---

The shower turned on, and the middle aged man stepped in, closing the glass door that kept the water from spilling onto the small single bathroom. The man was a rather lanky amber yellowish gray skinned man with light yellow eyes and crimson pupils. Almost all of his hair was a raven black, but there were signs of aging as the black hair showed spots of white and silver on both sides of his head around the ears. He sported a thin white goatee on his chin that was immediately wet from the shower water running all along his body.

Canterlot High School’s student counselor, one Discord Seed, sighed contentedly as the warm water washed over his body. Despite the school year having been over and the students being out for summer vacation, it had been a rather long day for him. He was normally not so busy, only having a handful of students to see during the year. He’d seen only two students that day. Moondancer, who was a transfer from Crystal Prep and who was seeing Discord for mostly academic help in terms of what possible colleges to go to after graduation, and Fluttershy, who came to see him even during the summer to help with her social anxiety.

Today, however, Discord had listened to Fluttershy relay a story that one of her friends had told her only a few days ago. According to her, the place where Sunset Shimmer had called home, an alternate universe known as Equus, had received a human visitor who managed to retain his normal human form. He’d tried to befriend the ponies there, but had spend three years being abused and neglected to the point where he’d lost sight in one eye and had scars from a lightning strike across his chest. Despite outwardly listening with personal detachment, Discord had been horrified by the abysmal treatment this human had received from ponies.

Discord had met a number of times with their resident pony turned human, Sunset Shimmer, after her defeat at the Fall Formal some five or so years ago. He’d been one of the humans Sunset had temporarily hypnotized during that night, but during their own sessions, he grew to learn that Sunset was just like any other human her age. It had been a cry for attention. She was deeply hurting inside, and until then had no idea how else to deal with her feelings of abandonment mixed with a sense of superiority. But thanks to her new friends and the sessions with Discord, Sunset was growing up and had begun to accept herself for who she was, flaws and all.

During their sessions, Discord had admitted curiosity about her original home, and while initially Sunset had been reluctant to talk about her old world, once she’d grown more accustomed to Discord, she’d begun to open up about her world. She told him about how instead of this world, where humans were the only dominant species, ponies were just one of many races who were capable of thought and wisdom. Some creatures that didn’t talk even on this world, like sheep and cows, could talk in Equestria. She described that world’s version of Canterlot, which unlike in this world, was more like a medieval city nestled in a mountainside. Sunset had even drawn a few images from memory of the Equestrian Canterlot to show to Discord. It had fascinated him to see such an unusual looking castle looking like it was just hanging precariously off of a cliff.

She also described the pony core beliefs, namely the philosophy of the Tenets of Harmony. It all boiled down to six general concepts: Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, and the Magic of Friendship. Ponies of each of the three races, earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns, all swore by these tenets.

When Discord pointed out that these sounded like a religion, Sunset admitted that it did, especially since according to mythology, a being the ponies knew as The Maker, or Eurynome, had created the world thousands of years ago. Unlike religion in the human world, there were no churches or cathedrals. Ponies didn’t do worship like humans did, going to church every Sunday and such. Instead, Sunset said that they mostly just followed the teachings of Harmony in their everyday lives.

A few months ago, however, Sunset had stopped talking about Equus altogether, and had been quite sharp with Discord when the subject somehow came up. She’d apologized for her harsh words, but during their once every two week sessions since, the conversation had steered clear of her old world. Instead, she’d been focusing on more trivial matters, like her gaming channel Shimmer Code or even some academic advice.

Discord had been a school counselor for many years, so he knew when not to push, but he had grown worried about Sunset’s shift in behavior. However, after hearing Fluttershy’s retelling of Sunset’s story and hearing the former’s worry about the latter, Discord had a good idea just what might have happened.

Her core beliefs had been shaken by the abhorrent actions of the pony versions of her friends. She was having a hard time dealing with the emotions, or so he surmised. Fluttershy had told Discord that Sunset had given permission for Fluttershy to tell him. He suspected that during his next session with Sunset, he might need some extra tissues.

Discord put his hand to his chest, running his hand across his own lightning scar, which stretched from his left shoulder down to his right hip, crossing his chest with a slight curve. It was a reminder of his own brush with lightning when he was a boy. Ponies might be able to shake off a lightning strike with ease, but humans had no wings or magic. He remembered the excruciating pain he’d felt along with the sickening smell of burnt flesh. He remembered the time in the hospital and his mother being both scared for him and lecturing him about his reckless actions and pranks having caused the accident. She’d apologized later in life about her lecturing him at that time, but it had been a turning point in Discord’s life. He’d taken her words to heart and had pulled back on his relentless pranking. The doctors had said that it had been a miracle he survived at all.

He realized that he’d just been standing underneath the shower for who knew how long. It was a bad habit of his. Quickly grabbing his shampoo bottle, he lathered up his hair…

---

When he was finished with his shower, he stepped out and dried off, got dressed in a pair of moderate amaranth shorts and a plain brown t-shirt, and walked over to the living room. He turned his rotating fan on him to help keep him cool, sat down in his recliner and turned on Canterlot News Channel 8.

“-have now confirmed that the unusual fossils located in the Crystal Mountains little less than three weeks ago are in fact genuine,” the newswoman, one Nosy News, was saying as his small flatscreen turned on. “Scientists are unsure whether or not this is a new species of dinosaur or not, but the internet is calling this newly discovered species a dragon.”

Discord raised an eyebrow. Canterlot was a quiet city, so it wasn’t unusual for news stories to remain current for days at a time. He’d heard about this archaeological discovery, of course. An archaeologist named Fossil Rock had made a discovery in the Macintosh Hills near the southern end of the continent about three weeks ago, but the discovery had only been made public a week prior. He and his team, which included famous novelist and amateur archaeologist A. K. Yearling, had discovered a strange fossilized reptilian in a large cave system. The reptilian had large wings. Like many, Discord had initially believed that this was a prank, but as he’d kept an eye on the story, the evidence had apparently been mounting that it was a genuine find.

He continued watching the story as the news displayed images of the fossils as they had been excavated. The head itself was larger than a human, which struck Discord as impossible, but then again, he wasn’t a scientist himself so what did he know? He smirked at the thought that perhaps young Twilight Sparkle, another one of his patients, would be more knowledgeable about this discovery than he would be.

Just then, Discord’s phone began to ring from the endtable beside him. Grabbing the remote, he muted the news before he picked up his phone. Caller ID showed that it was the school’s VP, the younger sister of his old ex-girlfriend, Principal Celestia Solaris. He answered the call and brought the phone to his ear. “Hey, Vippy. What’s up, as the kids would say?”

He heard a sigh from the other end. Discord might be a more serious person now, but he would occasionally mess with Luna Nightingale. “Discord, must I remind you not to call me such an asinine name? Just call me Luna.”

Discord smirked a bit, revealing his perfectly straightened teeth, the one abnormally large canine teeth that he’d referred to as his fang having been pulled out and replaced with an artificial one. “You know I can’t resist sometimes.”

“Why my dear sister ever dated you is beyond my comprehension,” Luna said, sounding exasperated.

Discord shrugged. “Yeah, you and me both,” he said in an amused tone. He no longer loved Celestia like he had when the two of them had gone out, but he still considered her one of the very few friends he had. Luna was another. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Ah, yes,” Luna said, clearing her throat on the other line before she continued, “You are ready for tomorrow, I trust? You are all packed for this cruise?”

Discord nodded. “I spent a lot of time today buying things for the trip. I have a couple more things to pack, but I’m practically ready. But you didn’t just call for that, did you?”

There was a pause on the other end, and then Luna spoke again, sounding a bit quieter than before. “Have you noticed Sunset Shimmer acting a bit more unusual as of late? Perhaps more morose?”

Discord raised one of his bushy white eyebrows. “Where’s this coming from?” he asked.

Luna sighed. “Discord, you know how much I’ve worried about that girl ever since the Fall Formal. She reminds me of myself. I have had my run ins with the law, even the time when my sister turned me in and I spent time in jail. I do not want her traveling down a similar path.”

“Aaah, so that’s it,” Discord said in understanding. “You want to make sure she’s a better person than you.”

“We-I am worried about her,” Luna said.

“Lulu, you worry about school admin shit, and let me worry about her mental wellbeing,” Discord said. “That’s what you pay me the not-so-big bucks for, anyway.”

“I know you take pride in your job, and my sister and I have seen the results firsthoo-firsthand, but I just wanted to be sure,” Luna said.

Discord smiled. “Yeah, I get that, but trust me, I have reason to believe things will change for the better soon. This cruise might be a good thing for her and her friends. There have been so many magical mishaps ever since that pony princess came through the portal that they’re bound to need a break away from school and Canterlot altogether.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then Luna finally said, “I guess I was foolish to assume that you didn’t have things under control. Do you think that mayhaps you might talk to her on this cruise as the counselor?”

“That’s up to her, Lulu,” Discord said. “If she wants to talk to me about whatever might be bothering her, she can.”

“Truly, Discord, you are a Godsend,” Luna said. “Apologies for calling about this, but I couldn’t help but be worried.”

“Hey, no worries. I’ll see you and old Sunbutt tomorrow.”

As he hung up the phone, he was satisfied to hear Luna sputtering in embarrassment. After all, who would know about Celestia’s sun shaped tattoo on both sides of her behind but those who’d seen her naked?

---

---

Sunset watched in amusement as Twilight went through her bags for what was probably the hundredth time. Her fellow high schooler was rummaging through her bag, Spike retrieving everything she pulled out and bringing it back to her.

It was ten minutes to nine in the morning, the time when boarding aboard the Luxe Deluxe would begin boarding. Sunset, Twilight, and the other students of Canterlot High were all standing on a large dock in the morning sunlight. The sky was cloudless and the wind blowing in from the ocean had that telltale salty smell that she remembered from her trip to the beach with her friends every past summer since her reformation. Nearby, she saw her other friends waiting for one of the crew to come and begin checking their tickets. Rarity was, unsurprisingly, putting on some sort of cream on her exposed skin. Fluttershy was sitting on her suitcase, fiddling with her hair. Rainbow Dash was using her superspeed to run up and down the dock, looking at the massive multicolored cruise ship. Pinkie Pie was eating one of her signature breakfasts, the same one that Sunset had seen her eat on their glamping trip to the Starswirl Music Festival. Applejack was just staring at the boat with a look of trepidation and a hand on her stomach.

Concerned, Sunset walked over to the Stetson wearing teen. “AJ, are you alright?”

Jumping in alarm, Applejack looked over at Sunset. “Shoot, sugarcube, yah startled me,” she said, taking in a deep breath and releasing it. “Ah’m just fine. Just a mite nervous, is all.”

“Lemme guess, you get seasick,” Sunset said, giving her a wry look as she crossed her arms.

Color came to the cowgirl’s cheeks. She looked around, then moved in and whispered, “It’s a bit embarrasin’. Ah mean, ah can ride me a horse at tip-top speed, ah can ride a bull better than most other folks mah age, hell, ah could even handle that roller coaster at Equestria Land. But ah’ve never been good on boat rides. Ah even get sick inner tubin’.”

Sunset smiled knowingly. “I understand. Hang on, I bet Twilight has something. Twilight!”

Twilight, who was just beginning to pack up her bags again, turned. “Yes?”

“Do you have anything in there for motion sickness?” Sunset asked.

Her eyes brightened and she nodded, once more rummaging through her bag. Spike rolled his eyes as he once again began to bring the items that Twilight was throwing out back to her. A few moments later, Twilight brought out a small medicine bottle. “Here we go! This should help!” She handed it to Sunset.

Sunset looked at the instructions briefly before handing the bottle to Applejack. “Take one pill every twelve hours,” she said.

“Yer a lifesaver, Twilight,” Applejack said as she popped the lid, grabbed a water bottle from her backpack and swallowed the pill. “Ah feel better already!” she said as she handed the bottle back to Twilight.

“Just let me know when you want the next one,” Twilight said, shaking the bottle. “There’s plenty to spare.”

“Guys! Guys!” Rainbow Dash shouted, rushing up to the group with an excited look in her eyes, “They have a swimming pool! And a stage! We can play our new song there!”

“I’m On A Yacht? But darling, it isn’t quite ready yet,” Rarity said, looking over at Sunset. “Is it?”

“No, not yet,” Sunset said. Ever since she’d learned that they would be going on a cruise ship, Sunset had been quietly writing a song she could record in her apartment, but when Rainbow Dash had learned about it, she managed to convince Sunset to make it a song that the entire band could sing. She had kept the original lyrics and notes, and was tweaking them so that they could all sing something. She was about eighty to eighty five percent done, but it was taking a bit longer to finish than she’d anticipated.

“Oh, do you need help with it?” Fluttershy offered.

“If I do, you’ll be the first person I call,” Sunset said.

“Well, well, well, good morning, everyone,” a familiar male voice called from behind them all. They turned to see the school’s counselor Discord walking up along with Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna. All three were wearing more casual clothes than anyone there was used to seeing. “Nice day for a cruise, isn’t it?”

“Hello, Mr. Seed,” Sunset said politely. Unlike the now deceased draconequus, this human Discord was a lot nicer than the Equestrian version. Sunset knew he took his job very seriously, and he hadn’t pushed for Sunset to tell him anything she wasn’t comfortable discussing. He would listen patiently, ask questions to keep the conversation going and sometimes even share bits about his own personal life. He might have a strange physical appearance, but once anyone got past that, they realized that he was genuinely interested in helping out students.

“Good morning, Miss Shimmer,” Discord said with a polite nod and smile. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an old style gold pocketwatch and opened it. “Ah, we’re right on time.”

Principal Celestia nodded, then turned to the gathered students. “Okay, everyone! It’s almost time to board! Please get out your boarding passes and IDs,” she said.

As Sunset began doing the same, pulling out the ID that she’d managed to con her way into getting when she’d arrived in this world all those years ago, she felt a presence coming up to her. Looking up, she saw that it was Vice Principal Luna. To Sunset’s surprise, the vice principal was looking at Sunset with a worried expression. Confused, Sunset turned to face her. “Is something wrong, Vice Principal?”

Luna was giving Sunset a look of worry and pity. “I was hoping to see if you were alright. I have noticed that lately, you have been, shall we say, distracted.”

Sunset frowned, immediately annoyed. A part of Sunset never really liked it when anyone pitied her. It made her feel like some helpless filly when she wasn’t. She’d managed to make a living for herself here. Granted, she’d managed to melt down and sell the bits that had been on her when she came through the portal for a tidy sum. A sum she’d placed in the bank and had been using for years to pay the rent on her cheap apartment. She’d managed to get identification simply by using her charm. She knew that, when compared to most human women, she was an extremely attractive one. She’d been a great actress back in Equestria and used that to her advantage to get her identification in order. She’d even gotten a part time job recently at the mall’s gaming store to supplement her dwindling funds, although she had some help from beyond the portal. Spike had tossed through some bits for her to replenish her own funds, and that had helped a great deal despite her wanting to toss them back.

Sunset shrugged. “I’m alright,” she said.

Luna’s brow furled and she put a tender hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “If you wish to talk with me about anything that may be troubling you, please do so. My cabin is always open.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. The Vice Principal’s normal speaking cadence was different. It was as if she’d stepped out of some historical novel all of the sudden. And there was something else. Luna’s eyes, those moderate cyan eyes, seemed to radiate something that Sunset had only seen once before. They reminded her of Princess Celestia’s eyes. “I…thank you,” was all that Sunset could say.

Luna smiled. “I don’t know if you will believe this, but I understand how you must have felt after the Fall Formal,” she said. “All that guilt and shame weighing you down? Wanting to make things right only to feel like it will never be enough? It feels like you are unworthy of the love and support given to you by your loved ones, doesn’t it?”

Sunset’s eyebrows both shot up. That was exactly how things had felt for her during those first few months after Princess Twilight and the others had fired the Elements at her. It hadn’t helped that the Elements method of punishing her had been to show her every instance of the suffering she’d caused other students. She’d felt the sheer terror of her and the hatred that many students had of her during her reign of terror. She’d even experienced the pain of her old mentor at having lost Sunset and her guilt over having chased the young unicorn away. Her cleansing might have lasted a few seconds, but to her it felt like a lifetime. “Y-Yes…but how did-?”

Luna held up her other hand. “I have had moments in my life that I am most definitely not proud of,” she said in an understanding tone. “I have had my moments of feeling unworthy of forgiveness, and I still do sometimes. I also have my moments of anger.” Luna looked deeply into Sunset’s eyes. “I have noticed that you have been holding in some anger unlike any I have seen from you, even before Princess Twilight and the others cleansed you. I know because it was the same anger I felt before my arrest.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped. “Arrest? You were arrested?!” she gasped in shock. She thought she’d known everything there was to know about Luna in this world, but apparently not.

“Hush now,” Luna said, putting a finger to her lips. “It was long ago,” she continued, “and to make matters worse, my own sister was the one who turned me in. At the time, I hated her and wanted to see her destroyed. I was not in a good place.”

“But you two are friendly now, aren’t you?” Sunset asked in a quieter tone.

Luna nodded. “We are in a much better place than we were back then,” she replied. “Still, I must ask that you refrain from speaking of this to my sister. It is not something we wish to discuss openly.”

“O-Of course,” Sunset replied, immediately feeling like this was an order much higher above those of a Vice Principal.

Luna smiled and squeezed Sunset’s shoulder before letting go. “My offer still stands, young Miss Shimmer,” she said. “My cabin is open, and if you are uncomfortable speaking to me, perchance you might speak to our school’s counselor about it. Holding onto such anger is not healthy, as he would say.”

Sunset smirked a bit. Discord’s catchphrase, which he used seldom but had become associated with them, was that certain things weren’t healthy. “I’ll keep that in mind, Vice Principal Luna,” she promised.

---

---

Principal Celestia opened the door to cabin number 1000, one of the ocean view rooms available on board the Luxe Deluxe. She looked around the room in awe as she set her suitcase down near the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Her room was almost twice as big as her bedroom was. Directly to her right, there was a deep evergreen couch facing the left wall. Opposite that was a desk with a lit up circular mirror hanging just above it. To the right of the couch was a door that led to a small bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower. Opposite that door was a large cabinet which had plenty of storage space for all of her belongings. To the right of that door was a full queen sized bed that was facing the right wall where a large flat screen television hung. It was nestled against the wall where a large rectangular window looked out at the bay. Celestia could see the horizon moving slightly thanks to the ship bobbing in the water.

Not wanting to waste too much time, she began to pull out clothes, toiletries, and other necessities that she figured she would use during the trip. It didn’t take her too long, however, and soon she was unpacked and lying on the bed. The bed itself was surprisingly comfortable and had a floral scent, possibly to match the pink floral patterns on the bed’s comforter. Above the desk, she saw that the room’s air conditioning and heating unit was off. Finding a small remote on the endtable next to her bed, she fiddled with the controls and turned it on at half capacity. Cool air came rushing in and she relaxed.

She’d needed this vacation, and when young Twilight Sparkle had volunteered to organize it and raise funds for it back during the spring three months ago, Celestia had given her permission to use the student parking lot for anything she might need. They’d done car washes, a Saturday sale where students sold things they didn’t need anymore, and so much more. Celestia was surprised at how quickly Twilight had raised. However, during the week where the Luxe Deluxe was meant to set sail, a massive storm of nearly Biblical proportions struck the town, shutting even the school down as it was too dangerous for anyone to leave their homes. Celestia had tried setting up classes online for at least a little while, but when power began going out across the city, she shelved that idea.

What had surprised her during that week, however, was that her ex-boyfriend Discord had gotten sick on the last day of the storm. In all the years she’d known him, Celestia had never known him to even get the cough or even the sniffles. Still, when she’d called him on that last day and heard her voice, she’d been stunned. She knew he’d never lie about being sick since he’d never once called in, but he had sounded terrible over the phone.

Fortunately, when school had opened the following week, he’d shown up at his usual time in his usual clothes, brown dress slacks and blazer, a yellow dress shirt and a blue tie, looking as healthy as a horse. When she’d asked about it, he said that he had been sick and that he had no idea where he’d gotten it or who might have given it to him. It had come upon him suddenly and without warning. He confided in her at one point that, in his delirium, he thought he would die. But when he’d woken the next morning, he was completely better.

Celestia sat up and stretched. She didn’t love Discord anymore, not romantically anyway. Still, she thought of him as one of the few adult friends she had, like her sister and Cranky Doodle. He could make her laugh.

As she leaned against the wall and looked out the window at the ocean, she let her mind wander. It had been a long time since she’d gone to the beach or even on a ship. She tried to think back to the last time she’d been on a ship. As her mind wandered, she slipped into a daydream…

---

“I don’t know ‘bout you,” Celestia said as she looked up at a massive older style ship with large sails, her hands on her hips as she grinned, “but I dare say the Constitution is ready for sailin’!”

She turned to her companion, an elderly white bearded man, with a proud grin. The man beside her was wearing a dark blue pointed hat with yellow stars and crescent moons sewn onto it along with bells sewn onto the wide brim. He had on a pair of gray boots, dark blue pants, a lighter blue robe which also had bells sewn to it, and a sky blue cloak with a hood. In his hand he held a large brown staff which was curved at the top, looking for all the world like a shepherd’s crook. He, too, was watching as other people walked around on deck of the ship, making final preparations for it to set sail. “Yes indeed,” he said, “I dare say it is. But was it truly necessary to mount those…cannons?”

Celestia looked back up at the ship, pulling her Stetson down to help alleviate the glare of the high noon sun. She saw the portholes where the dark black forms of the cannons now sat. There were three rows of cannons on each side of the ship, forged by their best smith out of the only iron deposits they could find. “You said there are monsters in this ocean,” she said, “and especially in the ocean. I ain’t ‘bout to let my people go out there without some firepower.”

Star Swirl inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I did say that, but you wouldn’t need them if you follow my directions to the other side.”

“I get that you’re worried,” Celestia said, “but we ain’t gonna use ‘em unless something attacks us first.”

The man stroked his beard thoughtfully as he stared at the newly christened Constitution. “I see,” he finally said. Turning to Celestia, he reached up and put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m coming with you.”

Celestia looked at him with concern. “But aren’t ya goin’ home? Dontcha need to go soon?”

The man smiled up at Celestia. “If you follow my directions, you should be able to cross the ocean in a week. My way home will be lost to me in a week and a half. If you take that statue on board with you, I’ll be able to head home after I see you all safely across the ocean.”

Celestia was touched by this act of kindness. “You’d be willin’ to do that? Even after we treated you like some common criminal?”

The man chuckled. “Your actions were understandable, trust me. You’ve been stuck in this wasteland for a long time. I’m just glad you were here to help me. You’ve taught me a lot here, and I just hope that back home they can learn from my initial mistakes here.”

“Well, shucks, it was my pleasure,” Celestia said, nodding at him and giving him a tip of her hat. “Happy to help!”

He smiled and tipped his back…

---

Celestia opened her eyes with a start as a soft tone coming from the ship’s intercom woke her from her sleep. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” a deep male voice said over the speakers, “this is your captain, Iron Will, speaking, and welcome aboard the Luxe Deluxe. In about five minutes, we’ll be departing Horseshoe Bay for our weeklong cruise along the Wizard Islands. If you wish to make your way topside, now’s the time to do so.”

Sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Celestia sat up, stretched, then grabbed her sunhat. As she slipped on her sandals and headed out towards the main deck, she tried to remember more details about the dream she’d just had. However, all she could remember was a male voice, old, gruff, but wise. And even that memory seemed to be slipping away unusually fast.

She eventually found her way onto the deck where she spotted many of her students at the deck railing, looking over the vast ocean expanse. Near the bow, she saw her sister and Discord, leaning against the railing and talking. Smiling, she walked over to them. As she approached, she overheard Luna saying, “…my fault you could not simply keep quiet and tell on me?”

Discord simply smirked and replied, “Mom would have whooped my ass if I hadn’t told your parents.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “She wouldn’t have been that cruel.”

“No, but she’d have taken away some privileges from me for a month-Oh hi, Tia!” Discord said when he saw Celestia approaching.

“And just what were you two discussing when I came up here, hmm?” Celestia asked, crossing her arms and giving them both a playful glare.

“Lulu here was just reliving some old memories with me,” Discord replied, pointing a thumb at Luna.

“And what memory was that?” Celestia asked in amusement.

“Just the time where Luna tried to frame me for a prank on some of the neighborhood kids,” Discord grinned.

“I was a fo-child then!” Luna replied, sounding indignant.

Celestia raised an eyebrow at Luna’s unusual slip of the tongue, but ignored it as she grinned wider at Luna. “You always did love your pranks. Are you still bitter that Discord turned you in to mom and dad?”

Luna looked between Celestia and Discord, sputtering incoherently, causing the other two adults to laugh at her. Finally regaining control of her voice, she crossed her arms. “I had to wash every car I egged by hand! Not even with a hose! It was humiliating…”

Celestia walked over and put an arm around her. “Did you forget that I helped you for a little while before Mom told me not to?”

“Don’t forget moi,” Discord said.

Luna scowled a bit, but the smile that came back to her lips warmed Celestia’s heart. “Yeah, yeah…I know I was well deserving of such punishment, but the foolish part of me still feels bitter from time to time.”

Discord stood up straighter, then walked over to Luna. “Tell you what, then,” he said, “I hear they have triple cheesy nachos here along with a decadent chocolate cheesecake. After the ship starts, how about we go get some?”

Luna’s scowl instantly vanished at the thought of cheese. Celestia’s comfort food had always been cake, but Luna’s was anything cheese related, including cheesecake. Celestia smiled as Luna silently nodded. Discord then turned to Celestia. “What about you? I hear they have a triple choco-berry blasted butter biscuit Bundt cake~!” he sing-songed.

Celestia’s mouth began to water. That did sound delicious, but she’d had a big breakfast only an hour ago. “Mmm…maybe some other time, Discord.”

Just then, there was a loud horn blast from behind them, startling everyone. Celestia felt a slight rumbling from beneath her as the ship’s engines came to life beneath their feet. She instinctively grabbed a hold of the railings as she looked out at the ocean in front of them. “Aah…just smell that salty breeze,” she said after inhaling the sea air, “It’s been too long since I’ve been out to sea.”

Luna looked at Celestia with a raised eyebrow and some slight tension in her voice. “Tia, we’ve never been on a boat before today,” she said.

Celestia nodded. “Yeah, I know, but it reminds me of the times we’d come to the beach with Mom and Dad,” she said. “Good memories. Good memories...”

Luna relaxed at that and smiled. “I do remember those days too, dearest sister,” she said. She stood up straighter. “Well then, enough reminiscing about the past! Mr. Seed, you told me that there were cheese dishes to be had here. Lead me to them, post haste!”

“‘Post haste’? What is this, a Shakespeare play?” Discord asked with a smirk as he was dragged away by an eager looking Luna.

“Have fuuuun!” Celestia called back out as she turned towards the ocean once more. The land behind them was falling away fast, and the ocean in front of them was wide open and waiting to be seen and experienced. She closed her eyes and once more inhaled the salty ocean air. “I’m Princess of the world,” she muttered to herself, giggling like a child as she turned away and headed back to her cabin. She’d spotted some lounge chairs earlier, and now was as good a time as any to catch up on her backlog of novels…

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“Curses! Where didst I place that wretched device?!” Luna grumbled to herself later as she dug through her belongings. Her room, a mirror of Celestia’s own, was a mess, full of discarded clothes, toiletries and certain electronics, along with a tightly closed ink bottle, quill and an ancient looking leather bound journal. “I know I packed it! Aha!”

Luna sighed in relief as she pulled out a small golden chain. Hanging from it was a small crystal sphere. Inside the sphere were a number of simple golden circlets, all embedded in the crystal in equidistant locations around the sphere itself. Each circlet was glowing, all save for one. Luna looked at the non-glowing circlet. There was a large crack in the crystal that split the dead gold circlet in half. She sighed. “Well, ‘tis well that I brought this-” and then she stopped. The circlet next to the dead one was still glowing, but there was something wrong with it. Unlike the others that were emitting a steady glow, this one was oscillating. Luna peered closer at each part of the circlet. When she saw the small crack that had bisected the one circlet had spread. It was touching the oscillating circlet. “Oh no…” Luna said, a tremble in her voice as she turned to face the door. “Dear sister…you are about to remember…” She looked back at the crystal. “Not yet, not now,” she almost begged, “let her at least have the restful vacation she deserves…please…”

Next Chapter: 31: Aftermath Pt. 2 Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 47 Minutes