Chapter 2: An
Unexpected Voyage of Discovery begins
About three months later, Twilight’s new airship yacht
was completed within Ponyville’s grass field airport. Equestrian ponies from all over their nation
have come to see the departure of Princess Twilight, her friends, and the Wonderbolts
to Dream Valley.
Made of cut stones, Ponyville’s airport control tower
is where Cheerilee and her students are watching the send off festival. The colorful flag of Ponyville depicting a
large heart with two ponies standing on either their side of it, hangs from the
tower’s top floor. Cheerilee turns to
face her students, saying, “I hope they have a safe journey and bring back lots
of artifacts, such as maps, books, and pictures.”
Three of Cheerilee’s students are members of an
afterschool social club known as the Cutie
Mark Crusaders. Their club name
reflects the fact that they are still looking to earn their cutie marks,
magical symbols on their flanks that show their special talents. These young fillies watched the spectator ponies
buying food from the Apple family treat cart crewed by Big Macintosh and Granny
Smith. Inside the Cake family’s outdoor
event tent, music-loving ponies inside are listening to the jazz band 50
Bit before sitting down on wooden review stands.
The three friends were amazed that in ten days the
Earth pony carpenters constructed a “U” shaped review stand. Their classmates told each other that they
were amazed that Earth pony carpenters could construct such big things in such a
short amount of time.
The young Pegasus mare, Scootaloo points with her hoof at
the nearby airship. “I bet us Cutie Mark
Crusaders could have snuck onboard and then earned our cutie marks as explorers
or as air sailors or as … I don’t know, as stowaways.”
With a frowning face, the unicorn filly Sweetie Belle
replied, “Why would you want a stowaway cutie mark? Unless we become professional spies, I don’t
think that would be a very useful skill.”
A youthful Earth pony named Apple Bloom nudges between
her two friends, and then says: “Professional
spies with stowaway cutie marks, that would be … not very spyful would it?”
With an amazed look, Sweetie Belle says: “Spyful?”
Sweetie Belle then said: “We need to do as much as we can to earn our
cutie marks while we are still a team.
Imagine if someday my big sister Rarity gets me to apply to Princess
Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. If
I move to Canterlot, then we wouldn’t be able to see much of each other
anymore.”
With a thoughtful face, Apple Bloom said, “Sweetie
Belle, now you’re starting to talk like Princess Twilight. I don’t know much about this voyage to Dream
Valley. What I do know is that the
journey to Dream Valley should be for the full-grown ponies. Who knows who or what is living in Dream
Valley now? If it was a good enough home
for the three pony tribes, I’m sure that it would make a good home for other
folks that may or may not like ponies.
Am I right or what?”
Sweetie Belle replied, “Yes, you’re right. I’m sure that my big sister Rarity will come
back with all kinds of cool stories and many fashion ideas as well.” Sweetie puts her hooves together and adds, “I
wish that my big sister and her friends always stay Earth pony strong, Pegasus
pony swift, and Unicorn pony smart.”
The three pony friends look with wonder on their faces
as Twilight’s massive new airship floats out of an even more massive aircraft
hanger, constructed to be the home for Twilight’s airship. Covering most of the balloon above the
gondola is a friendship banner with the images of the six friends’ cutie marks.
A six-pointed star with five smaller stars, for the
winged unicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle.
A trio of blue diamonds, for the unicorn pony Rarity.
Three red apples, for the Earth pony Applejack.
Three butterflies, for the Pegasus Fluttershy.
Three balloons, for the Earth pony Pinkie Pie.
A white cloud hovering above a colorful lightning bolt for
the Pegasus pony Rainbow Dash.
Sweetie Belle, eager to show off her knowledge to her
friends said, “Did you know that airship was crafted by pony shipwrights and
that the gondola is a wooden ship suspended under the balloon. An old, yet still useful Equestrian design,
if the balloon was ever damaged over water the gondola would float, saving
those ponies onboard. Also, the gondola
was built bigger than it needed to be to serve the seven passengers and
crew. After all, it is designed to carry
an entire library from Dream Valley to Equestria.”
A much smaller, but still impressive Equestrian flag
hangs off a pole at the rear of the gondola.
Four friends were standing on the open deck, while
Pinkie pie was bouncing on her hooves and Rainbow Dash was hovering on her wings
above the deck. The Pegasus Spitfire and
the five other notable members of the Wonderbolts wearing their Wonderbolts
flight uniforms were busy with last minute inspections of the airship before
falling into line besides the six friends.
On the deck is a big pile of luggage that sits near a set of double
doors leading into the airship.
The airship slowed and then stopped above the grassy airfield
within the “U” shaped review stands, where Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Nurse
Redheart, and Mayor Mare are sitting on the top row of seats. On the seats below these ponies are the brown
coated, Earth pony named Time Turner who for some reason was wearing 3-d movie
glasses and another Earth pony named Rose along with a gaggle of press ponies. On the row below them are Sweetie Drops, and Lyra
Heartstrings who had agreed to take care of the explorers’ entire collection of
pets at Fluttershy’s home.
On the ship’s deck, Rainbow and Rarity are looking up
at the colorful banner. Rainbow says, “Rarity,
thank you for making our airship’s banner.
It looks awesome!”
Rarity replies, “You’re welcome, Rainbow Dash. That banner is one of the largest things I’ve
attempted to stitch together with my hoofiwork.”
Twilight steps between them, “Quiet girls, Celestia is
about to speak.”
The white winged unicorn, with the sun image cutie
mark, spreads her wings wide, stands on her hind legs, and then says, “I
christen this airship Comet and may she always bring her
passengers and crew home safe and sound.”
The sun princess’s horn glows bright. The sun princess levitates an oversized bottle
the size of a foal, covered with a network of fine cord, with an image of an
apple to hover before the airship. She then
shatters the bottle against the ship's keel under the bronze figurehead of a beautiful
sea pony. Of course, Rainbow covered her
eyes with her hooves as some of Applejack’s best apple cider runs from the
broken bottle into the grass field that is manicured to resemble a checkerboard
below the airship.
Celestia continues speaking, “The Comet is powered by four,
side mounted friendship engines that dives eight aircraft propellers. Each engine has one forward and one rear set
of propellers. These engines were
designed by none other than our own Princess Twilight. This is the first time friendship engines
have been used anywhere.”
Twilight speaking more to her friends that to the other
ponies said, “Our airship is propelled by experimental engines powered by
friendship. The more friendship we have
for each other, the more power flows to the engine, and then our airship moves
faster. So, everyone keep happy thoughts
for each other.”
Celestia turns her head and then nods at Nurse
Redheart, who then says, “I’ve given your team an ample supply of potable
water, nutritious foods to eat, dietary supplements, and medical supplies. You don’t need to worry about your heath
during this voyage.”
Twilight replies by saying, “I appreciate with all my
heart all the careful assistance you’ve given to my friends and airship crew Nurse
Redheart. Thanks!”
“You’re
welcome, have a safe journey.”
Celestia speaks once more, “It is with my blessing that
Princess Twilight, her friends, and the Wonderbolts embark on a journey to
Dream Valley, our ancestral homeland. Even
as long-lived as my sister Luna and I are, even we have not seen Dream
Valley. These brave explorers will
retrieve pony knowledge lost to ponykind for generations that will enrich all of
our lives.”
Luna then says:
“My friends stay alert. I have no
idea what dangers and opportunities exist so far away from Equestria.”
Twilight replies
“Don’t worry about us. We will
return with the lost knowledge in a few weeks to one month at most. Mayor Mare, did you have something to ask of
us?”
The mayor cleared her throat and then said, “I hope you
find some ancient pony artifacts for the Ponyville museum and some unknown
animals for the Ponyville zoo.”
“Mayor Mare, all that I can promise is that my friends
and I will do our best effort. And, what
do Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings, two subjects of Equestria wish to speak to me
about?”
Bon Bon asked, “In the name of friendship, see if you
can rediscover Dream Valley candy recipes.”
Then, Lyra asked, “Please try to find lost pony music
for the harp.”
Twilight replies, “All that I can promise is that I’ll
make my best effort to find what you two need.”
Looking at the two royal sisters Twilight says, “In
addition, I’ll have my assistant and friend Spike send Princess Celestia and
Princess Luna daily letters telling you and Luna what we find in Dream Valley.”
Celestia again speaks, “Twilight, I’ll look forward to
reading all your letters. I will now
give you my blessing. I hope that during
your travels my sunlight warms your body, illuminating the path before your
hooves, while guiding you to friendship and happiness; while my sister Princess
Luna guides you to pleasant dreams. Also, Cheerilee wishes that you have a
safe journey and bring back lots of books.”
With cheers from a crowd of well-wishers and the
flashes from the cameras of the press ponies; Celestia’s horn glows, releasing
the mooring lines that retract into the ship’s hull. The airship ascends in a slow yet stead rate
into the air.
As the airship sails away from the Ponyville airport,
Twilight points with her hoof at a mural of Smart Cookie, Clover the Clever and
Private Pansy with the windigos circling above them. The mural is carved into a natural rock wall
and then painted in bright colors. Below
and in the center of the mural is a cave entrance.
Twilight tells her friends, “Well everypony, that’s the famous cave where ponies of the three
tribes made peace and friendship with each other. The same cave described in our Hearth's
Warming Eve pageant. Now, we are going
to retrace their hoofsteps back to Dream Valley.”
With an unimpressed look, Rainbow said, “I’ve visited
that cavern as a young student. I saw
that the cavern has been turned into a tourist attraction. It is full of young adult ponies hired as
tour guides, as well as museum dioramas, a gift shop, a Hay Burger restaurant,
an Urgent Care station, and two sets of restrooms - one for tourists and
another for the staff. I really don’t
think that the Equestrian immigrants would recognize the cavern where the three
tribes became one nation.”
Rarity said, “Well, let’s get settled in for a long
trip. Unlike our Earth pony and Unicorn
pony ancestors who walked around the dirty and muddy shores of the Western
Ocean, we modern ponies will ride in comfort in this modern airship. The bottom two decks are for storage, the
third deck is for a forward observation lounge in the bow, individual cabins
for the passengers and crew, a first aid station, a spacious kitchen, and a
mess hall or dining room in the stern.
The deck we are standing on has a forward cabin for steering the
airship, and a much larger aft captain’s cabin that is for Princess Twilight
and Spike.”
A startled Twilight said, “I don’t think it is right of
me to take the Captain’s cabin. I’d be
fine if I bunked in a regular cabin like the rest of you. Spike and I don’t need all that fancy
decorations and large floor space to be comfortable, not at all.”
A surprised Rarity said, “Twilight, that’s nonsense. As a princess, it is your right and your royal
obligation that you should take the airship’s largest cabin.”
While shuffling her hooves and looking down, Twilight
says, “I suppose, I will take the Captain’s cabin … if the rest of you agree.”
Twilight looks around and sees her friends, Captain
Spitfire, and her crew nodding in agreement.
Twilight sighs and then says, “Come on Spike; let’s
move our things into the Captain’s cabin.
I sure hope exploring the unknown is worth our time and effort.”
Rainbow said, “As Daring Do once told me: ‘We become better ponies, both as individuals
and as a species, not from staying away from the unknown, but by exploring the
unknown. When we ponies don’t explore,
we become less like ponies and more like our pets.’ With friendship, harmony, and optimism on our
side, no matter what we find or what finds us, this journey into the unknown
will be worth our time and effort.”
My Little Pony: Friendship is
Magic, Copyright © 2010 Lauren Faust, Hasbro Studios, and DHX Media
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