Pony Fantasy V: Exodus of the Void

by GMBlackjack

V - Adrift

It was the middle of the night when Rainbow Dash came back to the ship, wings barely functioning from overuse. Rarity had long since headed to the below deck beds - but Pinkie and Applejack had waited up for her.

“Didya find any sign of him?” Applejack asked.

“No…” Rainbow Dash said, sighing. Her eyes were red and the tear streaks on her face were impossible to hide. “And there’s nobody who can help us out here. The ship’s already too far out for me to carry you back to shore…”

“You’re in no condition to carry anything. You need rest.” Applejack said. “Your crew loaded us with plenty of supplies - we’ll be fine until we run aground somewhere. There may be no wind, but there are still currents.”

Pinkie some up. “Yeah Dashie, we’ll be fine. And we’ll get to Morphisis and we’ll save the Water Crystal and we’ll find Spike!” She yawned. “Definitely…”

Rainbow Dash nodded, heading below. Applejack and Pinkie followed - no one spoke for the rest of the night. They slept through the night and a large portion of the morning.

~~~

Not many words were exchanged the first day - everyone felt a little burnt out. With the obvious exception of Pinkie Pie, who was only remaining quiet because her friends didn’t seem in the mood. Not much needed to be said.

It wasn’t until the third day that depression was beat out by boredom.

“THAT’S IT!” Pinkie said, throwing a random empty crate overboard. “I AM MORE BORED THAN A BOARD ON A PILE OF BOARDS ON WEDNESDAY.”

Rainbow Dash let out a laugh - the first laugh that had graced the group’s presence for three days. “Well, Pinks, what do you suggest?”

“Him… We need a game…” She reached into her mane and pulled out a chess board. “Anyone know how to play chess?”

Rarity raised her hoof.

“Good! Teach me.” Applejack facehooved at this.

“Oh of course dear but… why do you have a chessboard when you don’t know how to play?”

“Amnesia remember?” Pinkie said, smacking her head.

“Ah’ve got a better question.” Applejack began. “Why do you have a chessboard if you’re an alien?”

“Noooooo idea!” Pinkie said, grinning. “Rarity, front and center, teach me the rules of chess.”

On the fourth day it was undisputed that Pinkie was queen of chess. And go. And poker. And every other board game she pulled out of her mane.

On the fifth day Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash pooled their resources together to beat Pinkie at poker. And still failed despite the unfair advantage.

“How do you do it?” Rainbow asked. “I mean, you have no memory! How do you play these so well?”

“AAAAAAALIEN SUPERPOWERS!”

“You need to stop asking her for explanations.” Applejack muttered. “It only encourages her.”

On the sixth day they all woke up at roughly the same time, said “the ship isn’t moving.”

They all poked their heads up over the side of the boat, looking for the source of the lack of movement. They found it quickly - they were leaned up against another ship. Which was up against another one. And another one. And another. In the distance, they could see land.

Rainbow Dash cursed. “I was afraid of this… all the currents of this sea lead to the same place. And with no wind, dozens of ships will just congregate in a ship graveyard. And ship graveyards are great places to find the undead… And nasty sea creatures love to prowl these areas for ponies just like us.”

Rarity shuddered. “Did you say… the undead? Heavens I’m not sure I’m prepared for something like that…”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Silly Rarity, don’t you know that the undead always get hurt by healing magic?”

Rarity’s eyes sparkled. On one hoof, uncouth and disgusting undead were going to try to eat her brains or something. On the other, she could actually deal out some damage!

The four ponies crawled off Spike’s Saddle and stepped onto the next ship, which looked identical except it was cut in half. Rainbow Dash flew up higher. “I can see the shoreline - it’s not all that far. We just have to make it over… oh… seventeen more ships or so. Not that hard.”

“Oh that’s marvelous!” Rarity said, grinning. “Maybe we can get by before anything notices we’re here!”

Pinkie facehooved. “You just jinxed us.”

“What?” At that moment, a skeletal pony jumped out of a crate and tried to bite Rarity’s leg off. She screamed and shot a healing spell right at its chest - which caused it to explode in a shower of bonemeal. Rarity didn’t know she had destroyed it - she was cowering in a ball with her hooves over her eyes.

Applejack sighed. “Rarity…”

“Is it gone darling?”

“Yes. You destroyed it.”

Rarity stood upright, blinking slowly. “I… did?”

“Yup.”

Rarity felt elated and disgusted at the same time. She did not get to actually vocalize a response, for at that point more skeletons, ghosts, and some giant golem thing arose from the ship, attacking.

“Heeeeere we go!” Pinkie sung, taking out two pistols.

“What in tarnation are those?” Applejack asked.

“Pistols. Probably best if you don’t ask questions.” Pinkie responded before shooting several zombies in the face with them. “I need a shotgun…” She muttered.

Applejack just rolled her eyes as Rarity and Rainbow Dash used their magic to take care of the undead beasts.

~~~

Less than half an hour later all four of them were covered in undead goo, ectoplasm, and strange dust from those golem creatures. They had decided to take a rest inside one of the intact ships, and had turned some oddly dry rope into a fire.

Pinkie frowned. “You know, I have the feeling like some sort of big reveal was supposed to happen right now.”

“Oh?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah…” Pinkie said, rubbing her chin. “Dashie, do you have any major secrets you’d like to tell us?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Uh… when I was first found with Spike by the pirates my coat was white? I dunno what you’re asking for Pinks.”

“Not major enough…” Pinkie said, frowning. “Something else…”

“Maybe she’s actually a stallion.” Applejack suggested, chuckling.

“That doesn’t even make any sense - why would I pretend to be a mare?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

Applejack shrugged. “I have no idea. Plus, it’d be hard to hide it anyway - your snout is too cute for a stallion’s”

This got Applejack a buck to the face. “I deserved that.” She muttered.

“You’re damn right you did, maggot.”

They all had a good laugh.

“Question.” Rainbow said, looking at Rarity. “Why are you still wearing that crown? And follow up question - why is it upside down?”

Rarity glared. “IT’S A FASHION STATEMENT! And I figured that it sometimes helps to have a bit of royal authority - now that I have you all to protect me I shouldn’t have to protect my identity.”

“Translation: she just likes lookin’ nice.” Applejack said. “Or likes thinking she looks nice.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m ahead of the times!”

“Riiiiight.”

Pinkie ran over from a box she was investigating. “Hey guess what? I found a map that’s been drawn on recently!”

Rainbow Dash examined the map. “Huh… well if this X is recent, I’m willing to bet this is where we are.”

“It says ‘you are here.’ Dashie.”

Rainbow Dash glared. “Pinks, thanks for stating the obvious. Anyway, it looks like we are in the kingdom of Morphisis - though on the fringes. It’ll be a long walk before we get to any town… closest appears to be Carwail. Then we head along the main road to the Spire Hive, talk to the Queen, and save the Water Crystal.”

“So simple!” Pinkie giggled.

“Well...” Rainbow Dash said, spreading her wings. “My wings are nice and dry. Let’s get to Carwail.”

“Yeah!”

~~~

“My heavens I’ve never been so delighted to see land in my life!” Rarity leapt off the plank of the ship and onto the beach. “Sweet, sweet land!” She flopped onto her back, letting out a deep sigh. “I never thought I’d enjoy the feel of dirt…”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged glances before shrugging. The four mares all departed from the ship graveyard, taking in the feel of solid ground beneath their hooves once more. Applejack let out a relaxed sigh - at least that was over with. No more hordes of undead creatures.

Then something caught her eye - a shimmering light appearing in front of them. It soon took the shape of an orange earth pony stallion with a large red apple for a cutie mark. He was wearing Applejack’s hat.

“…Dad?” Applejack said, a faraway look in her eyes.

“Come home Applejack!” He said, beckoning. Applejack mindlessly walked towards him.

“Hey wait a minute Applejack!” Rainbow Dash called. “How do we know-“

Then Rainbow Dash and Rarity saw something else - a shimmering light that took the form of Queen Luna. “My daughter…” She said. “Come closer…”

“Mother?” Rarity said, smile widening. “Oh how good it is to see you!”

“Rarity…?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking like she was trying to push something out of her mind. But she ended up following the white unicorn princess with a faraway look in her eyes.

Then a light appeared in front of Pinkie, taking the form of a cutie markless filly. She had a light pink mane and a beautiful butter yellow coat. Her build was slightly taller than other fillies her age, and she shied away from Pinkie’s eyes. She slowly looked up.

“Mom?” She asked.

Pinkie twitched, her mind exploding trying to remember. This felt so… right - but why was it right? Who was she looking at? Her daughter, obviously - but what was her name?

What was her name?

What was her name?

Pinkie grabbed her head. “AAAAA STOP REPEATING THE SAME THOUGHT” She rammed her muzzle into the ground, giving herself a headache. She whined, looking up slightly.

Then she saw it - behind the Queen, the filly, and the stallion, a orange Siren stood, her strange horse-fish body floating slightly above the ground. She looked closely at Pinkie.

“Why do you resist? Come be one with us - your souls will be looked after with love.”

Pinkie stood upright and glared. “Hey! I am not giving you my soul grumpy-fin!”

The Siren glared. “I am the great Adagio! How are you resisting my magic?”

Pinkie giggled. “While I would looove to cite alien powers, I think it’s simply because I have amnesia. Can’t remember who you’re trying to show me, sorry!”

“Wha…?”

Pinkie brought out her rubber hammer. “HEY EVERYBODY! SEE THROUGH HER TRICKS!” Her three companions made no response to her voice - but they all shook out of it after Pinkie bopped them all on the head with the hammer.

“PINKS!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “What was that for?”

“Had to knock you out of the mind spell!” Pinkie giggled.

“Oh. Thanks then.” She glared at Adagio. “I am going to gut you!”

“Good luck with that!” Adagio yelled. “I am the great Adagio- and none will-“

There was soon a sword sticking out of her chest. Applejack was on the other end, her face contorted in rage. Adagio fell to the ground, dead. Applejack breathed heavily, dropping sheathing her sword. Wordlessly, she turned and walked further away from shore.
The other three exchanged worried glances and followed after her.

Applejack said nothing for the next few hours.

Comments

[Ri2]

Pinkie is Fluttershy's mom?!

Awww, poor Adagio.

[Always Breakfast]

Pinkie frowned. “You know, I have the feeling like some sort of big reveal was supposed to happen right now.”

I was wondering what you were gonna do with this.