As time slowly passed by, Steel could only look on as he watched his passengers and crew be shuffled through the portal. Where the location on the other side was eluded him as Chrysalis didn't say. From time to time, the stallion would glance over at the changeling Queen as she continued holding Dotted as her leverage to get what she wanted. The sight of his sword being used for evil intentions made him feel sick. But there was nothing he could do with his magic being nullified by the goo on his horn.

While continuing to watch, he kept a wary eye out on the horizon. He prayed silently that a random ship would spot them and investigate. But each time he looked, there was nothing but open ocean. Suddenly, a loud hissing sound could be heard coming from the four funnels. This made each pony and changeling on the deck jump in surprise before covering their ears.

"What... is the meaning of this?!" Chrysalis shouted over the noise while covering her ears as best as she could. "I told them not to try anything!"

"Just calm down!" Steel shouted in response. "They're venting the steam from the boilers since the engines are stopped!" Chrysalis just groaned after hearing that while Dotted did the best he could to keep his ears covered as well. Steel, however, didn't bother covering his ears. He was used to the loud noises after having served on steamships for so long. But with the crew below now venting the steam out through the funnels, that meant that there wouldn't be any steam left for the turbines. Mareitania would soon be adrift without any way to move under her own power until the pressure was built back up.

"Not exactly sure where this is going," he thought while looking on as the changelings began to guide the other ponies through the portal again. "Why would Chrysalis go through all this trouble just to get me alone on this ship?" As he continued to think, he looked up at what remained of the wireless telegraph cables as they hung from the transmission lines above. The ship's main means of communication with other ships destroyed with just the top portions of the cables swaying with the gentle rolling of the ship from side to side. This made him gulp as he wondered just what else she was capable of doing.

After roughly 20 minutes, the hissing sound of the steam being vented died down as the last of it escaped through the valves on the funnels. Once the noise stopped, Chrysalis uncovered her ears and smirked before looking down at Steel.

"Soon it will just be you, me, and my changelings on board," she said. "And then, my plan for revenge can begin."

"Revenge?" Steel asked. "What do you mean? And why would you need me and my ship?"

"All will be revealed once we are alone," she replied. "And I can assure you that you will benefit tremendously from it."

"If I even agree to go along with it," he thought to himself while watching the changelings herd the ponies on deck into a steady line. One by one, he'd watch as the ponies enter the doorway and go through the portal. Most of them would look up at Steel with looks of fear plastered on their faces before going through. This made the stallion feel powerless as there was nothing he could do to help them. He then looked over at Dotted, who gave up struggling against his captor's grasp. His eyes remained locked on the doorway that each pony on the deck was being ushered through. "So where exactly is that portal going to?"

"Hmm... I made sure that the portal would lead them to a field located somewhere in Equestria. Exactly where though, I'm not sure. And to be honest, I could care less."

"And what exactly is stopping them from trying to get help once they go through?" he continued. "I guarantee as soon as one of them gets a message out to the right ponies, the entire Equestrian Navy will be out looking for this ship."

"That would be true," she replied. "Except for one little... surprise I have in store for all who go through. You see. Once they go through the portal, they're free to do whatever it is they want. However, they won't remember what is going on here." This made Steel look toward her with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "My magic will wipe their memories of everything that they've done in the past week. How will they know what we're doing if they can't remember even being here to begin with?"

"Okay. That's some advanced level of magic there," he said in his mind. Soon, the last of the passengers were sent through the portal. All that were left were the stokers and engineers from below. As they came up onto the deck, Steel could see that some of them looked beat up. As if they tried resisting against the changelings. Each of them were then turned and guided by the changelings toward the portal.

"Captain Blade!" one of them shouted before stopping and looking directly up at where Steel and Chrysalis were standing. "Why are you letting them do this to us?" This only made Chrysalis chuckle as she moved to stand directly beside him.

"Because he doesn't have a choice! That's why!" she shouted back at the pony. "I am the one in charge here now, pony!" Before the stallion could respond, he was shoved through the portal by two changelings. Chrysalis smirked before turning her attention to the rest of the crew on the deck. "I suggest you all hurry along now," she said. "I'm beginning to grow bored."

"And if we refuse?" a stallion coated in coal dust asked.

"Just do as she says!" Dotted cried out. "Or else she's going to kill me!"

"Not if we all rush her at once!" another stallion shouted.

"Do you really want to take that chance though?" Chrysalis calmly asked before levitating Dotted up and over the side of the wing all while the blade was still against his throat. "Now. Should any of you try anything other than going through that portal, I will slice his throat and then send him down into the water below. And with the amount of blood that will just be gushing out of his neck, he'll be shark food within minutes." She then turned to look at Dotted. "Mercifully, you'd hopefully be dead before the first shark arrives."

"Please!" Dotted cried out desperately. "Just do what she wants!" Steel just stood quietly while looking down toward the wooden deck. He couldn't bear the sight of seeing his boss dangling several stories above the ocean with his sword at his throat. The stallions on the boat deck could see that by continuing to defy the Queen, they risked the life of their employer.

"You failed us, Captain Blade!" one of them called out before the group began to go through the portal. "I hope you realize that!" Steel only closed his eyes as tightly as he could while clenching his jaw after hearing that. His pride and confidence were already shattered before that. But hearing that just made him feel as low as he had ever felt before. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes as he tried to keep himself together. Chrysalis looked over at him and could see that what his crew was saying affected him immensely. Seeing his spirit now visibly broken pleased her.

Once the last of the stokers and engineers were through the portal, all that remained were Port, Copper Top, the helmspony, and Dotted as the last to go. Seeing this, Chrysalis brought Dotted back in from floating above the waves.

"Alright, you three," she said. "Leave us. Now." Copper Top just glared at Chrysalis before she was forced to go through by three changelings.

"Get moving, pony!" Scythe said to the helmspony before kicking him down the steps from the wing to the deck. The thud from him landing made Steel open his eyes before looking at what the changeling had done. Sensing that he had nothing left to lose at this point, he looked over at Scythe before hitting him in the face with his right hoof as hard as he could. This sent the changeling falling down the same set of stairs before landing on the deck next to the helmspony.

"Steel!" Dotted cried out while his eyes darted back and forth between the blade at his throat and the pony that owned it, worried that Steel's actions might have just cost him his life. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh calm down, pony," Chrysalis replied. "I've threatened to do more to that one for less." She then smirked while observing Steel breathe heavily with a look of anger on his face as he looked down at the downed changeling.

"Cap?" Port said while looking up at Steel after doing his best to help the helmspony up. Hearing his friend speak made the Captain's anger slowly fade before he looked at both his First Officer and the helmspony.

"I'm sorry, Port," he said. "I'm sorry that I failed you all."

"You didn't fail us, sir," the green unicorn said. "You're just sacrificing yourself for our safety. If anything, you've saved us." Steel just looked away once he heard that. "I know you don't feel that way now, sir. But I hope that you eventually will."

"Alright. That's long enough," Chrysalis said, interrupting the moment before setting Dotted down and grabbing both ponies on the deck with her magic. She then hurled both of them through the portal. Once that was finished, she turned and looked at her group of changelings as they were helping Scythe up. "Search the ship and make sure that there are no other ponies aboard."

"Yes, my Queen," one of them replied before they all went off before disappearing through various doors. With just the three of them left, Chrysalis turned her attention to Dotted.

"Now it's your turn. I suppose I'll let you say your goodbyes. But make it quick," she said before going down the stairs before stopping outside the door where the portal was. Once it was just the two of them, Dotted scooted the sword over to Steel. The blade stopped just in front of the red stallion, allowing Steel to see his reflection in the polished metal.

"Steel," Dotted said, making him look up at his boss. "I don't know if we'll see each other again after this. So I just want to say... thank you."

"You're thanking me?" Steel asked in a surprised tone. "For what?"

"For doing your duty," the white unicorn replied. "As a Captain, you're responsible for each creature on board. And because of your actions, no pony perished from this. That was the best possible outcome from this situation." He then rested a hoof on his friend's back. "I don't know what exactly she has planned for you and Mareitania. But I'm confident that whatever it is, it isn't anything you can't handle."

"I'm not so sure about that, sir," Steel said after sighing. He then looked down at Chrysalis, who still had her eyes locked on the two stallions. "I'm about to be left alone with her and all of her other changelings. Anything can happen once you go through the portal."

"That's true," Dotted replied as he glanced over at Chrysalis before looking back at Steel. "But whatever does happen, I just have this feeling that... things will work out. I don't know how or when. But something in my gut is telling me that you'll be alright."

"We don't have all day, pony," Chrysalis called out, making both stallions look at her.

"Guess that's my cue to head out," Dotted said before saluting Steel. Seeing this made the young Captain's eyes begin to water as he saluted him back. "Take care, Captain. And be safe."

"You too, sir," he replied while trying to keep back the tears. After hearing that, Dotted took one last look around before descending the stairs, leaving Steel alone on the bridge wing. Once he got to the door, he stopped and turned to look back up toward him one final time before entering the portal. As soon as he was through, Chrysalis slammed the door shut before using her magic on it again, presumably closing the portal. Steel just gulped as she slowly turned her head to look up at him.

"Now we're all alone, Captain Blade," she said while beginning to walk toward the steps. "Just you. Me. And what's left of my changeling army."

"I suppose so," Steel replied while watching her climb the stairs. "So why exactly did you need me and my ship?"

"Well. Now that it's just us, I'll tell you," she said as she climbed back onto the bridge wing. She then walked over and stood directly in front of Steel, closer than the stallion would've liked. But he didn't dare to move since she was the one in control now. "It all began after Starlight... Glimmer... turned my hive against me." The stallion in front of her could tell that whoever this pony was, she had quite the amount of hatred if just saying her name angered her. "After I managed to escape, I rounded up as many changelings that were still loyal to me as possible. Sadly though, that number was very small compared to what it once was." She then ran a forehoof along Steel's mane, making him shiver in response.

"I was now a Queen without a hive and hardly any subjects left," she continued. "For months, we were forced to hide ourselves among you ponies. Feeding off of any amount of love that we could find. But it sadly wasn't enough. Some of my followers abandoned me, choosing to return to that traitor, Thorax!" She then reached around the back of Steel's head and pulled him close, making him feel very uncomfortable as she pressed him up against her body.

"However. Things suddenly took a turn when I saw a flier for this voyage," she went on to say. "And as soon as I finished looking at it, an idea came to mind. I was in need of a new hive. And a new source of love to feed off of." This made Steel's pupils shrink once he heard what she said.

"Sweet Celestia!" he cried out in his mind as he trembled. "She's not gonna do what I think she's gonna do. Right?"

"So that is why I've done all of this," she said. "We're going to turn this ship into a mobile hive." She then looked down at Steel before using her magic to levitate him off the deck and up to where their eyes were on the same level. "And you... will be my new King. And together, we will exact my revenge against all who have wronged me!"

"Woah woah woah. Back it up there," Steel blurted out. "King? As in King of the changelings?"

"Why yes," she replied. "A big leap from the rank of Captain, I suppose."

"Why me though?"

"Well. You are the Captain of this ship," she replied. "So already that made you a leader. And if I'm being completely honest. You aren't so bad to look at. For a pony."

"I uhh... Thanks? I guess?" he said in response as his cheeks began to turn a brighter shade of red than the color of his coat, completely caught off guard by what she had said.

"And as my new King, you will rule beside me as we create a new generation of changelings who will, in time, allow me to get my revenge against Glimmer, Thorax, and anypony else who has wronged me!"

"Wait. You're saying that you... and I.... are gonna...."

"Of course. How else are we going to create a new generation of changelings?" she asked.

"Why would I agree to do that?"

"Well. I can assure you that if you agree to be my King, then you will have all kinds of.... benefits," she replied. "I know how to please a stallion like you in ways that you never thought could be possible. My methods of extracting love has left legions of stallions... wanting more."

"I uh..."

"So what do you think, Captain Blade?" she asked in a seductive tone. "How would you like to become my King?"

"Can I... at least think about it for a while?" he asked, making Chrysalis frown before she looked away as if she was thinking. Soon, her eyes widened before a smirk returned to her face once again.

"Of course," she said as she placed him back down on the deck. "I want you to fully appreciate just how rare of an opportunity this is." She then turned around and began walking toward the stairs going down to the boat deck, giving her flank an added swing. Steel couldn't help but notice it before quickly looking away. "I'll give you some time to think it over, Captain," she said before descending the stairs. "But I can assure you that you won't be... disappointed if you say yes."

After saying that, Chrysalis finished walking down the stairs and began walking aft toward the stern before turning to walk through a doorway, leaving Steel alone. Once he saw her disappear inside, he looked down at his sword as it laid on the wooden deck. Instinctively, he tried picking it up with his magic before remembering about the goo on his horn. As his eyes drifted up, he decided that this wouldn't do.

"Time to get this gunk off," he said to himself before going back inside the bridge. Seeing it now devoid of activity made him sigh as he entered his cabin. Once inside, he went over to his personal bathroom. As he stepped in, he tried to turn on the light. However, nothing happened. "Oh. Right. No steam. So no generators. Which means... no electricity." Thankfully, Celestia's sun was shining bright enough to allow him to still be able to see. Once he saw his towel hanging on the rack, he reached out and took hold of it with one hoof before wiping the green goo off of his horn.

"That... should do it," he thought while looking at the goo on the towel. He then shivered before tossing it into the hamper. He then turned and looked at a bottle of soap on the ledge of his bathtub. The white bottle was soon engulfed in his blue colored magic as he levitated it over to him. Seeing the bottle floating in the air made a smile return to his face before putting it back where it was.

Once finished, he made his way back out onto the bridge wing before picking up his sword, making sure that no changelings were around to see him do it. After being fairly sure that he wasn't being watched, he took the blade back into his cabin before placing it back in its scabbard. He then levitated it and secured it back on the mounting hooks above the door. Having his sword back where it belonged made him feel slightly better as he exited his cabin again.

As he stepped out onto the bridge, he went over to the helm, resting a hoof on it after stopping beside it.

"I don't know how things are going to play out, Mareitania," he said. "I'd really rather not see you become a changeling hive. But I... just don't know how we're gonna get out of this." The ship's hull just groaned after he finished talking, as if the ship itself was responding to her Captain. Steel just looked through the bridge's windows out ahead of the liner. The water around the ship was calm and the skies above only had a few clouds.

As he stood beside the helm, the sound of hoofsteps on the stairs leading up to the wing made him turn to see a pair of changelings approach him. They both soon had looks of surprise on their faces as they noticed that the unicorn no longer had goo on his horn.

"I see you removed the nullification gel," one of them said as they stepped inside the bridge. "Not many ponies realize how easy it is to do that."

"I mean. All it took was a towel," Steel replied. "Wasn't that hard."

"Indeed," the changeling said. "It's so simple. Yet many ponies in a similar position to you are in tend to let their fear of us control their actions. Thus their magic remaining useless." Steel just rolled his eyes as a silent response while looking at the two.

"So what brings you both here?"

"We were told by our Queen to give you a message," the other changeling replied. "She would like to have dinner with you at sunset."

"Sunset?" the unicorn asked while checking the time on the clock mounted on the wall. He then had to mentally remind himself that without electricity from the generators, even the clocks on the ship were useless. So instead, he turned and levitated a pocket watch out of his coat pocket. The usual time for sunset was still several hours away.

"She hopes that you will have made your decision on whether or not to join us by then," the changeling continued to say. "Trust me when I say this to you, pony. This should be the easiest decision of your life." With that said, the two changelings exited the bridge, leaving Steel alone once again. He let out a long sigh before looking at the large wheel beside him.

"What am I going to do, Mareitania?" he asked before looking out at the ocean ahead once more, thinking deeply about Chrysalis' proposal. "What am I going to do?"

Next Chapter: Chapter Nine Estimated time remaining: 58 Minutes