The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Morale Shortages And Antidotes

Harshwater knocked harshly on Amber's door.

After a second, it opened. "Hello?" Amber peered out, smiling when she saw who it was. Her mane was unbrushed and messier than usual, though her cheeks were free from telltale tearstains. Behind her, Valey's shell was visible sitting on a restored bed, completely passive and unrestrained. Her signature beret was perched lovingly on Amber's head.

"So, I've got news." Harshwater looked suspiciously at the body, not batting an eye at the beret. "Slipstream and Felicity are back, and messed themselves up. I need to convince Howe to follow me to the place where they were, because apparently they left Starlight and also found something we need to bring back. Slipstream can take care of herself, but Felicity is demanding a bath and you get to help her."

Amber blinked. "What?"

"Felicity is filthy and wants a bath, and you're going to do whatever she needs to help her," Harshwater repeated.

Amber glanced over her shoulder at Valey's body. "Is it important? Someone needs to take care of her..."

Harshwater rubbed her face with a wing. "It can take care of itself. Nyala's did. And you staying in here all the time is why we both agreed you should get outside and help her with whatever she needs. I know losing a friend can be traumatic, but it will be a lot easier to get on with your life if you don't shut yourself away."

Amber bit her lip. "I'd really rather not leave her..."

"Alright." Harshwater turned to leave. "Then Felicity will be bunking with you, you'll be in charge of cleaning anything she gets filthy, and you will field every complaint she makes about being dirty herself. She said to tell you there will be a lot."

"But..." Amber winced, her eyes starting to show hurt. "I don't want to bring Valey outside in case she flies off, but she needs me..."

"Valey is dead," Harshwater replied simply, emotion withheld from her voice with practiced grace. "Felicity is alive, and so are you. Are you more concerned with the dead, or the living?"

"She's not dead," Amber protested, striking a frown. "She walks around and sleeps, and her ears move when I talk! I am not leaving her behind."

Harshwater shook her head. "Nyala's body did that too. Ask her yourself if you don't believe me."

"And Nyala wasn't dead either," Amber said, resting her case.

Harshwater just sighed. "Nyala was brought back by a god. After years of hopes, wishes, and failed experiments that also created the mare who killed Valey in the first place. We're a little short on gods, in case you haven't noticed, and unless you have any ideas for getting her brand back from that monster when we're stranded and barely escaped the first encounter with our lives, we don't even have the real Valey. That's just a shell."

Amber winced harder. "This is not just a shell! Valey is my friend!"

"She was my friend, too." Harshwater kept her voice painfully even. "Larger than life. Saved mine twice, speaking of lives. The reason I joined on with this ship. I was terrified of her, and in awe of her at the same time. If there's an upside to losing her, it's that I'll never have to explain to her or try to quantify how I feel, because I'm not sure I can. So stop thinking you're the only one who cares. But you need to take care of yourself, and your other friends who are still here."

Amber looked regretfully at Valey's body. "I have to let her walk around, so she won't atrophy like Nyala. Valey was proud of her strength. I know she wouldn't want us to let her body go to seed..."

"She won't atrophy over two hours," Harshwater reassured, nodding stoically. "I'm not going to ask more nicely. You need to take care of yourself, and our scouts deserve the treatment."

With a sad sigh, Amber stepped through the doorway, looking back at the shell. "Be safe, Valey. I'll be home soon."

She shut the door and followed Harshwater off toward the stairs.

Two doors down the hall, a camouflaged bit of wood broke off from the wall, Jamjars making herself visible, Glimmer waiting behind her. The yellow filly frowned. "They don't know, do they? What Starlight did?"

"You only know because I told you," Glimmer pointed out. "And I only know because she wouldn't have done anything else."

Jamjars folded her ears. "Everyone on this ship is going to go mad."

"It's a frightening prospect," Glimmer replied. "Half of the ponies on this ship are bad at accepting loss and dealing with grief. It's a big part of what binds this crew together, and Valey herself was another. Magnetic, powerful, with a dream anyone can relate to if they've ever felt like they didn't belong... The first one to take charge, and so driven it hurt her whenever she couldn't see where she wanted to be going. It won't be the same without her, and everyone knows it, even the ones who didn't have a strong emotional attachment to her. But we can't afford to spend too much time mourning. We're still stranded with many injuries in territory that's neutral at best. Even if we've escaped danger, there's likely more coming. We can make it through this, but only if everyone who is able helps."

"Like yours truly." Jamjars sassily winked. "This filly isn't about to sit back and do nothing."

"So you're still on board with my plan?" Glimmer turned toward the end of the hall, where a door led into the trashed cargo bay.

Jamjars picked herself up and started strutting toward it. "The one where we get this place its mojo back? Only if it can be our little secret until it's done."

"Of course." Glimmer followed along, reaching the door quickly. "I don't want to get anyone's hopes up dependent on your ability. What to promise is your decision and yours alone."

The cargo bay was windowless and completely dark, though it didn't make a difference to Glimmer and Jamjars had the light from her horn. Crates and bins of supplies were spilled everywhere from their emergency vertical ascent, and only a small cleared area with an improvised desk sat in the center, surrounded by tangled and often-broken parts. Jamjars paced down to the desk, seating herself and smiling in anticipation. "Dependent on my ability, huh?"

"I won't be able to help beyond guidance, teaching and instruction. I won't even be able to see what you're doing," Glimmer replied. "I know a lot, but all of the fine mechanics and horn work will be you and you alone."

Jamjars closed her eyes and sat straight, taking a deep, contemplative breath... and opened them with a smirk. "My grandfather was a Sosan engineer, and for all her failings, my mother was a good tinkerer, too. It's in my blood. I've got this. I will master whatever ancient technology you have for me to learn."

Glimmer nodded in approval. "Right. The first thing we need is access to the information stored in this ship's administrative terminal. The blueprints for Shinespark's old designs, in particular. So for our first task, we need a way of restoring power to the ship..."

Comments

[Phoenix Kitten]

...well.. they can certainly try.
This will be interesting to see play out.

Also I imagine Maple will be furious that they left Starlight alone in unknown territory while they flew back to base.

[Phoenix Kitten]

9819493
i.imgur.com/aUcwRxA.png

[Boopers]

Oh gosh, we all know how well that worked last time Howe was carrying someone.

[alamais]

9819679
I mean, Glimmy's still greyed, so not much can actually threaten her.

[Venlinelle]

Harshwater just sighed. "Nyala was brought back by a god . After years of hopes, wishes, and failed experiments that also created the mare who killed Valey in the first place. We're a little short on gods, in case you haven't noticed, and unless you have any ideas for getting her brand back from that monster when we're stranded and barely escaped the first encounter with our lives, we don't even have the real Valey. That's just a shell."

If only this country was ruled by a relatively accessible god…