"That smarts..." Spike groaned as he felt the lump on his forehead left by Cyro's fist, sitting on a barrel of salted pork.

"Oh please... " Cyro grumbled as he felt the welt on his chest left by Spike's foot. "You hit me harder than I hit you!"

"Heh..." Spike chuckled under his breath, giving up on his silly grudge. "You've gotten pretty good, Cyro."

"You too, Spike," Cyro's scowl disappeared as he leaned back against the outer railing of the main deck.

A few hours prior, in the training grounds at the southern outpost, Spike and Cyro's 'training exercise' spiraled into an all-out fight. Cyro bragged about him being able to use Dragon Shatter, then Spike boasted that he knew Dragon Sense, and one thing led to another. However, they both felt two huge lumps left by the Fawkes siblings; Gin clocked Spike and scorned him after he and Cyro's fight held-up the voyage, and Rummy did the same with Cyro. They didn't speak to each other for a while after their little tussle since they never got fully test their improved fighting abilities.

Draven watched the two young dragons banter with one another light-heartedly from the poop deck, and a wave of nostalgia flooded over him. He saw a twinkle in Spike's eyes, the same one that his father had whenever he sparred with Draven when they were young. Draven shook his head, recalling the time he had accidentally hit Spike's father in the face with a lightning bolt when he sneezed; he drilled the young thunder dragon for that one.

"You seem chipper, Captain Draven," Admiral Pisces smirked as he approached Draven, standing beside him, gazing at the two rivals exchanging witty retorts and brags with the pirate captain. "Perhaps... nostalgia?"

"Aye, they remind me of Orius and me when we were young..." Draven nodded as he turned away, leaning up against the railing and looking out into the blue, seemingly endless ocean to the east.

"So you did know the Fire Dragon King, hmm?" The old dragon raised an eyebrow as he slumped, resting his elbows on the railing as he observed Spike. "And that is his son I presume?"

"Aye," Draven nodded once more as he looked the admiral's way. "There's no mistakin' that mug and that fire of his..."

"His power is certainly considerable for a dragon of his experience level, and the emerald fire is a clear indication of royalty..." Pisces said as he watched his crew toil about on the main deck. "Have you trained him?"

"I'm no teacher, Admiral..." Draven shook his head unenthusiastically. "I've lived for nine hundred years, and I still never learned all there is to know about the Dragon Disciplines. I guess I was too busy stealin' to pick up new tricks– didn't need em' to rob rich folk."

"Ah, yes... and what made you turn to piracy, Draven Jaggedtooth?" Admiral Pisces inquired as he turned his head to Draven.

"After the dissolving of the Council and Orius' disappearance, I got lost in the mind– did the one thing I was good at doin'... fightin'. And when you're good at fightin'... the stealing part just comes naturally." Draven grinned for a moment as he lifted his head to admire the designs on the mast. "You've got one hell of a ship, Admiral. You're just like the stories I've heard when I was a lad."

"Most of those feats in those stories are made up– trying to make me some kind of living god, or start some kind of cult of personality. I'm just one dragon with one tired, old soul," Pisces joked as he admired the mast with Draven.

"What's the fish?" Draven gestured to the red koi on the sail.

"That would me my tribe's mythical Red Koi. There's a tale to go along with it too. Care to listen?" Pisces asked him as he continued to gaze upon the sail, corn-cob pipe in his mouth.

"I always have time for a good tale," Draven accepted the offer as he reached into his pocket and grabbed a pipe.

"Well, long ago, when the world was new, there was a single koi fish in a great lake. He ended up in that lake after a flood, and he was separated from his kin. Above the lake was a towering waterfall, one that almost reached the heavens; atop this waterfall was where his home resided," Pisces continued as he puffed out a whiff of smoke. "The koi told himself, 'I will reach the top, no matter what," and so the koi began to climb. Twelve times he tried at first, and every time he was washed away by the mighty current of the waterfall, he made sure he climbed a little higher the next time. And so, this went on for days, then months, then years, until finally, the koi reached his family. The Dragon God was so impressed by the koi fish's determination, that he turned him into the first water dragon. His name was Ju-long Lin– my great, great grandfather. The koi now forever remains a symbol of endurance, bravery, and perseverance in Shuǐcūn."

"We dragons always have the wildest tales, don't we?" Draven scoffed as he blew out some smoke from his nostrils.

"That we do..." Pisces shook his head as he descended stairs to the main deck.

On the bow deck, Twilight looked out into the ocean, as if she were searching for something. Her white scarf blew in the wind, and her short hair danced from side to side as she felt the cool breeze of the sea kiss her wounds. For a time when she was young, Twilight always feared the sea. She often screamed in dismay whenever a wave rolled in on the beach during her trips to the coastline with her parents. She wondered how they were as she turned her head to the east, the sun gently caressing her eyes, cascading from above. Dross walked up the steps to the bow deck to join Twilight, and he tapped on her shoulder to gain her attention as he leaned against a barrel full of unknown contents.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Dross said as the cool breeze welcomed him and Pearl, who sat on his shoulder like a parrot.

"It is," Twilight smiled sheepishly as she tightened her scarf.

"Usually, it isn't too kind, but I think days like these makeup for the storms and the cold tenfold," Dross grinned as he stroked Pearls head with his right hand. "You look like you're pondering over something. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm... just a little homesick is all," Twilight answered him as she leaned beside Dross. "Do you ever get homesick out here?"

"Nah... my old home is far from my mind. This is my home. The masts and the sails are the roof over my head, and the sea is my country," Dross said as he looked up at the mainsail. "Where is your home?"

"Canterlot originally, but I left it behind once Celestia moved me to Ponyville," Twilight explained as she looked to the east again.

"And were you happy with the sudden change in scenery?" Dross inquired.

"Originally, no," Twilight chuckled as she remembered all the troubles she had at first– her awkward approach to the ponies in Ponyville. "After a while, however, I made friends, learned their stories, laughed with them. Ponyville changed my life for the better."

"Are you happy now, Twilight?" Dross wondered, noticing a tinge of anguish in her eyes.

"I don't know what I am, to be honest..." Twilight crossed her arms, feeling the scars that ran across her forearms.

"The Blacklands change a pony's outlook, trust me," Dross said as he tapped on the side of the barrel with his index finger. "But it doesn't have to change who you are, Twilight."

"It has nonetheless," Twilight shook her head in a disappointed manner as pain shot up her arms; she then massaged her hands. "I don't think I'll be the same."

"That's what I thought too..." Dross' voice became low and morose as he rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a terrible slash on his forearm that ran from his wrists to his elbows. "But I found peace with the sea, and now you have to find your peace too."

Twilight was taken aback by the scars; she knew what had left them, as she had seen them on zebras from the southern, more violent areas of the badlands. They had been left by a whip. "Are those...?"

"I was a slave for five years in Dorio. I got left behind when I was sixteen after a crusade went awry– taken in by the Goldbloods to serve their king. I escaped three years ago with the help of this," Dross pointed to his Brand, then motioned to the cat on his shoulder, who purred as he petted her softly. "And with the help of this little squirt too..."

"That's... horrible," Twilight shook her head, trying to comprehend Dross' pain. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really..." Dross refused Twilight's sympathy. "All I'm saying is, you can't let the pain consume you. You have to embrace it, let it define you."

"How can I ever look at myself again, Dross? How do I embrace something like this? Whenever I look in the mirror, I see only an imperfect monster..." Twilight held back tears as she shook her head.

"Imperfection is not weakness, Twilight..." Dross reassured her as he slowly grabbed Twilight's hand, sending a jolt up her spine. "It's what makes you a living, breathing creature. I think it's what makes life beautiful. And it's what makes you beautiful in my eyes."

"You're more thought provoking than I thought," Twilight tried to crack a smile as she fought through the pain of holding his hand. It was hard at first, but eventually, his warmth passed on to her, and her face flushed red. She turned away quickly before she did something rash, but she kept their hands locked together for a little longer. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Twilight," Dross assured her as he let go of her hand. "It takes a long time... but you'll get over it eventually. I promise you that."

Nick hung from the main mast on one of his chains, dangling in the wind, stewing over his own troubles. The Silence was the only home he ever knew; violence, despair, starvation. He turned sixteen the week before, and while his body adjusted to the proper nourishment and education of the strange new world around him, he couldn't help but feel adrift– lost in the wind. His trench coat fit him a bit better now that he built up some muscle, and he found it much easier to climb than before. The idea of staring eyes didn't bother him as much anymore; that fear was replaced by the fear of 'what if?', the unknown. He didn't have parents, a family, not even a home; all he had were crewmates and comrades, and a ship. Regardless, he was more than happy to experience all he could, to forget all he had endured as a child.

"Hi!" Daisy called up to Nick, almost singing.

"Oh, hi..." Nick replied back to her as he lowered himself down to the main deck.

"Are you okay?" Daisy asked with childlike curiosity. "You look pretty blue."

"Nick is-... I'm," Nick blushed as he corrected himself, embarrassed that he almost referred to himself in the third-pony. "I'm not blue, I'm white..." Nick assumed she meant the color of his fur coat.

"Not that kind of blue, silly! I meant sad. You look a little sad." Daisy chuckled as Nick dropped to the deck.

"I am... kind of... sad," Regardless of how much Fluttershy and Winslow taught him, he still had trouble with talking to strangers; words failed him constantly. "Yes, I'm sad."

"Well, here!" Daisy hummed as she handed him a flower with her giant hands.

"What is this?" Nick asked her as he cradled the odd yellow flower in his hands, eyeing it intently.

"It's a chrysanthemum, just for you!" Daisy giggled as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're weird, but you're cute too! I thought of this flower when I saw you!"

"Thought of me?" Nick raised an eyebrow at the flower as he held it above his head so the sun's rays could hit it.

"Of course! My mother told me all the time that everypony has a flower of their own!" Daisy laughed joyously as she looked at the yellow flower in Nick's hands. "Mine was a daisy, so my mother named me after it!"

"Chry-san-the-mum..." Nick sounded the word out, then he repeated it in his head a few times more. "I like that word!"

"I knew it suited you!" Daisy cheered as she skipped past Nick, handing out more flowers to the crew.

"Chry-san-the-mum... chry-san-the-mum... chry-san-the-mum..." Nick repeated as he paced for a bit before leaning against the mast. "Chrys-..."

"My apologies," Luna appeared next to Nick with a flower in her hand; a purple one that opened up like a daisy. "I'm sorry if I startled you..."

"It's okay," Nick assured her as he marveled at his flower. "What is this, Princess?"

"It's a chrysanthemum, Nick– a flower."

"No, no... what is this?" Nick still lacked the vocabulary to communicate as well as other ponies, so he turned to hand gestures to convey his message.

"Ah, you want to know what it means!" Luna said as she caught on to what Nick was hinting at.

"Yes, yes! What does it mean?" Nick laughed, and his face flushed red.

"A chrysanthemum means joy and optimism, and a long life," Luna could see the word 'optimism' was giving Nick troubles. "Optimism is when a pony sees the good things in anything, no matter what. Daisy is trying to tell you that you're that kind of pony."

"Ah..." Nick nodded as he wrapped his head around the new word. "Op-ti-mism..." As he sounded the word out, he looked down at the flower in Luna's hand again. "What does that flower mean?"

"It's an anemone. It means..." Luna trailed off for a moment, unwilling to tell him the primary, darker meaning of the flower. "It means anticipation– being really excited about something when you're waiting!"

"An-ti-ci-pa-tion..." Nick smiled as another word entered his vocabulary. "I like that word too!"

"Words are definitely important," Luna smiled as she watched Nick recite all the words he had just learned. "It helps you grow as a pony."

"An-ti-ci-pa-tion..." Nick said to himself as he waved his hand, chains launching from his fingertips and lifting him up off the deck and to the top of the mast.

"Daisy knows her way around a floral arrangement..." Rummy smirked as he leaned up against the main mast, watching as Nick pulled himself up. He saw Luna's flower as he turned to face her. "Yikes... that's not a very nice flower. You okay, your majesty?"

"Apparently not," Luna scoffed at her flower as she placed it in her flowing mane.

"Well, whatever it is, it's probably none of my business anyways," Rummy said as he walked away, placing a cigarette in his mouth. "Maybe you'll have a better flower tomorrow..."

"Hopefully," Luna frowned as she gazed at the sea.

Anemone: indicates fading hope and a feeling of having been forsaken.

Author's Notes:

I suppose it's about time we had a somewhat relaxing voyage! As always, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next chapter!