//------------------------------// // Chapter One: A Fish Out of Water // Story: Daughters of the Sea // by Mister E //------------------------------// Chapter One A Fish Out of Water “I CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE!” Summergale boomed, her more than ample voice echoing down the corridors of Discord’s castle. Somewhere upstairs Fluttershy was flinching from the sound as it rattled the glassware. “Mom, much as I love these little unannounced visits, I would kindly ask that you refrain from making enigmatic opening statements that, given the excellent acoustics my castle affords, may give some pony a heart attack!” Discord says by way of reply, as he reluctantly allows his mother inside. “SOR-, I mean, sorry son.” Summergale says, lowering her voice down to Royal Canterlot levels, then thinking better of it, lowers it by half again. “I’ve just been under a wee bit of stress lately.” “Really?” Discord replies. “Why I would’ve thought you’d be in the lap of luxury by now. No more queenly duties, all of life’s modern conveniences, and a half dozen alicorns at your beck and call. What could you possibly have to stress over?” “Oh don’t play the fool with me boyo! Ye know full well yer mom don’t cotton to all them fancy ponies and their modern lifestyle. Aye, I will admit there be a few things I like well enough. Them vinyl records ye got fer playin music whenever you want, that trick where ye can send messages by fire is pretty useful, and I can’t deny I like how ye smoothed out all the rum... but I digress. The point is, ever since I got here it’s been all fancy parties, and meeting ‘important’ ponies, an griffins, and whatnot. It’s like when I married yer pop all over again. Only this time it’s worse on account of I can’t just order ‘em ta go away anymore, since I’m no longer the queen. By the beard of the Sky Stallion, ye shoulda seen ‘em all the day Celestia introduced us to the ‘modern’ world.” Summergale says, her mind drifting back to that day. “I WAS there mom.” Discord said in exasperation. “You just don’t remember because you already had half a bottle of rum to help ‘fortify’ you for the presentation. I’m surprised you didn’t stagger on the dais, or talk with a lisp.” “Ah now, that WAS a day.” Summergale continues, oblivious to her son’s complaints. “Hah, the look on all them posh ponies faces when we all came out from behind that curtain. Charity, bein the original alicorn, went first, then yer dad Justice came next bein her son, and first of all the male alicorns, with me by his side. Then you and your sister Harmony came out in your alicorn forms,(oh, I guess you were there after all). Then Harmony’s husband Keil came and stood between ya, fitting since he was yer best friend growing up. And then Harmony and Keil’s daughters, Celestia and Luna, stood before them, and then Cadance came up and stood with us, with her husband Shining Armor, and then Twilight and her little alicorn daughter Paradox came up there and stood next to them. What a hoot! All them snobs gaping in shock. They went from four immortal alicorns ta nine in the space of five minutes. And that prince, whatshisface... Blueblood? Hah, got all red faced and went stomping off. Serves him right from what I hear. He’s got a nasty reputation around the palace. Last I heard he left for parts unknown.” “Yes, that was a rather fun day,” Discord says with a smile. “But that still doesn’t explain why you’re here, shaking the dust off the rafters with your dulcet tones mother dear, and what exactly you are complaining about.” “Son, don’t ye see?” Summergale says, her voice pleading. Discord pauses in thought, and then shakes his head. Summergale sighs deeply, and starts over. “Look at it this way then. Since we got here, Charity an Harmony and Keil went back to Equinity, their home, or the Crystal Empire as they call it now. They are doin all they can to fix what Harmony did all them years ago. They have a purpose. Justice has been hanging around Canterlot and teaching Luna and Celestia all about how they ran the kingdom in the old days, while learning how they have been doin it now. He’s doin something that he likes, an he’s happy. And then there’s me. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll always be grateful for Twilight an that Doctor fella for snatchin me from the brink of death, an draggin me to the future ta stop Sorcery. An I understand why they can’t just send me back, ‘cause o’ the risk of messing up this future. But son, I don’t belong here. Discord begins to protest, but is quickly cut off. “No son. I know what yer going to say. Just let me finish. It’s been five months, since we saved the world. Celestia an her sister gave us the grand tour, we got ta see all of what ponies have accomplished in the hundreds of thousands of years since I’ve been gone. I’ve been ta Manehatten, Cloudsdale, even Ponyville where Twilight an her friends live. Everypony is happy an well fed, and living good lives. All the things that Charity and Justice have striven for, you all now have, an I couldn’t be happier about it. But I come from a different time, a more rough around the edges time. I was an orphan an grew up on the streets of Sorraia, with me best friend Boots. Then after we stowed away on that ship we decided that we wanted to be sailors, and after a ton o’ work, an years o’ labor, I got me own ship. It was a leaky wreck, that could barely stay afloat. An the five others I managed ta talk into sailin with me didn’t know bow from stern. But she was mine, and I fixed her up meself, and set out ta sea. Less than five years later I got the ‘Maidens Fancy’, best sailin vessel in all of Equestria. Imagine it son, after only five years of blood sweat an tears, yer ma had got herself established.” “I thought you told me you won it from the previous captain, when you drew into a double gutshot draw, and got an inside straight flush, and all he had was four jacks.” Discord says raising an eyebrow. “What? Ye didn’t think I was sweating blood when I drew that last card? I mean what are the odds?” she said, excitedly. “Nopony knows. Because nopony would EVER try betting on a double gutshot draw against another pony who was standing pat, and betting his own ship!” Discord said, waving his claws in the air in exasperation. “Face it mom, you are now, have been, and always will be, terrible at cards. All you did was take an insane chance, and got insanely lucky.” “Mebbe so son, but that ‘luck’ as you call it, stayed with me all my life. Me an Boots, sailed the seas for years. We took all those ‘insane’ chances, an set up new trade routes all throughout the Equestrian seas. We met new tribes, and found all kinds of new foods and spices. And our reputation was known throughout all the pony islands. Many tribes back then would trade with no pony else except me an Boots. We were true daughters of the sea back then. Renowned, respected, and on a couple of islands revered. Can ye understand son? I was a captain. Then later, I was a queen. An look at me now... Do ye know, I haven’t even seen one single other Flutterpony since I got back? Three tribes of ponies. That’s all anyone ever remembers now. Zebras, minotaurs, donkeys, griffins, but nopony ever heard of a Flutterpony. They all think I’m some kind of Pegasus. And Sorraia? It isn’t even there anymore. Not even any buildings remain. Just a wooded coastline. I’m lost son. I’ve been bouncing back an forth between Canterlot and all over trying to find me place here, and it’s just not working. An I’m ta the point where I just don’t know what ta do anymore.” Suddenly they both hear a timid voice coming from the top of the staircase. “Um, excuse me.” Fluttershy says, as she begins to descend. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help overhearing what you were saying. And since we are f-family now, I thought I might see if I could help.” “Flutters darlin!” Summergale said, finally showing a warm smile. “It does me heart good ta see my beautiful daughter-in-law! Sorry if me voice was a bit... ‘expressive’ when I came in. I hope I didn’t disturb ya.” “Oh no, no... well, you may have startled me a little bit. But it’s okay.” Fluttershy said, offering a smile of her own. “Anyway I heard what you said, and I think I have something that might be of help.” And from behind her back she extracts several long tubes, and holds them out in her hooves. Discord immediately recognizes them, and begins to make frantic motions with his claws, which Fluttershy pointedly ignores. “Why, what have ye got there Flutters? Looks like map cases”. Summergale says, extracting a sea chart from one and looking over it with a practiced eye. Meanwhile Discord has pulled Fluttershy aside and is glaring at her in anger. “I thought we had discussed this.” He hisses in an angry whisper. “I told you I didn’t think it was a good idea to give her those.” “We didn’t so much ‘discuss’ it dear, as you saying no, and me not saying anymore about it.” Fluttershy counters, as her own anger begins to emerge. “And now I think that this is just what she needs, and is probably why Zacherle and Muenchinger gave them to her as a gift in the first place. At the mention of the two Gods of Equestria, Discord’s tone becomes disdainful. “Fluttershy DEAR,” he forces out. “Need I remind you that those two idiots are what caused the near collapse of Equestria itself? You can’t possibly think that THEY of all ponies know what they are doing?” “Discord HONEY,” Fluttershy replies, the beginnings of her ‘Stare’ forming in her eyes. “I don’t care what their intentions were. You heard your mother, she needs a purpose, something to make her feel at home in the modern world, and this gift is perfect. So for the sake of peace... in... our... family...” Fluttershy says punctuating each word with a hoof in her husbands chest, “Then I suggest you give your mother a big smile, and be as helpful as you can, that is, if you ever want to-” But then Fluttershy is cut off by a loud exclamation, as Summergale realizes what she has been given. “Oh Sweet Zacherle! Do you know what these are?!? These are sea charts showing a detailed location of the Pony’s Pride! I’ve been searching for the treasure of the Pony’s Pride my whole adult life! Fluttershy! How in the world did you get these?” Summergale says, rushing up to the Pegasus and lifting her off the ground in a bear hug. “I-it was a gift for you.” The startled Fluttershy exclaims. “From Zacherle and Muenchinger, for your help in defeating Sorcery.” “This is incredible! My life’s dream! I can never thank them enough...” Then Summergale trails off in thought. “Hold on a second. If this was a gift from the Gods, then why am I just now getting them? And why am I getting them from you?” She asks, giving Fluttershy a critical look. Fluttershy merely points a hoof at her husband. “I think you need to ask HIM, for those answers. I’ll just go put on some tea while you two catch up.” Summergale looks at her wayward son. It’s a look he long remembers from his childhood, it’s her ‘doom hanging by a thread’ look, and it means that unless she hears something really good, really soon, then all that doom is about to land squarely on his head. Discord flinches on reflex. “Now mom,” he begins, in a placatory tone. “Remember, you had only just returned to us. We thought you were dead. I thought that I had killed you.” Discord shifts back into his alicorn form, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. “I just... just wanted to spend some time with you is all. I mean, I knew as soon as you saw those charts you were going to run off on some wild adventure. Is it so wrong that I wanted to spend some time with my long lost mother before she left once again, for who knows how long?” Discord says, looking into her eyes with a look of pleading innocence that he had been using on the mane six for the last few years. Slowly the storm clouds began to part from Summergale’s gaze. “Well, I suppose I can’t be mad at me son fer wanting to keep his ma around for a bit.” She says, stroking the side of his face with a hoof. Then she rears it back and gives him a resounding slap. “But ye outta know better than tryin ta pull the wool over her eyes. Tartarus son, I was the one who TAUGHT you that look,” she says, the beginning of a smile crossing her face. “Suu rrr we coo?” Discord manages to say, flexing his jaw, trying to get feeling back into it. “Aye, we’re ‘cool’ as ye youngins say”. She says with a grin. “Thank Celestia,” Discord begins, but then... “That is o’ course, after ye do me one teensy little favor...” Summergale adds nonchalantly. “Horsefeathers...” Discord mutters, turning to face his mom. Her innocent looking smile, only causing him further unease...