The sun was just starting to fall but was still high over Canterlot. Ephialtes kept followed his order to the letter and had the supplies and troops being loaded before the afternoon turned evening. Ephialtes considered it a record. But seeing as he was the only one to ever try and load an airship with fifty troops and rations for a year in one day, it wasn't much of an accomplishment. He stood at the gangplank to the airship marked the E.F.S. Lifeline, with a clip board and quill in his magical grasp. He read the names on the duffle bags as the soldiers boarded the Lifeline and checked them off the list.

Ephialtes had just reached forty eight when he caught a silver glint out of the corner of his eye. "Let's see, that's fifty troops, a year's worth of supplies for said troops, now all we're missing is a fag- I mean caption." he said as Nexus approached with his saddle bags and a duffle bag on his back.

"Cute Lieutenant. One more remark like that and I'll throw you over the edge." Nexus said bluntly.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing you should be concerned about. Everypony onboard?"

"Yes, Sir." Ephialtes replied.

"Even Sergeant Knight?"

"Uh… No. He isn't here yet."

"I'm here!" White Knight shouted running in without his armor. "Sorry, Commander Brand-"

"Stow it and get on board." Nexus said once again being deathly blunt.

"Uh…Y-Yes, Sir!" Knight said saluting his real superior officer.

Ephialtes tried to follow, but Nexus stopped him just before the gangplank.

"Not so fast."

"What?"

"It might not be you, but your face is all over the world as one of the most wanted ponies."

"So?"

"So I can't have you showing your real face around."

"What do you suggest I do?"

"Hold still."

Nexus' horn glowed bright blue as he concentrated on his physical body, or how it was suppose to be. His whole body began to glow as a bright blue beam of light hit Ephialtes and engulfed him as well. Ephialtes' body started to change quickly. His black stripes vanished, only leaving his red coat and his serpent-like purple-blue eyes like a normal pony's. As the light faded, he looked himself over and was completely amazed as Nexus took a few deep breaths to try and slow his heart rate.

"What did you just do?" Ephialtes asked astonished.

"Template spell. Copies the template of a species and puts it onto another. Some advanced magic I found in one of Star Swirl the Bearded Archives a few months ago. Takes a lot out of ya. Now get on that boat. We have a couple of stops before we get to the Frozen North."

"Lunar!" a young voice shouted form behind Nexus.

He looked over his right shoulder and saw a dark blue earth pony with a messy, dark brown mane and matching eyes wearing a black leather jacket running up to him. He bore a typewriter cutie mark and he wore a stainless steel watch around his left foreleg.

“What’d you want Vince?” Nexus asked.

The stallion known as Vincent Autore was Nexus’ cousin on his mother’s side. He worked as a reporter for the Ponyville paper and mostly reviewed plays and movies. He’d often said that he had been trying to break into a new line of journalism, but his editor had told him to find it first.

“I want to come with you.” Vince said catching his breath.

“Come with me where?”

“I have sources in Canterlot coz. I know what you’re doing.”

“Even if you did, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you come with me.”

“Okay. Then I’ll just go to my editor and tell him that the leader of half of Equestria's military is leaving on a ship filled with armed soldiers, on their way to an unknown country.”

Nexus froze and started pondering his options. He couldn't risk something like this being taken out to the public, but he really didn't want to have to tell Aunt Audrey that he let her 18 year old son get himself killed.

"Who told you?"

"I'll tell you when we're in the air and away from Canterlot."

"You'd be dead right now if mom wouldn't kill me." Nexus said groaning in annoyance.

"I know." Vincent said with a cocky smile as he boarded. "I'll need interviews with most of the crew and you ASAP."

"Don't push it buddy. We're going to Saddle Arabia."

"That far!? What the hell did they do to you?"

"Nothing, go to my cabin and wait there. Unless you want to learn the hard way how to use an Iron Icarus. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear coz." Vincent replied quickly running towards the door bellow the helm.

Nexus watched the door shut then noticed that the entire ship was watching him. Nexus climbed the stairs to the helm and looked over his crew.

"Good afternoon soldiers." Nexus began. "Today we embark on a journey that will change the course of Equestria forever. This is a voluntary mission, so those not willing to follow through should step off now." Nopony moved. "In that case, we're on our way to the Frozen North before before making our way to Saddle Arabia. Once there, we start our hunt for Sombra and Chrysalis. May Celestia guide us and Luna give us strength. Alright! Knock away the gangplank! Full steam, vector two-six-zero!"

"Full steam, vector two-six-zero." the helmswoman said as the ship started out of the hanger.

The massive balloon hardly cleared the top of the hanger as they started to gain altitude. It felt like riding an elevator that was going sideways at the same time. The drone of the four piston engines filled the sky. Ponies ran across the deck as fast as they could to ensure that the ropes for the sailing ship sized gondola were still tight as they flew south west.

"Captain?" the helmswoman asked. "Why are we going south when we need to go north?"

"We have a couple of stops to make first." Nexus said simply.

"Alright… Helm to engine room, how's everything down there?" she shouted into a cone attached to a pipe that ran down through the floor of the ship.

"A little rusty, but she's going smooth. We'll call up there to let you know if anything's going wrong." a stallion on the other end answered.

"Good to hear engine room. Return to your duties."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Call to my cabin when we're over White Tail." Nexus said as he started to leave the helm.

"Aye, Commander." she said saluting Nexus.

"As you were."

Nexus walked across the length of the ship to ensure everything looked in order. And besides a few bags that crew members had to drop to keep from not doing their duties, everything was perfectly set for combat when it arose. When Nexus walked into his cabin, he noticed Vincent over by the rear window, behind his desk where a long, polished oak box sat; now half opened.

"Vince!" Nexus shouted using his magic to slam the box shut. Vincent shot back in surprise and looked to his relative with wide eyes. "You're eighteen now. I don't have to tell you to keep your hoofs out of my stuff."

"Sorry…I'm curious by nature."

"That'll get you killed."

The cabin was large by comparison to the living quarters below decks. It was large enough to not be claustrophobic, but wasn't as furnished as most would expect. The walls were bare besides a bookshelf that was angled back against the port side (right), an oil painting of Canterlot during the sun rise on the starboard (left) wall and a desk at the back center of the room. There were two hammocks on either side of the desk. Nexus tossed his belongings to the right seeing as Vince already had his on the left. His typewriter also sat on the opposite side of the desk that Nexus would normally sit on.

"So, Griffon Kingdom too?" Vince asked sitting in front of his typewriter that already had a piece of paper in it.

"We have some intel that might be there so yes, the Griffon Kingdom too." Nexus answered watching as Canterlot came into full view. "But we have a couple more passengers to pick up before we go there."

Author's Notes:

*Nexus teleports in* Nexus: ARE YOU KIDDING ME YOU LATIN MOTHERFUCKER!?
Vince (me): What? It's not like you weren't expecting that.
Nexus: No. I wasn't. HOW'D YOU EVEN-
Vince: Magic.
Nexus: ...
Vince: So yeah.
Nexus: I thought I was you.
Vince: You are. I just look like me.
Nexus: Why?
Vince: Because I'm the author!