//------------------------------//
// Everything Is Fine 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Another explosion sounded in the distance as Starlight made her way down the ship's central hallway, stopping at the door to her and Maple's room. She slid it open with a hoof, Gerardo's sword balanced on her back and her horn worn-out enough from earlier that she didn't want to use it. The interior was dark, the ceiling light still broken from where their prisoner earlier had attacked it, but the stars had come out and she could see by the light of the window.

"Hello, Starlight," Maple sighed from the bed, having freshly remade it after the scuffle. "You were gone a while. Did you have trouble with anything?"

"Yes," Starlight grunted, tossing the sword aside and hopping up beside her. "Valey and Shinespark were there, and so were those singers, and they started being sad about something that happened on the pirate ship even though everyone we care about is here, and then they got a plan to do something with the harmony extractor that they think will work and now they're turning the ship around again and having us sail right back there instead of running and staying safe."

"They what?" Maple's eyes widened. "We're going back? I saw how tired everyone looked..."

Starlight shrugged. "Apparently? They're turning the ship around. Look." She pointed out the bedroom's window; the frigate was now straight in their view. Seconds passed by, and the Dream continued turning, its prow moving closer and closer to the source of the fighting. "They're going to try to do something with that concert magic to tell someone to stop fighting, which isn't going to work. Those concerts were making ponies fight over them, not stop. And besides, something else will go wrong. They think it's like when I killed the windigoes in Ironridge, but it's not, because we should just leave. This is stupid."

She pouted, settling her chin into her folded forelegs. Maple sighed beside her, laying a hoof over her back.

"Gerardo gave us his sword," Starlight muttered, looking for something else to say. "He made up excuses about why. I think he wanted us to be able to defend ourselves."

Maple glanced at where the sword had landed, laying at the foot of the bed, and leaned over, pulling it up with a hoof and then pocketing it. "I don't know what to do," she reluctantly apologized. "It'll be alright? Starlight, I'll stay here with you."

"Hmmph." Starlight buried her face in the bed. "They're stupid. I want to go home."

"Where?" Maple whispered. "Anywhere you say that is, I'll take you."

Starlight groaned, stretching her legs out before and behind her. "I don't knowwww..." She held her breath for a moment, the tension against her chest better than nothing, but she really wanted a pillow to punch. "I hate this. I don't like being powerless! I want to light my horn and make all the pirates go away and everyone in the Empire who doesn't like us, but I can't! It's not fair."

"I wish I knew what to tell you." Maple set her head beside her. "I know. It's hard. I'm just as stuck here while everyone else is fighting as you are."

"While they're fighting over things they shouldn't be fighting over," Starlight growled. "Who's back there, anyway? A bunch of pirates? Soldiers? Puddles? Hmmph."

A light suddenly shone in the doorway, which Starlight had left open. Starlight looked up, frowning when she saw Jamjars. "What?"

Jamjars waved her hooves innocently, and horn lit for illumination. "Who, me?" She grinned. "Just wandering around. You saw who's back, right?"

Maple looked down at her. "Jamjars, we're having a moment. Is this important?"

"Yep!" Jamjars tossed her short, short mane. "Howe's here. That means I get another shot at getting the secrets to his manecare routine. Pretty special, huh?"

"Is that all?" Starlight lifted her head and frowned. "You said it was important."

"And? That's not important to you?" Jamjars gave her a pouty look. "Wow. Well, good thing you said nothing about who it had to be important to. What a tragic loss for you."

She turned her shoulder and flicked her mane, like there was something obvious Starlight was supposed to be asking. Knowing her, Starlight figured there wasn't, and she just wanted to make someone awkward by feeling like they couldn't figure it out.

"I don't think a manecut is what we need right now, Jamjars," Maple offered peacefully, the sounds of battle getting slightly louder in the distance.

Jamjars shrugged. "Oh. Fine. Be that way. The only other thing is that there are pirates in my room. Don't complain if they stay there and then I get rid of them my way."

Maple's eyes snapped open, and she struggled out of bed. "The ones we invited here, I hope," she managed, righting herself and hurrying to the door. She paused to look back at Jamjars. "Right?"

"I don't know." Jamjars shrugged. "They're just appreciating my decorating."





"Duuuuuuuuude." Neon Nova's jaw was slack and his shades askew, revealing bits of his yellow eyes beneath. "A filly gets a room like this? That's just not fair. I'm thinking we joined up with the right crew, brother-of-mine!"

"Truly, her tastes are exquisite," Howe mused, wandering around Jamjars' room with a hoof to his chin. "One can only wonder how a lone filly managed to amass such a hoard of legendary artwork! Her tastes and skills fill me with envy. Although, with those sisters themselves on board, something tells me this shrine must be kept from them at all reasonable costs..."

Grapejuice gave one of the posters an appraising eyebrow. "They are sisters and stuff, right? Thought kissing like that was against the rules on the mainland, too."

"Errr..." Howe looked slightly uneasy. "Well, rules exist to be broken? We have converted to the ignoble ways of piracy, after all."

Grapejuice shrugged. "Yeah, but even up north the monks aren't cool with that stuff. Whatever. If you aren't playing by your own rules and are getting hot and bothered by it, I ain't missing out!"

Maple stuck her head in the door. "What's going on in here?"

Starlight followed her as the three pirates jumped in surprise, Howe and Neon Nova looking about abashedly while Grapejuice held no shame at all. "We, umm..." Howe's wings fluttered. "Got invited here for an art appreciation day?"

"It's a party," Jamjars announced, pushing up behind them and crowding Maple and Starlight into her room as well. "Because your spirits stink, and I'm bored. So hang out and do things!" She winked at Maple. "I didn't say the pirates were here without my permission, did I?"

"Well, no..." Maple fidgeted. She glanced at Howe and Neon Nova, then looked away. "Just so you know, this might not be a very light party."

"Ehhh... eheheh..." Howe rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Wuh-oh," Neon Nova whispered. "It looks like we're about to feel the pain for getting creamed back in the mines, brother-of-mine..."

"What?" Grapejuice chewed on something. "Hey, they're breaking the rules, so am I. Not like Garsheeva can see."

Starlight sighed, and took a breath to interrupt-

WHUD!

Something hit the ceiling so hard, the light shook, and one of the poster corners came undone from its wall. Everyone stumbled but Grapejuice, and Neon Nova did a full faceplant. "Eeep!" Maple ducked, standing protectively over Starlight and covering her head.

Another explosion sounded, and it was from directly nearby. Starlight didn't hear any singing or music playing. Shaking, she trembled in place... and bolted for the door and the stairs.