Chaos now!

CHAPTER 3

ON THE BOAT

The next day, they set off at dawn towards their next destination, which was a boat dock alongside Newmare Bay. Kark donned his battle armour in all of its splendour. He figured the ponies assigned to refurbish it must’ve worked tirelessly throughout the night to get it all fixed up and polished. Rainbow dash had put down her Royal Guard armour as well.

It felt good to wear my old suit of armour again! It was custom made for me by the pony blacksmiths at Canterlot shortly after I was assigned there as Dragon Ambassador. It was a token of welcome after I’ve been named an honorary member of the Royal Canterlot Guard.

And it wasn’t some cheap imitation, either! It was the real deal! Powerful enough to withstand any arrow or spear anyone would dare throw at it. Whether or not it can take a bullet from a more modern rifle or machine gun remained a mystery. Thankfully, I never even came close to taking a lead slug fired in anger. Let’s hope it stays that way!

When they arried, they quickly found the P.V.R. that was to ferry them right next to the refuelling station.

“You sure this is it?” Kark asked.

“It’s the only boat docked here, it must be it.” Rainbow Dash said in answer.

Then they made their way towards the boat.

It wasn’t long before they found the Captain of the boat, and they were quite surprised to see who it was.

“I don’t believe it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Applejack!” she called out as she galloped towards her long lost friend.

“What?” Applejack turned when she heard her name being called. She gasped. “Well, I’ll be! Rainbow Dash!!” She cried out as she ran to meet her.

“Applejack!!” Rainbow Dash said again as she fell into Applejack’s embrace.

“Ah never thought I’d see you again, ya silly filly!”

“Same here! And you’re not gonna believe who I got with me.” Rainbow dash gestured.

Applejack gasped when she saw the big dragon. “Karkovahce! Well, don’t that beat all!”

“Hi, Applejack.” Kark said as he exchanged an embrace with her.

“When ah received word that ah’d be ferryin’ two Army regulars up the Non, ah had no idea that it would be the two of you!”

“So, you’re the Captain of this boat?” Kark asked.

“Ah sure am!” Applejack said proudly. “Ah call it the ‘Sweet Apple’. And ah’m not alone. Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Come see who’s here!” she called.

The two younger fillies poked their heads up out of the engine room, and gasped when they saw who had arrived. “Rainbow Dash!” they cried as they scrambled out of the hold, and ran up to hug their favourite mare.

“Hi, kids!” Rainbow Dash said. “Bet you’re surprised to see me, huh?”

“Very!” they both said simultaneously.

“And girls, guess who else is here.” Applejack gestured.

They both silently relinquished their hold on Rainbow Dash and ran up to hug Kark, who knelt down to accept their hug. “We heard ya’ll died!” Apple Bloom said.

“Well, obviously, that wasn’t true.” He smiled as he squeezed them. Both fillies giggled as they accepted Kark’s loving embrace.

“Well, it’s about time to shove off!” Applejack announced. “So why don’t ya come on board and make yourselves at home!”

Kark and Rainbow Dash followed Applejack lead, and they were soon underway.

How Applejack came to be the Captain of a Navy P.V.R. was beyond me. Yet here she was, assigned to ferry me and Rainbow Dash into the Non all the way up to Doe Long Bridge and beyond. Perhaps she felt this was how best to serve in the war effort following the destruction of Sweet Apple Acres farm.

The two young fillies that made up her crew were probably not cut out to be in this situation, yet here they were. Technically, they were still just kids! Although they’ve just barely reached adulthood, and they’ve grown into fine looking young mares!

Apple Bloom, Applejack’s younger sister, finally earned her zap apple cutie mark after gaining the reputation of making the best zap apple jam in all of Equestria. She acted as Machinist, Engineer, and riflepony on the boat.

Sweetie Belle, her best friend, was First Class Gunner’s Mate. She finally earned HER cutie mark after discovering she had a talent for singing, which explains the sol key and heart symbol she bore on her flank. Her specialty was love ballads. She probably hadn’t written too many love ballads during the war, though.

It makes me wonder: How would they really handle themselves, if things got too hairy?

“Ah figure there are two ways we can get into the Non River. They’re both hot! They belong to Doggie.” Applejack said from her place in the driver’s seat of the boat. Rainbow Dash had consulted with her about the best way to enter the river.

“Don’t worry, A.J.” Rainbow Dash said as she patted her friend on the shoulder. “The Flying 109th are supposed to meet us at the mouth. If necessary, they’ll punch a hole for us to sail on through.”

“Ah certainly hope so.” Applejack admitted. “We’ve haven’t had much practice in getting’ out of hairy situations.”

A short time later, Kark was lounging around at the back of the boat, watching the waves roll in the wake of the boat’s powerful engine. The P.V.R. Sweet Apple may be a small patrol boat, but she seemed powerful enough.

The sound of fillies giggling brought him out of his reverie. Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had gathered on the deck of the boat. They were gossiping and giggling amongst themselves, as girls often do.

When Kark decided he’s had enough, he got up to head towards the front of the boat. The fillies grew silent as he approached. When they met his gaze, they all saw that he looked rather annoyed. “Excuse me.” He said politely as he squeezed past them and headed down to the sleeping quarters. He pulled the curtain door shut behind him, and crashed into the large cot that would be his place to sleep for the next few days. But he didn’t feel like sleeping. He just wanted to be alone.

Minutes later, Rainbow Dash pulled the curtain open and peeked inside. “You wanna talk?” she asked.

Kark sighed inwardly. “Not really.” He said from his place on the cot. He was turned away from Rainbow Dash.

She stepped in and pulled the curtain shut behind her.  “You still miss her, don’t you?” she asked rather sadly.

Kark sighed again. “You have no idea.”

“A-actually, I think I do.” Rainbow Dash said. “I keep worrying for Soarin. Every day I wake up, I keep expecting to receive word that he died at the hands of a Dog who shot him while he was flying by, or a Griff who cut him down in mid air. War’s like that, I guess.”

Kark turned to face her. “At least the love of your life is still alive! Or you think he is. I know that my love is dead. Dead and buried.”

“But there’s hope that you would one day see her alive again. I-if it’s true what they say about phoenixes and their powers, once we find Celestia; which should lead us to Philomena; we’ll see if she can really resurrect Princess Luna for you.”

“It may just be a false hope, though.” Kark admitted.

“A false hope is better than no hope at all.” Rainbow Dash smiled.

Then she grabbed a back pack she had brought with her, opened it up, and pulled a bottle out. “I was saving this for a rainy day, but since you could use some cheering up now, I figured: What the hay!?

She showed him the bottle that read “Sweet Apple Acres Vintage Cider”. Kark’s eyes lit up. “Where’d you get that!?”

Rainbow Dash smiled brightly. “It was Applejack’s Hearth Warming Day gift from five years ago. I think it’s aged just about right, now.”

She grabbed two cups that were nearby, opened the bottle and poured a measure in each cup. “There can’t be too many of those left around.”

“Probably not.” Rainbow Dash admitted. She handed Kark one of the cups and lifted the other one. “Here’s to hope.” She smiled.

Kark smiled back and lifted his own cup. “To hope.”

They clanked the cups together before taking a sip. Kark smacked his lips. “Absolutely divine!”

Rainbow Dash poured him another measure of cider.

“What would I do without you?” he asked almost rhetorically.

“You’d probably be bored out of your mind.” She giggled.

Kark chuckled at this. “True.” They clanked cups again and continued drinking.

Rainbow Dash certainly was a good friend. I remember the numerous flying races we had between us. She almost always won! But there were occasions where she would let me win, just to boost my ego.

My specialty, though, was aerial acrobatics. I would show her some complex manoeuvres, and dare her to repeat them. I’d always laugh morbidly whenever she failed miserably. It was our common love of flying that made us friends, and it may be that same love that may be our downfall years from now.