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// 39 - I'm on a Boat! 
// Story: The Apple Falls Far from the Tree 
// by David Silver 
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Willow arrived at the inn a little past noon and guided them down to the docks. There were many boats of a variety of sizes. None of them got too much larger than a yacht, having to navigate the river. Most were built of wood, though one or two were metal-clad. Willow was not walking towards one of those. She was bound for one of the middle-sized fishing boats, its nets hung up on its sides. "Here we are."

The captain, a pony who reminded Applejack of Sonata, with visible gills and a somewhat fishy appearance waved them aboard as she smiled. "Welcome! I hear you're needing a lift to the rail line?"

Applejack lightly hopped between the dock and the boat. "That we are. Mighty fine ta make yer acquaintance, miss...?"

She held out a hoof to Applejack. "Captain Silvertail. Applejack was it? Willow's been talking about you and your fine wards. Rest easy, I'll get you all down safely."

Applejack met the hoof with a hoof in a clop. "That's a relief to hear."

The Crusaders spread out over the boat, looking at everything curiously. Sweetie approached Silvertail. "Excuse me, miss. What are you?"

Silvertail turned and looked down at the small white pony asking her this. "I'm a pony of course, same as you."

Sweetie pointed up at her horn. "I'm a unicorn. She's an earth pony," she pointed at Applejack. "And Scootaloo's a pegasus." Pointing at Scootaloo was a bit trickier with the pegasus flying from place to place in eager exploration.

Silvertail gave a patient smile. "Ah, what kind of pony, hm? They call me a sea pony, though I prefer rivers to seas. Before you ask, I don't breathe water despite the gills. Never got the hang of that. I sleep in a bed like anyone else. I swim well, at least."

Sweetie bobbled her head appreciatively. "Thank you! Sorry to bother you."

Silvertail shook her head. "You'd be surprised how often I hear that exact question, and many of them aren't as polite as you were." She turned back to Applejack. "Everyone aboard?"

Willow nodded from behind Applejack. "Everyone's here. We're ready to set sail."

Silvertail trotted off and began to ready the ship for departure. Applejack looked to Willow. "I don't see any other sailors. She the only one?"

Willow nodded. "This is her boat and she runs it by herself. When I told her about your journey, she volunteered. A good spirit, she's exactly what my mother talks about when she goes on about you ponies."

Applejack lifted a hoof to Willow's shoulder. "Yer a good po--person too. Just give yerself a chance."

Willow raised a brow. "I trust myself fine enough. It's everyone else that bothers me."

Applejack let Willow wander off and turned to face the children. "Attention! Everypony form up. That includes you, Sunflower." They quickly assembled in front of Applejack. "Now we're gonna sail down this river, and ah I want y'all on the boat, not in the water. Listen to what Silvertail tells ya and don't tarry near the edges, ya hear?"

They all gave a nod before scattering across the boat. Applejack nodded to no one and moved to find Willow. The mother-cat was perched on a barrel, looking out over the water pensively. As Applejack approached, the ground shuddered and the boat began to move, detached from the ground and the dock, it went with the flow of the water, carried swiftly away from the city. "Huh, Ah'm not used ta getting through a place without even a lick of trouble."

Willow chuckled at that. "What does it say about us that I agree with that thought?"

Applejack sat on her haunches beside Willow. "That we're both all-too-used ta keeping an eye on troublesome little ones?"

Willow nodded. "I'll drink to that." She tapped the barrel she was resting on. "Speaking of which..."

Applejack lowered her gaze to the barrel. "There's cider in there?"

"You do like cider." Willow chuckled softly. "But no, a different kind of drink.  It belongs to Silvertail, but she said she'd share with us if we shared stories in kind, over dinner."

Applejack smiled. "Something ta look forward ta then. Ah did mean what ah said though. That wall ya built around yerself ain't doing ya any favors."

Willow frowned at Applejack's prying. "I am here to pay back my debt, not be analyzed."

Applejack took off her hat and held it to her chest. "Ah ain't trying ta be a bother, but..."

Willow's expression hardened a moment before she let out a sigh and reached out a paw, tapping Applejack on her nose. "You've got a good heart, now stop talking please."

Applejack set her hat back on her head. "If that's what ya want, but if ya want ta talk, 'bout anything at all, ah'm here." Applejack walked back to the front of the boat and settled down, watching the water pass by peacefully. Her solitude was broken by another equine form settling beside her. A glance revealed Silvertail had joined her. "Huh? Don't ya have ta pilot the ship?"

Silvertail waved waved a blue hoof. "We're safe for at least an hour before my touch is required. Quiet morning, not another boat in sight. So, not from around here, huh?"

Applejack shook her head. "We're from about as far away as ah figure ya could be."

Her brow furrowed. "That's a curious way of putting it. How far are we talking?"

Applejack gestured vaguely into the distance. "It's a mite hard ta explain. Ah really ain't sure how far it is, physical like. We kinda got here with magic. Whole 'nother world ah reckon."

Silvertail poked Applejack in the shoulder. "You look awfully normal for being from another world. You speak mighty fine Common on top of that."

Applejack looked befuddled. "Well, we did go and change when we got here. We used ta look a bit different, but ah didn't change languages? Common's a language Ah'm guessing?" Silvertail nodded. "Yeah, didn't change how ah talked so far ah know."

Silvertail rose to her hooves. "The Author works in mysterious ways. Did she make us in your image, or you in ours? I couldn't say." She trotted off towards the steering wheel with a jaunty little whistle on the way.

Apple Bloom rushed up to Applejack with a big grin. "We're on a boat!"

Applejack sat up and nodded at her. "That we are. Huh, is this yer first one?"

Apple Bloom bobbed her head quickly. "A boat, a real one, not that raft we made!" She spread her hooves wide with obvious excitement. "We're goin' so fast too!" She pointed to the shore that sailed past at a good pace. "We shoulda took a boat straight ta Viljatown."

Applejack shook her head a little, "Don't think that's possible. Ain't no river going from one place to tha other, and Murrage's plum center in a desert. No boats."

Apple Bloom stuck out her tongue. "Another mark against cat city." She turned and fled, calling out to the other Crusaders. She found them all gathered at the back of the boat. "Whatcha'll doin'?"

Scootaloo pointed at Sunflower. "He's fishing."

Resting in Sunflower's agile paws was a long fishing rod, line dragging out behind the boat. Apple Bloom approached curiously. "Ya know how ta fish?"

Sunflower shook his head. "Nope, but I can try! Silvertail let me borrow her fishing rod."

Sweetie pointed at the rod. "I think something's happening?"

Sunflower looked up and squeaked, starting to reel in the line quietly. "I didn't even notice it!"

Scootaloo cheered loudly. "Pull harder! You can get it!" The rod was bending dangerously as Sunflower struggled with it, dragging him back several inches despite his best efforts. Apple Bloom rushed up and threw herself in front of Sunflower, halting his slide. Scootaloo rushed around behind Sunflower and grabbed him at the shoulders, pulling him back. 

The struggle against the fish turned into a group activity. Sweetie began a quick song of the water, encouraging them with her melody as they pulled and heaved. With a mighty tug, something came free of the water and arced over the boat before landing in front of Silvertail.

She whistled sharply. "Mighty fine marlin you caught there!" She brought down a hoof in a solid stomp, beating the life out of the flopping fish without hesitation. "I'll have that cooked up for tonight as soon as we set anchor, unless one of you little ones knows how to prepare a fish?"

None of them did, and they all shrugged helplessly. "Don't worry about it. Just take it below decks and find the cold room, leave it there so it'll be fresh for later."

They gathered around the fish and looked it over, with its great fins and sword-like nose. Sunflower grabbed it towards its slippery tail. "Give a hand?"

The ponies held up their hooves, having no hands to lend. Sweetie Bell's horn glowed softly as she helped lift the front with her horn, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed in underneath it to help carry it along. With all four working together, the fish wasn't hard to get down the stairs. They found the cold room, packed with ice as it was. They tossed the fish aside and slammed the door closed.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were in agreement. "We smell like fish."

Sweetie Belle waved a hoof at them and gave a musical tone. The fish funk vanished from them, and Sunflower's paws a moment later. "All fixed. Do we really have to eat fish though?"

Apple Bloom stuck out her tongue. "Yuck, ah mean, it was alive, right?"

Sunflower wobbled a paw. "Plants were alive too, and I don't see you crying about that."

Scootaloo crossed her forelegs. "It's not the same! I never saw a tree run for its life or grass cry when it was cut."

Silvertail poked her head in. "You found the cold room, good, come on back up." Then she was gone. They emerged back onto the deck, still having their argument.

Sunflower waved at the plants on either side of the river. "Just because you can't hear them doesn't mean they like being eaten."

Willow perked an ear at them. "Hmmm? What's this about?"

Scootaloo pointed at Sunflower. "He's saying eating plants is the same as eating an animal. Ugh, eating something with a face..."

Willow shrugged softly. "Life is a struggle, for plant or animal. We should be thankful to them, of either kind, for yielding their life to sate our hunger. You belittle the plants that have died for you, just as surely as any animal."

Apple Bloom frowned. "But... we don't kill apple trees ta get apples, right?"

Sweetie bobbed her head. "That's true. We don't have to kill most plants, just take a little bit of them, and they grow back. And we take care of them and help them grow. It's a trade."

Willow wobbled a paw. "Any apple could become a new apple tree, but instead ends up in your bellies. True, not every apple would have sprouted, but we don't know which is which. A small price, a trade, as you say."

Food for thought, or thought of food.