//------------------------------// // Adventure is Out There! // Story: Outcast of a Hivemind // by NovaSethyr //------------------------------// Chapter 8 Adventure is Out There! After we escaped the mob that was surely going to destroy their own town, we traveled for a good while. I was still in panic mode when we left, so I hadn't really thought about taking a short nap on the boat while disguised. Turns out I forgot about my little, ah, "condition," and I woke up with the nausea and stomach pains with such a start I nearly flew into the ceiling in order to get away. Instead I slammed against the wall, the force rocked the boat enough so that water sloshed onto me and a weeping Saffron. "Lucky! What's gotten into you?" she yelled as she shook herself, droplets of water covering the entire interior of the room. The door slammed open as Drop Shot walked in to find me in the fetal position, groaning and moaning in pain. "What happened?" he simply asked. Saffron came over to examine me, and I felt a hoof on my shoulder as she pushed me to get a better view of my stomach. "Lucky, are you alright?" she whispered, any trace of frustration of being wet disappeared the moment she saw me in pain. I tried to answer, but my mouth could only hang listlessly and draw sharp breaths as the pain coursed through my entire being. Eventually, I was able to remember how talking worked and asked, "How long have we been out?" before relapsing into cramps and nausea. "A few hours, we left a little before noon I think." Drop Shot replied. After that everything became a blur, the pain was the only thing I could vividly remember. I heard Saffron shout something but the ringing in my ears had drowned her out. I braced my fore hooves onto the floor and started dry heaving. I couldn't actually throw up, but I simply felt as my stomach tried to empty itself of whatever contents I had. For a moment, I spotted a dark goop splatter itself onto the floor. When I was able to examine the spot where the goop was, I found that the goop was gone. Disappearing black goop was never a good sign. Ever. But I didn't think much about it at the time because I was trying to keep everything from spinning in circles.I slammed hard against the floor on my side, the dry heaving slowing down but the pain increasing tremendously. The white noise wasn't help much either. I knew exactly what to do. However, I couldn't do it here. I had to get away, had to make sure they wouldn't see me. As I struggled to find a way to escape, I shakily climbed back to my feet. I heard Saffron saying something, but I couldn't hear her. I slammed the door open and felt the warmth of the sun on my fur as I charged onto the deck. I gave my wing and experimental push and pain shot through my body with every flap. Saffron saw what I was doing and tried to push me down with her magic, and I struggled against her for a moment before Drop Shot said something that made her stop. My wing lifted me as I clutched my chest with my forelegs. I closed my eyes as I flew up, and decided to just hover there for a moment. I opened my eyes just enough to spy Drop Shot's boat drift away, and let my disguise go once I judged them far enough. I let myself spiral lazily towards the open ocean, and noticed how far up I actually was. I buzzed my wings and slowed my descent enough so that when I hit the water I didn't get crushed. The belly flop didn't help, though. The water was cool, and refreshing, but for the moment all I was glad for was that the water hid me from view as the boat continued to move along in it's journey. Sure that I was now safe, I just let myself sink into compete bliss as the pain receded. The water soothed the aches and bruises that had accumulated throughout the day, and everything just felt good for a short moment. Said moment was interrupted when a certain tangerine colored figure appeared out of nowhere. He took a hard look at me, then turned back to the receding trail the boat had left. I sank deeper and noticed the fish part of him for the first time. I had expected something like an actual seahorse's tail, but it was more like a mermaid's tail than anything; the scales were the same color as the smooth skin of his. He watched me sink into the depths for a bit before he grabbed by the scruff of my neck in his mouth and started hauling me towards the surface. Once we broke to the surface I gasped for the air that I forgot to include in my escape plan. But before I could take another breath, Jetsam pushed me under again with his fins. I struggled against him as I lost the air that I just got back. He pulled me up again and faced me with a cold stare. "What are you doing following us?" I felt a shiver run up my spine, I was sure my cover would have been blown. I was going to say something threatening, but instead what I said was "buzz buzz chirp whistle chirp buzz." He growled, a throaty sound that threatened to rip my throat out. "Don't follow us again." The command was backed with the underlying threat, and I would be wise to have followed it. I wasn't sure how I could have escaped, I was burnt out so there's no way I could have communicated with him. I looked back up into the clear blue sky and felt an idea bloom in my head. I hauled my wings out of the water and flew away, my forelegs hooked around Jetsam and pulled him up and out of the water. The effect was immediate, he forgot about the changeling in front of him and started screaming. A horrible sound, like fingers dragged across a chalkboard set to the music of Nickleback, I resisted the urge to just drop him immediately. "PUTMEDOWNPUTMEDOWNPUTMEDOWN" he screeched in that Australian accent as I flew higher and higher. His fear was creating a thick black pillar as we rose in altitude, and my stomach growled as if I stepped into a free all-you-can-eat buffet. After I found that we were sufficiently high enough, I let him fall to the water. He disappeared back into the pillar, but I was able to hear a splash and saw an orange figure speed away towards the north, away from me and the boat as well. I watched him disappear as I flew down the pillar of fear to absorb it all. I was starving, and I recalled that small black gloop that I coughed up. I should probably be a little more careful about my disguise if I didn't want to lose my food. The buzz from my wings were the only sounds as I examined my surroundings. It could only have been described in a simple phrase - In the middle of the ocean. It was eerie watching the water and expecting movement but getting nothing. The stagnant water just sat there, like we were insects on a small puddle. After a brief looking around, I spotted the boat off to the east. I flew slowly, waiting for the ten minutes to pass. I just hoped that Jetsam's pride kept him from telling the others about the changeling that scared the crap out of him. I felt mt stomach settle finally, and put on that familiar mask. I flapped my orange wings as I glided back down to the boat. I could see Saffron and Drop Shot exit the cabin and watch me slowly descend to the deck. I'd like to say I landed with grace, but I hadn't had much practice so I landed hard on my right foreleg. It bent forward sharply and I fell forward. The deck made a loud whump as my face collided hard with the wood, my leg on fire. "Lucky! Are you alright? Why did you fly away like that?" Saffron said, she floated out a vial and poured the contents down my throat. My throat was drier than the Gobi Desert, and I happily drank whatever the concoction was. I felt the burning of my leg dim to a simmer, and I tested to see if it would hurt if I put pressure on it. When I put all my weight on it without bursting into tears, I stood back up and faced the couple. "I just wanted some fresh air, that's all." I replied. "But you were crying in pain only a short while ago! What happened?" Saffron stared curiously at me. I bit my lip as I tried to come up with a good explanation, when it hit me, "Wing cramps," I responded. That was a thing, right? Apparently it was, as Drop Shot nodded in sympathy, "I get those after a long day of fishing and no flying. You should stretch your wings if you haven't flown in a while." Saffron frowned and bent to examine my injured leg. "It doesn't look like you sprained or broke it, just a little bruising where you landed. It should heal in a bit." We returned to the cabin, where the unicorn stashed the empty vial in a pair of saddlebags that laid in the corner. "Now that everything's settled, let's get to the obvious questions first. You said changelings attacked Minnow's Rest?" I nodded. "Well then, we'll have to call for reinforcements. The Manehattan navy should be able to take care of the little buggers easily." "Not necessarily," Drop Shot intervened. "You heard what Jetsam said, right? A group of unicorns broke the treaty between Atlantis and Equestria, if anyone in the navy knew about this they'd be spending all their resources trying to capture these criminals!" "Well... they could send a small amount of ponies to help them out, right? There were only a couple, if I remember correctly," Saffron looked to me with the question in her eyes. "Yeah, it really shouldn't be that many," I answered. "But these changelings are crafty - they convinced the town that we were actually changelings and were going to come drive us off." Drop Shot growled, "The bastards, are they really that easily swayed?" Saffron wrapped him in her legs and pulled him close in a hug, she whispered some words in his ear and let go. Drop Shot cleared his throat and blushed in embarrassment. Some things never changed even in other dimensions, it seems. At that moment Jetsam popped up from the open hole, looking around and resting his eyes on me. I noticed that he let out a sigh of relief when he did so. "Oh good, you're here. You won't believe what I caught out in the ocean." He recalled the encounter with a rouge changeling that was following the boat, and he deftly left out the part where he was scared out of his mind. Saffron and Drop Shot exchanged a look, "You don't think they'll come after us, do you?" Saffron asked. Jetsam shook his head. "No, he flew away far to the south. I doubt we'll see him again." I raised my hoof, Drop Shot looked baffled for a moment before he nodded for me to speak my part, "Now that everything's settled, what are we going to do once we reach Manehattan?" Drop Shot opened his mouth but didn't answer. We all knew what we had to do, but none of us knew how to go about doing it. I ventured a suggestion, "We could lure them out with Jetsam and storm their ship." Jetsam's eyes widened, "Wha- But- That wouldn't be- Wait!" He stammered. I waited for his protests to die down before I continued, "We know only two things for certain, they capture seaponies, and they have a ship." "And they all wear masks," Saffron interjected. "And they're unicorns," added Drop Shot. "And they're torturing my friends." finished Jetsam. I raised my hoof to stop the flow of interruption. "Those are things that are subject to speculation. They aren't necessarily true, the masks that Jetsam saw could have been his imagination, ditto for the sounds of torture. There could be ponies inside the ship that aren't unicorns, too. You have to take all possibilities into consideration before making a move." They mulled over that for a moment, then grudgingly agreed with me. Jetsam wasn't thoroughly happy with the plan, but he accepted the role anyways. He gave me a frown and disappeared back into the ocean, possibly to sulk. I inquired about the journey to Manehattan, which apparently would take only a few hours. Better than walking there, which took a few days if I recalled what Saffron said when we first arrived. I got to thinking about the ponies I met that day: Sewn Summers, Saffron, Jack Flash... I remembered how happy everypony was to welcome two strangers into their quaint little town. D4 was a quiet pony then, she had preferred to watch how I worked before she made her move. And then she went and ruined all of my work, drove me out of town, and is probably basking in the amount of anger than she had stirred up. The townsfolk were rather mad at me and the poor pony she pinned as a changeling. Her methods were unorthodox, but I had to admit that it worked. She got ponies riled up and was able to hid her identity as well. Perhaps she's the changeling that the Prince needed, not me. The Prince... I wondered how he'll react when he heard about what happened. Ignore me and let his star pupil gather food for him? Chase me down and bring me back for punishment? Would he even punish me? Perhaps he had kept D4 from acting on her impulses in order for me to do my work, but was dissatisfied after a couple of days and let her loose. Who knows what went through the ruler's mind. I knew for a fact that I'll have to confront him sooner or later, we weren't going to stay long in Manehattan, after all. I soon found a spot next to the window where I stared at the passing ocean. I soon ran out of things to mull over, so I started to hum a tune. It was just a random tune, but eventually the sight of the ocean and the glistening of the sunlight on the rushing water inspired me to start a small song to myself. I've never been much of a singer, but such a sight was too beautiful to not sing a song to accompany it. If all the days that come to pass Are behind these walls I’ll be left at the end of things In a world kept small Travel far from what i know I’ll be swept away I need to know I can be lost and not afraid We’re gonna trip the light We’re gonna break the night And we’ll see with new eyes When we trip the light Remember we’re lost together Remember we’re the same We hold the burning rhythm in our hearts We hold the flame We’re gonna trip the light We’re gonna break the night And we’ll see with new eyes When we trip the light We’re gonna trip the light We’re gonna break the night And we’ll see with new eyes When we trip the light I had raised my voice unknowingly, and Saffron and Drop Shot had heard. However, they started singing along with me. I stopped singing and looked at them, then we all smiled at the same time and kept going, this time all together. Eventually Jetsam had appeared and joined with us, but we didn't care. We just kept the music going, and enjoyed the moment. The sun streamed down on us as the music continued and we all started up the song again. I’ll find my way home On the Western wind To a place that was once my world Back from where I’ve been And in the morning light I’ll remember As the sun will rise We are all the glowing embers Of a distant fire We’re gonna trip the light We’re gonna break the night And we’ll see with new eyes When we trip the light Come on and trip the light We’re gonna break the night And we’ll see with new eyes We’re gonna trip the light We’re gonna trip the light We’re gonna break the night And we’ll see with new eyes When we trip the light After that musical number (which no one spoke about ever again), we returned to our normal duties of wondering what to do. I got up from my spot and I exited the cabin to inspect the boat. I wasn't exactly an expert on everything nautical, but I was fairly certain that boats usually had a sail on them. This one didn't, only the cabin and the deck. I leaned over the wooden railing and stared deeply into the water, curious as to how we're moving so fast without a sail. I didn't hear the telltale sound of a motor, but when I inspect the back of the boat I saw the propeller spinning and making us zoom across the still ocean. I wondered how the propellers moved before I spied a small colorless glow from below. The propeller was surrounded in the grey aura, which seemed similar to how objects looked when magic was used on them. Perhaps this boat had been infused with magic? I entered the cabin and found Drop Shot looking out the window, and I noticed that the helm to the ship was unmanned. Unponied. Whatever. I trotted up to the captain, "What can you tell me about your ship?" The seafaring pegasus flashed white teeth before my eyes as a hoof went around my neck. He pulled me out of the cabin back to the rear of the boat and pointed down to the propeller. "You see that thing right there?" I nodded. "It's a little something special that me and Saf put together one day, a long, long time ago. You see, when I was young I wanted to have a ship that was fast. I didn't care for all the big ships that you saw back in town, I wanted something small and quick. "Thing is, small ships don't really go fast, they're made for small groups wanting to get out and see the ocean or something of that nature. They were usually manned with oars or a small sail, this one was made with oars. This ship looked like something I could use, and it was going for only a few bits too - it was in poor condition and the previous owner wanted it gone." By now we were back inside the cabin, Saffron was wearing a small smile as she watched her boyfriend prattle on about the ship. "So I bought it on impulse," he continued, "fixed her up, and tried to think of a way to make her go fast. Saffron was only just learning about her ability with magic, and she wanted to explore new avenues that no one had thought of before. One day, when we were visiting Manehattan, I spotted an airship. Or, more accurately, I spotted the propellers on the back of the airship. From there Saffron devised a small spell that kept the propeller moving indefinitely, and I can control how fast we're going using this lever." He pointed to the lever that was attached to the helm. It was a small lever, and it had labels to what speed the propeller moved: Still, Cruise, Speedy, Fast, and Ludicrous Speed. "So, if we're in a hurry, why aren't we travelling at Ludicrous Speed?" I asked, my hoof indicating the current setting the lever was resting on. With a shake of his head, he responded solemnly, "Trust me, Ludicrous Speed isn't a speed that could last very long. The propeller wouldn't last five minutes on that setting, much less a few hours." Saffron's ears perked up, "It looks like we won't have to wait a few hours, boys." We rushed over to take a look outside on the calm ocean. A dark spot slowly came into view on the horizon, and Drop Shot grabbed a spyglass and took a closer look. "Lucky?" he said. "It looks like your plan is starting a little prematurely." I snatched the small bronze spyglass and scanned the ocean. I spotted the brown of a ship and focused on that. There, I saw the makings of a ship much bigger than ours, and on it were unicorns of various sizes and shapes. All of them wore a mask, just like Jetsam had said. The masks depicted a normal pony face, except for the mouths. The mouths were all open, and they showed off the fangs that looked completely unnatural to them. What Jetsam didn't mention was the color that was painted on those fangs, the red color of blood. Each mask had blood splattered on them, and I was unsure of whether it was paint or not. There were two unicorns that caught my attention, though. These two ponies were big, bigger than Big Mac for sure. I was able to tell because between the two of them they held a familiar figure. Held aloft in a net with magic, the orange scales glistened in the sunlight and flashed everytime Jetsam struggled to escape. Both of the unicorns looked right at me, as if they knew I was watching. One of them raised up a knife and held it to the seapony's neck, the threat as clear as the sky was. The cold metal made Jetsam freeze up, and he looked towards us with terror written in his eyes."They're going to kill him if we follow them," I relayed back to the others, and was returned with gasps. I could only watch as the ship sailed off along with the only seapony I know. I gave the spyglass back to Drop Shot and walked out onto the deck, not sure what to do now. I looked down into the water, zooming by us as we made our way to Manehattan. An orange pegasus with freckles stared back at me with worry written all over her face. I don't remember adding the freckles, though. I heard hoofsteps behind me, and a lime-green hoof gave me a comforting pat on the back. "Don't worry, we'll get him back." She paused as she looked to where the boat had sailed off. "If only we had some way of tracking them without them noticing." She sniffed, and went back into the cabin. Wait... some way of tracking them... or at least of being able to tell where they went. I looked up and spotted the dark spot on the horizon, but it wasn't the boat. I ran back into the cabin and snatched the spyglass and looked at the spot again. Sure enough, it was a large and dark plume of smoke-like substance. Of course! They had a boat presumably full of scared seaponies, and wherever the boat went, the ponies inside would leave trails and trails of fear just waiting for me to suck up, or more importantly, see. I briefly wondered if the statement Saffron said was normal within the confines of the Equestrian universe, but shoved that thought away as more pressing issues surfaced to my mind. "Drop Shot! Saffron! The chase is still on! Head that away!" I yelled as I pointed to the dark spot that was sure to be invisible to everypony else. Drop Shot grabbed hold on the helm and spun on on our way to saving the captive seaponies. Now we had to figure out what to do in order not to get our friend killed.