The Tempest tales

"Knock knock ... Fizzle?"
Fizzlepop was awakened by her nightmares.
“Knock knock… Fizzle? Are you alive?" she heard Flynn calling her.
It took her a few seconds to settle in and realize where she was.
"Yes, I'm awake." she yelled back.
"Perfect, when you're ready, come down and have breakfast." she heard the footsteps of the captain going away.

Fizzlepop got out of bed and stretched, snapping her leg and neck joints, even though she hadn't slept on her bed she had managed to rest quite well.
She looked out the window and saw only sky and a few clouds, obviously she couldn't see anything else as they were flying.
She moved towards the door, today she decided not to use the cloak, the speech of the night before was imprinted in her mind.
She left her cabin and went into the dining room.

"Good morning everyone." she said as she entered the room.
"Good morning to you." the others answered.
Flynn and Bash were already seated, Boomer and Tread missing.
"Nice look." Flynn told her as he whistled to emphasize his statement.
Fizzlepop blushed slightly and went to sit in her place.
"I thought about what you said yesterday and I decided not to wear the cloak, from now on I want to be proud of my scars." she explained.
"Well said Fizzle." Bash answered in his hoarse voice.

At that moment Tread appeared from the kitchen wearing an apron, Fizzlepop was tempted to laugh again but restrained herself, he had a large frying pan and a wooden spatula in his hand.
As soon as he saw Fizzlepop he gave her a quick glance but he didn't comment on her appearance.
"Good morning Fizzle." he greeted her.
"Day to you." she returned the greeting.

"Where is Boomer?" Fizzlepop asked.
"He usually wakes up a little later." Flynn said as he handed the plate to Tread.
"What's for breakfast?" There was a very delicious aroma in the air, she could recognize the eggs but there was certainly something else.
"Eggs and bacon." Tread said as he handed her the plate.
Fizzlepop saw that inside there was scrambled egg and next to it a brown stripe with white veins, it seemed to be crunchy and that was what gave off the intoxicating scent.
"What is bacon?" she asked as she inhaled the pleasant aroma.
"It's pork, especially a very fat side cut into thin slices." Tread explained.

Like yesterday, she was somewhat reluctant to eat parts of animals, however she could not be picky as there was only that, besides yesterday's fish was very good so it was worth tasting.
Se took a piece of it with the fork and brought it to her mouth, chewed it and savored it.
The texture was crunchy at the edges while the inside was soft, the flavor was very salty but tasty.
"It tastes very ... intense." she commented.
"That's why there is an egg, try eating them together." Tread said.
Fizzlepop followed the advice and took a piece of bacon and omelette with a fork. "
When she put them in her mouth she was amazed, the flavor of the meat was contrasted by the egg, in this way a perfect balance of flavors was created.
"It's really good! I think it's my new favorite dish, you are a myth Tread! " Fizzlepop said excitedly as she took another bite.
For the first time since she met him, she saw a slight smile on Tread's face, but it disappeared immediately.

They ate for a few minutes in silence until Flynn spoke to her
"So Fizzle, we're going to do some work on the ship this morning."
"Of course, I can't wait to help out, I'm not just going to be a passenger." Fizzlepop said as she chewed, it was not polite to talk and chew but from what she understood these frivolities did not matter now.
"Glad to hear it, I'm glad when my crew members aren't listless." if he could he would have shot Boomer a dirty look.
When they finished eating, they cleared the table and went to the main deck, Tread stayed in the kitchen washing the dishes and pans.

“So Fizzle, we're going to do a lot today, but we have to get the ship off first. This will be your first task. " he told her and motioned for her to go to the helm.
"There are two types of landing, the horizontal one where the airship drops in altitude as it moves forward. And the vertical one where the airship drops in altitude but remains stationary horizontally. The horizontal landing is used when you are in a hurry and you have a lot of space to maneuver, however it is better to do it only when necessary, the vertical one takes a little more time but there is no risk of damaging the hull."
Fizzlepop listened very carefully and nodded to show that she understood.
"Great, go ahead." Flynn said.
Fizzlepop turned to the rudder, put a hoof on the second lever and pulled it towards the center, the airship slowed to a stop, then pulled down the first lever to descend in altitude and in a few minutes she could see the surface of the 'Ocean . When the hull sank in the water, the airship shook slightly and then began to rock to the rhythm of the waves.
"It was great, you managed to land without any instruction, I congratulate you." Flynn said as he clapped his hands.

"Yawn…" they heard a long yawn from beneath them.
Fizzlepop looked down and saw that Boomer had just come out of the aft castle.
"Finally you woke up lazy!" Flynn yelled at him.
"Good morning to you too captain." Boomer said sarcastically.
The wolf stretched and then looked around.
"I see we're ditched, are you explaining to Fizzle what to do?" Boomer asked.
"Exactly, however I didn't have to tell her anything, she landed the ship all by herself. She is better than you. " commented the cat as he winked at her.
“I have to go back to my quarters to handle some paperwork and calculate the route for refueling. Now it's up to you to explain to Fizzle. " Flynn said as he descended the stairs and disappeared into the aft castle.

Fizzlepop walked down the stairs and stood in front of Boomer.
"Nice look FIzzle, I bet you well punished the beast that made those scars on you" Boomer commented after seeing her body.
"How do you know it was an animal that hurt me?" Fizzlepop asked puzzled.
"It can be seen from the scratches close and parallel to each other." said the wolf and then changed the subject.
"So Fizzle, we have some things to do before we leave, since we are on the water it is best to use it while we can. First of all we should clean the deck while the sun is not yet high. " Boomer explained.
Fizzlepop nodded.
"Great, I'll show you where the tools are and then we'll start."
The two went into the closet, got some buckets and snot, and went back to the main deck.
“So Fizzle, I'll clean the stern and foredeck, you can clean this central area. Remember to empty the bucket every now and then and use a little soap. " Boomer said and then took his bucket and went up the stairs.
Fizzlepop began to clean but soon found that she was having a hard time pressing snot to the floor using only the horn, so she balanced on her hind legs and used the others to grab the handle.
She was amazed at how easy it was, in fact it was not the first time she had stood upright on two legs, this was due to the fact that her joints had a wider range of motion, she had discovered this after some x-rays and the doctors told her which was a simple consequence of her "particular nature".

"Wow, I didn't realize you were that tall." Boomer had noticed her.
If he had stood next to her, his eyes would have been level with her horn.
"I guess it is strange for you to see a pony on two legs, usually we are always on four." Fizzlepop said.
"But it seems to me that you are taller than a normal pony, in fact I have never seen a pony as tall as you." Boomer had stopped moving his snot and looked at her with curiosity and perhaps a hint of suspicion.
"Why don't we talk a little about you? How did you end up being part of this crew? " Fizzlepop tried to change the subject.
"Oh, it's been a long time since I first met Captain Flynn." Boomer said as he resumed cleaning “my story is not that interesting, I was a very ordinary young man who worked with his parents on a remote farm in the middle of the countryside. I hated living there, nothing interesting happened and I spent my days dreaming a different life. "
"I would never have taken you for a farmer." Fizzlepop commented.
“Ahahahah, you're damn right, I can hardly believe it too! In short, a wolf who raises animals? It sounds like a joke. " Boomer said in a witty way and then resumed his story.
“One day while I was plowing the fields an airship landed abruptly near our shed. I ran to see what had happened and when I arrived I met the captain and Bash getting off the airship. The two were not injured but the airship had a seriously damaged engine, it was practically unusable. Since there were no mechanics in the area, I offered to repair the ship. "
"How did you know how to fix an engine?" Fizzlepop asked.
"From an early age I had always been passionate about mechanics and I had always dreamed of being able to get my hands on an engine."

"The repairs went on for several days, when I was not repairing the airship Flynn and Bash were helping me in the fields and on the farms. We had become familiar and had become friends. When the ship was ready to leave they asked me if I would like to come with them. Initially I thought it was a joke but when they asked me again I didn't think twice and accepted, I didn't want to spend a minute more in that place. And here after twenty years I continue to work on this ship. " Boomer finished telling.
"And your parents? Didn't they tell you anything? " Fizzlepop said.
"Oh yes, they were very against the idea of me abandoning the farm, however I told them it was my life and only I could decide what I wanted to do and be."

When the story was over, Fizzlepop resumed cleaning in silence.
She mulled over the last sentence said by Boomer, in some way it was similar to her, he had lived a life that did not satisfy him and one day he decided to leave his home and his parents.
She felt reassured knowing that she was not the only one to have committed a madness.

"Great, I think we can stop." Boomer's words roused her from her thoughts.
Fizzlepop checked her watch, it was half past eleven. Time had passed quickly.
"Now that we have pretended to clean we can go and check the engine and the cleaner."
The two went to put away buckets and snot and headed to the engine room.

"This engine does not require a lot of maintenance, the only thing we have to do is clean and oil the gears and make sure that the ash drain is not clogged."
Boomer passed her a rag and a can of oil.
"You just have to wet the rag with some oil and wipe it between the gears." he explained to her as he made the gesture as a demonstration.
"Got it, do I also have to make the conveyor belt?" Fizzlepop asked.
"Yes, in the meantime I'm going to see the exhaust and if there are any faults." Boomer answered.

Fizzlepop scrubbed the oil all the gears in just 15 minutes and Boomer had given her a hand as he was done before her.
"Now we need to check the water purifier." said the wolf as they moved to the other side of the engine.
Boomer opened a door revealing a large compartment, on the bottom there was a large amount of white powder.
"What you see is salt, which is the residue of water purification." Boomer took a pinch and handed it to Fizzlepop, the alicorn licked it and felt the strong taste of the salt on her tongue.
"We do not throw away the salt but we will put it in a container, in this way we can reuse it or resell it." Boomer said as he pointed to a barrel, there was more salt inside. Fizzlepop was given a shovel to move the salt and in a few minutes she finished the job.
Boomer closed the door and stood next to a control console.
"Now you just have to activate the pump to fill the water tank, just press this button." he pointed to a blue button on the panel.
Since it was at the height of an anthropomorphic, Fizzlepop stood up on his hind legs and pressed the button.
"Great, we're done for this morning, we will resume this afternoon after having lunch." Boomer said.

They left the engine room and they went to eat; when Flynn and Bash arrived they were already sitting at the table, obviously Tread was working in the kitchen.
"Welcome, you have worked a lot." Flynn greeted them.
"That's right, Fizzle gave me a big hand, mostly to clean." Boomer said as they sat down.
"I'm happy, in fact we would need a fifth crew member." replied the captain.
Fizzlepop thought about the situation, even though it had only been a day and a half she was already adjusting to life on board. She remembered the story of Boomer, would they ask her to be part of the crew?
At that moment Tread came from the kitchen, holding a large steaming pan.
"What have you prepared today?" Fizzlepop asked.
"Salmon fillet." Tread said in his monotone voice as he motioned for the others to bring the plates closer.

The five talked over lunch and when they finished Flynn turned to Fizzlepop.
“You've already done your bit of work for today. We will finish arranging the ship, you have the whole afternoon free. " Flynn said.
"I'm not tired, I can still help." Fizzlepop protested.
"I don't doubt Fizzle, but it's best not to overdo it, and remember we'll be together for a whole month so take your time."

After finishing lunch Fizzlepop went back to her room, in reality she was undecided on what to do, she rummaged in the bedside table to check what she had brought.
In the top drawer she had put the map, the royal pin, the pen and ink, a flashlight, a compass, the first aid kit, and the matches. The latter were not particularly necessary, she could have easily used the breath of fire but it was better to use the matches in case she did not want to reveal her drachronic part.
There were also personal hygiene products: the toothbrush and toothpaste, the mane brush, the shampoo and the box for contact lenses.
She brought it only in case she had to remove the lenses, but she could have kept them on practically forever since they were specially designed not to dry the eyes or become annoying over time.
In the lower compartment there were the books she had bought at the port of Blapolis, her eye fell on the diary, she hadn't written anything yet.
"I could start writing, it's only been two days but some things have happened."
Before she started writing she decided it was best to brush her teeth, in fact she hadn't brushed them since she left and her breath smelled faintly.
She grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste and headed for the bathroom.

Before entering she knocked on the door, it was better to make sure no one was there.
Nobody answered so she walked in without delay, she stood in front of the sink and after spreading the toothpaste on her toothbrush she brushed her teeth thoroughly.
She was about to go back to her room when she noticed the shower in the corner.
"I better cleanse me this evening, I wouldn't want to smell next to others."
She shivered as she imagined one of the guys telling her to wash, if that happened she would jump out of the airship in shame.

She returned to her room, closed the door and took the diary, pen and ink. She sat down and put everything on the desk.
When she opened the diary she did not start writing immediately but she thought about what to tell; she laughed if she took into consideration that she would be back from school by now and she would be having lunch with her parents.
Thinking about those two she felt a slight sense of guilt and lack, however it was not that strong since in recent times they spoke little to her and were only together when they ate. The memory of that last discussion made her boil by anger but she refrained from destroying the room.

About an hour passed and Fizzlepop was still writing, she decided that she didn't want to write a simple list of events like a report, but she wanted it to be similar to a story with the features of a diary.
"Knock knock ... Fizzle are you here?" she heard Tread's deep, dark voice.
Fizzlepop put her pen down and turned toward the door.
"I'm here, come in."
The door opened a little and Tread's head appeared.
"I came to warn you that soon we will take off again." said the bird.
"Okay, fine and thanks for telling me." Fizzlepop answered.
Tread disappeared closing the door.
Within seconds the ship began to tremble slightly and rise in altitude, the undulatory movement of the boat ceased and was replaced by the almost imperceptible feeling of emptiness under the hooves.

Another hour passed and finally she finished writing, reread the content and was happy, she had always been a skilled writer, there were no grammar and syntax errors.
She put the diary away on the bedside table while the pen and ink left them on the desk.
She looked at her watch and saw that it was still three in the afternoon, the only thing she could do was read or go to see what others were doing, the latter option was ignored because she did not want to disturb.
She took the second book in the Daring Do series and lay down in bed to read.

"Knock Knock…." someone knocked on the door again.
"Enter" Fizzle said as she closed the book and got into a sitting position. The door swung open and Flynn entered.
"Hey Fizzle, I came to tell you dinner is ready."
Only now did Fizzlepop realize that the room was dark and the sun had gone down outside.
"Sure, I'll be right there." said the alicorn as she got out of bed and put the book back on the bedside table.

When she arrived in the dining room she went to sit in her place.
"Welcome back Fizzle, we haven't seen you all afternoon, what did you do?" Boomer asked.
"I started writing my diary and then I read." Fizzlepop answered.
"Interesting, you should see Tread's book collection, he has tons of them in his cabin." commented the wolf.
"Nobody will get their hands on my treasure." Tread said, there was a hint of fear in his voice.
"However, I am afraid that the books will not be enough for me for the whole trip." Fizzlepop pointed out.
"You don't have to worry about that, in a few days we will stop to stock up on coal and provisions and you'll have the chance to buy something." Flynn assured her.
"What have you prepared anyway?" she asked Tread.
"Nothing special, a simple onion and chickpea soup." the cook answered as he filled her plate.

"Fizzle, I wanted to ask you a question." Bash spoke after a few minutes they were eating.
"Sure tell me." Fizzlepop said as she took a spoonful of soup.
“I've always wondered one thing, you are a pony.... so could you tell me how your logic of dressing works? Don't you feel… naked? " asked the imposing shark.
Fizzlepop thought about it for a while, it was the first time someone asked her a similar question but it made sense for someone who wasn't a pony.
"I guess you'll wonder why ponies don't regularly wear clothes like anthropomorphs."
Bash nodded.
"It is a matter of habit and comfort, since we are on four paws it is difficult for us to wear clothes, and then they would hinder us in our movements, in addition we have evolved to have a fur that is very resistant to cold but which does not make us overheat when it's hot. However, there are cases in which we use clothes such as when we have to be elegant, other times we only use some pieces of clothing such as hats or jackets to distinguish ourselves, for impious the postmen use a hat with the symbol of the post. " Fizzlepop tried to explain as best she could.
"And as for the… I don't know how to say it." Bash said slightly embarrassed.
"Do you mean the private parts?"
Bash nodded again.
“Given our structure, the private parts are covered by the tail and the hind legs, but I think that stallions have more difficulty in case they have an erection, however if it happens, to us it is not a scandal, we consider it as a completely natural reaction. " the alicorn said quietly.
"Really interesting." Tread commented as he had a hand on his chin, he had been listening intently to the whole conversation.

"Can I ask you a question?" Fizzlepop said.
"Of course." Flynn replied.
"What is the name of this ship?"
Flynn's eyes widened and leaned forward.
"Haven't we told you yet ?!" asked the astonished cat.
Fizzlepop shook his head no.
"Then I have the pleasure of introducing you to this wonderful vessel for the second time." Flynn said as he stood up.
"Welcome to the Skyshark." the commander's voice was full of pride.
"It's a beautiful name." Fizzlepop simply said as she ate the soup.
The cat deflated and sat down again.
"Feel free to comment, I bet you're thinking it's a trivial name." commented the saddened cat.
"No no no, it's absolutely a lovely name ... and perhaps a little predictable." the last part she just thought of so as not to hurt the captain's feelings.
"Glad you think so." Flynn finished saying.
Throughout the rest of the dinner they questioned each other until Fizzlepop gave a long yawn and put a hoof in front of her mouth.
"I think I'll go to bed, but I want to take a shower first." Fizzlepop said.
"Okay, good night Fizzle." Flynn said.
"Good night Fizzle." the other three repeated.
"See you tomorrow." Fizzlepop greeted them and left the dining room.