Assassin's Creed IV: Black Wing

What kind of a ship was this?

There was no balloon, no propeller, nothing that even resembled an airship. How was this supposed to fly? The whole thing just bobbed around in the water like some kind of gigantic rubber duck. I guess it was some kind of ship that sailed across the sea, like the pirates used in old ponytales.

I guess it sorta looked like an airship, only it was made completely of wood. Instead of a balloon there were these huge white sails flowing in the gentle wind like massive bed sheets hanging outside to dry. At the top of one of the masts flew the flag of Ponyville, a small piece of home away from home.

“Like her?” Bon Bon spoke up. “One of the fastest little ships you’ll find in these parts.”

“I- I thought you came here in-“

“An airship?” She cut in to which I nodded in reply. “Yeah, I guess sailing is a little old fashioned, but you’d be surprised how fast the weather can go to Tartarus around here. I’d rather be in one of those than an airship when a storm breaks out.”

“I’d rather not be in a storm at all.”

She nearly let out a chuckle at that. “Fair enough. Just trust me, she’ll get us safely home.”

Home? I could have just gone home? Oh thank Celestia, I wanted nothing more than to just leave all this behind. I could go home to my animals and forget all this ever happened, safe and sound in my own little world.

And yet. “I… can’t do that.”

Bon Bon looked at me with such confusion. “What?”

I let out a soft sigh in response. “I'm sorry, I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but I can’t go home. My friends are still out there somewhere and this stallion might know where to find them.” I slipped out the letter from my saddlebag. “All I need is to talk to him, just for five minutes. All I need is to get to Hoovana.”

Once we were on-board the ship Bon Bon took it upon herself to reorganise the crew. She had this aura of command about her, something I couldn't help but admire in her. I'd never really seen this side to the humble sweet shop owner. She was a stronger mare than I could ever dream of being.

The crew were mostly stallions, all scruffy and filthy from weeks on the ocean. It was like I’d stepped into a prison with Bon Bon as their warden. Oh my, I sound just like Rarity. She would probably be horrified at the very idea of being on a boat with these “ruffians” and “hooligans”. I guess thinking about it cheered me up a bit.

“Alright, that’s the easy part done.” Bon Bon was already helping me back to my hooves by the time she started speaking. “Now I have to navigate us out of this cove, and I'm not looking forward to that.”

I cleared my throat before suggesting something to her. “Are you sure none of the other crew could help?”

“None of them would know how to wipe their flanks if somepony wasn’t there to help them. Trust me on this, they do their jobs and nothing more. We give them the gold and they’re as happy as can be.”

I guess there was no point in flogging a dead pony. We reached the helm of the ship and Bon Bon let me rest there for a while. I sat on my haunches, readjusting the improvised bandages on my wing. I needed some fresh medical supplies or it was going to become infected, if it already hadn't. “Um… Bon Bon?”

The sandy yellow mare seemed quite focused on her pre-sailing checks, but she did seem to notice me. “Oh, what’s up Fluttershy?”

I felt slightly guilty for ruining her concentration. “I'm sorry, did I break your focus?”

“No no no, it’s fine. I'm just running through everything in my head. I'm not exactly what you would call good at this, so I guess it pays to be prepared.” She took her hooves off the wheel and turned to face me directly. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was just wondering if you had any medical supplies tucked away somewhere.” I gestured to my bandaged wing. “It’s nothing major, it needs fresh bandages and-”

“Say no more my friend,” She placed a hoof on my snout which quickly silenced me. “Head down to my quarters below decks; there should be a first aid kit lying around somewhere. While you’re there help yourself to anything else you need.”

I smiled and nodded at this good news. Bon Bon helped me get to my hooves but I quickly found the strength to stand on my own. I was still in some pain but I could at least walk straight now. “It’s good to see you’re getting better. Come meet me back here when you’re done – we have a few thing to talk about if you plan on staying.”

I wasn't a doctor, a nurse, or even a trained vet. Everything I know about animal and pony anatomy comes from experience and a bit of light reading. Rainbow Dash kept me busy with a bruised wing or rib every other month as she never really trusted Hospitals. I really don’t blame her, I’m scared of hospitals too. With their needles, tubes and all kinds of things being put into places. Besides, it gave Rainbow Dash and I a chance to catch up, something we haven’t been doing much since we left Cloudsdale.

I let a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. I could always count on my friends for a smile, even when they weren't with me. With my wing disinfected and re-bandaged I felt a small sense of pride in my work. Sure, I wasn't much of a hero or a fighter, but I wasn't half bad at patching up a few cuts and scratches.

The hard part was removing the bullet fragments. The small iron pellet was lodged in Ulna, also causing some damage to the Radius. It wasn't exactly… pleasant. One of the crew came in to check on me when they heard screaming. I made sure to keep the bleeding under control, although I may have ruined a few tablecloths in the process. I’m sure Bon Bon won't mind.

That mare was an enigma to me. We lived in the same town and I still can’t remember having a conversation with her. I just thought she was a quiet little shop keeper who never talked to anypony other than Lyra Heartstrings - I think that’s what Rarity said. I bet she thought the same thing about me; little old Fluttershy who can’t even introduce herself without running and hiding.

She was strong, far stronger than me. She had the courage to pick up the gun and shoot that guard before he nearly beat me to death, something I could never do.

But you already did…

No! That was an accident - a mistake. I never meant to kill her, it just… happened. I’m not a killer. She was going to kill me anyway! If I just sat there and did nothing I wouldn't be standing here! I’m not a bad pony!

Ow, my head hurts.

“Great, you’re already done.” Bon Bon greeted me as I walked the stairs back up to the helm. “We've just reached open water, and in one piece I might add.” She looked very impressed with herself, and to be fair, she deserved to be.

I responded with a warm smile. “I knew you could do it Bon Bon. You’re certainly my hero today.”

The sandy yellow mare let a light blush creep onto her face. She dismissed my compliment with a wave of her hoof. “Oh stop it, I’m not exactly hero material. Nice of you to say though.” I noticed her eyes wander to my newly cleaned and patched wing. “How are you feeling? You gonna be okay?”

I gave a quick nod. “I should be fine in a few weeks, maybe a month. It could have been worse though; I could have lost the wing altogether.”

“Well you've certainly dodged a bullet there.” Bon Bon couldn't hold back a few small giggles, and neither could I. Before we knew it we were laughing out loud, surely attracting the attention of the crew.

Bon Bon wiped a small tear from her eye. “Too soon?”

I shook my head. “No no no, I needed a laugh. It was nice.”

“Oh come one, it wasn't that funny.” I laughed at this as well. “Alright alright, let’s just leave that behind for now. I do have something I need to show you.” Her tone suddenly shifted to a more serious, yet sympathetic one.

“W-what do you mean?”

“Just let me show you.”

Bon Bon left the wheel and trotted over to chest sitting on deck. It wasn't anything special, just a wooden box with an iron lock. She reached into her mane and pulled out a small copper key, a perfect fit. When the chest opened it was difficult to make out what was inside.

Bon Bon’s held in her hoof a necklace of gold, the craftsmanship unlike any other piece. In the centre was a pink gem, flawless in every way and cut into the perfect shape.

The gem was cut into the shape of a butterfly.

“T-that’s my element!?” I couldn't help but sound panicked and confused. What was it even doing here? How did Bon Bon find it? Where were the others? The list was growing my the second.

Bon Bon let out a deep sigh before continuing. “I know what you must be thinking, but it’s a long-”

“How!?” I interrupted, quickly covering my mouth with my hoof. “I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Bon Bon waved it off. “You have every right to be worried. Let’s just sit down for while and I’ll explain what I can.” She signaled for one of the crew to take the wheel. All they had to do was keep her going straight; not a difficult task.

Bon Bon led me back into her quarters and invited me to take a seat next to her. She quickly noticed that I couldn't take my eyes of the Element she held in her hand. “You can look after it.” She placed the necklace gently down next to me. “It is yours after all.”

I just kind of looked at it for while, unsure what to really say first. “What happened?”

Bon Bon leaned back in her chair, looking off at a distant wall. “Well, I guess it started when that storm hit. The seas were calm and the wind was gentle, then it just… came out of nowhere. The captain managed to steer us clear of the worst of it, but we saw a couple of Royal Ships go down near the coast. It was like standing in the middle of war-zone, a war between the seas and the skies. I guess we were just unlucky to be caught in the crossfire.

“We dropped anchor nearby so we could assess the damage and check the cargo. We took some losses but it could have been far worse. We sent some of the crew to scout the area, you know, for Tribal Ponies or wild animals.”

“Tribal Ponies?”

“Just a bunch of ponies stuck in their old ways, not very friendly to outsiders.” She chuckled a bit when I hid behind my mane. “Don’t worry about it, you’ll probably never get to see them. They live deep in the jungle, far away from any other pony.

“So anyway, the crew who we sent to go scouting eventually returned with a chest. It was a beautiful thing, covered in gold and gems. Apparently they just found it washed up on the beach along with other pieces of wreckage. All it took in the end was a bit of magic to get it open and that’s where we found the Elements of Harmony.”

No, that wasn't right. “Do you mean all of them?”

“Yes, they were all there. They crew were talking about how much they’d sell for before I stepped in and confiscated it. I knew exactly what they were and I knew that you guys would be looking for them. I hid it in my quarters, safe and sound. But then…” She trained off, her gaze falling to the ground.

“What happened to them?”

Another sigh. “The Royal Guard happened. They boarded the ship and forced me to reveal the location of the Elements. Somehow they knew I had them, they just knew. I- I had no choice. I gave them five of the Elements and I hid the sixth. I told them I lost the last one but they didn't believe me and dragged me and the captain to shore.

They interrogated us, beat us, even killed the captain. They never told us why they wanted the Elements, but they did mention a large reward from some sort of Governor. I had to keep the Element safe but I didn't know how long I could last.

“That’s when you showed up.“

Oh no, not this again. I covered my face as my cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. “SorryaboutthatItwasamistakeI’mnotverygoodatthis…”

Bon Bon just laughed. “Hey, don’t worry about it. What you did out there was brave and selfless - and, hey, you saved my life out there. That makes you a hero in my books.”

She thought I was a hero.

My blush increased and I refused to uncover my face. I could still hear Bon Bon giggling like a school filly.

“That’s basically everything. Like I said before, I don’t know every detail. I don’t know why this Governor wants the Elements and I don’t know what happened to your friends. That's all I can say.” She looked visually apologetic, but was quite stern in her words. “What I can do, however, is help you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re looking for your friends in Hoovana?” I nodded in response. “Then you’ll need to know how to survive in this world.”