Broken Worlds: A Sea Of Tears

I yawned tiredly as I readjusted myself against my feathery pillow, smiling contently at its warm fluffiness. So comfy, I thought pleasantly, and felt a comforting arm wrap around me. “Hmm… don’t touch me,” I stubbornly said half-lucidly, “I don’t like being touched…”

Just then I snapped my eyes open and looked over to see Gilda blinking the sleep out of her eyes, a look of surprise plastered on her face; clearly she had realized what was going on at about the same moment that I did. “AHHH!” I screamed as I jumped up and ran to the opposite wall of the brig. “What the hell?!” I snapped angrily as I blushed.

Gilda was just as red. “Why were you burying your face in my feathers?” She asked hotly.

“Why were you cuddling me?” I shot back.

“Aw, come on, you two,” Sweetie Belle said tiredly as she rubbed her eyes, “I was having a nice dream…”

Gilda glanced over at Sweetie Belle, then back at me. “We don’t speak of this. Ever,” she growled.

I shrugged and stretched my arms. “You don’t scare me,” I said with a yawn, and began shuffling through my bag.

Gilda stalked over by me, a clever look on her face as she held a talon near my throat. “Are you scared now, tough guy?” She asked smugly.

I motioned downward with my eyes, and Gilda saw that I was now holding the Smith and Wesson that Drayke had given me back at the Resistance base. It was aimed directly at her head. “I’m never scared,” I replied. “I’ve always got a plan to cover my ass when shit hits the fan.”

Gilda withdrew her claw and snorted. “Then how’d you end up stranded in the middle of the ocean and picked up by pirates?” She asked teasingly.

I rolled my eyes. “The only other option was getting ripped apart by a sword-wielding chunk of glass,” I retorted, and went back to shuffling through my belongings. “Well, most of this shit is soaked, but I can just lay it out to dry…”

“Hey! There’s foals in here! Watch your language!” Gilda snapped.

Scootaloo looked insulted. “We are not foals!” She cried defiantly. “We are proud and strong mares!”

Gilda smiled and wrapped the orange pegasus in a warm hug. “You’ll always be a foal to me, Scoots,” she said with a laugh as she rubbed a knuckle in Scootaloo’s mane.

I stared blankly, the scene reminding me of when Tony was alive; when I was younger, if he could manage to catch me, he’d always wrap me up in his arms and give me noogies until I begged for mercy.

“Hey, kid? You okay?”

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Huh?” I asked, confused.

Gilda was staring at me with a raised eyebrow. “You… you were crying.”

I reached up and touched the upper region of my cheek and found that a small stream of tears had leaked out of my eyes. “Saltwater,” I grunted simply, and went back to investigating my pack.

“Is everything okay, mister?” Applebloom asked as she carefully drew near.

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. “I’m fine,” I said plainly, and continued shuffling through my belongings. “If only I bothered to seal this stuff in plastic wrap or something,” I muttered as I laid the dripping clothes on the floor to dry.

Applebloom took a few steps closer. “Are you sure?” she pressed on, “If something's bothering you, you should talk about it with a friend instead of keeping it bottled up inside you.”

I sighed heavily and glanced over at the horse. “Look, Applebloom, was it? I don't need to talk about my ‘feelings’. I just need to get off of this ship and back to Earth,” I explained as I continued to rummage through my bag.

Sweetie Belle trotted over and peered over my shoulder. “Wow, how much stuff do you have in there?” She asked.

I began to wring out a cloth I had originally figured would make a decent bandage, but made a disgusted noise and tossed it aside when I realized that the seawater had completely ruined it. “Not enough,” I grumbled. “All things to help me survive over the past eight months.”

Scootaloo sat down on the opposite side of the bag, and Gilda took a spot next to her. I was annoyed that they wouldn't leave me alone, but I tried my best to keep my cool; the scene of the last time I lost control played like a movie in my mind. “We've been traveling together for almost three years,” she replied simply, clearly trying her best to not sound as though she was bragging.

I glanced up at the three ponies and their gryphon companion. “Three years? Just the four of you?” I inquired.

They all nodded solemnly.

I stared at the junk I had been able to salvage from my pack. “That's pretty impressive,” I said with a slight chuckle. “You don't hold each other back or get on each other’s nerves?”

“Well, sometimes,” Gilda said with a teasing wink at the others, “but I don’t think I could have made it this long without them. They’re great company, you know?”

Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle all made that weird, high-pitched noise that Equestrian ponies made when they were happy, and hugged Gilda. I was about to throw up from the sickening sweetness of it all, but I heard the sound of the door to the brig opening. The muscular gryphon stood at the top of the steps and pointed to me. “Cap’n wants to have a word with you,” you growled, and motioned for me to follow him. I grabbed my bag and ascended the steps, shielding my eyes at the sudden change in light.

“What the hell does your captain want with me?” I asked, glancing coolly at the crew members who stared at me as the buccaneer led me to the captain’s cabin.

The buccaneer grinned. “I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise,” he growled, and shoved me through the door, the latch clicking behind me.

“So,” a feminine voice spoke from the darkness of the cabin, “a lone human clinging to a piece of driftwood in the middle of the ocean crosses paths with my great and powerful ship? You’ve got spirit, I’ll give you that.” Just then, I realized that I couldn’t move; it was almost like I was paralyzed, but I could still feel my muscles. “Maybe I’ll cut it out of you?” The voice asked, and I could barely see a sliver of light as a blade glimmered faintly in the darkness.

I struggled to break free from the invisible force. “You really don’t want to do that,” I growled in a strained voice.

The blade drew back, and I could hear it scrape against its sheath. “Well, you’re right on that part; I’m not a murderer,” the captain chuckled. “Your defiance is quite foolish, however; what would have stopped me from cuttingnyour life short if I wasn’t so merciful?”

A match struck in the darkness and floated around the room, lighting several oil lamps to reveal the captain: a light-blue unicorn with a white mane and violet eyes. She had a clever, smug look to her, and was dressed in your stereotypical pirate captain’s duster, which was a soft violet and decorated with different celestial shapes. “So, what brings you so far out here? You humans tend to stick to your cities and military bases; it’s quite rare to see one in Equestria at all, in fact,” she added, and then chuckled. “Well, it’s rare to be able to live to tell the tale, at least.”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “I'd be a little more talkative if I was allowed to move a little more,” I pointed out struggling against the invisible grip. “I also prefer to start conversations with an introduction.”

The unicorn waved her head slightly as her horn glowed for a brief moment, and I suddenly found myself able to move again. “My name is Trixie Lulamoon,” she said, rolling her “R”s in a rather annoying fashion, and began to pour herself a cup of tea from a kettle that sat on her desk. “Would you care for a cup? This is some of the finest tea in the world; imported from Indoneighsia, brewed from the most succulent wild tea leaves anypony has laid eyes on,” she said, almost sounding like she was bragging.

I pulled up a chair and sat down, placing my feet on the edge of the desk. “Not much of a tea guy, but thanks,” I replied. “I'm Wayne Douglas, by the way,” I added.

Trixie glared at my feet and waved her horn, causing an invisible force to push my legs to the side. “I return your movement to you, and you repay me with such impolite behavior? Don't make me regret my decision to remove you from the brig, Wayne,” she said threateningly.

I nodded and leaned forward as Trixie sat in the chair opposite me. “Very well then, let's get down to business; why did you call me up here in the first place?” I inquired suspiciously.

Trixie took a thoughtful sip of tea. “I find you… intriguing,” she said finally. “I wasn't just teasing when I said you had spirit; after all, what sort of human survives floating in the ocean, clinging to a log with nothing but his clothes and a duffle bag filled with junk? Speaking of which, these were in the net with you, but you didn't get a chance to pick them up before my crew threw you in the brig; I assume you'd like them back?” She asked, and placed my skull bandana and goggles on the table.

I reached out for them, but found my hand was unable to reach out more than a foot before bumping into a force field; more fucking magic. “Tut-tut,” Trixie said with a clever smile. “Before you go hiding your face from me, I want to know more about the real you. Who is ‘Wayne Douglas’, really?”

I sighed. “Can we please skip storytime?” I requested hopelessly.

Trixie stared at me, her expression unamused.

I rolled my eyes and told Trixie my story, starting from when I left Tony’s farm, my run-in with the Resistance, all the way to the previous night when her crew picked me up. She listened intently to every word, as though I was delivering the words of Shakespeare or something. When I concluded my story, I sat silently and awaited her reaction.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

I raised an eyebrow; I can't say that was the reaction I was expecting.

“You had so many friends who cared about you… why would you just cast them off like that?” She looked confused and concerned as she said this.

I rolled my eyes; why was everyone in this word so obsessed with friendship? “I can take care of myself just fine,” I said stubbornly. “Having others around just holds me back.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Well, how do you explain why I'm doing so well?” She asked incredulously. “I have a whole crew of friends helping me run this ship, and we've gotten along just fine.”

I rose to my feet and stretched my arms. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't; it all depends on the individual,” I replied nonchalantly. “Now, if that's all you wanted, I'll be returning to the brig.”

I turned to leave, but found myself once again stopped by an invisible force. “Wait,” Trixie said solemnly, “I have a proposition for you.”

I turned back to the unicorn mare. “That would be…?”

Trixie cleared her throat. “Wayne Douglas, I would like to offer you an honorary spot in my crew,” she offered kindly. “You can go wherever you like in the world, but should you need any kind of help,” she opened a drawer on her desk and received an ancient-looking flute, “simply play this, and we’ll come to your aid as fast as we can.”

I stared at the flute for a long time, before carefully reaching out and taking it. “Although I prefer to go it alone, I can't argue with some free help in a fight,” I admitted. “Why are you doing this for me?”

Trixie shrugged. “I used to be the same way, thinking that I didn't need friendship to be happy,” she explained. “Maybe this will help show you what it took me so long to see.

“We'll be arriving in Wingapore in about three days’ time; we'll drop you off there, and then you can let destiny guide you,” she said finally. “When you go down to the brig, tell Gilda and the others that they will be departing with you, unless they wish to stay on the ship.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why are they down there, anyways?” I inquired curiously.

Trixie shrugged. “Our brig is more of a time-out room than an actual jail cell,” she explained. “Gilda wasn't getting along with the rest of the crew, so I sent her down there for a couple of nights; the three mares with her insisted on joining her for some reason.”

I nodded understandingly. “Well, thanks for the lift and everything,” I said thankfully, putting on my bandana and goggles.

Trixie nodded acknowledgingly. “It was a pleasure talking with you, Wayne,” she replied. “Also, you mentioned meeting someone named ‘Rainbow Dash’ during your travels, correct? Should you run into her again, could you pass along a message?”

I shrugged. “I doubt I'll be seeing her any time soon, but sure,” I said.

Trixie sighed. “Have her tell Twilight Sparkle that I said ‘thank you’,” she said quietly. “Also, make sure she, Applejack, and Rarity know that Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are safe.”

I nodded once again. “I'll try to remember that,” I replied, and exited the cabin without another word.