Of The Last Millennium

by BlndDog

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Scootaloo raised the steaming mug to her lips and sighed happily. There was enough cinnamon and sugar in the hot cider to cover up most of its metallic taste, and the warmth of the mug on her padded hooves brought up memories of Hearth’s Warming Eve at the Orphanage.

The rubberized work suits that Gari brought were lined with soft fleece. Even at the end of a long day Scootaloo didn’t want to take hers off. The outside was marked with pale salt creeps, but she was dry and reasonably warm.

Morning Rain pulled back his padded hood and shook his head vigorously. His ears flopped around, and his mane was plastered to his scalp. He shuddered at the feeling of cool air around his neck.

“I sort of wish these things had ear holes,” he said, and took a large gulp of his drink. “And leave it to Gari to make rotten apple water drinkable.”

“You said it,” Fog Pilot cried, flopping down the kitchen ladder with a loud bang that startled the two kids. “Mom, did you save some for me?”

“I think you’ve had enough, Fog,” Gari said, looking over the table with a teasing smile. “You sure you don’t want to sleep it off before dinner?”

“You know I’m no good with ladders,” Fog Pilot said. “I’m getting too old for this, I say! I should have been a rape farmer like my grandfather. Just a simple life in Rapetown. It would have been nice.”

Scootaloo lowered her mug coughing.

“There’s no ‘Rapetown’, Fog,” Gari said with a roll of her eyes. “Your grandfather was from Rafkita.”

“The number one producer of rape!” Fog Pilot countered. “Where do you think your rape oil comes from?”

“Rapeseed oil,” Gari said. “And that was never the official motto.”

Scootaloo and Morning Rain were rolling on their backs and clutching their sides. Muffled laughter could be heard from the deck above.

“Anyways, I’m getting old. If you love me, mom, pour me some cider before this beard here grows over my mouth.”

“H… hey, Fog Pilot,” Rain stammered, breathing in shallow gasps. “How old are you anyways?”

“I’m twenty-five,” he replied. “A ripe old age for a ra…”

“No,” Gari said flatly, sliding a full mug across the table.

Perhaps it was the cider, or maybe it was just her high spirits. The thought formed on her tongue.

“You’re older than my dad,” Scootaloo said.

The laughing died downed. On deck Rainbow Dash coughed.

“Don’t do the math,” Gari said as Fog Pilot turned to Scootaloo with one arched eyebrow. “It’s bucking terrifying.”

Dinner was as tasty as ever, but Scootaloo didn’t feel quite as comfortable as before.

A lot had happened in their four days at sea. On the second night Scootaloo and Morning Rain took their first night watch over a school of glowing jellyfish. Huck taught them how to climb the mast, and they even had a chance to put up the topsails. From the tip of the tall mid mast the deck looked like a little wooden plaque. Though they were pegasi, Scootaloo and her brother were all too happy to leave the loudly beating sails.

Compass Rose and Gordon had a hoofball wager. For the first two morning they took their breakfast in the radio room, scanning the channels until an announcer read the sports section from the Equestria Daily. Compass Rose was very pleased for all of the third day.

Every night when she undressed Scootaloo checked her flank. There was no shortage of things to do, and she was quite good at a few of them: reading the compass; using a sextant; untangling ropes; she even trimmed a sail all by herself, though only for twenty minutes and without permission. It was always a tense moment; her excitement at the prospect of seeing a ship or its wheel on her flank was tempered by the dread of finding a mop bucket or a gut knife instead.

After the first night attendance at Gari’s stories was reduced to Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and Morning Rain. They always had dates or nuts, and Scootaloo learned to tolerate a few drinks that she would not mention to her father.

After their dinner of fried fish and vegetable soup (Rainbow Dash alone refused to touch the fish) Gari poured out the coffee and waited on the bench for the others to leave. She did not speak until the door to the deck was closed and latched. Then she shook her wings and stood up again.

“I left off last night at year five hundred and seven,” Gari said. “Up to that point we had peace; with the exception of the incident with my daughter Skyla, there were no open conflicts between griffins and ponies. That all changed in the spring of the five hundred and tenth year, when the bodies started to wash up on our shores.

“We couldn’t tell what they were at first. Keep in mind, by this time we were all very familiar with the normal anatomy of ponies and griffins. We scanned them with magic and did all the usual autopsies, and then we sent ships almost to Equestria, but the horror of it was just too great to accept.

“These were young children. You see, back in Equestria there was still no regulation on magic. Anypony could cast any spell for any purpose. One of the innovations from that dark age is the workhorse spell.

“The spell tears apart the victim’s body and enlarges it with whatever material is around, killing the pony and leaving her body as a shell that could be made to do all kinds of hard labor without rest. Unicorns captured children off the street and created these workhorses in the thousands, and they were used for everything from mining to rowing ships. The ones we found were the spent shells of rowers, dumped overboard by Equestrian sailors.

“We were outraged by this. Luna’s teachings became a command that burned in our hearts. We were supposed to be the ones who fixed Equestria! We were supposed to protect the weak and the orphaned! For the last five hundred years we had done nothing but build up our own cities and make our families prosperous. No more! Once we knew what was happening in Equestria, we could not turn away.

“Our children, the sylvanocians and the griffins were behind us. In two month seventy ships and two thousand soldiers were ready to sail. In reserve were ten thousand griffins and fifteen thousand ponies. The sylvanocians were eager to reclaim their homeland, and it took all of my brothers and sisters to convince them not to fight. Their numbers were few compared to ponies and griffins, and we feared that if they went with us in such great numbers there would be none left by the time we took Equestria. Only one thousand went with us, and they ended up doing the most good out of all of us.

“We descended on an utterly unprepared Equestria. After nearly five hundred years of peace, the EUP had become little more than a band of performers. We defeated the Wonderbolts in Baltimare on the first night, and in ten days we had crossed Equestria to Las Pegasus.”

Rainbow Dash scrunched her nose at the mention of the Wonderbolts’ one and only defeat, but Gari gave her no chance to interrupt.

“This is also when we first found out about Wintergreen. They were effectively independent from Equestria, and their bargeponies proved very useful in ferrying our troops north and west from Horseshoe Bay, and others in a different direction. They were good ponies, and I still hold onto the hope that they may one day see past their old grudge.

“Working with the sylvanocians, we found many of the ponies who were making workhorses. There were dozens, and we saved thousands of children. These we sent back to the Garden of Shadow, along with any refugees who would go. Our numbers tripled by the time we reached Canterlot, and already griffins were building their own cities. Talon was established at that time as a supply town.

“As we got closer to Canterlot we heard news of Princess Celestia and her formidable magic. We became increasingly worried that she may find out about us alicorns too soon. We returned to the Garden of Shadow for a short time to have new armor made that, coupled with an illusion spell, could make us look like griffins. You will see our original armor when we reach the Garden of Shadow.

“The sylvanocians had already retrieved timberwolves from the Everfree Forest when the EUP finally regrouped. We had taken more than half of Equestria, but we could not take the capital. There were archers on every rooftop, and an invisible barrier burned all who approached. We surrounded the city, and leaving more than enough troops there a few of my brothers and sisters retreated with me to check on our new territory.

“I thought I would be happy to see the vast empire we had conquered. The truth shocked us all. The ground was full of bodies. They were tearing down houses and felling ancient trees to burn the ones they could not bury. Many had been maimed. Parents mourned their dead children and children cried as their parents were piled on the funeral pyres. We had won the war, but there was nopony who would celebrate with us.

“The worst part was seeing the hatred in their eyes. Nothing I said could offer them any comfort; indeed, I could say nothing at all.

“I remember most clearly approaching a young filly in Saddle Hill. How she screamed when she saw me. I took off my mask, but still she continued to limp down the street. I told her again and again that I would not hurt her. Why should she believe me? I didn’t believe it myself.

“When I returned to the front line two weeks later, my mind was made up. The Children of the Night were supposed to end the suffering of ponies, not to create it. Princess Luna was the one who refused to have us sacrificed for the greater good of Equestria, so who were we to write off countless thousands of lives as necessary losses? In that moment we were no better than Celestia.

“The order to retreat was not well-received, but it was respected. Some of the griffins refused to leave, and these we left behind. In the latter days of the war I went into Canterlot and left a list of demands for Celestia. I was not hopeful, but it does seem that she at least read my letter. Workhouses disappeared, and the griffin settlements in Equestria have never been attacked. Celestia herself became more involved in the lives of her subjects after that, and a part of me wants to belive that it was at least partly because of what we did.

“The war had lasting effects in the colony. The Children of the Night remained politically irrelevant for two centuries afterwards, and I myself was sentenced to death five times. Getting burned at the stake didn’t kill me, but it was not comfortable. They were very persistent the first time; burned me for two days and nights. The second time they sawed off my horn and cut off my wings first, as if that would do anything.”

Here she laughed, while her audience looked on with eyes wide and faces pale.

“Anyways,” she said, as if she had forgotten about the others. “Those are the highlights of the Great War from my perspectives. If you tried to collect all the literature about that period I’m sure you could fill a whole wing of the Royal Library in Canterlot, but at least you are not completely clueless now. Class dismissed, unless Captain Gilbert wants any of you on first watch.”

A look from Gari stopped Scootaloo doorway. Morning Rain saw it too, and exchanging a glance with his sister closed the door behind him.

“How are you feeling?” Gari asked.

“I feel fine,” Scootaloo said. She hesitated before going on. “Gari, if Princess Luna was right, Nightmare Moon came to me as soon as I left Ponyville. But I don’t feel any different. I mean, I have bad dreams sometimes, but that’s it.”

“I am not too worried, to tell you the truth,” Gari said. “You are young, with plenty of great friends close by. Nightmare Moon feeds on loneliness and doubt, and those things aren’t found in a filly who can run across Equestria for the sake of her brother. But if you have anything on your mind, you can speak with me.”

“I know,” Scootaloo said. “But you already know everything. I would be happier if my dad was here and I had my cutie mark, but I feel great. I’m on a ship with my brother, my sister and you!”

Gari smiled, and all traces of concern left her face. Scootaloo couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’m proud of you, Scootaloo,” she said. “Go on, get some sleep. You must be tired.”

“Yeah, I am,” Scootaloo said with a yawn.

She opened the door to the hold and blinked when she was met with the sound of singing. Shadows danced around the room, and its many winged occupants appearing to her like gigantic birds and bats.

Rainbow Dash was sitting beside Fog Pilot on his hammock. Flickering lanterns illuminated their faces, but Scootaloo only noticed her sister. Her Wonderbolt’s uniform was rolled down to her hips, the forelegs dangling past the bottom of the hammock. Strands of her mane were stuck to her forehead, and its coloured bands seemed to fuse at the edges. Both of her eyes were closed, and on her face the biggest smile Scootaloo had ever seen.

“May the circle be unbroken; by and by oh by and by; there’s a better home awaiting in the sky oh in the sky!

“Road was whitecaps; sky of deep black; there my fortune I have made; cod my silver; whales my gemstones; for my youth it seemed fair trade!”

Morning Rain was stomping to the beat. Seized by a sudden impulse, Scootaloo grabbed his hoof and led him to the centre of the room. He did not resist; perhaps he had been waiting for her. The tune was fast and jolly, and thoughts of ancient wars and Nightmare Moon fled her mind.

Rain knew how to dance, but as always he followed her lead. The others moved back to give them some space.

Scootaloo swayed to the tune and spun in circles with her brother. They were weightless, though neither of them could use their wings. She felt like the world was as it should be, and as long as the others kept singing nothing could go wrong.

When the song ended Scootaloo and Morning Rain fell backwards laughing. Gordon and Huck clapped and whooped.

“Where did you learn to dance like that?” Rainbow Dash asked in amazement.

“At the orphanage, I guess,” Scootaloo said. She undressed so as not to meet her sister’s eyes. “That’s nothing special.”

“Nothing special?” Rainbow Dash repeated. “Scootaloo, that was amazing!”

Fortunately Scootaloo was already flushed from dancing. She did not try to hide her smile. Her heart sank somewhat when she rolled back her suit and saw her flank as blank as the previous night.

I guess it wasn’t that amazing.

The sailors passed around the guitar until they had nothing left but Hearth’s Warming Eve carols. There was not enough room for the adults to dance, so Scootaloo and her brother had the floor to themselves. Finally Captain Gilbert came down the ladder to call Huck for his shift, and the party ended shortly thereafter.

#

Scootaloo was woken by a hoof poking her back. She raised her head and peered over the side of her hammock. Compass Rose was looking at her expectantly with a half-shaded lantern hanging from his mouth, and though it was the wee hours of morning his ears were standing straight up.

“Come to the radio room,” he whispered excitedly. “Don’t bother with the suit. Just come quickly.”

He helped Scootaloo out of bed and made her go in front of him so he could light the way. At all hours of day the deck rolled and heaved; she was used to it by now, and it no longer made her stumble. A half-moon floated in the southern sky, and the stars were brighter than Scootaloo had ever seen. Compass Rose ushered her into the cramped radio room and closed the door behind him. The lantern he returned to its hook, and he lifted Scootaloo onto one of the two ancient stools in front of the monstrous buzzing radio.

“Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Coast Guard,” Compass Rose hailed in a clear, loud voice. With his hoof he depressed the big red button in the middle of the console. “This is Swift. Verify previous message. Over.”

For a second there was only static. Then a male voice, distorted but still recognizable, began to speak.

“Swift, this is Dust at Camp Nowhere. Please notify passenger Scootaloo immediately. Over.”

“D… dad?” Scootaloo whispered through her hooves.

“Speak up!” Compass Rose said with a good-natured laugh, taking his hoof off the transmission button and putting it on Scootaloo’s back. “He can’t hear you if you talk like that! I can’t even here you!”

“Swift?” Dust’s crackling voice said, sounding less confident this time. “Is everything alright?”

He sounded so close. Scootaloo was sure that she would see him if she pulled away the speaker grilles.

“This is Swift,” Compass Rose said, leaning into the microphone. “Scootaloo is in the radio room. She can hear you. Over.”

He turned to Scootaloo with an encouraging smile and gestured for her to come closer.

“Dad,” she said. Pressure was building in her sinus, and her face was becoming numb. “It’s me, Scootaloo.”

“Over,” Compass Rose finished and released the button.

The two second delay could have been days. Scootaloo counted every beat and pop of static.

“Hey sweetie,” Dust said. There was a quick surge of static and another second of silence before his voice returned. “Are you okay? Are you with Gari? Over.”

“I’m okay, dad,” Scootaloo said, and had to repeat herself because Compass Rose did not reach the button in time. “I’m on the Swift with Gari and Rainbow Dash and Morning Rain. I’m fine now. I’m not hurt. I’m a little homesick, I guess. I really miss you.”

“Over,” Compass Rose said again.

“I miss you too,” Dust said. His laugh sounded monstrous and unnatural over the radio. “It’s so good to hear your voice again, Scootaloo. I have been worried about you for the last month and a half. You were gone for that long, Scootaloo! I knew all along that this is not your fault. I don’t blame you for any of this. But the world is a big place, and…”

Scootaloo tried to interrupt him then, but Compass Rose just shrugged. Dust still had the floor.

“…I wish that you hadn’t gone, dear, but I’m proud of what you for what you’ve done. Princess Luna came to me last night and showed me all that you went through. I don’t know if you got your cutie mark, but I’m sure you’re not worried about that anymore…”

Fortunately for her Scootaloo’s face was already as red as it could get.

“Stay with Gari, Scootaloo. I trusted her to care for you when I went with the EUP, and I still trust her. There’s more to her than you would think, but I guess you know that already. Be good for her and listen to her. She knows what she’s doing. I’ll see you when you get home, and then we’ll have a party. Pinkie Pie was already making plans when I left. Over.”

“He sure sounds pretty old,” Compass Rose said under his breath before pressing the button again.

“Where are you, dad?” Scootaloo managed to say. “Are you okay?”

“Over.”

“This is the best I’ve been in years,” Dust said. “That’s the truth. Don’t worry about me, dear. About where I am, it’s complicated. I’m with some old friends right now, and if everything works out you may meet some of them when you come back. We are going to Canterlot first, and then I will take the train back to Ponyville. Over.”

“Last time,” Compass Rose warned. “We might have missed a mayday already.”

“Dad, I can’t wait to see you again,” Scootaloo sniffed. “There’s so much I want to tell you.”

“Okay Dust,” Compass Rose said. “Wrap it up. Over.”

“I’ll see later,” Dust said. “Stay safe, Scootaloo. I love you. Coast Guard out.”

“Swift out, back on sixteen.”

Scootaloo sat in numb silence. Compass Rose turned the main dial until the needle swung to 16.

“…Jackdaw out.”

The radio crackled.

Scootaloo wiped her eyes and leaned close to the speaker. Her ears flicked in agitation.

“Pan pan, pan pan, pan pan,” came the voice again. “This is Jackdaw. Persistent gas leak from improperly sealed containers, require immediate evacuation. Position seventy knots southwest of Jewel’s Rock. No running lights.”

The speaker crackled loudly. Scootaloo leaned back instinctively and nearly fell off her stool.

“Jackdaw, this is Swift.” Compass Rose had his full weight on the transmit button, and was close enough to lick the microphone. “Say again. Over.”

The radio remained silent. Compass Rose cursed under his breath.

“Scootaloo,” he said. “Wake everyone. We need to get going as soon as possible.”

She hopped off the stool and hit the ground running. Compass Rose picked up one of the dull pencils scattered around the room and began scribbling in the radio logs.

“Jackdaw, this is Swift,” Scootaloo heard as she scrambled along the starboard side towards the hatch.

In the message Gregor sounded scared, and now she was scared too.

Author's Note:

The song I used is "will the circle be unbroken". I first heard this one when I was sailing around the San Juan Islands in a high school program. It's not a sea shanty at all, but it works so well with a mixed group that I just had to work it in.

It's also one of Stuart Mclean's favorite tunes, so yeah.

Comments

[BlndDog]

5009905 Usually it's not a bad policy, but in this case you just made it angry.

And you won't like this thing when it's angry.