Josh stirred, reaching towards the empty space beside him. Not finding anyone, he opened his eyes. Celestia was looking at him from the chair in front of the computer.

“Good morning,” she said.

He sat up, quickly masking a look of disappointment on his face. “Did you stay awake all night?”

“Yes, I did.” Celestia could function without much sleep, something she’d learned while taking care of both the sun and moon while Luna was banished. “I put all that time into learning useful things.”

She got up, bringing her heels together and standing up straight. Her right arm came up, cocking the elbow, bicep parallel to the floor, wrist straight, fingers together and touching her eyebrow.

Josh whistled. “That’s probably a better salute than I could do.”

“I thought I should practice,” said Celestia. “Alice is a Lieutenant, so I’ll have to salute all officers O4 and above, and return the salutes of enlisted personnel and lower officers.”

Josh blinked. “Yeah, I guess you did learn some useful things.”

“How well is the carrier dental ward stocked?” she asked. “I expect the basics, like sickle and periodontal probes, but what about more advanced tools like air or electric drills? What sort of anesthesia do you use? Lidocaine? Does it contain epinephrine?

“When we get aboard, I’ll let you read the MANMED. That stands for—”

“Manual of the Medical Department.” Celestia smiled. “Thanks, that would help a lot.”

“Too much technical talk before breakfast." Josh sighed and got out of bed, heading for the restroom.

While he was occupied, Celestia checked her cutie mark. It was only slightly more colorful now, despite having her finger in the light socket nearly all night. At one point, she had tried to pull energy through it at a greater rate, but all the electricity in the room had cut off. A few minutes later when it returned, Celestia searched for a possible cause of the blackout on the internet, deciding that a blown fuse or circuit breaker was the likely cause. The restrictions of the hotel’s electrical grid limited how much power she could draw. At this rate, it would take quite a long time to get home.

“So what do you want to do today?” asked Joshua, coming back.

“What did you and Alice have planned?”

“Nothing today. We were just going to see what happened.” He thought for a moment. “She said something about horseback riding near Kahana Valley State Park.”

“Sounds interesting,” commented Celestia.

“Are you sure? I thought it would be weird considering you used to be a pony.”

She shrugged. “I’m always willing to keep an open mind.”

Josh grinned mischievously. “I hope that doesn’t mean what I think it does.”

Celestia flicked her hand and a travel magazine flew from the desk, slapping him on the backside of his head. “With a sense of humor like that, I’m surprised you’re not forever alone.”

“Okay, I deserved that.” He thought for a moment. “Did you just reference a meme?”

She smiled. “Problem?”

Josh sighed. “I’ve created a monster. Okay, let’s get going before my head explodes.”

After breakfast, they got in a taxi to travel across the island. The horse stables were organized by a private company that provided tours of the area. A small group of people including Josh and Celestia were lead by a guide to a corral to meet their horses.

“Okay everyone,” said the guide, Jimmy, “Let the horse sniff your palm to get familiar. It’s okay to pat or scratch them on their necks and shoulders, but don’t touch their faces or ears. They’re already saddled, so put your left foot in the left stirrup and climb up.”

The mare Celestia had been assigned was named Buttercup. She looked bored, probably with walking the same trails day in and day out. As Celestia held out her hand, the horse’s ears tipped forward with interest. Celestia suspected that the animal could tell there was something different about her.

“Pose for a picture,” said Josh, holding up his phone.

Celestia stepped closer to Buttercup, smiling as her fingers gently rubbed the mare’s neck. Josh snapped the picture. He grimaced as he looked at the result. “So cute. It’s like a kawaii critical mass situation. More fuel for the coming cutepocalypse.”

Celestia laughed. She watched Jimmy get into his own saddle and followed his lead. Buttercup shifted a little and Celestia leaned forward to stroke her neck. One by one, the riders formed a line and followed the guide down the trail.

Buttercup seemed pleased, although Celestia doubted that the horse knew she was carrying royalty. The mare would occasionally look back at her rider, ears flicking contentedly.

Celestia found it simple to coordinate her movements with the horse’s gait. She was definitely having an easier time of it than some other members of the group who were inexperienced with riding.

The trail led into the mountains. The jungle-like vegetation was green and inviting. Buttercup had seen it all before, and gave Celestia subtle clues with her body language where to look to see the most interesting things.

Most of the points of interest were organic, although a few ruins dotted the forest. Some were compact and strongly built, like bunkers. Jimmy pointed them out as old war fortifications. Some of the ruins were old houses and settlements. Celestia wondered about the people who once lived there.

Despite her desire to get back to Equestria, Celestia found herself empathizing with humans. There was much to learn about them, and she recognized the similarities with pony culture.

One thing people didn’t have, however, was herd mentality. Celestia looked around, taking in the other horses in addition to her own mount. Each member of the herd communicated subtly with every other through small signs, reassuring each other, sharing discoveries, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Of course the humans seemed oblivious to all this, but to Celestia, it felt like home. She felt comfortable, more so than any time since coming to Earth.

After a tour of the foothills, the trail led down to the beach. The white sand was washed by mild waves. It looked like a great place for frolicking, but at the moment there was no one around. Celestia let Buttercup do what she wished as the Princess took in the sights.

Jimmy said, “If you’d like to let your horse run a little, it’s okay. They’ll keep you out of trouble.”

Celestia closed her eyes as Buttercup began to canter and then broke into a full gallop on the beach sand. She let go of the reins and raised her hands to her sides, feeling the wind blow through her extended fingers. The smell of the sea, the beach and the horses was simply intoxicating. Buttercup made a circle, cantering back to small group, the other humans staring in disbelief.

"Man! Your girlfriend can ride!" said the tour guide.

Josh was distracted by his phone. He looked at it, his expression darkening in an instant. “Jimmy! Alice and I need to leave right now!”

“What’s the problem?” asked the guide.

“You’ll hear about it on the news,” Josh told him.

Jimmy shrugged. “The barn is just over the hill. Someone should be around to take the horses.”

Josh turned his horse and Celestia followed him. She asked, “What’s going on?”

“North Korea got serious. We need to get back to the ship as soon as possible.”

At the barn, they returned their horses. Buttercup seemed sad to see Celestia go, and she felt the same way. It had felt good to be part of even an unfamiliar herd.

Josh made a phone call, and within a few minutes another taxi appeared to take them back to the hotel. In the room, they quickly packed up, Josh instructing Celestia what to have on hand for going aboard.

The two of them put on uniforms. The random, blotchy patterns of grey and black on the fabric broke up the predominantly blue color. It was not a pretty piece of clothing but Celestia didn’t comment. Her blouse had Alice’s last name on it. The right side of the collar was decorated with two silver bars, signifying Lieutenant. The left side had the gold oak leaf and silver acorns of the Navy Dental Corps.

The insignia on Josh’s uniform were the same, so he could easily say, “She’s with me,” if a situation ever arose that Celestia didn’t know how to handle. He showed her how to tie her boots and the correct way to square away troublesome trouser cuffs.

The two of them collected their luggage and checked out, summoning another taxi to take them to Pearl Harbor. Celestia watched out the window as the grey bulk of the carrier drew closer.

The carrier’s flight deck was so wide that it overhung the pier the ship was tied to. Celestia gazed up at it while she stood in line with Josh. So many people had been recalled so quickly that the queue going aboard stretched off the pier and was backed up on shore. Josh saw the apprehension on her face and joked: "Welcome to Disneywar, the ride!"

His comment did little to ease her nervousness. Celestia had learned from the internet that there were approximately five thousand people assigned to a carrier. Looking around, she had no idea how many waited to walk up the gangplank, but it was easily several hundred.

She gulped, realizing that for the foreseeable future, this was her new herd.

Twilight Sparkle sat up suddenly. “Are you saying that you had to go to war, Princess?”

“That’s what it eventually progressed to, yes.” Celestia sighed. The purple unicorn was the only one that had insisted on staying with her since she’d arrived. Twilight’s friends were still around, some of them running errands for the Princess.

“With all the technology you told me about, war on Earth must be incredibly destructive,” noted Twilight.

“You’re right, and I haven’t even talked about human weapons yet.” Celestia dropped her hand to Twilight’s withers, caressing gently. The young mare leaned closer. The two of them enjoyed the mutual comfort for a moment.

“Rarity and Fluttershy should be getting back soon,” said Twilight. “I think Rarity has a surprise for you.”

“Well, she took my measurements for some reason,” chuckled Celestia.

The door opened and Pinkie stuck her head in. “I’ve got all the preparations ready for a great welcome back party, Princess! Just say the word, and I’ll set it up!”

“Thank you, Pinkie. I hope I won’t keep you waiting too long,” said Celestia. The party pony smiled and closed the door again.

Celestia got up and walked to the window. Most of Canterlot could be seen from where she stood. She was still unsure how the citizens would react when she formally announced her return.

Twilight walked over, also peering out through the glass. Celestia had explained her concerns to her student, and the unicorn vowed to do whatever she could to help.

Celestia put a hand to Twilight’s neck again. The pony sighed in contentment. “Fingers are amazing.”

Celestia almost replied, That’s what she said, but held back. Earth did strange things to a pony. There was a lot she wouldn’t forget. Particularly war.

“Fluttershy and I were on our way to the castle,” explained Rarity. “You should come along.”

“I have to thank you again for doing this,” said Alice. She glanced at Colgate. “If this works, you might be looking for a new assistant.”

The dentist laughed. “I just want what’s best for you.”

Alice shifted uncomfortably, her mind providing a possible alternate meaning. No, it wasn’t right to make assumptions about things based on the word of somepony else. And anyway, she shouldn’t let something so silly as a pony coming on to her distract from the task at hand.

The castle situated above the city clung impossibly to the mountain. Alice shook her head, not bothering to ask how it had been built. The answer was probably magic. She’d had just about enough of that to last a lifetime.

The four ponies and one rabbit made their way through the city and up to the castle walls. Guards wearing ornate armor allowed them to pass, recognizing two of the Elements of Harmony.

Alice had a vague idea what the Elements were. Six mares that exemplified the best traits of friendship. She didn’t know how useful that might be, but was glad that meeting a few of them had given her a way to contact the Princess.

“We might as well use the entrance closest to Celestia’s chambers,” said Rarity. “That’s on the other side of the castle, but it’s a pleasant stroll through the gardens to get there.”

Alice looked around. It certainly seemed pleasant enough. The grass was freshly cut and the hedges perfectly trimmed. Flower beds and ornamental trees were everywhere. She spotted a row of statues.

Fluttershy and Rarity were talking about something, and Colgate was busy checking out the scenery. All three of them ran into Alice when she stopped suddenly. The tall white mare barely felt it. Her eyes were fixed on one of the statues. “Discord.”

Rarity picked herself up. “Yes dear, he’s been trapped in stone.”

“He’s in there?” asked Alice, stepping closer to the figure. “Get him out. We need to have a talk.”

“It’s not quite that simple,” explained Rarity. “You should really speak to Princess Celestia first.”

Alice allowed herself to be pulled away from the statue, but stopped. She extended the back of one hoof in the air. "Burble this, you... you Jabberwock!"

Author Note:
You should know Dafaddah by now. Eh is a pretty cool guy and doesn't afraid of editing.
(Except maybe that last sentence.)