The airship was currently flying over the ocean, marking it the second day of the journey. Rachel wished this party ship was able to go faster so she could reach her mate, but she was told the current speed was the fastest it could go. She stood out in the balcony area and looked out. Finding herself unable to stand another second inside the cabin without seeing Blueball's face and scent, at least outside the smells wasn't noticeable, the smell of the salty sea masking it helped.
Capper was enjoying himself, wining and dining what the ship offers, some say ignorance was bliss if that cat was enjoying what cursed pony has done.
Since Tempest knew where Ironstone Wharf was, she was coordinating with the captain of the ship as they flew. Taking them straight to this village.
As she leaned against the railing, she looked down below the ocean. She saw the small tropical, vacation island that was the Bahoofmas. Rachel's hands gripped onto the ring as she thought of her time there.
That one week on a cruise, the events that started her romance with Spike began replaying in her mind. From the moment they met when she accidentally dropped paint all over Rarity before they even left the docks, he stayed behind to help clean her mess. Recounting the moment the two won that basketball game against Bouncer and his teammate, the moment they shared at the bar.
Her heart tightened when she remembered the scavenger hunt the two paired up. Rachel knew Spike purposely messed the hunt up so they could hang out longer, not even caring to win whatever reward that hunt was offering. The lights from the fire lilies that Spike set parts of the field ablaze, just to see her reaction.
The two being surrounded by billions of lights, the way he looked at her, making her feel like she was the only one in the world. Their first date…
Rachel knew cruises sometimes bring couples together but she had never believed that herself until she experienced it herself. By the end of that cruise, she had fallen for him. Something told her that he fell for her before she did.
And now, after ten months of him being missing, she was on her way to get him back.
However, from what Capper and Tempest said about this Snowball and his ways, she didn't know what she'll find. What damage can a single pig could do to a fully grown dragon? Never underestimate your enemy.
When the island was at a distance, she let go of the ring and let out a shuddering noise.
Please…. Please be alright… Rachel thought. She hoped but knew to keep her expectations low. With what Spike had endured because of Rarity and being held captive as a slave of sorts, Spike may not be the same. No telling what kinds of Hell he's been enduring all this time.
"Wow, you really must hate the owner of this boat to not stay inside."
Rachel looked over her shoulder to see Tempest standing at the doorway, holding two bottles of beer.
"If I could, I would go back in time and finish what I started with that sonuvabitch. Probably wouldn't be in this whole mess. That's how much I can't stand the owner." Rachel said as Tempest Shadow walked over to her and offered a bottle.
Rachel looked a bit apprehensive. She wasn't pregnant anymore but didn't know if she'd be able to drink again.
"You're not feeding a baby now. You can have at least one."
She stared at Tempest before taking it from her. Rachel used her claws to pop the caps off on both hers and Tempest's.
"Classy," Tempest said before taking a drink.
Rachel snickered before taking her first drink she had in months. She shuddered at the contents down her throat. The fire sacks in her throat did feel like they were going to spark but she kept it down. "Oooh that hit the spot." She chuckled softly.
"Bet you needed that." Tempest said.
"Oh girl, you have no clue," Rachel chuckled. "Of all the shit I have done for the war, becoming Queen and other things, I definitely needed to take the edge off." She took another drink.
"From what Twilight told us, yeah, you do." Tempest said as she leaned against the railing next to her. "I heard a lot about you in my travels. Your reputation precedes you."
"Oh? And what have you heard?" Rachel asked with a smirk.
"Human turned dragon, faced armies and fought Sombra himself after he kidnapped you. As much as you tried to use the pen, your sword and bow is mightier in combat. I respect those who fought in battle." Tempest said.
Rachel let out a soft chuckle. "Some of those battles I was carrying my son in my womb. Not the smartest move but at the time I was needed."
"Some of the fiercest leaders don't hold themselves back when their home and nature is at stake. You are just one of many whose bodies held a child who endured combat. Don't sell yourself short." Tempest took another drink.
Rachel let that sink in before finishing up her bottle. Unable to hold the sensation back, she turned her head away and let out a fiery burp. "Ooh shit my bad. Yeah, dragons and alcohol is a bad combo."
Tempest let out a giggle. "You don't live and rule without making some bad decisions."
"And trust me, I made enough bad decisions to last me a lifetime." Rachel laughed.
"How so? "
Rachel shrugged with a laugh. "Dumb, bad, stupid and horrible decisions I made back on Earth when I was a kid, especially with Justine." Rachel immediately stiffened when she spoke that name.
Rachel grew quiet as a somber look came across her face. She held the bottle in her hands. Momentarily remembering the woman's face. Same colored eyes, she was light skin with scars on her face, brown hair that she dyed similar pink. Remembering how close they were together.
A face she hadn't thought of until now.
"Who is Justine? A friend of yours?" Tempest asked curiously.
"She was… my old friend I had back on Earth. My best friend…" Rachel sniffed before setting the glass bottle in fire, seeing the glass melted in her hands before tossing it off the ship. Watching it fall and hit the water below. "She's gone, and if it's all the same, I kinda don't want to talk about it. I traversed into my past traumas this year alone. That shit is sticking between me and my therapist… which reminds me when this mission is said and done, I'm going to book an appointment because I need it."
"Fair enough," Tempest shrugged before finishing off her bottle and threw it overboard as well.
"What about you? All I know is that you're a badass." Rachel said, changing the subject.
Tempest smiled. "I am a badass." She took the compliment before shrugging. "Used to live in Equestria before I had the most unfortunate encounter with an Ursula Major when I was a filly." She motioned to her eye and broken horn.
"Jesus Christ, you're lucky that it didn't kill you." Rachel gawked.
"Very lucky. My so-called friends didn't think so… school kids are mean."
"Don't have to tell me that twice."
"After I was left behind by my peers, I left. I made my own dumb, bad, stupid and horrible decisions over the years before eventually joining The Storm King and his forces. Now I'm trying to live by what I did and in a way correct my wrongdoing."
"By being a Merc?" Rachel raised a brow at that.
"Spreading word about friendship is a good gig but it doesn't pay the bills. Initially I became a bounty hunter but the bounties just refused to come back willingly. Instead of coming in warm, I bring them in cold. Pisses off the Sheriffs and the hangmen but I get paid either way." Tempest shrugged.
Rachel gave it a thought and poked her. "You got a point there."
She was about to say something when Capper joined them. "Ladies, ladies, why are you all out here being all dark and gloomy?" He comes up to the two of them, wearing a fancy looking robe, throwing his arms on them, around Tempest's shoulders and placing his paws on Rachel's back. "Both of you are tense, why don't the two of you come inside and enjoy a good massage? We're about to go to one of the worst places on Equis, need to be in tip top shape."
Rachel and Tempest shared an annoyed look at Capper when he touched them.
Rachel flicks her tail at him, using it as a whip. Capper yowled and jumped when it hit him.
Around the same time, she felt her phone going off in her pocket. A family crappy pop ringtone.
"I'll be right back." Rachel said as she took her phone and walked away from the two. Capper rubbed his ass where she had whip him.
"You get no sympathy from me, Cap." Tempest shamelessly smirks.
Rachel answers the phone, realizing it was a face chat. The twins appeared.
"Hey girly, how's the trip?" They asked in unison. From the looks of the pink and lavender crystaled towel rack and a familiar landscape painting of a snowy mountain on the tiled wall, they were inside the bathroom of the cabin.
"Slower than molasses." Rachel responded. "Is everything okay? How's Igneous?"
"Oh he's doing great, we're just giving him a bath, look at this little angel!" Gemcity grabbed the phone from Ruby and pans the camera to the bathtub.
Rachel's heart melts when she sees Iggy in his baby tub. The gentle spray of the faucet on him had him smile big, enjoying his first bath time.
"Look at that face!"
"Oh hi baby!" Rachel cooed at her son. "Aw you look so adorable, hi," she waved at him.
When her voice was speaking to him, Iggy motioned his head towards the voice. Though his vision was still a blur, he recognized his mother's voice. He made croaking and babbling sounds, tiny hands reaching up for her. "My little munchkin, oooh I wish I can hold you right now. I'm sorry that I left but I promise once I get back, I'm going to give you so many hugs and snuggles, ooh! I just wanna eat you up!"
Rachel took a pause on what she said. "Huh, so that's why I keep hearing new mothers say to their newborns," she muttered to herself before turning back to her baby and kissing the screen."I love you Igneous, I'll be home soon."
The camera pans back to the twins.
"Okay, you had your daily dose of serotonin, now for the real reason why we called you, hon." Ruby said as she took the phone back from her younger twin.
Rachel grunted. "What is it?" She asked them.
"Listen, Rachie, no easy way of saying this, but uh… we received word that Mother wants to speak to you. She requests a meeting." Gemcity explained.
Rachel shook her head. "Oooh no, I just got this hot lead to my mate, I'm not making any detours, especially for Lilith."
"Hey, Rachel?" Rachel heard Capper call out her name.
She turned to see what he wanted and her eyes widened. A large black and hot pink airship in the shape of a jellyfish lowers itself from the clouds. Making the party yacht a child's toy in comparison .
"Yeah, she's coming to you." Ruby said. "Good luck sis!" Then hangs up on her.
"You got to be fucking kidding me." Rachel groaned.
"You think she's going to be okay with mother?" Gemcity asked with a frightened whimper.
"Yes… though it is the first time Rachel's meeting her without us, she should be fine…" Ruby said as she turned to finish giving the baby boy a bath. "Your mama is strong like you." She said as she tugged at his three toes.
As the two girls and the baby were inside the large, whimsical cabin, guarded by armed dragons and magic, just outside of it lay a shadow.
Sombra stood and watched the area. He takes a crystal that was void of light and color and placed it near the shields. Place it where it'll be hard to find.
A low hum activated when he placed the crystal down. The magic of the shields began to feed it.
He placed several more around before disappearing back to his fortress.
Back at the cliffside chateau that was once home to Blueblood was now Sombra's base of operations. Cloaked in dark magic of his own designs and monsters patrol from the depths of Tartarus.
Mind controlled ponies and several humans left over from his son's harsh experiments, now in Sombra's control. They wandered mindlessly around the halls as he appeared.
He adjusted his cloak before began walking down the halls.
Sombra came to a room to see the small dwarf blue fat bat working on mountains of paperwork.
He looked up and jumped, papers flew. "Oh y- your highness, y-your back!" Frankie the Bat yelped. He quickly gathered the loose papers for the dark horse.
"How has the construction project been going?" Sombra asked him.
"Uh, uh," the frightened bat combs through the paperwork before finding what he needed and looking at it. "Uh, we ran a bit of a bump with the materials but other than that, everything is according to plan."
"Excellent, maybe you're not useless as you seem." Sombra said as he left the office and walked away.
The bat tucked the paperwork underneath his pits before flying after him. "Just… just asking your highness, but have you found what you're looking for?"
"The child? Yes." Sombra said.
"Sir, you already removed the father, why do you want to have the child? The new Queen will slaughter you."
"Why do you think she's currently galavanting off to find Spike? If that Snowball knows what's good for him, if he plays his cards right, he'll have two dragons." Sombra chuckled.
The bat nodded nervously. "Uh… why do you want the baby? He was just born, what use is the newborn to you? Are you going to harm him?
"No. No he won't be harmed, I do have plans for him. He'll be a reminder, a pet of a time where Equestria once stood." Sombra said. "Once the project is complete, Equestria will burn, once the dust is clear, I shall rise as the new Ruler, as Emperor. It'll take time to grow from the ashes but it'll be grand. The child will be mine soon enough."