner of the ocean, most of them what Twilight had never seen before in her whole life. What caught Rarity's interest, naturally, were the decorations such as red drapes and carpets with a golden A-like symbol on them and furniture decorated with gold. All of it gave the girls an impression that the sub's captain certainly lived like a king.

"*Gasps* This is so fabulous!" Rarity admired, feeling almost fainting.

"Holy Apples! This guy certainly lives like a prince," Applejack awed.

"Nah, I've seen better," Rainbow commented.

Twilight, though, was naturally drawn to the books she was just dying to read, especially since most of them seemed to be about science and marine biology.

"This is amazing! There are so many books here to fill a whole library. I can only imagine what new knowledge is written in these beautiful books," Twilight said in joy, feeling like she'd been given the best birthday present.

"Look at these fish. They're so beautiful," Fluttershy said, admiring brown and white striped fish with spikes.

"I don't know, Flutters. Those spikes don't look inviting," Applejack said, wary.

"Ooh, that is one big nice ruby," Pinkie said.

The moment she said the word "ruby", Rarity instantly hurried to the party pony's side to admire what was likely the biggest ruby she had ever seen.

"*Gasps* Oh what a beautiful gem. I feel like I'm going to cry," Rarity said, feeling tears of happiness forming in her eyes.

Then, out of nowhere, the Mane 6 was a little startled when they heard music, piano music specifically. But their startled hearts were soon warmed up by the beautiful music played pretty well by whoever was playing it (The ending music from the Stargate Universe final episode "Gauntlet").

Turning their eyes to the end of the room, they saw a human male playing piano. He had the same army green trench coat uniform except he didn't wear a helmet or gas mask. From the looks of it, the girls guessed that he must be the captain.

"Awe, what a beautiful music," Rarity admired, her hooves pressed to her chest.

"A funny time to play piano, don't you think?" Pinkie asked.

"Please be quiet, Pinkie dear. I want to listen," Rarity said politely.

"Oh, I'm scared. Who is it?" Fluttershy asked, shaking.

"Don't be afraid, Flutters. I'm sure we're about to find out," Applejack said, calming her friend down.

"This must be the guy responsible for holding us all prisoner. Well, I wanna have a few words with him," Rainbow said, cracking her hooves.

"Me too. I have so many questions for him about his amazing ship," Twilight said, making Rainbow groan.

The girls quietly walked close to the captain but dared not interrupt him and also preferred to listen to him playing piano for the moment. Though she couldn't tell, Twilight felt that the captain seemed to know they were standing behind him despite not hearing them or turning his head. The princess soon felt that it was time for introductions so she cleared her throat.

"Ahem, good day to you, sir. Now if you allow me to introduce myself?" Twilight greeted.

The man then stopped playing and turned to face the six mares. He was a Caucasian man in his forties with light brown hair and blue eyes, he also seemed to have shaved recently since he didn't have any beard.

"I know exactly who you are, Princess Sparkle. As I do your friends the Element Bearers. As I'm sure you will find out, I'm in the habit of getting to know my guests very well indeed," the Captain said with a manly yet gentle voice.

"And who are you, sir?" Twilight asked.

After getting up from his seat and clearing his throat, the captain introduced himself.

"I'm John Sumner, captain of this state-of-the-art high-tech submarine, Ulysses," Sumner said, telling his name and rank.

"So this ship is indeed a submarine?" Twilight asked in awe.

"Indeed it is, princess. But it is much more than that. Not only is this a submarine, but it is also the most advanced one in the whole world," Sumner confirmed.

"I have so many technical questions about your ship, Captain Sumner," Twilight said with stars in her eyes.

"And I will be more than happy to answer all of your questions. But before that, I'd like to introduce you to certain people," Sumner said, pointing behind them.

The Mane 6 turned to the two humans behind them who removed their helmets and gas masks, revealing a Caucasian man in his thirties with dark brown hair and green eyes whom they knew as the Lieutenant and another Caucasian man in his twenties with a black hair and green eyes who foiled Rainbow's escape attempt with a spanner earlier.

"May I introduce Lieutenant Jason Connor, my first officer. And Jake O'Neill, my chief mechanic and engineer," Sumner said, introducing his officers.

"It is a pleasure to properly meet you, princess, ladies," Jason said with a warm smile.

"Yeah, same here," Jake added.

"Now that the introductions are over, I'm ready for your questions, ladies," Sumner said.

"Oh, sir. Where did you find that marvelous gem and where can I find one?" Rarity asked, pointing at the ruby.

"And what are those beautiful fish you have, sir?" Fluttershy added.

"That gem is a flawless uncut ruby I found deep in the heart of the Celestial Sea and so far the only known sample, Miss Rarity. I call it 'Ignis' which means 'fire' in Latin. As for your question, Miss Fluttershy. Those fish are 'Pterois Volitans', the Lionfish. They're beautiful but venomous so I advise you to keep your distance," Sumner explained.

"Oh, I almost forgot. What is this material you used to make these clothes?" Rarity asked.

"*Chuckles* Trust a lady to notice. The material of the clothes you wear is Byssus, the natural thread the fan muscles use to adhere themselves to rocks and any other solid surface," Sumner answered.

"How does this ship work, captain? What powers it? And how were you able to build something of this magnitude where the others had failed?" Twilight asked.

"I'm afraid explaining all of it at once would take a very long time, princess. So I'm going to take you on a tour to show you every part of the Ulysses. But before I do, I'd like to show you something," Sumner said.

He then pulled a lever on the wall and opened the metal shield that covered a huge window from inside the ship, revealing the sight no pony had ever seen before, the very bottom of the sea. Letting out gasps, the Mane 6 watched in wonder at the amazing sight.

"Behold, the sight never before seen by ponykind. The very bottom of the sea itself, a place where there is total freedom," Sumner said.

"Captain, this is truly a miraculous sight," Twilight admired.

"You got that right, Twi," Applejack agreed.

"It is so wonderful," Rarity added.

"You know. Even though I feel like a goldfish in a bowl, this is still fun," Pinkie said.

"I'm so excited to see what sea creatures are out there," Fluttershy added.

Rainbow on the other hand was not as excited as her friends were.

"Oh, buck. So we really are underwater, meaning there's no way out of this tin can. Well, I'm gonna get out of here someday somehow even if it's the last thing I do," Rainbow thought.

When they were done admiring, Sumner closed the shield and turned to his equine guests.

"Now, let us begin our tour," Sumner said.

Later

To say that Twilight was twilighting again for big time was an understatement of the year. The princess was greatly fascinated by the technology of the Ulysses, especially when she learned that all of it was achieved without any sort of magic. To think that humans were able to create such a scientific marvel without magic amazed Twilight. But it also made her wonder: Were ponies "stuck" in a "medieval" status in their progress because of their reliance on magic?

It turned out that the submarine was powered by electricity, generated directly from the sea. Everything on the Ulysses was electric. Lights, heat, air compressor, even the kitchen where the crew made fresh water out of seawater. Apparently, the Ulysses was originally made to run on coal until it was equipped with experimental sodium/mercury batteries to power the submarine. Something about there being an endless amount of Sodium in the seawater which provided an endless supply of energy for the Ulysses.

The next stop was the bridge where the crew controlled the ship, adjusted the speed and depth, and communicated with different parts of the ship via radio and telephones. Then Sumner took them to the part of the sub where they stored their vehicles. Not only were Sumner and his crew able to travel underwater, but they could also fly thanks to the vehicles called airplanes. There were also numerous types of ground vehicles like cars that ran on combustion engines instead of being pulled by steeds.

Finally, Sumner showed them the submarine's defense system which was the most advanced and sophisticated in the whole world. The Ulysses was armed with 12 torpedo launchers that were installed on four external ball turrets, each one operated by one gunner. The sub also had a strong armor that could withstand strong impacts and several hits from cannon balls as Twilight and her friends had witnessed.

The Ulysses carried two types of submersible vehicles onboard. The first was 24 small submersible assault vehicles called Sub-Pods that acted as the sub's underwater fighter squadron that was launched downward from 12 bays on each side of the sub. The second was four underwater vehicles called Aqua-Evacs stored in the rear ventral bay, acting as lifeboats to evacuate the crew should the submarine sink.

The Sub-Pods were manned by two people, one to pilot the vehicle and another to operate the weaponry which were eight torpedoes, with four mounted on each wing on both sides of the vehicle. Though the Aqua-Evacs served as lifeboats to evacuate the crew, they were mostly used to carry a part of the crew along with supplies and several vehicles ashore or areas too small for the Ulysses to reach.

And of course, the crew had a lot of guns, ammunition, and explosives onboard, stored in the sub's armory. Sumner and his crew used several types of firearms such as pistols, rifles, machine guns, etcetera. It also included mortars, cannons, and some special weapons the crew used under the "special" circumstances.

But the most vital part of the Ulysses was the deck where the food, water, ammunition, clothes, everything the crew needed was made. The sub had several farms and gardens where they grew their food, a slaughterhouse and aquarium where they got their meat (much to Fluttershy's horror), and small factories where the ammo and clothes were made.

As for the crew, it consisted mainly of soldiers and sailors Sumner personally recruited back on Earth but there were also engineers, workers, medics, and cooks. The crew was completely loyal and devoted to their captain who treated them like family and always looked after them.

Once the tour was over, Sumner took the girls to the dining room where his chefs had brought their lunch. As they sat down, Twilight noticed yet another A-like symbol on the wall. With curiosity kicking in again, she turned to the captain to ask about it.

"Excuse me, captain, but what is that symbol on the walls and on your uniforms? I figured they represent you and your ship but what does it stand for?" Twilight asked.

"It is Lambda, also known as the Spartan symbol. I chose it because like the 300 Spartan hoplites who held for three days against thousands of enemies, me and my crew of 150 travel alone against overwhelming and sometimes impossible odds," Sumner answered.

"That's amazing! I hope you have a book regarding that part of your history," Twilight said in awe.

"Indeed I do and I'd be more than happy to lend you that book. Now, please eat. I hope the food will suit you," Sumner said.

The food did indeed suit the Mane 6. The girls were served steamed vegetables and spinach soup while the captain and his officers had a meal called "Fish & Chips". Of course, Twilight and Rarity had difficulties eating without their magic but Jason was kind enough to remove the rings from their horns to allow them to use their telekinesis to eat their meals. As they were eating, the Mane 6 still had some questions for Sumner.

"Captain Sumner. Now that we know each other to some degree, I must ask you: Where do you and your crew come from and how did you get to our world?" Twilight asked.

"It is a long story, princess, but since we have time, I will tell you. If you're wondering, my crew and I are not from the human world you visited through the mirror portal. We are humans ourselves, yes, but we didn't come from that world. We came from another one," Sumner answered.

"But how? How did you get here without the mirror portal or anything to transport yourself and your entire ship?" Twilight asked.

"I'm getting there. My crew and I come from the world called Earth where the year was 1929 when we left. The Ulysses was built by the company called 'Whitmore Industries' that tasked me to test run it, which I gladly accepted," Sumner explained.

As the captain was telling his story, the rest of the Mane 6, including Rainbow Dash, stopped eating and eagerly listened.

"Once we had tested the ship in every way possible, we were returning to New York until we ended up in the place called 'Bermuda Triangle' which is home to some of the most bizarre phenomenons. There, we encountered an anomaly in the Triangle's center that magnetically drew our vessel into it and transported us here to your world when we passed through," Sumner continued.

"An anomaly? An actual natural phenomenon that can transport things to different worlds sounds so fascinating," Twilight said.

"Indeed. Anyway, we soon found out that the anomaly appears only in rare conditions which doesn't happen every day. Facing the possibility that we may never return home, we embraced this new world and have roamed its seas ever since. It has been five years now, but we still monitor the sea for the anomaly," Sumner finished.

Twilight and her friends (except Rainbow) felt very sad for Sumner and his crew. The idea of being trapped in another world with very little hope of one day returning home for years was so heartbreaking. Then, Twilight had an idea.

"Captain, I may have an idea," Twilight said.

"Hmm? What is it?" Sumner asked.

"If I could study the anomaly and everything you know about it. It might be possible to use our magic to artificially create one and send you home," Twilight suggested.

"Is that even possible? You could use your magic to create an anomaly to send us home?" Sumner asked, his eyes widened.

"I believe it can be done. It won't be easy of course if the anomaly you came through has specific characteristics and certain conditions but we could do it, in theory," Twilight answered.

Sadly, before Twilight could continue, Rainbow's "internal boiler" exploded and unleashed all the anger she had bottled up. An angry pegasus then hit her hooves on the table, much to her friends' shock, and stared angrily at the captain.

"Alright, enough with the nice talk! What I'd like to know is why you've taken us prisoner, captain. Why you've been blowing up our ships and killing ponies this past year? And you better have a good answer you bucking murderer!" Rainbow yelled angrily.

Twilight and the others were horrified by Rainbow's outburst. Though Twilight feared what the captain might do, she was very disappointed in Rainbow for doing something so reckless that could put all their lives in danger.

"Rainbow! You stupid reckless idiot! What do you think you're doing, provoking the captain like that?!" Twilight thought.

Jake was taken aback by the outburst while Jason had his right hand on top of the holster, ready to draw out his pistol (Luger P08) if Rainbow showed another sign of aggression. Sumner, however, seemed unaffected by Rainbow's outburst, as if he expected it to happen at some point. The captain's gentle and manly voice then turned calm but serious when he answered Rainbow's question.

"First of all, I prefer you and your friends as guests, Miss Dash," Sumner answered.

"Oh yeah? And just what're you going to do with us, captain?" Rainbow asked.

"Since your ship attacked mine, you're technically prisoners of war, but I have decided to treat you with hospitality. You are free to go wherever you like inside the Ulysses, but you'll never be allowed to leave," Sumner said.

This made Rainbow grit her teeth in anger while her friends gasped.

"What?! You expect us to stay in this rusty tin can for the rest of our lives? No way in Tartarus, pal! If you think that I'm going to give you my word not to escape-"

"I do not ask for it. There is no escape. And whoever enters the Ulysses can never quit it except in one manner," Sumner said.

"And what's that?" Rainbow asked.

"Death," Sumner answered.

Once again five of the Mane 6 gasped in horror while Rainbow's fur turned pale.

"What?! You're telling me that we either stay here or die?" Rainbow asked.

"Exactly. You'll either remain in my ship for the rest of your lives or face death. Simple as that," Sumner said.

This time, Twilight felt the need to intervene.

"But why? Why do you resort to such cruelty and extremity?" Twilight asked.

"The reason my crew and I have survived for so long is because we have remained hidden from the world. So I'm in the policy of leaving no witnesses to tell anyone of our existence. You ladies should feel lucky that I decided to give you a chance to join my crew instead of having all of you shot on sight," Sumner explained.

The last statement made all mares gulp and could tell that the captain was deadly serious.

"As for why I have destroyed the ships of your navy, I have my reasons, both strategic and personal. But all I'm willing to tell you at this point is that it was mainly for self-defense since all the ships that I've destroyed shot first and I never fire the first shot," Sumner said.

"That's bull! You expect us to believe that you've been blowing up our ships for self-defense?!" Rainbow asked angrily.

"Believe what you want but it won't change anything. My crew and I will do whatever it takes to survive, even go to war with Equestria if necessary," Sumner said.

Taken aback by the last part, the girls felt horrified that Sumner and his men were willing to even wage war against Equestria if it meant living to see another day.

"Now, if you are to stay on my ship, there are a few rules you need to follow. First, do not cause any trouble or you'll end up in a brig for a week. Second, when I'm engaged in private work, you'll be confined to your cabin. Third, you are not to endanger this ship nor her crew for a punishment for it will be severe. Lastly, while I cannot let you go, there is one thing that might change that," Sumner explained.

Sparking the ponies' interest, the girls gave the captain their full attention.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"I can't let you go because I don't want our existence to be revealed. However, if you prove that you can be trusted, not only to keep our existence a secret but also to help us to get home when the time comes, I may consider letting you go," Sumner said.

A thousand thoughts ran through the girls' heads as they processed what they were told. Twilight felt that they had been given an opportunity too good to pass. If she could befriend the captain and earn his trust, it would open a lot of new possibilities, she could only imagine the benefits of having him as a friend. Convincing him to let them go by proving their trustfulness was her priority, of course, but right now, Twilight wanted to remain on the Ulysses and explore the extraordinary new world Captain Sumner wanted to show them.

Applejack and Rarity felt the same as Twilight, not to mention a voyage around the world underwater sounded so exciting. Pinkie wanted to arrange parties for the crew and Fluttershy was eager to see what kind of animals lived beneath the sea.

But Rainbow didn't like it at all. She couldn't stand the idea of being stuck in this underwater prison for who knows how long. For all she knew, they could be here for the rest of their lives regardless of the captain's promises. She needed to find a way to escape, a way for her and her friends to get home. But for now, Rainbow would go along with this and wait till an opportunity would present itself.

Checking the time from his pocket watch, Sumner cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, ladies, but I must now return to my duties. Lieutenant Connor will escort you to your new quarters. Have pleasant dreams," Sumner said politely.

"Thank you, captain, and good night," Twilight said, bowing.

With that, Sumner and Jake headed to the bridge while Jason escorted the Mane 6 to their new cabin which happened to be on the opposite side of the Captain's quarters. Upon entering, the girls could see that their new cabin was a whole lot better than the first one. It had nearly all the luxuries the captain did, was big enough to house six comfortable beds, and there was a telephone on the wall.

"These are your new quarters. The captain had it prepared during the tour. I hope you like it," Jason said.

"Awe, darling, it is lovely. I certainly love it," Rarity said.

"Well, I know I will sleep well tonight," Applejack agreed.

"*Yawns* Me too. I'm so sleepy after a long day," Fluttershy added.

"Anyway. If you need anything, just call either me or Jake will come," Jason said.

"Thank you, lieutenant. Good night," Twilight said.

Jason nodded and closed the door as he left, leaving the girls in their new cabin. Since they didn't have any strength left to stay awake, the girls decided to call for the day and go to sleep. And with the beds being like where the princesses or nobility slept, it didn't take long for the girls to fall asleep. As they began to dream, Twilight and her friends didn't yet fully realize that the greatest adventure of their lives had just begun.

Author's Note

Hi, I'm back again with another, and so far, my favorite chapter of the story. As you may have noticed, I made some changes to the Ulysses like running on electricity instead of coal.

My OCs who I now introduced are my own characters but their faces are inspired by the following characters from different franchises.

John Sumner/Captain Toni (from Mass Effect: Paragon Lost)
Jason Connor/Cortez (from Halo Legends)
Jake O'Neill/Milque (from Mass Effect: Paragon Lost)

This is what they will look like in all of my stories. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. See you ;)