Marigold awoke to streaming sunlight. It was quiet...well at least slightly muffled.
AS she opened her eyes she realized somepony had given her a large pillow and taken the time to tuck a blanket round her firmly. With crisp air it was tempting just to lay there and snuggle down but ,dark shadows moving over her, she opened up her eyes to see the crew quietly working round herself under the rigging. She felt guilty just lying there, feeling being in the way.
She slowly go up, stretched, folded the blanket setting the pillow on top and a crew offered to take it away. A walk around the decks despite the crowd, in the way, on blankets, no doubt blocking pathways, snoring loudly, would help loosen the joints.
She imagined wandering through a maze of unconscious mares and their luggage.
"Good morning." said a cheerful mare.
Marigold was surprised.She found herself on a near empty deck. So few mares now, where did they all go?
Walking round decks, she could now pay attention to the details, she saw it a tidy craft.
Well built, in tasteful trim and décor, all the brass and wood made to look like billowing clouds or waves.
"Very expensive."She thought.
Peering carefully over the side to the mountains below, she saw a sign.
"Cloudy Dream."
Well, duh! The Ship's name. What did she think this airship was? A trolley or interurban with a number on its side?
There was a stallion a the rails, his head resting. Two other males were beside him.
"I didn't bid her well leave!" he said to the other two stallions. "What if she gets in trouble? I should be with her!"
"Ack fellow!" said another fellow. "And be around those stupid nags?" Shaking his head."Naw, she has enough than to deal with watching them pull their luggage around up hill and dale, without her worry of them watching you!"
"No boy. She'll be fine!" said the other. "A well trained officer, she! No, she's had cadets worse than them to discipline."
"If it's alright...I'd just like to spend at least ten minutes more staring where she is, sending my love and asking any great powered pony to watch after her."
"Ah."said the other. "The altar to an unknown God...the legend of Pull." He smiled. "Only ten more minutes and then back to work. Polish away the green patina. It will help the time just fly!"
"An unknown God."thought Marigold trotting about the deck, thinking of her giant.
Random thoughts: "Hmm is the store open, oh I know, food! The galley, it was closed but with so few.."she reached her purse, lost.
Panic! Retraced steps:decks round rigging where she was sleeping.
Nervous shuffling in place,"Maybe it went over the side!"she thought!"Long necked snoop, you didn't have to look over the side!" Glanced up," Why is the sun there?How late is it?"
"Ma'am the captain asks you have brunch with him."
"But...coming." she sighed.
She made her way to the galley, it was open! Again she noticed how few ponies there were. "Where is everypony?" Marigold said peering round the corner to the dining area.
"Marigold! You're here!Come over, come over here! Sit with us!" Saffron sitting on her rump decorated with what looked like a crochet work of rigging over a ship being off loaded with ropes by a crane, next to her husband, the captain, his mark, a teapot sailing full sail, on its own cloud of steam.
"Enjoy a well stuffed tuffet!" Saffron patted a big cushion beside her. "This is my husband, Captain Updraft Tacky Tea Sails."
"Like ways, A name to a face, please to meet you again." said the captain with a pleasant smile. "You can know ourselves better, in the light of day, by our marks!"
Marigold looked at him google eyed realizing how insulting it must have been for him as she hoofed over her ticket as if he had been a train conductor!Then to swoon at his hooves! How embarrassing for Saffron!
They ignored her ogling and returned to their plates eating with gusto until the steward brought Marigold a plate.
"You're not eating?" Saffron mumbled mouth full taking the back of her hoof dabbing the sides of her mouth before using a napkin. "Three days without a proper bite, I think?"her mouth now empty.
"I feel guilty not being able to pay for it."
"Nonsense!Not this again!"Saffron playfully threw her fork with a clatter to the plate. "Tell you what. I'll pay you to eat!"
"I'll still feel bad."
"If I make you feel better, will you eat?"
Marigold's blue eyes looked above from the large plate of food." I donno, last time a drank something..."
"Pttt...that was just a non alcoholic totty!"
"I don't think anything can make me feel better."
Saffron dropped her purse in front of Marigold nose. "Took it from a mare with honey hooves. EAT!"
Her worries sated about her purse she quickly tossed her mane ,with joy and gusto, and tied the albatross again around her neck .
Over oatmeal and fruit and small crab cakes, the discussion did turn to darker things and being part of an expert crew, the captain and his wife steered her back to what was right and true.
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''Really?''Saffron looked at her deadpan.
''Heavens no! "said captain Tea distracted from his bread and butter chuckling. ''I dropped them at an old garrison, still provisioned, with the wife of one of my crew, a former guard of Celestia's. That many mares and one stallion? No. Poor fellow, it is the season. Rest assured she can handle herself.''
''You should have seen those who weren't asleep some were pickpockets, honeyhooves, always get them off!" said the captain.
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''Kidnapping you for Saddle Arabia?!''the captain laughed, incredulous, spitting out some coffee ''See she is still young enough for nonsensical romantic writ.''he ate some fruit Saffron crossed her front legs, oblivious she also read the same stuff.
''No, just a little off course due to the high pressure dome. Besides...Griffons offer a better price further north. Don't ask how I know!''
''Really!!''Saffron looked at her husband.
"Honest! I can't talk about it. I signed Celestia's non-disclosure for that mission!" He said
"Captain!" said an exasperated hoof bowing running in out of breath. "We need you on deck! Something is happening with the sky, the Sun!"
The meal was over.
They all got up and went out on deck.The moon was closing over the sun.
"It alright!" said the captain ."Just Celestia recalibrating, even after so long, after her sister's rebellion."
As darkness fell a ring appeared in the sky .Marigold was struck with dread."Celestia is blind!"the thought struck her head.
A vision came to her.
As stallion, clutching something, standing on two legs, unnaturally hunched over, like some kind of bug, framed in smoke and flame.
"Yessss..."he hissed."We have not devoured fair Oyarsa in an age!" the smile and shine in his eyes unnatural, "Yes, pray to her like a God! What a delicious lie! More mistakes! Let us see if dinner, your doubting angle, brought to make mistakes, can save...oh what a mistake she has added tooo!"
"Oh Celestia!"Marigold swallowed, her mouth dry."What have you brought into our world!"
In her vision a unicorn stood before him, a pegasus behind him and another unicorn flanking.
"NO." said the unicorn, thunder rolled from the dark as he spoke.
"I will pray to an unknown god."
"Who died! "Shrieked the thing, triumphantly.
"Oh?" A cheshire smile crept across the unicorn's face as he spoke. "There is such a God? A creator of All Things? Whose will sustains everything?" the unicorn then laughed at the thing a hearty good natured laugh. "And since the world is still here, he's alive! So he must have become alive again!
"Impossible! "The disbelief on the thing's face.
"His sacrifice, once for all."the stallion said weakly clutching the book tightly. "Unicorn. He out ranks you...."the snarl returned to the stallion's face ."Shut up!" it said in a guttural animal sound that could barely be understood as words.
The unicorn captain was unnerved but held himself rocksteady."That I am sure...but I am on life's side! You, thing, are a criminal, against life, love, your betters! You rebelled against the true authority of life! I call one who outranks all!" The unicorn cried in a loud voice. "Please sir,"the unicorn looked to beyond the darkened sky,"I submit to whatever your decision is judge us, intercede between, us living, and this dead! Please bind this thing far and away from our world: Never to trouble again!"
The darkness lifted a moment later. The sun shone brilliantly.
"Brave Captain All Wishes, Sargent Captains and Doctor Puzzle! 'Behold the foolish thing making sport of the wise!" the thunder laughed. "Just doing their job!"
All Wishes approached the trembling pony, about to fall from his awkward two legged stance " Please, come away from that pit, my neighbor, my friend." after licking his lips." There is nothing there in the smoke and flame, I don't know what life was like where you came from, but here with us, there is life! And here, in the sunlight, you have a better chance than there in the smoke and death!"
"Please, come away.I only want what I know is best for me, also for you!"
The last thing Marigold saw of the vision was the pony collapsing then caught by the unicorn's magic. Saved from the fire and smoke. Gently carried away from the fiery pit.
"As if a stick, seized from the fire."
"Come away from there, the fires of the pit, and live, my neighbor, my friend." Sang the three.
"As wanted for ourselves, for you also we give.
"Life for ourselves, a great ruler once said 'I'm alive! Now others live!"
"For whatever you are, the form you is, life is love and good, so live!"
Marigold was back on the ship again.
"It's alright the sky is back again, everypony , everything is going to be fine." said the captain.
''Marigold!" Captain Sails called coming over. "I'll take you where you get more suitable warm things, I want my coat back" The captain said with a wink. "Oh, and I have a state room open for you! You'll have a roomy. Yes, we'll be to the capital by morning. A bit late I'm sorry. I hope you can still find your pony.''
He took her to....
"Oh my! What a pretty little shop!" she said as she went in. The captain waited outside content to listen to the laughter of the mares inside gossiping.
A wizened old unicorn came and stood beside the captain.
"Out of the woodwork and planking!" he turned looking to the wizard. "What did you see?"