//------------------------------//
// Chapter Six - The Lost Island 
// Story: A Journey through Memories 
// by Centauri 
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A Journey through Memories



Chapter Six - The Lost Island

I woke up. It was the first time since my exile that I had been blessed with a long and sufficient night’s sleep. I noticed Applejack had already woken up and left the room; that was no surprise. Pinkie Pie was twitching in her sleep, probably dreaming about a party where there was a lot of dancing. I brought myself to my feet and quietly walked downstairs. The common room was empty given that it was morning, except for Applejack, who was drinking some apple juice, the innkeeper, who was cleaning dishes, and me.
“Good morning, your majesty,” the innkeeper – Hearth, I remembered – greeted me as he saw me walk down the stairs.
“Good morning, Heath,” I returned the greeting. “And please just call me Luna.” I felt as if I was repeating those words too many times, but I preferred that to the alternative.
“Very well, would you like some breakfast?” offered Hearth.
“No, thank you,” I declined the offer graciously. “I think we’ll be going to the docks later today. There’s something I need to check.” Hearth looked a bit interested.
“What are you going to do at the docks?” he asked.
“Hire a boat for the day,” I said this in such a way that showed that I didn’t want to continue the matter. I turned my attention to Applejack.
“Did you sleep well last night?” I asked, and then hoped I didn’t sound as if I was being patronizing.
“Yeah,” replied Applejack. “Ah’m curious, though, Luna. Where’re we goin’ after the docks an’ the boat?”
“We’re going to the southeast. The mountain ranges there are quite tall, so they get to freezing temperatures even in summer.”
“An’ what are we goin’ to do at the mountains?” Applejack prompted me.
“I’m going to talk to the griffins there,” I declared. Applejack breathed in sharply. “Is something wrong with that?”
“Well... let’s just say that my dealings with griffins haven’ gone well,” Applejack replied, hesitantly. “I think the rest of us would say the same, as well.”
Seeing that Applejack didn’t want to talk about it, I didn’t press the topic. I asked Hearth for an apple juice, just when Pinkie Pie bounced down the stairs. Applejack looked up and sighed. “Ah guess that everypony else is gonna wake up soon, then.”
“Morning, Luna,” Pinkie Pie greeted us loudly. “Hi, Applejack!”
I heard some distant groans from upstairs as the other four ponies were woken. I heard one of them – probably Rarity – exclaim, “Now, really!” One by one, they came down the stairs: Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight and Rarity.
“Morning, everyone,” I called. “I think we’ll be leaving for the docks in an hour, so now would be a good time to pack. Hearth, can we please get fourteen apples to share for breakfast?”
Everyone acquiesced going back up to their rooms, or down to the cold cellar, and I sat in front of the bar, knowing my things were in my room and ready to go. Half an hour later, I had retrieved my saddlebags and was again sitting at the bar, Hearth having handed out the apples to everypony, when the others started trickling down the staircase. I singled out the purple unicorn.
“Hi, Twilight,” I began, “Can I please borrow that atlas off you again?”
“Sure,” Twilight retrieved the appropriate book. “What are you looking for? I might be able to help.”
“I’m looking for the best road to Highridge,” I told her.
“Highridge... That would be...” She looked on the map. “There. There’s a merchants’ track along the way, but it stops about ten miles shy of the foothills. From there south, it would be... Hold on. Highridge is the griffins’ capital, isn’t it?”
“That would be the one,” I told her, and she slumped. “Applejack said you had a run-in with a griffin, once.”
“You could say that,” Twilight began. “Or rather, she had a run-in with us. It didn’t end well and I have no desire to see her again. Mind you... Dash never said where she lived. Was it in Highridge?” She had started thinking aloud.
Deciding we were all ready, I called out to the ponies: “Okay, everypony. Are we all ready to go?”
Hearing a murmur in the affirmative from the assembled ponies, I walked out the door and followed the streets towards the docks. Some ponies who were going about their business noticed me and bowed as I passed. I greeted each of them in turn, kindly, and continued on towards the docks. When we arrived, I was surprised by the smell. I had forgotten what sea salt smelled like during my exile and I was sure that none of the ponies accompanying me had been to the coast before. Each of them was surprised by the sheer size of the sea; even Twilight, who had certainly read about it at least once before.
I looked around in search of the harbourmaster. I found the guard standing at the head of the jetty so I walked over to talk to her. “Excuse me, ma’am,” I started, “Do you know if there are any boats available for hire at the moment?”
The officer turned and I saw her eyes widen. “Yes. I mean- maybe. I don’t know at the moment.” She stammered for a bit longer before regaining her composure. “How far do you want to go, your majesty?”
“Please, just ‘Luna’,” I repeated, yet again. “There’s an island about five miles out to sea towards the west.”
The mare’s face blanched. “Do you mean Lost Island?”
“I’m sorry?” I requested clarification. I hadn’t heard of Lost Island.
“There was a lighthouse there a thousand years ago, befo...” the mare broke off and paled even further as she considered how touchy a subject it might be for me.
Disregarding the slip, I continued, not offended. “That would be the one.” The harbourmaster trotted promptly to her office and looked through some recent records.
“There should be a hundred-ton Ballinger which would be about...” she calculated mentally, “Fifty bits for the day, and another twenty-five for a crew to man it.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I’ll take the ship and the crew for the day.”
“Okay,” replied the harbourmaster. “I’ll send a runner to get the ship’s captain. It’s a patrol flagship, so the crew should be well-behaved. Look for the R.E.F.S. Watson.”
I thanked the harbourmaster and motioned for the six fillies to follow on. We moved about the mazelike dock, sometimes asking sailors for directions towards our patrol ship. I did not know much about naval travel, preferring to fly, myself, but I guessed that it would take three hours to get there from the dock, once the crew arrived, of course.
*      *      *
It did not take long for the sailors to arrive; once they did, it was not long before we were underway. As the princess and her companions, we were allowed on the quarterdeck, a gesture which did nothing to lower Rainbow Dash’s already highly inflated ego.
“So we’re this important because we’re with you, Luna?” Rainbow Dash inquired.
“I guess you could say that,” I answered, amused.
“We should hang out more often, then,” she said, clearly only half-joking. It worked: I openly laughed. “I’m going to stretch my wings for a bit. How long until we get there?”
The boatswain came up behind us. “About two and a half hours, unless the weather’s bad.”
“Two hours is plenty of time to practice some stunts,” Rainbow Dash smiled. “Hope you don’t need me for a while.”
Thinking that I should stretch my wings for a bit, I unfurled them and joined her in the skies. Rainbow Dash sped towards me.
“So how good are you with your wings, Luna?” she inquired.
“Oh, I’m out of practice, truth to tell,” I replied. “Show us some of your tricks, then” I encouraged.
Rainbow Dash and I spent the rest of the boat trip talking about different stunts and how to do them, mainly for my benefit. The boatswain shouted up at us when we had half an hour to go. Exhilarated and exhausted, I touched down on the quarterdeck and studied the others: Rainbow Dash had just finished her stunts and wanted to take a quick nap, so she was laying down in the sunlight; Applejack was looking unwell, standing near the port railing. Fluttershy was offering apples to the sailors who were not actively working, while Rarity was covertly eyeing some of the sailors as they went about their work. I let her drift into whatever fantasy she wished for the time being. Pinkie Pie was simply... being Pinkie Pie: she was bouncing around the deck, hiding under coils of rope and jumping out at unwary sailors. The sailors, however, found this to be hilarious, so I let her continue. Twilight was talking to the boatswain about life on the sea as he steered the ship, but I felt as if she would not like it; you run out of books at sea if you stay too long. I wondered after the bookish unicorn. I stilled liked her, and if anything, it was growing stronger, but I wasn’t sure that I was ready to admit it to... well, anyone, really. Maybe my sister, but she was far away and I wouldn’t see her for a long time.
“Land ahoy,” called the pegasus colt from the crows’ nest.
“Where away?” called back the boatswain.
“Twelve degrees starboard,” replied the watch. The boatswain altered his course so as to reach the island and I descended the quarterdeck to proceed to the bow.
The first mate, standing beside me, called out to the crew. “Weigh anchor at a hundred and fifty yards out. Too much closer and we run aground.” Very soon, the ship was stationary, and I got a good look at the island in front of me.
I remembered a similar scene from a very long time ago...
*      *      *
The tower shone with an orange tint on its dark grey stones from Celestia’s light, low in the sky. The tower itself was set upon the peak of the mountain protruding out of the sea, giving it good height to light the way for the ships sailing nearby. It was a marvel of engineering and showed how much dedication a group of ponies could put into one structure; the tower had survived many a storm and still stood proud above the waterline.
There was a landing jetty at the foot of the island, small but sturdy. It had an ever-present flame above the walkway, encased in a beautiful sphere with carvings of a boat tossed about in a stormy sea, showing whoever sailed there the way to go safely towards the lighthouse. It had been added to the docks later, and kept alight by one of the unicorns who were watching over the lighthouse in their shifts.
The island itself: one of the most beautiful displays that nature could offer to anypony. The undergrowth was a lush green; it refused to trip anypony over and provided a shelter for the animals that lived there, from the rabbits that supported their families without letting themselves lose control of their population, to the eagles that foraged for food in the bushes which held sustenance that they could forage without harming any other animal. The trees: a coniferous forest, capable of providing shelter from the sun and a place to live for the robins and sparrows that lived and sang in the trees.
The view from the top of the tower was amazing at every time of the day: at dawn, the sun was shining above the city of Anchorage, showing the feats that ponykind were capable of: building houses, organising infrastructure, trade, commerce and every other kind of trivial brilliance that ponies partake in. At high sun, the forest was illuminated and sunrays shone through the canopy of the trees, casting a light show for every living creature in the forest. At dusk, the orange glow from the setting sun reflected across the water, turning the sky and the island beneath it a burnt orange. During the night, the moon reflected its silvery glow on the water, giving another light display to the ponies and critters living on the island for a glorious night-time gaze at the sky. The noises at night were amazing: the harmony of the creatures who did not wake during the day filled the air, the prettiest of all being the nightingales’. Their song could be heard at any time; even the fierce cats silenced themselves to hear their song.
*      *      *
As I looked towards the island today, all I could do was break down and weep.
I saw none of the island’s former glory. The tower had fallen into a state of disrepair, with nopony to care for it, and barely half of it was standing upright. The jetty had rotted and fallen away, leaving only the posts in the water to show the damage I had caused. The forest, once abundant with playful life, was in a constant state of imbalance: the rabbits had bred too much, and had killed the undergrown which once hid them; the foxes and eagles all killed other animals to survive, as that was the scarcity of food. Even the trees were poisonous to all the ponies; the conker trees had spread and were polluting even the grass so we could not graze there anymore.
I do not know how long I stood there for; I do not know how long until the tears subsided. I simply could not tell. I do know that even when the tears stopped, the sobbing continued. In those tears, I relieved the result of my jealousy; I relived the anger I had once felt towards my sister; I relived the resentment I held to myself for the thousand years I was trapped in the moon. I stood there and wept for seconds or hours, I could not tell; but what I do know is that, by some miracle, it stopped. I looked out to the island and I knew that I had to accept what I had done, and move on.
How I wished it was as simple as that.
I turned towards Twilight, standing beside me. She looked as if she had shared my sadness. “I think,” I began. “That it’s time to go.” I finished in a whisper. I could not bring myself to speak up. I turned wistfully towards the island once more as the sailors prepared to return to the docks. I finally turned my back to the island and resumed my post on the quarterdeck.
*      *      *
As we made port, the six fillies and I alighted the ship and left the sailors to finish their jobs. I gave the captain his due fee plus a ten-bit tip from my purse in my saddlebag. As we walked towards the Forecastle Inn, for it was nearing sunset, I turned a corner and I saw a midnight-coated mare in a familiarly designed cloak. I tried to stay calm as I stopped and started performing some magic. Twilight obviously sensed what I was doing, and turned.
“Luna,” she began, worriedly, “what are you doing?”
I tried strengthening my spell while explaining. “It’s a wall charm. Remember that assassination attempt? I saw a dead ringer for... well, most of the assassins. I have a feeling that they started a cult against me.” The assassination attempt was news to Applejack, and she gasped. Twilight hurriedly filled her in on the missing pieces, and I finished my spell.
“Run,” I commanded. “If we get split up, meet just outside the gate. Rainbow, Fluttershy; try and figure out where the assassins are. They’ll be in black cloaks. Everypony, I will make this clear: do not return to the Forecastle Inn. Hearth can take care of himself, especially if Captain Star is with him, so do not worry about them.” I heard an impact against the charm, but did not turn. “RUN!” I shouted, this time.
So we ran. I ran from the ward into alleyways. I sent magic signals flying ahead of me so I knew I wouldn’t come up against any dead ends. I felt one rebound and took the next turn. I found myself on a crowded main street and looked up to notice Rainbow Dash being pursued by two pegasus assassins. I smiled, despite the circumstances; I had flown with Dash for two hours and knew that she could probably outfly the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy, on the other hand...
“Guard,” I shouted at a nearby white pegasus in golden armour. “See the yellow pegasus up there? I need you to protect her at all costs. The cyan mare is also a friend, so take care of her.” The guard nodded grimly and rose into the sky. I saw another pair of guards walking through the main street, and gave them the same instructions. I was about to run when one of them was hit in the breastplate by a crossbow bolt. I gasped in horror.
“Your majesty, he’ll be fine,” the guard assured me, and pulled his sword from his scabbard. “Our armour is much better than it looks. Now, run!” I ran down the main street and saw Twilight create a crude ward not dissimilar to mine behind Rarity, except undoubtedly less efficient. As it was, the pursuer tripped head over hooves. Now is not the time to be critical, Luna, I thought to myself as I continued running. I did a quick head count. Rainbow and Fluttershy are in the sky above me. Rarity is here, and so is Twilight, thank goodness for that, but where’s Pi- just as the thought entered my head, the sun was momentarily blocked. I looked up, fearing it was an assassin, but it was Pinkie Pie, bouncing from roof to roof. How she got up there, I had no idea, but it seemed to be working: the assassins simply did not know which roof she would jump to next.
As I neared the outskirts, I risked a look behind me. Seeing that nopony was following, I slowed down, erected a crude disguise and walked calmly towards the city edge. In the jostle of the crowd, I found Rainbow Dash next to me, looking around and above her.
“Dash,” I hissed, “it’s me, Luna.”
“How far away do you think they are?” she wondered.
“Where did you lose yours?” I asked in return.
“I bucked one of them in the head and dove down to the streets. I don’t think they’ve found me since,” she replied. We continued down the streets until Applejack joined us.
“Dash,” she whispered, not knowing it was me under the disguise. “Is there anyone behind me?”
“You’re fine,” Dash assured her. “How did you lose them?”
“Ah bucked them in their faces,” Applejack told her. “They didn’ want to follow me after that.”
As we exited the city, I double checked there was nopony following us. There wasn’t so we continued. As we reached our rendezvous, I noticed Pinkie Pie was already there.
“Are you all okay, Pinkie Pie?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie replied. “They couldn’t catch up with me. I’m the best at tip.” I wasn’t sure if she thought this was a game or if it was actually real to her.
Eventually Rarity cantered up the slope. I was curious as to how she lost the assassins. “Well, I followed your example and called the guards for some help,” she told me. I couldn’t find any problem with that. Fluttershy also joined us after a stressful wait.
“When Rainbow Dash distracted them,” Fluttershy began as Dash fluffed her feathers, “so I dove and started sneaking through the city. I don’t think they saw me.” Fluttershy finished, quietly.
We waited for another fifteen minutes, and my heart was aching as I thought what could have happened, when I saw the purple unicorn trotting up the hill, apparently out of breath. Fluttershy raced over to her and nuzzled her in a friendly way. I smiled as I knew that everypony was safe.
“I made a strong ward with the help of one of the unicorn guards,” she told us. “It stopped all of the ones chasing me from getting through. I didn’t know you were all out here; sorry to keep you waiting.”
“That’s fine,” I assured her. “We’re just glad to know you’re safe.” The others nodded. “So...” I continued. “Can I borrow that atlas again, Twilight? I fear we may have to change some of our plans.”