//------------------------------// // Chapter XII: Swords and Stories // Story: Across the Shimmering Sea // by Albi //------------------------------// Twilight fought a yawn as she stepped up onto the poop deck. The sun had just rose above the horizon, turning the sky a newborn baby pink. Lying on the middle of the deck was a foil, its blunted tip pointed at Twilight. Sunset sat on the curved back of the ship, watching the sunrise, her hood down. “Last chance to retreat,” she said. “Lemon Zest might make a kinder teacher.” Twilight picked the foil up by the handle and turned it over in her hand. All of her index finger and thumb could hide underneath the bell guard. The blade had a slight angle to it, but swishing it around, she found it flexible. It dawned on Twilight that she had never held a sword before. Despite the odd feel of the grip, she gave a resolute swish. “No. I’m going to do this.” Sunset faced her. “Hmph. Your dedication is admirable. Let’s see how far it takes you.” She hopped down from her seat and glided over to Twilight. “You’ll start with basic fencing techniques to get a strong foundation. If you haven’t given up by the end of that, I’ll teach you sabre proper.” “I’m not going to give up,” Twilight said firmly. “Very well.” Sunset extended her red claws from her robe and grabbed Twilight’s wrist. Her hand was warm, like she had just pulled it away from the fire. “First, you’re holding it wrong. See where the blade angles? Make sure it’s always toward the ground. Place your thumb right under the guard, yes, like that. Now, hold it primarily with your index and thumb. No! Keep you whole hand curled around it! Just let these two carry most of the weight! Better.” Twilight let Sunset guide her fingers to their proper positions, trying not to flinch when she suddenly raised her voice. The pommel now rested against her wrist, and Sunset made a curt nod of satisfaction. “That’s how you hold a foil. Don’t lock your elbow. Loose, just like that. Keep your wrist loose as well. A light grip is all you need.” She unfastened her cloak and tossed it to the side. “Now, the key to proper sword fighting is balance.” She mimicked Twilight holding a sword and stepped out with her right foot. Her left turned outward, a perfect ninety degrees from her front foot. Twilight copied her, wiggling her body to keep upright. Sunset straightened up and examined her. She used her boot to nudge Twilight’s feet apart. “Keep at shoulder distance. Make sure your heels are aligned at all times. Bend your knees. Not that much!” Twilight found it increasingly awkward as she followed all of Sunset’s commands. The pain in her hip wasn’t helping matters either. She tried to keep most of her weight on her right leg, but Sunset quickly reprimanded her for not standing up straight. “Keep your balance even.” Sunset moved in front of her and guided the point of Twilight’s foil up to her chest. “Make sure the tip is always aimed at their center. That’s what you’ll be lunging for.” “But…” Twilight’s mouth went dry. “What if I don’t want to kill them?” Sunset slitted her eyes. “I’m sorry, did you think just learning how to swing a sword around would be enough to make all the bad guys go away? Did you think once they saw the fearsome Twilight Sparkle, they would surrender?” “N-no, but—” “You told me you want to learn how to fight, so that’s what I’m going to teach you. Pirates fight, and when we fight, we fight to win. And sometimes, winning means the other guy has to die! Call it self-defense if it makes you feel better, but it just so happens that swords have pointy edges that are good for stabbing. One way or another, you’re going to put the pointy end through your opponent's body, or they’ll do the same to you!” She stepped around Twilight’s blade and leaned in. Her breath was hot, yet odorless. “So do you still want to continue? Or shall I let you go back to your cabin?” Twilight got control of her trembling arm and took a measured breath. She said she was going to do this. Yes, she could call it self-defense, fighting only when she was threatened, but she would learn how to fight. She also wouldn’t give Sunset the satisfaction of quitting. “Continue,” she said firmly. Sunset leaned back, a smug smile on her face. “This might prove fun after all.” She moved to Twilight’s side, examining her stance. “This is your en garde position. Rule number one: never let your guard down. Don’t keep the blade straight out in front of you, point it a little inward. Just a little. There. When you come to en garde, you come to the quarte position. Now, come to aplomb.” Copying Sunset’s movements, Twilight lowered her arms to her sides and brought her feet together while maintaining their perpendicular positions. Her shoulder and hips sighed in relief. “Now, en garde!” Twilight jumped to her defense position, correcting herself when she realized the foil was pointed too far inward. Sunset roughly made more adjustments to her shoulder and wrist, then stepped back. “Aplomb.” Twilight rested. “En garde!” She snapped to the ready. Sunset adjusted her again. They repeated the process at least a dozen times, until Twilight could align herself without Sunset having to change anything. After three consecutive en gardes with no adjustments, Sunset moved to the opposite end of the poop deck. “When I say ‘advance’ you’re going to take a step toward me. Nothing about your stance should change. You lead with your front foot, your back foot stays perpendicular. Make sure they stay the same width apart as well. Clear?” Twilight wasn’t certain how well she could maintain keeping her feet the same distance, but nodded regardless. “Advance.” She stepped forward, trying as hard as she could to keep her feet shoulder width apart while making sure her sword arm didn’t tremble too much. Palm up, blade pointed slightly to the left, everything loose. She kept her eyes and the point of her sword focused on Sunset. “Advance.” Twilight took another step and stopped, then moved again when Sunset gave the command. With slow, measured steps, she made it to Sunset. The captain appraised her with bored disapproval, though Twilight granted that was her default expression. Sunset flicked Twilight’s forehead, and when Twilight raised a hand to rub the sting, Sunset’s other palm shot out and slammed into Twilight’s chest, sending her to the floor. Twilight looked up at the still brightening sky in a daze, then scrambled to her feet, cheeks red. “What was that for?” “First, your stance was sloppy when you reached me,” Sunset said, her voice hard. “Then, you let your guard down.” “I—” “En garde!” Twilight fumbled over herself to get back into her stance. While her mental memory was spot on, her muscle memory left a lot to be desired. Sunset roughly corrected her again, the moved to the other side of the deck. “Advance.” Twilight moved on Sunset’s command, earning another flick on the head when she arrived. Sunset then jumped to the opposite side and had Twilight advance again. This regiment continued for over an hour, Twilight being flicked whenever Sunset thought she was being sloppy. Negative reinforcement is hardly an adequate way to teach somebody. Twilight wanted to rub the bruise quickly forming on her forehead. It at least provided a small distraction from the sharpening pain in her hip. Just as Twilight got a hang of advancing with perfect precision, Sunset ordered her to step back. Twilight practiced retreating away from Sunset, flinching whenever her fiery-haired teacher would jump toward her to evaluate her progress. Flinching earned Twilight another flick. An hour later, Sunset had mixed it up, randomly calling ‘advance’ or ‘step back,’ keeping Twilight on the balls of her feet. The pain in her hip had evolved into a raging burn, screaming at Twilight to collapse onto the floor and take a break. The simple exercise of moving back and forth while keeping her arm raised had created a fine layer of sweat across Twilight’s brow, and her heart hammered in her chest, though part of that might have been out of fear from Sunset’s harsh bark and discipline. “Come to aplomb.” Twilight straightened herself, her leg nearly giving out. Her right shoulder wanted to fall off. Sunset rolled her eyes. “All right, take a break.” With a euphoric sigh, Twilight dropped to the deck, making sure to land on her right hip. She laid her foil to the side and pressed one hand against her aching leg, and the other up to the bruise on her forehead. They hadn’t even reach proper swordplay, and Twilight felt she was nearing her limits. Not going to give up. She winced at the spot on her head. But having a break is nice. Sunset moved over to the railing of the deck and looked out over the rest of the ship. Just like the water, activity around the ship flowed smoothly. Indigo stood at the wheel, having never glanced back at Sunset and Twilight during their training session. Pipsqueak stood in the crow’s nest, a spyglass pressed against his eye. Twilight closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face. The steady rocking of the ship helped ease her nerves, and by keeping perfectly still, she could feel some of the exhaustion slip out of her body. All too soon, she heard a distinct snap of fingers and opened her eyes to see Sunset glaring down at her. “Rest time is over. On your feet.” Twilight looked up at her with, what she hoped was, determination and not despair. She tried not to whimper too loudly when she shifted her weight onto her left side. “Work through the pain,” Sunset said, walking past her to lean on the back rail. “If your enemies find a weakness, they’ll exploit it. Learn to fight, even with disadvantages.” Harsh, but Twilight supposed Sunset was correct. No one was going to show her mercy in battle. She barely got any outside of it. She picked up her foil again, and at Sunset’s command, dropped into her en garde position. Sunset drew near and circled around once for inspection. “I’m going to flick you…” Twilight adjusted the width of her stance and her grip on the sword. A fresh bead of sweat made its way down the side of her face. “Better.” Sunset moved to Twilight’s front and drew a cross in the air. “The body can be broken up into four target areas: sixte, quarte, octave, and septime.” She pointed from Twilight’s right shoulder, to her left, down to her right midsection, and to the left again. “You’re currently guarding in quarte. If an opponent engaged you while they were in quarte, you would parry into sixte and then lunge.” Sunset took Twilight’s arm and moved it across her body, then angled her wrist so her foil faced inward. Twilight hadn’t thought it possible, but this was even more uncomfortable. “Now, you’re guarding in sixte. If you were engaged here by an opposing sixte...” “I would counter by parrying quarte. Logically, that means if I lunged, I would hit their quarte.” The corners of Sunset’s lips twitched. “At least you pick up the theory fast. Now, move back to quarte. Most of the movement is in the wrist.” The next hour was considerably easier than her previous lesson. Twilight moved her arm and rotated her wrist, practicing her ‘changes of engagement’ as Sunset called them. Sunset still flicked her anytime she thought Twilight’s form looked sloppy. “There are four more types of engagement, but we’ll cover those later,” Sunset said dismissively. She watched Twilight settle back into quarte. “Last lesson of the day, and the most crucial: the lunge.” Sunset took up her own rapier and got into her en garde stance. “Lunging is your best and primary way to attack your target. You get through their guard and deliver a decisive hit.” She raised her wrist, keeping her blade pointed forward, then took a decisive step with her front foot. Her back leg and arm were extended but relaxed. Her sword arm, however, was fully stretched out and perfectly horizontal with her shoulder. She brought her back leg forward and her left arm up, then lunged again, every part of her body moving in one fluid motion. She straightened up and pointed her blade at Twilight. “Your sword is an extension of your arm. Treat it as such.” Twilight nodded and wiggled her shoulders to stay lose. She just had to get through this, and her first day of training would be over. She followed Sunset’s instructions, raising her blade to shoulder level while keeping a slight bend in her arm. “Keep your back foot planted on the ground,” Sunset barked. “Now, step forward as far as you can and fully extend your arm. Feel your sword pull you forward. Unlike you, it wants the kill.” Ignoring Sunset’s last remark, Twilight lunged, throwing her arm and front foot forward with a small cry. A sharp pain in her hip made her cry again, but she gritted her teeth and held her outstretched position. Until her center of gravity shifted, and she wobbled and fell onto her face. Sunset let out a sigh above her. “I was almost impressed. Get up.” Twilight got back to her feet and clutched her side. Sunset’s reproachable gaze hurt just as much as her flicks. Without a word, Twilight went back to en garde. “Lunge.” This time, Twilight made sure not to overextend. Her hip still vehemently protested the movement, but Twilight fought through the pain, twisting her face up in concentration. Sunset walked around her, then gave her a strong jab in the shoulder. Twilight teetered to the side and fell over. “Your heels weren’t aligned. And you’re leaning too much to one side. Focus, Sparkle.” “I am focusing,” Twilight said between her teeth. She continued her lunges and, just like with her footwork, Sunset would find something to criticize every time, and flick Twilight on the head. And again, just as Twilight’s shoulder was about to pop off, and her hip seared with pain, Sunset said, “All right. That’s enough for today.” Twilight dropped her foil with a loud clatter and fell backward onto her bottom. She lifted her head up to the sky and let out a grateful sigh. All of her muscles went numb, robbed of strength. Sunset picked up the discarded sword and tucked it into a barrel in a corner. “You’re a smart girl, Twilight. And you’ve got determination. Your physical abilities leave a lot to be desired.” Twilight glared up at her. “If that’s another way of telling me to quit, it’s not going to work.” “I didn’t think it would.” Sunset climbed onto the back railing of the ship and looked out across the water. “It’s endearing in an annoying way. Go rest up. I’ll give you a break tomorrow so your leg can heal, but you better not forget what you’ve learned today.” “Yes, ma’am.” Twilight took that as her cue to leave, but as she tried to pick herself up, she found most of her body, especially her legs, were unresponsive. And this is only day one, she thought. Maybe I should have gone with Shining on his morning jogs. Sunset didn’t seem to mind Twilight’s continued presence at least. She stared out with a contemplative look on her face, her long ears twitching every few seconds. Twilight turned her attention back to the sky, watching a few clouds bunch up into large blobs. “If you’re going to sit there,” Sunset said, still facing the sea, “at least make yourself useful. Tell me more about the next key.” “Oh, right. Sure.” Twilight closed her eyes and conjured up a vivid image of the map. She honed in on the Fantasy Strait, the narrow pass between two continents. One-hundred miles long, with a large clearing at the center. Twilight could see the treasure marker in her mind’s eye, inked on the left side of the strait’s center. “‘The griffon has stars in its eyes,’” she said, recounting the inscription next to the treasure mark. Sunset rested her elbows on her knees and placed her chin in her hands. “‘The griffon has stars in its eyes…’” “One would think it refers to the town of Griffonstone, which is built into the cliffs around the strait’s center. But, Griffonstone is only two-hundred years old, whereas the map, and by extension, the key, date back much further than that. But, I don’t have any other territorial maps to cross-reference, so I’m not sure what else it could be referring to. After the last key, I can’t rule out the possibility that the clue was being literal again.” Twilight paused to breathe. “Are griffons real?” “At some time, they were. But that was before me. Never met anyone who claimed to have met one.” Sunset kicked her legs against the ship. “I’ve sailed through the strait plenty of times before. Griffonstone was built originally to honor the beasts who were believed to reside there. Even now, they have monuments to griffons everywhere. Finding this key may well be like finding a needle in a haystack.” “Well, Griffonstone is outside of Equestria’s jurisdiction. The whole strait is neutral territory between Abyssinia and Hippogriffia, so hypothetically, we won’t have to worry about any military force.” Sunset twisted to face Twilight, an odd grin on her face. “You know, you’re starting to sound like a pirate.” Twilight felt her face heat up. “I-I’m just trying to be aware of the situation! The less fighting and law breaking I have to do, the better!” “Whatever you say, Sparkle.” Her mischievous grin softened into a curious smile. “I wonder… do you know the story of how the Fantasy Strait came to be?” While her body was still sluggish and achy, Twilight found enough strength to sit up straight. “Of course. That’s such a common one, it’d be harder to find someone who didn’t know it.” Sunset gave her short, stuttered laugh. “Then humor me.” Twilight crossed her legs and got as comfortable as she could. “Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, the countries that are now Abyssinia and Hippogriffia were two different nations entirely. Large, powerful, and full of riches, both kingdoms expanded their territories until they met in a beautiful grassy field.” Twilight spread her fingers, easing into her mystic storytelling voice. “Now, in the center of that field was a tree. Tall with strong boughs, it looked like an average tree. But the fruit it produced were some of the sweetest, juiciest fruits for miles. When the kingdom from the west first arrived, they saw the tree, picked all the fruits, then left, seeing nothing else of interest. When the eastern kingdom arrived soon after, a gardener saw the bare tree, and tended to it until it bore fruit again.” Sunset hopped off the rail and landed next to Twilight. “But, when the west kingdom returned and saw the east kingdom on what they believed to be their territory, the west quickly became angry. The kingdoms argued over who had gotten to the tree first and who had proper sovereignty over the field. It escalated until both kingdoms declared war on each other,” Sunset said with a savage grin. “The war raged for years, with countless deaths on both sides. While neither side forgot about the tree, it soon became a war of pride and dominance. Neither kingdom refused to yield, dwindling their resource to prove their superiority.” “So, the war reached a boiling point,” Twilight said, uneasy about the excited gleam in Sunset’s eye. “With so many soldiers dead and towns razed, both kingdoms and the remains of their armies met on what was once the beautiful plain. The tree had weathered the war, and stood in between both armies. As both forces prepared to charge, a brilliant light shone down from the sky, and from that light, two figures appeared.” “Celestia and Luna,” Sunset said softly. “The daughters of the ocean god Neptune. They had sensed the great fighting from their home, and had come to investigate it personally. ‘Children,’ Celestia asked, ‘why do you fight with such intensity and hatred in your hearts?’” “The people stared in awe at the two divine creatures before them,” Twilight said. “‘Oh, great ones, both of our nations feel we have been cheated by the other.’ They explained how the war had come about, both sides arguing their case.” Sunset made a wide sweep of her arm. “‘Clearly, the western kingdom is in the right,’ Luna said. ‘They were here first.’” Twilight made a face of mock indignation. “‘But the eastern kingdom actually took time and effort to tend to this land when the west were nowhere to be found!’ Just as it looked like the divine sisters were about to pick a side and begin the fighting anew, Celestia snapped her fingers. ‘There is a simple way to solve this problem.’” Sunset nodded. “And so, she and her sister declared that each kingdom would have rights to half of the land, splitting it down the middle from the fruit tree. But to ensure they would not be tempted again to fight, one sister walked north from the tree, while the other walked south, each dragging a staff along the ground behind them. When both of them reached opposite ends of land, the ground rent asunder, a mighty chasm opening and splitting the kingdoms apart.” “The tree was split as well, one half resting with each kingdom. And that was how the Fantasy Strait came to be. Both halves of the tree still rest at the center to this day. Or so they say,” Twilight finished, adjusting her glasses. “Aye. I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” Sunset said, falling back to her monotone pitch. “Old, gnarled and lonely looking. Sitting above Griffonstone, minding its own business. Doesn’t produce fruit anymore.” Twilight tentatively stretched out her legs and wobbled to her feet, lurching forward from the sharp pain sprouting from her hip. She fell onto her face, feeling a flush of irritation that Sunset had done nothing to help her. Sunset stepped past her, walking down the stairs. “Thank you for the story, Twilight.” Her words were sincere, but she didn’t spare any glance backward. Twilight propped herself up on her elbows, staring after Sunset and her abrupt departure. What really goes on inside her head? Pushing herself onto her legs again, Twilight was better prepared for the pain and the awkward balance. She hobbled down the steps, becoming increasingly aware of the large void in her stomach. It gave an angry roar, and Twilight had to lean on the handrail as a wave of lightheadedness rolled over her. She and Sunset had been practicing so intensely, Twilight had forgotten to eat. Maybe that’s where she hurried off too. Stomach clenching tightly, Twilight tried to make her way below deck to forage for food. “Hey, Twi!” She looked up. Lemon Zest was near the front of the ship, sitting in a circle with Sunny Flare, Sugarcoat, and Sour Sweet. Lemon emphatically waved her over, holding a bowl of food in her other hand. This is a trap, Twilight thought initially. Lemon Zest occasionally talked to her, and Sugarcoat had delivered less stoic insults recently, but for four of them to be gathered and want to associate with her…. No, nothing good could come of it. She gave a hesitant wave back, but turned for the door. “Aw, c’mon! We got food for ya!” Twilight’s stomach gave a demanding roar. Traitor. She sighed and walked over, trying her best not to limp or show any sign of fear. She sat on the deck next to Lemon, who handed her a bowl of salted meat, two apples, and a roll. She stared at the food before her, mouth watering. With difficulty, Twilight restrained herself from tearing into it, looking up at the other girls instead. “Okay, what’s the catch?” “What do you mean?” Sunny asked. “You’re just offering me a bowl of food. Don’t you all hate me?” “Hate's such a strong word,” Sour said with a smile and a wave of her hand. “None of us just liked the idea of having to waste our time looking over a defenseless, crying, bookworm.” “But, we saw you getting sword lessons from Captain Sunset,” Sugarcoat said. “We thought you might not be that bad if you’re trying to learn how to defend yourself. Plus, you have good taste in books.” “Oh… umm…” Twilight looked at her food again. This had not been her intention when she requested sword lessons. Being accepted by the gang of girls who kidnapped her? She wondered where this fell on the scale of irony. Still, she couldn’t say she was displeased by the results, especially If it meant less scathing looks and words during her internment here. “Thanks,” she said, and took a bite of her apple. “So, what was the lesson like?” Sunny asked. “None of us ever see the captain fight. Usually, she just blows up whatever’s in her way.” “So I’ve noticed,” Twilight mumbled. She rubbed the sore spot on her forehead. “She’s… an aggressive teacher.” “Figures,” Sugarcoat said. “I don’t think ‘mercy’ is a strong word in her dictionary.” Sour tossed an apple core over the side of the ship. “I’m surprised she agreed to train you in the first place. I would have thought someone like you would be completely hopeless at fighting.” Twilight retracted her statement about receiving less scathing words. “She probably did it out of boredom,” Lemon said, popping the rest of her role into her mouth. “What else does she do all day? Hey, Twi, if you ever want to learn how to shoot a gun, I’m your girl!” “I’ll… consider it.” Wielding a blade was one thing. Twilight didn’t know if she had it in her to fire a lead ball into someone. Regardless of what Sunset said, Twilight was doing this for self-defense only. The girls made idle chatter as they ate. Twilight for the most part just listened. While the meat was over-salted, and the roll hard, they felt like a banquet to Twilight’s hollow stomach. “So, Twilight,” Sunny said, sitting her bowl aside, “what was life like on your little island? You know, before we kidnapped you.” Twilight repressed a deep sigh. None of these girls possessed any tact. “It was nice and quiet. I worked in a bookstore, and I walked out to the point everyday to read.” Lemon snorted. “Sounds boring. I think we did you a favor.” “Hardly.” Twilight looked around at all of them. They couldn’t be too much older than she was, now that she had time to look. “How did you all end up on a pirate ship?” Sunny spoke first. “Funny story about that. See, me and Sugarcoat actually lived on Haven. I worked in my parent’s store, and Sugarcoat was a barmaid. So we’re just living our lives, you know. Watching pirates come and go and stuff. Then one day, the whole town is abuzz because someone saw the Crimson Heart sailing toward us. We all knew about Sunset, but no one had seen her in several years—they were starting to think she had died for real. But she comes into town and announces she’s looking for more crew members, won’t say what for though.” “So she decides to be nosy,” Sugarcoat said flatly, “and starts ferreting around to find out what Sunset need a new crew for. I still don’t know how she did it, but she eventually found out Sunset had a treasure map.” “So of course, I told Sugarcoat, because I tell her everything—” “Unfortunately.” “And I told her we might as well be pirates. We already lived in the pirate capital of the Equestrian Sea.” Sugarcoat sighed. “I was tired of being a barmaid for drunken pirates every night, so I decided I didn’t have much to lose.” Twilight lifted a finger. “So, instead of serving drunken pirates, you joined a pirate crew?” “I assumed a pirate like Sunset would run a tight ship. My assumptions were correct. And I’m not the one serving alcohol anymore.” Twilight reasoned that made sense. She looked between Sunny and Sugarcoat. “And Sunset just let you two join like that?” Sunny gave a hapless shrug. “She didn’t exactly have a lot of options. No one was in a hurry to join the demon captain.” “I certainly wasn’t,” Sour said, crossing her arms and hunching her shoulders. “Mother and Father always said I was ‘unstable,’ so the first chance they got to get rid of me, they forced me onto Sunset.” To Twilight’s surprise, there were actual tears in the corners of Sour’s eyes. Pushing her surprise further, both Sunny and Sugarcoat put a consoling hand on Sour’s back. From her frequent mood swings, Twilight had a hunch Sour wasn’t all together. That wasn’t an excuse to be pushed out by your parents, however. Lemon rested her arms behind her head and laid back on the deck. “I was the daughter of the duke of Tall Tale.” She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “Everyday it was dressing prim and proper and going to fancy classes and meeting people who claimed to be important. I hated it. It was so boring and repetitive. “So, I ran away. I was about twelve when I did. Snuck on a trading ship and ended up on Cloudsdale Isle.” She grinned. “They threatened to throw me into the ocean once they found out I had stowed away. So, I said I would work for them, for free even. Well, they wouldn’t turn down free labor. So, I got to go around the sea on a trading ship. The first mate even taught me how to use a sword and a pistol. Got real good with it too.” “Yeah, you shot my sword right out my hand!” Sour yelled. “Hey, I said I was sorry, like, ten times already.” “We found the ship Lemon was working on about a month after we joined Sunset,” Sugarcoat explained to a curious Twilight. “We were running low on supplies, so Sunset ordered us to raid it. We killed most of the crew, but Sunset was impressed by Lemon’s aim.” “I told her I was willing to be a pirate, so Sunset spared me, and I joined the Crimson Heart.” Lemon said with a proud grin. “Can you say ‘best adventure ever’? Not many people can say they fought a Tatzlwurm and lived to talk about it, eh, Twi?” Twilight would prefer to never speak of the incident again if she could avoid it. “So,” she pressed on, “what are you all going to wish for?” Lemon closed her eyes. “Nothing. I got what I wanted: freedom and adventure. I’m perfectly happy.” “Money,” Sugarcoat said like it was obvious. “I could buy a house, books, and never have to subjugate myself to dealing with people I hate.” “Yeah,” Sunny said. “My folk’s store always seemed to be struggling. If I wished for a ton of gold, they could just retire and never have to deal with making ends meet or having something stolen from them.” Sour looked down and twiddled her thumbs. “I don’t know. Maybe Neptune’s Blessing can make me not ‘unstable.’ Maybe my parents would take me back then. Not that I want to go back at this point!” she added harshly. None of them asked Twilight what she would wish for. Frankly, she didn’t know either. Maybe she would wish to go home and see her brother again. But if Sunset kept her promise, that could be an easy reality as long as Twilight led them to the treasure. Twilight doubted Sunset would let her have a wish anyway. They all drew quiet. Hearing these girls had relatively normal lives before becoming pirates, voluntarily or otherwise, brought an odd sense of relief to Twilight. And their wishes were surprising to say the least. Sure, two of them wanted gold, but it wasn’t out of greed. Sunny’s was down right altruistic. They weren’t a band of bloodthirsty monsters like many books had Twilight believe. Like Sunset, they appeared to have a few layers to them. “Oi, you barnacles!” Indigo’s voice cut across the deck. “You’ve sat around long enough! Get back to work!” Everyone scrambled to their feet, grabbing their bowls and heading down to the galley. “So, what’s Indigo’s story?” Twilight asked Lemon in a hushed voice. Lemon shrugged. “Don’t know. She doesn’t talk about herself that much. I just know she’s been here longer than all of us. I can never tell if she admires the captain or hates her.” Twilight caught a glimpse of Indigo before heading below deck. The scowl on her face rivaled Sunset’s. Indigo caught Twilight’s eye and glared with an intensity that said, ‘I dare you to try and make friends with me.’ Twilight trained her eyes forward and kept walking. She wouldn’t deign to call the other girls her friends, but knowing there were four less people on the ship who hated her gave her a comfort she hadn’t felt since she had seen Shining. The fact that said comfort was coming from the pirates who had caused all of her woes in the first place didn’t escape Twilight’s notice. But, she took whatever she could get.