The Call of the Wretched Sea

by Starlix

An Eye

Author's Note:

Experimental little piece I've been working on along with AoD, tell me what you guys think. Expecting to write more on the following chapters.

The waves twisted and contorted, spiraling around the sides of an arrow shaped wooden craft. Bubbles fizzled around the sides and end of the small craft, colored an unsightly mix of dark green and murky white foam. The swell swirled endlessly against the sides in this motion, pounding and jarring the moderately sized craft.

Below the surface of the icy waters, the steel ballast jutted forward, slicing through the waves in a remarkably intense motion. Among the various pockmarks in the metal, the steel itself was discolored, showing a decent amount of aging. Wood, hard as stone, cared not for the onslaught of water.

An elegant if, if not slightly unremarkable vessel, the small brig pushed through the calm waters with a practiced ease, the masts of the ship catching the wind easily. The deck of the vessel pushed far above the depth of the deck, proving to be an effective barrier against the occasionally large swell.

More interesting than the ship, perhaps was it’s single occupant. Standing slumped over the back of the vessel, her horn shone with a dim glow. Fur slightly matted, her eyes appeared weary, glazed over indiscriminately with an air of unease and lackluster attitude.

As the wind caught her faded indigo and pink mane, her eyes, a striking dark violet, flickers briefly to the clashing of waves over the starboard. Sighing with a shake of her head, the mare’s eyes glazed back over once again, a state of catatonia entering her without a second glance.

Horn flickering, a pinkish glow settled over the helm, flicking it slightly to the port, moving against the wind for a moment before the vessel suddenly lurched. The mare made no indication of surprise by this notion, instead opting with an ever present silence. This brief moment of action died down very quickly, leaving the vessel to move somewhat unaided for the next few minutes, while it’s lone occupant stood stone still, naught a trace of life in her actions.

High in the sky, the unnatural movement of the clouds sailed past lazily, conforming only to the wind, a sky devoid of pegasi and down below, a sea devoid of life. The sun dared not move from it's silent vigil, hovering ominously above the murky ocean, one that stretched on forever in all directions.

The sky, dark blue with splashes of white, hid an object even more out of the ordinary. Round, massive, and worst of all, perfectly fitting. It’s form was enormous, outlined merely by the atypical cloud cover. The mare refused to look up, instead opting for her sentinel like silence.

Her catatonia was shattered quite strikingly by a voice whispering to her on the wind, one that was all so familiar, yet unnervingly distant in memory. Spinning around with spine bending force, the mare screamed indiscriminately in horror. Locked in a mental cage as she was, the alicorn could not understand the voice, only know who it was from.

“Twilight.” It’s call was one of a youthful nature, made with a complete lack of emotion. The alicorn trembled, sweat beading on her salty fur. How unnatural such a whisper was, to be heard over the resounding calls of the waves and the reverberating gales of wind.

Across the breeze, her nostrils picked up the familiar salty stench of the sea, and just as well, one she hardly could recognize anymore. It smelled of coffee, hay, and….and….gems.

The distraught alicorn clenched her jaws taut, eyes slamming shut as the smell overwhelmed her, forceful memories pounding into her brain with unrelenting ferocity. Thoughts and recollections she had long fought to silence tore into her mind furiously.

Screaming out in torment, the mare collapsed to the deck gripping her frazzled head in terror. It’s voice called to her once more, this time with more emotion. Fearful, it’s tone was that of a lost child.

“Twilight!” The call slammed into her dazed senses like a monstrous slap, breaking over her in a pulse of despair. Heart hammering within her battered ribcage, the mare became listless, floating away from her consciousness desperately.

This was a futile mistake she had made, as the massive looming beast of a storm approached unheeded by the nearly comatose alicorn. Such a fierly catatonic state would not have been able to unrendered even by Luna at this point, had she been there.

However deep in the crags of the alicorn’s mind did the despaired memories lie, the images of a dragon, of several colorful mares piled onto a ship as the sea enveloped everything and everyone. Such memories bore considerable gaps, where one by one the figures vanished.

All that was left was her.

She was shocked back to her senses as a sudden upsurge in the current caught the vessel’s sails, twisting it over port and reeling her forward against the bulwarks. Moaning loudly as her body crumpled against the heavy wooden beams, the mare’s eyes refocused upon the monstrous swell seizing her ship from the opposite side.

Limbs snapping into action on their own, the mare pushed away the pain, shoving herself upwards with a grunt. The darkness of the massive, looming clouds swept over the moderately sized vessel. Throwing herself into action, the mare’s horn lit fully, a warm magenta glow encompassing the ship’s helm.

Snapping the helm into the brewing sails, the mare influenced the rigging with intricate, practiced motions, meshing the sails back together before the dangerous winds could wreak havoc. Lurching into the swell, the mare manipulated the sails and helm at the same time with a firm grimace.

Skirting along the outside of the sudden squall, the mare cursed her incompetence for having not noticed the encroaching weather. With a roaring torrent of sound, the crashing of winds and waves smashed against the hull of the ship, spiralling over and onto the deck.

Snarling lowly, the magenta mare pushed forwards, making minute adjustments to the helm, just barely managing to keep the vessel level with the sloshing waves and attempting to not slip on the deck as the torrential downpour grew ever steadier. In mere moments the mare’s hearing was completely encompassed by the low roar of rain and wind.

With a barely restrained cry of anger, the alicorn flapped her wings heartily, steadying herself as the ship roade high upon an enormous swell of water. The storm had quickly overtaken the vessel, and now she was forced to fight mother nature in her most dangerous of terrain.

A deep thump erupted in the dark gray and greenish looking sky, the motionless sun completely blotted out by the murky clouds. Following the cavernous bellows of thunder came an enormous crack, like that of shattering glass, beams of lightning cutting through the sky.

Riding the mountainous waves took several more minutes of survival, pushing against the might of the ocean, torrents of water sweep over her deck and washing loose supplies around with a furious energy. Once or twice the mare had to short range teleport herself onto the topsails, balancing precariously atop the beams while simultaneous manipulating the helm, pressing her concentration and mental endurance to it’s limits.

Blinking back down to the helm, the mare steadied herself upon the railings, breathing heavily as her rain drenched coat weighed her down further. Her fatigue caused an almost imperceptible short lapse in concentration, one that resulted in her losing control of the wheel for the briefest moments.

Within a second, the control shifted, lurching the vessel violently to the opposite of the powerful winds. With a despaired and startled cry, the alicorn was tossed roughly to the deck, slamming mercilessly against the railing along the port.

Moaning in pain, the mare forced herself to her hooves, adrenaline pumping like a fountain through her veins. Horn snapping to light with a nearly audible crack, she gripped the helm fiercely, rotating it starboard, rising over the waves threatening to capsize her vessel.

Breathing heavily, although drowned out by the droning rumble of wind and water, the alicorn roade up the massive swell, barely avoiding being tipped over into the swirling ocean below. The squall’s viscous strength caused the hull of the brig to creak ominously over the roaring waves, the masts being pushed nearly to their breaking point.

Looking up, the mare caught the outline of the sun, motionless above the swirling clouds, the muddy yellow outline giving her hope to the inevitable end of the storm. Spinning the helm back to port with a gasp, the sails caught an even stronger burst of winds, launching the ship back down the lurching wave, plummeting back down the swell with an almost unsteady speed and energy. With precise turning of the helm, the alicorn was just able to control her descent, riding the wave nearly parallel to the water. Feeling the sea spray against her face sent an exciting jolt of nervous energy down her spine, lightning her drenched coat on fire.

As the wave petered out, rising and sloshing around with far less intensity than before, the mare enjoyed the momentary break in the action, before resuming her trek through the squall. Utilizing the ten seconds or so of relative calm, she lowered parts of the ship’s rigging, pulling parts of the sails taut.

For as far as her vision could make was the storm, she would need to last this out. The surge resumed, picking up and displacing the relatively light vessel once again. Gritting her teeth, the mare spun the helm hard, riding against the squall for a second or two, gaining very little traction on the thick crashing of restless water.

A thud beneath the waves echoed lowly amidst the everpresent drone of rain and thunder. Amongst the darkened sky, flashes of lightning lit her vision in brief flashes of contrasted light, dampening her sight of the ever darkening storm.

With a determined roar, the squall sent a crushing crest forwards, sending the magenta alicorn’s vessel careening over the top half of the surge. An upsurge of water from the waves smacking into the starboard side nearly washed her away from the helm. Planting her hooves firmly along the railing of said side, she snarled, holding on with as much strength as her grizzled and fatigued body and mind could force out.

Each swell of waves slammed against the side of the brig, launching cascades of salty, icy water against the limp mare, who by sheer force of will was able to desperately hold onto the railings. Her horn sparked and with a near inaudible groan was she able to force more energy into her telekinesis, lest she completely lose control of the vessel.

Head pounding by the force of the white noise, she was overwhelmed, being sent tumbling around in her mind. Almost by instinct was she able to keep a fragile grip on her consciousness, pushing against the abnormal and unnatural surging of the waves.

It was as if the entire ocean was alive, thrashing around like an enraged beast with no remorse. Merciless and with unrelenting for did it continue to pound away at the ship as well as the alicorn’s mind.

As much as she wanted to fight the current, it swept over the ship in unnatural force, knocking her weakened form against the hard, wooden deck. Strength all but have left her, she simply lie there, listening to the drowning groan of the sea as it prepared to sweep her and the brig underneath the relentless ocean.

She cried silently, the survival instinct that had commanded her to live for this long amongst an empty, dead world escaped her, leaving the alicorn feeling weak and destroyed. Everything she had done, everything she had been forced to endure, all of it quaked in the presence of the monstrous wrath of mother nature.

However the death she had been expecting did not come to pass, the winds that had once been a horrific, swarming gush had slowed considerably. Just as well, the uncontrollable rocking of the vessel by the swelling waves had all but calmed to a gentle flow. Lying on her back, the mare creaked her eyes open, shielding them weakly from the bright glow far above her. Confused, she fully opened her eyes to find not the murky, greenish grey clouds that had all but encompassed her, but the full might of the sun beaming down on her.

Sitting up with a tired groan, the alicorn shook her head dazedly. An almost sickly pale light surrounded her craft, the soaked wood shining in the ghostly sunlight. Looking around, she found herself encompassed on all sides by a wall of looming, enormous clouds, their forms billowing and contorting in what was obviously a furious uproar of wind.

Straight above her, the sun loomed high in the sky, peering down the funneling storm. Right in the eye, that was the lucky break she had found herself in.

Leaning backwards and nearly keeling over, the distressed mare took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself from the unbelievably lucky break. Holding her head in her hooves, she held back tears fighting them off with an obviously increased struggle.

Sitting up with a tired, moaning sigh, the alicorn flared her wings, attempting to shake off the soaked appendages and reduce some of the water weight holding her down. Her ears couldn’t shake the distant, but still fairly evident groan of the storm around her, it’s sound like that of a dying engine.

The note sent shivers down her spine, that and a gut wrenching feeling of foreboding. Casting her eyes to the bow of her ship, she came to the realization that the ordeal of this abnormally strong squall was only half over.

Padding throughout the soaked deck as water sloshed off back into the deep, the mare took hold of the helm, horn lighting up once again. With considerable strain did her telekinetic influence find bits of the rigging, pulling on them in several places to check for inconsistencies and damage.

She could see the wall ever approaching, a solid, looming mass of dark clouds that got closer by the minute. A distance of several tens of kilometers wide away, the wall reminded her of the diminutiveness of her vessel and the impending struggle she would face.

Moving quicker than before, the mare popped the hatches, rapidly inspecting the contents of the upper deck. The inspection showed that everything not bolted down had been overturned and tossed around. Growling softly to herself, the alicorn dashed back to the main deck, not taking the time to correct the decks, for the leviathan approaching cared not for such luxuries.

Horn still lit up, beads of sweat formed on her head, the mare teleported to each of the yards for each sail, testing the durability of the masts and sails themselves. Keeping balance required even more of her concentration while at the same maintaining control of the helm caused her to tire quickly.

Finally finishing her inspections over the next five minutes, the mare hopped back behind the helm, running the full length of the bow, a near twenty-seven meters. Gasping in fatigue, the alicorn flopped down, letting her horn fizzle out. The calm waters did little to jostle the ship, even as the churning wall of clouds moved ever closer, it’s jarring drone echoing in the gentle breeze.

Sighing, the mare rubbed her forehead with haggard hooves. Running the entire ship by herself was quite the task, one that she wouldn’t have had the ability to do without an incredible grasp of multitasking telekinetic movements. Her horn typically hurt at night, an ache that never seemed to fully dissipate. If only she had been able to survive healthier.

Her gaze found the scraggly fur upon her forearms. Memories from long ago flooded her mind, images of a healthier mare, a stronger mare. The breeze brushed past her matted fur, barely ruffling the magenta coat, carrying the familiar scent of salt and rubbery sand.

Closing her tired violet eyes for the briefest of moments, the alicorn wiped the petulant memories from her mind, refusing to allow the damaging thoughts from hurting her further. The past hurt far more than the present now, for she did not wish to be reminded of what was lost. What had been done.

The bones hidden in the hold were more than enough of a reminder of the abominations she had been forced to commit in the name of survival.

When her violet irises were revealed once again, there was no indication of the sorrow and desperation from before, instead hidden behind a glazed mask of callous indifference. The storm was coming and she refused to let the horrors of this endless ocean win, not when breath still entered her lungs would she let the sea defeat her.

Across the calm and gentle eye of the storm, the great wall of chaos approached, it’s voice one of a beckoning, rumbling tone. The calming clash of waves against did little to appease the mare’s churning stomach. Tightening her grip upon the helm, the alicorn kept forward, eyes never leaving the impending hell.

All noise proceeded to fall deaf upon her ears, only the beating of her heart furiously could be heard. Blood pumped in gushes across her body, thudding in her ears. Sweat poured down her faded, bedraggled bangs.

Monsters didn’t stir below the waves like she had been told as a child, no, instead they were a beast of a very different sort, for they emerged atop the great ocean with a clamor and roar no mortal beast could ever hope to produce.

The real monster was that of mother nature, a godly grace with that which the alicorn could scarcely hope to match. A god that approached her with increasing force by the minutes. Despite this, the mare felt her fear leave her, instead replaced by a powerful surge of adrenaline.

The storm was imminent, and by Celestia’s great sun would Twilight survive it.

Comments

[Magnus Orion]

Wow... just wow. This is quality. It provokes emotions I did not think I had, filling me with wonder and curiosity. To this, we drink, for this is quality at its finest.

[Scholarly-Cimmerian]

This looks really good, but for the description you have - it's "vicious," not "viscous." Viscous refers to liquid consistency.

Sorry, I'm a spelling freak.

[Starlix]

8730182 Oof, can't believe I missed that

[the7Saviors]

Ah, I can see it now... an old and embittered Twilight Sparkle at a port town tavern, throwing back flagons of ale as she recounts the horrors of being lost at sea to a would be adventurer.

[Lunastar2099]

How the heck did twilight end up at sea ?

[Starlix]

8730858 That's the mystery, one that shall be revealed ;)