Night court came and went easily enough. Nothing major came up, though I did have several cases to cover. Again, nothing major. When it came time to raise me the moon I thought it would be nice to have Tempestive’s help. But he was too tuckered out from his exciting day to stay awake. It was nice to have Miles keep me warm at night though. I hope he gets to stay longer this time around. I know everypony would love to have him stay, not just myself. I know it's not likely, but I can be optimistic.

I woke well before he did the next day. I can't remember the last time I stayed in bed and simply watched him sleep. He mumbles. A lot. I don't know how I sleep through it all honestly. Maybe it's just a bad dream he's having. I could look into his dream but... I don't know. If something was really bothering him, he'd tell me... right?

"Mmm... are you watching me sleep again?" he mumbles, pulling me in closer.

"Maybe, you'll have to open your eyes to find out." I tell him quietly, getting a small chuckle from him. We meet in a quick kiss before he finally opens his eyes to look down at me. "Morning."

"Mornin' queen bed head." I shake my head at that lean into his embrace, resting my nose in the crook of his neck. "Everything alright?"

"What about this makes you think I'm worried about anything?" I ask, holding his hooves with mine.

"Because you only get this clingy when something is on your mind. What's up?" I smile at that last part. It's just a small memory of ours, but it makes me smile all the same.

"You... were mumbling in your sleep." I say slowly, getting him to sigh. "Is something wrong?"

"It's just a dream. I thought it would pass by now, but it hasn't really. It varies in severity, but it usually depicts the same scenario." He rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling, thinking deeply on his dreams. I tuck my legs under myself as I lay on my stomach, watching him closely. He's obviously stressed about this, but there seems to be something else on his mind as well. "Am I scary?"

"Scary? Miles-"

"In my dream, I'm watching myself. There's this fire burning around me and I look... I look like I'm ready to murder someone. You've seen me like that before. What was I like to you?" I bit my lip as I try to think of the best way to answer. When he rescued me from that fort, I wasn't really paying much attention to my surroundings. I was more focused on the shame that was present all over me. The guilt of giving away my greatest secret forced my eyes down as... as...

Okay... keep it together. Don't dwell on it, just push it aside.

"I can't say really." I tell him, clearing my voice when it falters slightly. "I've only ever seen you kill to protect. I've never seen you kill in aggression. If you want a better answer, I think you should ask somepony who’s seen you kill in aggression for a better answer. Sorry-"

"Don't be," he says quickly, turning his gaze to me. "I don't want you to ever see me like that. If my dreams are anything to go by... it would only serve to terrify you." I don't have anything to say to that. Not with this conversation being so sudden. I simply take his hoof in mine and give it a squeeze. One that he returns promptly.

"Come. Lets get ready for the day.We can talk more about this later." He nods to me, following me to the bathroom. If there is one thing I miss about my old room here in Canterlot, it has to be the bathroom. The tub is large enough to fit the two of us comfortably and the multiple shower heads make washing a breeze. He hesitates for a second before joining me in the shower, keeping his gaze away from me slightly.

"Sorry. I just... don't think I can... you know. I'm not really in the mood-"

"Miles Eremita." I cut him off as I start the shower, turning the nobs to my preferred temperature. "Just because I bring you into the shower with me doesn't mean we're going to make love."

"If ninety percent of the showers we've taken together are any indicator-"

"Sit." I look back to him and give him an even glare. He promptly sits down and resides to his fate. "Now turn around." He does so without any question. I smile at his submissiveness, happy to have him listen so well. I grab one of my bottles of coat wash and pour a large glob onto his back. I let it ooze down his back before I begin to rub it into his skin. I'm glad I payed attention during all of those spa visits Rarity and Regina brought me to. I may not be an expert, but if the way Miles is sighing is any indicator, I'm not half bad.

"Is this that fruity stuff you always use for date night?" Miles asks, making me laugh a bit.

"Of course. I wouldn't want my big, bad Spartan going to some posh gathering smelling like a stallion, now would I?" I tell him, getting a quizzical look from him. "Eyes forward."

"Fine. But for the record, this isn't part of the deal. I fully intend to get you back for this."

"Hm, I look forward to it." I say as I levitate one of the nozzles over and rinse off his back. "Now, lay on your stomach." He gives me another look before doing as I say. I may have taken a moment to appreciate his well kept body, but he doesn't say anything about it. I pour another large glob on his chest and trace it up to his stomach. He gives a little twitch when the cold substance hits him, but doesn't say anything.

"Is it really ne-"

"If it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't have you do it. Now shush up and relax. We have a big day ahead of us, and I want to make sure there's at least one good thing to come of it." I set my hooves on his chest and slowly start rubbing the solution into his fur, enjoying the contact between us. Miles rests his fore hooves on the sides of my stomach as I continue to work his body, feeling the tense muscles loosen beneath my hooves.

I lose track of time as I slowly go over his body. I make sure to work out every knot, wash every patch of fur, and run warm water over every inch of his body. Everywhere, except where I wanted to go most of all. My libido is kicking in, yelling at me to go there and get what I want from it. He's having the same battle as his soldier starts to march forth. But, even though I really wanted it, I pushed those urge aside in consideration of his feelings. I've tried to come up with something better to say to him, but I can't find the perfect answer, only a compromise. So, as I finish the bottom of his belly, I step forward and sit on his lap, getting him to look up to me in confusion.

"Miles, you probably can be scary at times. You've trained your entire life to fight a terrifying war, and in return became a terrifying warrior. But don't berate yourself over that. You are a good stallion Miles. Your children love you, your friends and family love you, I love you. We all know what you're capable of, and we still love you. You were raised to have bouts of terror, but those that know you know better than to fear you. That dream of yours is exactly that, a dream."

"Thank you Luna. That means a lot to me. I love you too." I lay down against him to meet him in a kiss. It was short, but conveyed the message well enough. "Do you want me to return the favor and wash you now?"

"As nice as that sounds, I kind of used up the body wash." I tell him with a small blush. We both share a small laugh before getting back to our hooves. "I'll just put on a little extra perfume for today. Besides, with the amount of wash I used on you I probably smell just as nice."

"Yea, thanks for that by the way," he says sarcastically as I shut the water off. He starts to leave the shower when I get a wicked idea. Igniting my horn quickly, I grab the base of his tail and give it a quick tug up. He somehow loses his footing and tumbles over himself, landing on his back sprawled completely out. I laugh at the dumbfounded look on his face as I step out over him. I lean down and kiss his cheek before going to whisper in his ear.

"I know how much you're going to hate this, so I figured I'd give you a little something to make the day go by. Ponies’ tails are sensitive when lightly tugged. And mine is super sensitive, compared to most ponies." I turn and walk away from him, swaying my hips widely. I love teasing him. It's one of the easiest ways to get his mind off of something. So many little things set him off so easily, he's probably debating how much time we have to spare right now. If it gets his mind off of those depressing thoughts, I don't mind giving him a little something to work with. Given, I think today is going to be interesting.

I hum happily as Tempestive and I enjoy breakfast together. He was up fairly early, so I decided to give Luna and Miles a break and let them sleep in. And, if I got to enjoy some more time with my favorite nephew in the whole world, than it's a win-win. I chuckled when he ordered the pancakes with extra syrup and strawberries. It was pleasing to see influences from the two of them. Though I was also happy to hear that we didn't have any strawberries. Knowing his father, that wouldn't have ended well. Now that I think about it, I don't know if he's allergic to strawberries like Miles. They didn't say anything about it, but... he is Miles' son.

"Thewse arwe tphe berrrst perncerks-"

"Don't speak with your mouth full." I tell him quietly, getting him to force the mouthful of pancakes down in one gulp.

"These are the best pancakes I've ever had!" He tells me cheerfully, making me smile.

"Well, I'll be sure to let Chef Gourd Ramensy you like his cooking. Now, your mother and father are going to be busy all day with the christening. I was thinking that you and I could send the day together... er... what's the term Twilight used?"

"Do you mean ‘hang out’?" he asks curiously.

"Well... yes. Sorry, my friend uses a different word for that. We can do just about anything you want to do! Just... you know, no new spells or anything like that. And... we can't leave the castle... or go near the front gate... or into any of the business halls... I can see why Luna wanted to leave Canterlot-"

"I think I have an idea of what we can do, but I need you to trust me and follow my lead. Interested?"

I was about to question what he wanted to do but the doors opening cut me off. The smiles on their faces warmed my heart and forced a larger smile on myself. I love it when they're in this bubbly, lovey mood. Everything else melts away as they simply enjo- no, love one another. No problems, no worries, just... love.

I really need to stop reading those romance novels Twilight keeps giving me. They're starting to get to my head.

"Hey! I hope you saved some for your old man!" Miles playfully warns Tempestive, making him begin to wolf down his food.

"Good morning sister. I'm glad you were able to keep an eye on Tempestive for us this morning. Without any incidents." I lower my head at the cold statement. I don't blame her for being upset, but I guess I can take her passive aggressive statements if it means I'm not grounded from him... oh mother. Our roles have reversed.

"Good morning Luna. I'm glad to see you in an upbeat mood today." She offers me a small smile and nuzzles my cheek before taking her seat beside me. She's cooled off a bit at least. I can handle passive aggressive comments just fine. "So, are you two ready for the... festivities today?" Have to avoid the P word at all cost.

"I think we'll make it," she says as she leans over and looks at Miles and Tempestive. They're currently trying to finish the last pancakes at the same time. Syrup flies all around them as their forks fight for supremacy. Truly a noble fight to the last pancake. "Are you looking forward to your day off?"

"I'll be honest, if it weren't for Tempestive being here, I don't know what I'd do with myself." I admit with a light blush.

"You work yourself too hard sister. You deserve a day off! Just... promise me you won't do anything too... adventurous, please?"

"I promise, no adventuring will happen on these grounds." I tell her as I put a hoof to my chest. She smiles to me and leans over, giving a soft cough that ends the pancakes enthused battle. I look over and laugh at the two of them. Miles and Tempestive are each biting the same pancake, even as Miles tries to yank Tempestive off. I don't quite get how the pancake is holding up with the two of them trying to tear it apart, but my laughter is stopping me from asking.

"Tempestive, promise me you won't go over board today. I don't want you using too much magic after yesterday." Tempestive looks to his father before dropping the pancake.

"Um... if that's the case, can Auntie Celly and I just go home?" We all glance to one another before looking back to him.

"Do you not like it here?" Luna asks.

"No, I like it here, I really do! It's just...well..."

"Are you embarrassed about yesterday?" Miles asks, getting a coy nod from him. "Well... I don't know..."

"If you two are okay with it, I don't mind." I say quickly, getting their attention. "I think it'd be nice to get out of the castle for once. And, since it'll be at your home, I doubt anypony will really bother us. What do you think?" They lean over and look to one another, giving me a moment to give Tempestive a wink.

"Well... if you really don't mind-"

"I don't. I'm sure it'll be nice to get away from Canterlot." I tell them with a smile, getting the two of them to shrug.

"Alright then. You can go home then if you'd really like to. We'll be back just before sundown so make sure you either bring money for food or come back here for lunch and dinner. Which reminds me Miles, we need to go grocery shopping again..."

I look back to Tempestive and smile as Luna continues to talk. I don't know what he has planned, but I can't wait to see what it is. I can't remember the last time -other than yesterday- we had any quality time together. That being said, I'll have to remember to bring money for food. I'm nowhere near good enough of a cook to make anything, and I don't want to waste our time together traveling back and forth. How much is lunch in Ponyville anyway? I'll just bring a decent amount to make sure we cover everything.

"Okay then! If that's everything then we will be off!" Luna announces, snapping me back to the conversation. She stands up and walks over to Tempestive, giving him a quick hug and kiss on the head. He grumbles his discomfort, but doesn't openly fight the affection. According to Luna's letters he's been growing into his more independent stage, where he begins to hate affection from his mother. I guess with less ponies around, he's more willing to accept the affection. After Miles gives him a quick hug the two of them trot their way out of the dinning hall.

Once they're out of sight, Tempestive lets out a long sigh and slumps in his seat. Chuckling, I relax as well, if only to mirror Tempestive. He looks up to me and smiles, to which I return. He better watch it. If he gets anymore adorable I'm sure some of the staff will have a field day fawning over him, myself included.

"So, what's in your home that has you so eager to return?" I ask slyly as the servants come to take the plates away.

"It's a surprise. But you have to promise to keep what I show you between the two of us. Promise?" he asks as he holds his hoof out. I chuckle at his seriousness and shake his hoof. He probably only wants to show me his secret... hangout spot. I'll play along though. I haven't felt this silly in... ages. It's a nice change of pace.

"I promise. Now, get washed up and we'll head out."

"Right... washed... uh..."

"Down the hall on the right-"

"THANKS!" he takes off running, scaring one of the maids as he nearly crashes into her. I chuckle at his antics, watching him until he scurries through the doors.

"Um... your highness... if I may?" The maid asks, bowing before me. "Shouldn't somepony be with him? The Queen said-"

"I don't think I could accompany him to the restroom, nor do I think he would appreciate having somepony he doesn't know attend with him." The maid quickly bows and offers her apology, one that I accept easily. She's just doing her job, something that I appreciate.

I take my leave to get ready as well, teleporting to my room and levitating several things into a small bag. After quickly brushing my teeth and giving myself a look over, I teleport down to the hall were the restroom is. After a few minutes of waiting, Tempestive comes walking out... with Blueblood.

"Auntie Celly! Look! An actual prince! Isn't that cool!?" Tempestive asks as he comes running up to me, weaving between my hooves.

"A prince you say?" I ask, giving Blueblood a questioning look. He merely smirks and steps forward.

"Aunt Celestia, it's a pleasure to see you again," he says with a slight bow.

"We're related!?" Tempestive almost yells, jumping between the two of us.

"Not directly." I say quickly before Blueblood could muddy up the issue any more.

"It's more of a... workplace relation." Blueblood adds, continuing his smirk to me. "It's been a pleasure, but I have duties to attend to. Aunt Celestia," he gives a slight bow before turning away from me, insulting me by not waiting for a return bow.

"Guard." I call out as I glare back at Blueblood. "Please escort Tempestive to my chambers. I need to have a word with Blueblood."

"Is he in trouble?" Tempestive asks innocently. I smile and lean down to be on his level, nuzzling his cheek slightly.

"... maybe. I don't know. It depends on what he knows. I'll be up shortly, go along." I nudge him along, getting him to follow the guard down the hall. Once I'm sure he's far enough down I trot after Blueblood, determined to set him straight. It doesn't take me long to find him talking with a group of nobles. "Prince Blueblood, a word please."

"Aunt Celestia, to what do I owe the-"

"A word, please." I repeat more firmly. He nods and excuses himself from the group, following me down the hall until I turn back to him. "Do you care to explain what that was all about?"

"I don't-"

"You know what Luna has decreed." I cut him off firmly, stepping towards him. "Tempestive is not to know of his princedom until they determine he is ready! By calling me Aunt he knows of a relation! And telling him you're a Prince only makes matters worse! What, in all of Equestria, were you thinking!?" He smirks again. If it weren't for the thousands of years of training I would have lost myself and smacked that smirk right off his face.

"It was never mentioned that I couldn't mention my own status nor was it mentioned that I couldn't mention our relationship, Princess Celestia." I have to take a moment to register his attitude. I've never seen this side of him before. I've heard stories, but...

"Why are you acting like this? You realize that when my sister here's word of this-"

"She'll have to report it, just as you will," he says as he steps forward, meeting my gaze evenly. "If anything comes from this then a special court hearing would be held. The crown, as well as the Elder Nobles, will then hear our cases. What exactly will you tell them? That I treated you as an equal, that I didn't give you the respect you never showed half of us?"

"I have always been-"

"Distant with the younger generation of nobles. But now we hold most of the court, and it's time you learned who we are. I'm sure the Crown will understand our plight."

"Luna will not be swayed so easily Blueblood." I tell him, making him smirk even more. My eyes widen a bit when I realize what he's implying. "The King will not side with you either."

"The King will hear me openly, Princess Celestia. He will have a...younger outlook. And if there's one thing we have learned in the courts, it's how to win favor through words. Now if you excuse me, I have a christening to attend to." He gives me one last look over before turning away. I stare him down as he walks down the hall. How does he know about Miles? How did he learn of his out look and mannerisms?

"Princess?" A nearby guard salutes, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Good morning." I say with a slight bow before turning away from him. I'll have to bring this up with Luna and Miles later. Right now I have a play date to attend to.

"I'm just saying, breakfast would have been nice-"

"Breakfast or pancakes?" Luna asks with a playful smirk.

"... what's the difference?" She laughs again and stops to face me. Just outside the air docks. I can already hear the commotion just beyond the door. There are a lot of people out there... and a tuba?

"Just remember; no cussing, be polite, and try to avoid giving direct answers," she tells me as she fusses over my appearance. I roll my eyes as she tries to straighten out the fur on my neck, but don't fight it.

"Luna, please. I can be discrete when I want to be."

"I know you can... and thank you for doing this with me." She leans up and plants a small kiss on my lips, making me smile.

"You really think I'd toss you in there without a meat shield?" I ask, making her chuckle. I move aside and open my wing slightly, bringing her to set her wing within mine. It's the pegasi’s equivalent of holding hands apparently. "Lets not keep them waiting then."

We walk forward as the doors open for us. A massive airship sits in the back hovering just off the deck as tables and ponies fill the space in between. They all fit the stereotype of the upper crust Canterlot elite. Posh, snobbish in appearance, and obviously wealthy. From expensive jewelry to high fashion outfits everyone here is showcasing their own wealth. Oh sweet Barbra...I can see one of Rarity's dresses.

"PRESENTING QUEEN LUNA!" An announcer yells over the crowd, getting them all to turn and look at us. Every facade and mask drops when they see me, unblinking. We stand there for a moment before I look over to the announcer. He hasn't looked over here yet, so I cough lightly to get his attention. When he does look at me, he nearly faints. '"U-uh... I uh..."

"King, or his majesty, whichever you prefer." I tell him with a cocky smile.

"AND HIS MAJESTY! THE KING!" Both, not bad. I stand up straight and look over the crowd as they bow before me. It gives me an eerie feeling of power over them. I don't like it. Not one bit.

"Say something." Luna whispers to me, nudging me slightly.

"Some forewarning would have been-"

"Miles!"

"CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA." I start out, stepping forward. None of them rise yet, so I guess I'm speaking over them. "I... or WE GREET YOU WITH... uh...OPEN ARMS. WELCOME." The crowd of ponies stand up and stomp their hooves in applause. I still feel a bit foolish for yelling over crowd, but ignore it when Luna rejoins me at my side.

"Open arms?" she asks quietly.

"What?" I ask, getting a knowing look from her. "Oh... oops."

"It's alright. Now, time to mingle." Mingle... joy. I put on my best smile as we start to walk into the crowd of ponies. At first they simply clear a path for us, still staring at me in disbelief. They few I do make eye contact with, avert their eye quickly. I guess I intimidate them too much for even a hello. We make it to a table with food where the waiter stares at us. After a long, awkward silence I finally get tired of waiting for someone to say something.

"So-"

"SIR!" The guy yells before dropping to a bow. I glance to Luna, who shrugs, before getting the two of us a cup of punch.

"I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting it to be quite like... this." Luna mentions as we begin to walk towards the vessel in the back. The ponies here are either staring at us or whispering to one another quietly.

"What, you only brought the only known male alicorn in the world to a social gathering unannounced. It's not like these people live off of pretending to know what's what in the political theater. I mean, it could be worse. They could have absolutely no clue what I think or my-"

"I get it." Luna cuts me off, making me chuckle at her. "There has to be a least one pony here who's brave enough to speak with us-"

"I'm on it!" I suddenly make a right turn and approach the closest group of ponies near us, two unicorn mares and a pegasus stallion. The elder mare has a dark purple coat with red hair while the stallion has a sea blue coat with a white mane. The younger mare has the stallions coat with the mares hair color. They're all wearing fancy suits or pretty dresses that help blend them in with this crowd. They drop to the ground and wait silently for me to tell them what to do, so I do. "Stand up and introduce yourselves."

"S-sir! I'm Lavender Spice!" The first elder mare says. "A-nd this is our daughter Dawn Mist-"

"Daughter?"

"Y-yes!" The stallion chimes in, stepping forward. "I'm Dusky Shores! This is my wife and daughter!"

"Why are you yelling?" I ask, folding my ears from his volume.

"Sorry! I-I mean, I apologize-"

"Calm down." I assure them with a chuckle. Luna gives me a look but smiles along anyway. They look to each other before forcing out a chuckle of their own. "If I wanted to meet formally I would have done so."

"Yes, this is an informal meet and greet with the king. Such formalities are forgiven." Luna adds, looking to the girl. "Dawn Mist, what is it you do?" The three of them go rigged as all of our attention to the girl.

"I-I...uh...I mean... um..."

"I-it's okay dear," the mother coos. "Just tell them what you do."

"I... uh... forgot-"

"You forgot?" I ask with a laugh. She blushes deeply and averts her gaze.

"Dear, you're embarrassing her." Luna tells me playfully with a slight nudge. "Come now, do you work with your father? Perhaps your mother?"

"I... uh... I'm a... sailor-"

"A sailor!" I cut her off loudly, getting panicked looks from the three of them. "Privateer or enterprise?"

"Enterprise!" The stallion chimes in quickly. "She works with me in my shipping company, isn't that right dear!?"

"Yes! Of course!" The mother chimes in, the two of them stepping in front of their daughter. I glance over to Luna, getting an equally confused look from her, before looking back to them.

"Not that I mind, but how did sailors make it... here? Isn't this a bit more... posh, than you're used to?" I ask carefully.

"I think I can help with that." A refined voice says from behind. I look over as a unicorn stallion and mare join our conversation. The stallion is pure white with wavy blue hair. He wears a black vest with a red tie and a fancy ass monocle. He's pretty big for a unicorn, I'd put him almost as big as Blueblood. The mare is all white with flowing light pink hair. She's wearing a slim dress that's a shade darker than her hair. She's slim but stills has an attractive figure about her, one that she flaunts freely.

"And you are?" I ask.

"My name is Fancy Pants and this is my lovely wife Fleur De Lis. I own the Equestrian Empire Trading company. Dusky Shores here is my head forepony for my western affairs while Dawn here is one of my captains. I do believe this ship here will be under her command once it takes to the air."

"Really now?" I ask, looking back to the mare. "I have a feeling we'll be talking more than."

"I-I-"

"And you, Fancy Pants, you're the one in charge of the E.E.T.? It is a pleasure to meet you." I tell him as I hold my hoof out to shake. He takes it and gives a hardy shake, one that leads me to believe he's not like the other posh upper crust here.

"The pleasure is all ours Sir." Fleur adds as I move to shake hooves with her.

"So, Captain Dawn Mist, you must be excited to take to the air." Luna adds, getting the mare to mumble a response.

"Please, don't you know it's bad luck to call a pony captain before the christening?" Fancy asks, right in the middle of playful and serious.

"Not where I'm from." I tell him. "You need a Captain more than you need a ship."

"Oh... and where are you from, if you don't mind my asking?" Fancy asks with a raised eyebrow. I chuckle at that. First attempt to pry information, though this is a bit more blunt than what I was expecting.

"I'm from the south... the deep south."

"Like, the Badlands south or... further south?" Dawn Mist asks, going wide eyed from speaking suddenly. "I-I mean sir?"

"Good eye." I tell her, getting a smile in return. "No. No, I'm from a different south. One that I doubt you've heard of." Luna gives me a slight nudge, telling me to stop. "So, you think we can steal a tour of the ship?"

"O-oh! Uh... I'm sorry sir, but the ship is closed off-"

"Come now Dusky Shores," Fancy cuts him off, giving me a smile. "I think we can make an exception this time."

"Perfect! Let's go then!" I say excitedly.

"Now? Mi... dear. We have an event to attend to." Luna chides me. "We can't jus- AH!" She yelps suddenly and goes red in the face. I smirk down to her and drop my magic before anyone could notice.

"I think we can escape for a few minutes, take a quick peek, and be back before anyone even notices." I tell her with her with a playful smile. She tries to come up with a response but can't get past her blush.

"Ooooh, I think we should get to the ship, lest our Queen be seen blushing." Fleur teases, making Luna blush even more. "Come now, lets not keep them waiting Fancy, lets take them on a tour!" Fleur rubs up on Fancy, getting him to smile coyly. He chuckles a bit before beckoning us to follow.

"You coming Dawn?" I ask her.

"U-uh sir-"

"A captain should know their ship, inside and out. Come on." I tell her before following after Fleur and Fancy.

It takes a bit to actually get to the ship, especially when we have to navigate through the crowd of bowing ponies. Once we do make it though we take a moment to admire the beast of a craft. Massive ballast float high in the air; tethered with thick ropes and massive chains. The ship has to be roughly one hundred meters long and around four stories tall. It's fairly narrow, but could easily fit an Aquila on the deck. Standing in the center of the main deck made me feel extraordinarily small. I haven't felt this small since I first looked up at the P.C.H. back at Topaz.

I walk along the smooth, dark deck and look around in curiosity. It's intriguing to see how Equestrians take to the air and how they manage their ships. Everything about this ship reminded me of the boats from the Griffin Colonies. Ropes tied with intricate knots, rope ladders leading to the massive ballast above, even the wooden railings seemed more for a seafaring vessel than an aircraft. What really sells the comparison is the deck though. It has two parts, the main deck where most of ropes were tied, and the upper deck; where the steering wheel is located.

"Impressive, isn't she?" Fancy asks as I turn and look back over the railings to the main deck.

"It is a marvelous ship Fancy." Luna tells him with a slight bow of the head.

"It's a flying boat." I say flatly, getting them all to look at me in shock. I look over to the steering wheel and give it a twirl, irritated slightly from this.

"I-I beg your pardon?" Fancy asks, slightly unsure of himself for once.

"I will admit, what you have here is impressive. But... this all seems... as if you put a bunch of balloons on top of a boat and called it an aircraft. I’m not impressed with this. Why pay for a flying boat, when we could just have a boat?”

"Mi... ahem, dear." Luna steps forward and nudges me slightly. "I'm sure-"

"No, he's right." Fancy cuts Luna off, getting a shocked look from her. "To the untrained eye this may as well be a flying boat."

"But, please. Let us convince you otherwise." Fleur finishes, stepping forward. "There more to this ship than outward appearances." I glance between the two of them before looking over to Dawn Mist. Her parents are missing, but I don't really care about that right now.

"Dawn, I want you to sell me this ship." I say, getting her to go wide eyed.

"S-sir?" Her voice quivers.

"Sell me this ship. Prove to me this ship is worth anything. Prove to me that this ship is worthy for flight. Make me believe in this ship. I'm sure Fancy and Fleur could do the job well enough, but I'd rather hear it from you. Show me why you're captain." The poor girl looks as if she's about to faint from her panic attack. Luna tries to get my attention, but I hold still as I wait for her to respond. I want to see if she's worth investing in. If any of this is worth investing in.

"Dawn," Fancy says quietly, getting her attention. "Why don't you start out with what you told me." She blinks a few times, slowly calming down.

"It was a marvelous tale. Start there!" Fleur adds, sashaying up beside Fancy. Dawn takes a few breaths before looking back to me. I like the conviction she suddenly has, even if it's teetering on the edge of a total mental breakdown.

"I've spent most of my life in the ocean. From the Divide to the Great Expanse I've sailed all of them. I've lost ships, lost crew members, and seen my fair share of monstrosities. I love the ocean. And I always will."

An odd start, but I'm sure it means something.

"You call this airship a flying boat, as if that's a flaw. But I see that as an advantage. The skies are not that different from the seas. They're filled with mystery, yet we pretend to know so much about them. They're uncontrollable, yet manageable. We can chart them in their entirety, yet never know them completely. They're vast and ever inspiring, taunting us with dreams and aspirations of exploration! To go forth and search out the wonders of the world! To find the edge of the map not for profit or expansion but because it's there! Because it's there and it has yet to be touched by our hooves!The winds on our back and the future is before us! Waiting for those brave enough to search it out!"

I smile at her enthusiasm. I can see why Fancy picked her. She's got a fire in her heart that's eager to get out there. She's not one to sit still for long, that much is apparent. She takes a deep breath and realizes she got a bit carried away. She shrinks back down to her shy self and looks down nervously.

"A-and... uh... if the ballast does go out... well... better to be in a boat, right?" I burst out laughing at that, crushing her enthusiasm completely. I didn't expect her to say something like that, but oh sweet Barbra was it good.

"Dear," Luna chides, stifling her own chuckle. I step forward and hold my hoof out to Dawn, making her jump slightly.

"To the edge of the map." She looks over to Fancy for a moment before taking my hoof lightly. "May we never find it."

"Here here!" Fancy cheers as the others stomp their hooves. I give her a sturdy shake before giving the gesture to Fleur and Fancy, Luna joining in as well. When we finish I look back to Dawn. She chuckles a bit, smiling widely at me.

"I won't let you down sir! I promise you that!" she tells me, her enthusiasm back where I like it.

"Good. Now why don't you go back to your parents. I'd like to discuss some boring business stuff with Fancy for a bit." She nods and starts to walk off, but stops when I call out to her. "You're a Captain now. I have great expectations for you." She nods and gives me a salute before continuing back to the party. When she's far enough out I turn back to Fancy and Fleur and smile.

"I admire her eagerness." Luna comments. "Though I feared she was going to faint earlier."

"She'll do great. She just needs to get the stick out of her ass." I comment, getting Luna to kick my back leg. "What?" Oh... I cussed. I give Luna an apologetic look before looking back to the other two. They seem... unfazed by my comment.

"I think she did quite well, given the circumstances." Fancy comments. I nod to that and look to Fleur. She looks as if she's holding her breath, trying not to say something. I was going to ask her about it, but Luna beat me to the punch.

"What did you want to ask them dear?" She asks. I think about it for a moment before dropping the Fleur thing. I'm sure it was nothing.

"Right. I uh... how... hardy would you say this ship is?" I ask, getting Fancy to tilt his head.

"Hardy? I'm afraid I don't understand?"

"If this ship were to be attacked, how would it hold up?" I ask, getting Fleur to perk up.

"The walls are double layered with iron oak, bathed in fired resistant sap, and bolted with three inch steel rivets. That, along with the best enchantments in Equestrian history make it one tough bitch to..." Fleur stops mid sentence when she realizes what she said. Fancy goes wide eyed, his monocle falling off of his face, as he stares at Fleur. An awkward silence falls between the four of us as we try to think of a way out of this situation... well, maybe they are. I'm going to run with this.

"Wood doesn't really stand well against metal." I point out, getting Fancy to let out a breath. "Unless you really enchant the fuck out of it."

"Miles!" Luna gasps. "Watch your AH!" I give her tail a hard tug and smirk down to her. She blushes deeply as she looks between the two of them and me. I haven't released her tail yet, so this'll be interesting.

"Normally wood wouldn't." Fleur continues, growing in confidence. "But this wood is special."

"Special wood eh?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, this won't crap out on you in two minutes," she replies, growing a smug smirk.

"Time isn't really the issue. What matters is performance. Can it deliver?"

"Spoken like a stallion," she says, rolling her eyes and shaking her head slightly. "We're not just flaunting our size for the fun of it. We can deliver, every time."

"Every time? Now you're just teasing me."

"Only the best teases for the best shows. Just ask Fancy, I'm sure he'd agree with me if he could find his voice right now." I glance over to Fancy and note his almost comatose state. He's just standing there, wide eyed and lost. Luna is in a similar state, though her eye keeps twitching.

"You think they'll be okay?" I ask, getting a chuckle from Fleur.

"I'm sure they'll be plenty mad when the come back to us. Though I know how a trick or two to occupy his distraught," she says in a sultry tone.

"An old fashioned?"

"I was thinking of deep throating. This is a rather special situation." I laugh at that. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was talking with my Spartans right now. "How are you going to escape?"

"Well, she sadly told me about her super sensitive tail, so that'll work until we get our son to bed-"

"You have a son!?" she asks in surprise.

"Yeah...but that's a secret-"

"Of course! My lips are sealed!" She motions over her lips before looking slightly down. Her demeanor dropping drastically.

"Everything okay?" I ask, getting her to look back up to me.

"I-it's nothing. It's just that... well... we can't have a foal. We... I..."

"Barren?" I ask, genuinely concerned for her.

"Tight, rather. I've been to every specialist and... well... after examining my tubes they're too tight for the eggs to get through. So... I can't have foals." She lowers her head for a moment, obviously saddened by this greatly. But she perks back to her cheerful self and smiles up to me. "But it's not all bad! I mean, now we screw like rabbits in spring all year long."

"Ha! That's the spirit! Luna and I are practically the same way. We try to be coy about it, but to be honest, it still feels like we're dating!" We share a laugh at that. Fleur gets an evil smirk as she glances between the two of us. I'm not sure if I like that look.

"So when was the last time... you know?" I chuckle at that. I was going to dodge the question, but realized she shared something rather personal already. So I guess it's my turn.

"A few days ago-"

"A few days!" She almost yells with laugh. "Please, you poor stallion! We screwed in the shower at home, the carriage ride here, and in one of the guest bedrooms during the beginning of the party! Heck, we're probably going to sneak into one of the cabins on board and go at it again!"

"Oh sweet Barbra... I don't know if I could beat my guy like that." I say as I imagine having that much sex regularly. Eh, fuck it. I probably could. "I think I'd wreck Luna if we did that. He's not small... is he?"

"Above average. A bit thick, but not to the point where it's gross. His endurance though, hoo! That's where he hits his stride! He may be a unicorn, but he lays like an earth pony-"

"And I'm back!" Fancy says, blinking a few times. "Fleur, dear, don't you think this is a little-"

"Fancy honey," she says in a sing song voice as she rubs up against him. "We're just having a simple conversation! Nothing to fret about."

"We're just swapping war stories, But I've embarrassed Luna enough. We'll have to continue another time Fleur." I tell her, getting a wink in return. "Back to business. Fancy, a discussion of something with the utmost importance needs to be held! Something that could define the future of this country and possibly the world."

"Of course, what would you like to know?" He asks, standing a bit taller.

"Me? Nothing." I say, getting a confused look from him. "I cannot have this conversation. If word got out, it would... escalate things. Drastically. But, I have a third party connection that I'd like you to meet with. They currently resides in Ponyville and will meet with you tomorrow at dusk. Meet them at the local gym and tell them 'The King seeks a sword.' They'll know what it means. Do you think you can manage that?"

"Of course, but who will we be meeting with exactly?" Fancy asks a bit nervously. I smirk at that, making him shift slightly.

"You'll know them when you see them, trust me on that." I look down to Luna and give her tail another tug, bringing her back to the conversation.

"Mi-my king! You are in-" I cut her off with a deep kiss, getting her to lock up again.

"Oh, and be sure to bring Fleur as well. I'm sure she'll enjoy this meeting." I say, nodding to Fleur.

"I'll be there. Now if you excuse us, I think I hear the captains chambers calling. My liege." She gives a slight bow before walking off, dragging Fancy along with her. He tries to protest, but is powerless against her. I chuckle at that, admiring how close the couple is.

"You know," Luna chimes as she steps forward a bit. "If you were home more often, we could... you know. More often." She gives a shrug and smiles up to me. I chuckle at that and drape a wing over her, leading her back towards the gathering below.

"Luna Eremita, are you trying to seduce me to stay home?" I ask, making her blush slightly.

"Of course not!" She says quickly, holding her head up in a poised manner. "It's simply a fact. We can't... do that if you're not home. Plain and-" I cut her off by grabbing her tail again. I don't pull it, but I do put enough pressure there for her to know that I'm there. We pull up to the edge of the crowd where I levitate a glass of punch to myself. I don't want the punch, but it's a good cover to keep my magic on Luna right now.

"Well, with my recent discovery, I may have to take you up on that." I tell her with a knowing smile. She tries to retort, but only moans when I start to shake her sweet spot. She hides it pretty well, but I have a feeling that won't be the case later. "Now... let's mingle."

Once I catch up with Tempestive we make our way to the cave on top of the mountain. We have to detour to pick up the right guards to keep this cave a secret. I only let certain senior officials know of it's existence. I think only ten ponies know if its existence outside of family. Miles and I also went through and put a few enchantments to hide its location. You can't see it from distance, and you can't scry it either. It's our little escape.

Along the way I tried to ask where we were really going, but Tempestive wouldn't budge. It's a surprise apparently. His enthusiasm makes me chuckle. I wish he was still a little foal so I could squeeze him, but he's too old for that now. I know he puts up with it for his mother, but I don't want to press it too much. Having him with me is good enough, plus I can steal all the hugs I want when we return to Luna and Miles.

"Alright, are you ready?" Tempestive asks as we step out of the closet. I smile down to him and nod eagerly. "First things first though, this stays between us. Can you keep this a secret?"

"Of course I can. Now, what is it you want to show me?" I ask, getting him to check if the coast is clear. I don't know who would be in Lunas bedroom, but enjoy his antics all the same.

"Follow me." He trots off with me in tow. We make our way out the back door where he stops in front of the earthen shed.

"Tempestive-"

"Are you ready to see some of the coolest stuff ever?" He asks as he rears up to reach the door.

"I don't think we're supposed to be in your fathers shed." I tell him with concern. He tries the door, only to find it locked. "And I doubt they left the key under the mat."

"It's okay, I know the password in. Dad only uses, like, three passwords. And they're all basically the same." He says with a few presses onto the metal plate that rests beside the door. "One, three, three, seven. *click* Never fails. Come on!" He runs right in before I could say anything else. I glance around nervously, unsure of what to do. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know what's in there. It is an invasion of privacy though. But what are the chances he'll know we were in here? He's going to be out with Luna all day talking with nobles. Plus, it's very obvious that Tempestive has been down here before. And since I've never heard of him getting in trouble for this before, I'm sure he knows about any alarms.

"T-tempestive?" I call out as I step through the door. I stop when I see the inside is larger than it appears from the outside. It's just a large square room with a spiral staircase in the center going down. I can hear Tempestive climbing down the stairs, so I rush after him. It's a bit of a tight fit, but I manage to get down the stairwell.

The room before me makes my jaw drop. It's... massive. Off to the left is another one of those aircraft that Miles flew a long time ago along with two of the black diamond craft on each of its sides. It's facing a long stretch that looks like it goes on for miles. It's dotted with white lights on the ground and yellow lights on the ceiling. The yellow ones seem to end sooner, showing that the road leads up. Just ahead of me against the wall are three large... eggs? That's the closest comparison I can make at the moment. To my right are three rows of carriage like vehicles. The first row of carriages are those jeeps that Miles used to drive around. They are all identical, from the white paint to the massive guns sitting on top. The row after them look like larger jeeps. They're twice the height and have a much longer body. The backs are canvassed off and the area where you control the carriage is covered with metal instead of being open. There are four of these vehicles as well.

The last row of vehicles draw me closer, either from awe or fear. It rests on two long treads that could crush a pony beneath them. It's heavily armored body easily takes up two spaces of the other vehicles. The top part looks as if it can spin around, giving the massive barrel three hundred sixty degrees over coverage. Tubes sit on each of the corners while boxes sit on the side of the top canon part. It's angular body seems to have a low profile to it while still being a behemoth. It has a white paint job like the others, but has some art on the side as well. It's a wolf head snarling towards the front of the vehicle with something written below it.

"Lupus unum?"

"Wolf one." I jump a little when Tempestive suddenly speaks beside me. "A Terradisian tank meant to search out enemy armor and destroy it. Cool huh?"

"I don't know if cool is the word I'd use to describe it." I say as I look over it. "Why does Miles have something like this?"

"Easy said it was one of the few remaining from Emerald City. There are a few more in Topaz now, but they need to be restored. Come on, what I wanted to show you is over here." I give the massive tank one last look before I follow after Tempestive. Why would he need something that terrifying?

Behind all of the vehicles seems to be a workshop of sort. A table sits in the center of the space with several tools -of sorts- coming down from the ceiling. various objects clutter the table. Several weapons as well as objects that I can't identify to name a few. Behind the table is a large mirror that has various maps and words showing all over. I can note several cities throughout the world that are marked, but I can't read what the text next to them says. I look at the bottom of the pictures to see a bots head sitting in the middle of the control area. It has several thick metal ropes things going into its head and has its eyes lit up brightly. I stare at it for a second before looking over to the left, having a shiver run down my spine because of how it's staring at me. A caged area takes up the left. Inside are racks of various guns, bladed weapons, as well as hulking pieces of armor.

"See that giant metal armor suit?" Tempestive asks from beneath me. I simply nod as I stare at it. It looks as if it's supposed to turn a human into a walking tank. "I don't understand why Dad would make it like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... it's made to protect the person inside. But it's not shaped like anypony I've ever se..."

"Everything okay?" I ask after he goes silent. He looks away from me as he thinks about something deeply. I step around to face him and kneel to get on his level. I motion to my lap, getting him to nestle between my legs. "You know you can talk to me right? If something is bothering you, it might help to tell somepony. And whatever you say here, stays here."

"Promise?" he asks quickly, looking up to me hopefully. I smile and nod down to him, getting him to shuffle a bit. "Remember when I... disappeared?"

"Of course."

"Well... I...uh...blinked," he says nervously, sinking into my lap slightly. I lean down and nuzzle him a bit, waiting patiently for him to continue. "That's what it's called when you jump through time uncontrollably."

"Oh." I lean back to look at him, surprised slightly. I knew when he disappeared he could have done something so powerful. I guess I just didn't think it would be something that powerful.

"I saw something. Something scary." He goes quiet again. I have to tread carefully here. If he tells me something that I shouldn't know now... bad things will come. "I don't know what it was, but it looked... it looked like it should go in that suit."

"Oh my." He saw his father. Unless he went back in time far enough.

"I saw him twice actually. Once he was in Ponyville, and hurt. He didn't scare me then, but everything around me was scary. There was fighting and screams and explosions and-"

"Shh." I shush him as I lean down to nuzzle him again. So he did see Miles as a human. Even worse, he saw him in combat. But, that wasn't the moment that scared him. "It's okay. If you don't want to continue you don't have to."

"I saw him again," he continues on anyway, sounding almost frantic. "He looked so mad. And he had these... these spurs of darkness coming from his wrists. He looked right at me and... and I thought he wanted to hurt me. I only saw him for a second! And he-"

"Tempestive-"

"And then I saw you and you-"

"Tempestive!" I have to raise my voice to stop him. He buries his face in my chest and begins to cry, gripping me tightly. I rest my head against him and hold him close, waiting for him to calm down on his own. I can't imagine what a burden it must be to know these things. To have to carry such knowledge and have to keep it from everypony else. No foal should have to carry such a heavy burden. "It's okay. Everything will be okay."

"But-"

"I know what you saw was scary. When you see things without understanding them, they only cause more fear. Just know that we're here for you. Your mother, your father, me, we won't let anything happen to you. You are the most important pony in the world to us. We'd do anything to keep you safe." He look up to me and and sniffles a bit before hugging me again. I return to nuzzling him again, simply being there to comfort him. We spend a few more minutes together before he begins to stir. I lean back and let him get up. "Better?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize Tempestive. I'll always be here for you." I tell him with a warm smile. He rubs his eyes a bit before returning the smile. "We should get going-"

"But we've barely seen anything in here! Aren't you curious?" he asks, his former eagerness returning.

"Tempestive-"

"Just a little longer? Please?" he begs, putting his pouting face on. I know we shouldn't... but that face...

"So what does this map say?" I ask, looking over to the wall. He smiles and runs over, taking a moment to read over everything. This is starting to become a problem. Now I can't say no to him. It was bad enough when it was only his father.

"It's a map of the world with all of the major cities dotted out. Each city has a population estimate, an advancement placement, and a contingency number."

"Contingency number? What's that about?" He thinks about it for a moment before looking to the metal head on the counter.

"Easy, give me the details on Dads map." The eyes glow brighter for a moment before it begins to speak.

"Statistics for highlighted areas are unknown. Grand Captain Miles Eremita keeps them with a hidden file within his personal tablet. A hypothesis program can run to estimate possible reasons." The disembodied head says in a fuzzy monotone voice.

"Nah, last time that took forever. Sorry Auntie Celly. If you want to know, you have to ask Dad." Tempestive tells me with a shrug.

"You can't break into that as well?"

"No, it requires a different type of entry. I don't know how to get in yet." I frown at that. What are you planning in here Miles? What could you possibly need all of this for? How am I going to bring this all up without letting him know that Tempestive and I broke into his shop?

"Wanna see his enchantment table?" Tempestive asks enticingly.

"... yes.Yes I do."

What a better way to kick off a million words than a nice long ass chapter and a new blog post!

Updates and Revisions!

Shout out to Dinorlondi and Alternate Madness for editing!

Brony on!