The night goes by throughout Equestria. Everypony sleeps in peace, dreaming wonderful things. Well, almost everypony.
The citizens of the Crystal Empire got a majorly unexpected early wake up call, for the Queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis and her acquaintance Azerrad attempted to ponynap the first born Alicorn foal. But the efforts of the Mane Six, their friends and the white hooded pony stopped them, at the cost of one of their friends being impacted by the events that transpired.
They return to sleep while the hooded pony somehow left without a trace. Even though the ponies got through that kind of event like they did many times in the past, they fail to realize that it is far from done.
Yes, very far from done.
Princess Celestia stands on a balcony of Canterlot's castle as she uses her magic to raise the sun into the eastern morning sky. Once the sun is high enough, Celestia releases it from her magic and sighs in satisfied manner. But, her face then shows concern, for that presence she has sensed is still out there. And, what her sister Luna told her about the Mane Six last night troubles her slightly. It seems to her that it is one of the signs of something grand to happen, but what?
The princess of the sun hears a yawn, and she turns around to see her sister smiling at her. "Good morning, sister," Luna said, "Splendid rising of the sun as always."
"Thank you, Luna, and good morning to you too." Celestia replied, "What brings you here at this hour?"
"Do you remember our talk last night?" asked Luna, "About the Mane Six longing for love?"
Celestia's mood softens a bit from hearing that. "Yes, I do." she said, "I did tell you to bring this matter up with Cadance, did I not?"
"Of course." Luna said nervously, "Though I told her that you expected me and her to meet up with you when she has the time to discuss what I discovered. Is that alright?"
Celestia looks at Luna, who face shows a bit of guilt and approval. "I suppose it is alright with me," the princess of the sun says, "But tell me, is there something else you would like to discuss with me?"
Luna could see in her sister's eyes that Celestia expects the truth to be heard, whether she wants or needs to hear it or not. Luna sighs, "Yes. I just hope you intend to hear me out and forgive me in the end."
"Go on." Celestia raises her eyebrow in suspicion.
"Last night, I sensed something very wrong at the Crystal Empire," Luna explained, being wary of her sister's watchful eyes, "It started to get worse, so I had no choice but to not inform you of it and fly all the way over there in time to get to the bottom of it." Luna paused and expected Celestia to interrupt, but she didn't, so Luna continued, "As I got there, a pony I never saw before tried to do something very bad...and Chrysalis was with him."
Celestia gasped, "Chrysalis? What was she and this pony trying to do?"
"They...tried to steal the Alicorn foal." Luna answered.
Celestia's eyes widened. "What?!"
"But it seemed that somepony stopped them from doing so." Luna quickly said, "And Spike and Starlight aided in the rescue of the foal."
"Oh, well that's great to hear." Celestia sighed in relief, "But there's one question; why didn't I sense what you sensed and aided you?"
"As I said, I had no choice and little time to inform you of the matter," Luna responded, "Though I am curious. You didn't sense what was happening at the Crystal Empire in your dreams?"
Celestia ponders on that question. "Now that you mention it," she says, "I didn't."
Luna's eyes widened in shock, "What? But, normally we both sense at the same time that something is wrong! How could this happen?"
"I'm not sure," Celestia replies, "But we should keep this matter between us until we decide to tell Twilight and the others about it, lest we distract them with concerning problems."
Luna reluctantly nods, "Alright. Just remember to decide to tell me and them about what you know."
"I will. That's a promise." Celestia then walks through the door as Luna follows from behind. As she does, Luna could see that her sister is troubled deeply about something, but she intends to give her time to come to terms with it and reveal everything when the time comes.
On an island, not too far from Equestria, is a mysterious ship docked at the island's beach. In one of the quarterdeck cabins, on an average sized bed near a window lies a sleeping pony stallion with a silver coat and a spiky dark purple mane named Zenith. He had a long night of enough drama and excitement, so he continues to sleep even as the sun came up.
But then, Zenith's closed eyes squint in pain, and his breathing gets quicker, for his dream seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Within his mind, various visions of his most terrible moments in his childhood life flash through his nightmare. As it got to the point where a vision of his young self falls down and somepony from above yells his name in fear shock, Zenith lets out a scream. Then, a colt's voice shouts from somewhere.
"WAAAAAAKE UUUPP!"
BONK!
"AH!" Zenith yelped from the unexpected pain in his head and immediately woke up while rising from his bed. "Ow..." He groaned while firmly holding the spot on his head where the pain was inflicted with his hooves. Zenith then notices a colt who has dragon traits visible in his eyes and on his body, and he is holding a wooden toy sword in his hoof.
"Meteo?" Zenith rubbed his head to ease the pain, "What just happened?"
"What happened is," Meteo said, "you had that dream again. The rest of us heard you scream and I did the usual thing you told me to do in case 'that' happened."
"Oh yeah, you did. And I appreciate it." Zenith then adjusted his thin purple scarf with silver linings and golden ends around his neck.
"And I didn't mess up that scarf, if you're wondering." Meteo quickly said in worry.
"Nah. Its fine." Zenith replied, getting off of his bed and putting a bathroom robe over his back, "It's one of the few good things from my young days that I got left."
"Yeah, you did say that." said the grinning dragon colt as he walks to the door.
"So, what's for breakfast?" Zenith asks.
"Cornmeal waffles with Oaxaca verde," Meteo answered as he put the toy sword in a barrel beside the door, "and Dahlia petals on the side. Chester's treat."
"Sweet! I'll be there in a jiffy." Zenith walks to the bathroom to prep himself up, and as he enters it, the dragon colt looks on in concern. But he shrugs it off, and Meteo smiles knowing that everything will be fine, and he exits the cabin.
Now, the ship is unique in a similar yet mysterious manner. It is long and wide enough to have at least a dozen ponies on deck. Its hull is coloured dark purple, and the wooden parts of the ship are beige coloured while the railings are coloured white. It has three decks consisting of a quarterdeck, main deck and forecastle deck, with two sets of stairs connecting them at the sides. Unlike the quarterdeck and forecastle deck which its floors are made of wood, the main deck has a lawn of grass, a very unusual sight.
The bowsprit is half the length of the forecastle deck, and right underneath it attached to the stem is a brown wooden statue of a pony stallion with a horn on its head and wings behind its back. It is depicted to be floating in the air and having a look of determination on its face, like it is looking forward to the future with no doubt whatsoever.
The main mast has two rope ladders tied from the back of the main deck railings up to the edge of the brown crow's nest on top of it, and in the middle of the nest is a pole with a flag tied securely on it. The flag has a silver background with a golden trim around the edges, and a lilac coloured silhouette of a pony is depicted as galloping to the right side of the flag.
But what makes the ship really stand out is its three sails. Instead of being near the top under the crow's nest, the yard pole is near the bottom of the mast, nearly at parallel with the main boom pole behind it. The spanker sail is secured on the main boom pole and the main sail is secured to the front of the mast. The jib sail is tied along the rope connecting the crow's nest to the bowsprit while its corner is tied to the left side of the railing.
Those sails are not like the ones you are familiar with from way back then. They are a little translucent, and on them are layers after layers of nudges like dragon scales, and they glisten ever so beautifully in the sunlight.
But the explanation of this ship has one more thing to cover. Behind the ship there is not one, but three rudders, and on the left and right sides of them is two mysterious mechanical engines attached to the bottom of the quarterdeck area near the top of the rudders with a pipe connecting each of them to the ship wall.
Yes, the ship is unique in its own way. The outside of the ship has some wonderful things to show, but the wonders inside the ship will be revealed in due time.
As Meteo gets to the main deck, a tall and built up Unicorn stallion approaches him. His flame style-standing on end mane and small tail are red with a large pink streak in the front of his mane and a little pink tip on his tail. He has a buff coloured coat while his hooves are a saddle brown color, and his eyes are an unusual shade of pink. He has a cutie mark of a fuchsia balloon with its purple string tied around a gray stone. His main features are his sideburns going down to the end of his cheeks and a little patch of red hair on his chin, and he is wearing a piece of gray cloth around his head and horn securing up his mane. "Hey, Meteo," he said in concern, "Is Captain Zenith alright?"
"Right as rain, Pebble," replied Meteo, "I took care of it, and we're in the clear."
"Well that's a thundering typhoons relief," Pebble wiped his head with his hoof, "his screaming just now was mighty louder than last time."
"Don't worry. Zenith is over it." Meteo said, simpering a bit.
Then, an average sized and nearly built Pegasus stallion flies down from the crow's nest and lands nearby Meteo and Pebble. His little messy mane and ruffled tail are a zaffre color with a vivid azure streak on top of them, his coat is pure sapphire, his hooves are powder blue, and his eyes are royal blue. He is wearing teal leg bands on each of his legs, and his cutie mark is a powder blue cloud with a zaffre coloured spades symbol. "G' morning, mates. Is Zenith okay?" the sapphire Pegasus asks.
"He's doing fine, Ace. Got it all wrapped up." Meteo assured the Pegasus.
"Sounds fair dinkum." smiled Ace, "Is breakfast done yet? I'm nearly starving."
Then, a wave of good smelling food flows in the air across the deck. Meteo, Ace, and Pebble smell it and feel like they're in heaven. "Smells like it's done," Pebble said, "and blistering barnacles does it smell good!"
"Come and get it!" a voice called out from the beach.
"We're a coming!" Ace responded as he flew to the voice's location, and Meteo and Pebble jump off the side of the ship and land on the beach with no difficulty.
Nearby the ship is two more ponies, an Earth pony and a Unicorn, standing around basic kitchen utilities laid out on an area of the beach as they help each other make breakfast. The Earth pony has coral coloured eyes, a hazel coat and a well combed deep chestnut mane and tail with lots of tomato streaks going down and out. He is wearing a fulvous coloured hat, an orange vest and a yellow watch on his left wrist. On his flanks is a cutie mark of a drum having the same color as his coat, mane and tail, and having a chestnut on it while a red apple with a leaf on its stem appears to be beating on the drum.
He takes a dish of two waffles covered in melted cheese and some flower petals on the side with his hoof. "I got this plate for the captain, Tranquil," he told the Unicorn behind him, "you get the others."
"I'd be honoured, Chester," the Unicorn replied, lighting up his horn in a teal aura to levitate the five same dishes Chester is holding. The Unicorn stallion has teal eyes, a misty jade coat and an emerald mane and tail that looks to be half wet and half groomed in a beautiful manner. His cutie mark consists of a blue and cyan water wave symbol and a jade dolphin with little yellow features in front of it. This Unicorn's main feature is his whole muzzle up to the base of his eyes is also emerald colored.
"Of course I am utterly concerned about the captain's recent nightmarish scream." Tranquil wondered in worry.
"No worries, mate!" Ace said, landing near Chester and Tranquil as Meteo and Pebble walk up to them, "Zenith's mind is as clean as a whistle. Courtesy of his colt partner."
"Good to hear." said Chester, "Pebble, a table please."
"Will do!" Pebble eagerly put his hoof into his mane and took out a light brown stone oddly shaped like a balloon, "Alright, Stony, time again for your transformation."
Pebble's horn then lights up in a pink aura and he levitates his stone. He closes his eyes in concentration, and then,
POOF!
The stone is transformed into a circular table with round seats from under it. "There ye go, lads!" Pebble announced.
"Thanks, Pebble!" Meteo replied as he sat down at the stone table. Tranquil laid the dishes on the table in front of the colt and the other stallions while they took their seats.
"Crew! Report!"
They get startled by the sudden command and quickly stood up, turning to the voice while saluting, and Meteo, Ace, Pebble, Chester and Tranquil said their full names in the following order.
"Meteo the Longma!"
"Ace Nimbus!"
"Púróg Port!"
"Castaña El Manzana!"
"Níngjìng Bō!"
But they notice that Zenith is chuckling while he is wearing his thin scarf and a lilac coloured robe. "At ease," the silver Earth pony said, "just a little check up on my friends."
Most of Zenith's friends rolled their eyes in amusement. As Zenith seated himself, Chester laid the breakfast dish in front of him. "Here you are, señor," the hazel earth pony declared, "cornmeal waffles with hot melted Oaxaca verde, and a side helping of Dahlia petals."
"Thanks, Chester." Zenith then picks up a fork and knife with his hooves, a very odd sight to see, and he cuts a piece of the waffle covered in the melted cheese. He brings it up to his face.
"¡Hola, señor waffle!" Zenith says dramatically, and he smells it, "This smells wonderful. What a grand aroma. Smells like a sugar toast made from wheat. And without further ado!"
Zenith puts the piece of waffle into his mouth and slides the fork out from there. As he chews, his friends look on in mostly happiness and amusement. Zenith swallows, and after a second or two...
"AH! Mmmm! This is certainly wonderful!" Zenith chimed happily, "¡Delicioso! 'Tis one of the many wonders of the world!" He chuckles to himself until he notices his friends looking at him with grins and raised eyebrows in a playful manner. "What?" Zenith said, "I'm simply expressing how this dish is delightful."
"And I appreciate it wholeheartedly, señor," Chester replied, "as the rest of us do."
"Darn right, mate!" Ace added in, "If it weren't for you, we'd be depressed out of our flanks instead of giving it a burl!"
"Indeed." said Tranquil, "So, would you care to enlighten us on last night's endeavours?"
Zenith just swallowed a petal and noticed the interested looks on his friends' faces. "I don't know..." he said doubtfully.
"Ah, come on, lad!" Pebble insisted, "I wanna hear how ye battled that Azerrad scallywag!"
"Yeah, come on! I'm getting jumpy wanting to know it all!" Meteo eagerly scooted up to Zenith's side.
The silver Earth pony could see that his friends aren't intending to leave him be until the story is heard loud and clear, so Zenith sighs in an amusing manner. "Fine. I guess I'll have to tell you guys all about it to get it off my barrel." Zenith then starts to explain what happened last night as his friends listen on in anticipation, "It all started when I got to Equestria by going through, 'that country', that is beside it. As I got there, I intended to do something special my late Granny had always wanted..."
Meanwhile, in one of the bedrooms of the Crystal Empire, Spike sleeps soundly in his little bed. Despite what happened last night, the little dragon paid no heed to the negative aspects of the event and dreamed his usual dreams.
The sun's rays then enter through a window, and it lands on Spikes head. Feeling this warm feeling of the sun, Spike slowly awakes and yawns. He stretches himself as he got out of his bed.
"Whew! What a night," Spike said as he stretches, "We sure showed that jerk who's in charge, right, Twilight?" He turns around, only to see the nearby bigger bed devoid of anypony. "Twilight?"
Spike then notices a note laid on the blanket, and he walks to it. He picks it up and reads it.
"Dear Great and Honourable Spike the Great and Glorious," the little dragon declared as he usually does when he reads a letter, though he pauses to chuckle at his epithet and continues, "In honour of saving Flurry Heart, the baby Alicorn, a surprise is prepared for you. It will be right outside the Crystal Castle where last night's events happened. Better spruce yourself up quick, wouldn't want your favourite treat to dry up. Sincerely, Princess Cadance."
Spike lowers the note as his eyes widen in wonder. "A surprise?" he asks himself, "After all that happened last night they went and prepared a surprise...for me?"
The little dragon looks to a clock on the dresser beside the bed, and it reads nearly five to eight thirty. "By the royal sisters!" Spike exclaimed, "I hope they haven't been waiting too long! It is rude to keep a mare waiting, especially...Rarity." Spike daydreams a bit about the white unicorn he came to adore.
But then, he then thinks about the dream where it showed her and their friends in danger. The thought of not being able to save Rarity slowly crept through Spike's mind in an uneasy manner. But he shook his head. "Enough dilly dallying!" he said out loud, "Got to see what sort of surprise they whipped up for me! But first, better get through my morning routine, and fast!"
With that, Spike rushed to the bathroom, took a few minutes to brush his teeth and wash his scaly face and claws, and rushed out again towards the bedroom door. He glanced at the clock, and it shows a minute to eight thirty. Panicking in a comical manner, Spike ran out of the bedroom and down the hall to the stairs. Since he accompanied Twilight on some errands inside the Crystal Castle, Spike learned the inside out of the place and knew exactly where to go. The exit is no exception.
As he got to the door, Spike skidded to a halt and tried to catch his breath from all the running. Then, he put his claw onto the doorknob and is about to turn it...
When a sudden and confusing thought ran through the little dragon's mind.
'That's weird.' Spike thought in concern, 'I usually get excited about receiving surprises and pretend to expect it when they shout surprise, but now...for some reason I'm looking forward to being praised for whatever I did with my friends instead of wondering what they'll give me.'
Spike's hold on the doorknob softens a bit. 'Sure my first birthday in Ponyville didn't go that well, and I still blame myself for it, but everypony else who knew about it put it behind them.'
He shakes his head. 'Never mind that,' Spike turns the doorknob and opens the door slowly. 'Wouldn't want to keep them waiting.'
Spike at first has the door open no more than a hoof's width of space, then he quickly moves it fully open. As Spike then looked in front of him...
"SURPRISE!"
He is startled by the sudden cry of every Crystal Pony as lots of confetti blew out from nowhere. To his awe and surprise, Spike sees plenty of tables having lots of food laid out on all of them, and colourful streamers are attached to the light posts. What caught Spike's attention is the banner saying 'You are our hero, Spike!' held up by two light posts on each side of the crystal road.
As the Crystal Ponies happily cheered and praised Spike, he sees his friends smiling ever so sweetly at him, which he responds in kind. All of this shown to him brings a choked up feeling in his heart, like he did another grand thing for everypony without taking notice of it. If that's not what could make Spike really happy, he nor anyone else would know what will.
TO BE CONTINUED...
This chapter begins the second arc of this story. Sorry to make you wait this long. I got stuck plenty of times, but I got through to the end.
If you'd like a clear look at the debuting characters appearances, I'll make vectors of them on my deviantART account which you will find through my same username as my Fanfiction one. Enjoy! :)