• Published 2nd Aug 2012
  • 1,086 Views, 25 Comments

Life-Led - Trevor Rain



A land of danger is the destination of Dash, one she doesn't understand.

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2
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Chapter 6

Mid-morning light shone through the cloudless sky to be reflected by the blue of the ocean, casing shadows of light that danced upon the troubled water. Across the waves also came an intruder of the expanse, a lone boat passed by with a sail that fully caught the eastern- borne wind. The boat took it’s advantage, and sped across in one fixed direction leaving a wake behind as it passed. The two occupants of the Jackln Rose were upon the deck, and neither were idle as they both had work to do.

“Pull it tightly, filly.”

Applejack could hear Skye talking behind her, but her focus remained on the knot in front of her. From securing animals to the honda knot on her lariat, she has learned throughout her life a dozen different knots needed for her profession. The understanding helped her quickly tie the double half-hitch to the mast. Hearing Sky’s words, she bit the end of the rope and pulled hard, robbing the rope of slack and tugging a few times to make sure it was secure. Applejack then ran aft with the rope, feeling it pass by her shoulder as she moved with uneven hooffalls.

Applejack bit down on the odd-looking metal tool that looked much like a rake to her, and hefted it over the aft of the boat where it landed into the water with splash. The rope began to trail behind it, and Applejack gripped it with her mouth before it could come taught so as not to damage the mast; that was only there to support the action. Applejack held on but found herself nearly falling to the deck as the boat suddenly pitched up, causing her to lose her balance.

Thinking to be re-acquainted facially again with the deck, Applejack closed her eyes, but was surprised to find the her balance regained. She looked behind her to see that Skye had secured the rope behind her, and was pulling along side Applejack while twisting it in a way to help Applejack retain her balance. Applejack nodded, dug her hooves into the deck of the Jackln Rose and pulled hard as she felt the metal rig find purchase. There was a momentary strain, then the lead went slack. Skye and Applejack pulled the rope quickly onto the deck, Skye stepping over the end of the rope to pull up the metal rigging onto the deck, seaweed wrapped along it’s frame.

Applejack knew she would miss the succulent red delicious her farm grows all the more before the journey was over.

Skye motioned for Applejack to come over and help him with the frame. Applejack stepped over to him, cursing her unsteady hooves on the boat. She fell in beside Skye, pulling at the plant to try and separate it from the contraption. Applejack still didn’t understand why Skye didn’t have to constantly be working the Rose’s wheel, Skye had said something about the way a boat is shaped made it keep it’s course, needed to only be adjusted to compensate for lean.

“You almost fell again.” Said Skye, breaking the silence. Applejack said nothing, just concentrating on her hooves as they worked. Skye continued to pull the seaweed into strips and set them aside into neat lines. Applejack did more or less the same, but disliked the slimy texture.

Another brief moment passed before Skye spoke up once again.

“It’s not your fault, can’t blame ya.”

Applejack’s thoughts went to the night that Rainbow left. There were no hints of what she was planning, and the departure was abrupt. If there was blame to be found in anypony, Applejack couldn’t see it. Dash left without leaving any sort of hint on purpose, so what blame could there-
Her thoughts were interrupted when Skye spoke again.

“It’s not your fault that your hooves cannot grasp the feeling of the waves. See, the ocean is a vengeful and cruel mistress that has yet to forgive the land for its sins against her. Now, Judging by the look you’re giving me, I can tell you’re not familiar with the history of the own land you live on. Well here, let me spin you a tale,"

" See, before ponies and before Celestia mastered the sun and Luna bound the moon, there existed first, this land. Nothing sought to own the land, and He existed with no equal. His anger would erupt in fountains of fire and his rage could be felt in quakes that shook His mighty form. The land was to be feared, and there was little life to be found amidst the shallow crags."

"Yet even the most hate filled of spirits can be calmed by the soothing touch of a lover.The ocean lived in the sky then, and She saw the fires and quakes, but did not recoil in fear nor did She react in anger to His explosive reactions to everything that tried to come near to him. The waters fell from her home in the sky and spread throughout the land in it's embrace. The fires steamed and the quakes churned and all seemed to be at naught for a while, but the waters won out in the end. With time, the fires were quelled and the quakes grew to still murmurs as the waters carved the land into a more calm and gentle visage. The steam spread out and embraced the land all the more till He cooled enough to allow Her to come closer."

"She loved Him. Now after seeing the beauty that was shown in the heavens after the fall of the waters. The land longed to be with the sky, and started to reach out, forming many peaks, hills, and mountains in it’s attempt to seek heaven’s embrace."

"The ocean who had once been equals to the land had been cast down into the depths of the earth. The land covered the ocean in it’s mass, depriving Her the view of her once home and shutting Her into caves deep below and blocking her view with the peaks and mountains that continued to rise up in it’s one desire. This betrayal brought sorrow and regret to the ocean and she found within herself the anger that had once been the land’s. Through rising waters and anger fueled movements, She carved the land with a greater ferocity than before. No longer was it an lovers embrace."

"The largest of such tore the land asunder, causing the greatest fissure which caused the land to groan in pain. The ocean called to the waters, and filled the great gap and separated the land from itself, becoming her namesake. It was with great anger that she caused her waters to cut through the land. The many lakes it formed became a means for her to carve down the land as it tried to rise. The fires of land land returned, but were squelched by the many waters. The quakes also came back, but they were not the land shaking in anger, they were the quakes of sorrow as the land wept for what it was robbed. quakes in turn sent a reaction to the ocean that caused her waters to never be calm again. She would never see the sky like She once had."

"This world is cursed, Missy. We get along with the land just well, but the waters are not kind to those who seek to control what's rightfully hers. Those who call the land their home, She drags down into her depths with a special anger brought to those that call the sky their home. Only those that give their life to listen to Her song can be given some credence and walk upon or vessels without the curse of the waters. No, I can't rightly blame you. You weren't born on the waves."

With these words, Skye stood up and made his way to the bow of the Rose without waiting for Applejack's reply. She didn't have one to give and only watch Skye as he walked, noticing for the first the mark that adorned his flank. She could make out a large jagged outline, barely perceived behind what looked like some sort of mist or fog; An island hidden. Applejack wondered why she had not noticed the mark on his before now but could not think of any real reason for her lack of attention. Hay, she could barely even make sense of what he just told her. It seemed to her a bunch of none-sense, but the way he spoke with a reverent and steady tone suspended her disbelief and caused her to think about his words.

She had never heard of a story like this before. Applejack then realized just how few stories before Celestia existed. There had always been just the sun and the moon, and the princesses that stood dominion over the sky and Equestria.

In her thoughts, Applejack absentmindedly reached down with her hoof and took a piece of the slimy weed, bringing it up to her mouth and tearing a chunk off like one would a piece of dried fruit. Her reverie was broken by the reaction her tongue had with the taste and texture of the unnatural plant. Fighting back her gag reflex, Applejack chewed the weed and loudly swallowed. She briefly weight her chances of surviving without food before they made landfall for hopes of something more edible. Knowing that she needed her strength, Applejack took another bite and choked it down. She would have to bear it.

but it was no apple pie.






The day wore on and the mid-journey preparations of the Jackln Rose came to a slow close.Skye had just finished rising the forward sail with two other smaller sails to help catch the eastern wind. Applejack listened to Skye explain how you could tell what type of boat one sailed by the sails themselves. He said that he preferred the sails of a cutter but the style of a schooner, said the style gave his boat the name of a Friendship Schooner (but was a cutter nonetheless).

Applejack leaned against the port side of the Rose and looked towards the bow where she could see Skye laying on his back, eyes closed with his hooves behind his head. The rise and fall of his chest gave Applejack the assumption that he was asleep. Applejack stretched her hooves and took in a deep breath, relaxing from the work Skye gave her. The work would usually have been done before departure, so they both had to scramble to get things ready for the journey, especially the food supply it didn't help the fact that she would trip over her own legs now and then when the boat would randomly pitch one way or the other.

Applejack didn't mind the work. Physical labor has been her life and she prided herself in being a great example of a workhorse. Even before she found her talent for farming, she had worked, and all the more harder after finding her purpose in life to be an apple farmer. The earth revealed it's secrets to her time and time again as she brought forth some of the best fruits that any in Equestria had ever tasted. It was pride, but a good pride. No, Applejack didn't mind the work that Skye had her do. It kept her hooves busy and her thoughts focused so that she wouldn't worry about her friend.

Nothing was keeping those thoughts from surfacing. with the work done. Applejack absentmindedly held the obsidian charm around her neck, gently rubbing it's smooth surface and feeling it's warmth. The rock seemed to have a characteristic that she had only barely noticed before. The warmth pulsed twice every second or so and occasionally gained in speed, but the beats were consistent. Applejack put her other hoof to her neck and felt the steady rhythm that came with the beating in her neck.

A heartbeat. The stone focused on the heartbeat.

Applejack held the stone in twine with her neck, concentrating the asynchronous beats. After a while it seemed that the beats drew closer, eventually beating as one. This calmed Applejack's worry, as the beats held the the knowledge of life for her. As long as her heart was beating alongside that of Dash's, there was hope and the constant reminder that she was heading in the right direction. Rainbow Dash was still alive and could be found.

She was still alive.

Applejack turned and faced the waters, pushing her hat off to let it hang by the lanyard and hanging her head off the side, feeling the spray of the waters across her face as the Jacklyn Rose cut a swath through them. Applejack found herself entranced by the movement and the bobbing of the Rose on the wakes. Lulled into a relaxed state, it came as no surprise that she nearly jumped out of her skin when Skye had appeared next to her with a question.

"You've been messing with that like it's the only thing keeping your head attached to your body. What makes you faun over that piece of earth so much? Perhaps a gift from an admirer you left behind, Missy?"

Applejack regained her composure and slipped her hat back in it's place before shaking her head, answering,

"Aint nothing of the kind, jus' this here is the only way ah know my friend is still alive." Applejack believed in being honest in any situation, this situation in particular called for a more open honesty. She showed this by loosing the slip holding the obsidian to her neck and holding it out for Skye to feel while still having it attached to her neck. This was Rainbow's life-line, and she would never let it go.

Skye extended a hoof and held the stone for a moment, then he brought the obsidian in close and caressed it against his face. Applejack felt uncomfortable being pulled so close to the stallion, but she couldn't sense any hostile intentions. He closed his eyes and held the stone for a full minute before releasing. He looked up at Applejack.

"It's warm."

Applejack nodded. "Gets warmer as ah get closer. Gets cold when ah move away."

"The heat, it had a rhythm. Reminds me of a-"

"Heartbeat." Applejack finished. "Friend ah mine made this and by the grace ah Celestia I found it when ah did. Ah reckon the heart beat is the same as Rainbow's."

Skye raised an eyebrow. "Rainbow? That her name?" Applejack didn't answer. Her hesitation caused Skye to let out a breath of frustration. He turned to look out at the passing waters.

"Look, I know it's none of my business, but I would feel a mite more comfortable if you told me about this friend of yours , and why she's worth this ship and both of our lives."

Applejack knew these risks, but in her mind she thought that keeping the details from Skye would somehow absolve him of responsibility. What Skye pointed out was the simple fact that he's just as involved as Applejack was. There was no excuse to not tell him everything, considering how committed he was now.

Was he? What was keeping this stallion from turning back the way he came? What was keeping him from shirking one troublesome pony overboard to save the weight and make the return trip easier?

Applejack didn't know his motivations nor his intentions, but she did know his actions. After telling him about Rainbow, he changed his mind and decided to help save the life of her friend.. He did this without asking for money in advance. Kept to himself, knowing very little on the details of her leaving or where the heading was besides a general direction. Skye was following her through possible death and losing everything he owned (assuming he lived on the Jacklyn Rose). This fact weighed heavily on Applejack's guilt, but what choice did she have? Nopony was going to help her, they were going to let Rainbow die. Even Skye was going to deny her help at first.

He deserved to know everything.
Applejack joined Skye in his overlook before speaking.

"Her name is Rainbow Dash. She's a Pegasus born, raised, and trained in Cloudsdale who had somehow lost half her sense and took a liking to Ponyville enough to live there. I'm sure ya heard about pegasus pride? Well she takes a step as there are few pegasi that can match up to her flyin', and she reminds ya every occasion she can. She's arrogant, loud, boastful, and makes a buck in the head seem mighty more appealing than trying to keep conversation with her."

Applejack dipper her head low and let out a sigh. "But she's loyal, and does what she can to help her friends and her home for the simple reason of them needing it. As selfish as she makes herself out to be, she has a heart that tells her to give freely of herself, and she remains loyal to that part of her too."

Applejack grabbed the obsidian and pulled the slip tight against her neck once again before closing her yes and saying, "And she's scared. It may seem funny for me to say that considern’ where she's at, but she was scared before. She thinks that ponies will only want to be near her if she acts like that. She's hopin' to join the Wonderbolts one day so everypony will be with her.She thinks that if she can do that, she'll never be alone."

Alone.

Applejack recalled the photo and the latter that was left in the wake of Dash's departure and how it detailed two pegasi who had disappeared many years ago. Rainbow never talked about her parents before, and nopony thought to ask. It was assumed that Dash was raised an oprhan for how she talked about practically 'living' in flight camps and the like as she was growing up. Applejack and Twilight had talked about the possibility with each-other mid conversation where Twilight said how it was unusual for a pegasus to move away from Cloudsdale at such a young age to live alone.

Alone.

Skye turned his head to look at applejack. "There's one thing you haven't told me. What in Equastria would possess her to fly across the sea like that, Missy?"

Applejack closed her eyes to recall the events of the day, and to better remember the note left behind. "When Rainbow left, I found a photo and a letter among her things. Now sir, she never talked about her kin around us and has always lived by herself. All of us figured her for an orphan. Well this note talked about two pegasi that were sent cross the sea for whatever reason. The note didn't say much, but the photo showed a stallion and mare next to each-other. I swear to you, that mare was the near spittin' image of Dash; especially the eyes."

Applejack shook her head. "Suppose Rainbow found some information on her parents. Seems they disappeared in the line o' duty right close to the time she was born. She must want to know why they left her, and a whole mess of things that she can't even think of. Seems to me Rainbow thought to go to the ends of the earth to find her parents."

"Wouldn't you do the same?"

Applejack turned her head to look at Skye, seeing herself reflected in the grey irises of his eyes. She didn't answer. She couldn't answer.

She didn't have one.






( Authors Note: Sorry for the late chapter. Bunch of life stuff happening. I meant for this one to be twice as long, but I thought that breaking the continuity of short 3-4K chapters with a 6-7K one would be a bad idea. This seemed like a perfect place to stop. Next chapter should be up this week.)