The following morning I woke to someone pounding on the door. We hadn't done much the night before, which I guess wasn't too much of a surprise. After dealing with the rapey monster and having a hot bath, we were pretty done in. We piled into bed haphazardly and the last thing I remembered was Cadance putting a wing around me.

"Princess, you're needed on the bridge!"

Cadance, snuggled up next to me in the warm tangle of limbs and blankets, let out a soft groan that could only be heard in the bed. "Ugh." Then she raised her voice. "I will be there directly!"

I was impressed by how perfect she sounded, as if she'd been up all along just waiting for someone to need her. In reality, even in the dim light I could see her mane was a mess and her fur ruffled, just like mine no doubt was. Nobody looks perfect first thing in the morning, not even a princess, but I was happy to see her turning her head about without any sign of pain.

Her horn glowed slightly as she sat up, enough to telekinetically tweak the cabin light switch and brighten the room a bit.

"Thank you," the voice outside replied. Hoofsteps faded down the hallway as the crew pony returned to his post, presumably the bridge.

"What's going on?" James asked, pulling his arm out from underneath me and grimacing. "Ack. My hand is asleep."

"Sorry," I said. "My fat body was crushing it."

"It'll be okay in a few minutes, no worries." He gave me a quick kiss on the muzzle. "And you're insane if you think you're fat."

Cadance was crawling carefully over a confused Mia, who looked to be still mostly asleep. She swatted weakly at Cadance's legs as she went past. "Unffff!"

"Fat?" Cadance narrowed her eyes, ignoring Mia's feeble, disoriented protests. "If so, you're only expanded because you're full of crap." She leaned down to give Mia a quick kiss, instantly quieting her, then stepped off the bed and sat down at the makeup table. She looked at herself in the mirror, deftly running a brush through her hair, then peered closer. "Oh my goodness," she gasped, touching her throat. The bruises there were huge, purple and angry. "I can't go out looking like this!" She desperately peered around the room for a solution while she telekinetically brushed her hair. "A necklace? A scarf?" Her eyes finally came to rest upon my self-styled uniform, taking in the high collar on the tight shirt, and her face lit up. "Eris? May I borrow some of your spare clothes, dear?"

The bridge was busy when we finally arrived. The crew stiffened as Cadance walked in, probably in more ways than one. My outfit looked really, really good on her, after she'd cut some slits for her wings. I guiltily found myself staring at her shapely rump more than once.

"Ma'am! Captain Starchaser is out there on the observation deck," one of the crew said quickly.

"Thank you." Cadance pushed across the bridge and opened the exterior door. The wind outside wasn't so bad with our dirigible moving forward at a moderate pace. Captain Starchaser leaned against a railing, a spyglass to his eye.

"It's another ship, headed this way," he told us, handing the spyglass to Princess Cadance. "See?" His hoof pointed out towards the horizon. I could just barely see a small black object, hanging in the atmosphere out where the world curved down.

Cadance squinted into the magnifying instrument. "Ah. I do. It's on an obvious intercept course. Well, we want to make contact. It would appear this is the easiest way, I guess. Let's not make any threatening moves."

"I recommend we stay at reduced speed, and let them come to us," Starchaser suggested. "Going to meet them may be seen as an act of aggression."

"Good plan. Please carry it out."

"Yes ma'am! At this rate, it will take some time for them to reach us. You and your entourage may wish to prepare."

"An excellent suggestion. Let me know when they approach close enough to discern better details."

"Aye, ma'am."

It didn't take us long to get our things together.

"Just the backpacks," Cadance cautioned. "We can't bring weapons this time. I'm sorry."

"I don't like it," James balked. "What about the exos?"

"I don't think so."

"I don't like this."

Cadance sighed. "Look, I understand your reservations, and it's okay. You don't have to go with me. You guys can stay here while I talk to them."

"Like that's gonna happen," Mia grunted. "Well, I'm not letting you go alone."

"Of course we're not," James agreed. "I just don't like being totally unarmed."

"Well, we aren't TOTALLY unarmed." I tapped my horn. "And we do have an Alicorn princess here, after all."

"That didn't work out so well in the movie, though," Mia said thoughtfully. "They had these grenade thingies that froze up all the Alicorns."

"Well let's hope they don't use something like that on us, then."

"Hope in one hand, shit in the other, see which one fill up first," James said.

"You want me to shit in your hand?" Cadance giggled. "You naughty boy!'

"What? No, uh, never mind."

"Well, that took us all of ten minutes," I observed, plopping on my back onto the bed. "What now?"

"Now you stay just like that," Cadance said.

"Huh?"

Her phone camera flashed.

"Wha-"

"Eris spreadeagled on the bed," Cadance hummed, tapping at the phone. "Shining Armor will like this."

I rolled my eyes. "You have such a one-track mind."

"And you don't?" She came closer and put her forehoof on my crotch.

"I, uh..."

She teased her hoof in a circle.

I shuddered. "Okay! Enough! I give up! I want it!"

"That's what I thought! You're just as bad as me. Admit it!"

I wiggled under her hoof. "Oh! Ohh! Okay! I'm also a pervert! Happy now?"

"Yes." She tickled me between the legs.

"Eeek," I squirmed. "Don't start what you don't have time to finis-"

Another flash in my face.

"Groping Eris," Cadance said calmly, floating the phone around in her telekinesis and tapping it with one hoof while continuing to tease me with her other.

"Hey!" I complained, not doing anything to stop her. "You're not listening!"

"On the contrary, I heard everything you said. I'm just trying to see if a wet spot will show through these tight-ass pants you're wearing. For... science."

"You're wearing them too, go tickle yourself," I growled, still not trying to get away.

"Maybe I will."

"I'll hold the camera," Mia offered. Both she and James seemed riveted by the show Cadance and I were putting on.

"Here." Cadance handed her phone off.

"Is this really happening?" I asked. "Right now?"

"Well, do you have any better ideas on what to do with the time?" Cadance asked me.

"I... uh..." I couldn't think of anything. "...no?"

"Couldn't think of an excuse?" Cadance nuzzled my crotch.

I sucked in my breath, my thighs trembling. "No."

"Do you want me to make you feel good?"

"Yes. Please! I want it. I do. I'm feeling so-"

Someone pounded on the door. "Princess! The ship is within viewing range!"

James put a palm to his face. "Really? Now?"

"Just a moment!" Cadance called out. She pushed back and looked down at me regretfully. "Sorry, Eris. You were right."

I grabbed a pillow and shoved it over my face with my right hoof. " Arrrrrgh!" I screamed into it, clenching my left forehoof between my frustrated thighs while I rolled back and forth. "FUUUUCK!"

"They're coming off approach vector and matching speeds with us," Captain Starchaser announced.

We had been watching the ship come towards us for some time. Now that it was within easy viewing range, the angular, military lines of the smaller ship contrasted sharply with the graceful, delicate curves of our own. Cannon ports, thankfully closed at the moment, covered the wooden vessel as she pulled alongside us, steam billowing out from some kind of drive turbines mounted near the tail end. There was no questioning the purpose the newcomer had been built for, it moved with the efficient speed and grace of a practiced predator.

On the deck of the other dirigible, a bipedal figure grasped a bullhorn and pointed it in our direction.

"Attention Equestrian airship!" a commanding male voice thundered. "You have intruded upon protected airspace. State your business immediately!"

"How did they know we're from Equestria?" I asked.

"Probably the huge markings on the sides of our rudder," Captain Starchaser replied neutrally, leaning against our own railing and looking at Cadance, who reached a hoof towards him.

"Give me your megaphone please, Captain."

He passed it to her, and she lifted it to her mouth, clicking a button that activated the magic audio booster crystals inside. "We come in friendship, and wish only to offer our services to your leader." Even blasting out across the sky, her voice was warm and clear, without an ounce of malice. She switched the microphone off and waited.

There was a moment's pause, and I could see several figures talking to each other animatedly. Then one waved an arm, shutting the others down. The voice boomed out again.

"You will be escorted to port, and will be taken into custody upon landing. You will be allowed to explain yourselves. If you attempt to escape before a decision is made, you will be destroyed. Will you have any difficulty following these instructions?"

Cadance hesitated. "I don't know if I like how this is going, but we have little choice." She lifted the bullhorn again. "Very well. We will comply."

There was a pause, and more gesticulating from the other aircraft. Eventually, the megaphone was aimed at us again. "Equestrian ship, do you have any injured aboard?"

"They see we're damaged," Starchaser commented. "It's a good sign that they care enough to ask."

"Indeed," the Princess muttered, and addressed the warship again. "Negative, we have merely sustained mild structural damage. We are otherwise functional."

"Understood. Maintain your distance, then, and follow our lead," the other replied. "...or you will be destroyed," he said again, seemingly as an afterthought.

Captain Starchaser looked expectantly at Cadance, who gave him a nod.

"Please do as they request, Captain. Take care not to encourage hostilities."

"Aye, ma'am." He left the balcony and returned to the control room. Within minutes, the warship slowly nudged ahead of us, and after a moment we glided smoothly behind, keeping a respectful distance.

Cadance turned to the three of us with a stressed sigh, and I could feel her nervousness leaking through her strained, thin smile. "Well then, here we go," she said. "This should be interesting."

I looked out at the skies, clear except for small puffy clouds, and the green land below us. "A true adventure," I said softly, "always has some degree of danger."

Mia snorted. "Well, can't be as bad as being carried off by giant ant things, right?"

"Let's not even go there."

The trip was interesting, to say the least. Down below we saw small towns and roads. On the roads were vehicles, driving back and forth much like they did on the human world. I could see trucks, mostly, and some farm equipment, although I couldn't distinguish many details from our height.

"Well, that's a surprise," James said, looking down. "Equestria doesn't have this kind of infrastructure."

"We never really needed vehicles," I told him. "We are pretty good at travelling short distances on our hooves. Not really much call for that kind of machinery, so I guess it just never got invented. We do have trains for longer distances."

"And dirigibles."

"Yeah."

The traffic below got heavier as we progressed, until we finally could see the outlines of a great city at the base of a huge mountain up ahead.

"Think we're going there?" Mia asked.

"Most likely," Cadance answered.

We all stared with mounting interest as more details of the place became visible. Clouds of what I thought at first to be smoke curled up from chimneys here and there, including massive amounts from what looked like the factory district. Soon we were floating over city districts. Below, trolley bells clanged, and numerous bipeds walked through the streets, sharing them with heavy vehicle traffic. The buildings were mostly brick and somewhat close together, with narrow, dark alleyways in between.

"It looks like Britain from the early twentieth century or so," Mia declared, staring down with evident fascination.

"Looks smokey," I observed.

"Well, most of it is steam. See how quickly it dissipates? And it's white, not black."

I looked again. "Yeah, you're right."

"If it was smoke in such huge quantities, we'd be able to smell it from here."

"Well thank goodness for that."

"Our escort is halting," Starchaser said, pointing a hoof at our the other dirigible.

"Equestrian ship! Proceed to dock at the landing beacons!"

"What landing-oh, THOSE landing beacons," Starchaser said as a platform below was abruptly illuminated by powerful beams of green light. "Prepare for descent!"

There really wasn't much preparation. We all stood on the outside deck while our dirigible carefully reduced altitude.

"Well, looks like they brought the welcome wagon," James said sarcastically, pointing at a large, heavily armed military-looking contingent of baboon-like primates assembled near the landing platform.

"Captain Starchaser?" Cadance said, observing the detachment of primates. Some had come forward and were catching ropes thrown down by the Equestrian crew, tying them to nearby posts and securing our ship.

"Yes?"

"You and your crew are not to interfere unless myself or Agent Sky gives the order. Understood?"

"Aye, ma'am."

"I mean it. I have a feeling we may be arrested. Allow it to happen. We can take care of ourselves, and I don't want this to turn into a shooting match. We need to let them know we are friendly."

"Yes, ma'am. I will instruct my crew to stand down."

"You guys have your backpacks?" Cadance asked.

"Yes."

"Very well then. Let's prepare for-"

A gruff male voice hailed us from below. "Equestrian vessel! You have five minutes to send your emissary, or you will-"

"Be destroyed, yes, we understand!" Cadance called out over the railing at the formation below. "I will be down immediately. Please resist the temptation to destroy us in the meantime?"

"Good, then," the voice replied. "Proceed. But be aware, if you show any signs of hostility, you and your ship will be destroyed!"

Cadance closed her eyes and put a hoof to her forehead. "Ugh. Really?" she muttered.

"So," Mia said thoughtfully. "Did it occur to anyone that perhaps Celestia had bad intel, and maybe the Storm King is still running this place?"

In fact, nothing of the kind had crossed my mind. The increasingly unhappy look on Cadance's face told me everything I needed to know about that.

"Let's just hope that is not the case," she said eventually, her ears twitching slightly. I could see she was fighting to keep them from flattening against her head like mine had just done.

Let us hope, indeed.

Within two minutes we were walking down the ramp together, towards the group of primate soldiers. I suppose in another situation these guys might have been somewhat comical looking with their massive upper bodies and weird hind paws. Hardly so when they were staring down at you and carrying massive guns. Up close, they looked like the offspring of goats and apes having an orgy.

"What even are they?" I whispered to Mia.

"I don't know. The movie never really explained."

"That's far enough!" the leader shouted. It was easy to tell who was in charge thanks to his fancy hat and the numerous medals on his massive chest. "Silenians! Seize them!"

Uh oh. Well at least I know what they're called now.

Several of the the Silenian soldiers came towards us quickly. I was intensely unhappy to see they were carrying heavy black chains.

"Do not resist or you will be destroyed!" the leader shouted at us.

We looked at each other. "Well, this isn't the welcoming committee I had hoped for," Mia said while one of the soldiers clamped chains onto her forearms. "Ouch! Take your time, big guy. This isn't the first time I've been handcuffed, okay?"

I watched Cadance while I was being shackled. The guard harnessing me did so in relative silence, but hers was a noisy and crude affair.

"Put your hooves out in front of you!" the evidently inept soldier demanded at Cadance, shouting savagely into her face.

Cadance sighed, and extended her hooves, dropping onto her haunches. He quickly shackled them together. "Now stand up! Hurry up, you dirty cur! I haven't got all day!"

She did as she was told, and he cuffed her rear hooves as well, hobbling her so she couldn't run. A strap went around her waist, over her wings, then he put a collar around her neck.

"Is this strictly necessary?" Cadance asked mildly while the guard fumbled clumsily with her bonds. I was astounded at her patience. If she'd wanted to, she probably could have blown the chains off and killed all the guards in a matter of seconds. Or so I thought until the guard put my chains on. Uh oh. Glyphed chains. As long as we were wearing these, we were powerless to use our magic.

"Shut up, you stupid, ugly nag," the guard said viciously, drawing back his hand to slap her across the face. Cadance flinched only slightly but did not shy away, her big, gentle eyes locked onto his beady, angry ones.

"You bastard! Don't you fucking dare!" James roared, struggling with the guards holding his wrist chains. The Silenians were incredibly strong, however, and easily held him back.

"What are you gonna do about it, runt?" the guard sneered at James, his hand still cocked to slap Cadance. "Jingle me to death?"

"Enough!" his well-decorated superior came from behind and grabbed his wrist, yanking roughly back on it. "She's no threat to you. You would strike an unarmed, shackled female?"

"N-no," the guard mumbled, dropping his arm. "I just, ah, I saw a mosquito, and..." he trailed off, giving a grumpy scowl.

"This behavior is unacceptable. We will not do things in such an uncivilized fashion," the other Silenian growled, inches from his face. "Take the prisoners unharmed to the Commander, and let her make the decision as to their treatment. If-"

The guard turned away, grumbling angrily.

"Mungo?"

"Yeah?"

His boss grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around, tossed him against a large crate, then jammed a finger into his chest. "I'm a nice guy, so I'm going to pretend you didn't just turn your back on me while I was talking to you, but if you ever, EVER pull some shit like that again on a female without a damn good reason, I'll rip your tiny little balls off, roast them to a stinking crisp, and beat your teeth out with them, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, sir," the soldier gulped nervously, his face white as a sheet. He carefully slid out from under the angry finger and silently picking up Cadance's leash. I noticed he left some slack in it, and she followed him docilely when he walked slowly away. The humiliating sight of Equestria's royal delegate and my friend being led around like a pet mule disgusted and infuriated me.

The guard leader stared after them a moment longer, then turned away, calling out to the others. "Okay. Let's get them moving. The Commander needs to know about this. The rest of you, make sure nobody leaves the airship."

I stumbled forwards when my collar was yanked sharply by my strong captor, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Mia getting the same treatment, which angered me immensely more than having my own neck jerked about.

"Hey! Take it easy with the girl," I snarled. The Silenian tugging my leash paid me no mind, however, so I quieted and walked along behind him, the shackles clanking between my legs, my mind full of dark thoughts, many involving starvation, beatings, and torture. I'd read a bit about human concentration and POW camps during various wars, and what I'd learned had chilled me to my marrow. I only hoped Cadance didn't let this go so far that she couldn't break us out.

What had we gotten ourselves into this time?