• Published 18th Jul 2017
  • 575 Views, 22 Comments

The Stormrider - Gapeagle



The Labyrinth Isles, a paradise with unrivaled grandeur, is the home to countless distinct pony or ponyless cultures. It is also home to the adventurous filly, Twilight Sparkle the Gifted Traveler. This is her tale.

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Chapter 1: Fear Not The Call

The cool and refreshing ocean breeze ruffled the young unicorn's vibrant mane. The filly did not mind the breeze, as she hummed a tune that she learned from the island's traveling bard earlier that morning. The ocean sang a song that matched her peaceful tune from the smooth rocks below the cliff she rested upon. Each gentle wave that broke on the rocks called for her attention, time and time again. Its soothing rhythm went unheard by the unicorn however. Not only did the wind and waves whisper and shout her name, but the island's sea birds did as well as they flew down from the steep mountains to the west. Even the late morning sun shown brightly on her to get some reaction, but the filly paid no heed to the beautiful world around her.

Instead, the young unicorn innocently cocked her head from side to side as the familiar song played in her occupied mind. Her eyes did not wander about the soft green grass that hosted the cheerful bugs that jumped from leaf to leaf, nor did they inspect the white and blue waters that stretched for miles beyond the comprehensible. No, her eyes darted from inked letter to inked letter, from every word to every sentence. Her eyes studied the pages of an aged book with a brown leather cover. It's yellowish pages displayed decay and use. The words of her language were written elegantly across the parchments, telling an ancient story of adventure and bravery.

As the filly read the exciting story before her, a mare watched her from the shade of an island hut. The mare, the filly's mother, smiled calmly as her daughter was engulfed by the book. The memories of when she would read the little filly stories of the island ponies replayed themselves in her mind. Their home island had their share of heroes and adventurers, but these peaceful times lessened the need for such ponies to rise up and now their tales were just tales.

The mother glanced at the sun's position in the clear sky. It was almost noon and thus almost time for midday meal. She ran a tired hoof through her white and purple striped mane. It seemed like dawn just happened. So, as she stood up to return to inside the hut, her smooth voice called to the enthralled filly.

"Twilight, dear, it's time to come inside," the mother announced.

"But Mama! I'm at the good part!" Twilight called back with a whine.

"Then I guess you'll miss your midday meal," the mother teased and disappeared inside their humble abode.

Twilight's muzzle scrunched up in annoyance at her stubborn mother. So what if I skipped midday? I'm not hungry anyway. Her attention returned to the epic that rested on the back of her front legs. A gust of wind screamed by her, but yet again, nature did not disturb her from her diligent reading.

"Twilight, you better come in or Shining is going to eat all the bread and fruits!" Mother said with a snarky grin.

This finally reached the filly's attention, making her gasp audibly. Her brother was going to eat all the food? It wouldn't be the first time that the aspiring sailor had eaten everything on the table without her. I may not be hungry, but I will be in an hour! With her unicorn magic, she shut the old epic and carried it with her to the hut.

The sea breeze pushed her along when she trotted to her mother, who smiled back at her. The shade of the hut went over her as she entered it without a glance to her mother. Inside was a spacious room with a table that stuck out from the wall. An accompanying bench circled around it. The wooden floor creaked lightly under the filly's step. Since her family lived on the high cliffs of the island, they did not need to build it on stilts like her trader neighbors who lived by the long shore. Her father, although a trader and sailor himself, had enough money to live with the rich merchants who also built their homes upon the grassy plateaus.

The hut also had a ceiling fan in the middle of the dining room. The fan ran on a continuous pulley system that Twilight had developed herself. It was a cool addition to their home, especially during the miserable summer days where rain was absent and heat was plenty. The wooden walls were lined with colored pots, vases, and other clay decorations. Mementos and other items from the travels of Twilight's father were scattered around the hut, showcasing all of the unique cultures he met on the neighboring islands. One item was a small snake idle from the Northern Tribes and another was a carved sun from the distant islands of Sun's Trinity of which was the home of the Sun Goddess's worshipers, the Sun Priestesses. The Labyrinth Isles that Twilight called home were a vast network of large and small islands, each unique in its pony, or ponyless, culture. Every time the filly observed these various totems, her wandering mind would always yearn for the opportunity to visit the other islands that surrounded her.

"Mama! Shining isn't here," Twilight grumbled when she realized her mother tricked her.

"He's certainly on his way though. Papa and him were by the docks to talk with Old Fareye. The crazy sailor thought he saw a sea serpent by the windmill. He's just seeing things I say," The mother explained as she followed her daughter inside.

"Old Fareye is not mad," Twilight stated. "He's a kind sailor."

"Yes, but he's not all there. Old ponies lose their senses."

"Not him. I think he's too smart to lose his senses," Twilight said while she placed the book on the eating table.

"If you say so."

The mother clearly did not want to continue the debate on the sailor's age and wit. So instead, she brought the fruits from the kitchen over to the table with her unicorn magic. Bananas, coconuts, palms, and other treats were placed on the table neatly and orderly. Twilight watched with mild interest before opening her book once more.

"Mama," Twilight began, "do you think sea monsters exist?"

"They used to," she answered, "but the Sun Goddess took care of them long ago. Old sailors say there are still the small ones that swim around the seas, but I doubt that. Anypony can call a big fish a 'sea monster' and tell wild tales about them. So no, I don't think they exist anymore."

"And the Shadow King?"

The mother paused. "Shadow King? Where do you know that name from?"

"From Old Fareye! He's the one that gave me this book," Twilight told her and pointed an excited hoof at the old pages on the table.

"I think you shouldn't pay attention to that old coot. I know the tale of the Shadow King. A wicked stallion named Sombra. Legend says he could turn into a sentient shadow, right? A bunch of nonsense. It's an old Hollow's Eve tale to scare children. I think you're a little too big to be scared."

"I'm not scared," Twilight boasted. "I'll get father's sword and defeat him!"

"I'm sure..." Mother said with the roll of the eyes.

"I'll defeat him just like Captain Hurricane did with his sword, the Typhoon! I'll come sweeping in and heroically-"

"Alright, dear. You can fantasize on battles with shadows later, it is really time to eat," her mother told her kindly.

Twilight slowly closed her mouth and listened to her mother. The wind chimes let loose a soft melody as the wind rode through the windows of the hut. Despite the island's peaceful life style, there was no silence. Whether it was the ocean waves, the singing winds, or the creaks of the palm trees, something was always reminding the ponies how alive their island home was. At this moment for Twilight, it was her mother's humming tune. A tune that followed the melody of a song that Twilight's father would play on his flute.

The filly wanted to join in, but instead levitated a banana over to her. With determination, she peeled it and started to eat it, enjoying its sweet and delicate taste. It was such delicious fruit. As she ate, she watched her mother walk about the kitchen, magically putting objects where they needed to be. Like usual, the filly had another question in mind.

"Mama, when do I get to go with Papa and Shining on the boats? You know, go off trading and maybe even fish!"

"Fish? We don't fish, Twilight," Mama rolled her eyes. "We're ponies."

"But Old Fareye says that ponies can fish too! He's eaten fish and he says it's del-"

"Enough of Old Fareye," her mother stopped her. "He's an old pony and back when he was young, they lived a bit differently.

"Then when will I go with Papa?"

Her mother turned around. "Twilight, I don't think trading is your well...trade. You are a studious filly and you do well in school, much better than I or your father did. Don't you want to use your intellect? You know, become a scholar or a Sun Priestess?"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't want to be a Sun Priestess. I hear they only go about on the Trinity Islands and have to wear these crazy sacred robes and chant to the sun every other hour! That sounds boring!"

"Yes, but the Sun Goddess would love to have you as a disciple. There's nothing wrong with the Sun Priestesses. They are scholars. They like to experiment and search for new magics and sciences. My sister is a Sun Priestess, remember?"

"Hmm, I think that proves her point, Velvet."

They both turned to see two stallions in the hut's doorway. One was white with blue hair and the other was blue in both mane and coat. Scars and bruises on their thick legs displayed tales from their short adventures beyond their home of the Twin Islands, which was composed of two close islands, one being of a long shape while the other was almost a complete circle. The northern one (the one that was their home) was Day Island and the other southern one was Night Island.

"Big Brother!" Twilight beamed and ran over to hug the white stallion's chest.

"Hey Twily!" he happily said back. "How's the morning gone?"

"All she did was read that silly book," Mama said before the filly could respond.

"It's not silly!" Twilight huffed.

"Haha! Least my little girl loves her literature," Papa proudly remarked. "Reading isn't something everypony gets to learn."

"So what did Old Fareye say?" Mama asked while she leaned on the table.

Papa cleared his throat and walked over, removing his large hat in the process. "Ah, ya know, the usual. Goes about like he's found something grand and it just turns out to be a large rock snake. Took a little to catch the vermin, but Shining and I were able to take it away from the windmill's beach."

"Well that's good," Mama nodded.

Shining Armor chuckled to himself and leaned close to Twilight's little ear. "What Papa doesn't mention is that he fell off the boat when he saw the snake. Scared the horseapples right outta him."

Her big brother's words made her giggle. She loved her brother dearly even though her time with him was not constant or even consistent as he was often away with Papa on their trading routes. She was quite jealous of him, as he had already seen lands and cultures that one could only dream about, all before he had even reached stallionhood. It was a common lifestyle in the Labyrinth Isles, but a precious one that Twilight desperately wanted to be a part of. She was tired of simply hearing about the glorious islands that were just over the horizons, she wanted to see them for herself.

"C'mon on, Twily," Shining rubbed his heavy hoof through her mane once more, "wanna go see what Papa and I brought home?"

Shining did not wait for his sister to respond. Instead, he walked out with a quick high step. Twilight was trying to answer him audibly, but with his sudden movements, she just darted after him to have any hope of catching up. One stride from his strong legs equaled three of her little steps. As she caught up with him, for he was purposely not going his normal walking speed, they went down the Beach Trail, a commonly traveled path that connected all of the huts of the island.

There was Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Moon Dancer, having a card game together on Minuette's family's overhanging porch. From there, they could all see Twilight and her brother head down the trail. Twilight waved a hoof at them excitedly. She knew these fillies well as they had grown up together. The four ponies were the closest to what she would call "friends." They enjoyed her company and she enjoyed theirs.

"Heya, Twilight!" Minuette, a young blue unicorn called to her. "What are you and Shining up to?"

"He's going to show me what he and Papa brought home!" Twilight answered.

"Mr. Light always brings something cool from the other islands," Lemon Hearts squeaked. "We should follow."

The four filly unicorns stopped their card game and galloped down the porch steps to the trail. Twilight was already racing Shining again, so they had to catch up. Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine caught up easily, but the youngest, Moon Dancer, struggled to keep up and fell behind. This was usual for them.

"Wow, what could it be?" Twinkleshine gasped when the trio finally reached the brother and sister. "I hope it's gold. I like gold."

"Nah, it's not gold!" Minuette shook her head. "It's gotta be more unique, like a griffon idol from Wind's Peak!"

"We didn't go to Wind's Peak, so no," Shining chuckled at the filly.

"How 'bout the head of a Sea Lurker?" Lemon Hearts jumped up at the idea of seeing the head of such a monstrous creature.

"How 'bout no?" Shining laughed.

The group reached the docks after taking a turn off the main trail and walked down the wooden planks towards one particular ship. Sea birds squawked at their arrival, flying up only feet before coming back down at their passing. Other trader ponies were there too, making their usual rounds about the docks and the nearby sale square where merchants and buyers awaited their goods from the other islands. The docks were always the busiest place on the island.

"Here we are," Shining said as they arrived at the ship.

Well, one could call it a "ship" but it was actually a large and heavy fishing boat turned into a small tradeship. With only one sail, it was easy to operate with a two-pony team. Wide and sturdy, she was a sound boat on the waters of the Labyrinth Isles, which were usually peaceful throughout most of the year. The boat was shaped after the war boats of centuries past, being long and made of thick wood. Upon her bow was a gaping head of a draconequus, a mixed-creature that the island ponies made many legends about. To them, draconequui represented both order and chaos, a perfect symbol for the oceans they were surrounded by. On the side that face the dock were carved letters that read "The Stormrider."

Twilight was confused upon arriving at The Stormrider, as the small ship did not possess many items on it. Her brother stepped right on her deck and with his magic, began unfolding some white cloth in a corner. He had a bright grin as he did so, his excitement growing. The other fillies gathered at the edge of the dock and the boat, waiting eagerly for him to reveal the big prize.

"Get ready guys!" Shining turned around and revealed the rather large item. "Cool, huh?"

A disappointed sigh came from all the fillies, including Twilight. Since Twilight's father had often bedazzled them with the unique wares he brought to their quiet island, this item gave them nothing to gasp about. Moon Dancer had finally caught up to them at this point, and with her large spectacles, peered carefully at the object with more confusion than disappointment.

"It's a rock," Moon Dancer said.

"Not just any kind of rock," Shining tried to defend himself from their reaction. "It's a rock from Rock Island!"

"Wow, what a surprise," Twinkleshine remarked with evident sarcasm. "Who would've thunk?"

Shining Armor frowned. "It's a cool rock! Papa and I paid good money for this. This is a black crystal, a pony-made type of rock that can be used for many things. The ponies of Rock Island are very skilled in making such materials! You guys just don't know how valuable this is!"

"Old Fareye says the ponies of Rock Island are weird," Moon Dancer said as she adjusted her glasses with her magic.

"Old Fareye says they eat rocks!" Lemon Hearts nodded quickly. "That's so strange!"

"Old Fareye says they are born from rocks," Twilight added with a curious smile. "I kinda find it fascinating."

"By the Sun, enough about Old Fareye!" Shining rolled his eyes. "Well, since you fillies were so happy to see it, I'll just go to the storehouse and put it there." He stuck his tongue out at them in annoyance and carried the large black crystal with his magic. His heavy hoofsteps took him towards the shop square where the family storehouse was kept.

"What a waste of time!" Minuette complained. "C'mon girls, let's get back to our game."

The trio ran off in pursuit of childish fun. Moon Dancer stumbled and once again, fell behind the escaping group. The young beige filly then looked back at Twilight, who was just sitting on the wooden pier. Behind her massive glasses, one could see her brow lift in confusion. It was always like Moon Dancer to care about Twilight the most.

"Hey, Twilight," Moon Dancer asked her, "aren't you coming?"

Twilight blushed. "No thank you, I have a great book to finish back at home. Maybe tomorrow?"

"It's no use, Dancer!" Minuette called from a hill. "Twilight never leaves her books unread! Come on!"

Upon hearing her friend, Moon Dancer quickly waved at Twilight. "Well, alright, bye then!" she told the purple filly before chasing after the trio. Twilight watched her go before turning her eyes towards the sea. She was facing the west, seeing distant islands and peaks on the edge of the horizon. With the sun overhead, she had to squint to see so far. The ocean was vast, remarkably vast. She gulped at even trying to comprehend how much lies beyond that horizon.

"Fear not the call of adventure, young one."

She jumped in the air at the deep voice that boomed next to her. In her panic, she looked all around, but not a pony was near her. The closest ponies were the dock ponies lifting crates onto a larger tradeship. Nopony was close enough to make such a clear and albeit calming voice.

"Who said that?" Twilight croaked. "Anypony?"

There was no answer save for the winds above and the seagulls that yelled at her from their nests on the sides of the rocky shores. Twilight knew the voice was real and not of her imagination. It scared her. With her heart racing, she dug her hooves into the wooden planks and ran. Whatever was watching her would not get her as she ran and ran, all the way back up the trail and to her mountaintop home.

~~~