The morning light had barely crept over the horizon as Celestia's sun kissed the weary passengers and crew. But treachery was afoot… as the few healthy griffins and harpies began to take up arms…
Salty was quietly resting in his quarters, unaware of the incoming betrayal as the crew carefully made their way toward the makeshift medicine hall.
However, fortunately for the injured and lame, their evil would not go unnoticed. Twilight had poked her head from her wagon to exercise her usual early morning routine, quickly noticing the crew.
The alicorn slowly approached the group, her gaze uncertain and concerned.
“Um… can I ask what’s going on?” Twilight asked slowly, feeling a twinge of nervousness. She could tell by the expressions on their faces that they weren’t happy.
“Get back in your wagon.” ordered a harpy as he pointed his pistol at the alicorn.
“We are protecting the health and safety of everyone on board; just stay out of our way.” informed one of the more cordial griffins as he lowered the harpy’s pistol.
Twilight’s ears were pinned down to her skull, an ache growing in her chest as the anxiety grew. “What… are you planning on staging a mutiny? The captain is doing his best, and we’re really close to our destination. I know it’s been tough, but I will send a letter to Celestia so we may afford supplies once we land anchor. And payment, of course, for your injuries….”
“Please reconsider; we don’t want any more injuries.” The alicorn’s ears flattened.
"This ain’t a mutiny lady; this is preventing an outbreak of illness; there be scurvy at claw!” snapped another griffin.
A harpy quickly slapped him, “Shut up, idiot. Are you trying to wake the captain?”
“We need to burn them, so they don’t spread the plague!” shouted a harpy.
“PLAGUE!?” erupted the crew.
The ship quickly erupted into chaos as the newly formed mob rushed toward the medical hall.
Twilight’s eyes widened; these creatures were incredibly confused and needed some direction, panicking when they thought they had no other options. Rushing after them, Twilight’s horn burned to light as she amplified her voice.
“ENOUGH!!” Her voice boomed, akin to Luna’s Royal Canterlot voice. “Scurvy isn’t a disease or the plague; it can’t be transferred! You simply have a deficiency of Vitamin C! You need to have fruits like limes, oranges, and lemons!”
The door to Salty’s quarters flew open as the earth pony awkwardly cradled a musket in his hooves, pointing it at the mob, “WHAT IS EVERYCREATURE YELLING ABOUT?”
“Sir! It is the plague, the injured need to be burned!” shouted one.
“No, throw ’em to the sea!” roared another crew member.
“What!? How could you even consider such things!?” Twilight yelled, stamping her hoof. “We are NOT throwing any creature overboard and THERE’S NO PLAGUE!!”
“I know tensions are high, and it’s been rough ever since we encountered those pirates, but we’re so close to our destination. I promise you will all be paid and your injuries will be taken care of. And we’ll take care of your scurvy. It’s not transmittable!”
“SHE’S CLEARLY MAD WITH THE PLAGUE CAPTAIN!”
“SHE’S POSSESSED, BOREAS SAVE US!”
“QUIET!” roared Salty as he carefully slung the musket over his back, “WE’RE NOT THROWING THE INJURED AND SICK INTO THE SEA, AND WE AIN’T BURNING THEM EITHER!”
“Princess Twilight is as much of a scholar and scientist as she is a mage and magician; if she says they aren’t contagious, then return to your post!” thundered the sea dog.
“I’m not risking my life next for these ritzy ponyfolks any longer! First, half of us get maimed in a bid with the pirates, and now we’re at risk for illness!? I’m not taking orders from no senile old colt!” roared a griffin as he slowly drew his weapons.
The crew quickly erupted into a standoff as they were split into those loyal to the captain and those who wanted to secure their own safety. There was a unanimous click as flintlocks were primed and swords were unsheathed from their scabbards.
“BLIMEY! YOU PRIDEFUL OLD FOOLS, WE ARE SO CLOSE TO GRIFFINHAFEN, AND YOU’RE GOING TO KILL YERSELVES RIGHT AT THE FINISH LINE!?”
Twilight’s horn burned as brightly as the sun, and a flash enveloped the ship, and in the blink of an eye, every single creature aboard froze in place, unable to move.
“ENOUGH!” The princess shouted, a vein pulsing in her neck. “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF ALL THIS FIGHTING! We are close to Griffinhafen, and you can all go your own ways once we arrive. But for now, no matter WHAT we do, WE’RE STUCK OUT HERE AT SEA. So you can work things out once we touch land, but for now, WORK TOGETHER. Otherwise, none of us might make it!”
“Senora… we’d love to work this out, but… none of us can work together if we can’t move.” mumbled a harpy through his now-clenched beak.
“Can I trust all of you to not fight if I let you go?” The alicorn raised an eyebrow, her horn still bright, lighting up the deck. “I expect all of you to drop your weapons as soon as I do so.”
There was a collective murmur of agreement from the crew.
“Fine.” Twilight released the spell holding the sailor’s prisoner, although her horn was still primed to burn to life with magic again. “Now drop your weapons.”
The crew begrudgingly obeyed as they threw their muskets and swords to the ground. Which unfortunately caused the weapons to discharge. Causing a thick screen of smoke to form as chaos once again erupted on deck.
With the harpy and griffin sailors screaming bloody murder as they rushed across the deck in a panic. The thundering sound of gunfire caused the wagons to have their occupants pour out to see the ruckus.
Twilight sighed, pressing a hoof to her face as she tried to soothe her anxiety. Lighting her horn up once more, she caused a gust of wind to disperse the smoke, clearing everyone’s vision.
“Everycreature CALM DOWN!” The princess shouted, using one of the few spells she knew. A calming spell is usually meant to help ponies drift off to sleep. This would be useful, however.
The crew quickly toppled over as they face planted into the deck below, succumbing to Twilight’s calming spell.
Starlight trotted over to Twilight, whistling as she took a moment to take in the sheer chaos that would make Discord giddy.
“What happened, Twilight?” inquired Starlight.
“Yeah, what the heck is going on around here? Are we under attack again?” shouted Applejack.
“They were going to overthrow the captain; they were delirious, probably from scurvy. We need to get to GriffinHafen, and now.” Twilight rubbed her head tenderly, slowly growing a headache.
“Those sillies, they know what scurvy is, right?” Pinkie Pie poked her head out, having finally gotten over her hangover.
“Apparently not…” Twilight sighed.
“Unfortunately, these sailor types aren’t nearly as educated as you are, your highness.” sighed Salty, “Unfortunately, we’re now at the mercy of the tide now without a crew.”
Starlight tapped a hoof to his shoulder, “Well…we could be the crew.”
Salty blankly stared at the expedition team for a long moment, “....Well, it’s better than nothing.”
“I know a little bit about sailing, nothing done by hoof, but I’ve read plenty.” Twilight nodded, “At least enough for our journey.”
“I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’ll give it a shot!” Pinkie shouted, pumping a hoof in the air.
“Alright, let’s do this.” Rainbow nodded, “What do we need to do?”
Salty quickly took off his hat as he made a quick prayer to Celestia before taking a deep breath, “Well, let’s tie down the cargo and put these men to bed.”
Starlight quickly lifted a few harpies as she trotted toward the bunks, “Got it.”
Applejack nudged Pinkie as she trotted below deck toward the cargo.
“Twilight, you’re my first mate; make sure everypony is on task. Rainbow Dash, you’re my spotter, Rarity, tighten the knots, Trixie, check the munitions and gunpowder; Thorax, Spike, Yona, keep out of trouble!” roared Salty.
“Yes, sir,” Twilight nodded, “Now, let’s get to work!”
Rainbow Dash nodded, zipping up to the mast to keep an eye on the sea. Pinkie Pie gave the apple farmer a charming smile before trotting along with her, helping them get the sailors down into the bunks.
Trixie gave a mock salute, “Whatever you say, Cap’n… Hey, why can’t Thorax help?”
“Erm…well…” Salty put a hoof to his chin, “He can….watch the youngin's!” chuckled Salty, “Enough fooling around, get to work!”
After a lot of misery and strife, by the early evening, the makeshift crew could see a lighthouse in the distance, shining its beams of light onto the ship and sea.
“Oh, thank Celestia,” chuckled Salty before he fainted, collapsing onto the deck as sheer exhaustion and stress finally caused the old captain to topple over like a house of cards.
“We’re not done yet, captain. We still need to get to land.” Twilight nodded her head, lifting the sailor back onto his hooves. “Now we need to lay anchor at the docks and get all of our injured to the nearest hospital.”
“I’ll go and scout things out!” Rainbow called before zipping off into the distance.
The captain wiped his brow, “Well…Applejack and Pinkie Pie are strong enough to weigh anchor…Starlight and you can hoof the sails, so we slow down….”
As the ship crept into port, the injured and lame creatures were quickly intercepted by knightly-looking armored griffins and nurses as they were flown off into the larger city.
GriffinHafen was at the helm now, with its massive rustic-looking buildings and massive lighthouse watching over the village. Homes and businesses made of wood, stone fixtures, and clay-tiled roofs.
It was much akin to a small pony village, a bit advanced compared to Ponyville. With a massive collection of ships and vessels lining the docks. Hundreds of griffins and some harpies littered the streets as they sold their wares and goods, haggling the passerby to buy.
In the distance, they could see taverns, inns, and restaurants designed for weary travelers. The warm glow of the businesses enticed them like moths to the flame.
An old wooden sign hung from two posts at the entrance of the docks, “Willkommen in GriffinHafen.”
“This is so fascinating!” Twilight grinned and marveled at everything around her, somewhat familiar, but definitely griffin. She wanted to write down everything she saw, attempting to memorize everything before she could sit down and write it. At the moment, she was just hoping to get to rest, but first, she needed to ensure that all the injured sailors would be taken care of.
“Alright, how about you girls get some rest? I have to tend to the sailors.” Twilight nodded to the tavern nearby, letting out a long sigh.
“Oh, come now, Twilight, you’ve worked as hard as the rest of us,” Fluttershy replied softly.
“Well, somepony needs to take care of the sailors.” Twilight sighed, “Don’t worry, I’ll try not to take long.”
“Better yet, somecreature, the sick, have been taken by the locals, I assume Rainbow Dash told somecreature in ponish. Salty and his crew aren’t in our obligations; let’s just go.” huffed Starlight tiredly.
“Starlight, I have a responsibility as a Princess. I can’t just turn away from those who defended me and our lives, especially because of my title! I have to show that I genuinely took their sacrifices as seriously as they should be.” Twilight replied, her voice unrelenting as her will. “I’m sorry, but I have to.”
“Well, if you think so… do you want any company?” Fluttershy gently offered.
“These aren’t your ponies, princess; these are uneducated and frankly stupid backwater sailors. Besides, we have more important matters we need to get to Griffinstone and resupply. I know Salty can handle himself.” insisted Starlight.
“Starlight!” Fluttershy chided, “Now, those sailors might not be ponies, but their pain and suffering still matter; they got hurt because they were trying to defend US and their ship!”
“It’s okay,” Twilight held up a hoof, “Starlight, I know these things are new to you, but sometimes you have to reach out to make a friend and help them, even if they’ve caused you trouble. Reminds me of somepony I know….” She gave the mare a knowing look.
Starlight scoffed as she displayed the massive map of Griffonia, “It’s a day’s walk to Griffinstone and probably a month’s journey to Swallowtail, time is of the essence, and we can’t squander it with these poor fools.”
Starlight rolled her eyes at Twilight’s remark, “If I was this stupid to think scurvy was contagious or you were possessed for being rational. Then I would’ve expected you to have the good graces to have me incarcerated in a two-by-four cell with some keys to keep me distracted.”
“Besides! These creatures worked for pay and took the job knowing the risks. We aren’t obligated to support them any more than we have!” stamped Starlight.
Twilight sighed and rubbed her forehead, “Starlight, just because they are misinformed or delirious from sickness doesn’t mean we should just turn our backs on them! They need to be tended to, and I need to show the citizens of GriffinHafen that I care that some of their people were hurt! That’s very important.”
“Seriously though, how are you not getting this?” Rainbow crossed her arms, staring at the unicorn.
“Shut up, Rainbow Dash.” snapped Starlight.
"Hey!" barked Rainbow Dash.
Starlight quickly turned to Twilight, “Twilight, your presence here signifies that alone. You being here is more than enough. These griffins will probably make dolls and portraits of you to sell by the end of the week. Now I insist unless you WANT Griffinstone or Swallowtail to be swept up in a great calamity, then toil with pirates.” hissed the unicorn.
Applejack scowled, “You need to watch your tone; you forget that WE allowed YOU to come along, so don’t boss us around like you wear the pants around here!”
“Go play in the mud, bumpkin.” she snarled.
“Well, I never! You ought to show some respect around here. Applejack is right; you must remember that you are not as important as you think. You have yet to prove yourself any more capable than anypony else!” Rarity spat.
“Don’t talk to ME about being capable; you were hung over the side of the haul, spewing your insides into the sea while I spent the last forty-eight hours playing doctor!”
“ENOUGH!” Fluttershy was the one to finally shout, silencing everyone. “Clearly, we all need time to recuperate! Starlight and anypony else who needs it go to the tavern. Twilight, if you really need to go, then go.” The pegasus stamped her hoof, even impressing Rainbow Dash.
“Thank you, Fluttershy.” Twilight nodded before turning to Starlight.
“I won’t say this again, so I hope you understand what I am saying clearly: do not insult or belittle my friends again.” Her tone was strict, giving Starlight a chill down her spine. “I understand you’re stressed, but you can’t say hurtful things because you’re not feeling good. Got it?”
Starlight took a deep breath; although rattled by the demanding tone, she was not deterred. After all, she had resisted Twilight before. Nothing was really stopping her from bucking up to anycreature as of now.
A fiery rage burned inside her as that familiar and bitter look formed on her face. Shooting daggers from her eyes as she seemed to stare down the ponies in front of her.
“Starlight, I know you want to be your own pony, but when you have friends, you can’t insult them. They’re not punching bags; you can’t take all your feelings out on others because you’re angry.” Twilight sighed. “Starlight, I’m not mad; I just don’t want you to do that again, okay?”
“There are no friends of mine,” spat Starlight, “Half of these ‘friends’ are imbeciles! Incompetent self-righteous fools!”
The mare quickly stamped off, shoving past Applejack as she mumbled to herself, cursing bitterly under bated breath.
Thorax and Trixie trotted off the boat, bags in ‘hand’ “...What did we miss?” asked Thorax.
Twilight sighed, “Starlight’s a bit… miffed. Do you think you two can go and talk to her…? Since you’ve known her for longer than I have… on good terms, at least.”
“Well… we can try. But I can’t promise a miracle.” Trixie sniffed, “C’mon, Thorax, let’s go fix this mess.”
The princess rolled her eyes, “Fine, the rest of you… get some rest. I’m going to go check on the wounded.” Twilight turned and stretched out her wings before flying off.