//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Ghost Ship // Story: Diaries of a Traitor part 2: The Elements of Disharmony // by Paradox Theory //------------------------------// "You could've told us we'd be on a ghost ship!" Second exclaimed at the sight of the dead ponies shambling about the ship. "It's the only ship that won't have Cardinal's spies. It's our only choice." Star Swirl explained. "I have to agree with beardy here, no spies mean a better chance to find this pony in Saddle Arabia." Blade agreed. "Beardy?" Star Swirl scoffed. "As much as I hate to admit it, they're right Second." I said. "I guess we have no choice then." Second sighed. "None whatsoever, when you deal with these ponies, there;s no going back." Star Swirl said happily. With that, we walked aboard the ship. "Welcome aboard the Felix Equus, mortal ponies, I am your Captain. Dux Mortis." Said a ghost pony who wore a raggedy uniform and a large hat. "As long as a deal is struck, my crew will not harm you." "I've still yet to hear of the deal." Slate commented, earning a wide smile from the Captain. "That's because the dealer deals with his mind. We know how you will pay for this trip, so no worries." The Captain explained, "Star Swirl here has it covered." "It's nice to see you too, Roderick." Star Swirl replied. "Hey! No mortal pony, or cheating one, calls me by my old name. I left that behind." Dux said. "I know, it was a very disappointing day." Star Swirl responded. "Hmm. . . boys, see our guests to their rooms. I'm going to take Star Swirl here to my quarters to chat." Dux instructed. And that was the end of the conversation. Star Swirl and Dux left for the Captains cabin while we went under the deck and towards the rooms. "You'll have to sleep in the hammocks here. This was a war ship before it was a trolley for mortals." Said one of the ghost ponies before leaving. I felt bad for Slate, who sighed. "Floor again." Me and Second clambered into two hammocks, one above the other. "You know," Tourmaline commented from her hammock, "These things are comfy for being ghost hammocks." We all shared a chuckle before falling silent. As I wrote in Swift's, my journal, Second spoke up. "I wonder if we can be friends with this new pony we're going to get." She wondered. "Maybe. But we don't even know how old this pony is, or if Cardinal found them first." I replied. "I hope we get to this pony first. We've already lost too many to him." Second replied. "Good night Aurora." As her quiet snores reached me, I could only think of one thing, the war. "And many more will be lost." I whispered to myself. I woke to an unearthly siren, almost like Death it's self was calling for us. "Guys!" Star Swirl hollered, "We've been going too slow, the sun is rising!' "And that's bad, why?" Blade asked. "Because the ghosts only exist at night!" Star Swirl exclaimed. "Then that means. . . " I gasped. But before I could finish, we were racing toward the ocean. Have you ever felt so close to death that all you had to do was stop fighting and it would be over? Because I felt that as I swam to the surface. When my head broke the surface I gasped for air. "We're going to drown out here!" Tourmaline shouted, swimming towards me. "Unless another boat finds us soon, we're dead." Second shouted. "Guys, according to Dux, we are about halfway across the sea." Star Swirl informed us. "Unless another boat left late last night, no boats will find us in time." We all sat there in defeat. After fighting the changelings, riding undead boats and losing a dear friend, we were going to die in the middle of the ocean. After all that bravado, we were just going to drown. . . Seeing as we had nothing better to do, we just drifted, no goal in mind. I was sitting in the old orphanage. Fillies and colts played around me, but all I could think about were my missing parents. What were their names? What did they do? Were they important? Did they go out with honor? As these questions drifted in my mind, I saw a handsome and cheerful pegasus carrying me through a forest. I saw four other ponies side with him as he delivered some sort of important letter. The scene shifted to show me in bed with him, hugging him out of fear. It showed us lost and cold in the snow. We cried in a shack on a mountain. I saw these things and wondered, "Who was this strange stallion? And why did we go on an adventure?" I didn't have to wonder for long as a light orange colored face came into view. "Wake up miss." I gasped and sputtered and coughed as water shot out of my lungs. My memories came back and I recalled falling asleep in the ocean. "Where am I?" I asked the room I was in. "You are on the Joyful Skipper, and you're lucky to be alive." Replied a cheery voice. I turned to see a dusty brown unicorn holding a clipboard in his magic. "You aren't orange." I commented, causing him to jump. "Orange?" He asked. "Right before I woke I saw an orange colored face look at me. But you aren't orange." I explained. "Huh, interesting." The unicorn commented. "It must have been a side effect of the drowning." "Yeah, it must have been. . . " I murmured, slowly sliding off of the bed I was on. "When you're ready, your friends are waiting on deck." The unicorn informed me. "Why?" I asked. "Because we've landed at Saddle Arabia. And they won't get off without you." The unicorn replied. "Thank you." I said as I left the room and made my way to the deck. When I reached the deck, I saw the others talking to a small filly, about fourteen years of age, who darted around asking all sorts of questions. "Are you guys on a secret mission? Did you almost die getting here? Why are you here? Why are you so big?" She then turned to me, and I braced for a question, but I was met with something more shocking. "Hello miss." She said. That's when I noticed her face. Her light orange face. I promptly passed out.