//------------------------------//
// Chapter 41: Lunar Cycle Part 1 
// Story: Harmony's Creed 
// by Gapeagle 
//------------------------------//

By Octavia Melody

I woke up from my slumber with a start. From the darkness of the quarters, I could tell it was still night. I felt restless and apprehensive, so I removed myself from my hammock and stretched. Once I was done with my stretch, I glanced over to Vinyl's hammock. To my surprise no one was occupying it. I soon realized that I was the only one in the quarters. It must have been early morning, I thought. 

I made my way through the halls to the stairs that led to the main deck. The darkness was sliced by the brilliance of the moon. There was no sounds in the dead quietness of the ship. I stopped, the ship being quiet? Where was the sounds of water? The shouts from Rainbow or Zecora? I hesitantly walked up the rest of the way. 

The sounds of the crew flooded my ears instantly. It was like they weren't there before and only appeared with my sight. The crew was acting normal, but they certainly did not look normal. All of them were skeletons in rags and charred bones. They moved like the living but appeared beyond rotten. Some lacked jaws, arms, or even legs. Some had old flesh hanging from their shoulders, like they were a jacket or shawl of some kind. Others had a complete eyeball or two rolling in their sockets. I was frozen with both shock and fear. 

"All hands on deck! We can't sail the clouds with such utter carelessness!"

The voice cracked from the wheel. I expected a skeleton of Rainbow Dash, but instead got a skeleton in dark blue robes and just as dark blue hair rising from the scalp of the skull. The supposed captain of this undead ship cackled in joy as it spotted me. The skeleton gestured for me to come with its skinless digits. 

"Good of you to join this merriment, my dear Octavia." The captain laughed. The jaws only moving up and down, but still making perfect speech.

The voice was familiar, but I could not pinpoint who it was. The voice was feminine but firm. I slowly made my way over to "her." The crew members paid no heed to me as I passed. I looked to the side of the ship. There was no water on either side of it. Only clouds and emptiness. The ship was flying through the air.

"Probably one of Discord's tricks." I muttered aloud.

"I assure you, Discord has no play in this. Though I'm rather glad you mentioned him." The blue haired skeleton said.

I reached the wheel. The captain "smiled" at me before cackling again. Being up close to the skeleton, I saw that her skeletal figure was almost perfect and not incomplete like the crew. The only blemish was the crooked and broken ribs where the heart would be. 

"What is going on? Who are you?" I demanded.

The skeleton laughed again. It was obvious she was enjoying my confusion. "It never gets old. What's going on? I think it's obvious. Who am I? The perfect question. I am the one who is going to find you and make you wish you died on the noose." The skeleton's voice became grim and serious.

"Going to find me? You're right in front of me!" I laughed. I simply couldn't take the skeleton seriously.

"No, I am not." The skeleton said with a slight growl.

"Excuse me? I am touching your bones, I can feel your breath....I can feel the breath....of a skeleton. I am talking to a skeleton. I'm on the Ragnarok...with skeletons..."

"Ragnarok? Oh, you're with that pirate huh? What's she like? You also mentioned Discord, how is he doing?" Her voice was calm again.

The captain leaned towards me. Her breath was warm and smelled like...like cake. All this could only be Discord's doing. Only he would imagine something like this. A skeleton with cake breath? To me that was the most absurd of all. Despite this, I answered her questions.

"Yes, this is the Ragnarok, although it should be in sea and not air. And Discord is doing...well..."

As soon as I said "sea," the surrounding area became just that. It wasn't instant, but more of gradually changed. Water was not thrown about at all, but more of the air simply morphed into water. The skeleton noticed this and took her "eyes" off me.

"You weren't expecting that, were you?" I asked.

She chuckled. "Actually I was, however, I can't get used to it. Now, peasant, woulds't thou intri...I mean...Octavia, may I ask about why you are on this ship?"

She was going through three or four voices. She even "cleared" her throat in the middle of her sentence. I opened my mouth to answer her question, but stopped. Why should I answer her? She threatened my life earlier, why give her information like this? Maybe this was a test from Discord to test my Loyalty. Whatever it was, I shut my mouth.

"We asked thee a question!" She barked.

"You're someone I know..." I breathed.

"Fine!"

She grabbed me with her bone fingers and shoved me into the side railing. She was strong for not having any muscles. Her hand made me lean backwards over the railing. The water below turned into a black abyss. Water actually started to drain down the giant hole.

"You have forced Us to use a more direct approach! Answer Us!" The skeleton yelled.

I punched the skeleton in the cheek. The skull spun all the way round before returning to its original spot. She growled and pushed harder. 

"Answer! Answer or you're done for!"

I grabbed her shoulders and swung her into the railing and over it. The skeleton screamed as she fell into the abyss. As she fell, the world collapsed on its self. The ship, crew, and sea all dissolved into a white space. All color returned moments later. Well, if black was a color.

"Good morning Tavi! Glad ya back to the living!" Vinyl said with her mask in my face.

"Oh...You have no idea..." I muttered sleepily.

Vinyl removed herself from my face with a merry jump in her step. I sat up in my hammock, still reliving that wild, yet unusually real dream. Vinyl noticed my apparent confusion and lifted the mask off her face, revealing a slightly worried expression.

"Ya alright?" She asked.

"Just as insane as usual." I replied.

She smiled. "Well great! No one likes a sane person. The crew's mostly up. The all-nighters have called it a night...Heh."

I rubbed my eye. "And Fleetfoot?"

"Doesn't shut up. For a prisoner, she seems relaxed to be on this ship. I guess the past two days have calmed her down."

I stood up. My back ached horridly. It was the same spot where the skeleton lady pushed me into the rail. I must have banged it on something during my sleep. I winced in the pain.

"You sure ya fine?" Vinyl asked again.

"Of course. Just slept wrong, that's all."

Vinyl nodded and walked off. The bright sun shone through the small window in the quarters. From the angle of the rays, it was later than I had expected. I placed my shirt and trousers on, as my robes were too heavy and thick to wear on a ship. Rainbow said I would drown if I fell into the water with them. I did not think the armor was heavy enough to prevent me from swimming, but I rather not take the risk. Luckily my shirt was gray.

At first, I wished to go on the main deck, but decided not to. I was not hungry either, thus I felt no need to visit the chef, who wasn't the nicest of men. Rainbow told me the previous one was worse, and that she retired from the pirate business a few years ago, which allowed this new one to be recruited. No, I did not feel like visiting him. I actually felt like speaking with Fleetfoot. I spoke with the traitor last night, but she was all terrified about being hanged from the masts in the morning. Knowing this feeling myself, I pitied her and left her alone. I walked over to the "Pit," as the crew called it, with the hope, since Vinyl told me she had calmed down, that she would be more cheerful. 

The walk was not long. The Ragnarok was much smaller than the legends told of it. Below deck was always crowded, even when there were no sailors to clog up the hallways. The ship was simply messy and untidy. Most of the space was taken up by barrels of apple cider, something Rainbow referred to as "treasure." Despite this, the ship moved at a respectable speed. I knew that ship was fast because we passed Big Mac's and Maud's ships even when they left before us. The Ragnarok was so fast that we lost sight of them within 30 minutes of passing them.

I turned the corner and there she was. Fleetfoot was sitting in the iron prison cell and tapping each bar with her fingers. Her other hand ran through her off-white hair. Her hair and robes were truly a mess. I doubt even a bird could make it's nest as untidy as her hair. Her good leg was chained to the wall while her injured leg was heavily bandaged. To my shock, she could still walk from the wound I gave her. Zecora gave her a Zebranian potion that aided with the healing process. For a veteran pirate, Zecora did not like to see others suffer. From Rainbow's tales, she had always been the healer on the ship, and she aided anyone who sailed on it, including the prisoners. 

Fleetfoot glanced up at me. Her calm expression did not change. I was expecting some malevolent remark from her, but she did not speak. I crouched down. She kept her gaze at me, waiting for me to say something, so I did.

"How are you Fleetfoot?" I didn't know what else to ask.

"What's it to ya? I'm just some piece of scum to you." Her voice was sad and slow.

"True." I said simply. "However, that does not stop me from talking to you. I know you were Spitfire's friend..."

"And she left me! She left me to you guys knowing full well what may become of me! Some friend." Fleetfoot raised her voice and crossed her arms.

"What did you expect? She betrayed the Brotherhood, why not you?" 

"It's not like that, Octy. I did not agree with her reasons of attacking the Brotherhood. Her and Lady Shimmer made some points but I never joined her because of that. I went with Spits cause she was my friend. I couldn't just leave her. I couldn't just turn my back and let her be killed by the Assassins. I don't believe in this Absolute Order or anything. I'm not a Templar scum like you all think I am! I...I just wanted to help Spits. I wanted to keep her safe. And after all that. She leaves me."

"I know how you feel." I said.

She raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yes. I only joined the Brotherhood to protect Vinyl. I didn't care about Harmony or anything like what Twilight says. And ever since I encountered Spitfire in Canterlot, Harmony seems farther off than ever. It makes you wonder what you fight for. I just know I fight for Vinyl and her only."

"Huh, well then imagine when Vinyl runs out in your darkest hour. Yup, that's me. I did everything for Spits. You know I've killed your Brothers and Sisters, but guess what? They were my friends too. I may be sadistic and all, but I felt terrible after Cloudsdale. I killed my friends just so that I could stay by Spits' side. Has that happened to you? Have you ever killed anyone and regretted it?"

"Indeed. My first kill as an Assassin was by far the worst. I didn't understand the concept of killing and death at that time. I thought I did, but once you do it, once you have seen the victim's eyes, it changes you. You're the last face they will see before departing. And to me, that means they never forget you. When I killed that man, his only name to me was Templar, I felt afraid. Like all this would haunt me. I was only sixteen and well, I cried afterwards."

She nodded slowly. "Same here. My first guy was a bandit leader. Terrible man and all. I was his executioner. He never saw my face, I stabbed him right through the back and took his swords. The very ones that I use. It just wasn't right, but the Den Master said I did well. And that was that."

I stroked my chin. "The Bearer of Generosity told me it was going to get better. She comforted me behind the Den. It was a act of kindness that I..." I paused. "That I never returned."

"Well of course you didn't. All those Bearers keep secrets. Even from the Den Masters. If Spits was right on something, it was that Harmony doesn't exist. Absolute Order and Chaos have been done. We can see it and feel it, but not Harmony. It can't exist."

"Why not?" I asked.

She looked right at me. "Because of us. All of us. Lady Shimmer told us about it. Harmony can't exist while we fight and kill each other. Even being angry at one another is Chaotic. Lady Shimmer sees that Absolute Order is the only way.  If we all think the same and are obedient, we'll accomplish amazing feats. Although she doesn't like her other Templar Masters, as they are far more radical than her. They think it should be back to the old days where Fear ruled the lands. Lady Shimmer thinks that Order should rule. That all the lands should form a sort of one nation with one goal: progress."

That was Sunset Shimmer alright. I stroked my chin thoughtfully. Sunset Shimmer believes other Templars are radical? I would have thought her the most radical of all. Maybe she was. Even radicals don't always know how zealous they really are. But from Fleetfoot's description of other Masters, Sunset was not that bad compared to them. I would have to take such assumptions lightly. The traitor before me could have been lying or exaggerating the actual situation. 

I stood up and crossed my arms. Fleetfoot remained silent as I did so. She seemed to have lost the urge to speak with me as she returned to her pointless task of tapping the bars. The sound of the tapping was louder and more upbeat, however, so I could tell she was in a better mood than before. My talk with her somehow revived the liveliness that she was known for. 

Feeling somewhat oddly satisfied, I turned and left the prisoner. The light above beckoned me. I still had no appetite for breakfast, thus I skipped the kitchen again and headed up the stairs. It was just like in my dream, but this time filled with a living crew and catchy tunes and shanties. I was rather grateful for this after my nightmare. 

The wind whistled by as the Ragnarok sailed onward. The Bearer of Loyalty barked orders from the wheel. Even though there was nothing but water in sight, the captain kept her crew in line and working ceaselessly. None of them complained and did their chores with grins.

A giggle disturbed the crew's chorus. I saw Vinyl following what looked like an annoyed Neo. The pirate was hauling rope across the deck and the Assassin walked with him like a shadow. I sighed and covered my face as I watched them. My friend had obviously fallen for the pirate. Although he was handsome, I still could not fully believe it. Vinyl had never shown any interests in relationships. We had discussed our love life countless times, and it seemed clear that I would find a man before her, mainly because she did not care for one. I did not either, but I was far more willing to accept one when the time came. Seeing this gushy side of Vinyl, the rugged blacksmith apprentice-turned-Assassin, was startling for me. 

I walked over to her. The two had stopped, as Neo was bending over and tying the ropes to the ship. Vinyl was still talking as I approached. Her mask was on top of her head so I could see her face clearly in the bright sun.

"Canterlot's not so bad." She told the pirate. "I think you will like it there."

Neo sighed. "I've been there. Too fancy and so much going on. No takes time to just relax. I was raised in Baltimare and the Isles. It's my home and it's gonna stay that way."

I cleared my throat loudly. "Vinyl, would you mind having a word with me?"

"Yeah." She answered simply.

"I don't" Neo muttered.

"Vinyl." I growled through my teeth. "Get over here."

My friend kicked a wash bucket over before accepting defeat and walking over to me. Once she stopped in front of me, she placed her hands on her hips. 

"What is it?" She questioned.

"Why are you bothering him so much? You should let hi...Why are your eyes red?"

"What? My eyes aren't red. Oh, unless you mean I got salt water in them."

"No, Vinyl, your irises are red." I pointed at her eyes. They were a deep crimson. Her usual eye color was magenta.

"Ya pulling my leg."

I drew a knife out. "You look at them yourself."

Vinyl took the knife and used the blade as a mirror. Her reaction was delayed as she obviously did not want to believe what she saw. She grimaced before taking her eyes off the knife and back to me.

"They are red..." She moaned. 

"Is this because you are a Survivor of Chaos? I saw something similar in Rainbow Dash when we wrestled. It happened when she was angry. Are you angry?"

She shook her head. "I was a little, but not like angry angry, you know?" She looked at the knife again. "They're still red."

"I think we should ask Rainbow about it. She has the most experience with....this."

She nodded and we both started towards the wheel. The captain steering the ship could only be seen by her hands from our perspective. This was due to her height. I learned that see could not see over the wheel yesterday when I asked Babs Seed about it. With the knowledge that the captain can't see where she was going made me nervous at first, but the perfect track she had thus far eased my worry about crashing into objects. 

We both walked briskly up the short flight of stairs to the captain, who was humming the shanty with her crew. She spun the wheel for a tight turn to adjust to an oncoming wave. I almost lost my balance when the ship glided over it. The captain smiled at us when we reached her.

"Good to see ya up. We should reach Sepulchre before midday." Rainbow informed us.

I hesitated. "That's brilliant. But we are...wait, Sepulchre?"

"It's the rendezvous for the fleet. It's a small island village on the edge of the Labyrinth Isles.  It's our headquarters down here. Captain Caramel's father was the one who founded the place. That's where we'll meet the other captains."

"I see." I nodded. "Uhhh...Vinyl has something she wants to ask you."

Vinyl turned to me. "Why can't you say it?"

"You're the one who the problem!" I hissed back at her.

"Fine. Rainbow, I got red eyes."

The captain raised a brow. "Yeah, so? Octavia got pink eyes. That's even stranger."

I frowned at this. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused." Rainbow replied.

Vinyl rubbed her face. "No, my eyes are magenta, you know, purple-ish. Not red. But now they are red."

"Oh...Let me guess, you think it's Discord right?"

We nodded. She sighed and ordered Zecora to take the wheel. After that, she led us down the stairs and into the Captain's Quarters. Rainbow did not look back at us as she slowly walked over to her desk. She stopped in front of the desk and started to throw cups, papers, and other objects of the desk to clear a space for her to sit on. The sound of the golden spoils hitting the floor rung awkwardly until she was satisfied with her seat and jumped on it. From the way she was getting comfortable, I could tell she was ready for a long talk.

"Well, " She began. "You already made the right guess. This kinda stuff is right up his alley."

"What does it mean? Is she ill?" I asked and gestured at Vinyl who stood slightly behind me.

"That's the fun thing about being a Survivor, you don't know. Could be curable, could be not, could be bad, could be good, could be downright awesome or downright awful. Chaos is not predictable."

"Rainbow, what did he do to you? What does it mean to be a Survivor of Chaos?"

"You haven't told her?" She asked Vinyl. "Huh, thought ya would. Well, the title is literal. Discord has power over Chaos, like one would have the power of air or water. Chaos is physical and it's all around us. Everything has a basic resistance to it. Nature follows Order and we follow Harmony. Chaos is a.....a type of force that disrupts Harmony and Order. In Chaos of nature, we get mutations. I'm not talking about blindness and that kind of thing. You know chimeras? Manticores? Windigoes? Yeah, they are Chaotic animals. They don't follow a certain type of animal, like a horse. A horse is a horse, but a cockatrice is chicken and a lizard, and dragon all in one. That's what Discord does. Now, that's with nature. With us, it's anger, dissatisfaction, anything that disrupts Harmony or Order. He planted pure Chaos into both of us, and well, we survived it. Not all live after such a thing. As time goes on, the Chaos grows. How it will grow, I don't know. I've been a Survivor for several years now, and I now become bloodthirsty, hungry for death sometimes. I can't quit it. That's why I tried to kill you the other day. I can fight it, but it will only get worse. I've told my crew to kill me when it does. Now, that's with me. I don't know about Vinyl. We'll just have wait and see."

I was speechless. I did not know what to think. Vinyl was in the same state as myself. Her lower lip quivered uncontrollably. She took her mask and covered her face with it before walking out without a word. Rainbow showed no emotion and kicked her legs absently in the air. The only sound was the waves hitting the ship. 

"Does...Does your Element help you cope with it?" I dared a question.

Rainbow shrugged. "Maybe. I think the Chaos in me keeps him from taking over me completely. You look at Fluttershy, she can't keep her Element at bay at all. I can fight him and beat him when...I'm sober. I think it does matter though. It's the reason that shard Vinyl has hasn't embedded itself in her."

"You know about Hope? That's her shard."

"Yeah. The only shard I've encountered was Greed. We still have him in this ship. Torched Captain Caramel's hand when we found it. There are some shards that are pure evil, Octy. You should be glad Vinyl found a good one. However, from my experience, every shard and Element has a cost. Ya can't just use any ya want. My Element may have picked me for horrid reasons like killing Caramel, but I still have enough Loyalty to use it. Vinyl's giving up something to use that shard. Probably somethin' to do with hope."

I looked at the door. "Well, I believe she has just lost whatever hope she had."

"Then be a friend and go talk to her." Rainbow said. "It's what I would do."


~