//------------------------------// // Whispers in the Dark // Story: Moon Dancing on Water // by michealdark //------------------------------// Ch. 4: Whispers in the Dark ----------------------------------- The following morning, Luna stood on deck, watching her sister's sun rise above the horizon. After the gun was fired, she couldn't sleep. She looked haggard, though given the midnight blue tint of her coat it would be hard to tell. The Doctor and Ditzy soon joined her, both staring out at the sea. Just then, a whale breached the surface less than 20 yards away. The Doctor let out a long, contented sigh. "Don't things like that just make you so happy to be alive? It's easy to get lost in your worries and concerns that just enjoying the little things becomes elusive. But when you see this? When you can just experience the majesty of the world around you? That's something that I'd never give up on." Luna smiled at him a little, nodding. "I suppose you are right." Ditzy giggled at the both, before jumping up and down and waving at the whale. "HI! HOW YOU DOING?!" The whale let out a massive bellow before diving down again. All three watched it and sighed in unison. The sounds that followed the whale were a lot less harmonious. They could hear the cabin door open, as Strife and Aligorna seemed to be in the middle of a heated argument, Strife launching a protest of some kind. "My lord, this is just ridiculous! I'm your quartermaster after all!" Aligorna stretched his wings out as he stepped out of the cabin, looking very annoyed. "I do not care, Strife! I don't know what's up with you this trip, but you're getting out of control. Yes, I know the rainbow-maned one was spying on us. You seem to have forgotten one thing though...I am the captain, not you! Only I get to decide if ANY of the guns are fired!" Strife huffed and puffed, his annoyance seeming to turn into a barely controlled rage. "I was never going to hit her! It was a warning shot! It would have just grazed passed her! Besides, after how last night ended you were in no position to be trying to make leadership decisions like that!" "Just grazed past? If it would have grazed her, with the size of the ball that thing fires, it would have taken her wing clean off! And as for my state of mind, you know I can flip back into captain mode at the drop of a bit! Now, stop fudging arguing with me! Get yourself a mop and start swabbing!" Before Strife could protest again, he stomped off across the deck, the waking crew looking at him worriedly. Aligorna could be emotional, as last night had proved, but he was normally composed, and almost always deferential to Strife. And he was making a beeline towards Luna, in this state, after what happened last night? They all watched, as Luna turned to him, her eyes softening. "Aligorna? I...I have something that I need to say...please listen to me this time." Aligorna's eyes softened too, and a collective sigh of relief passed over the crew. "I...I have something I want to say too. Please, by all means go first though." Luna hung her head, feeling unsure of herself and afraid. She knew she had blown last night badly. "I want to apologize. I meant everything I said last night, but I didn't say it in a way that made it clear what my intentions were and I hurt you badly in the process. As friends, can you forgive me?" Aligorna choked a little, a single tear stinging his left eye. That's what he wanted to hear, and it made what he was about to say all the more easy. "Can you forgive me for trying to force a romantic dinner on you before you were ready, and before we had even discussed our current status at all? Because if you can, then I can forgive you for your brutal honesty and allow you to finish the conversation I so rudely interrupted." Luna smiled widely, so much so that her teeth sparkled in the early morning sun. The nippy autumn air seemed to warm as she and Aligorna nuzzled, muzzles rubbing together. She then cleared her throat and said, "So, you were discussing what happened with Strife last night after we broke company? I...I was afraid to see what the commotion was about." Aligorna started walking towards the cabin again, motioning for Ditzy and the Doctor to follow as Luna trotted alongside him. "Yes. It seems your friend Rainbow Dash and Princess Twilight's dragon had caught up to us and was trying to spy on us. Strife took it upon himself to try to scare her off with the main gun. I didn't approve much. I know it seems I am inviting a fight with your sister, but that is not my intention and I don't want to give her even more reason to desire one. You see, as Strife outlined this plan to me when I agreed to it, we were going to take you for the sole purpose of giving you and I more time together. I know it sounds foolish in retrospect, but you were right when you said I was shy. I've been waiting a thousand years for this, but when the time came and you returned, I found that I was afraid of being rejected after all that time. I wasn't sure if you would even remember me. I was scared, and then Strife, who I normally trust with all my might, suggested that if we had time together then that would go a long way. It was time for me to work out a new treaty with your sister anyways, and I had not yet met the new Princesses, so the timing seemed almost divinely inspired." As they entered the cabin, Luna shook her head, both amused and disappointed. "I knew Strife masterminded this. Did you know that he seemed to gloat at me last night after our disagreement? I...I worry around him. I mentioned that I believe he has an ulterior motive, but we don't need another fight about that. Let that be my worry, not yours. Forget I said anything...." Strife was just returning from getting the mop and bucket, a scowl on his face, when he popped his head in to plead his own case. "Lord, I was not gloating. I was happy, and you know that even when I am happy I can still look threatening. It is a sad circumstance of my appearance. You see, I knew she was going to say what she said. I did not expect you to act so overwhelmed, my lord, but I did know what was coming. I was happy because that air needed to be cleared. The past needed to be buried in the past if you two are to ever hope of having a new future." Luna looked at him, skeptical. It certainly didn't seem he was happy last night, but his argument made sense. Was she misjudging him, or was Aligorna's trust misplaced in him? She felt so confused, and her tiredness wasn't helping matters any. Aligorna just shot Strife a look that made Strife back away, rolling his eyes. Aligorna's attention then returned to Luna. "I don't know what's going on with him. He has not been acting like himself since we left home. I don't want to push too hard though. Aquilonia does not need a rift between its ruler and his top adviser." He then turned to the Doctor and Ditzy, who had remained quiet this whole time, which was odd for Ditzy. Neither felt it was their place to interrupt the two though. Aligorna cleared his throat and wiped some sleep from his eyes as he said to them, "Ditzy, Strife told me that it was your excitability that alerted him to Rainbow Dash's presence. Is this true?" Ditzy looked indignant. "I...I didn't know she was spying. I thought she was swooping in to rescue us. I thought she brought back-up with her. I wouldn't have said anything if I'd known she was alone. And besides, it was HIS decision to attack her! He can't be putting the blame for this on me." She lowered her eyes, he lip quivering as she pouted. Aligorna nodded his fore hooves crossing over his chest. "That's what I needed to hear. My offer will still stand. You see, while I know I shouldn't trust either of you with so little time together, I feel like I can. Your machine's been operational for several hours now and neither of you have made any attempt to escape. Ditzy could leave when she wants thanks to her wings, but she hasn't. Since you both seem content to be here, and the Doctor especially seems to be curious about the operation of the ship and getting to know my crew, I am going to offer you both a position on this ship. Do you both accept?" Both looked at each other as if this was something that needed serious consideration, but both turned back and nodded enthusiastically in a matter of moments. To them, this seemed like a normal situation for them. The TARDIS tended to not take them where they wanted to go, but always put them where they needed to be. Where they needed to be right now seemed to be here, helping Luna and Aligorna connect. Aligorna then presented them each a contract outlining both a list of ship rules and duties. "Good, I'm happy to hear that. Here are the basic rules you will both need to follow. First, you will obey all of my orders for the duration of your service. Second, you will each get a share of wages equal to all the other crew members. Strife gets 1 and a half times the earnings of others as quartermaster, and I receive double. If you are injured in your service, you will receive an extra 15% of your regular wages. Third, you will perform your duties to the best of your abilities. Anything less than 100% effort will result in disciplinary action. Fourth, you will look out for your fellow mates. If they become injured our ill, you will help to pick up their slack. The third rule is slackened in such an incident, but 100% effort is still expected nonetheless. Fifth, you will each receive a cutlass for protection or offensive action, and a knife for use for either personal protection or for working the ropes and trimming the lines. Cherish these. Keep them clean daily and ready for immediate use. Sixth, no gambling on ship. Seventh, the time to retire is 2 hours after moonrise. No work shall be done after this time, and all lights are to be extinguished. Eighth, any sailor captured by an enemy ship has the right to request parlay, or the refusal to answer questions, until he meets with the enemy captain. Ninth, there shall be no talk of desertion or defection, and any such talk will result in immediate marooning or being made to go overboard. Tenth, there shall be no physical fights on board this ship. If any of these rules are broken, they shall be dealt with by a variable degree system of punishment based on the rule broken and rather or not they have prior offenses. These punishments are one, swab duty for one day; two, being made to run the mast; three, a day of solitary confinement; four, forty lashes with a cat-o-nine-tales, five, marooning; and six, keelhauling. Do you two agree to these rules?" Again, both nodded, although Ditzy looked confused on what keelhauling was. She would have to ask about that. Aligorna then produced one long, sharp needle for each of them. "Good, then just sign on the line." Ditzy looked at the needle in confusion. "That's not a pen, silly!" Aligorna shook his head and chuckled softly. "This is serious business, Miss Doo. If you're going to agree to this, I need you to prick yourselves and sign in blood. You do this and you become not just crew members, but blood siblings." Ditzy looked hesitant now. "I...wow...you..." "Play for keeps? Yes, I do. As has my entire family for 7 generations now. That is why it is your choice if you agree or not. Clearly, we don't mistreat prisoners like you might expect, so there is no punishment nor any stigma attached if you refuse." She thought about it carefully, looking at the Doctor. He picked up his needle and made the commitment, so seeing that, she did too, though she flinched when she pricked herself and whimpered. Aligorna looked at the signatures and smiled at both, getting up and giving each of them a hug. "Glad to have you on, brother and sister! Now, get to work!" He smiled and slapped each on the back as they both trotted off to roars of approval. Luna meanwhile, still trying to fight sleep, said, "I am not sure Ditzy understands that keelhauling involves dragging a pony across the bottom of the ship." Aligorna shrugged. "I honestly don't think it matters. That is such a rare punishment, meant more as a deterrent since we do not have capital punishment per se. If push comes to shove, we maroon ponies, and even that is rare. Usually confinement is enough to make a disobedient sailor think about their actions and change their ways." He looked at Luna as her eyes grew ever heavier. "Luna, go to sleep. We will have more discussion and another meal tonight." -------------------- After Luna was fast asleep, Ditzy and Aligorna were walking the deck and talking to each other. Aligorna was concerned by the lack of bustle on deck. It was still very early, but normally the deck was busy at this hour. It seemed all that had been done was raising the sails, and now it was deserted, except for Strife, who was finishing up his swabbing of the deck and was now going to clean the mess hall, still incredibly annoyed with his fortunes. Ditzy broke her absentminded stare at the horizon to just seemingly randomly blurt out, "I have a question! You know how you said your people can grow food? So...why do you eat fish?" She made a sour face, her good eye peeking at him. Aligorna let out a hardy laugh and said patiently, "Ah, now this is the million bit question, isn't it? What would cause a pony to start eating a distinctly non-pony diet. It's complicated to explain, but you know how Equestria has a roughly eight month growing season? Well we..." -------------------------- "...Only have a 4 month growing season. So that doesn't give them much time to grow nearly enough to feed their population. It's enough to last awhile, but as we all know, having to store enough food for a 3 month winter is hard even for us. I imagine it is a heck of a lot harder when you have an eight month winter. So it didn't take the Aquilonians long to realized they had to rely on the sea to supplement their diets. They used to be whalers too, but they didn't eat those. They used them for lamp oil. In fact, until Equestria found out alternate sources of fuel, whaling was an even bigger trade between the two nations than fishing was." Twilight was in a zone now. If there was one thing she loved most with her friends, it was teaching them something new. They always taught her so much about life and friendship, so her sharing her intellectual knowledge with them was the least she could do. Fluttershy shifted a hoof on the deck of Celestia's ship as though in consternation, the Mane Six gathered on it as they looked out at the vast expanse of ocean around them. "But...why would anyone from Equestria eat fish? What did the fish ever do to us?" Fluttershy's love for all animals was all-abiding. The idea of any creature eating meat made her sad, and the idea of one that wasn't a carnivore choosing to eat it made her extremely angry. Twilight didn't look too happy either. She shared a lot of Fluttershy's concerns, and the idea of ponies eating fish upset her sensibilities too. "It's largely the coastal cities, the high-society ponies that live their. To them, it's an exotic delicacy. And it's not just food we use the fish for. Some of it is for conservation reasons, which you should appreciate. If something should ever happen to our fish populations, like a plague or a storm that gets out of the Pegasi's control, we have some fisheries around to help replenish those species." The sound of heavy hooves sounded behind them and Twilight turned to see Shining Armor appearing above deck behind her. She trotted up to him and nuzzled him. "Hey, BBBFF." He smirked and then gave her a noogie, one hoof circling her neck and the other messing up her hair. "How are you doing this morning, Twily?" "Not that good. I'm just really scared. I'm not a soldier like you, and I don't know if I can command an entire army." "That's why we avoid invasion if we can. Let's just get into port, arrange a meeting, and see if we can hammer something out. Besides, don't we have all the power? I mean three Alicorns, your friends, a draconequus, and myself? There's probably no need for the Guard anyways. They're here as a just in case." It was then that the steps of Cadence and Celestia echoed out too, as Discord floated up with them. "Princesses, I insist. I have to do this alone. Let me go." Celestia shook her head sternly. "No. Understand Discord that it's not that I don't trust you. I do. I'm genuinely worried about YOU." Discord sneered at her, displeased. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. If Strife is involved, then forget any plans you have for a peaceful resolution to this. It's all going to go to hell in a hand basket. That's why I need to go alone. I can at least try to talk some sense into him, and if not, I know exactly what to expect and can be free to do what's necessary to counteract it. Your keeping a leash on me isn't going to help us any." Twilight walked to Celestia's side, holding her head high at him. "Discord, the answer is no. If things could get as bad as you think they could, then it makes more sense to me to keep all of us together. There's safety, and power, in numbers." Discord growled at her, but she didn't flinch at all. He slumped his shoulders in defeat, looking over at Fluttershy with nervousness. "Fine I guess. If you really believe there's safety in numbers, fine. But know this...I will do whatever is necessary to protect my own." He then looked behind them to see the dozen ships of the Equestrian Royal Guard, and frowned in an even deeper nervousness. Something was going to happen. He could feel it. What though, that was the question. --------------------------------------- Later that night, it became clear to Aligorna and Luna what had happened to the crew. The mess hall had been converted into something even more impressive than just a simple one-on-one candlelit dinner. Instead, it had been made into as close an approximation of an intimate romantic restaurant as possible, lightly lit with soft candles on all the tables and some old banners hung on the walls. Both smiled shyly as they sat down, Aligorna's hooves resting on hers as they stared each other in the eyes. Luna wasn't telling that she had worked this all out with the Doctor and Ditzy the previous night, who had then worked it out with the rest of the crew this morning. No, instead she took in how perfectly they had set it up on such short notice, and how much it had pleased Aligorna. Aligorna didn't let on that he had set something up with Ditzy during their private talk either, who had relayed it to the Doctor and the ship musicians. Soon, folksy melody started to drift out from a guitar, as the gathered crewmen started to sing. "You hold your truth so purely Well swerve not through the minds of stallions This lie is dead This cup of yours tastes holy But a brush with the devil can clear your mind and strengthen your spine But hooves tap into what you were once And I'm worried that I blew my only chance Whispers in the dark Steal a kiss and you'll break your heart Pick up your clothes and curl your toes Learn your lesson, lead me home Spare my sins for the ark, I was too slow to depart I'm a cad but I'm not a fraud, I set out to serve the Lord But my heart was colder when you'd gone And I lost my head but found the one that I love Under the sun, under the sun" He smiled at her softly as the musicians broke out into an instrumental break, the Doctor and Ditzy keeping time by stomping on the floor, several sailors wooping and hollering joyously. Luna was stunned, but couldn't suppress the smile on her face. It was touching, to say the least. And profoundly honest. And a deep-felt apology to her. Suddenly, her decking out the mess hall seemed paltry in comparison. "But my heart was colder when you'd gone And I lost my head; let's live while we are young While we are young While we are young While we are young" Luna bowed her head, feeling a little humbled. "Aligorna, you never blew your chance. What I meant to tell you last night...and failed at...was that if you're willing to get to know this new me, to be my friend first, then I'm not opposed to seeing where we can go. Can you...can you do that for me?" Aligrona smiled and leaned closer, his nose touching hers, causing her to giggle a little as his breath tickled her. "Luna, that was a silly thing to ask. Of course I can do that!" The crew burst out in a raucous cheer, as Luna beamed from ear to ear. Her eyes scanned around and landed on Strife, who shrugged at her with indifference. That seemed odd to her. Once again she couldn't put her hoof on him, couldn't figure him out. But she could worry about that later. Now it was time to just enjoy dinner, with her friend!