//------------------------------// // Sail the Ocean Blue - Part 1 // Story: Bluebird // by Hammerhead //------------------------------// “Yo, Bluebird, how’re you holding up?” asked Nicknames. “Nervous, I bet.” The gang stood just outside the barrier of the Hippogriff Navy’s dockyard. It was early morning, with a calm tepid breeze blowing against them. As such, Gallus felt rather relaxed, albeit tired from getting up. Gallus furrowed his brow. He wasn’t nervous about anything and was unsure why Nicknames was looking at him with a cheeky smirk. “No, why?” “Well, you’re about to meet Ladybird’s dad. Not an easy task if you wanna, you know….” He playfully nudged Gallus’ chest, who began to narrow his eyes and sharpen his stare towards Nicknames. They were about to meet Silverstream’s dad, Prince SKybeak, at any moment. Sure, there was that moment the night before between Gallus and Silverstream that… could have gone better. Also, he couldn’t be certain of what Skybeak knew from her, assuming she told her parents everything. Still, Gallus has more pressing stuff to focus on, like the Navy behind them. Gallus was unaware of why Nicknames was still playing the “lovebirds” schtick, unlike the shorter stallion standing by and grumbling. “Don’t tease him….” “What? I’m just saying.” Nicknames deflected. “Bluebird wants to get back in Ladybird’s good books, and her dad is the scary protective type around you. That’s how I’ve heard all dads are with their girls, right ladies?” Whatever smug confidence he had quickly faded away as he was met with hawk-like stares from the two Pegasus mares. “Nah, mah pop’s a big sweetheart.” Sterling refuted. “My dad won’t give me the time of day, let alone care which colt wants to ask me out. So, no.” Nickname’s face went white. “Uh, well… still. We’re talking about a Prince AND a Captain, so what do we do, bow or salute?” he asked with a light-hearted chortle. It was impressive how easily he bounced back. “But seriously, do we bow or salute when he arrives?” That did bring up a good point, do they bow because they’re guests and he’s a member of the royal family, or do they salute because they’re military and he’s a high-ranking officer? Nicknames twisted his head side to side, hoping someone would have an answer. If only he’d known some Crystal Ponies who’ve met Shining Armour, those ponies would know how to greet a monarch and military captain. None of the ponies had answers, so they all turned to Gallus, he met With his eyes in the sky, Gallus just smiled. “Well, you better figure it out quick.” After hearing a loud and majestic screech echo from the sky, they all looked up and witnessed a hippogriff emerge from the rising sun. The hippogriff swooped down and flew low over the barrier before landing firmly in front of the gang. They were in the presence of Prince Skybeak, tall, firm build, with coat and feathers blue as sapphires and a mane like silver cirrus clouds. “Hey, good morning, ponies and griffon!” he proudly greeted them. The beaming light on his face matched his positivity. His grandeur tone and tall stature gave the gang the sight of a strong leader, one of a royal and an officer. “Good morning, sir!” Gallus decided a relaxed and formal greeting would do. Instead of shaking Sky Beak’s claws, he noticed the hippogriff looking away from him with an amused grin, using his claws to cover his beak to hide his laughter. Confused, Gallus turned his head and quickly saw what was so funny. Scythe and Pound Sterling stood tall and firm with their arm held up in a salute. Meanwhile, Nickname went to the same fancy bow he gave Silverstream the day before, and Lightning Dust had her head down, and flank raised too.  They got so unsure of how to greet Sky Beak that they all did different things, seemingly unaware of what the other was doing. “In all my years, visitors from Equestria never fail to surprise me,” he remarked with a chuckle before raising a single arm. “Please, at ease, save your formalities for the big G.” All four ponies glanced at each other, slowly letting down their arms and returning to standing. Somewhat embarrassed, they didn’t realise how laid back Sky Beak was. “Uh, sorry, sir.” Gallus stepped in, sharing their humiliation. “My buddies have been eager to meet you, so….” “Hey, no problem! We’ve all been through drills once.” Skybeak remarked, giving Gallus a light pat on the back and resting a claw on his shoulder. With some relief, Gallus didn’t have anything to worry about with Silverstream’s Dad. “Come on, let’s get you all kitted up.” The Hippogriff Navy uniforms looked odd, a green and yellow patterned tunic and headband. Sure, it was different from the dark green coveralls or the metal armour, and at least it wasn’t bright white with a goofy hat. Still, it didn’t provide any protection or camouflage. Then again, once Skybeak took them to the docks, there was no need for any safety apparel. The Princely hippogriff showed them the ship they were about to set sail on. The wooden vessel was vast, with three sails and a giant purple rudder in the rear. It was presented like a giant bird with two large wooden wings and windows shaped like seashells. But this was no mere transport ship, but a full-on battleship with weapons showing on all sides. Pound Sterling quickly flew back to capture the entire ship in a photo, leading the others to stare in slack-jawed awe. “Dude… look at all those cannons… I think I’m gonna cry,” said Nicknames in wide-eyed astonishment. “You know what, go ahead. I won’t judge” Lightning Dust followed, sharing his sentiments. They all made their way up the ship's deck, still in disbelief that it was where they’d be. “Yes, you lot are lucky”, Skybeak sighed, “I never got to work on one of these.” “Really?” Gallus tilted his head. “Silverstream once told me you were in the Sea Fleet, but I thought you worked on a ship before.” “Ha!” Skybeak gave Gallus another pat on the back. “In all my life, I haven’t worked on anything larger than a fishing boat.” That came as a surprise to Gallus; Silverstream never mentioned anything about her dad working in fishing. “I mean, I could have worked with the Navy once we could be hippogriffs once more, but Royal duties said otherwise….” “Royal duties?” Before Gallus could get clarification, they all had reached the top deck, and Skybeak’s attention was caught elsewhere. “Aha! There he is!” he exclaimed as he happily recognised an old friend. He then leapt up and glided across the deck, past a bunch of uniformed hippogriffs before landing in front of one tall indigo-coloured hippogriff with a noticeably different headgear that stood out. That, and the thick pale blue mane of his that flowed like the ocean. “How’s it going, Big G?” Skybeak confidently had his arm out as if ready to swing into a firm clawshake. However, the other hippogriff sat up on his hindlegs, folded his arms, and glared directly at the prince. “Your highness, I know it’s been a while, but what have I said about work and formalities?” the hippogriff asked with a formal yet serious tone. Skybeak quickly hesitated, “Oh, sorry, Seaspray” he quickly flung his claw to the back of his head while giving a sheepish grin. “Guess some things don’t change.” Fortunately, after a short pause, Seaspray’s expression shifted as he revealed a smirk. “No matter Skybeak, I’m rather impressed you’re still able to get out of bed in this waking hour.” He quipped. “Careful, you know who my sister-in-law is.” The two laughed. Clearly, they got on well and continued to chat. Gallus stood on the other end of the deck, watching the moment from a distance with intrigue. He had never seen the two together before, Skybeak always turned up to parent-teacher meetings at the School of Friendship, as well as their graduation. Seaspray only turned up once during his first day at the school, though Silverstream used to say how growing up, if her dad was around, Seaspray wasn’t too far away, almost like he watched over her as much as her dad did. The two probably talk about how Silverstream is getting on all the time, Gallus thought, yet Skybeak appeared happy and friendly with him. Perhaps he was being nice, but maybe Silverstream didn’t bring it up? Meanwhile, the other ponies had their own discussion. “Big G? As in General?” Lightning Dust having just figured out Seaspray’s nickname. “Yeh, ain’t ‘eads of Navies s’posed to be called sumthin’ like commodoor?” Pound Sterling pondered. “Admiral” Whilst Scythe muttered the correct answer, hesitant to demean Sterling, Nicknames interjected. “Whatever we call him, we should salute, right?” He was oblivious to why the others groaned and sighed soon after. “Anyways, I’m here to introduce you to your new cadets,” Skybeak directed his friend’s attention to the gang, “fresh from the Equestria’s Royal Guard Academy!” He clearly bolstered their military credentials to impress him. “Cadets, this is General Seaspray.” The introduction was a good sign for them to make their first impression known the best way they knew how. “Good morning, sir!” All five said in unison, followed by a salute. However, Seaspray did not look impressed at all. His mood shifted, and the smile vanished as he approached the cadets. With a stoic stare and narrow eyes, he walked down the line inspecting each one at a time. His eyes pan up and down on each, yet he never says a word, like he is Staff Sergeant Razorwing on mute. Then he reached Gallus. As Gallus stood solid like a statue, almost face to face with the General, he immediately noticed something across his face, down his neck, and even across his arms, scars. It might have been years, but Gallus was sure Seaspray had never had pale streaks so sharp and thin. The detailed damage proved challenging to ignore as Seaspray looked up and down again, slowly and meticulously inspecting the griffon. Gallus tried to slow his breathing, keep his head fixed forward, and focus on the green circle on the chest of Seaspray’s tunic so they remained level with the horizon. Remarkably, Seaspray tilted his head and gave a short hum with intrigue. He turned back to Skybeak, but not before firmly and quickly adjusting Gallus’ flat and straightened claws still held near his head in salute. Gallus glanced at his saluting claw when Seaspray’s eyes weren’t on him. It was faced down, almost perpendicular to how it was. “I see the Equestrians have rehearsed the correct pose,” remarked Seaspray facetiously. Skybeak rolled his eyes before turning to Gallus and the ponies, returning to his prior radiance. “That’s General Seaspray saying you guys make a good impression. He’s gonna oversee this ship, so be on your best behaviour,” he explained, although he quickly saw the fixed wide-eyed looks and tense salutes didn’t help. “But also, relax, he’s friendly when you get to know him…” he attempted to reassure them. “…mostly. Have fun!” Skybeak then gave a short salute. Gallus noticed his claw was faced down before giving a massive leap off the ship and swooping back down to the docks. The ponies and griffon were left with Seaspray standing nearby. Nicknames whispered, “So, this is the Godfather, huh?” as he glanced towards the hippogriff. “Yes, shut it.” Gallus hissed in response, remaining tense and eager to avoid trouble for any gossip. Seaspray cleared his throat, causing Nicknames to snap back forward. “Cadets, at ease, and follow me.” Just as ordered, they all dropped their arms and began to walk behind Seaspray as he began to brief them. “Shortly, we will embark on a voyage between Mount Aris and Ludo Isle, one of our smaller islands, as part of our routine inspections for any threats or criminal activities on our seas.” They all made their way under the helm and inside the ship. The ship had three floors accessible from two sets of staircases, one towards the stern and the other towards the bow. The bottom floor stored rope, weapons, and everything you needed for a long voyage. “The entire journey will take three days, so your meals and food will be in the galley while you will billet in these quarters.” Seaspray showed them a single giant room on the middle floor. It was mostly empty except for a large stack of hammocks in one corner and wooden tables set off at another side. “When you hear a bell being rung, that means the ship is in an emergency", he continued. “All crewmembers must report to their muster stations; yours will be on the port-side deck where you first saw me.” A Hippogriff sailor emerged at the stairs from below and approached Seaspray, holding a clipboard. “General. All crew and cargo are accounted for. We’re ready to embark,” they said. “Excellent. Tell the crew to raise the sails, take off the lines, and get to their posts so we can start moving.” The hippogriff saluted soon after and departed up the stairs to the top of the deck. It was time for the ship to move, and Seaspray turned back to the cadets. “Any questions?” The only one with the confidence to raise their arm was Gallus, “Yeah, what will we be doing?” It was a fair question. It’s not like they were there for a free cruise, as nice as that would have been. Seaspray cleared his throat again, covering his beak to dampen the sound. “Let’s go back up to deck, and I’ll show you.” They all went back up the stairs and back up on the deck. Hippogriffs were pulling up the anchor, drawing the sails, taking away the ramp from the docks, all preparations underway in a prompt and orderly manner. When Seaspray pointed to what they’ll be working on, they saw a set of buckets, brooms, and towels. “The deck here needs a good cleaning; it should take all of you a few hours to scrub and mop up every inch of it.” Any hopes of starting off their ocean voyage doing something new and fun were dashed on the ponies. “That’s it?” Lightning Dust asked with a mixture of disappointment and annoyance. It wasn’t the smartest response, as she turned away and found herself muzzle to beak with Seaspray, his eyes narrowed, and forehead creased. “Correct, cadet.” His voice deepened when he answered. “Do a good job before lunchtime, and perhaps you’ll be permitted to do other duties. Understood?” “Uh, yes, sir.” “Good, get a move on, then.” The cadets looked at Gallus, Lightning Dust, and Nicknames and gave half-lidded stares. It was his idea to go on this cool trip, and instead of fun or relaxation, it was cleaning duty like they were back at their dorm. Scythe and Pound Sterling, though, had sympathetic looks. It’s not his fault their first task sucked. They’re army ponies who never worked on a ship before. Not to mention, they felt Seaspray wasn’t keen on them being there. As a silver lining, there are worse jobs. They could be dealing with waste disposal on the docks, pity whoever does that job. In the end, they all went up, and each gathered the cleaning equipment to start working on the deck. If they get the work done, things might get better. At least the nerve-wracking part was out of the way. “Except you, Gallus. There’s something I need to discuss with you.” There was one area that none of the ponies saw on the tour of the ship that Seaspray took Gallus to, the captain’s quarters. Despite its fancy name, it appeared to be the most familiar to an officer cadet like Gallus. It was an open room, with shelves and cabinets to the side, a large desk and chair with windows facing behind it. This was a commander’s office with an all-wood graining, the only difference being a hammock above for sleeping and a door to the side possibly leading to a private restroom. Seaspray entered the quarters first. He went around the desk and stood directly in front of the seashell-shaped windows with his arms locked behind him, looking out to Mount Aris as it slowly moved away from the ship. Given the familiarity of the office, Gallus followed behind and stood in front of the desk. Yet Seaspray remained silent, almost like Gallus wasn’t there. It was the griffon’s turn to clear his throat to gain some attention. “What did you want to talk about, sir?” “Four and a half years”, Seaspray answered an oddly short and vague answer that left Gallus tilting his head. “It’s been four and a half years since I visited the School of Friendship as an escort, representative of Hippogriffs, and met the leaders and diplomats of other grand nations, such as yourself.” He finally turned his head to look directly at Gallus. “You’ve gotten taller and gained some brawn since I last saw you.” “Uh… thanks.” Gallus wasn’t sure how much of what he said to take as a compliment. Did Seaspray bring Gallus here just for a recap? “Guess I have changed over the years, unlike you,” Gallus followed, something light-hearted. It'll be over sooner if he doesn’t make the conversation awkward. “Except for… you know… those scars.” And he blew it. Seaspray raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t until he glanced down at his arm and saw the long thin wound drawn across that a sombre reminder came to him. “…Yes. I’ve been busy returning the Navy to what it was before the Storm.” “The Storm?” “The day the Storm King invaded our islands and took everything, leaving the Hippogriffs hiding under the ocean”, Seaspray clarified with a grim sigh. Gallus quickly realised what he was referring to. He learned about the Storm King, the places he invaded, and his defeat at the School of Friendship, but to be referred to not as any old storm but as THE Storm was something new. It felt dark and ominous, a perfect analogy of such a period. “We used to rule the entire south seas, and the Navy has made great progress getting it back, but not without some…disagreements”. He was wiping the wound with his thumb as he grasped his arm. Gallus likely brought him back to a fight, maybe with a pirate or some creature loyal to the Storm King. Suddenly he shook himself and waved away those thoughts. “But enough catching up, how about you?” He asked, his eloquent and raised tone returned as he sat at his desk. “What brings you to Mount Aris?” “Oh.” Gallus was relieved the tough part was over so soon. He figured it was safe enough to answer truthfully, at least for the whole group. “Well, my buddies and I are on spring break. The Academy has this scheme to do something adventurous. I thought it’d be great to come here and- ”. Suddenly, Seaspray raised a single claw. The nonverbal command caused Gallus to stop mid-sentence. “Perhaps I should be clearer. I’m aware of Equestria’s Royal Guard Academy and that cadets do excursions. Though you’re the first to come here.” he stated. “I’m also aware that you’re close with the Queen’s niece. Her Majesty wouldn’t have been convinced of bringing cadets from Equestria had it not been for her.” He rested his shoulders on the desk. He clasped his talons, locking his sights on Gallus. “So, let me ask again, what brings you here?” “I….” Gallus could feel nerves building up, he thought a simple truth was enough, but he saw Seaspray read him, knowing it wasn’t enough. Maybe if he told Seaspray what he wanted to hear, that would be enough? “There was something I wanted to talk to Silverstream about…” answered Gallus. Seaspray raised an eyebrow. “And what must be so important it required you to travel all the way to Mount Aris to speak to her?” he questioned, clearly what Gallus thought wasn’t enough. The griffon’s eyes wandered, thinking of what to say next. Should he mention his ordeal and how it affected Silverstream and their friends? He wasn’t sure if he should also bring up how she felt when they had arrived… Meanwhile, Seaspray grew impatient. He wasn’t sure how Gallus was reluctant to answer his question as if he was hiding something, perhaps some tremendous guilt. What would a young adult feel guilty about concerning a young lady? His eyes then narrowed, and one of his claws clenched tight into a fist. “You didn’t hurt her, did you?” he said with a deep voice and grit in his teeth. “No, sir!” Gallus instantly exclaimed; his feathers and fur puffed out in fright at the thought. His heart raced, and his mind was followed close behind. Of course, he didn’t hurt Silverstream. At least, not physically, mentally, or directly, and he was genuinely sorry. Silverstream must know it wasn’t his fault or intent to upset her. Oh, Grover, he needed to stop thinking. “Good”, he said, calmed as quickly as he grew angry. “I’ve known Silverstream since she was a fry and vowed to give her a good life during our darkest times”, he recalled. “The last thing I want is for her heart to play by one she spoke fondly of.” Thankfully, Gallus’ heart slowly returned to a healthy pace as he felt relieved again. However, he wasn’t sure if it was because Seaspray believed him or knowing that Silverstream spoke fondly of him. Then again, he felt his cheeks begin to warm. “Since you’ve been truthful thus far, let me be truthful in return: I have the utmost loyalty for Her Majesty Queen Novo and respect for Prince Skybeak, but if both told me to bring one pony to work on my ship, let alone four, I’d still tell them no.” Gallus wasn’t sure how he was surprised. Silverstream did write it took hours for her dad to convince him. “I reminded them of the Rockhoof Incident, where one pony crashed a transport cruiser on jagged rocks on their first and only day at sea” Rockhoof? That sounded like the name of that storyteller pony back at the School of Friendship. “Despite my reluctance, I only agreed because Lady Silverstream proposed the idea, and you would be with them. As such, I’m trusting you with ensuring nothing bad happens because of your comrades.” Seaspray instructed, with a warning. “One more Rockhoof Incident. I’ll personally arrange for your early departure back to Equestria. Do I make myself clear?” After all that, Gallus wasn’t worried. He was annoyed. Not only does Seaspray give them cleaning duty on a grand navy experience, but expects Gallus to keep an eye on his friends. For what reason? Because they’re ponies who might screw things up. Gee, why does that sound familiar? Unfortunately, Gallus could also see out the window behind Seaspray. Mount Aris was so far away. It’d be challenging to turn back, and complaining would ruin the trip for everyone. “Yes. Crystal. Leave and carry on, sir?” “You may”, answered Seaspray. Gallus did a right turn and marched two steps before turning towards the door and making his exit. It was just like routine, except Seaspray's Hippogriff Navy, was sailing the ocean blue instead of the Royal Guard Academy. “Tch, Equestrians.”