2:15pm…

USS Boston…

My eyes had been fixed to the port holes in front of me for, what seemed like an eternity. My hands tightly grasped the control panels like clamps, and my arms were stiff like a planks of wood. My bandages were re tightened to keep my wounds from re opening, though, I must've gotten used to the pain, because I couldn’t feel it any more. My eyes darted from the shore line on my right, back to the ocean in front, and then to the Yarnell. The scouts came to me every ten minutes to give me a an update, so far, nothing to report. Nobody was watching us from the shoreline, no one was flying around us, and still no sign of the helicopter.

“John, do you copy, this is Charlie, over.” Whipping my head down to the radio in my right pants pocket, I quickly grabbed it and yanked it up.

“Yes, I copy Charlie, where the hell is that helicopter? Over.” I chattered back.

“Blade one is about ten minutes out, give them some time, they found what they were looking for, and now comes the wait. Over.” The voice box came back.

“Yeah, copy that. Boston out.” As I said this I stuffed the radio back into my pocket, and re focused on the ocean ahead. The sailors around me shared the same look I donned. The look of apprehensiveness, the wait, the silence, it was getting to us again. It was the calm before the storm, and nobody liked it.

But then, the silence was cut, by a whistle, it came from the right of me. It sounded familiar, like I had heard it before. I turned my head slowly to find a sailor bobbing his head to his music, that he was making with his lips. Then it hit me, I DID know this sound because it wasn’t a sound, but a song. Then of course I wasn’t the only one on the bridge who heard the sailor. I knew this because from the left, came a voice, it sounded, happy, for once it sounded happy. It was low, but it was loud at the same time.

“Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, and we'll all stay free.” Then just he stopped, I heard someone tapping their boot on the ground, and just like that, it spread like a disease. It gained volume as more people joined in.

“Praise the Lord and swing into position, can't afford to be a politician, praise the Lord we're all between perdition, and the deep blue sea.” Soon the whole bridge was singing like, a bunch of schoolboys on summer break. Smiles on every face, including mine, they sang and danced... and laughed.

Laughter… Something, I had not heard in a long time. Ever since we left for the pacific tour, it was all, hushed tones, and dampening moods, nobody had ever been this happy before now, and it was sure as hell refreshing to hear, let alone witness.

Let’s just say, if happiness could fuel this ship, we would never need a pit stop ever again. Not in a million years. The situation were in, seems hopeless, but we will never loose hope.

“John, JOHN! Do you copy? Over!” I heard the radio in my pocket speak up over the music, and quickly, the voices fell silent. Everyone stopped singing and looked at me, and looked at them.

I pulled it out again, “Yes, we copy over.” I said in return.

“Blade one is in trouble! Their being tailed by a squadron of ponies, they are requesting permission to engage, over.”

“Oh shit!” I said. I heard the helicopter closing in. I ran outside and so did everyone else. I pulled out my 45. and everyone else whipped out their M1’s. I saw Blade one, and I saw the ponies, and they saw us.

“Negative! Do not engage, their acting in self defence, we’re here as guests, no need to go shooting the locals!” I yelled back.

“Copy that, Blade one is coming in for a landing, out.” Just as he said that the helicopter flew overhead towards the rear of the Yarnell. As it flew over, the ponies tailing it landed on the bow of my ship, and got into a defensive stance. I yelled down to them as the helicopter came in for a landing.

“You there! State your intentions and organization, otherwise you will be detained for illegally boarding a US vessel.” As I said this a team of Military Police officers surrounded them on the bow and aimed their rifles at them. When I said this, the one who I could only assume to be their leader stepped forward.

“We are the R.E.A.F. the Royal Equestrian Air-Force. We’re here to identify the UFO you are harboring. Now, state your intentions!” It yells back.

Nodding to it request I spoke back.

“We are the U.S.N. United States Navy, we were brought here by accident, and are on our way to rendezvous with Princess Celestia, your commander! You may know as Humans?” I asked back. The lead pony looked to the left ponies, then to the ponies on the right, then they all nodded together in agreement.

“Understood! We will accept this and give you and escort to Manehatten Harbor. Please follow us.” They said. With a few flap of their wings the ponies darted into the air and hovered in place, then slowly, they flew out in front of us. The MP’s stood down, and soon, we were on our way, but of course, not without nearly starting a war between the two of us.

I sighed in relief as they turned around, rolling my head rubbing my neck,

“God, this needs to happen less often,” I look around to the sailors around me and they were talking amongst themselves, “Okay come on, get back to work, let's not forget we're professionals when we need to be exactly that.” They all jumped and ran back into the cabin and jumped back onto their controls as they checked and re checked everything.

“Charlie, do you copy?” I said after I pulled the radio up to my mouth. A slight pause ensued.

“Yeah, yeah I copy, over.” The radio came back. I nodded and pointed to the squad of ponies out in front of us.

“Follow them, they're taking us to the harbor, you copy?” I said back.

“Yeah, roger that captain, see you on land, Yarnell out.” I again stuffed the radio into my pocket. I jumped into a step as I headed back into the bridge, as I did, I began issuing orders. I ordered general quarters to be taken off, but men to patrol the ship, armed. I told to keep the ship at 22 knots, all the way to shore, then drop it to 15 when we saw skyline. I issued the medical bay to keep on treating the injured from our entry, if they weren’t already. Then I asked all guns to face front, or back, depending on their side from mid ship, and within five minutes, and a whirl of mechanical sounds, all the guns were in position.

I gripped the controls again, as the sun came out of the clouds and shown its golden light into the room. A new dawn had come, and I could feel it, deep within me, something was coming. But whatever it was, it could wait.

3:00pm…

USS Boston…

Time had passed, slowly for me, but for everyone else, maybe not. We continued to follow the squadron of ponies along the shoreline until they darted off and disappeared behind the tree line ahead. That could only mean one thing, we were here. The ship broke the waves as the skyline of the city came into view. It was a giant grey mass that came out of the trees, it grew and grew into bigger buildings as they shot up into skyscrapers.

It reminded me of New York, it was an almost picture perfectly replica. Manhattan had the hustle and bustle of a large downtown city, the sounds of cars passing, the constant movement. The lights, the sights, the people and celebrities. The pure essence of the American Dream condensed into one city along the eastern seaboard. Even the statue of liberty, the proud symbol of America, out on Ellis Island.

I guess it was funny, and maybe even a tease that their city, looked just like mine, almost down to every detail. I marveled at the sights, a few boats floated around away from the shoreline. As we passed the tree cover a whole pack of seagulls flew past us and headed towards the harbor.

New York Harbor had lots of large freighters, passenger ships, war ships, and others, moving about in and out of their waters. People walked about on shore, in a constant struggle to keep the goods moving, the cargo in land, and shipments across sea. It was hell on earth. But here, from what I could I see through my specs, their harbor was cleared out. Was it because of us, or maybe they just didn’t have that much cargo to move about, doubtful.

“Okay were in their waters, let’em know we're here.” I said out loud in the cabin.

“Aye aye Captain.” Came a few voices. A scuffle ensued and a few seconds later, the ship shook as it let out a deep and ear shattering moan. It was the ship's horn and it was beautiful, it said in a few brief seconds that, “we were here, and were ready for anything,” and that’s exactly why I loved it, also because, only one thing in the world can make a sound like that and that’s a Warship. After our echo waved through the air, a second one came. It sounded higher in pitch, and it wasn’t ours, it was the Yarnell’s. They taken lead ship as they came out from behind our shadow and let the whole city get a full view of their ship.

Our speeds lowered to a more respectful speed as we approached the shore. The Yarnell positioned itself in front of us, smaller ship first was the rule. Suddenly my scouts told me, in a rush, that the princess was approaching us in a rush. I ran out of the bridge and ordered the other to take my place. When I got outside, the princess was right next to us, flying to our speed, and hovering in place. I realized why she was here, and that reason was the whole second ship that I brought with me.

“Okay, before you say anything, I know you know that, that ship wasn’t with us, when we first made contact. He came, later, after you left, I’m not sure if you knew or not.” I said with my palms out.

“That explains a few things,” Celestia said after shaking her head in an annoyed manner, “ No I wasn’t aware of this second ship, and I’m not blaming you for it’s appearance, but I must tell you this now, that second ship, is the reason one of my students is in the hospital.” I recoiled back a bit I squinted my eyes and went over that sentence again, and again. Before I could ask why, she told me.

“From what I can tell, Twilight, whom is my students name, was caught in a magic feedback loop, that sent her into a coma when she brought the second ship her by accident. So, I must warn you, that some ponies may not warm up too you, like how I intended.” I went over this again, and again in my mind, ‘okay, okay, this can work, just don’t do anything stupid, and we should be okay,’ I said to myself.

“Okay, noted Princess, thank you for the info.”