//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: The Survivors 
// Story: Luna's Hope - The High Seas of Equestria 
// by Midnight Sprint 
//------------------------------//

	“Captain, it’s nearing midnight, and we’ve been walking in this tropic jungle for hours now.” Second Mate Broadside spoke gruffly, shoving his way through a tangle of vines in the animal trail leading through the bush. Captain Silver Stern, leading the way for his Second Mate and two deckhoof ponies glanced to the side, shifting the torch he held with his magic, to adjust the lighting. “Mr. Broadside, if there’s anypony alive on this island, it may only be by a thread. It is our duty to help them, if they truly be yet holding on.”

Broadside looked away in momentary shame, but his concerns weren’t simply to be out of the jungle. He had a crew to worry about, as well as the well being of the Captain and this small contingent of search and rescue ponies his Captain had mustered. The Captain spoke again, as their trotting continued, “Besides, Broadside, haven’t you noticed?” Silver Stern nodded to various points on the trail.

While any hoof prints were either long faded, or blended into natural terrain, there were a few unnatural markers. The Captain had noticed an iron nail lodged into a stump they had passed, as well as a few busted planks of wood nudged off the trail at semi-regular intervals. These were subtle trail markers left to show the way, while remaining subtle. This was the tactic of a pony who needed to stay hidden. Any average pony would assume that this was old debris washed onto the island long ago by a storm, but experienced sailors knew what to look for in storm debris, compared to distress beacons and waypoints.

“Captain, up ahead.” One of the sailors relayed to Broadside. Peering through the brush, a small clearing near the foot of a steep mountainous slope was visible beyond the tangled vegetation. The Captain gave a brief rundown to the away team about a cautious approach, for while a stranded pony was possible, pirate ponies had been known to set up ambushes on occasion. “Quietly.” Broadside issued to the sailors behind.

In the clearing, the thicker, lush green of the jungle gave way to a smooth dirt ground, gently sloped at an incline towards the mountain. There were three discolored sections of dirt on the far side of the clearing, away from the mountainside, which hosted the threshold to a cavernous interior. Looking upon the steep pass, a hole no larger than a full grown stallion marked entry into the mysterious innards of the island.

Silver Stern pulled the torch forward, as a thunderbolt cracked in the distance. Broadside trotted beside his Captain, raising question in his typical gruff tone. “What do you think, Captain? Coming storm? Or is that the mess behind us?”
Silver Stern looked to the sky, staring upon the crescent moon, and the stars peppering her surroundings. The Captain replied, “Clear as a fountain in Canterlot. That thunder has to be from the storm we passed. There’d be no natural means for lightning otherwise.”
Broadside nodded, refocusing on the task at hand.

“Alright, everypony.” The Captain spoke. “Broadside will lead the way into the cave. You lot will follow, and I’ll follow on rear.” Upon finishing his statement, Silver Stern tossed Broadside a torch, which was caught, and immediately taken to point. The two ponies followed closely behind Second Mate Broadside, as the cave mouth began to illuminate. 

Just as the Captain had entered the cave’s interior, the four sailors gasped to themselves, though not one would admit it, as what had previously been thought of as a cave, was in fact a grand cavern, with branching tunnels in various pocked points. Beautiful minerals created a finely and naturally crafted painting across smooth and glossy stone. Stalagmites and stalactites reaching for one another like long, piercing alligator teeth.

There were, of course, hidden signs of habitation here, but those who either had lived, or still did inhabit this system were clearly elsewhere in the dark. Torchlight played across the colorful minerals, casting strangely beautiful dancing shadows across an already seemingly mystical environment. The dripping of water from pointed stalactites provided a stunningly tranquil background noise for the explorers.

The two sailor ponies gestured with their heads for Broadside to follow, to which the Second Mate whispered to the Captain to approach. Halfway down a cavern path leading gently upward, they could see something moving in the dark. The Captain moved ahead, and held the torch out. Brightened by the fire, what they had seen was a tattered white cloth, stained by muddy water and an algae green splash. To avoid disastrous circumstances, the captain handed off his torch to one of the sailor ponies, as he took point.

Nudging the dirty cloth aside with a small flicker of magic, Silver Stern slowly pushed his head into the other side. This path opened up into a small cave than the entryway had provided, but was a much more secure chamber. As he observed the cave, he saw that there was no opening to the above, leaving no room for flooding, unless such a flood were to come from outside or the main cavern below. A gathering of wooden planks, crates, barrels, and surprisingly, even pillows were strewn in a modestly cohesive layout.

Walking into the room in full, the Captain was met by a forceful collision, as a stallion leaped upon him, blindsiding the Captain. Broadside instinctively moved to buck the attacker, but remembering the Captain’s statements of caution, decided to body-check the assailant instead. The figure fell easily off of the Captain, despite the initial power strike he had connected with. As the Captain gathered himself, the explorers surrounded the pony. 

“Assailant! Identify yourself!” Second Mate Broadside commanded to the fallen stallion. Clearly malnourished, and exhausted, the thin framed figure stood up, looking confused at the intruders. His body had clearly seen better days of powerful muscles and a proud gait. Instead, his red coat was dulled by dirt, and his orange hair was dirty, obviously not frequently washed, and only with stream water at best. His green eyes scanned the ponies with shaky persistence, before surrendering in an exhausted drop to his knees.

The Captain ordered the others to stand down, at which point Broadside had them keep watch, while he kept guard over Silver Stern’s flank, in the event of another ambush. Silver Stern spoke again. “My name is Captain Silver Stern of the Luna’s Hope.” The thunder in the distance rumbled closer, Broadside raising his eyebrows in interest and curiosity. The storm had been moving away from their Easterly heading. “We are an exploratory and reconnaissance vessel for the Kingdom of Equestria. What is your name? What are you doing here?”

The weary eyed survivor stared up to the Captain, tears brimming in his eyes. “Eight years.” The pony said quietly, so that even the droplets of water from the cave’s jagged ceilings were louder. The Captain inquired. “What was that? Please, speak up.”
The pony spoke again, with a modest country accent on his lips. “We kept track of the days, you know.”
“We?” Silver Stern replied.
“My wife and I. We’re all that’s left. There were three others with us, but…”
The Captain remembered the old discolored dirt out in the clearings edge. His eyes fell downward with sadness and compassion.
The stranded stallion continued, “We were sailing East, towards an island settlement, but we never made it past these little islands. We tried to make it through the channels, but then…”

The Captain gave a moment for the stallion to gather himself, but the rest never came. As gently as possible, he urged the pony to continue. Nervously, the stallion spoke, “We were attacked. A masterful ambush forced us through the shallows. We tried to get out from the lagoon, but once we hit the open water, we were sunk.”
“Sunk? Your ship was attacked then?”
“Yes.” The stallion spoke. “We’re no sailors. Just passengers en route to our destination. The pirates swept in. Pegasus corsairs brought fog and thunder. They left only those of us with no real knowledge of sailing, or survival.”

The Captain ordered the ponies to open their trail packs, and bring the stallion some fresh water, which he at first denied, but then accepted reluctantly, trying to hide the need for reliance on the rescuers. “So how did you survive this long?” Silver Stern asked. The survivor glanced at him skeptically. “I think you can see how well it went. My wife is asleep over there,” He said, nodding towards a smooth section of the cave cordoned off with more fabric, a mare just visible past the sheet was asleep and as emaciated.

“I suppose they hadn’t guessed that we were farm ponies from the mainland.” The stallion said with a nervous laugh, before coughing in mild pain. The Captain again inquired. “You’re farmers. That explains how you were able to make extended use of what little this island has to offer. Let’s get you two on the Luna’s Hope, and get out of here. What are your names?”

The stallion stood with the help of one of the sailor ponies. Slowly, the survivor moved, gently awoke his highly exhausted wife, and helped her to her feet. “My name is Navel Orchard. My wife is Ginger Gold. We used to run orchards in Ponyville. Celestia knows what’s become of our home and family now…” The mare named Ginger Gold quietly stared at the rescuers with blue eyes. Her coat was a once shining gold champagne, with a blonde mane and tail that had seen far better days. She nuzzled her husband, thanking the Captain. In short order, Broadside approached from the entryway cavern after a brief absence. “Captain, we’d best be going. Storm’s approaching.”