Broken Worlds: A Sea Of Tears

“Come on, give me your best!”

I rolled my shoulders and gripped my machete as the burly gryphon that had bullied me during my time on Trixie’s ship and I circled each other. He grinned craftily as he twirled a cutlass and slashed down at me, but I quickly parried and pushed the curved blade aside. I kept my stance low and reserved, and my movements were almost like those of a snake; I took long strides, kept my arms close to my sides, and slouched a bit, but my strikes were quick and deliberate. After a lunge, I would immediately return to my resting pose and await my next opportunity to strike.

“Come on, Sid, he's walking all over you!” A spectator cried as I delivered a slash that just barely grazed my opponent’s forearm, only snipping off a few feathers.

The gryphon gritted his teeth. “Why don't you face me like a real opponent?” He challenged. “This sly, sneaky business is getting on my nerves!”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “You can always give up,” I pointed out.

Sid growled in annoyance. “I bet I'll look good in those sunglasses you've got,” he said thoughtfully. “That facewrap will make a decent handkerchief, too.”

Just then, a sharp cry sounded from across the deck. “Back to work, you dogs!” Trixie snapped. “We're making port in Wingapore in less than two hours, and I'll flog every one of you if this vessel isn't ship-shape upon our arrival!”

Sid dropped his cutlass and began to bark out orders. “Tie down the cargo! Hoist the sails!” I wasted no time in sheathing my machete and grabbing a frayed rope to help the crew secure their goods. Gilda rushed to my side and helped hold some crates in place while I fastened them, and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo tried their best to stay out of the way; I had heard more than a few tales of them trying and failing to help with securing cargo, each of which ending with someone being flung overboard, a few crates being smashed, and apparently one time they even managed to attract a kraken to the ship.

After we had finished preparations, Trixie inspected every inch of the deck, nodding every so often to show her impressment with our job. “Not bad, crew,” she said finally. “Everyone take a rest while I steer us into port, and Sid, try not to start any fights with the locals this time.”

Sid shrugged next to me. “Not my fault they can’t take a little teasing,” he replied smugly.

I raised an eyebrow from behind my sunglasses. “Didn’t you say you threw a pony through a window last time you came to Wingapore?” I inquired flatly.

Sid frowned. “Come on, he didn’t even break through the glass,” he said defensively.

“Yes he did!” Trixie called as she stood behind the wheel. “Speaking of which, I’ve still got a payment to make to that poor, old shopkeeper; it’s coming out of your cut, you know!”

Sid grumbled as he stalked away, probably to find somebody else to haze, as Gilda and her three companions walked over to my side. “So, you got any plans once we reach port?” she asked nonchalantly.

I shrugged. “Get back to New Phoenix, take down BlackTech,” I replied.

Gilda rolled her eyes. “So straightforward,” she sighed. “I was asking because I wanted to know if you were looking to have a few travelling buddies, at least for a little while.” I was about to speak, but she went on: “I know you’ve said you prefer to travel alone, but the girls have really taken a liking to you for some reason, and I guess I can tolerate you, for their sake,” she added teasingly. “We’re all heading in the same direction, anyway; you’ll have to get back to the mainland in Equestria in order to reach a portal close to New Phoenix, right?”

I nodded slowly. “I guess,” I said uncertainly. I knew there had to be a portal somewhere near Wingapore - there was supposed to be a particularly dense human population compared to other settlements in Equus- but I didn't want to risk ending up on the other side of the world that I wanted to be on.

Gilda nodded, satisfied. “Then it's settled,” she said, patting me on the shoulder. “Just don't leave Wingapore without us, or I'll have to beat you up.” With that, she turned and began to walk away as the three fillies tackled me in a big hug.

“We'll be the best traveling companions ever!” They promised.

I squirmed in the grip of the three mares. “Stuff like this isn't going to convince me to keep you around, you know,” I growled as I struggled to break free. The ponies released me from their embrace and rushed into the crew's quarters to prepare for their departure. I sighed as I leaned over the railing and gazed at the city we were fast approaching: Wingapore.

These horses’ habit of naming their cities based on puns was getting on my nerves.

~-~-~-~-~

“It's been a pleasure having you aboard, girls,” Trixie said as she addressed Gilda, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo on the docks. “It will be strange not having you around, I must admit.”

Sid stepped forward and placed a casual arm around Gilda’s shoulders. “Here’s hoping we meet up again on the road of life, you salty bitch,” he growled teasingly.

Gilda smirked and, with a swift movement, grabbed Sir's invasive limb and flipped him onto his back. “I've gotta admit, your ugly mug is one of the few things I won't miss about this ship,” she said coyly.

I cleared my throat and adjusted my shoulder holster that carried my rifle. “I'm not a huge fan of goodbyes, and I have an agenda to catch up on, so is there any chance we could hurry this up?” I suggested brightly.

Sid rose to his feet and brought his face right up to mine. “Careful of this one, Gilda,” he said cautioningly. “My pa always said to never trust someone who always wears a mask.”

I sighed as I pulled down my bandana and lifted my sunglasses, giving the muscle-bound gryphon a front-row seat to my resting bitch face. “Better?” I replied.

Sid stared for a moment. “Could you…” he lifted a careful talon and placed my sunglasses back over my face, and I lifted my bandana back up over my mouth and nose. “Thanks,” he said quickly. “I'm just going to go help the others unload the cargo… best of luck!” He called as he rushed back onto the ship.

Trixie stared as Sid ran off, and then turned to me. “Any chance I could get a picture of you?” She requested with a laugh. “It might come in handy for whenever he falls out of line.

“It was a privilege having you aboard, Wayne,” Trixie called over her shoulder, giving me an acknowledging nod as she returned to her ship. “Remember, there's always a spot open in my crew if you're looking for work.”

I nodded, feeling just a little bit touched by the sincerity in the blue unicorn’s words. “I'll keep that in mind, Trixie,” I replied thankfully, returning the nod, and then turned my attention to my newfound companions. “Now, if you four want to come with me, then we need to leave now.”

Gilda rolled her eyes as she led the three fillies down the pier. “Come on, Wayne; one day off of your big 'Destroy BlackTech’ scheme won't ruin things for you. Let's spend a day in Wingapore and relax for a bit before we head out onto the road.” I took a step forward to follow and protest with the sassy gryphon, but let out a pained groan when the muscles in my leg locked up and became filled with a searing pain, causing me to drop to my knees.

“Wayne, are you alright?” Applebloom asked worriedly as she and the others rushed to my side and helped me stand upright.

I nodded slightly. “Yeah,” I said uncertainly through gritted teeth. “I think I pulled a muscle, is all.”

Gilda gave me a serious look. “When was the last time you got a decent night's sleep on an actual bed?” She asked slowly.

I calculated how many days I had spent in the BlackTech labor factory. “At least a week,” I muttered.

I felt a pony head pressing against my back, and turned to see Scootaloo urging me along the pier. “Let's get you to a bed, tough guy,” she said teasingly. “If you're going to be falling apart on us this early in the journey, then we might as well hand ourselves over to BlackTech and skip the fight!”

~-~-~-~-~

That evening, I found myself lying in a hammock at an inn called “The Split Feather”. Gilda was able to convince the owners to let a human spend the night, but I had to act like I was her dim-witted manservant. Not my proudest moment, but I'm sure I've made it clear that I don't really give a shit about my reputation, and will do whatever I can to get by.

Of course, even I was hesitant about pretending to be a brain-dead pack mule for a gryphon and her three friends.

Gilda and the others were asleep in their own bunks, each scattered across the room with Gilda being closest to me. The three fillies had argued for some time about who would get the hammock, until they eventually and unanimously agreed to surrender it to me so my strained body could recover faster. I was more than happy to claim the comfiest bed for myself, but I couldn't help but feel touched by their kindness and generosity.

“Damn horses are making me lose my edge,” I muttered to myself.

I heard Gilda chuckle softly nearby. “You know, I said those exact same words not too long before I met these three,” she said thoughtfully. “I used to be a bit like you, Wayne; I acted tough and cool, didn't care what anybody thought of me or who got hurt. All that mattered was me.”

I yawned tiredly. “What changed you?” I asked.

Gilda sighed. “This war,” she said sadly. “It made me realize how temporary everything is; harmony, friendship, life… you've gotta cherish it while you've still got it, or one day, you'll just…”

I squirmed slightly in my suspended bed. “You'll end up like me,” I finished bitterly. “No peace because I'm so used to fighting. No friends because I forgot how to make them. No life because I died long ago.”

Gilda paused for a moment. “I was going to say 'whither away to nothing', but you can take it down a personal route if you want,” she said slowly.

“Sorry, I'm just…” I trailed off as my last conversation with Luna filled my thoughts. I can fix you. “Broken.”

Gilda made an affirmative sound. “A lot of things are broken these days, pal,” she said tiredly, “but the nice thing about broken stuff is that it usually isn't too hard to find someone who can fix it.”

I digested this. Was I meant to accept Luna's “gift”? Had I made the wrong choice in pushing her away so forcefully? I had made it this far on my instincts and luck alone; was it finally time to learn how to feel again, too? I didn't know, but the answer kept me up for nearly the whole night. I just stared out the window to see a crescent moon shining over the sea, as the peaceful snores of three young mares and a gryphon slowly lulled me into a relaxing slumber.