The wind ruffled Twilight's purple hair, like a father would. She looked at the horizon beyond her, as the ship she stood on brought closer, bit by bit. The dark, deep blue of the ocean clashed so greatly with the lighter shade of the sky where they met it would seem as if they were different colors all together. She looked down at her attire. It was composed completely of brown and beige, save for two dull, grey, boots, and the patch on her right arm, of a sun that identified her as being sent from the 'Order of Pacification'. As a child she had was known largely as a prodigy, in next to every thing she tried. But she was so humble no one would notice her. She was humble only because she felt it needless to brag about what she 'could' do instead of doing it. And that's where the 'order' falls in.
The Order sought to bring peace, peacefully. As an organization made by the courts of Equestria this, in its self was extremely odd. Their bidding was Twilight's command. And their current order for her, was to head to the province of Arcadia, and make her self useful to the the natives. It was the land of many creatures never having seen Equestria, though most were now extinct anyway. Those who worshiped these animals when they did exist however were sometimes granted a blessing to their bloodline that related to that particular creature. For example, her young dragon blooded companion.
Spike stood on the far end of the ship leaning on the rail, losing himself in the deep blue of the ocean below him. He was only fifteen and he was going to explore the vast unknown, with two women that refused to resort to violence. He stared down at his reflection in mirror like water. He was like any human, only two abnormally large canines jutted from his mouth. But they only complemented his over all sharp features, and spiky green hair. His black, wool lined bomber jacket covered a dark red shirt, and bore no patch. He wasn't part of the 'Order of Pacification' like his surrogate sister. Only because of views that differed so much from the order's. Twilight had raised him since she was sixteen, and he four. No easy feat, but she managed. He always seemed to have something close to scowl. Even when happy. He felt the breast of his jacket, feeling for his gun, the only keepsake of his family. An ebony black, and gold trimmed navy revolver. On the wooden grip was the carving of a dragon breathing its flame. He was always paranoid as to the weapons location.
Twilight and her assistant were the only ones on deck at the time. The boat was caught in an insane silence. The only audible noise was the creaking of the passenger boat, and the occasional ring of metal striking metal. Spike, always one for slumber decided to make his way to his cabin. According to the captain they would arrive, in the morning. He liked the sound of that. Claustrophobia and what not. He slumped into the bunk that called to him, not bothering to undress.
On the top deck, an old and ever so traveled woman approached the pondering Twilight. She ran her hand through her graying hair before speaking.
"That boy, your brother?" She asked in a strong and smooth voice.
"He may as well be." Twilight never took her eyes away from the horizon.
"I see. It's nice to see, youth with positive influence."
"I suppose," Twilight maintained a melancholy tone.
"This, may seem strange, coming from a stranger, but that place your goin' to... it's harsh. You two won't make it on your own."
Twilight, shifted her gaze to the old woman, but saw nothing where she should have been. Only air and what was behind her at the time. "What the fuck?" Twilight asked herself mentally. She searched with her eyes, before snapping her fingers to cast a particular spell. This spell let her see, inferred. She did so to clarify, if she, the other woman, had cast some invisibility spell on her self. Nothing. She snapped her fingers again, bringing her out of the spell, and into the conclusion "That's not fucking right."
Suddenly, it didn't feel safe here, alone. She dismissed the ordeal as a hallucination from lack of sleep, but still. That's creepy no matter what. She declined to the her cabin, for a bit of rest. She passed by Spike's room and noted the door was open, when she heard his snoring. Peeking inside, she smiled and shut the door. They may have their disagreements but the joy Spike brought her was worth any heartache.
Twilight was almost shocked when she turned around to find the meek Fluttershy waiting, hands behind her back. Light pink hair covered her yellow bush shirt, sleeves rolled up.
"Oh, shy you scared me," Twilight gasped.
"S-sorry. I-I uh, I need to talk, to you," Fluttershy looked up only once.
"Okay, walk with me."
The two walked along to their cabin room. Their conversation, drifting only to the topics of their concern.
"He," Fluttershy paused, "He's just scary."
"Who? Spike?" Twilight asked, truly quizzical.
"Our contact."
"Why?"
"The letter, from the court said he was an officer in the rebellion. Why wasn't he charged with war crimes like most of the other ones? Think of all the deaths he could be responsible for."
"Fluttershy, don't be dissident to him because of things, he might have done."
"Isn't the order about solving things with out violence? What would we need from him?" Fluttershy brought up a point Twilight asked herself.
"People change, Flutter. If he's helping the kingdom then he must have changed."
"I-I suppose." Fluttershy was still uneasy. This she poorly hid.
Spike was in his most favored state of mind. Sleep. His life was something far from worth while, so any time away from consciousness was time he would revere. Most life was far from worth while the way he saw it there were some people who were worth their weight but to Spike most were useless sacks of meat. Twilight, and the order could say life was sacred all they want, but that wouldn't change the grimness of the perception of humanity he held.
Unfortunately for him he dreamed. He hated dreaming. To Spike dreams were useless figments that, served no purpose to any one. This dream consisted of him being faced down by a group of silhoettes. The only thing about their profiles that wasn't a cold black, were their piercing eyes. The sky, a dull unsettling grey, occasionally specked with a splotch of darkness, as black as the sihloettes. The only sound he heard was the metal ringing, like you would hear on ship. No movement, no speaking. Only staring.
Spike couldn't help but feel like it would have been more bareable if, someone had been at his side. This feeling, this longing for companionship, was something he seldom felt. He, thankfully, remembered it was just a dream. Not reality. Though in the end that never really helps. Their penetrating stare was as if Twilight was disapointed with him, only amplified. He tried to move, but he couldn't.
Spike woke gasping. A rap on the door had dragged him from his sleep. For once he was grateful for this.
"Who is it?" He called, sternly.
"I-It's me. Flutter," a timid voice replied.
"Come in."
The door opened slowly, and quietly, in a manner not unlike the woman opening it. She walked in glancing back. She stopped just before Spike, hands clutching each other.
"H-how much about the assignment do you know?" Fluttershy asked.
"As much as I need." Spike laid himself down on the bed, sighing.
"How much is that?"
Spike, looked to Fluttershy and thought, briefly, as to why she was so quizzical. "That we're going to Arcadia, and meeting some weird guy an-"
"Oh, thank Celestia, I'm not the only one who thinks he's weird," Fluttershy interrupted, to Spikes annoyance.
"Revelations," Spike rolled over, back facing Fluttershy.
"I-I don't mean to be mean, I-I would hope I don't come across as that, it's j-just why would, he be helping us? That's just odd. He was part of that whole, rebellion thing you know? An officer, in it, most of them were execu-"
"Fluttershy! Please, I don't really care! Just please go." Spike almost screamed at the normally shy girl, turning to face her.
Fluttershy put her head back down, almost crying, "I-I', s-sorry Spike I-I just, I-I'll go." she left, so fast she left the door open. Spike, rose from his place, walking to the door in order to shut it. With a high pitched creak, the door shut, now muffling the plethora of sound, it had let in on the pale woman's entrance to his humble room. He sat back down on the bed. The only thing keeping him from slipping back into the cool embrace of sleep, was the eery feeling of being watched. He marked this off as silly, and lied down. He tried to escape back to slumber, but something kept him awake. He sighed, slowly breathing out the word, 'damn'.