//------------------------------//
// Wizened Words 
// Story: You're Here! 
// by Arn 
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There was laughter before the unicorn could answer, the sound of hooves on deck pounding! A mare and her stallion raced past. 

She held a hat in her mouth, teasing the stallion with it.Taunting. He answered back playfully, "Thief, thief,thief! Give me my hat back.Thief!" As they raced around deck out of site as fellow crewmates shook their heads and rolled eyes,wives shouldered stallions, encouraging them, for a turn round the deck.

"Ah..."said the unicorn."That's the way it should be here on board this time of year!"

"Well, Acknowl?"Captain Updraft asked impatiently.

"Well what? Oh! You're here. Didn't see you..."He smacked his lips and pursed them into a pout."You're a terrible witness! Yes."

"...and you make terrible predictions you old toot!"Captain Updraft Tackey Tea Sails let his voice rise a little." Long ago, you said,Saffron would have a child. I'm almost to retirement!"

"Saffron had to pass a time of testing, now,soon,she'll be expecting!"

Captain Tackey Tea looked at the old wizard with glassy eyes, wondering where he had been, what he had heard and had he seen something, in the early  hours of the  morning, when the ship had taken skyward, all command duties, petered off,stealing away, unnoticed, in the dark, with the moon no longer watching.

"I should have left you to that angry mob, chasing you in Zebracandria!" he said through grinding teeth."Sometimes, I muse, to myself, if this were fiction, that you're only on board to move somepony else's story along!"

The Wizard looked up rocked his pupils in the tops of his eyes while scrunging innocently."In fact, yes."the unicorn cleared his throat. "I saw and heard something in the shadow of the moon!"

"In darkness I saw, a thousands stallions milling...."Acknowl began.

What he spoke was sound and fury, of judgements, of mistakes, of forgiveness and monsters, of redemption and terrible loss.

Of a great Judge, Celestia's Select, her Prefect, Judge of Equestria.

"Beware the thundering herds....."

If that was hard enough for the Captain to imagine, what the wizard said, then in a turn, that all these battles were and meant nothing to this Celestia's thousand years of peace. 

Astonishing to hear. For this Judge, even Celestia made terrible mistakes.......causing staining tears, and only "one" could take away the wrong and make it right.That it was all part of the plan, "but not to be presumptuous or be willful, take advantage, a freind doesn't do that, break a promise.""...cause magic doesn't take you anywhere!" 


That all that counted was relationship to the "one" and friendship to him, for those that live. How, such could bring forgiveness and heal the heart of stone. That by this kith of relationship, harmony woven through, for by the elements of harmony through the descendants of the strange ponies could, rescue Luna from Nightmare Moon, bring forgiveness to Discord even Nightmare Moon!

These last words ended the prophesy.
"A book primarily, and sardines,crackers and kitchens and coffey and wings and song, tea and hairbrushes and gardening and work...and...."the wizard stumbled.

"Sardines??! Are you kidding me?" A different character, almost different voice."Away!You've had enough! Too rich for you! This is totally G-rated story that is another, or whatever the readers come up with!"

The unicorn shook his head till one could swear rattling was heard as his eyes rolled.

The captain was a loss of what to say,
"That last part sounds very domestic." he said slowly."So far..I don't hear anything... useful..."trying to be respectful of his older counsel.

"Was I saying something?"the wizard said. 

Then, while thinking, his pupils suddenly became pinpricks.The wizard tore off his medallion with violence and hurled it overboard

"Ack, me!"he said."I quit!" He sniffled closing his eyes rubbing the ridge between."It's just too big for me!"He turned around "Time to grow up..."and trudged off."I'm, after all,only a pony!"

"Time to get off this endless boat ride!"Acknowl grummbled.

"Why did, huh, what?" asked the captain.

"I'm going to Delphi, where the missus wants, I'm retiring.Besides."he called back."I want to see this immortal who came to life again, truly immortal." he started mumbling."He doesn't really like spells and incantations anyway.And I do soooo want to see eternity!"

"Beware the thundering herds."the captain said smacking his lips.

Marigold decide she was going to enjoy herself and make the best off it.
Her heart became lighter when she saw the garments left behind.Nice things and a bag. HER travel bag: filled with things to wear, she departed from the cheerful room of conversation and laughter of the other mares  and took her bag to her room.

She bumped into an old unicorn.

"Baths, brushes and taxes!" He looked her coldly in the eye, nose to nose, she shivered. He showed three teeth in his mouth."He will grieve you three times all at once, not know it, and be merry as a colt as he plays with the fourth! Do you still want him?"

"Yes?"Marigold stumbled but recovered."But I was told he would grieve me!" she almost yelled at the unicorn stomping her front hoof.

"Good."he snorted satisfied with the answer. "I was told the same."He smiled showing two more teeth. "Celestia will take care of anymore problems, you won't like it! Watch your temper, but Sunshine solves everything."

Marigold was about to speak.

"The wait will be worth it!" he put his hoof on her shoulder, gently patted."I promise!he said reassuringly"You'll find him on the hill, the last day of court, reading his book, crying about his face."He smiled, benevolently. "Though the little imp may separate, and the many hooves frighten, its only for a night they divide. Those stallions!Old friends, commiserating, honoring their elder!Tales feats of strength and jousting...he wins it all!" he began to walk away "You will laugh with the ladies not believing you would ever arrive,remembering, knowing...he is quite thick, Megan watches the morning. And.... you will be justified!"He gave a wide smile, many teeth." Just watch that temper later."He left swishing his tail."What a puzzle to solve! I'll be at the lake later. I want to know this giant."Looking back, he said."There is only one way, you are correct. You will see His face.The Way,its all part of being real, yes." 

Marigold was frozen with shock as he walked away, she never saw him on the trip again.

The rest of the trip was more pleasant. More space, with the removal of so many passengers.  Still she was the  youngest female aboard. 

The pilot called out, Pegisi began to board.

"What's going on?"Marigold asked.

"We're following a tradition."said a crew."Last night aboard you get to be be entertaine in our haus. So come to eat, prepared for fun!" 

That night everypony put on their best, a band played while the ponies ate.

"Usually there would be dancing but since there are only bachelorettes aboard, we'll follow one of the ship's older traditions and my crew will regale you with tales!"

Such wonderful tales, tales of bravery, heroics, funny tales sad tales. One pony even did a stand up routine. 
Marigold never laughed so hard.

Before the knew it it was late, the ships bell rang declaring the hours,the passengers dispersed drifted away for bed.

AFTER dinner she met her roomy Para Tefe, tucking in, they talk late into the night about the kind of husbands they would like as they drifted off to sleep.