One Thousand Years Ago

by Scroll

Chapter 32: Jack of All Trades

The group in the study room of Prince Salizar's mini-mansion is interrupted by some scratching and knocking at the door. Mirage moves to investigate. When she opens the door, the group can see the shortest diamond dog hopping back and forth on each hind paw excitedly while pointing both fingers out the exit with rotating jabs.

“What is it, boy?” Cozy asks in a snarky way.

The diamond dog just giggles in a hysterical way. He also keeps pointing outside.

“I guess we better take a look outside and see what's going on,” Sunset figures as she rises from her set of pillows.

“Oh! Come to think of it,” the prince says as he rises from his seat as well, “I never did mention this one's name. Everyone, meet Maul, our shortest diamond dog.”

“Yes-yes! Me Maul!” Maul agrees. “Now hurry! Ponies hurry-hurry! Chop-chop!”

“Allow me,” Twilight says before pulling everyone around her, including Maul, close to her. A moment later their vision is replaced by a bright flash of purple followed by tiny sparks of energy raining down. Each spark that touches their hide stings just slightly. After that, the group notices they are suddenly standing in the middle of the top deck of the Flying Carpet.

Maul blinks, then looks around himself in confusion. Looking upon this, Cozy is amused to easily visualize question marks blinking in and out above the short diamond dog's head.

“So what is this commotion about?” Stygian wonders aloud as he scans about with an investigative expression. He lights up in delight when he spots someone new on the deck of the ship. “Ah, Cheese Pie. There you are.”

“Cheese?” Cozy echos as she scans the deck of the ship as well until she locks eyes on Cheese. “Oh, there you are. You missed the tour. What have you been up to?”

Cheese looks back at Cozy while restraining a giggle. She presses a hoof over her lips as if that would help her contain her amusement, then she said, “It's a surprise, silly, but I know you're going to love this one.”

“Oh?” Cozy challenges as she trots beside her friend while raising an eyebrow with both suspicion mixed with intrigue. “And what is that?”

“You'll see,” Cheese promises as she gazes ahead of her again. “Just watch.”

For a second, Cozy gives Cheese a pouty face since her friend isn't immediately forthcoming with the answers she seeks, but this is honestly well in character for her friend.

After that, she gazes forward in order to seek some clue what her friend might be referring to. The only hint she can see is a bunch of ponies cheering on the docks of Canterlot. At first Cozy just assumes they are cheering directly at the ship itself, but then Cozy notices that the crowd is, in fact, cheering at something above them.

Above us? Cozy wonders to herself.

Curious, she trots to the port side rail of the ship then twists her head about to gaze upward as much as she can. She does not immediately spot anything interesting but it might be hiding near the glare of the sun, a phenomenon that causes her to squint at the sight.

Cozy looks forward with a dour face as she growls for a second. She wants to turn back and insist that her friend tell her what is going on, but time and time again Cheese has proven tight-lipped when it comes to protecting a surprise. Her parents were always like that too, especially Pinkie Pie. Maybe Cheese Sandwich too, but Cozy doesn't know him nearly as well.

Cozy's ears perk up, though, when she hears a thunderous roar trace across the sky. It sounds like it is coming this way, so Cozy looks up again. This time she locates a tiny trace of clouds descending down to the docks. It is a cloud streak that has tiny flashes of lightning within it.

Cozy gasps a little. That phenomenon above is a common trait indicative of a Wonderbolt. Technically any pegasus could pull that off, but only a Wonderbolt is the most trained to do it.

Good golly! Don't tell me!

Cozy squeals with delight as a theory rises to the forefront of her mind about who this might be.

Sure enough, when the stallion flies down to a closer visual range and isn't zipping by too fast, Cozy does indeed see that this is her crush, the famous jackknife-talented pegasus, Rumble.

The gray pegasus has a darker gray mane which is combed forward that looped back over his forehead. He flies over the assembled crowd and slaps the hooves of every pony extending their hooves up by simply holding his down and flying past them in a mostly straight line, although he does zig-zag a little if the crowd themselves are not standing in a straight line. As he flies, Cozy sees the gleam of his wraparound sunshades, although one thing that is different about them is they are wrapped around his head via a headband rather than glasses stem hooked over his ears. These glasses are far more secure on his head because they are meant to double up as a wind shade to protect his eyes from hypervelocity speed.

When Rumble flies past the dock, he suddenly zips into the sky so fast that he causes a visible shock wave of a sonic boom. Moments later, he curves back and zooms past the crowd going the other direction three times faster than he did the first time. As he flies, a gray smokey and flashing trail follows his wake. He spins above the crowd in a corkscrew maneuver, much to the crowd's delight. Doing this causes the gray trail behind him to twist as well.

When he passes the docks again, he makes one more pass back the way he came, but this time he's considerably closer to the ship. Also, mysteriously, he is riding on a cloud he found somewhere. He's lying with his back on it in a very relaxed pose as if the cloud is just a lounge chair in the sky. Carried by his momentum alone, the cloud flies by the crowd ahead of them. Rumble casually waves in the direction of the crowd until his cloud flies past the docks again. By then, the cloud lost quite a bit of its momentum and wouldn't have carried him much further anyway. At that point, the cloud explodes as he bursts off of it and zips over to the deck of the Flying Carpet. He stops fifteen feet above the deck of the ship, almost hitting the bottom edge of the balloon above. From there, he drops straight down and somersaults six times before landing on the ground with a heroic pound of his left forward hoof.

“My-my,” Sunset commends. “Now that is a way to make an entrance.”

“Oh, Rumble is trained by the Wonderbolts and they always make a flashy entrance if they can help it,” Cheese says with a dismissive wave. “It's part of their training, I think.”

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Cozy says rapidly. Her head quakes and her face flushes beat red. “It's him! It's him! It's him! He's really standing right there!”

Cheese slaps Cozy's back as she says, “I told you that you'd like your surprise.”

“Thank you! Thank you!” Rumble cries out back at the crowd as he approaches the rail, waves back at the crowd then tips the right side of his wraparound sunshades down so he can wink at the crowd over the left edge of his glasses.

In response, some of the mares and fillies of the crowd faint in pure pleasure.

“Flashy entrances notwithstanding,” speaks Captain Tidus as he exits the bridge, “what are you doing on the deck of my ship?”

“I've come to work, of course,” Rumble answers as he trots backwards while still waving and blowing kisses at the crowd. He stops when he is within ten feet of the captain. At that point, he spins about to face the captain and gives a gracious bow. “Rumble, at your service.” He lifts himself up from his bow. “But, of course, you already knew both of these facts.”

“At my service?” Captain Tidus asks in confusion. “What are you going on about?”

“Shall I toss this intruder overboard, Captain?” First Officer Desora offers coldly as she moves to stand next to her captain.

A chill ran down Cozy's spine as she realizes that Desora's offer might be genuine. If Rumble wasn't a pegasus, her offer could be considered straight-up attempted murder considering the steep fall under the ship.

Tidus holds up a talon to his First Officer as he denies, “That won't be necessary, but I would care for an explanation, young sir.”

“Are you kidding me?” Rumble asks in surprise as he lifts his shades up his forehead. “Are you really surprised to see me? As in, you weren't expecting me?”

“I, ah . . .” Cheese says with a flush of embarrassment, “may have embellished certain details about your potential employment aboard this ship.”

“What?” Rumble passes Cheese an annoyed look. “You better be joking, Cheese.”

“Do I look like I'd be a kidder?” Cheese asks as a golden halo suddenly floats above her head for four seconds. “Besides, I had to get your attention somehow, and I knew I'd iron out the details.”

“Oh my goodness.” Rumble slaps his face with his hoof. “So you mean to tell me that I was not hired to be a staff member on this ship yet? Oh, Cheese . . . you have severely embarrassed me on this day. I'm going to pay you back for it eventually.”

Cheese's golden halo vanishes. In its place, red horns grows off her head as she asks Rumble with a deviously mischievous expression. “You promise?” Cheese asks with wicked hope mixed with a daring expression.

“Oh, my dear sweet Pie, you won't see it coming,” Rumble vows, then faces the captain with another bow. “Well, this is embarrassing.” He rises from his bow. “Cheese wrote to me a letter promising that I'd have a role on this ship. It seems those claims were a tad exaggerated, but my offer still stands if you're interested.”

“YES!” Cozy cries out excitedly. “YES, YES, YES! OH PLEASE, YES!”

“Captain, this is most unorthodox,” Desora complains with a grim grimace. “Policies must be adhered with absolute strictness. Discipline must be maintained.”

“Lighten up, cracker breath,” Rumble encourages Desora. “Just take a chill pill for a second, would'ja? This isn't a navy ship. From my understanding, it is a private vessel.”

Desora's grimace turns into a downright glare as she says tightly, “A private ship in the honor and service to the country of Saddle Arabia. I will not allow this ship to be turned into some kind of circus.”

“Oh, why not?” Cheese complains in an encouraging tone. “A circus is actually loads of fun!”

Desora almost yells something back at Cheese in anger, but her ire vanishes in surprise when she regards her captain laughing. After that, he applies a talon to her shoulder as he says, “Stand down, First Officer. Rumble is right. We don't need to stand on such strict formalities. We may have been raised in strict military service, but we can't expect those standards from civilians.”

“It is important we maintain discipline and order,” Desora lightly argues. “We need to maintain a strong impression.”

“There is a time and a place for that,” Tidus argues back. “I fully expect you to enforce discipline among our crew while they are on duty aboard this ship, but we're parked right now so ease off a bit.”

Desora sighs, then relents, “Aye-aye, Sir.” After she says that, she passes Rumble one final glare as she asks, “In that case, what do you wish me to do with this one?”

“Overboard! Toss 'em overboard! Yes-yes!” Maul cheers as he keeps leaping up and clapping above his head.

“Well, as Rumble pointed out, this is a privately contracted crew,” Tidus reminds as he looks to the prince. “You are the one in charge of hiring the crew. My job is to command those you hire aboard this ship.”

It really hurt Cozy to do this, but the issue feels too important. Accordingly, she gives a begging, puppy-dog like expression to her mother.

Princess Twilight clearly notices and acknowledges that expression. More than likely, in Cozy's estimation, her mother would see this as another opportunity for her daughter to earn another friend, and the Princess of Friendship is all about promoting that.

“Your Majesty, if I may offer a humble suggestion?” Twilight asks Salizar who simply nods to her in reply. “Rumble is a very talented individual. His jackknife cutie mark signifies him as potentially talented in everything. A pony like that might come in hoofy for the journey ahead. You can assign him pretty much any role and he'll likely excel at it before long.”

“Plus I'm quite proficient in several other skills that I've trained in before,” Rumble adds. “Of those, I mastered a few, such as flying. So, in a way, you can say I'm a jack of all trades and a master of some. More mastered skills will be pending, I'm sure.”

“You've trained with the Wonderbolts, did you not?” the prince inquires of Rumble. “And yet you aren't a member of them. May I ask why?”

“For what it's worth, I am a certified reservist for the Bolts,” Rumble mentions. “When I'm available, I know they'd love to have me because I'm simply so talented with that group. Not only am I a really skilled flier, but I helped to inspire the other members of the Wonderbolt cadets. That's just who I am,” he says with a shrug. “When I practice a new skill, I don't just exceed at it if given time, but I help inspire others who practice the same profession. That's why I am a semi-official member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

“The Crusaders, you say?” the prince asks with interest and recognition. “Their primary role is to help others, particularly when it comes to their cutie mark destiny.”

“And I was a doozy of a challenge for them until I realized I wasn't supposed to wholly focus on just one thing,” Rumble informs. “The Crusader's mission and mine are a little different. I simply work in pursuit of my own destiny while they focus on helping others. However, in the long gallop, I do indeed help others by giving them inspiration, motivation, and new ideas.” He spreads his wings outwardly as if to wave to indicate the whole ship. “Maybe I can do the same for your crew.” He salutes the prince with a wing. “And I'm certainly not afraid of a challenge. If there is any way I can help, I'd love to do it. All that I ask in return is to simply be here to enjoy the journey, and I also ask that I continuously be challenged in learning new things.”

“You're right, my boy,” Captain Tidus commends. “I can certainly attest to the inspiring nature of your sheer enthusiasm. While I am not in charge of hiring others for this ship, I sincerely believe we can learn from each other.”

“When venturing out into the unknown, it is hard to know what will be necessary to prepare for it,” Twilight says to the prince. “A pony with this level of versatility might be just what you need.”

The prince's eyes shift from the Princess to Rumble as he asks, “Again, why did you drop out of the Bolts? Or, as you said, you are signed as a reservist, and yet you trot other pursuits. It seems to me that the Bolts are no longer your priority.”

“They used to be my obsession, Your Majesty,” Rumble admits as he looks down. “It used to be that flying and practicing for the Wonderbolts was all I could think about. I was convinced that is what it took to get to a profession that challenging. I used to think every other Wonderbolt was like that. Like they all just knew they were supposed to be a Wonderbolt and nothing else.” He looks back at the prince. “But I was Equestria's first pony to attend training as a cadet while still being a blank flank. I was older than nearly every other pony in history and still lacking my cutie mark, and the truth was . . . I didn't care. Seeking my cutie mark wasn't my goal, being a part of the Wonderbolts was.

“For the longest time, while I trained with them, I was convinced that this would be it. This would be my final act that shall cause the discovery of my cutie mark.

“But as time went on and it continued not to happen, I noticed how I did indeed excel at the profession. I even inspired the other cadets to be better . . . yet my flank stubbornly remained blank. Deep down . . . I sensed I had more potential.

“So, to answer your question, I left the Wonderbolts in order to explore deeper aspects of myself. I wanted to find out what I was supposed to do in life, because if this wasn't it . . . if I wasn't supposed to be in the Wonderbolts, my greatest dream, then what would it be instead?

“Time and time again, I found I excelled at pretty much everything else as long as I took my training seriously and I spent the time necessary to get good at it. With that much versatility, it became confusing what one thing I was meant to do.

“But then, one day, the Cutie Mark Crusader's pointed out something vital to me. As usual, they had a knack for sensing the true potential of others. In my case, they asked me if I really am good at everything, then what was wrong with that? Why settle for one thing when I truly enjoy learning?

“As they said, getting a cutie mark in something is not necessarily about being good at something, it is about feeling good about something inside,” he says while gesturing to his chest with a wing. “If I truly feel fulfillment in learning how to master new things, why do I need to ever stop that?

“When they asked me that, it finally clicked in my head. I wasn't meant to stop with one thing, and it's perfectly fine to keep going. Keep learning. Keep exploring the boundaries of my limitless potential.

“When I finally accepted that, that was when I finally got my cutie mark. A mark I never sought, but it came to me anyway when I realized my true potential.

“So let it be known to the rest of the world that I am Rumble, the jackknife pony. I am the eternal learner and wanderer. Ever moving. Ever exploring, and I enjoy the compony of others I inspire along the way.

“This ship and its voyage, Your Majesty, is simply another step in my endless journey . . . if you will have me. Will you join me as we explore our potential together?”

Prince Salizar stared at Rumble for a few silent moments, then grinned as he asked, “Tell me, my talented young stallion, is being a merchant one of the skills you previously practiced? I only ask because you are awfully good at making a sales pitch. I know my own trade well, and you have a gift for this.”

“Not that specifically,” Rumble answers. “As in, I didn't practice being a sales pony or merchant as a dedicated try.

“However, I have learned to market my own skills and abilities with others on many occasions. Also, truth be told, I wouldn't mind learning how to become a good merchant because I've never tried that before. I'd be interested to learn how I'd grow in that profession as I work to interact with others while armed with those skills.”

“What skills have you practiced so far?” Sunset asks.

“I've got a long list of that in my résumé which I carry in my saddlebag at all times,” Rumble informs her. “I need to keep that hoofy because it is ever-growing. Off the top of my head, I'll mention photography, swimming, martial arts, bowling, and cooking which is one of the rare ones I've mastered fairly well. I've also done interior decorating, Buck Ball-”

“Okay, okay! I get the point,” Sunset interrupts. “You're very talented. Don't need to rub it in any further.”

“My goal is not to rub anything in, but rather to learn and teach,” Rumble corrects.

“Well, as I previously mentioned to this group here, I am an excellent judge of character,” the prince informs. “I also have an eye for quality, and in my estimation, you, Sir, are certainly very high quality. If you're still interested, I'd love to hire you.” He smiles coyly. “As a cabin boy.”

“Huh?” Rumble blinks in surprise.

The prince waves a hoof at Rumble before explaining, “While that may seem and be the lowest ranking officer aboard a ship, it is also the one role that isn't dedicated to any one particular thing. I don't think it is wise to lock down talent this overwhelming. As such, I charge you with assisting in whatever role is needed the most from moment to moment.”

“Huh.” Rumble thinks it over, then nods in acceptance. “I can live with that.”

“Welcome aboard, then,” Captain Tidus greets. “I am Captain Tidus Williker, and this is my First Officer, Desora Aeroya.”

In response to that, Desora just nods while keeping her hands folded behind her back.

“Since you served with the Wonderbolts for a while and you did well with it, I likewise take it that you are familiar with military service and thus respect the chain of command,” Captain Tidus figures.

Rumble salutes his captain with a wing as he says, “I do indeed, Sir, and I shall endeavor to serve you to my utmost capability.”

“We shall see to that,” Desora assures.

“Indeed we shall,” the captain agrees. “Work hard. Study hard. Serve, protect, and be courteous to all guests aboard, and that includes the prince. Follow the chain of command and do everything possible to dedicate yourself to your tasks with one-hundred percent efficiency at all times. Under my command, you must always remember that we are a unit that must work together. If you see a danger or have a vital suggestion that I may not be aware of, then I expect you to inform me immediately. However, when I give an order, I expect you to follow it immediately and without question. Is that understood?”

Rumble salutes his captain again as he yells, “YES SIR!”

Cheese nudges Cozy in the ribs as she asks her, “Am I good, or what? I told you I'd get Rumble aboard.”

“Cheese . . . I love you!” Cozy exclaims as she leaps on top of Cheese in order to give her a big hug, an action which causes Cheese to squeak and blush.