Twilight stood above the Pilot Deck, staring at the retreating harbor behind them.
Seeing Zecora had been good. Twilight didn’t want to get so caught up in the new and upcoming that she forgot the past. Even if that past was now somewhat clouded by bad blood.
Twilight wasn’t going to think about that. She shook her head, her mane flying in the wind that pushed against her ship.
She walked down the stairs to the main deck, watching her crew prepare for the three-day voyage.
“Provisions, check. Extra sails, check. All crew accounted for,” Twilight looked around, pausing in her musing. Everypony was on the main deck, either setting up the ship or watching the receding bay. “Check.”
“Twilight, what did we say about the lists!”
Twilight turned aside, and Spike was staring at her, hands on his hips.
“Sorry, Spike. Just doing some thinking.”
Spike’s irritated expression softened. “Twilight, you don’t need to think about that stuff anymore. I know you’ve made some mistakes, but c’mon, brooding won’t help. He understands. Both of you wish things different, but it’s not.”
Twilight smiled at the dragon, remembering the days when he wasn’t so tall.
“Jeeze, Spike. Five years ago I’d have been giving you the same shtick. Thanks, buddy.”
The purple dragon only smiled. “It’s fine. Just keep your head on straight. We’ve gotta explore this Island, and we can’t have our captain spacing out.”
Twilight laughed at that. “Of course. Now. I heard you tried some of that new drink we picked up without telling me first.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “It was just a sip! It smelled so sweet!”
Twilight reached out and hit the dragon in the shoulder with her hoof. “Just messing with you. I didn’t tell anypony that it was off-limits. Though… you’re a little young to drink alcohol, Spike.”
He glowered. “Would you rather me drink seawater?”
Twilight laughed again, getting into a lighthearted mood. She walked past him, staring at her red sails. Her ship was the only one on the Equestrian Sea that flew those colors. Many ships bore the symbol of their origin – ships from Crest showed a big wave, and ships from Canter would have a castle turret on them.
The Free Mare’s sails were a blank, vibrant red. Sure, it made them a target to pirates and other ships that preyed on others, but they’d defended themselves enough times to not worry too much.
She walked around the ship a bit more, and came to rest next to Redheart, the newest addition to the ship, if a year could be called new.
“Redheart. We don’t talk a lot. Why is that?”
The white pony turned and looked at Twilight, away from the speck that was Crest Island. “I don’t know, captain. I think we just never take the time to.”
The lavender unicorn smiled. “Obviously. Drop the ‘captain’ bit while we’re at sea.”
The smile turned to a grin. “Of course, you still have to follow my orders to the letter, but we can be informal if we like.”
The nurse nodded. “Of course. You told me when I came aboard that everypony was friends here.”
She turned to look at the ocean again, and Twilight looked with her. “I’m still sort of stuck in the past. Back at the hospital, everything was so different. We all vied against each other for control. Nopony wanted any friends. We all took care of our patients. It wasn’t about saving lives anymore – it was becoming a race just to be in favor.”
Twilight put a hoof on Redheart’s shoulder, causing the pony to flinch and glance at her. “Then you came, with Rarity in tow. I was her doctor… and she couldn’t pay.”
“Redheart, you can calm. It was the past. You’re here now, and everypony is okay with you.”
“That’s just it, cap- I mean, Twilight. I still can’t help but think that somepony is out to get me.”
“Redheart, you’ll be fine. Hay, Rainbow’s even got a nickname for you. Usually takes her over a year to warm up to somepony, and she called you ‘Reds’ within three weeks.”
Redheart smiled, and turned back to the sea. “I know. I just am very afraid of going back. Back to Canter Island. I don’t like it there, too many ponies, too little land.”
Twilight took her hoof off Redheart’s shoulder. “I know. It’s why we’re out here too. To live free, on the Free Mare. You think about that,” Twilight tittered a minute, “Reds.”
Redheart laughed at that, and Twilight walked away.
She cared about all her crew. Sure, it was important to maintain a good motivation in all your crewmembers, but it was more than that. She genuinely cared about her people, whether or not they were feeling well, feeling happy. She’d make sure to mention Redheart’s mood to Pinkie. Pinkie was always good with keeping ponies happy, even if the sugar ration on the ship always ran out faster than it should.
She wondered what supper would be. Though the ship was made of wood, they’d reinforced a section with copper and insulation in order to have a kitchen. Pinkie and Spike put out meal after meal there, keeping the crew’s bellies happy. Last night’s daffodil sandwich had been nice, eating it in harbor, but she wanted something hot tonight. Maybe she’d request some cooked carrots. Carrots were good in her book.
She looked around the deck. Everypony except Fluttershy, their current watch, was lounging up top.
That’s what sailing was. Waiting, lounging, and enjoying life.
“Twilight.”
The voice was incredibly soft. In fact, she thought she must have imagined it, but she looked up and saw Fluttershy right above her.
“Yeah, Fluttershy? What’s up?”
“Well, if you don’t mind, could you look back to the east with your scope? I think I saw something.”
“Alright. What is it you think you saw?”
Fluttershy landed next to Twilight and the two strode toward the Pilot Deck to grab the scope, Twilight’s long distance sight mechanism. It was amplified by magic, another example of magitech, slowly replacing regular magic in the contemporary world.
“I… I think it’s a ship. It’s really far off, so I’m sorry, I couldn’t see any markings. I don’t know why they’re following our route. There’s nothing out here.”
Twilight frowned. “Nothing but Torres Island.” She grabbed the scope off the wall, and brought it back. Levitating it up to her eye, she searched the horizon.
“Direction?” she asked.
“East. Directly east,” Fluttershy responded.
“Thanks, Flutter… no no no! Come ON!”
Twilight had spotted the ship, and was not pleased at all.
“I swear I didn’t break the orb! I didn’t!”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean…”
“Yeah. That ship’s symbol. Wispy, dark clouds.”
“No! But you said…” Rainbow Dash landed next to them, eyes wide.
“Nopony followed us, I know what I said. But I was wrong. They’re here, and they’re angry.”
“But you didn’t do anything, you said so!” The cyan Pegasus pleaded.
“I didn’t. But they think I destroyed the Orb of Clouds. And now the Cult of Fog is after us.”
The two pegasi looked at each other, eyes panicked. Rainbow looked at the ground, afraid and not afraid to show it.
She whispered to herself in a small voice, and Twilight strained herself to hear the pony’s words.
“But nopony survives the Cult’s ship…”
Twilight looked at her friend, her face determined.
"Then let's be the first."
She ran forward, and called the whole of the crew forward.
"Full speed ahead to Torres! Do whatever you have to to get us there faster! I want us there in a single day."
Cheerilee frowned, staring at the three frantic ponies.
"Why?"
Twilight had promised that she'd always be honest with her crew. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
"Because the Cult of Fog is less than two hours behind us, that's why."