The Count of Monte Rainbow

Edmond grasped for the row, looking to Fernand.

"We need to find land, he needs help! Grab a row!" Dashie hollered to Fernand, trying to be louder than the roaring sea.

Fernand was laying back in the row boat, but he sat up. He rolled his eyes and grabbed a row.

"How do you do this all day Edmond?! This is already tiring!" Fernand hollered after three rows.

Edmond chuckled, but had no response.

"I was being serious," Fernand said quietly, so Edmond wouldn't hear.

They rowed on, not engaging in conversation, just rowing, hoping to find land.

A few hours of tired rowing passed, and then, Edmond saw it. Land.

"Fernand! Look! Land!" Edmond shouted, pointing towards the island he saw.

Fernand turned, looking to where he pointed. His eyes widened.

"Edmond, we can't go there. They kill "visitors", no mercy," Fernand said, concerned, ears laying back as he turned back around to face his friend.

"Well, they don't know who they're dealing with," Edmond said confidently.

Fernand rolled his eyes once more, proceeding onward with the rowing.

They watched as the land grew closer and closer to them.

"Land ho!" Edmond yelled as the boat hit the sand, dropping the row, running and jumping off the boat. He flapped his wings and he lifted upward. Fernand watched in jealousy. Then, a bullet flew past Edmond. He dogged it, not on purpose though. They both looked as some guards that had appeared, were firing at them. Edmond lowered to the ground,

"We mean no harm! We come in peace!" He shouted to the guards wings up, but they kept firing, not listening.

Edmond walked towards them a bit, Fernand watching in horror. He was worried he would get shot. Edmond flew up to them, dogging bullets left and right, making sure they didn't hit Fernand either. He swopped down and grabbed a gun strait out of a guards hooves, and grew angry. He fired at some of the guards, not caring about what the consequences would be. He shot at them all, flying back towards Fernand, who was staring in horror.

"WE MEAN NO HARM!" Edmond shouted.

For fear of death, the guards stopped when their leader came out of the blue. Edmond dropped his gun and landed, watching the man.

"Who are you and what do you want?" The man asked.

"My name is Edmond Dashie, this is my friend, Fernand Monsparkle, and our captain is in a coma. He needs help, and when he's better, we'll leave, I promise." Edmond said, taking authority of the two.

"Alright then. Follow," the man said, turning and walking, the guards following.

Edmond turned back to Fernand. He gestured towards the group led by the man. Fernand stamped the ground.

"Edmond! You almost got us killed! I'm a little upset!" Fernand said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, and I know that. I'll be more careful next time. I promise," Edmond said, then turning and trotting to the others.

Fernand turned and looked at the sea, raising his ears to the sound of the peaceful ocean, and then back to Edmond and the other ponies. He calculated for a minute.

"You make a lot of promises Edmond..." he sighed, but followed the rest.

The man sat down at his desk, the rest of his men carrying Edmond and Fernand's captain, Edmond and Fernand behind it all. They layed the captain down on a table, and examined him.

"Don't hurt him!" Edmond said, coming closer to see what they were doing.

Fernand grabbed his arm, and gave him a look. Edmond snorted, but listened to his wiser friend.

"If he truly is in a coma, he won't feel the cut of my knife," One of the nurses said to them.

Edmond looked at the length and height of the knife, but most important, the sharpness.

"I said, don't hurt him!" He shouted.

"I won't," the nurse whispered.

He put a small cut in the captains arm, staring angrily at Edmond as he did so. He then, cut deeper, and deeper. Edmond snorted again, and ran and jumped onto the table. He grabbed the knife from the nurse and made a stabbing gesture at him, making the pony flinch.

"Edmond!" Fernand yelled at him, making him stop.

Edmond dropped the knife, snapping back to himself, and got off the table. He went back over to to Fernand. Fernand punched his arm. He looked at him and rubbed it, ears back, knowing what Fernand wanted.

"Sorry," Edmond whispered, ashamed.

Fernand looked at him for a minute, but then, looked back at the nurse, snout up.

"Edmond, Fernand, come! I'll give you a room as my men take care of your captain," the man said to them, and directed it towards his men a bit as well.

Edmond walked towards the man in the door way, Fernand following.

They sat in their room, drinking. Edmond laughed a drunken laugh, at nothing.

"So, when are you and Shycedes gonna get married?" Fernand asked, taking another gulp of his drink.

Edmond shrugged, and took another gulp too. He ended with a delighted sigh.

"When I can afford a ring," Edmond said, clearly upset.

"W-Well, if you ever need a lone, just go to the bank," Fernand said, laying back on the couch some more.

Edmond said up, stretching his wings and yawned.

"The bank said that we can't have any more lones until we pay off our debt we already owe," Edmond replied, folding his wings back down.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Edmond's ears perked up, and he went to answer it, setting his drink down on the way there. He opened it, and it was the man from before.

"Edmond, take a walk with me for a minute?" The man asked.

Edmond looked back at Fernand, but saw that he was sprawled out on the couch, asleep. He nodded "yes".

They rounded the corner, and reached a balcony. Edmond looked around, staring at the pinkish sunset. He thought of Shycedes, and sighed.

"So, you're from Canterlot, right?" The man asked, staring off into the distance as he said this.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Edmond said, looking back at him.

"Well, I have a friend in Canterlot, that I haven't seen in a while, and, well, Edmond? Can you keep a secret?" He asked him.

Edmond nodded "yes" once again.

"Good, well, I need you to deliver this to a friend of mine," he asked Edmond, handing him a letter with his vibrant green magic.

Edmond stared at it, blank faced for a moment, but then he took it, shoving it into one of his pockets.

"Yes sir, but, may I ask, what is it?" Edmond asked, sheepishly.

"Well, it's just a letter to a friend... a personal letter to a friend," the man said, getting closer to Edmond's face, practically touching snouts with him.

"Yes, s-sir," Edmond said, backing up.

"Good boy. Now,' he whispered a name into Edmond's ear 'can you remember that name?" He asked the colt.

"Yes sir, that's Princess Luna!" Edmond said, smiling.

"Good, now, back to your room with you," the man said, gesturing towards the corner of the balcony.

Edmond nodded, smiling, and turned and trotted back to his room. The man sneered at the young, foolish, colt.