“Whoa...”

Three little fillies and several mares sit on their haunches at the rail, slack-jawed at the incredible spectacle they just witnessed. Apple Bloom in particular fights to suppress the feeling of awe that causes her usually talkative mouth to be at a loss for words. Her sister reaches a hoof down and ruffles her mane a bit to snap her out of her trance.

“What’s the matter, there, Apple Bloom? You ‘n me see the sunrise all the time with the rest of the family durin’ harvestin’ season.”

The filly shakes her head, adjusting the bow in her mane with a hoof as she turns back.

“Yeah, but never ones like that! I... I dunno, Sis. Miss Celestia was with us for so long, actin’ and laughin’ like a normal pony... I guess I just forgot she used ta be a Princess.”

Luna trots over to the Apple sisters, a playful smile on her muzzle.

“Oh? Are Princesses not permitted to be ‘normal ponies’ too?”

Apple Bloom startles, then retreats behind her sister’s forelegs. “N-No, Princess! I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Fear not, child,” Luna says softly. “We know. But as you’ve come to find, in the end we are ponies, just like you. We laugh, cry, we feel sadness and joy, and forge friendships, just as you do. Tell us, did you enjoy your time with our Sister?”

The filly nods. “I sure did! We went on an adventure and Miss Celestia was super funny and nice ta all of us!”

The Princess smiles. “That is good. We are glad she found herself in the company of such wonderful ponies during her time away from the throne.”

Luna’s gaze travels to Applejack, which causes the farmpony to unexpectedly blush. She pulls her hat down a bit and shuffles her hooves.

“Thank ya kindly. But Princess Luna, ah have a question, if’n ya don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Anything for a friend of Sister.”

Applejack turns to the Harbinger, far away but still visible as a black silhouette in the bright blue sky. Her eyes track the alicorn and human as they make their way toward it.

“Well, y’all were talkin’ like ya knew all about what was goin’ on with Twi and that thing out there. All of us’re really worried about her and want ta know what we can do ta help!”

“Yeah, that’s right!” Rainbow adds, butting her way into the conversation. “There’s gotta be something we can do!”

The rest of the ponies, save Mac who now stands at the ship’s controls, begin to crowd around the Princess, who shies away at the attention until she’s forced to hold up a hoof to silence the excited mares.

“Please, calm thyselves. Though the information is considered to be a Royal secret, we suppose we can share it with those present, given that all of thee swear an oath to us to never reveal it to anypony else,” her eyes move to Rarity, who immediately flashes back a nervous smile. “And we mean ANYPONY.”

Pinkie hops up and down. “Don’t you worry, Boss, er— uh... Princess! I’m sure they’ll all be happy to Pinkie Promise on it! Right, girls?”

There are nods of assent and the necessary vows are recited. Satisfied with the proceedings, Luna curls up on the deck and clears her throat.

“Very well. The story begins with a great magical crystal called the Dark Star. Forever buried beneath the earth, sealed for all time in a cavern by its makers, it is difficult to describe to those who have never laid eyes on it...”

You sail through the air with Cel, the Harbinger’s frame looming ever closer. The speed at which you’re moving is unreal, and only Celestia’s invisible barrier spell prevents you from being ripped from her back as she flies. You can see the spirits come into view, their incorporeal bodies dancing in and out of the ship’s hull, and you nervously gulp as the pain you felt from when you were struck in the past creeps up in your memory.

“So, those ghosts are the same ones from that cavern, right?” you ask. “Why are they here now?”

Celestia turns from her steady course toward the ship, instead choosing to ascend above it.

“This happened once before with Balios. He was compelled to build a powerful arcane resonance chamber by the Shard. Once it was activated and charged with sufficient magic, the spirits began to appear. We managed to put a stop to his plans before things got any worse, but based on the sorcerer’s notes we later retrieved, the true purpose of the chamber was to summon the Dark Star itself to Equestria. He was attempting to use the resonance chamber as an anchor for the same type of Progenitor gateway spell that was cast upon the Wayshrines of the Trials. Though the amount of magical energy required to establish such a gateway is immense, the appearance of the spirits here is a sign that it’s near completion and beginning to open...”

You grip her mane as she climbs higher into the boundless sky.

“And what happens if she actually manages to bring that thing here?”

The alicorn ceases her ascent, hovering in the air with the great stone ship directly below.

“It’s impossible to say. But the Progenitors sealed it away for a reason, and as one empowered by their magic to help guide this world they left to us, I fully intend to carry out their will in this matter!”

She turns and dives straight downward and you immediately yelp and hold on to her for dear life in response. As the two of you near the great ship, you notice the spirits have stopped their seemingly random flying around, instead pooling toward you at a frightening speed. You can feel your stress level rising as your special somepony makes no move to avoid them.

“Uh, Cel?!”

She doesn’t slow her descent or alter her course.

“Not to worry. With the sun at my back and given the circumstances, there’s little reason for restraint!”

The alicorn’s horn shimmers with a golden aura, and in a bright burst of sunlight that seems to flow from her very body, the black spirits foolish enough to pursue you are effortlessly vaporized. Again, thanks to the strange magic from the sunrise still lingering within you, you find that you’re not blinded or otherwise affected by the event, save for a bit of your breath being stolen away.

It’s been so long, and the nature of your relationship is so different now, that it’s easy to forget just how powerful Celestia really was before. But between the sunrise and this, you’re witnessing a series of stark reminders that she’s one of the strongest creatures to ever walk this world of marshmallow equines that you now call home.

And on top of it all, she’s completely serious now; far more focused than she was even during the Trials of Equus. You can feel it in her body as she moves, and it’s a little scary to witness. You briefly consider cutting back on your teasing of her in the future, but your memory kindly reminds you that avatar of righteous fury or not, she’s still your Cel. No matter how much power she wields, she’s still sometimes silly, she still can’t resist an unguarded cupcake, and she still does in fact have a sense of humor, and a good one at that.

Those reassuring thoughts allow you to slightly relax as the two of you near the ship.

No, hold that thought, she’s glowing now. Maybe it’s not the best time to relax yet...

A golden sheen of magic begins to encompass her body along with your own as she dives. It looks somewhat familiar, but you can’t quite—

Oh no. Oh fuck no. It’s Luna’s beam spell, just with a different color!

You quickly begin smacking Sun Horse’s withers in a panic in order to succinctly express your thoughts regarding this matter.

“A FRIENDLY REMINDER: YOU’VE GOT A PASSENGER, YOU CRAZY FUCKING HORSE!! NO BEAM SPELL! NO BEAM SPE—”

She fires the beam spell.

The experience is surreal. You’re inside the beam. You don’t move from your position upon her back, but your new ability to see through normally blinding flashes of light rewards you with a vision of a great spiral of magic... pure, undiluted magic, directed with exacting precision against the hull of the ship below. It safely swirls around you, leaving you completely unharmed, and you resist the urge to reach out and touch the shimmering light.

But as quickly as it appeared, the flow of magic ceases as it harmlessly deflects across the newly formed deep purple barrier surrounding the Harbinger. Celestia curses under her breath and sharply adjusts her course before the two of you end up crashing into the ship. She stops and hovers in place a safe distance above the vessel as more spirits emerge from the great sphere in its center.

“Damn... despite all the damage it suffered, the barrier’s still intact. Unless we can find a way through, we’ll never be able to disrupt the gateway’s formation within the resonance chamber, much less reach Twilight.”

“Can’t you power through it? It seemed to work out for Luna.”

She shakes her head. “No, what you just witnessed was the limit of my unaugmented destructive magic. Luna’s own magic was heavily amplified by the Concordia’s focal dais during the battle. Without something similar to boost my own power, I won’t be able to overcome the Progenitors’ spell...”

“So, what do we do?”

“I’m not certain. I need time to—”

The roar of the Harbinger teleporting pulls her away from her thoughts. The mass of stone and magic vanishes, and when the dark mist it left behind disperses, you see to your horror that it’s now directly in front of the Dawn Star! The strange cannons within the great ship’s wings begin to glow with a menacing light...

“Shit—!”

Celestia reacts as soon as the word leaves your mouth, chain-teleporting to the Dawn Star to cover the distance in the shortest amount of time possible. To you, the sensation is like rapidly being plunged underwater and surfacing for air over and over again. You fall from Celestia’s back and tumble to the deck, attempting to choke back the vomit rising in your throat, and she gallops forward, horn shining.

The eight lightning cannons fire all at once without warning, and you’re certain this is the end. But the bolts never reach you, instead bouncing harmlessly away courtesy of a golden shield which surrounds the ship in the nick of time.

“Anon! We need to move!” Celestia cries as she focuses her magic.

You stagger to your feet and nod to Mac who immediately nudges the throttle all the way back with a hoof. All of the ponies on deck are completely stunned at what’s happening, and by the time the confusion fades you’ve reclaimed the ship’s controls from the disoriented stallion and started to steer away from the behemoth, leaving it far in the distance behind you.

“What the—?!”

“Sister!”

“Celly?!”

“Anon?”

“Captain?!”

A chorus of voices rings out as the ponies all rush toward the two of you.

Pinkie hops next to the pilot’s console, rearing up to get your attention. “Non-non, what happened? How’d you guys get here so fast? Weren’t you going to help Twilight? Is something wrong?”

“Yes, something is wrong,” Celestia replies as she rests on her haunches and shakes the dizziness from casting so many powerful spells in rapid succession away. “That attack was far, far more vicious than anything I’d expect from Twilight. Even given all that’s happened I can’t imagine she’d try to directly harm her friends in such a way, no matter how far this obsession has taken her. I fear that the Dark Star’s influence is beginning to flow through the gate... she’s in danger, and we must act quickly!”

Luna trots to her sister’s side, offering a hoof to help her up. “As it was in the past, this is the result when a foal tampers with ancient magic beyond her understanding.” Her ears fold back, a look of concern in her eyes. “Sister, we saw everything. The barrier still functions, and without the Concordia...”

“Yes, our options are limited. Normally I’d call on the Elements in this situation, but...”

The younger alicorn nods. “When one of the bearers is the very pony we are aiming to subdue, it becomes problematic.”

“And it’s not like magical amplifiers of the level needed grow on trees.”

“We do not recall seeing anything that would be useful in the Archives... perhaps we can craft a ritual circle within the vicinity of Canterlot?”

“No, it would take too much time, and be easily recognized and avoided by Twilight. Even if her actions are becoming more and more tainted by the Shard’s magic as I suspect, we have to assume that she’ll retain her cunning.”

“And if that truly is the case...”

“Ahem!”

A polite cough from Rarity interrupts the alicorn sisters’ conversation. Both turn their attention toward the fashionista and the rest of the ponies do the same. The sudden silence causes her ears to fold back for an instant before she squares her shoulders and stands tall while attempting to give off an aura of nonchalance.

“Yes, well... my apologies for interrupting, but I have a suggestion, if I may? Now, I’m an amateur mind you, but sometimes during fashion presentations having a light show on the runway can really add to the milieu, so I’m a bit familiar with light magic. And whenever I need to boost said magic for, er...” her eyes dart to you, “...reasons that I felt were completely legitimate at the time, I usually focus it through a series of gems. Would the same not work for what you’re intending to do?”

The two sisters look to one another, then back to the nervously smiling unicorn.

Luna sighs. “A noble suggestion, but it will not help.”

“Sadly, she’s right. Rarity, those gems you use as a focus always melt away during the spell, correct?”

“W-Well, yes...”

Celestia smiles. “And I’m certain you only use high quality gems for the task as well. The level of magic we’d be attempting to channel would be such that even the highest quality gem would disintegrate long before it could help amplify the spell. I appreciate your offer to help, but I’m afraid it won’t work.”

Luna nods again. “‘Tis a clever solution in theory, but in order for such a thing to be possible, the gems would need to be infused with vast quantities of high level magic aside from the caster’s own so that they might resist the destructive effects of the spell long enough to aid in its amplification. Sadly, with our magic temporarily exhausted, such a thing isn’t currently possible.”

Rarity turns away. “Oh, I see. It was worth a try, I suppose...”

She begins to trot back over to the others as the sisters continue their discussion, when it suddenly hits you:

“Wait a minute... ‘magic aside from the caster’s own’? Would a bunch of gems chock full of Twilight’s magic work?”

You reach into your tuxedo’s jacket and pull out one of the gems you filled during the wedding.

Celestia’s eyes go wide. “That’s... that’s perfect, Anon!”

Luna trots over to you, a smile on her face. “Indeed! This is most fortuitous! How many of these gems dost thou have?”

“It should be twenty-five. I started with twenty-six but shattered one to get the guards off my back.”

You pull out several more of the gems from your pockets, and both Luna and Celestia lift one with their magic to examine.

“These should definitely work. What do you think, Lulu?”

The dark alicorn ponders, “Focusing the spell through seven such gems should be enough to match the level of magical amplification that the Concordia’s focal dais provided. Though, despite the reinforcement from Twilight Sparkle’s magic, they will still be destroyed by the process.”

“So you basically get three shots?” Mac asks, his eyes scanning the shimmering gem held aloft by Celestia’s magic. His nearby sister rolls her eyes and mumbles something about ‘showin’ off his fancy mathematics’.

“Yes,” Celestia replies, fighting back a chuckle at the siblings’ antics. “Though bear in mind that two direct hits will be necessary to sink the ship: the first to break the barrier, and the second to collapse the already-damaged resonance chamber at its center. Given how quickly we witnessed the barrier regenerate during the previous battle, I don’t feel comfortable risking a standard attack against the exposed hull.”

Luna carefully returns the gem she holds to you. “Indeed. Were it not enough to inflict fatal damage, we’d be left with no options after the barrier’s reformation.”

“Sounds easy enough to me!” Rainbow exclaims, rearing up to throw a few jabs at the air. “That thing’s slow as hay, and if you miss once, no big deal, right? Just blast it twice real quick and then we can all go home!”

Rarity rolls her eyes. “Darling, I understand that attention to detail isn’t your strong suit, but please. I know the ship is slow, but have you really forgotten about its tendency to teleport? It did just that not five minutes ago to attack us!”

“Um... but...” Fluttershy squeaks. “There’s a delay after it teleports, right? Maybe we could wait until then, when it wouldn’t be able to move?”

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie hops over, placing a hoof on the shy pegasus’ withers. “Or we could even be super smart and bait it out! You know, with a carefully constructed master plan, where the target’s every possible move has been calculated beforehoof so that no matter what they do it furthers our goals!” She rubs her hooves together for a few moments, a scary grin on her face, before perking back up with a smile. “It works super-duper well when I have to throw surprise birthday parties for grumpy gooses who don’t usually like parties, like Cranky and Non-non!”

You facepalm. “...You guys didn’t let her get into the coffee this morning, did you?”

“Must’ve been some still left in the pot after breakfast,” Applejack sighs.

Rarity taps her chin with a hoof in thought. “Still, it’s not a bad idea. Perhaps we could use the first shot to force the teleport, and then quickly follow with two more?”

“I’m not very comfortable with the idea of intentionally wasting one of our opportunities given the stakes here,” Celestia replies, shaking her head. “There could still be more to Twilight’s Harbinger that we’re yet unaware of.”

That’s definitely a good point. The gray stone form of the massive ship comes into view off your bow once more as you bring the Dawn Star around in a sweeping turn back toward Canterlot Mountain, still keeping a good amount of distance away. To say that Autismo’s little project has been full of surprises so far is a huge understatement. You wonder what else the damn thing has in store for all of you as it menacingly floats in the bright blue sky, illuminated by the newly risen sun along with the frames of the two other retreating airships which were fortunate enough to survive the initial battle.

The others continue their discussion about what to do while you focus on flying the ship. It’s probably for the best, as aside from what you’ve already said, you really don’t have anything else to contribute to the conversation. Typically, crazy plans involving magic are best left to your special somepony, her annoying sister, and their thousands of combined years of knowledge and experience. Surely they’ll come up with something that’ll work, and it probably won’t even involve all of you almost dying in a myriad of gruesome ways! Maybe. Luna’s talking about dimensional slipstreams or some shit like that now, which you definitely don’t like the sound of...

You pull one of the filled gems from your jacket to take your mind off their conversation. The basic plan is easy enough to understand. From the sound of it, seven of these can be used to focus Cel’s beam spell and make it as powerful as Luna’s when she was aided by the Concordia. The downside is that you can only use the gems once, meaning you only have enough for three shots. And supposedly you’ll need two of those three to hit in order to sink the ship. Not as easy as it sounds when your target can teleport all over the place.

The sunlight catches the gem in your hand, casting a soft ray of light near your feet on the deck. You watch with a bit of amusement as the light moves when you roll the gem in your fingers. You have a few spares, but not enough for a full-powered fourth shot. If only there was a way to get more of these, or at the very least increase your odds of scoring a hit with the ones you do have...

Wait a minute... that’s it!

“...which is precisely why we believe refocusing via a short-range portal is the answer, Sister! We know you cannot do so when channeling the ray, but surely this unicorn is capable of performing such a simple spell!”

You see Rarity take a few steps back and turn away. “W-Well, Princess Luna, while I’m flattered, really, I’m afraid I haven’t the slightest clue what it is you’re even talking about...”

The Night Princess facehoofs. “What in the name of the Moon has become of Equestria’s education system in our absence? Are we to believe that unicorns are no longer taught astral stream manipulation as part of the basic curriculum?!”

Celestia sighs. “Please, Lulu, this isn’t the appropriate time for this conversation.”

Much to the elder’s relief, you set the autopilot and step between the two sisters before Luna can deploy her trademark pout / annoyed stare.

“Cel’s right. I have a dumb question that needs answering, so you guys can talk about standardized testing or whatever later.” All eyes turn to you as you hold up the gem in front of the alicorns. “We have some extras. Is there any rule that says we can’t use more than seven of these at a time?”

Luna frowns. “Nay. But there is little benefit to doing so as the amplification produces steeply diminishing results beyond said number.”

“That doesn’t really matter. If this beam stuff works like I think it does, I was hoping we could use these as a bit of an insurance policy...”

Your eyes dart from the gem you hold to the two airships in the distance, and as Luna’s gaze follows, a smile slowly creeps across her face.

“Huzzah! Simple, yet ingenious!” She turns back to Rarity. “You have already stated that you are more than familiar with this type of magic, so there should be no issues.”

The unicorn blinks. “...Come again?”

A reassuring orange hoof pats her on the back. “Don’t ya worry, Rares. Ah’m just as lost as you are at this point.”

“Are you certain this is wise?” Celestia asks her sister with concern.

Luna nods. “We can think of no better alternative that provides the necessary versatility. True, there are risks involved, but...”

“It’s meaningless, Teacher.

Whatever plan you manage to cobble together to stop me is destined to fail.

I’ve already seen the future...”

The purple pony princess’ disembodied voice seems to whisper directly in your ear. Given the fact that everyone immediately goes silent, they all must’ve heard it too...

“Twilight? Where are you? Oh, are we playing hide and seek?!”

Correction: everyone goes silent except for Pinkie Pie, who immediately pulls out a detective hat and magnifying glass and begins searching the deck for the purple alicorn.

But you have a sneaking suspicion that she won’t be found on board and your gut instincts, which have never steered you wrong, compel you to move back to the console and retake control of the ship.

Celestia steps forward and replies to the wind, “Twilight... I told you before that whatever future you see through that relic will be a false one. It’s still not too late... please, come back to us! The Dark Star wants only to use you, and if you continue down this road I may not be able to—”

The voice laughs.

“Save me? I don’t need your help! I don’t need your lessons! There’s nothing left for somepony who’s so afraid of progress to teach me!

And despite what you think, I’m not a naive little filly anymore! I know you have a way to breach the barrier even without the Concordia.

But it doesn’t matter. I’ve been shown that whatever you’re planning hinges on something...”

The telltale sound of the Harbinger’s teleportation echoes through the bright blue sky. You grip the controls, one hand on the throttle and the other on the wheel.

“I need everyone to spot! Tell me where she is!” you cry.

“Below us!” Rainbow shouts back as she hovers over the rail.

“I’ll admit that with your power restored, you’re formidable... but I don’t need to defeat you in order to win my Anon...

Because I’ve seen it... I’ve seen the way...

All I have to do is destroy that pathetic little airship you built for him and everything else will fall into place!!”

Dark portals appear all along the Harbinger’s back, and before you know what’s going on, fifteen storm torpedoes are rocketing straight toward the Dawn Star’s hull from below.

You don’t think, you simply push the throttle to the limit, and the ship glides forward and away from the Harbinger and certain doom. Despite the engines still only being limited to half speed, it should be more than enough to—

“Holy ponyfeathers, they’re followin’ us!”

To your horror, you glance back to see the black trails of cloud left in the torpedoes’ wake curve toward you as they begin to track the Dawn Star’s movement.

That’s bad.

Fluttershy trembles nearby, her eyes locked on the dark beacons as they sail through the air. “And... and they’re g-g-getting closer!”

That’s worse!

You grit your teeth and prepare to alter your course, hoping to god that your turning radius is superior to theirs...

Yeah, no. It’s more like the other way around. They instantly move to track you in a narrow arc, gaining on you even further! Celestia watches all of this unfold with her piercing magenta eyes. Without a word, she trots over to the rail to stand next to the frightened yellow pegasus, placing a comforting wing on her shoulder as her horn shines with a golden light.

“Not to worry. I won’t allow these foul things to touch us.”

Three small shimmering spheres of light appear in the air around her for an instant before sailing out into the open air behind you. In an incredible feat of precision, each one finds its mark as it collides with the head of one of the pursuing dark weapons, causing a series of detonations that leaves black stains lingering in the pure blue sky.

Pinkie jumps with joy on the nearby rail. “Woohoo! Way to go, Celly!”

“Hold your horses, there! We ain’t outta the woods yet!” An orange hoof quickly reaches over to pull her back to the deck before she loses her balance.

“Aw, c’mon, Sis!” Apple Bloom perks up. “I know Celestia can do it! She’s like the best Princess ever!”

You manage to catch Luna’s harrumph and slight frown, as does Applejack whose ears fold back in embarrassment as she stuffs a hoof into her younger sister’s mouth out of habit. Pinkie giggles at the sight, which quickly spreads to the rest of the ponies, and even you and Cel as a rosy blush begins to form on the Night Princess’ midnight blue cheeks.

Celestia stifles her laughter before turning back to the task at hoof, her horn shining once again.

“Well, it seems I have a bit of a reputation here. Hopefully I’ll be able to live up to it.”

Three more orbs of light form as she takes aim at the remaining torpedoes...

“I won’t allow it.”

And then, with a deafening crash that shakes the ship, the world goes white.

You close your eyes and grip the controls on reaction, but it only lasts for an instant. When you open them again, you catch a glimpse of a familiar golden barrier surrounding the helium frame just as it fades away. A lingering arc of purple lightning, stretching from the distant Harbinger to the Dawn Star’s port side, is also visible as it disperses into the ether along with the barrier.

Celestia grits her teeth and shakes her head, the aura around her horn fading. The three spheres she created are gone now, dispelled so she could cast the protective barrier and block the unexpected strike from the Harbinger’s lightning cannon. The twelve remaining storm torpedoes continue on their course in pursuit of you, moving ever closer.

“Princess! Are you okay?!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders run to Celestia’s side in concern, but she smiles and waves them away. “I’m fine, little ones.” Turning her gaze to the stone ship in the distance, her expression hardens. “But this does not bode well for us. I can’t focus on destroying the torpedoes if I’m forced on the defensive like this.”

Rainbow Dash flies over, her eyes tracking the projectiles. “Well, that barrier thing was pretty awesome. Can’t you just block ‘em with that when they catch up to us or something?”

Luna shakes her head as she moves to her sister’s side. “Nay. Those weapons are not meant to directly harm us as the lightning is. They’re meant to drain the engines’ power via magic, and Sister’s barrier will not be able to protect us from the effect as it is not physical in nature.”

“And if we get hit with one’a those things and lose our engines completely, it’s over for us. Eeyup,” Mac adds, his normally relaxed tone as close to panic as you’ve ever heard it.

Applejack hoofs him in the side. “Consarn it, don’t tell me that! Ah’m antsy enough as it is!”

“What can we do, Princess?” Rarity asks, fidgeting with worry.

Celestia closes her eyes. “We’re running out of time. Though I feel it’s a great risk, we should go with Lulu and Anon’s plan.”

Luna nods. “Indeed. ‘Tis the best course of action, and we haven’t time to waste.”

The fashionista steps back, her nervousness visible in the motion. “That’s all well and good, but I still don’t quite understand just what it is we’re—”

“You there!” the Night Princess shouts while pointing a hoof at Rainbow Dash. “Collect the babbling unicorn and follow our lead.”

Rainbow salutes. “You got it, Princess!”

“Wait, what?!” Rarity exclaims as a pair of cyan hooves reach out to lift her.

“As for us,” the Princess continues, her hoof patting Fluttershy on the head, “We shall be borrowing this one.”

The butter yellow pegasus’ trembling is nearing uncontrollable levels now. “Um... p-please no. I... I think I have a tummy ache so I probably shouldn’t go anyplace dangerous. And besides, I’m kind of useless so it’s not like—”

Nope, too late. Luna’s already lifted her up (resulting in the yellow pegasus promptly fainting) and thrown her across her back as she makes her way over to you.

“If you would.”

You reach into your pocket and produce some spare gems, which Luna captures in her magical aura.

“Good luck out there,” you say.

She smiles. “And good fortune to you as well. We fear the fate of the world depends on it.”

You smile in return. “You sure you’re willing to trust your world to a ‘wayward ape’ like me?”

“We do what we must...” she replies, slightly turning away. “We... we dearly apologize for what has happened in regards to our behavior. Our focus was on the safety and stability of Equestria, but that does not excuse what we’ve done. Truly, t’was no way for us to treat one who will become our future brother-in-law, and we shall need to make it up to the both of thee later.”

Did... did you just hear that right?”

“Uh...”

She giggles. “Please. If there is anypony’s heart we know nearly as well as our own, it is Sister’s. And from what we have glimpsed of your time together, you occupy a great place there, and we doubt this will change. It is apparent in her eyes, even now.”

The two of you glance back to Celestia, who quickly turns away upon noticing your stares. Luna chuckles, directing her attention back to you.

“She has shared memories with you that she’s trusted nopony else with aside from ourself. She has shared an ordeal with you that few, even lifelong friends, can ever hope to overcome, and through it you carried one another. When she refused to give her Orb to us at the wedding, despite our angry plea, we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt...”

A blue hoof reaches out and taps your tuxedo jacket.

“Try not to ruin this, as we are certain it will be needed again in time, Brother.”

And with that, she takes wing and flies from the ship. Rainbow Dash, a very perturbed and fussy Rarity held in her hooves, isn’t far behind. She glides over to the rail, turning back when the voices of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo catch her attention.

The smaller pegasus hops up and down, her tiny wings fluttering. “Good luck, Rainbow Dash! I don’t know what you’re gonna do, but if it’s you I bet it’ll be awesome!”

Rainbow grins. “You know it, squirt!”

“Be careful, big sis!” Sweetie squeaks. “I believe in you!”

The older unicorn stops her complaining to blush. “Thank you, Sweetie. I’ll certainly try my best at... whatever it is we’ll be doing.” She shifts her gaze to her ‘captor’. “Rainbow Dash, if you drop me, I’ll make certain to haunt you from beyond the grave. Just a fair warning, darling.”

The pegasus grimaces. “Okay, whatever, I get it! Catch ya later, guys!” With a leap, she bounds over the rail and quickly vanishes from your sight, the Dawn Star gliding away in its attempt to shake the ever approaching torpedoes.

Speaking of which, you glance back to see Celestia successfully destroy two more by quickly creating single homing spheres before being forced to block a lightning cannon strike from the Harbinger. The ship shudders from the impact as the barrier fades, revealing the form of the stone ship unmoved from its position far in the distance. Damn, the range and accuracy of that weapon is unreal, and alicorn or not, you find yourself wondering how long Cel will be able to keep this up, especially if she needs to conserve power for her beam attacks...

That question only weighs on you even more when you see the concerned expression on her face as she shouts back at you from the rail, “This isn’t going to work, Anon! They’ll reach us before I’m able to destroy them all!”

You glance down at the console. The engine output has recovered to 54% of its maximum since leaving the storm, but it isn’t gonna be enough at this rate. You turn to the stallion at your side.

“I’ve already got the throttle at max, Mac! Half power isn’t gonna cut it! We need to do something!”

He shakes his head. “The only way we’re gonna recover in any decent amount’a time is ta cut power ta the engines and let ‘em recharge on their own.”

You both shut your eyes as yet another lightning strike deflects off Cel’s barrier.

“I don’t think that’s an option! What else?!”

He chews his lip, the wheat sprig falling from his mouth. “Well... ah could probably get us up ta 115% output if ah overcharged the engines. But Anon, the damage that’ll do ta the ship over time won’t—”

“I don’t care! Do it! There are way more important things to worry about right now than the damn ship!”

He frowns, his eyes wandering across the deck to his two sisters as they watch the spectacle of magic unfolding across the sky in both fear and awe.

“...You’re right, partner. You’re damn right. Give me two minutes; ah’ll let you know when she’s ready...”

He turns and gallops toward the stairwell leading down to the crew quarters and engine room below. You close your eyes and sigh, attempting to shake off a bit of the adrenaline rush and regain some composure while you wait, but your moment of reprieve is cut short by the tug of a hoof on your sleeve.

“Cheer up, Cap’n! Frowns aren’t allowed on deck when Weapons Officer Pinkie Pie’s around!”

You turn to meet the sapphire eyes of Ponyville’s premier party pony... your former coworker, current crewmate, and friend since you first arrived here so long ago. She just grins at you, in that same familiar way she always has, and like clockwork it pulls out your smile.

“Thanks, Pinkie. I needed that.”

“No problemo!” she beams. “Just don’t forget that your whole crew is here to help! We’re here for you, Non-non, all of us!”

Come to think of it... she’s right. With the other ponies gone, you’re down to the original crew you had when this crazy journey first started. Well, that plus an extra filly or two, but who’s counting, right?

Your first hour of real flight behind the controls involved a daring escape through an airship blockade, which you only survived thanks to Pinkie’s help.

And then there was that thirteen against one battle over Latigo with Equestria’s fastest fleet! There’s no way you should’ve won that one, but the crew pulled through and made the impossible possible.

You have a lot of fond memories of this ship considering the relatively short time you’ve owned it. Despite the stress you suffered, and despite the circumstances that chased you, you’ve found so much joy in Celestia’s gift, from the moment you read her heartfelt letter in the galley to the moment she stepped off the gantry at the wedding.

But perhaps your favorite memory of your time here is the dinner you all shared together that first night. Eating good food, laughing together, arguing about the sleeping arrangements... just recalling it causes you to smile even brighter, and the pony by your side takes notice.

“You know, Pinkie... even after all that’s happened, I never in my wildest dreams imagined we’d be in a situation like this. Then again, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I’d fall in love with a pretty white horse princess, either. Life is weird sometimes.”

She giggles, and you reach down and scratch behind her ears.

“I dunno how this day’s gonna end, but something tells me that whatever happens, it’s gonna be something to remember, and I’m glad you guys are with me.”

You look over to Celestia. She pants for breath during a lull between casting spells and your eyes meet hers. When she notices your smile, she smiles back in return, and some of what she said back during the Trials slips into your mind once again.

Whatever the trial, whatever the triumph, having friends with you changes everything. It was true 2,500 years ago when three little ponies faced the unknown together, just as it’s true today.

And it’s a lesson one of your old friends, a little purple unicorn turned alicorn, seems to have forgotten. But maybe, just maybe, as long as this ship flies through the sky, you’ll be able to remind her...

“Can ya hear me, Captain? Ah’m all set down here,” Mac’s voice crackles over the console’s intercom.

“I hear you. I’m ready when you are,” you answer back.

“Alright. Ah’m gonna turn this up a bit at a time. The more we overcharge, the quicker the engines’re gonna shred themselves. You remember what happened ta those ships when you hit ‘em with the tuner, right? Well, that’s what’s gonna happen ta us sooner or later if we push it too far...”

You drum your fingers on the console, eyes shifting back to the torpedoes. Six are left and they’re nearly on top of you now...

“Got it. Take us up to 80% output. That should be enough to shake these things.”

“Eight-zero output. You got it.” The intercom crackles again and goes silent. Nothing happens for several seconds, and then you feel the ship lurch and the engine output gauge steadily begins to rise...

“What the hay is goin’ on now?” Applejack asks, trotting over to you and Pinkie. “And where’s Mac?”

You smile, your hand easing back on the throttle to maintain your existing speed.

“Don’t worry, he’s in his element.”

The output gauge reaches 80%, and you immediately slam the throttle forward again. The Dawn Star cleaves through the air, accelerating to a much more familiar speed and leaving the torpedoes trailing it far behind. They waver in their flight, then disperse into black mist, the magic propelling them finally exhausted, and you breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

“Finally...”

“Way to go, Maccy!”

And suddenly Pinkie’s beside you yelling into the intercom. You rub your ringing ear as Cel approaches you from the rail.

“It seems our speed has been restored. I take it this was our engineer’s doing?”

“Yep. We’re not at full power, but it looks like it’ll be more than enough to handle those torpedoes.”

“I see. In that case, take us back to Twilight. I think it’s time we bring this plan of ours to action, don’t you?”

You laugh. “I guess so. Anything I need to know beforehand?”

“Well, I’ll need to remain stationary to channel the spell, and I won’t be able to direct the beam myself, so it’ll be your job to aim for me.” She blushes a bit. “I’m not exactly familiar with casting using this particular method, so I imagine the first time will be a learning experience for the both of us...”

“That’s what she said!”

Both of you turn to the pink pony, you wearing a deadpan expression and Celestia with an even deeper blush.

“Oh for cryin’ out loud...” Applejack groans nearby.

Pinkie blinks. “What? That’s really what she said.”

“Just a second.” You pick up the hyperactive Element of Laughter from where she’s leaning against your console and gently place her next to Applejack, who’s waiting near the entrance to the bridge. The farmpony shares an exasperated but sympathetic smile with you before you make your way back to Cel at the flight controls. “Now, you were saying?”

“Yes, well, I suppose the only other thing for you to know is that I can’t use the barrier while channeling, though I can easily defend with it until we’re ready.”

“Sounds simple enough, I guess.”

Her horn glows, and all the filled gems still stashed within your tuxedo’s pockets begin to free themselves and float over to her, the odd sight of which causes you to suppress a laugh.

“Geez, Cel, we haven’t even had a real date yet and you’re already cleaning me out.”

“Don’t make me put you in the corner with Pinkie Pie as well. I’ll do it, you know...” she says as she trots away, suppressing a laugh of her own.

You simply shake your head and return your hands to the controls to begin your turn back toward the Harbinger and Canterlot. It should still be right over—

Wait a minute.

“Oh? You say you can easily defend against me?

Let’s test that hypothesis, shall we, Teacher?”

In an instant, the massive ship is right in front of you, and you have to bank hard to avoid colliding with its bow. The ponies all yell in surprise and hit the deck as the ship turns and you retreat back to a respectable distance. An arc of lightning attempts to singe the ship’s stern as you flee, but with the Dawn Star’s enhanced speed, you manage to avoid it completely.

But the screaming... well, that’s different.

Hundreds of ghosts spill from the hole in the Harbinger’s damaged ARC, and this time it looks like they have no intention of merely circling the vessel. No, instead they start tearing directly toward your position, just as you point the bow directly at the exposed stone sphere.

“Cel, I hope you’re ready, ‘cause we’re not gonna get a better chance than this!”

The white alicorn stands at the bow of the ship, horn blazing with magical energy. Seven of your filled gems rise up around her, slowly orbiting her like tiny planets while her body shines like the sun. Everything else in that moment loses all meaning. Twilight, the ghosts... all of it vanishes from your mind. Instead, you can only see her...

The shining light encompassing her body begins to pull away like water flowing in reverse. It travels from her tail across her sides and back, up her mane and neck, legs and chest, and coalesces at the tip of her horn, which she places directly in the center of the floating gemstones before her. They’ve since arranged themselves into the shape of a rune you’ve never seen before as they crackle with Twilight’s barely-contained magic.

Celestia’s light is so pure now it changes from gold to a slightly blue-tinged white as it dances near her horn’s tip. And then it’s free, traveling through the first gem, and then the next, and the next, and the next, and then...

The sound.

Like two freight trains smashing into each other head on.

The pressure.

Like a gale force wind suddenly stirring up on a calm day.

And the light.

Unlike anything you’ve seen before, and will likely ever see again. It must be like staring at the sun which forever illuminates the world beyond.

All of this must’ve happened in the span of only several seconds or so, but to you the process moves at a speed at which you can see each event as it happens. Is it another side-effect of the strange magic you felt when raising the sun with Cel? Who knows. All you really understand is that you’re captivated, and that the last words you spoke to her before it all started were true.

You really are never going to get a better shot at this. The Harbinger’s damaged ARC sphere is exposed and it only just now teleported, so it’s much too soon for her to be able to teleport again. This is a guaranteed hit, and based on what you’re witnessing now, it’s gonna be a hell of a hit indeed.

The gems amplifying the spell melt and then waft away in the air, their job finished. And then the beam is released, blasting forward straight as your bow points, straight toward its intended destination, as you clutch the console for dear life.

And then you hear a sound, a mix between the ocean’s crash and the roar of thunder, and the Harbinger is gone with only a light black mist lingering in its former position in the sky.

No. There’s just no way...

The spirits rushing toward you are instantly vaporized by the beam. They never stood a chance. But it doesn’t find its true target, instead slicing through empty air, then tearing across the horizon all the way to Canterlot Castle, where it shears off the tallest tower, punctures a hole in the nearby cliff face, and continues on beyond your sight.

Your jaw damn near smashes into the console at the sight, and you have no doubt the ponies witnessing this are in a similar state.

“Sweet stars above...” Applejack falls to her haunches.

“Holy freakin’ crap!” Pinkie, of all ponies, nearly faints.

“Whoa...” “Cool!” “Holy BUCK, girls!” The three CMC would probably tumble over like dominoes with the slightest nudge at this point.

Cel is the only one not in awe. Instead she only looks to the distance, her ears turned back and a frown of remorse on her face. You missed, and just like that one of your precious opportunities has slipped away. There’s no room left for error, now.

You want to head over and comfort her, but fight the urge to move given that you have to pilot the ship. Still, that doesn’t prevent you from reassuring her with your words, so you open your mouth to speak.

“Cel... it’s not our fault. There’s no way we could’ve known she’d be able to teleport again that fast...”

The alicorn turns back to you, and her countenance can only be described as shellshocked.

“Anon...” she mutters, almost too low for you to hear. “Lulu... Lulu is going to KILL ME! That was her room!”

Wait, what?

You shift your gaze from the distraught alicorn over to Canterlot Castle in the distance just in time to see the severed tower slide down the castle’s side and smash into a million pieces of ivory-colored stone.

“Oh.”

Yeah, Moonbutt’s probably not going to like that one bit. You make a mental note to dig up some earplugs from the engine room for the two of you as soon as you possibly can...