Time seemed to be flying by at the moment. Twilight had just stepped onto the old, wooden docks, and the sounds of oncoming ponies had already stopped. The process of boarding and preparing was supposed to take an hour. Could it possibly have been more than 15 minutes? She breathed in deeply and felt her heart beat several times before releasing the air. A strong shiver shot down her spine, and her ears had begun picking up sounds more clearly. Any second now and she would be summoned on deck. Hadn't it been just yesterday that she bade Spike and all their friends in Ponyville goodbye?

She chanced a peak out the window, folding back the silk-white curtains ever so slightly, catching sight of the crowd standing ashore, waiting eagerly to see them off. She noticed that Princess Celestia was not yet among them. Who knew, maybe she wouldn't show up at all. It wasn't a a stretch to say that this particular assignment had not been handed to her with the usual fervor. That said, it was far from a typical assignment. Usually Equestria needed defending from the inside. But to even think about venturing past the sight of the shore....it must be desperate indeed. Having faith was hardest at times like this, but she trusted Princess Celestia.

Most troubling, however, was that in her hesitance and reluctance to discuss this particular mission, Celestia had neglected some very important details. Not at all like her, and the more Twilight thought on it, the more it concerned her. All she knew was that the assignment would become clearer as she drifted farther into the Great Blue Sea. She hadn't been eager to bring up the subject of the mission, especially with her friends. She hoped the answers would reveal themselves soon....the stress was really starting to get to her.

Stepping away from the window she began moving closer to the large map that covered the port wall of the dinning room. Twilight felt the butterflies in her stomach rustle anew as she passed multiple round tables, each one set with white table cloths and empty plates. This map was the largest in Equestria's archives, and the best chance of navigation they had; unfortunately, it hadn't been updated since Starswirl the Beaded's Oceanic Trek to the Lost Dragon Isle, and that island had sunk centuries before Twilight's birth. Starswirl's information regarding the rest of the ocean before the barrier to the Great Blue Sea was spotty at best and entirely wrong at worst. But how much had it changed? Well, it probably hadn't become more accurate.

Only about four nautical miles away from Equestria's shores the ocean was considered too dangerous for all but the bravest or strongest to travel. Even they avoided it when possible. Long ago, Twilight recalled reading in the Canterlot Libraries, ponies sailed far beyond the large shipwreck that marked the entrance to the unknown waters called the Great Blue Sea. Of course at the time the shipwreck had not existed. Those years of sea-faring adventure were short, supposedly about forty in all, and most records of those times were long lost. Legends and myths told of monsters beyond pony comprehension and pirates of mysterious origin that would decimate all who dared sail beyond the first ship that was ever destroyed under mysterious circumstances - the shipwreck that now marked out the dangerous waters.

By the time Princesses Celestia and Luna had ascended to leadership after the unification of the Three Tribes, life at sea was deemed impossible, and neither of the sisters had ever ventured into changing that. Or so Twilight had been led to believe. Princess Celestia surely had some kind of connection to this mission into the unknown waters, and by extension whatever lay beyond that fated shipwreck. The question of how they were connected would have to be answered with time, Twilight supposed. All in good time and faith.

"Twilight?"

The lavender Princess nearly jumped when Pinkie's hoof patted against her back, and she turned to see her friends assembled behind her, the sunlight shining through the open stairway leading to the deck above.

"It's time?" She asked hesitantly.

"It's time," Rainbow Dash confirmed.

Twilight drew in a deep breath, held it as long as possible, and exhaled very deeply, visibly trembling as she headed for the steps.

"We're with you all the way darling!" Rarity called.

"To the ends of the earth and beyond!" Pinkie added.

Twilight couldn't help but smile. At least her friends were there. She had almost forgotten. How shameful for the Princess of Friendship to forget her friends. Their confidence should be enough to dispel her fear. More than enough. Twilight decided, as she ascended those noisy, wooden steps, that she would not be afraid. Not as long as she had her friends by her side.

The grand vessel to carry them on their journey, The Crepuscular Star was the largest Equestrian military project in over one hundred years. It featured room for over 140 crew members, mostly members of the Equestrian Royal Guard on special extended assignment, and was equipped with the most up-to-date magical and scientific technologies in regards to navigation, propulsion, and efficiency. It also housed 40 cannons, 20 on each side of the ship. In hindsight, Twilight wondered to herself if that was enough. The unknown was a dangerous enemy, as she'd learned over the course of her time defending Ponyville and all of Equestria.

The hull was comprised of five sections, plus a deck and crow nests along the main sails. The mainsail was triangular and bore Twilight's Royal Insignia, that being her cutie mark in a splendid lavender color resting in a field of gold and silver; the three headsails were more square and plain, while the kite was also triangular, but bearing no insignia. The primary color of the vessel was azure, with complimenting white and black secondary coloring. All in all it was about 200 yards long, and 30 yards at its widest point, that being the aft section, which housed Twilight's quarters and the most important rooms pertaining to resources, planning, etc.

The crowd gathered around it waited with palpable anticipation. To the citizens of Equestria it was quite exciting, a reinvention of sea faring and exploration. The guards station in ordered places around the deck, silent and frozen in preparation for setting sail, waited patiently as Twilight took a second to compose herself before the big farewell address. At least Cadence and Shining Armor had bothered to show up. She focused on them as she began speaking.

"Citizens of Equestria, friends, today marks a very important day in modern history. I will not lie and say that I was not nervous, frightened even, when I was asked to undertake this mission of extreme importance. Truth be told, even I don't know quite what to expect from it. But I do know this. In the name of Equestria and its well being, I will face any danger. No challenge is too big, not when I venture forward with capable ponies who have dedicated themselves to this undertaking, as I have. Not when I am surrounded by friends. Not when I can trust them with my life. The Great Blue Sea is mysterious, but I am confident that we are well prepared. We will return when the mission has been completed and the great ordeal is finally over. We will return with new findings, and the experience to say that ponies have reclaimed the power to travel the seas. And so, with Equestria's blessing, I announce this day as the start of our voyage...set sail!"

With the most important details, or what ones were provided, having been discussed prior to leaving her home, Twilight knew the next succession of events would go by in a flash. Formalities and appearances were the idea today. The crowd was cheering, their excitement growing like a living organism, taking stronger form as she waved and smiled as the guards on the deck saluted. It was no mere rehearsal of procedure to them.

The bottle of wine was released and smashed against the hull with a shattering that was immediately eclipsed by the stomping of hooves and raising of (even higher) happy voices. Twilight lingered on the sight of the crowd just a few seconds longer and turned to the guard captain behind her, giving him the affirmative to weigh anchor. Up the large bond to home raised, and the ties to the dock were cut after months of holding the ship in place. The sails extended as flowers were tossed aboard. They soon caught a strong wind and they were off. The crowd was still cheering, waving, and stomping on the sandy beaches and the wooden dock with their hooves. Twilight looked one last time to her brother and her sister-in-law, both waving enthusiastically. She also caught Shining Armor mouthing her a final warning.

'Stay safe little sister!' He silently shouted.

She responded in kind, 'I know; i will.'

She was soon joined once more by her friends, each smiling, some brighter than others. Fluttershy looked to be getting a bit sea-sick already, while in great contrast, Pinkie looked as though she had been waiting her whole life for this moment. Different strengths and a variety of skills. That's all it was. It was a good contrast. A strong foundation for the waters beyond.

"So, now that we've set sail, I want to run through the responsibilities we're carrying one more time," Twilight announced, being the first to speak.

"Do we have to go over it again? I mean, it's not too hard to memorize," Rainbow objected.

"Better safe than sorry...especially somewhere like the Great Blue Sea," Twilight replied, adding in her own mind, 'and whatever waits within'

Pinkie answered first, "Oh! Oh! I'm gonna run the galley, keeping the yummies in our tummies...er, a remedy a day keeps the barfing away," She added, looking to Fluttershy, who was now going green in the cheeks and beginning to sway with the waves.

"I'm scouting ahead in rotation with the other pegasi on the ship," Rainbow reported.

"I'll be reviewing the information we've collected beside you and acting as chief navigator for the length of the journey, you don't have to worry at all about that, darling."

"And while Rarity looks over the finer details, I'll be acting as shipwright, keeping all the main functions in working order," Applejack followed up.

"Great, Fluttershy?" Twilight and the others turned to the yellow pegasus, now slouching on her hooves and looking positively rotten.

"I'll be....throwing up," she paused to place a hood over her mouth for a moment before resuming, "if Pinkie doesn't start on those remedies soon...."

"Uh...take five below deck," Twilight told her, allowing Pinkie to help her down.

"Great. I trust that things are already in order in your capable hooves. I'm glad you all insisted on coming along."

With that, they scattered, and though Twilight knew it was all in her head, it made her feel much better. Just hearing her plans come to life through the words of her friends was a comfort. She sighed whilst surveying the ship. The ceremony had passed in the blink of an eye too, though not unexpectedly. Maybe it was the dangers that would finally make time slow down, and only when their lives were laid on the line would time slow to incomprehensible lengths. She was really beginning to hate these constant extremes.

Already the shore and all the sights Twilight had known all her life had disappeared from view, shrinking with every passing moment as the small dot she recognized as the marked shipwreck was drawing nearer. The sinking fear was already threatening to return, but she forced herself to banish it at once. Fear had no place in the heart of a captain.....unless one looked at fear as a safety mechanism, that was. Fear held you back, but sometimes it was better to be held back, right? All the cliches she'd ever learned on fear came in a tidal rush, overtaking all thought. But the bottom line was that her friends weren't afraid.....well, they weren't showing any fear. (Perhaps Fluttershy was too sick to show fear as of now). No! Away with such thoughts. She had her friends as the hopes of Equestria riding with her. It was time to overcome. She could do it on land just fine, she'd just have to study on the topic for a bit. She'd get the hang of being a sea farer in no time. That thought was, amazingly, more genuine than any since leaving the castle.

She forced a smile on her face as the shipwreck passed. The breeze and the smell of deep sea air made her feel alive, and a rush of sudden adrenaline came over her. They were making history and doing the unthinkable. Not that they hadn't done the unthinkable before, defeating great odds was almost a talent she and her friends had worked up by now.....but this was something else. The factor of the unexpected and the unknown kept coming back to her, but did not shake her again. She was the master of her own fears.

After settling her courage a little more firmly in her mind, it was time for the next order of business. The next order of business was undoubtedly going to the charting room, where a miniature copy of the large map in the dinning hall and many boxes worth of archived information waited, and consulting Rarity on their immediate course.

Rarity, true to her words of promise, had already dug out several old scrolls and charts, and had a compass laying on the grand desk in the middle of the chart room. Though new like the rest of the grand ship, it had an old-timey feeling to it, as though many generations of navigators had honed their craft within these wooden walls. Twilight, feeling much more at home surrounded by books and scrolls rather than out on the open deck amongst the many guards, took to her friend's side at once and looked over the chart in her hooves with her.

"Hmmm...now, I think if we just kept true for a bit and turned northeast here," she pointed down at a specific place on the map with the tip of her hoof, "we should be able to avoid the hazards Starswirl's group charted...assuming they are indeed still there."

"Have you looked over this way?" Twilight double checked, pointing to a Southward spot on the map.

"As a matter of fact, I have, and though it seems a decent option I also looked into this collection of wind charts, and it might be a bit riskier if the weather turns bad in the next day or so."

"Nice work," Twilight complimented, adding as an after thought, "I wonder how far in we have to get before the mission becomes clear..."

"Excuse me?"

The reddening of Twilight's face perfectly matched the bewildered look in Rarity's eyes. Twilight mentally scolded herself for not playing it better. But the cat was out of the bag at this point, her absentmindedness had gotten the better of her. Might as well come clean and explain everything in quick succession. The sooner they got over it, the better.

"Welll....funny thing really, Princess Celestia wasn't all too specific about the nature of this mission, heh heh, I really thought I would've cracked it by now, but it's just not coming to me. I'm sure it will though! We've just got to keep sailing onwards, and now that I think on it a bit, your plan sounds great! Let's steer just like you said and I'm sure the clues will all add up in no time!"

Twilight thought she had sounded an awful lot like a nervous Pinkie Pie while she held her smile and waited. Similarly, Rarity's look of bewilderment had not changed in the slightest. Twilight used her magic to summon the scroll which Celestia had given her when she was asked to go and lead this adventure. It held brief instructions, more like quick notes actually, about sea-faring safety and preparedness. The rest was blank, although, gazing at it, Twilight was filled with some hope. It almost did look like something was beginning to form...

"So....sounds good, right?" Twilight asked sheepishly while Rarity looked over the scroll again.

The white unicorn was shaking her head, struggling to form the words. Twilight was wondering how far she'd let her friends down in not telling them, but to her glad surprise, Rarity's shaking suddenly stopped and after a slight pause she was smiling, to Twilight's great relief.

"I suppose it's no real fault of your own. I'll just keep feeding the instructions to Applejack up top."

Twilight sighed and smiled back, "Great.....er, thanks for not overreacting. I know it's not at all like me, to be so unprepared and all."

"Don't worry about it....just....don't forget to mention when something does pop up. I fear we can only go so far before our maps become useless. We'll have to start drawing new ones up.....probably in just a few days."

"Agreed, especially considering the limited journey Starswirl took. I'll keep you posted."

"Thank you, darling!"

Twilight exited as Rarity scribbled down the course and teleported the note up to the farm pony at the wheel, keeping The Crepuscular Star propelling forward. The next order of business was probably to set out for the kitchen. She had noticed that a couple of the crew were looking uneasy. Nothing as bad as poor Fluttershy, but a sea sick crew was no good. Perhaps the drills and simulations just didn't quite match the real deal of sailing on open waters, for it was clear that not everypony was prepared for the journey ahead of them.

Getting to the galley had proved complicated. A short question from one of the guards had led to a string of conversations about things that Twilight thought would have been explained or reasonable enough to figure out. Maybe her expectations were a bit too high; the average pony was not familiar with extended sea voyages, and nerves were a factor even to the most experienced guards. At last, though, she was below deck, and had made it through the dinning room and into the kitchen behind the adjoining side wall.

Pinkie was hard at work, brewing up several different pots of medicines. The cook books she'd taken from the Canterlot Kitchens had a lot of great food recipes, but when it came to illness prevention and nifty yet tasty treatments, she found herself relying mostly on Pie family traditions. If only she'd brought more rocks.

Sitting on a stool in the corner, holding her head over a bucket, Fluttershy was quietly groaning. She hoped getting used to living on a boat wouldn't take very long. Oh how she already missed the wide open fields of grass and sunshine surrounding Ponyville. Even the Everfree Forest seemed nicer in her memories than it had before boarding. Worst of all, though, it was almost impossible to interact with any kinds of animals on the boat. Maybe there was a chance some kind of exotic bird would land on the ship. So far, the trip had been far less than stellar for her, and Pinkie's constant assurances that it would soon be over weren't making her feel much better.

When Twilight walked in, she immediately took note of Fluttershy's abysmal state. Frowning out of the pegasi's view, she quickly stepped up behind Pinkie, and they engaged in a conversation that Fluttershy was far too indifferent towards to make out more than a few words here and there. Soon she almost felt as though her stomach had stopped spinning and that her head was now revolving like a top. Her vision was swaying and she hung her head right into the bucket just to be safe.

Oddly, it sounded like there was more than one of her from inside the bucket. As though she herself were just waiting to puke while another sea sick Fluttershy was moaning....somewhere above her. Perhaps another pony was sick on the floor above? It wasn't an overly important question, but it was as good as any to ponder over until Pinkie was done. Her stomach has resumed spinning, and she was desperate not to think on it. Maybe her ears were affected like her head and stomach. Did being sea sick affect a pony like that? It was a good question for Twilight, but in her current state, Fluttershy dared not take her head out of the bucket. Besides, she'd probably have that question answered for herself sooner or later. It was taking ages for that remedy to be finished.

"So.....you ran out of room...for rocks?" Twilight asked in segments, imagining how Pinkie could've fit all she'd been describing plus rocks into her bags.

"Well it's not that I didn't bring any, but let's just hope not too many more ponies get sick, cause I'm burning through these puppies like apple cider at a family reunion!" Pinkie whispered in a desperate sort of way.

"Well....ideally we'd be making a stop at land.....hold on, burning through rocks, Pinkie, what on earth are you making!?"

"As much as I like you Twilight, I can't let the recipe fall out of the family," Pinkie replied, a tone more of consolation than worry now.

A loud noise from behind them broke their conversation, and Twilight saw Fluttershy leaning into the bucket, teetering on the edge of the stool, at last letting her stomach's contents run away from her. It seemed that something else had changed, but Twilight didn't have long to think on it before Pinkie's desperate voice had returned, pining for a new ingredient.

"Twilight! Quick! This part's important! Grab the blue and green shakers from the brown bag over there!"

"There's more than one! Which brown bag?"

"That one!" Pinkie replied, stirring her concoction like a madpony and pointing with her free hoof vaguely at all of the bags.

Back in the corner and temporarily relieved from her vomiting, while also feeling better than since before entering the kitchen, Fluttershy set the bucket down and saw that several crates full of food and cooking ingredients had been knocked over. Feeling confident that she could at least fix her mess and wait contently for Pinkie and Twilight to finish up, Fluttershy began sorting through the displaced goods. She avoided getting too near some of the more lively spices and smelly foods, but was able to put most of it back in place without so much as a gag.

After most of it had been sorted through she found that a substantial amount of flower had spilled from its box, and yet the box itself was nowhere to be found. She poked through the crates that had spilled over as well as those that had not, but the box was still mysteriously missing. By chance she looked up, and her mouth dropped on instinct before she manually shut it again, both to prevent the off chance of hurling once more and to stop a scream.

"No, not that green shaker, the other one!" Pinkie replied hastily, hardly glancing at the shaker Twilight had put before her.

"Again, which other one! There are five, six, seven different shakers in varying shades of green!" Twilight replied, counting them off and levitating the next one to Pinkie's side.

"No, this one isn't it either!" The baker replied, stirring faster still.

"Is it this one?" Twilight asked somewhat indignantly, levitating the third to last green shaker to Pinkie's face.

"Yes!" Pinkie exclaimed at once, startling Twilight greatly, for once again she had only just barely glanced at it before making a quick decision.

She almost broke the cap off and let the contents fall, like dark, gray rain into the sizzling pot. Now feeling quite relieved, Pinkie began to stir less maniacally, and hazarded a glance back to Fluttershy, dropping her big spoon in the process.

"We'll have a nice turnaround for that pouty tummy in-"

Twilight looked back at the sound of Pinkie's great gasp and let one of her own out as well, and they both jumped over to Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was halfway hanging out of the space between the kitchen ceiling and the floor above.

"Fluttershy!?"

"Don't come up!" the nervous and distorted voice sounded in reply.

"What's going on!?" Twilight nearly demanded, telekinetically gripping Fluttershy's body with her magic and tugging her out.

"Stop! Stop!" Fluttershy cried out.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked with alarm.

Before she could answer another crashing sound broke through the ceiling, and several large bags fell to the floor, rolling around in different areas of the kitchen floor. Pinkie instinctively chased after them, while Twilight continued at her best attempt to converse with Fluttershy.

"What in Celestia's name happened in the last two minutes?" Twilight once more inquired, with more exasperation than before.

"N-Nothing..."Fluttershy stammered, beginning to steadily fall back to the floor now, "I just....err..." she plopped on the ground and instinctively covered her mouth. If her sea sickness had left her before, it appeared to be back in full force...or Fluttershy had become a very gifted actress recently.

In the meantime, Pinkie Pie had discovered that the ship might be haunted, for one bag in particular was rolling around like a Saddle Arabian Jumping Bean. She chased it left and right, then left again, but it was to no avail. She was about ready to pounce on it, when it did something entirely unexpected and stood up.

"Why you...!" Pinkie whispered intently as if sneaking up on the bag as various cans and jars fell out and rolled in all directions.

"Wait!" a familiar and entirely unexpected voice called out from inside as the bag folded over on itself, "don't hurt me! I'm sorry!"

Twilight lost all interested in Fluttershy, who she decided was not faking when another vomiting fit came over the pegasus, and left her with the bucket. She used her magic to grab the bag and almost tore it in two pieces as she uncovered the source of this great disturbance. Squatting with his arms over his face and tightly shut eyes, Spike was waiting as though expecting a torrent of unprecedented intensity. Twilight wasn't sure exactly how she felt seeing her Number One Assistant in such a position, but she knew the first thing she would do.

"Spike?" Pinkie exclaimed, processing the meaning of his appearance with her usual Pinkie demeanor while Twilight reached out her hoof and picked him out of his cowering squat.

Spike opened his eyes, clearly fearful of what Twilight might do or say, but to his immense relief, she hugged him. He returned the embrace and Pinkie, cooing softly before hand, soon joined them. It was not long before others arrived, sensing the commotion, but the guards returned to their duties upon assuring themselves everything was still in order; Applejack, Rarity, and the just returned from flying duty Rainbow Dash stayed to learn the whole story.

"Spike," Twilight at last spoke, "what are you doing here? I told you to keep watch over the castle...o-over Ponyville!"

"I know...and I was going to. I wanted to...I'll always be there for you Twilight, but..."

"But what?" She responded, more out of bewildered curiosity than anger, though she was still ready to crumple a few book pages over this particular surprise.

"But, this time, I just....I just knew that being there for you meant being at your side this time. Besides, I....never mind."

"No, speak your mind," Twilight corrected him.

"I.....I was already starting to miss you..."

"Oh, Spike...it wasn't easy for me to leave you behind..."

"So why? Why did you? I know I don't usually go with you girls, but...I can help! I can do my fair share! Ponyville will be OK, it's in good hooves! With our families and our friends! I just knew that I had to be here!"

"So, what, you jumped onto the train and rode it to the sea with the last of the guards?" Rainbow asked, the first of the friends to speak since the conversation between Princess and Assistant had begun.

"Yeah. I snuck into one of the emergency supply bags they stored up there and waited for an eternity before I thought it was safe to come out," Spike explained.

"Well, we're all glad to see ya Sugarcube, but it wasn't very smart of you to come..." Applejack explained with some difficulty, rubbing her hoof over her hat.

"Spikey-Wikey," Rarity took over, bending down closer to him, "We'd all benefit from your stay here, but it's just much too dangerous. You are still a baby dragon, after all. Just thinking about what lies ahead of us, well, I'll admit it frightens me quite a bit."

"Me too..." Fluttershy croaked from her stool, still in recovery from the second wave of sea sickness.

"I don't think anypony isn't at least a little afraid....I mean, even I'm a tiny bit nervous about it all," Rainbow admitted.

"Well I'm not scared!" Spike said with surprising defiance, "I'm not scared as long as I'm with all of you."

"But you simply can't stay aboard," Rarity objected, "scared or not, it's far too much for you. We've got to turn around."

There was a slight pause, and everypony turned their eyes to Twilight, who was glancing conflictedly from Spike to the others and back again several more times. She turned her back to them for a moment and drew in a deep breath. It was already time for her first decision as a captain. This life at sea was going to be hard on most ponies, how much more so a baby dragon? But could they afford to turn back now? Spike was committed, he always would be? If they turned around, would this send him into a lonely and miserable depression, wishing that he'd only been allowed to stay?

She forced herself to make a snap judgement, and turned quickly, announcing her decision: "Spike, while I am displeased that you snuck aboard and disobeyed my instructions...I can completely understand your position. I'm not going to permit you full clearance or approval to complete certain tasks, but I have decided to keep you aboard for the length of this journey."

The looks she received ranged from the unsure and shocked, to the gleeful and excited, none more so than Spike himself. He ran up to his sister figure and hugged her tightly again, and soon enough everypony had embraced the decision. Spike was on the trip now, and getting at odds over that fact was only going to get in their way. They had all moved in, even Fluttershy, who had seemingly regained enough of her bearings to join in on the goodness of the moment.

The happy scene did not end until a flash erupted through the windows and a large wave rocked them all off their hooves and feet. Alarms raised all over the ship and Twilight more than anypony else felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Something very important had occurred, and she'd not yet caught sight of it.

"Check everything!" She instructed as two guards bolted in, and then back out on receiving their orders, followed steadily by different members of the Mane 6, "Get a hold of the wheel and keep us in the safest route possible until we get clearer instructions using the maps! I need eyes in the sky and ponies at the ready all around!"

Confusion and chaos had set in at once. The ponies scrambled around each other and the various designated places on the ship, all the while looking around the sea and sky for the signs of the disruption's origin. Spike trusted himself only to stay at Twilight's side, rushing to and fro with her around the ship as the reports gradually came in.

"All clear in the skies!" Rainbow shouted from orbit around the sails.

"The ship is in full working order!" Applejack called from the wheel.

"The chart room reports no known points of disruption along this route," a guard testified as he rushed onto the deck from Rarity's workroom.

A few other reports came in in quick succession, and Twilight could only ponder the question as they headed into waters that, while not stormy and threatening per se, were a far cry from smooth, blue, and beautiful. The tension and unease on the deck and throughout the ship matched the swelling seas as unrest steadily rose while the seconds ticked by. Twilight was at a total loss, gazing from pony to pony and back the water, back to more ponies, and then various places around the ship, over and over again.

"OK, " she said at last, "maybe if we-"

"Hey, Twilight," Spike nudged her side.

"Spike, this isn't the best time!" Twilight chided, then slowly realized that the dragon wasn't out to draw her attention to anything out of significance.

She noticed the scroll, shining and peaking out of the invisible walls of her magical displacement box always at her side. She used the appropriate spell and opened it quickly, unfolded the scroll in front of everypony, glancing over it with a smile.

"Oh, Spike, how could I have ever doubted you?" Twilight asked aloud, rhetorically, as she showed the scroll to her friends, who drew nearer.

They too beamed with smiles as they saw that, while far from complete, a good portion of the scroll was no longer blank. An arm was growing out of an odd mist, and half a smile was clearly visible. The instructions were leading them to something. It was thus far impossible to tell what, or perhaps who, but they had some kind of direction now. They had some figment of a goal. That was enough for cause of celebration.

"At last..." Twilight muttered, then, seeing her friends waiting expectantly, addressed them, "I should have told you all the truth from the beginning. I guess I make a great Captain, huh?"

"We knew," Applejack confided with a smile, "Most of us anyways."

"What?" Twilight asked with surprise, which appeared to eradicate most of her disappointment.

"Well, they've known for a little bit...I confess that I told them, dear," Rarity explained, "Forgive me. I had a feeling we would all be going into this adventure a little blind. It was a shock to see that you were almost as blind as the rest of us, I admit, but it was also comforting. It felt, more than anything else, like that first adventure, going into the Everfree to find Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon. Facing the unknown like this...I thought it might be a joy I should spread. Was I wrong?" She asked, turning to the others.

"Nope," AJ replied, the first in a long string of similar answers. Fluttershy and Pinkie had not had the chance to learn, but neither were particularly upset, and after examining Rarity's point of view, they couldn't deny there was a comfort to the idea of staring down great danger with all your best friends beside you, all in the same boat...quite literally. (Spike, both living with Twilight and knowing her so well, had a feeling about it from the beginning.)

Now that the cat was indeed out of the bag and everypony was brought up to speed, Twilight was more confidant than ever. She was carrying the most responsibility as Captain, but she could still rely on her friends. She would gladly do so, she thought to herself. They were all in it together, on equal ground, as they drifted ever onwards into the liquid tapestry of the Great Blue Sea.

Author's Notes:

Welcome to the end of the first chapter! I have to say that I much prefer the idea of the ponies going to the One Piece world than the other way around. I feel so much more at liberty and free to include many more ideas. As you've no doubt somehow figured out by now, this is a reboot of my past story "Emperor's Territory", which was a Shanks in Equestria fic.

Speaking of Shanks, I promise he'll be along soon! While I've already planned for more than few (seriously, so many!) characters to appear, like the original, Shanks will be featured most. The crossing over officially begins next chapter, which I am happy to say I'm excited to get to. With the original and with far too many of my works I have such a hard time getting into them, but this one I've so far found so easy to get into. It all just seems to flow naturally.

Anyways, I hope this first chapter proved satisfactory. I'm still planning out some of the details and looking for an overall direction for the early story, but I'm pounding away at it, day by day. Thanks for reading, see you next chapter!

-TBK