//------------------------------// // Dreams in the Clouds // Story: You're Here! // by Arn //------------------------------// She caught the next airship in the morning, despite the morning assurances and His pep talk, a frazzle. Forgetting absolutely everything He admonished her about. Wearing nothing but an ugly hat used for gardening and a purse containing her life savings swing wildly around her neck, like an albatross, disbalancing her at every quick turn , the addled mare made a complete fool of herself, a trick, as she lept aboard the departing airship ,kid's do not attempt, considering the mares aboard were nearly as flustered (only difference: they on board being packed with appropriate attire luggage stowed as the airship departed and were not doing a flying leap on to a rapidly departing airship high off the ground!) She had forgotten her parents teaching: did not use discernment, listened to her neighbor's voice thinking it His and continued conversation despite many contradictions. She charged up the platform, foam flecked and smelly jumping over the rope line charging up the gangway, all the while singing," I WANNA HOLD ANND, ANNNND!!!" running through town and the zephelport terminal. Worse! Captain Updraft Tackey Tea Sails was, at that moment, the mad mare had collapsed at his feet, hoofing him her ticket as if he were a train conductor,considering to put her off if his wife hadn't interceded. He remanded the delirious, shivering and soppy pony, to the care of his wife Saffron Sails. In the captains cabin,she dreamed delirious dreams. "Marigold." "Yes." "What did I tell you?" "You told me to go to the capital and get a husband to leave immediately or I would miss my flight, use discernment and follow my parents teaching." "Are you sure? That doesn't sound like me." "You told me to follow my parents teaching and to think." "Did you behave thoughtfully? I never change my mind." "Wait, that sounded like...."she turned red."Feather Duster!" "Please...follow me." It was on to another dream. These dreams: She had never had any like these before in all her life.This mysterious giant and an allegory of why it was important to listen to her parent's teaching, walking together through a shadowy valley.The giant brought her attention to something she would remember forever . "The one who scorns a father's advise, and mocks a mothers teaching..."she ran from the sight of the birds in the valley. The ravens, gorging, feasting! Again, another dream: She was running from a predictor, the predator seeking to devour, corned she screamed for help. Out of the sky, He reached down, He rescued her taking her up in his arms higher than she had ever been before! The predator howled and lashed at his feet...He crushed its head! Now another dream. As she opened her eyes, up high, becalmed, she asked questions. " Couldn't you have done something? Did he have to die,the pony I saw?" "What should I have done?"He answered softly. "Stopped him,helped him, kept him from going....kept him from the bugs and the worms and the...birds." "Oh? Made him go where I wanted?"He asked with a raised eyebrow. "If you loved him, protected him...stopped him.." "Forced him to listen?" "Yes!" "If he wouldn't listen. What then? Chain his neck? Force him to go from place to place??" "Well, no I... " "Smile all the time, saying nice things? Opened his mind wide so only good thoughts would settle on the cords of his brain?" "Stop No!" "I can you see!"there was a rumble of thunder with His words and a darkness that seemed to swallow up everything in that starlit sky. Marigold trembled frightened, who was she talking to? "But if I did that, he would never be my friend, could never be a friend,one I could share with...he would have been a puppet!"The darkness lifted. There was silence in the dream for the longest time, only the moon bore witness, passing near. He broke the silence. "I saw him grow up, a little plant, a little sprout, before me. Stretching to touch the heavens, sun and moon. Then I saw him turn." He sighed. " Everything that could have been done was done. I sent him the best teachers. Many, many advisers and still he went where he would. Recklessly charged through ever warning, not caring who got hurt. So stuborn and proud! He despised correction and discipline, ignoring his parents teaching. He never cast his eyes up, always looking down in self abasement/pride or idolatrous greed! He never cried for help as the monster pursued him, he went willfully into that awful valley without protection, following the lure, climbing over all road blocks.Mocking the huge cliffs above him, towering over, threatening to cover him utterly.Laughing at them like a fool. He refused to believe there was danger, a threat or even concede I existed. I reach out to him to the last, he smacked me away, even as he struggled, the beast above at his throat!"He hugged her gently. " In ending, he, the utter ruin you saw. His choices were his own." the giant held the pony high in His arms brushing her mane from her eyes. She looked down a the slugly and muddy valley. "Mark him well, and be attentive to your ways, least you end up the same."He said. "Am I your friend?"Marigold asked. "Only if you chose to be....there are always consequences for actions/decisions both good and bad....." She began experiencing sever pain wracking her body. "You silly sheep! Jumping onto my husband ship like that, you could have gotten killed falling so far back the the ground!"the mare atteneding Marigold grumbled."Glad I had the sense to keep your joints warm, can't have you staggering around the ship."Saffron tsked. "And no warm clothes for these altitudes!" "I assume I'm not dreaming?" Marigold said with a groan and a smack of her lips. "And not dead. No, you're here! Awake."Saffron said sarcastically."I hope your decision and discernment skills improve while you are with us?" Marigold opened one eye and stared at the mare, just to be sure. "Up you go! Got to recondition your joints, slow exercise warm and cold compresses." Saffron Sails pushed and helped Marigold up to walk round the cabin to protests and whining, slowly working her legs till she was totally exhausted."There's your keep for sleepin in the captain's cabin!"" "...keep the hot compresses applied." she told the other two mares attending . "That's enough for right now."Leaving the cabin she exclaimed."My husband has an excellent safety record and I just won't have somepony limpin around the deck!" After she was able to walk properly again after a few days, Marigold was unceremoniously evicted. "That's all I can spare!"A bundle of thick blankets and an old warm coat of the captain's was thrown to her. "If anypony ask you where you got them, say that they were in your hat. Better still, a little advice, tell them to buck off!"Marigold's mouth began to move.The captain's wife was in her face."You say otherwise, and I'll have my husband toss you overboard myself! I will not have a run on supplies, I will not have it! Do you understand me stiff joints?" "Yes, ma'am." Stumbling out onto the crowded deck she spent the next hours slowly walking round and round the ship. The crew doing maintenance do to excessive wear the craft was experiencing. Marigold snuggled into the warm coat and sighed. "Stop blocking the way."a heavy set mare said rudely shoving past. She walked right up to a crew member working on rigging. "Hello hansom."she said with bating lashes. The crew member look at her and visibly blanched. That moment a group of mares appeared between them. One stepped toward the mare aggressively showing a mouthful of teeth. Her husband relaxed and did the same bearing a wide smile. The heavy set mare began to back up slowly ears flat against her head. "Hansom."said the dam."Heh,heh,heh. Not honey or sweetie..."the dam glared at the mare and brought herself muzzle to muzzle."The crew's wives have a message for you..."She whispered in her ear. Then she towered above the other mare who shrunk back. "ruhaun..."the mare bolted just as the dam brought her teeth down to bare upon the mare's haunches. "MINE!"she screamed out,raising to her full height pawing the air. "Oh, my savior!"cried the sire to his dam."Whatever you ask...." "Yech!"she spat out some tail hair."Something to take away the taste." He kissed her."Much better." she said with batting lashes. Marigold spent many sleepless nights on deck with other mares on the overbooked ship. Sleeping little, having to move every time some mare became territorial, which was quite often.(The captain loved his ship as much as his wife and would never overload it or put it in danger!) These mares. They acted foolishly, he didn't mind. They tried to seduce a members of the crew, he let the wives take care of them. But....when a strand of rigging was brought to Captain Updraft Sails attention, frayed, the captain had had enough of these addled mares! He could see the teeth marks. They were getting enough food! "Peckish? Nibbling the rigging?"He looked at the bit of rope with knit brow."What reason, what right? We're dropping most of them off!" He threw the bit of twine down and pushed himself away from the table."They're going off tonight." Saffron couldn't help but interceded again when she imagined tumbling, falling mares into the vast sky. How bad for business! "Dear, let me handle them."she said with a nervous smile." In the morning you will have the trouble makers off in town and the trip will go much better!" "I put them in your capable hooves, mine own, myself."he said to her"You decide!Which witch wench to rest off my ship!" He said a mouth full of bile as he left the cabin, his wife nodded solemnly.