The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Last Calm Before

A confident knock sounded on the door to the Immortal Dream's bridge, and it slid open.

"I'm back," Slipstream announced, stepping through and closing it behind her. "Valey's just talking with Maple. It sounds emotional, and I didn't want to eavesdrop..." She folded her ears. "It must've been bad, whatever she went through with that windigo."

Gerardo nodded sagely, sitting at the controls and keeping one talon dedicated to steering. "Indeed. Hardly a situation I'd like to see myself in, and I'll freely admit I may not be the best for talking anyone through it. I hope Miss Maple's words ring true."

"Hmmm..." Nyala sighed, sitting next to the terminal with a small cable running from it to her metal back. "Yeah."

"Feeling down because your sister hasn't yet visited you?" Gerardo raised an eyebrow. "I know nothing about your relationship prior to... whatever happened to you, but I urge you not to take it personally. She's had a great deal of difficulties since reaching the Griffon Empire, and is likely quite overwhelmed."

"Not down, really," Nyala corrected. "I'm just thinking about how I've been spending all this time up here with you two, instead. It's almost funny to think about. Even though I owe Valey my existence, you're the ones I've been making friends with."

Slipstream gave a hopeful smile. "That's a good thing, right? That you're not just glued to her, and can live your own... I mean..." She backpedaled, growing a little flustered. "Not good that you haven't been spending time with her, but good that you're making friends in other places?"

"Yeah. I guess so." Nyala was completely still to save power, her voice simply emanating from inside the suit of armor. "I'm just trying to learn enough about the world to figure out what I want to do with myself. I mean, being a real pony again would be wonderful, but I don't have any idea how to do that, so in the meantime I need something to care about and do. So thanks for spending time with me, both of you."

"The thanks are mutual!" Gerardo assured. "Truly, it's a long task, keeping this boat guided on her way..."

"A task that should belong to Shinespark," Slipstream sighed. "Right? But she's not here..."

"We still don't have a plan for finding her, do we?" Nyala asked.

"Only as good of a plan as we had for finding Miss Valey in the first place," Gerardo replied, taking his talon off the steering and watching as Nyala remotely controlled it instead. "Return to the area where Puddles was last sighted, and hope Shinespark's search led her to be there as well."

"...How about you?" Slipstream glanced aside to where Sirena was sitting in a borrowed chair, leaning against the wall with her eyes half-closed. "Got any thoughts or feelings about any of this? You're being kind of quiet."

Sirena perked one ear. "Oh, I have my own troubles to think about. I'm just a passenger. Don't mind me too much, okay?"

Gerardo winked at her. "Just a passenger who sees fit to hang out with the rest of the crew on the bridge, perhaps. I assure you, we're all friends here, including you. Feel free to speak your mind!"

"I'm worried about my sister. I'm mad at my grandfather. I miss my jobs. All problems that have been a lot longer in the making than I've known any of you." She shrugged. "No offense, of course! I like all of you. It just takes a lot longer than a day or two to make that kind of friends."

"Heh. I know how that feels..." Slipstream rubbed the back of her neck. "I've been on this crew almost as long as everyone else, and still feel like the outsider..."

Gerardo nodded. "And to the contrary, many of our friendships, particularly those involving Miss Valey, were forged over the course of three scant days. Do right by yourself, but we do strive to be a trustworthy lot."

Sirena nodded back, then returned to looking away. "I'll keep that in mind..."

---

"...So. Yeah. That's how the two of you feel."

Valey stood a few paces to the side, watching as Maple sat in the bed and Starlight stood beside it, both staring at each other and waiting for some spark to be thrown. It was like they both wanted to apologize, and both knew apologizing would be the wrong thing to do in the situation, so it was left to the batpony to prod things along. "Any thoughts? Tears? Cuddly inclinations?"

Nothing changed, and she frowned. "Hey, look. Ironflanks, you feel bad about leaving Starlight to feel like she's responsible for so much stuff, like keeping us all safe and happy and all that. Starlight, you feel bad 'cause that's way too much and you really shouldn't be. I get that that's messy, all that. But, uhh... you gotta do something. Even if it's just sentimental something-or-other. Right?"

Now both were looking at her. "I don't know what to do," Maple admitted, and Starlight gave an ashamed nod.

"Easy." Valey took a single step forward. "First, you hug each other. Then you say it'll be alright. Then you believe it, at least for tonight, because I will violently explode any pirates or windigoes or dumb stuff that tries to make it not alright. Then you feel better, just a little bit. Finally, you get through tomorrow, and the day after, and however many days it takes for you to find a licensed therapist or something, because seriously, I'm me and have no experience with any of the things I'm talking about. Sounds doable, right?"

Starlight swallowed, and scuffed at the ground with a hoof. Maple glanced at her, then at Valey with a pleading stare, begging her to do something. What did she think Valey could do? Did she think she was some sort of magical pony that could make everything alright, even if...

Her train of thought trailed off, eyes widening slightly in clarity. She had a favor to return, if nothing else. "All right. We're doing this my way."

A leathery wing swooped down and scooped up Starlight, Valey tucking her to her side with a deftness that belied her tiredness and left the filly no time to even react. Springing lightly, Starlight still held against her, Valey jumped into the bed, landed right next to Maple, and put her other wing over her as well, gently pushing the two of them together. "There," she finished, patting them both and moving to stand up. "Sleep like foals, and all that. You're cool with each other. I'll, like, guard the door or something. Just take all the time you-"

Before she could step away, Maple's foreleg shot out, wrapped around her back, and pulled her back down.

"...Really?" Valey gave a crooked grin as she was settled against Maple's side. Starlight was there too, almost burrowing more toward her then toward Maple. That wasn't due to anything she had said, was it?

"Yes, really," Maple murmured. "Stay. You need it too. I think we all need someone to lean on, right now." Her eyes widened. "Unless you're uncomfortable because of what happened..."

"With Puddles?" Valey cut in, finishing the sentence for her. "I mean, sorta. Not really. Puddles was a jerk, but bananas if I'm gonna let that have any bearing on how I treat my actual friends. Just, like... if you're asking me to spend the night right here, it'll get a little weird if it's a long-term thing. But for tonight, yeah, it's fine. If you really want."

Maple smiled. "If it gets weird, you can leave. But sleeping in a pile is something me, Amber and Willow did all the time in Riverfall, especially when we didn't yet have our own places and were all each other had for family. Just join us. It's very nice for feeling like someone is always there."

"Yeah, yeah. Hmmmmm..." Valey sighed, humming, and let herself relax. Maybe tomorrow would be uneventful, or maybe they would find Shinespark and Puddles and who knew what else. If they did, this could be the last good night's sleep she would get in quite some time, so she settled in, feeling Maple and Starlight's breathing against her, and resolved to make the best of the peace while it lasted.