The lost Pegasus Chapters One
I blink and it seems as the world around me is falling apart. Pieces of building flying through the air. I see a bright pink unicorn running away with a small bundle of blue cloth. A large, dark pegasus flies into the battle, guarding the pink mare. She just keeps running.
I awake with a start and rub my head. “Why is it always the same dream?” I ask myself standing up. I stretch my blue wings and legs. I may be little now, but that's going to change. I've been alone for a while now. I stay here next to this crystal pond. This place is most of what I know. There is a bigger world out there. I go to a port that is run by pirates, that is a three day walk, to get food.
I've been here for almost a month now, and still, nopony has come to look for me. I've learned a little language from the pirates but nothing that you can shake a stick at. I'm not one for speaking, but I can at least write. I haven't any memory of who I am or where I came from. All I know is this place, but that's going to change. Today, I set out on an adventure.
I gather what food I have and fill a hollow gourd with water. I decide to head east, away from the pirate port. Very unlikely they would help a lost foal anyway. I make my was across the barren land to the shore. I stop by the large dragon skeleton to rest for the day. The sun quickly begins to set as I look into the twilight.
“I wonder what lays beyond that horizon?” I ask myself as I lay down to sleep. I awake before the dawn and head out. I can already smell the sea, two more days and I'll be there once more. The next day and a half are, uneventful. I must have been walking faster than normal because I arrived at the sea at noon on the third day. I look at the sea with gladness in my eyes. The sea will be my guide until I find another port.
The journey to the next port takes almost a month. I ran out of food and had to scavenge for water, but I finally made it. I pull my cloak over my shoulders as I walk into the small trading town. I feel so small and out of place. I run into a light gray earth pony which makes me stumble. I start to back away, not sure what to say.
“Easy there little one,” he says with a smile. “Ya new around these parts, eh?” he asks looking at me. I nod my head, not knowing what else to do. “Are ya lost? Where's ya mother?” he asks taking a step forward.
“I... I don't know where she is,” I say. My heart is racing and my ears pounding as I look at the large stallion standing before me.
“Well, what she look like?” he asks looking around.
“I... um... I don't remember,” I say rubbing my head.
“Don't remember ya say. Hmmm. Let's see the cap'n, she might know,” he says with a smile.
He starts walking up a long flight of stairs. I follow closely behind so I don't get lost in the mass of ponies. I feel like I shouldn't be here. I see a sign over a door at the top of the stairs. It reads 'Port Master', this is a little unsettling for me. We walk in the door and I can hear somepony yelling in a different language. I can't see them because the desk is full of papers.
“Port master!” the gray earth pony says with a raised voice to get the busy ponies attention.
“Carl! My dear friend how are you?” a feminine, high pitched voice asks from the other side of the desk.
“We seem to have a lost little colt 'ere, Ma'am” he says pointing to me.
“Have we now? Let me see,” she says as she walks around the desk.
I look at her and she looks at me and smiles. I lower my head and take a step back.
“It's alright little one. You know what?... I had three little ones at one time me self,” she says as she sits down beside me. The golden buttons on her jacket almost jingle as they hit the floor. My eyes widen as I remember her voice. It makes me flinch, which I try not to show, but obviously failed at it.
“You ok there?” she asks.
“I know your voice, I've heard you at the port down the coast,” I say looking at her.
The look of shock on her face is replaced with a wide smile and a chortle. Carl looks at her with a confused expression. She regains her composure after a moment. Wiping a tear from her eye she motions for me to sit next to her. I sit down in front of her with the same confusion in my mind.
“You must be thinking of me sister. She likes to gamble with those pirates to get their money. Clara is her name,” she says with a chuckle. “Now, back to matter at hand,” she says with a caring smile. “What's ya name little one?” she ask.
“I... I don't have one,” I say looking at the wooden floor.
“Don't 'ave a name, well now, that's a shame. A good looking colt like you gotta 'ave a name,” she says in disbelief. I shake my head as I flump to the floor.
“I don't think he's jokin, ma'am,” Carl says with a frown.
Somepony starts yelling in a foreign language at her. She yells over the desk, “ Qu'est-ce que vous entendez l'expédition est en retard?! Faire en sorte que cela se produise, MAINTENANT!”
(Translation- What do you mean the shipment is late?! Make it happen, NOW!”)
I flinch as she raises her voice. “Sorry about that,” she says as she turns her head back toward me. I try to hide under my cloak, which makes her laugh. “Why so shy little one?” she asks with a chuckle. “Captain Amelia ain't gonna hurt ya',” she says lifting my cloak. “Now, where are your parents?” she asks with a caring voice.
I shake my head and say, “I don't know.” I hang my head as I think of not knowing what they even look like. I can hear Amelia thinking. She starts humming as she stands up.
“Carl,” she says after a moment.
“Yes ma'am,” he says standing up straight.
“Go ask all of the port men if they have any reports about strange ponies coming or leaving the port,” she says pointing at the sea.
“What 'bout him?” Carl asks pointing at me.
She looks at me and smiles and says, “He'll stay 'ere with me.” She walks around her desk as Carl walks out the door. “How good are ya with numbers kid?” she asks after a moment.
“I'm not sure,” I say as I walk around the desk so I can see her.
“I'm gonna teach ya something,” she says as she pulls a scroll from her desk. She lays it out in front of me. “This here is a cargo count of two ships that just came in. We need to add the numbers together to get a total that we can ship out,” she says pointing accordingly. She picks up a quill to write. “See, there were four crates of powder on one, and six on the other. Four and six is...”
“Ten,” I say interrupting.
“Very nice,” she says as she writes on the paper. “Now, how many barrels of salt are there?” she asks.
I look at the paper and see seven on one ship and ten on the other. “Seventeen,” I say, more as a question than a statement.
“Perfect!” she exclaims writing the number down. “It seems like you know how to do this. I would like you to finish this sheet for me while I go talk to the gentlecolt over yonder,” she says standing up. She sways her hips as she walks out the door. I shake my head as I look back to the document. I quickly add the numbers together and write them down as I go. I start mumbling as I add the numbers in my head.
“ Thirty-four barrels.... twenty-two crates.... sixteen... forty-five,” I stop mumbling as she walks back in the door. I set the quill down as she walks up beside me.
She looks at the document and sees that I have finished it. She looks at me in surprise. “How did ya do that?” she asks.
I look at the paper and then back at her. “Did I do well,” I ask shyly.
She stands there with her mouth open. “Well, you have a gift there, ya do,” she says looking back at the paper. “If you want, you could stay here and work for the trading company,” she says with a smile.
I start to back up. “I... I just want to find my parents,” I say looking at the ground.
“Well.. a shame to waste such a bright mind, but you seem set on your goal,” she says looking at me. She lets out a sigh and then smiles. “It's been a while since I've been out to sea,” she says looking out the window. “COLIN!” she yells at the top of her lungs. A small, blue earth pony quickly enters the room.
“Yes, ma'am,” he says with a salute.
“Prepare my ship for travel,” she says with a big grin.
“Where to ma'am?” he asks as she walks up to him.
“Round up a crew and supplies for The Breach,” she says with a crooked smile. Colin takes a step back, as if he had been struck.
“Ye.... yes ma'am,” he says as he quickly runs out the door.
I look at her and she looks at me. “Have you ever been on a ship?” she asks as she pull out a scroll. “We're gonna need a map,” she says with a smile. I nod my head as she starts walking. We walks out the door and around the small office. “Silver!” she exclaims to a gray winged pony.
“Ye.. Yes ma'am,” she says dropping whatever she was holding.
“You are in charge until I return,” Amelia says as she continues walking. We walks down a series of steps and planks to the waters edge. I look up and see a ship with large white sails unfurling. “There she is, the Angel. The fastest ship on the Eastern sea,” she says pointing to the large ship. I stand there in awe. I have never been this close to such a large ship. She leads me on board and I am doing circles trying to take everything in. She chuckles at this. “Come on little one. You better stay next to me,” she says with a smile.
Carl runs onto the ship and nearly trips over me. “I'm sorry to report that the others haven't seen any strange ponies coming or going from the port,” he says looking around. “Getting ready for a voyage?” he asks.
“We're gonna take the little one to The Breach to start his search,” she says pointing to me. He looks at me and then back at her. They way he looked at me makes me start to wonder if this was a bad idea. It's too late to turn back now. I hear a load of crates and barrels drop onto the deck.
“THAT'S THE LAST OF IT!” I hear somepony yell from the dock.
“EVEYPONY TO THEIR STATIONS!” Amelia yells as the deck becomes a blur of ponies running here and there.
I follow her up a small flight of stairs to the helm. Everything begins to slow and I can follow the actions of every pony on the ship as my eyes dart back and forth. I follow a pony up the mast to raise the flag.
“SHOVE OFF!” she yells as the ship is pushed forward. The sails fill with wind and the ship lurches forward out of the bay. She takes the helm for a little while as the ship gains speed. “Ya alright there?” she asks as I stumble over to where she is standing.
“I haven't been on a ship before,” I say standing up straight.
“Once we get out to sea and you get your sea legs, I'm gonna teach ya something,” she says with a smile.
Carl walk up and salutes. “We're up to speed Capt'n,” he says.
“Good, take the helm. The lad and I are gonna have a talk in my cabin,” she says walking down the stairs
She quickly turns at the bottom of the steps and pushes open the wooden door. She closes the door behind me. I see a large wooden desk in the middle of the room. I look over to the left and see a large bed and chest. My thoughts are interrupted when she whistles for me to come over to the left side of the room.
“This is where you will be sleeping,” she say pulling back the curtain. I see a little niche in the wall with a bed tucked inside. A small chest at the head and a small desk with a lantern on it.
“Why are you helping me?” I ask as I turn to face her.
She lets out a sigh as she turns around. “I know how it feels to have a little one taken from you. One of my little ones was taken by the sea when he was just a foal. I know the heart ache that comes when a mother looses a little one. That is why I am helping you,” she says as she wipes a tear from her eyes.
I lower my head. I feel really bad for asking her now. I slowly raise my head and say, “Thank you.”
“Don't go thanking me yet. You have a rough three months ahead of ya,” she says with a grin. I look at her with a question on my face. “You think this here is gonna be a free ride ya have another thing coming. You will be under my command and teaching for this voyage,” she says walking to the trunk at the foot of her bed. She takes out a red wool coat and lays it on her bed. Returning to the chest, she motions for me to come over. She pulls out a smaller red coat and holds it up for me to see. “This was my sons when he was about your age. Try it on,” she say handing it to me.
I untie my cloak to reveal my feathery wings. She takes a step back in surprise. “I thought you were an earth pony,” she says taking another step back. I fold my wings up as I put the coat on.
“I am sorry if it frightens you, my wings that is. If you wish, I shall continue as an earth pony. I'll just keep my wings under the coat,” I say with a smile. It takes her a minute, but she eventually snaps out of whatever trance she was in.
“I'm sorry, I haven't see a pegasus in a very long time,” she says hanging her head.
“I am sorry that I remind you of something that you wish to forget,” I say putting my hoof on hers. She looks up at me with teary eyes. “Let's go get some air, shall we?” I ask leading her to the door. The wind picks up a little as we walk up to the helm.
“Hows our baring Carl?” she asks.
“The wind is working with us and we are on course Capt'n,” he says not moving his head.
She takes over the helm and moves the wheel a little bit. The wind catches the sails and the ship juts forward a little more. Carl lays down and motions for me to come over.
“Nice coat. It looks good on ya,” he says looking at me with a smile. “Would you like to see the compass?” he asks.
“Where is it?” I ask looking around.
“Stand on my back and I'll show you,” he says with a smile.
I clumsily get up on his back. He stands up, which makes me wobble a little. He stands behind Amelia and watches her for a moment.
“You see that large round thing on the other side of the helm?” he asks. I stretch my neck to see what he was talking about.
“Yes,” I say more as a question.
“That's the compass. It tells us which direction we are going. Right now we are headin' North East,” he say.
I look at the compass and see it wobble and bob inside its glass dome. I slide off Carl's back and walk around the helm to the wooden box in which it sits. I look off to the sun in the Western sky and then back at the compass.
“Your compass is off,” I say staring at it.
“What do ya mean lad?” Amelia asks.
“The sun points West, right?” I ask. Amelia and Carl both shake their heads. “According to your compass it's about... 10 degrees off,” I say looking at it.
Carl and Amelia look at each other, then at the compass, and then at me.
“Where did you learn that from?” Amelia asks.
“I learn by seeing. If I can see it, I can learn it,” I say looking back to the compass. “Please stop staring at me. It makes me... jittery,” I say.
They look at each other and whisper something. Looking back at me Captain Amelia smiles.
“If you weren't on this quest I would recommend you to the Royal Academy,” she say looking at me.
Something here is making me uncomfortable, so I head to the bow. I walk up the bowsprit and lay down on it about half way. I lay there and watch as the water moves under the ship. My mind quickly begins to wander as I lay there. Questions begin to race through my head. “Who am I... Why am I here... Who were my parents.” I ask myself out loud. I look up as the sun is blocked by a cloud. I look off in the distance and see something that isn't right. Abandoning my thoughts I quickly run back to the helm.
“What is it child?” Carl ask as I catch my breath.
“Some.... thing... not... right... Storm... maybe...,” I say through big gaps of breath.
Amelia and Carl look at each other. Carl takes the helm as she pulls out a small telescope from inside her blue jacket. She gasps as she see the oncoming storm.
“What is it Ma'am?” Carl asks.
“We got one mean looking hurricane commin' this way,” she say turning around.
“There's a port West of here we could dock at until it passes,” Carl says nodding towards the sun.
I can see her thinking. Her mind is working. 'But why wouldn't she want to go to the dock,' I think to myself.
After a moment I speak up. “The storm is heading in a South West direction. We can either head West and risk getting stuck in the storm, or we can head East and try to avoid it. Heading East will add time to our travel, but it will more than likely save us in the end,” I say watching the clouds move.
“Capt'n... I..,” Carl sputters.
“LISTEN TO THE BOY!” an old crew mate yells drawing our attention. He is missing a leg and an eye, and white mane and tail tell part of his story.
Amelia and Carl look at each other and nod. Carl turns the ship toward the now darkening horizon. The old pony smiles an almost toothless smile. I take a step back, almost afraid of him.
“That's just Ol' Hob. He's a harmless one,” Amelia says with a smile.
“Come 'ere boy,” the old pony says as he turns around.
I look at the captain with fear in my eyes. She nods with a smile which gives me little ease. I slowly walk down to where the old pony had stopped. He quickly turns around and starts to stare at me. His eye almost looks like a clouded marble. It's white glossiness burns into me like a hot flame.
“Yer a special one, ye are. Ya got somethin' 'bout ya that makes ya differn' from da rest. I've been watchin' ya, ever since ye came ta port. Ya got somethin' inside ya,” he says with a strange smile. I almost fall over at how close he comes to me face. He starts walking to a set of stairs going down into the ship. “Follow me young'n,” he says stepping down.
I follow the old pony down to the lower deck where all the other ponies were on the ship. I hear them all talking and murmuring about this or that. I see some eyes follow, but most just looked away. He leads me to almost the bow of the ship. He opens a door to a small room and walks in. I hesitate at the door for a moment and then enter. As my flank enters the room the door slams shut, nearly catching my tail in it. He lights an oil lantern and sits on the bunk against the wall. As the orange flame flickers on the wall the air becomes stale and silent.
He speaks after a few moments. “I've been through many things, and seen many ponies. You are different than the others,” he says lifting his hind legs up on the bunk and laying down on his back.
“Wait, you are talking normal. What happened to your lisp?” I ask astonished at his change. His voice had become something of an eloquent nature.
“Tis only a show for everypony to see,” he says with a chuckle. “I've been searching for a young'n like yourself. You see things others don't. You stop and see everything going on around you and in that instance you can decide what needs to be done. You see farther and can do astounding things with this gift,” he says. He turns his head to look at me.
“How do you know what I can do?” I ask looking at him with both worry, and wonder.
“I used to have the same gift. That is until them blasted pirates took my one eye, and time dulled the other. There's something else about you, I haven't quite figured it out. I can tell that there is something there that other ponies don't have,” he says rolling over. Laying on his belly he looks up as if looking into the sky. “There are some ponies who only wish to see the world burn. You will meet them on your journey. Now get going, before they think I've done something to ya,” he says with a smile.
I hurry out the door to his room and back up the stairs. The lanterns have been lit and the moon has begun its rise. I run into Amelia as I step on deck.
“Just the pony I was going to go find. I thought you'd gotten lost. I think we should both get some sleep. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow,” she says with a creepy smile. I follow her into the captains cabin. She leads me to my bunk. “If you need anything, come to the curtain and stop. I'll be right there to help you. Never, I mean never, enter the other side of the curtain without permission. Do I make myself clear?” she asks in a stern voice.
I nod my head silently. Her voice scared me. I walk to my bunk and lay down. She pulls the curtain to my bed shut and blows the lanterns out in the cabin. I hear her walk to her bed and close the other curtain. “She's hiding something, but what is it?” I ask myself as I lay down to sleep. I remember to take my coat off and hang it on the corner of the desk. No sense losing sleep over it. I lay my head back on the pillow that was given to me. The soft pillow hugs my neck and head. I quickly fall to sleep.