Daring Do: the Legend of the Algae Photis (A Ranger side-story)

by Wanderer D

Chapter 17: Ahoy!

Silverstream had always wanted to be a pirate. That is, whenever she didn't want to be a princess, or an aquanaut, or a baker, or a bank-teller, or a Stair Designer. She wasn't exactly sure why she wanted to design stairs, except that half her life she had spent underwater with her mother, and only got to see them with her father. And no hippogriff ever used them because... well, they had either flippers or wings, so the best they had at Hippogriffia were the jagged protuberances from the rock cliff that some dared to call "stairs", but to a real connoisseur like herself, they were at best… something. But not stairs.

Eventually, as she had grown up into the young, dashing pirate-baker-to-be that she was today, she had even built herself a little studio to draw schematics for stairs. And by the Pearl there were a lot of types of stairs! 

Straight Stairs, L-shaped stairs, U-shaped Stairs, Spiral Stairs, Circular Stairs, Curved Stairs,
Ladder Stairs, Split Staircases… a lot, basically. And even more to discover! But, after being captured by Tempest and Ahuitzotl, she had little time to think about whether the stairs should be at a thirty or fifty degrees angle from the horizontal. She couldn't be a Stair Designer now. She needed to be a pirate!

"Yarr!" she whispered, trying not to be overheard by the crew.

She shifted in place, trying to make as little noise as possible within the crate she was hiding inside. True, she didn't know how many pirates started their careers inside a large wooden box with the food in it, but Pearl-dammit, there had to be worse starts to piracy, and besides, airships were little more than flying wooden boxes with food and creatures inside, right? 

All adventures began with a small step outside the door, after all, and if she wanted to avenge her father, then she needed to be there when the thing happened.

What "the thing" was, exactly, she was not entirely sure of, but it involved recovering the Pearl, which was certainly important, then finding and fighting the bad guys, which was also important and then getting some sort of magical items lost to time.

That was also important. Because they were going to use them to heal some vampire siren from another dimension. Silverstream knew this because she was good at taking notes, and when she was focused on something she was some sort of savant, according to Queen Novo, who also said it was very rare for Silverstream to actually concentrate on any one particular topic, which was nonsense, because she had proven several times that pineapple did actually mix well with rice and coconut. 

Granted, that had been irrelevant to her math class, but she was already ahead of the curve with that. So much ahead, in fact, that she was at a 360 angle from every other griff in her class! 

Satisfied that her logic was absolutely on point, she then pressed her eye to the hole in the plank next to her. She could see most of what was happening outside. There was the Abyssinian and he was talking to what could only be… a hag! Or maybe a parrot. If it was a hag, she looked perfect. If she was a parrot… she had seen better days. Maybe.

Silverstream silently resolved to ask her fellow pirates how they got a hag to work for them.

Either way, they were loading the crates! This was it! No turning back now! She stifled a giggle when she noticed the parrot approaching and slid back away from her peephole. She held her breath as she heard the parrot do something to the outside of the crate, then felt as the whole thing was suddenly lifted into the air.

It was terribly disorienting, considering that she knew she was in the air, but she had no frame of reference. She instinctively wanted to open her wings, but if she did, she might knock things over and betray her presence in the crate. 

She felt the crate move through the air and risked another peek outside, watching as a burly parrot in the most pirate-like getup she had seen so far motioned for her box to be lowered into the hold.

Silverstream grinned and was about to clap excitedly at the idea of her plan working out, but she resisted the urge. All she had to do now was wait until they were underway. Then it would be her turn to shine.

Twilight Sparkle smiled when she spotted Alejandra, and walked over to the griffon. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she replied, rolling her wings back. "I'm still just a bit sore from the pounding I got at training."

Twilight nodded, wrapping a wing around her friend as she guided her back to the Arpia. "Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, it just… brought back a lot of memories working with him, you know? Good ones for the most part."

"Yeah, I know." Twilight said. "I can still see Ghalahad's face when the Assassin killed him if I close my eyes and listen to the one here."

She felt the griffon sigh and lean into her. She didn't mind, right now in Equestria, only she and Alejandra knew the loss they had suffered. Having Galahad here had helped, but it still didn't erase what had happened across the mirror.

Finally, Alejandra straightened up, glancing at Twilight fondly before stepping back. "Thanks Twilight. I needed that hug more than I knew."

Twilight smiled. "Anytime." True, her feelings about Alejandra were mixed when it came to romantic issues, but when it was a straightforward friend-in-need situation? That she could handle without a problem.

They walked up the plank and into the ship. Things were wrapping up, and Twilight could barely suppress the urge to tell them to just finish already and get going. Tempest was already on her way to the Algae Photis, and who knew what she would do with such a powerful item.

Twilight paused on the deck and glanced at the city. "Do you think I'm abusing my station?"

Alejandra gave her a small smile. "I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with what royalty can—or can't—do."

Twilight sighed, feeling the weight of the whole mission resting on her shoulders. There was so much to do. So many dangers already creeping up on Equestria, and so many people in peril. She had wondered, before going to Earth, what kind of duties she would have as a princess. Who knew it was going to end up like this?

Her eyes studied Hippogriffia for the last time. How would have things been if she had brought the girls with her? All of them? How much fun would they have had, Fluttershy exploring the city, Pinkie Pie making friends… even maybe expanding their markets in the case of Applejack and Rarity?

"The team would have been too large," she whispered to herself, "I would have a really hard time keeping them under control. Especially Pinkie."

"What was that?" Alejandra asked, making Twilight blink and look at her friend.

"Oh. Nothing," she said, chuckling. "Just… missing my friends, a little."

Alejandra nodded, looking back at the city as well. "I think they would have liked visiting here."

"Yeah." Twilight didn't look, but she could feel Alejandra's eyes on her.

"Do you want to talk about them?"

'Yes,' "Not right now…" 'Because I feel guilty. Because I'm afraid for them. Because I don't want them to be broken, like I am.' "We have much to prepare, and our enemies are already underway. Let's talk to Celaeno and get going."

"Sure thing." Alejandra said, and even though the griffon probably didn't notice it, Twilight did hear the soft sigh of disappointment.

For a moment she wanted to berate Alejandra. She didn't know her friends that well. She didn't know how Equestria had been mostly in peace for centuries until recently everything started hitting the fan. She didn't know how unprepared ponies were… always relying on Princess Celestia, who wasn't unbeatable!

She wanted to tell her how the Commander's much less efficient counterpart had managed to overpower the princess. She hadn't seen how easily Discord had thrown everything into chaos and time and again it fell on her shoulders to rally her friends to risk their lives to help save Equestria.

That it felt like a lifetime when they had stepped up and guided her instead of her fighting an uphill battle to get them to just trust her. That ever since fighting Nightmare Moon, she had had to get them on her side again every time. At the wedding. When Discord appeared. When she came back from the mirror and they wanted to send her back to Ponyville while they faced the vines on their own. She had to prove to them again and again despite the fact that they were her friends and they should trust her. At least Discord's spell to change their natures was outside of their control but...

What was she supposed to do? After all she'd seen?

Her friends were trying to stifle and "protect" her when 'it was them' that needed to wake up and smell the bacon. They were her friends, little town ponies for the most part that were blissfully unaware of the dangers out there.

They weren't supposed to end up dead inside an inn, burnt to the ground by aliens and monsters. They weren't supposed to drown in their own blood while another listened to them pass away without being able to do anything! They were supposed to be kind and gentle and take care of animals, not… head a band of rebels against fascist human-hybrids that hunted them down! They were supposed to create fashion and be dramatic, not serve as bodyguards to alien figureheads!

"Twilight!"

She snapped her head up, blinking at Alejandra. Twilight realized she had been gritting her teeth and slowly relaxed her jaw, and forced herself to close her wings, and dispel her magical aura. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry. I just… I need to be alone. Please coordinate with Captain Celaeno. We can get going, I just have to think."

She left before Alejandra could say anything.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

How is everypony doing? Or should I say everycreature? I don't want to offend anypony, so please make sure to let me know if I did!

Things have been interesting here in Canterlot. We found Twilight's old friend, but she refuses to come out of her house. She seems deeply hurt somehow, and I just want to pull her into a hug and tell her it will be alright, but I'm afraid she'll dump a library on me if I try.

Spike says that she was Twilight's friend before she met us, but Twilight said that she didn't have friends before us… I wonder if she just… didn't know? It saddens me that she might have thought that way, who knows how much it would have helped her to know these kinds of things?

We will keep trying of course, but I feel like Twilight is needed to get Moon Dancer out of her shell. She'll do things if Laetitia orders her to just because she thinks it's Princess Luna, but Twilight's human friend is naturally not comfortable with that.

Speaking of which, I've taken her flying with me, and she's spent a lot of times at my house in Ponyville, getting to know my friends and going on long walks with me. It's nice but knowing that she's dying… it makes me sad. I hope your adventure is a success and you can cure her, she's a very gentle soul.

I also wanted to ask you, did something happen? Yesterday my cutie mark started glowing for no reason, but I immediately thought about Twilight. It felt like she was there, all stressed out and I just wanted her to know that we love her and that I could be there for her whenever she needed me.

It's strange, but I feel we were somewhat connected for just a moment! I hope she's doing well. Even if it was my imagination, it made me think of her, and how she could use some more kindness now that things have changed for her so much.

How are you doing?

~Fluttershy

Shortly after all the crates had been loaded, there had been a lot of excitement outside. Creatures were shouting and running, but it wasn't in fear—no, it was the organized chaos a pirate ship needed to set sail!

Silverstream had heard loud noises all around her as the ship got ready, then felt it shudder as it pulled away from port. There was no swaying in the ship, since it was flying and not sailing on water, but the wood of the hull still creaked whenever there was a turn. Soon after they had taken flight, she had heard the captain shouting more orders, and then felt as the ship accelerated.

That had been… probably hours ago. At first she had been excited. This was her first foray into piracy after all! Something that her brother had always said she'd never do. 

"Eat that, Terramar!" she whispered. This was so exciting! She had plans that involved sword-fighting, bandanas and treasure! Also, the Pearl. No proper pirate would ignore the Pearl. And she needed to bring it back to help her dad. That was more important than piracy. It was more important than stairs or having fun.

However exciting things were in concept, in practice, she was still stuck inside a large box with bags and smaller boxes of dried fruits and fish, and there were too many creatures about for her to get out while they were still within reach of Hippogriffia. 

She'd have to wait a few hours for the ship to leave Seaquestria entirely behind and be too far away for them to just send her flying back, or even turn around. That meant… she was going to get bored. Thankfully, she hadn't slept at all last night, so she made herself comfortable—using her little knapsack as a pillow—and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, it was mostly quiet. The only sounds were the creaking wood, the wind, the crackle of ropes stretching or tightening with movement, and the occasional clinking of metal and glass bumping onto something. She peeked out of her hole, noticing the cause of the latter were the lamps in the hold. 

She waited, both to allow herself to wake up fully, and to make sure there was nocreature around. She licked her lips. She really, really needed to use the Little Bird-Fish Room. Carefully, she pushed the top of the crate open.

Or she tried.

It was then that she realized a tiny problem. "Oh no… they put another crate on top of mine!" she whispered. She glanced around herself, barely able to make out anything inside the crate itself, and the more desperate her condition, the more desperate she was to get out.

Maybe the plank with the hole was lose enough? She tried shaking it, but it wouldn't budge. She was going to be trapped inside! For days! Without access to the Little Bird-Fish Room! She threw herself at the plank, trying to break it, but only succeeded in hurting her shoulder.

She sniffled.

This was not what piracy was about!

It was then that she heard a loud scraping noise above her.

Eyes wide, she watched as something wedged itself into the crate at the corner, and then heard a grunt, soon her whole crate was washed in the dim light of the hold, and two parrots—one large and brutish, the other the harpy she had seen earlier—were glaring down at her.

"Toldja I heard the food snorin'!" the harpy said.

"Looks like we have a stowaway," the bigger parrot growled threateningly.

"Well lass," the harpy asked, sneering down. "What do you have to say for yerself?"

"Yarr?"