Parrothead in Paradise

by PastCat

Chapter 20

We continued our journey towards what was once Hilo. From what our guides said, nopony lived in the actual town, though a few vessels used the old harbor. If Hilo had endured anything like Pearl Harbor and Honolulu, no doubt living directly on the coast was considered too risky. Even when humans were still the dominant species on Earth, Hilo had been vulnerable to storm surges and tsunamis. It took about a day of walking before we reached our destination. The new town, which locals called Hilo Hou, was integrated into the forest above the harbor. A few boats of varying size and pattern were moored along a battered jetty. The largest was a catamaran with a pair of flags: one American, the other a jolly roger pirate flag. Somehow it was no surprise that Pohaku led us straight to that boat.

As Adam and I marveled at the vessel, Pohaku and Kukala had a few quiet words with an earth pony sailor, who then ducked into the ship’s cabin. Moments later, a brightly-colored pegasus came barreling out into the sunlight. He blinked as his eyes adjusted before focusing on us. “Well whip my withers and call me a donkey! The dragon finally found somepony willing to take a ride! Where did y’all come from?”

Adam and I were startled to hear normal English after hearing the strange local pidgin ever since we woke. “Oahu.” I gasped as he wrapped the two of us in a bear hug. The captain was stronger than he looked.

The captain released us. “All righty then, is that where you want me to be takin’ you? I’m up for quite a bit of a sail. Been getting a bit of cabin fever hanging around here too long.”

“Yeah.” Adam said. “Our friends are still back there and we need to check in with them. We should go and show them that we made it through that storm and are still alive.”

“Ha! You led that bit of a blow here? Good, by golly. A little shaking up every once in a while is just what this place needs. Come aboard the North Star and we’ll see what we can do about getting you back to your buddies.” The captain sent the sailor who had spoken with Pohaku towards the village with instructions to “gather the the rats”. The sailor headed up towards the town. By the captain’s grumbles, we gathered his destination was a tavern.

Adam and I clambered aboard. Pohaku and Kukala stayed on the jetty. “Would you like to come with us?” I asked. They both shook their heads. Pohaku stomped a hoof. “I am meant to keep my hooves on solid ground.” He said. “Best of fortune to you.”

“I hope you return to tell more stories.” Kukala said. “My kin and I are not built for sea voyaging, so I will simply wait and hope for your safe return.” The earth pony and the breezie stepped back and waved as the sailor brought two more ponies with him: another pegasus and a unicorn. As soon as they were aboard, the captain gave orders to cast off and make for Oahu. Adam and I did our best to stay out of the crew’s way as they dealt with the nuances of sailing. That meant we ended up standing next to the captain once the boat caught a northerly wind.

“So, you gained the blessing of Mo’iwahine Pele.” The captain said. “That sure is something special, especially for visitors who ain’t from this time. And from Oahu too! Let me guess, you found where the thief of hearts hid his treasure.” He paused when he saw the look of amazement on our faces. “Ha! I thought as much. Nopony can pull the wool over the eyes of Captain Bluegill. Of course,” the captain tipped us a wink, “nobody could do that when I was still Captain Lukas Schwarz either. So how did you do it?”

“It is a long story.” I said. Adam nodded.

“We have a long voyage ahead of us.” The captain said. He settled back on his haunches. “Time enough for a long story.”

Adam and I looked at each other, then launched into our story, starting with our Return. Throughout the course of the tale, Captain Bluegill listened patiently, sometimes asking questions. His sailors all seemed to keep an ear cocked in our direction too. By the time we finished, we were just off the west coast of Molokai. The sun was setting, so the captain had us beach the boat for the night. Adam and I helped his sailors pull the catamaran’s hull far enough so that it could not drift away while we rested.

“That was quite a tale, youngsters. I can see why the two of you want to return to find out the fate of your friends. Tell me, though: have you thought about what you’re going to do next?” The captain asked as we settled down around a small campfire.

“I haven’t thought about it. To be honest, I’ve been so caught up in the here and now, I’ve paid little mind to the next.” I said. I shrugged. “I guess I’ll just wait and see what’s left when we get back and then decide from there.”

“I want to go back to Hawai’i.” Adam said. “No offense to Doc and you and the others, but it’s lonely with just the six of us on Oahu. Most of what people built there is wrecked beyond use and we were barely scraping by with what we could find and what you could catch. If I go back to Hawai’i, I go back to being part of a community. I crave that feeling in a way I can’t define.”

“Herd instinct.” The captain commented. “It’s why I keep my boat along the coast rather than sailing further on a regular basis. Ponies ain’t meant to live in isolation. We depend on each other for safety, but also for sanity. I’ve heard rumors of ponies who Return alone losing their minds. Ever since, the ponies of Hawai’i have done their best to welcome visitors.”

“The ponies in the north seemed more wary and suspicious than welcoming.” I said wryly.

“When you landed, you were carrying with you a powerful piece of magic. They didn’t know if you brought them ill will or salvation. If you went back now, I suspect you’d find a very different reception.” Captain Bluegill pointed out. I nodded to show that I conceded the point.

“All right then.” The captain stretched a bit before settling back down. “I’ll stand first watch. Curly, you take second; Snow, third; Ruby, fourth. You can sleep a bit once we’re moving again. All right ponies and griffon. Sleep well!” The sailors all rolled up in blankets and fell asleep almost immediately. I pulled together mine into a sort of nest and started to drift off myself. Before I let sleep claim me, I heard Adam talking quietly with the captain. Though I couldn’t understand his words, they lulled me to sleep all the same.

Comments

[Dances With Unicorns]

Reading your entertaining story is a great way to start my morning. What intriguing stories about the modern Hawaiian Islands could Captain Bluegill tell to our brave protagonists?