//------------------------------//
// -91- Worries and Plans 
// Story: The Anthropologist 
// by Weavers of Dreams 
//------------------------------//

"Are you alright, Bonny?"

The confectioner shook the vapors from her head and turned to look at the stallion. He stood in the hatchway to the airship's cabins. He was giving her a concerned look as he softly trotted up beside her at the railing. She leaned into him for comfort, rubbing her cheek against his coarse fur.

"I'm just... worried, that's all," the mare sighed wearily. "Am I being a silly mare?"

Noteworthy wrapped a hoof about her withers and laid his head atop her mane, which had been unkempt as of late. "Nah. You're just being a mare." He laughed when she punched him lightly on the chest. "C'mon now, tell your old stallion all about it, Bonny."

"Old," Bon Bon rolled her eyes. She pressed tighter against him. "Just the usual, I guess. Since this all started."

"This seems a little bit more than the usual," the blue stallion replied, taking her chin in hoof and meeting her eyes. "I shouldn't have to coax this out of you, Bonny. We've been through far too much together to act like this."

The mare couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Notes. I just don't want to burden your mind with..."

"Eh, look at me," he told her firmly. "We're on a dangerous mission to get Lyra and Henry back from nefarious villains, what could possibly be weigh me down any more."

"I... I don't know," Bon Bon sighed. "It's just that. Recently..."

"Yes?" Noteworthy encouraged her gently.

"Recently, I can't help but worry about Twist as well," she admitted. "I know, it's. Silly and irrational. After all, we placed her under the care of a couple powerful wizards with incredible credentials. But, something just doesn't sit well with me."

The blue stallion took a moment to look towards the stern of the airship. "You know what. Me as well."

"Really?" the mare asked, giving him a thoughtful expression. He nodded.

"Must be the distance between us," he replied. "We've never been this far away from her before. Trust me Bonny. A lot of silly things have been running through my head lately as well. While Lyra and Henry are the priority at the moment, I can't stop worrying about our little Twister." He chuckled and shook his head. "Believe me, I've thought of a hundred different things that could possibly go wrong. All the way from falling down a hole to being captured by some unknown kingdom of bogeys."

The confectioner laughed aloud at that. "A kingdom of bogeys, Notes? Really? What would put such nonsense in your head?"

The stallion paused for a moment in thought. "I... I don't know. Just sort of came to me. Now that's what you call silly my silly mare."

They shared a quiet laugh. The mare felt a little better now, and she thanked her stallion with a peck on the cheek. He responded by pulling her into a snug embrace. They stayed that way until a cough startled them.

"Well, I certainly hope I'm not interrupting anything," an apologetic thestral mare greeted them with a smile.

"Oh, not at all," the earth pony mare said, reluctantly pushing herself away from the stallion. "Just... while we're all worried about Lyra and Henry, I can't help but feel worried for the filly we left behind too."

Mercury Melody nodded understandingly. "I understand completely. Maker knows how much I dreaded being separated from my baby when she decided to head that clinic in Ponyville. And, I do have a heart for that precious little filly, too, you know. I hope you don't think I'm favoring Henry, in all of this."

"Of course not," the other mare shook her head. "I watched the way you treated them both. You put the other grandparents, who have yet to meet my herdsister and son, to shame. Or, at the very least, you're going to force them to up their game."

Their was a shared chuckle between the three ponies.

"Ah, I'd like to meet these other ladies," Mercury's eyes flashed ominously. "I'd show them a thing or two in being a proper grandparent."

"We'll have a great big picnic this summer," said Baritone as he emerged from below deck, decked out full in combat kit. Boots with padded steel soles, a ballistic vest, a belt of potions about his barrel, and blades fixed to his wings. "But, for now, you should all be getting ready. We're only a few hours from the Western Isles, and we need to go over our strategy."

"Who needs strategy, you got us," a new voice sounded out from below deck. The thestral glared warningly down at whoever it was.

"Not while my family's life is on the line, Wonder Butt," he snorted at the voice. "Now put that helmet on and lock the chin strap. If I see you take it off even once I'll tie it to your head in pretty pink bows, got that?"

"Yipes, yessir," was the prompt and terrified response.

"Dear," Mercury sighed as she sidled up to the stallion nuzzled his cheek, "like you said, we've got a few hours yet. Don't go making everyone nervous. Besides, we may still have a chance of getting this over with quickly if Daring Do recognizes and sticks close to her. And, by default, Lyra will make sure Henry stays in her sight."

The stallion nodded. "I know. I'm just on edge. We shouldn't really have anything to worry about. We go in, secure our family, and then locate and contain whoever's orchestrating this."

"Sounds like enough strategy to me," the voice from below deck called out. This was quickly followed by a shriek as Baritone dove below deck with intent on finding the biggest, pinkest ribbon possible.

Mercury sighed wearily and quickly descended below deck to ebb the wrath of her stallion. "I'll try to talk to you two again later. Do get ready and have something to eat. It could be a long night."

And, towards the nearing sunset, they continued to fly.