The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Onward And Away

"We're moving," Maple murmured, laying on her back with her hooves in the air and a blanket nearby.

Starlight could feel the ship's harmonic vibrations, a soft resonance that carried down from the energy comet and reached her all the way through her cabin's plush bed. "Go back to sleep?" she mumbled, shifting to bury her face beneath a foreleg. On her other side, Amber snored loudly in agreement.

"Maybe. But I'm not that tired." Maple didn't move. "You are?"

"Mmmph."

At that, Maple rolled over. "Did you dream?" she whispered.

Starlight had. It was a normal dream, the kind she could barely remember even though she was only half-awake, involving wagons in Ironridge and large fish and slow, gentle rocking. Nothing important. Nothing nightmarish, somehow, and nothing related to the cave or Yanavan. "I'm tired," she muttered, wanting to preserve the peace while it lasted.

Maple answered by rubbing her face against a pillow, and didn't speak.

---

The shadows around Maple and Starlight's door rippled, and Valey straightened out of them, arching her back and yawning. Her hooves wandered, and when she reached the deck, night sky greeted her with a sea of clouds below.

She let herself onto the bridge without knocking. Gerardo noticed anyway, swiveling in his pilot's chair and welcoming her with a nod. "I see you're up and about."

"And I see we've ditched that bay," Valey replied, pacing closer and brushing a wall with her tail. "Did I really sleep that long?"

"Well, you were a little out of it," Gerardo suggested, giving her an amused look. "But no worries. It took some doing and a lot of improvised communication, but I think we reached a happy ending between the castaways and the locals. I gave them the rest of our healing supplies, and feel reasonably optimistic things will turn out well."

"Yeah, but you're always an optimist," Valey pointed out. "So what else did I miss?"

"Not all that much, happily." Gerardo focused again on the controls. "With miss Grenada out of the picture, most of the merchants felt like a truce was an enviable outcome. Of course, they took a little convincing the other side would accept, but once I got our sarosian friends actually talking with them and slowed down enough to understand each other, things fell into place." He leaned back, satisfied. "The sarosians were deeply unhappy, of course, with our infiltration of the cave. They felt they were protecting Yanavan, and still think we're stealing him from them. But even if we're not a welcome party back there any time soon, they recognized the merchants truly wanted to leave, and accepted they needed their help to survive, to boot."

Valey's brow furrowed. "Hold on a sec, what? They were upset we were taking him away? Not that we unsealed him, or whatever, but that we were hauling him off?"

Gerardo didn't meet her eyes. "I know you're about to ask why we didn't stay and try to reach something more agreeable. Valey, after a battle like that I'm astonished there's anyone alive in that valley at all. I made the decision that we should stop meddling while we were ahead."

"So does anyone even know now what was really going on in there, or what?" Valey crossly tapped a hoof. "Do we know for absolute certain we're not seriously going to regret hauling Yanavan off against his wishes for some reason more serious than him trying to kick our rears?"

"If anyone does, it would be Shinespark," Gerardo answered. "She's been keeping watch on him since you recused yourself. And since I haven't heard word from her that we should turn around, I assume nothing's come up."

Valey ran a wing through her bangs. "Yeah, I probably should go relieve her..." She shook her head. "Look, whatever. Being a good guy is hard, and if none of those dudes were going to appreciate it, I'm fine with leaving. Just gonna go see... nyaaah..." She interrupted herself with a yawn. "Gonna go see what's going on in the hold. See ya."

"Remember, take this." Gerardo offered her the black sword. "Useful against him if he tries anything."

"Yeah..." Valey took it, running a wing over its flat, polished metal and taking a moment to stare at her colorless reflection. "Starlight really thinks this used to be yours, huh?"

"Used to be? More like still is mine." Gerardo nodded sagely. "I must admit, I am handy with a sword. Fortunately, you don't need to know a blade's history to use it effectively. Steel is steel, and a sharp edge needs be nothing more than a sharp edge."

Wordlessly, Valey nodded, staring into the blade and walking away with that as her reply.

For any other sword, that would be true, everything Gerardo had said. But hadn't Felicity said this sword had a history? Something emotional that gave it its unusual magic? A sharp edge might have been sharp, but this one cut a lot deeper than skin.

A sadness burned into soulless metal like silhouettes after a blast... Valey looked up from the sword and continued her walk. Maybe she'd show it again to Felicity later. First, she had to talk with her about everything she said she would before the battle, like how she supposedly worked as an assassin. There was probably a lot more she couldn't even remember.

"Knock knock!" Valey stepped down the rear staircase, letting herself into the cargo bay where Shinespark had spent the past week reconstructing Nyala. Now, it was home to Yanavan, his wings bound and carefully tied against a wall. Shinespark sat before him next to Nyala, the latter with Valey's flash club mounted to her back and turned permanently on.

"Valey!" Nyala's voice chirped, a charging cable connecting her main board to the ship's power frame.

"You're here," Shinespark greeted, visible bags under her eyes.

Valey quickly scanned the room, deciding there was nothing much else of interest. Yanavan felt reasonably safe... "Yep," she replied, "I'm here. Bananas, Sparky, you don't look great."

"It's been a tiring few days," Shinespark admitted, keeping her posture proud. "And it's not going to get better, thanks to Grenada... She's tied up in the observation room." She shook her head, teeth gritted. "How did we start taking so many hostages? It's so much work, sorting through this."

"I don't envy you." Valey shrugged. "So how's guarding this guy? Is he chatty? Tried to turn you against us yet?"

Shinespark shook her head. "He keeps asking to see Starlight. I think he's sulking because I keep telling him no." She gave Yanavan a strange look, who was currently looking frustrated and vaguely pedantic against the wall. "It makes me wonder how he became a Monk Lord. It feels like he's less mature than I was in Ironridge, even. Isn't that supposed to be a position of respect and leadership?"

"Beats me." Valey shrugged. "So how locked down is he? You should go take care of yourself and Grenada; I just had a sweet break. But do I have to hold this guy at swordpoint, or is it more of keeping a few eyes in the room just in case he starts an evil ritual or something?"

"Please don't demean me," Yanavan warned from the wall. "You're talking about things you have a foal's understanding of."

"And you're just a bunch of hot air," Valey retorted, not even sparing him a glance.

Nyala rocked a little on her wings. "I can hold him by myself, now that Shinespark gave me a light. But I would appreciate the company."

Valey trotted over, sitting down beside her. "Yeah, I could do that. Bananas, I've got so many ponies I probably need to talk with... See ya, Sparky. Can't wait until we have all these loons off our tails."

Shinespark left with a grateful nod. "Thanks," Nyala said, and then it was just her, Valey and Yanavan. The monk didn't actually feel that dangerous... though maybe it was a product of the light.

"I see I have a new visitor." Yanavan spoke first.

"Congrats. You do." Valey folded her legs. "You gonna try to use me for entertainment? Because if so, I can leave."

Yanavan shrugged, and a staring contest ensued. The monk, Valey quickly realized, had the patience and tolerance for solitude of someone who had spent thirty years in isolation.

"Yeah, I give up. I'm bored." Valey stood up. "So what's the deal with this sword? Why do my friends and I remember differently where it came from after running around in your cave? How'd you do it, and why this thing in particular?"

Yanavan blinked owlishly. "You likely trifled in magic you have no business with. That cave was my home, but I didn't build it. Its protective enchantments were in place long before I was foaled."

"So you don't know. Cool." Valey nodded. "And what's the deal with all the other batponies in that dump? They tried to protect your cave from the Varsidelians, or something?"

"They were like me," Yanavan retorted. "Those who chose to no longer live under the Night Mother's vengeful eye. I provided a grounding for them, and they protected my location from outsiders. It was a simplistic arrangement."

"Like how they almost died to the Varsidelians and you did nothing to help?" Nyala quietly added. "I don't think you made a very good leader, if you're telling the truth..."

Valey raised an eyebrow. Yanavan squirmed.

"Yep. Welp. I'm bored." Valey yawned, leaned back, and glanced around the room, looking for something to make herself comfortable. "Bananas, this is going to be a fun guard shift..."

Comments

[Person of Stone]

It was a normal dream, the kind she could barely remember even though she was only half-awake, involving wagons in Ironridge and large fish and slow, gentle rocking. Nothing important.

Starlight was freaking out. So was everyone else. There were fish everywhere. In her mane, in the mud, some miraculously still in wagon, while others were still landing around her.

Needless to say, things were not looking good. All the effort, the macaroni deal, Grand Gerald's entire life savings - practically wasted.

Starlight was moving before she realized it, picking a fish up with her mouth and three more with her magic. Grand Gerald was still freaking out.

The wagon looked to be in good shape despite the sudden stop, but it wasn't quite as tall as she remembered. She'd worry about that later - right now, she needed to gather fish. She dropped the three fish into the wagon and spat out the fourth.

"GG, stop freaking out and pick up a fish! We have to hurry!" Starlight shouted, levitating four more fish into the wagon as the townsfolk picked fish out of their manes and mouths.

Starlight looked around. It wasn't as bad as she first thought, only half the fish strewn around the wagon. She could probably pick them all up within a minute with Grand Gerald's help, but that minute could make all the difference. In fact, she could hear cheering coming from the street beside her. 'Grand Gerald really is a good wagon driver,' she realized, considering how long it took for the cheering to even start again. She doubled her efforts as Grand Gerald dumped ten fish into the wagon at once.

There were only a few fish left when Starlight saw another wagon turn the corner at breakneck speed. 'Ugh,' The Emperors. Of course they would be in second place.

"Ha, nerds!" Elver laughed as their wagon raced past, full of fish surrounded by a yellow aura.

They needed to leave now. Starlight hopped into the side of the wagon. "GG, let's go!"

"Starlight? The wagon's bogged!" Grand Gerald shouted back.

"What?!" Starlight hopped back out of the wagon and looked - yep, they were bogged alright. She could see both wheels on her side were half a foot buried in mud. That explained why it seemed shorter than usual.

She immediately lit her horn and started pulling the wagon, Grand Gerald pushing at the back. The wagon moved forward a little - her horn made a loud pop - but not quite enough, and her horn extinguished. The wagon moved back and Grand Gerald started freaking out again.

"We're never going to get the fish there in time! My life savings!!" Grand Gerald wailed, his wings covering his face.

'Think, Starlight! There has to be something you can do!' Starlight closed her eyes and took a breath.

Starlight opened her eyes. "GG, stop sobbing and get ready to push when I say!" She lit her horn as Grand Gerald wiped his nose, nodding.

"We have to rock it back and forth! Push!" Starlight moved the wagon forward with her aura, Grand Gerald pushing at the back. "Now pull!" The wagon rolled back, but a little more back than if they simply stopped.

"Push!" Starlight pushed the wagon forward with her aura again, getting more distance than the first time. "Pull!" Once more the wagon rocked backwards, seemingly freed - but not just yet.

"Push!" Starlighted yelled again.

"We're moving," Grand Gerald said from the back, the wagon free at last! Starlight hopped in the front, a grin on her face. Grand Gerald flapped into the seat beside her, grabbing the reins and signaling their flying fish to start flapping.

As the wagon started to pick up speed, the sun reflected off of Bubbles' scales straight into Starlight's eyes, blinding her, and she shut them.

Starlight opened her eyes and saw fur. She could feel the ship's harmonic vibrations, a soft resonance that carried down from the energy comet and reached her all the way through her cabin's plush bed. "Go back to sleep?" she mumbled, shifting to bury her eyes beneath a foreleg. On her other side, Amber snored loudly in agreement.

"Maybe. But I'm not that tired." Maple didn't move. "You are?"

"Mmmph."

At that, Maple rolled over. "Did you dream?" she whispered.

Starlight had. It was a normal dream, the kind she could barely remember even though she was only half-awake, involving wagons in Ironridge and large fish and slow, gentle rocking. Nothing important.

---

Anyway, epic story so far! I've really enjoyed it. (thanks) Can't wait for Valey to win the tournament and wish for Puddles to come back!