Broken Stems

by TCC56

Two Tickets To Paradise

True to Rarity's words, the party of six was recovered by the next morning. A good meal, a peaceful sleep in a motionless bed and a hot bath did wonders for their morale and made all ready to face the coming trials once more. The remaining two days of downtime were spent in different ways by the group - each had their own ideas of how to best prepare themselves.

For Fluttershy, it was to divert her mind away. She spent the intervening time practically attached at the hip to either Snap or Allgood - the two experts were constantly in and out of the surrounding jungles and on the hunt for rare creatures. When they weren't, the pair were around the small research compound they had established and the numerous examples of local wildlife that they kept there.

In short, Fluttershy was in paradise.

Dozens of new species she had never encountered, two experienced researchers with decades of documentation and a new wild zone full of surprises all added up to unending wonder for the pegasus. By the time the two days were up, Fluttershy had already arranged for exchanging letters with Mane Allgood and promised another visit before summer came around.

Rainbow Dash did Rainbow Dash things. At the end of the day, all she really needed in her life was an open sky, a crowd to watch her in it and a comfortable cloud for afterwards. And with Shire Lanka being so remote, it had never been given the pleasure of a Wonderbolts visitation.

Half the first day was spent (with Pinkie Pie's help) spreading the word. And then the second half was a blur of loops, corkscrews and of course a Rainboom. While the show was lacking the complex choreography of a true Wonderbolts show - as that would require more than one Wonderbolt - it was far beyond what the distant backwater had ever been treated to.

Rainbow Dash hadn't needed to pay for a single drink that night.

Which was why she spent nearly the entire second day napping and recovering.

As for Pinkie Pie, after that first half-day, she became the most dangerous version of herself: quiet.

There were the usual cheerful greetings and sampling a few of the local foods, but Pinkie spent nearly the entire time in preparation for the most important part of the mission. Once they returned (and the Apples had been given a chance to relax and return to normal), there would be the need for a welcome home party - and she had to be ready. It was going to have to make up for all of the parties missed: birthdays uncelebrated, weddings unattended, holidays missed. This would be one that would be talked of in awed whispers for years to come. Her magnum opus.

Pinkie Pie would make it legend.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rarity had the opposite of work on her mind. While she did make a cursory examination of the local styles and had a few samples mailed back home, her time was instead mostly spent on the beach.

Comfort, she reiterated, should be taken while they still were able. The road ahead wouldn't afford many opportunities and she intended to make the best of the downtime.

What counted for 'the best' was different for Tempest. Her mind was on the mission - she knew better than the others what as likely ahead, and that knowledge punched through every other thought. But after checking their supplies three times and several hours of tactical planning, Tempest found herself... bored.

Which was when Rarity came off the beach to drag the former soldier into a quaint little shop she'd stumbled onto the day before and you would not believe the prices they had on silk here, I mean it's positively scandalous even allowing for the distant location it really just--

And that is how Tempest replaced her heavy frock with a floral sarong - a deep grey-green, studded with printed flowers in orange and pink. The light material was certainly a better choice for the Shire Lankan weather than thick, black wool - a fact that was demonstrated when Tempest was dragged to the beach with Rarity for the rest of the day.

---

"Really, darling, I don't know how you managed it." Rarity continued to dab the aloe (courtesy of Fluttershy) on Tempest. "How ever did you sunburn your horn? And just that? You were right beside me under the umbrella the entire time, and as much as I may not wish to admit it? I am a far more delicate mare than you are. Yet you have burned and I have not!" She tittered with schadenfreude.

Tempest merely glowered, occasionally wincing as Rarity's magic grazed just the wrong spot of her well-seared forehead.

Shire Lanka's port was barely worthy of the name - while a key part of the town's infrastructure, it saw use only slightly more frequently than the rail station did. Sometimes a week would pass without a ship of notable size pulling into dock and most of those wouldn't stay for long. The remote town was a stop-over for supplies, usually enroute north towards Las Pegasus or back across the South Luna Ocean.

Today was one of the days it saw use as a large cargo ship inched the final few feet into its temporary home. The sextet watched from the shore, a mixture of eager and nervous for what the ship promised. And with that unease came their own ways of dealing with it - most obviously now being Rarity's fussing over anypony within her reach. (Which meant Tempest, since all the others were experienced enough to know when to give Rarity space.)

On the ship's deck, the crew of zebras scrambled back and forth. Shouts in their native Zebrican were bandied about, each call and response floating out over the water. As the crew handled their final duties of the journey, Applejack turned to the others. "Alright, here's what Ah'm thinkin'. This here ship's our best chance for headin' south - it's plenty big, looks strong enough t'handle the trip an' alla them zebras seem to know what they're doin'. So Ah figure if we--"

With a loud sigh, Tempest interjected. "Pinkie Pie's already gone aboard to talk to them. Also, she's wearing an admiral's uniform for some reason."

"Oh." Applejack looked over to the ship where Pinkie had managed to board before the gangplank was down. "Well, that makes it simpler then."

"...Shouldn't we stop her?" Tempest's eyes darted between Pinkie and the others, waiting for confirmation to stop the party planner.

"Nah," was Rainbow Dash's evaluation.

Aboard the boat, one of the crew finally noticed the intruder. "Sawa! Wewe ni nani na kwanini uko hapa?"

Beaming broadly, Pinkie nudged up her cheerful blue pork pie cap. "Habari za asubuhi! Rafiki yangu na tunataka kununua njia kwenye mashua yako. Kiasi gani itakuwa ni gharama kwa ajili ya sita?"

Tempest blinked. "Since when did Pinkie Pie speak Zebrican?"

"Oh, she learned it years ago." Fluttershy simply smiled passively. "She wanted to make Zecora feel more at home, so she spent a few weeks learning it."

A moment of thought passed before Tempest asked her follow-up. "How many languages does Pinkie speak?"

The other four looked between each other for a moment, silently exchanging notes. Fluttershy again gave the answer. "We're not sure. But besides languages nopony speaks anymore like Old Ponish, I don't think we've come across one yet that she didn't know."

On the ship, Pinkie was in a vigorous discussion now with the zebra who was presumably the captain. She had also acquired an even fancier bicorne hat, complete with several ostrich feathers. The two went back and forth with a rapid, musical patter that none of the other five understood even a hint of.

Silence crept awkwardly over the remaining five as they watched the animated but incomprehensible conversation play out. Several minutes passed before Applejack finally broke the silence. "So, uh, Tempest. Mighty nice new duds you've got there."

"Thanks. I needed a change anyway, and Rarity..." The dark mare trailed off with a slight frown.

"She desperately needed a wardrobe change," came the fashionista's interjection. "Black armor, black wool, black black black black black." Rarity stuck out her tongue. "Such wonderful fur and mane to work with, and her only choices were things out of Starlight's darkest high school years."

The four veteran mares paused, remembering Firelight showing off pictures of his daughter's youth and her angst-ridden teen years. Moments later, they burst out laughing again.

Out of the joke's loop and a little unnerved, Tempest changed the subject. "Applejack - you know, I didn't see you at all yesterday. What did you get up to in the downtime?"

It was a wild deflection, but the way Applejack nudged her hat downwards said it still scored a hit. "Well, Ah admit the long trip had me antsy. An' when we got here it didn't get much better. Farm life's all about schedules and habit - this travel's gotten under my skin since there ain't nothin' to do right now but wait. Had a lot on my mind, too. So Ah did what Ah do best - worked."

A moment barely passed before Fluttershy cut in. "Applejack's been worried about what happens after we save her parents."

"Find 'em," Applejack countered pessimistically.

Fluttershy smiled gently. "Save them." There was another momentary pause - then she continued when the farmer didn't try to correct her again. "She's not sure how to bring them back into her life after so long."

"Ah don't think there's much to talk about, Fluttershy. Ain't the sort of thing you can plan for." Applejack tried less successfully to change the subject. "So there's nothin' to talk about. Not yet."

"Wait. What work?" Tempest - still relieved the subject was off her own fashion choices - jumped into the conversation to help. "I haven't seen a single apple tree since we got here."

Applejack muttered something - and was promptly hip-bumped by Rainbow Dash. And then with a grumble, she spoke it louder. "Ah built a barn."

The other three started snickering. Tempest was left confused. "O....kay?"

Rainbow put a wing across Tempest's withers. "C'mon, you know how Apples and barns are! Sure she built it fast, but that thing's got maybe a week!" She barely held back another laugh. "Classic AJ, am I right?"

A dark shadow crossed Tempest's face. "No, I don't know. Look, I get that you're trying to include me, but I'm not one of you. I wasn't there for most of your adventures. I don't live in Ponyville. I don't--"

"Darling." Rarity cut in, stepping up to Tempest's other side. "Forgive us. I suppose we're so used to traveling as a group and sharing so many memories that it just.. comes naturally."

"Yeah! And you're, like, the perfect Twilight replacement!" Rainbow added her own two bits without thinking. "I mean, you're purple, you're smart, you're strong and you're a unicorn!" She leaned in slightly, half-whispering with a wink. "It's kinda good, too. Twilight's awesome and that, but her being an alicorn threw off the numbers. Two and two and two, instead of two and a half pegasi, two and a half earth ponies and one and a half unicorns."

A heartbeat. "Um, Dash? That's three halves," Fluttershy pointed out.

Before an argument about math could break out, a low growl from Tempest washed through the group. "I'm not sure if it's flattering you're comparing me to a Princess or insulting that you're treating me as a Sparkle-substitute instead of an actual pony with--"

Suddenly, the fury was cut off by a deep red snowcone, for Pinkie Pie had returned. "This sounds like a perfect time for everypony to cool off!" Gleefully, she held out a paper tray of snowcones. "Because boy is it hot today!"

Four ponies hastily agreed and grabbed their cones - Tempest glowered briefly before giving in to the inevitability that is Pinkie Pie and submerging her anger in boysenberry ice.

After about two minutes (and half a snowcone), Applejack asked one of the looming questions. "So how much are they wantin' for passage, Pinkie?"

Pinkie paused in her eating. "Nothing! Because they aren't willing to take us." She cheerfully grinned, completely ignoring the rest of the group's fallen faces.

"What? Why?" Applejack's expression cycled through a string of disappointing and angry emtoions as the prospect of waiting longer washed over her.

"Because it's too dangerous and only crazy ponies with no sense of self-preservation would ever want to go to the Citadel of Storms, for it is the place where hope goes to die and blah blah blah blah I stopped listening after about the third paragraph," admitted the party planner. "Plus he said their ship's too big to get close to the island and they're heading north anyway."

There was silence for a long moment as the plan fell apart around them. Tempest recovered first. "So to get to Mount Aris we'll have to take the train back to Appleoosa and--"

"Or we could take that boat over there that the zebra captain suggested as an alternative," Pinkie interrupted with.

All eyes went to the dock opposite the large merchant ship. The boat in question was far smaller - less than a third of the merchantman's length and half the height - and covered with blocky wooden frames and nets. The boat itself was painted a familiar deep red, shot through with cream-colored highlights. And across the side of the bow was written her name: The Mare Of L'Mer.

Applejack groaned loudly. "Aw applefudge." The looks went from boat to farmer. "That's cousin Crab Apple's boat."

And without thinking, Rainbow Dash immediately said what everypony else was thinking. "Wow, you really do have family everywhere."

---

"Ah still think this is a bad idea," Applejack noted for the third time in a hundred yards.

And for the third time, Fluttershy tried to gently reassure her. "We don't have a lot of choice, Applejack. If we don't at least ask, we might be here for weeks."

"But Crab Apple's sure to tell 'bout all this to every Apple there is, an' Ah still don't want any of 'em gettin' hurt."

"And how, pray tell, would he?" Rarity cut in quickly to head off the concern. "Taking us or not, your cousin's boat is for fishing, yes? So even if he declines our request he will be out on the sea again within a day - there is nopony he can tell and a letter to your family will take weeks to reach them."

Applejack's next objection never came - she had plenty, but a shout from the fishing boat prevented it. "Cousin? Cousin Applejack?" The thick twang pulled all attention to it as the blue-green stallion with a red mane - obviously Crab Apple himself - trotted to the boat's rail. "Now jes' what're you doin' all the way out here?"

"Uh, well, hey there cuz." Applejack scuffed her hoof against the dock, unable to look at the boat captain. "Well, it's a funny story, y'see--"

And Pinkie Pie shot up from behind her. "Hey cousin!"

Crab Apple let out a hooting laugh. "Cousin Pinkie! Well I'll be! This is lookin' like a regular ol' reunion!"

"I know, isn't it great!" The pink mare bounced around to beside Applejack. "We're here with our friends - this is Rarity and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and Fizzlepop!" In the background, Tempest grimaced slightly. "We need to rent a boat and go south to the Citadel of Storms!"

Every pony present paused. "...Citadel of Storms, huh." Crab Apple pursed his lips tightly. "Heck of an ask, I tell ya whut."

Pinkie's smile disappeared, replaced by a narrow frown. "We wouldn't ask if it wasn't super important, Cousin."

Crab looked down at his boat, then at the six ponies on the dock. "Won't be easy. The Mare's no ship of the line, but she'll get us there."

"So you'll--"

The sailor interrupted Pinkie's question with a grin missing several teeth. "What's family for?"

Author's Note:

There were originally two and a half other chapters in here. They're gone now, since on review they were total filler and added very little to a stretch of story that was already dangerously off-topic. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I originally decided to have a beach party chapter in the middle of all this.

Comments

[Spooksi]

Pretty ok chapter like the one before it, but it didn't quite left much of an impression on me as Chapter 1 and 2 did.

A dark shadow crossed Tempest's face. "No, I don't know. Look, I get that you're trying to include me, but I'm not one of you. I wasn't there for most of your adventures. I don't live in Ponyville. I don't--"

It was about time Tempest addressed to the group the fact that she hasn't been with them for the majority of their memories (I totally saw it coming after her confusion with everyone's uneasiness with Rainbow's comment about Scootaloo). That Twilight comparison, as well intentioned as it was, totally made things worse. Since the conversion ended so abruptly, I expect a similar one to be arising again later in the story. I also have a bit of a hunch that the next few chapters aren't going to be as chill and easy going as these were, since this story was tagged violence for a reason.

There were originally two and a half other chapters in here. They're gone now, since on review they were total filler and added very little to a stretch of story that was already dangerously off-topic. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I originally decided to have a beach party chapter in the middle of all this.

Funny you say that, I was watching a clip of Avatar: The Last Airbender recently and I imagined Tempest being exactly like Azula in a beach-themed episode during the volleyball game. In case you haven't watched it, Azula commanded her volleyball team like she was commanding a military force (even if it was supposed to be fun), and it was pretty hilarious. Her team pretty much crushed the other one, right down to setting the volleyball net on fire.

[JustFalcon]

Begin the Apple Family Army Mobilization! Wait-

[Nitro Indigo]

Which was when Rarity came off the beach to drag the former soldier into a quaint little shop she'd stumbled onto the day before and you would not believe the prices they had on silk here, I mean it's positively scandalous even allowing for the distant location it really just--

Why does this suddenly shift into Rarity's dialogue?

"Wait. What work?" Tempest - still relieved the subject was off her own fashion choices - jumped into the conversation to help. "I haven't seen a single apple tree since we got here."

Applejack didn't mention work.

[TCC56]

10219384

Pretty ok chapter like the one before it, but it didn't quite left much of an impression on me as Chapter 1 and 2 did.

Honestly, this is the weakest one in the story and the one I'm the least happy about. In large part because it's three chapters squished down into one - something was needed here to establish plot flow and a few points, but the original outline was a mess of wasted space. (There were going to be nearly as many chapters spent in Shire Lanka waiting for a damn boat as there were in the actual breakout.) As a result of crunching it all together, the result was something I'm still not satisfied with and has a frustrating disjointedness (as pointed out by 10219696). But it's serviceable enough.

[ponygrad]

. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I originally decided to have a beach party chapter in the middle of all this.

Trying to kill time so the manga will run ahead? As much as I would have loved to see this chapter, it probably isn't justified to have something like that so soon

[Heavyhauler75622]

"...As for Pinkie Pie, after that first half-day, she became the most dangerous version of herself: quiet. ..."

You ain't stretchin' that, neither. The only thing worse is when her Splinter Cell "Third Echelon" outfit shows up...

[Skyshy]

Beaming broadly, Pinkie nudged up her cheerful blue pork pie cap. "Habari za asubuhi! Rafiki yangu na tunataka kununua njia kwenye mashua yako. Kiasi gani itakuwa ni gharama kwa ajili ya sita?"

is this an actual language or what did you just jam on the keys until you got what looks like a language and if it's is an actual language what language did you use

[TCC56]

11801240
That is, in fact, Swahili. I likely butchered the sentence structure (because I don't actually speak Swahili), but the Google translate is:

Good morning! My friends and I want to buy a trip on your boat. How much will it cost for six?