//------------------------------// // Interlude One- Journey at Sea // Story: Moondancer's misguided mission // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Interlude One- Journey at Sea The sea... tis' a strange wonder. An endless tapestry of blue, rising and falling with the surging tides. He had journeyed upon these endless waters his entire life, yet he still could not fathom all of the mysteries of the deep and briny blue. As he stood upon the forward deck of the Saucy Mare, the rainy wind tore at his greatcoat and tri-cornered hat. It was only when his first officer approached him, that the stallion was pulled out of his reverie. "Captain Barnacle!" Salty called out, galloping across the deck to his commanding officer. "Captain, the main sail has broken loose, and were having trouble with the rigging!" "Get that sail tied back at once, Mister Salty!" The blue stallion with the fiery mane bellowed, turning to face the sailor addressing him. "An' make shore the boys nail down anythin' not nailed down!" "Aye, Cap'n!" The turquoise stallion with the purple mane saluted, than galloped back towards the aft deck. Barnacle turned back to stare at the sea, as the waves crashed against the bow in front of him. A towering figure of a pony, Captain Barnacle star was an intimidating sight to behold. Unlike other ponies, he had defiantly and painfully trained himself from a young age to stand and walk on two legs at all times. And it was that same defiance that made him stand before the might of this storm, risking his own safety in the face of all the ocean's might lashing out a the grizzled pony captain standing on the deck. "Captain!" A voice called out, as a white Pegasus came trotting up behind Barnacle, the howling winds blowing his rainbow mane about. "Captain, I've heard this storm has driven our vessel far off course. Do we have any idea where we are?" "Worry not, me good Bianco. We've just been blown towards the Darkstone coast, ta the west a' Ponyland.." The captain reassured him, putting his hoof on the stallion's shoulder. “I am only sorry we t'wernt able ta get ye home from the dragon conferences on schedule." Barnacle looked upwards, as lightning flashed across the sky. "Rest assured however, we'll get ye home to yer lovely Moondancer soon enough." "Thank you, captain." The Pegasus nodded, turning to watch Salty and the other sailors scrambled to hald the ship together in amongst this fiered and powerful storm. These brave sailors wanted to get home to thier mares, just as much as he wished to. But he couldn't escape this nagging feeling that something terrible was happening back in Dream Valley, and from the agitation and mutterings of the sailors, they felt something was up, as well. "Blast those infernal dragons!" Bianco hissed under his breath. He never would have come along on this little adventure if he had known those stubborn old whyrms would take three months to agree to the terms of the treaty. Still he should have realized greedy dragons would never use common sense when it came to a treasure hoard. As the lighting cracked across the sky once more, the Pegasus stallion wondered if they would ever make it home alive. "Land ho!" The lookout in the crow's nest suddenly called out. All of the sailor stallions galloped over to the starboard rail, to catch a glimpse of this reported shoreline. "Land? Is it the Darkstone coast? " Bianco asked in a worried tone, looking up at the crow's nest. "There are all sorts of goblin and orc tribes living there, you know." "Nay, good Bianco." The captain replied, looking out through a telescope he had pulled out of his coat. "Tis' an island, if me old eyes aren’t deceiving me." "An island?" The confused Pegasus inquired, as Barnacle handed him the spy glass. "Capitan, do you think it could be the Isle of Pony?" "We're too far south fer it ta be that kingdom, lad." The earth pony with the treasure chest cutie mark replied. "This place looks far more tropical than Pony isle." As he looked through the telescope, Bianco barely saw sandy shoreline though the raging storm, lined with palm trees and sandy beaches. And as the ship drew closer to the island, the rain suddenly stopped, and the sky suddenly began to clear. "The storm has stopped suddenly!" Salty exclaimed, as the dark clouds dissipated and everything began to grow brighter. "Tis witchcraft, the island is enchanted!" "It would explain why we were able to see the island so clearly though the fog and haze of the storm." Barnacle noted, rubbing his hoof against his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps we shouldn't linger here too long, lads." "Do you really want to go back out into that storm again, captain?" Bianco asked, pointing a hoof at the crew. "Besides, I'm sure these fine fellows would love to get some shore leave after being so long at sea." "Aye!" "Hear hear!" "Mmmm, very well. I canna very well say no ta ye, mi laird." The captain replied reluctantly. Even though he was captain of the ship, since Bianco outranked him as a diplomat. "Take a rowboat and six o' the men ta the shore with ye, but I must protest against this decision as foolhardy." He turned to face his crew. "And be one notice that any o' ye that go ashore do so of yer own accord, an' we shant be comin’ after ye should some ill fate befall the lot o' ye." "Good luck out there, Bianco." Salty told him, as he and two other crew members helped them into the rowboat. "You and the others are sure gonna need it." .... "Gee, it sure is quiet around here." The group of stallions rowed their way toward the island, gliding though the silent waters and mists towards the beach. Bianco and the other ponies stepped out into the soft sand, and pushed the boat forward onto dry land, as they trotted onto the beach. "This place looks... so strange." One of the sailors noted, looking around. "It's like... time is almost standing still..." The ponies all looked around, at the ferns and palm trees. crabs along the sand scurried out of their way as they walked up the beach, and the wind blowing through the trees seemed to sing a haunting, dreamy song as the party of ponies passed by. Thinking back to their first arrival on the islands, Bianco suddenly realized how the sandy beach and rocky outcroppings seemed to resemble a large... pony's neck and head, jutting out from the rest of the island. "Hello?" Bianco called out, looking up the beach. "Anybody here?" "Hello down there!" A voice called from one of the cliffs above them. "Hello there!" One of the sailors reflexively raised his blunderbuss to open fire, but Bianco pushed his hoof down. Soon, four ponies- a stallion, a mare, and a filly and a colt- came trotting sown the side of the cliff to greet them. The three all had orange coats and pink and yellow manes, and they all wore garlands of flowers around their necks and heads. "My word, Polynesian ponies" Bianco thought to himself. "I guess this island is inhabited, after all." "Aloha, good sailors. Welcome to Tropical island!" The stallion greeted them, as the other three placed leis around the necks of their new visitors. "It's been a long time since we've had any visitors here." "We've been on a long journey, and a storm drove us to this island." The Pegasus spread his wings, bowing to his new hosts. "I am ambassador Bianco, and we are most grateful for your hospitality." "I'm Papi Sunbright, and this is my wife, Mami." The stallion inclined his head towards the mare at his side. "Aloha, honored visitors." The mare greeted them. "Welcome to our island." "M'am." The Pegasus bowed politely. "A pleasure to meet you." "And these are my children." Papi pointed a hoof towards the two younger ponies. "Moki and Ikki." "Aloha, good visitors." The two ponies bowed in unison, much to the amusement of the new arrivals. "Wow, such a lovely family." Bianco smiled, thinking of his and Moondancer's children back home. "You must be very proud." "Indeed." Papi replied, smiling back at his two offspring. "But come, yo all must be tired. Let us take you all back to our village." "Lead on." Bianco replied, as he and the rest of the crew followed them back up the path. Winding their way up through the jungle, the seafaring ponies were greeted by the warm and welcome song of many tropical birds in the palm trees above them. Soon, they came to several bamboo houses on stilts, beautifully decorated with flowers. All around them, the other tropical earth ponies trotted to and from the village, bringing the day's catch up in nets, and coming back from the fields with the fruits they had gathered. "My word, quite a large village you have here." Bianco noted, watching several of the village children at play. "Are your tribe the only ones here?" "No my friend, there is a mainlander who also lives here among us." Papi replied with a smile. "He washed up on our island from a shipwreck, and has become like a member of my family during the many years of his stay." "Oh, really?" The Pegasus asked in surprise. "I would certainly like to meet this fellow." "Not a problem, old chap. I'm right 'ere." A white earth stallion with brown spots trotted out, dressed in clothing that clearly indicated he was in the pirate profession. Trotting up to Bianco, the brown-maned earth pony extended a hoof towards the Pegasus. "Name's Pipsqueak, old bean. Pleasure ta meet ya!" The colt whinnied in the old tongue, which the ambassador barely understood. "So you're from the mainland, aye? 'ow are things back in old Equestria?"