The Narrow Sea

Chrissy

Kapera shouldn’t surprise me anymore, yet she did that night.

She was able to get a boat easily. Despite it being half an hour before sunset, they hardly batted an eye at her calling in a favor, the captain seeming, dare I say relieved that she had called in her favor. That overly worried Mongofu had something on every being it seemed, or at least the ones that had something useful, no being had even tried to stop us when we took the zebra back in the street.

But he might have been so willing because he was also on a ‘vacation’ from fishing right now, something about the seas being a bad place to be. His reasoning was a half baked lie of some sort, the captain was sweating as he spoke, and none of us cared why he was clearly nervous. Kapera was an intimidating Mongofu when she wanted to be. Not to mention, I had wanted Ari desperately, I still miss him.

The sky had been clear then, not a cloud in sight, and it still was today as well. Nothing to be nervous about, in fact it was a perfect day to be out on the water. Lyric insisted it was, she had been eyeing the water with excitement the whole trip actually.

We had been sailing along the coast for three days now, leaving me with plenty of time to think.

Like how I hate boats or more specifically, I hate the motion of boats. The first day, night really, it wasn’t too bad. Lyric had tittered around me like a mother hen, propping up cushions, and making sure there was plenty of water and a bucket nearby at all times. That was incredibly silly on her part, the bucket, seeing as I don’t eat physical varieties of food. But I had been suffering through another spell of nausea, which was horrible; at least if Lyric felt nauseous she could get some relief by vomiting, nothing happened if I tried. Although I really should be grateful, thankful that Kapera was keeping true to her word to not bother me.

My patience was practically nonexistent now as Lyric has already found out.

Now it was the third day and I felt even worse than when I first met Ari, yesterday I thought I was getting better, the headache had finally quit. But then I woke up today. It was like my stomach was eating itself, the foal demanding what I just didn’t have for it. Meanwhile, a pickaxe was threatening to split my skull apart and no amount of Lyric’s kisses and attempts at smothering me in love had stopped it so far.

“This may be a stupid question,” another crunch as Lyric bit into her fifth apple, her foal was starting to make itself known. “But you have teeth, throat, and a stomach; you know…All the equipment to eat. Can you eat, like, regular food?”

“No Lyric,” I sighed wincing as the pickaxe took another attempt at shattering my skull. “I can’t taste regular food or digest it…My digestion track is different than our ancestors, shrunk if you will. I have different organs that take up that space that your larger stomach and intestines would.”

She paused in her eating, munching being replaced by silence. Followed by hums of thinking coming from her perch on my back, a spot she theorized would be better for love absorption, more contact. It did help, but not by much. It was a crude way I had explained feeding to her, contact just increased the speed at which I took it in, it was also dependent on quantity, and Ari’s amount of love still overshadowed hers.

“So what about the foal then, does it, will it eat regular food?”

“I just don’t know if it will. Lyric, foals eat whatever the mare eats, and…”

She sighed, knowing exactly why I had trailed off. There were too many ifs and variables to give any clear answers. “I know, but Kapera did say-.”

“And what did I say?” Kapera asks walking into our cabin, her face smudged with dirt.

We haven’t left it all day. I was conserving my energy, obviously, and also apparent was Lyric’s presence. Although she wasn’t just present for my wellbeing, I think she was feeling our stallion’s absence stronger than she wanted to let on, and her mask was nearly perfect. But I was a changeling. Sensing emotions, feeding on emotions had some advantages, despite what right now felt like. I could sense her sorrow, growing as the days did.

It had been a whole week.

“Um, that we are approaching Arch’s next pick-up point soon?” Lyric responded before I saw her magic grab another apple.

“Correct, since he stopped in at the cove his next stop could be at several hideaway ports along the coast, if he had any ‘cargo’ to pick up. We have already passed them. So his largest port remains ahead. Then-.” She cut herself off looking pensive, “How long ago did the Badlands flood? Was it to the coast yet?”

I could see where she was going with this.

The slave ring must have had a port at the edge of the Badlands, probably where we bordered the sea with the volcanic strait. My heart clenched a little at the thought that they had been so close to my hiveland. It did make sense though, the volcanic strait lead straight to the Dragon’s homelands, it passed by Saddle Arabia, and by the Diamond mountain range.

“Chrissy? Are you there?”

“What? Yes, I’m here…I can’t say anything about the coastal area of the Badlands but the central area was nearly completely flooded, and it had already flooded the underground portions of the hive when we left. That was four months ago, the port may well be under water by now.”

Her face scrunched up and we all ignored the muffled voices outside, our prisoners were less than happy about their situation right now, very understandable really.

“Might as well keep course with this route anyway, we have to catch up with them eventually…Arch is too much of a wimp to take north way around, he will double back…”

Kapera trailed off but I had already understood her meaning, his return trip would follow the same route.

But would Ari be on it?

Lyric broke the silence, finishing her sixth apple. “So why did you come to see us Kapera?”

“Just wondering if you wanted to come out on the deck? You know, see the sights, and enjoy the breeze…Maybe interrogate that spy? Toss the Zebra overboard…”

I gave a weak chuckle, immediately regretting it as the migraine struck in retaliation. Some air might help the nausea at least. I knew the migraine wouldn’t quite till I ate more.

“Sure why not? Why haven’t you chucked her overboard yet anyway?”

Kapera pointed at Lyric and I felt the lounging pillow we were resting on levitate.

“Well, as much as I would love to toss her, she did this to your stallion and I felt it was your right to decide her fate…Although I’m all for tossing her to the serpents, in case you were curious. Both of them actually, we have too many mouths here to feed.”
****

Moonlit Echo

Throw me overboard? Horse apples, I better get moving.

I started to saw harder at my restraints, a stray nail from the crate tightly gripped in my teeth, making miniscule progress at the rope. Only three strands were frayed out of the twenty or so there. It was better than nothing though.

Adrenaline filled my body as I saw Kapera exit the captain’s quarters, worried for a second they had seen the nail. A muffled sigh escaping the side of my muzzle as I realized they were looking at each other, they hadn’t seen me yet. The changeling queen was coming though, and I heard her voice again so I quickly tucked the nail into the rope, just the head peeking out from the bundle.

Why was I trying to break out of these ropes I’m sure you are wondering? Sure, I was shackled underneath the ropes but if I could get my wings free then I could fly for help, that was the one thing they couldn’t do right now. By some small mercy, the mare of luck had taken one of the changeling’s wings.

Speaking of that parasite…

Trying to look innocent, I watched them approach, unable to help but raise an eyebrow at the spectacle the changeling queen was becoming. She was levitating over on a cushion…That was ridiculous and worrying. Could she catch me if I flew using that flying cushion? I didn’t know, but the fact that she wasn’t even walking was supporting my emerging theory. Over the last couple of days I had witnessed many strange things that had brought me to a confusing and surreal conclusion: Queen Chrysalis was weak and possibly, hopefully dying.

For Luna’s sake don’t give me that look! Let me explain, trust me on this; I know it sounds crazy but I have proof.

At first, I thought she must have been faking her headaches and wobbling steps, trying to get my guard down, to get my sympathy or something like that. But I don’t know any other way to explain this, it seemed too real. She was affected nearly all the time, in fact earlier today she had tried to come out to join them for breakfast and practically collapsed in the doorway! Even as the others fussed over her she was resisting, trying to shove off their help...It seemed genuine, like when Night Glider refusing a hoof up after losing, too prideful to be faked.

Furthermore, for three days she had not used one ounce of magic that I could see. Not one spark of green. She also did not take the kill shot back in the shop, or disguise herself to catch me on the street. The others had done all the work, especially her herd mate.

Sorry for shuddering there, it is just; well there is no nice way of putting it. The mare was hideous to look at, some sort of hybrid I think, and a bad mix in my opinion. I know we were supposed to be polite to the other species but some ponies took it a step too far and we got things like this mare. It is no surprise that the only things that will have her are the parasites.

I think she was a dragon-pony hybrid, the scales suggested it, and the way the zebra looked at her in fear. Did she breathe fire?

Anyway…Right, the changeling had not left her herd mate’s side and vice versa. The point is they were attached at the hip. Well, back right now. Franken mare was lying on the changeling’s back, levitating them out on a cushion…She isn’t even bothering to walk out anymore, I know I already said that, but isn’t that proof enough?

The other beings weren’t even blinking at this display, like it was expected…Not only was the queen weak but everyone seemed to be skirting around the issue, avoiding saying-

“So what do you want to do with the spy?”

This got the attention of the Minotaurs, who had been talking quietly by the helm of the boat, they came over looking at me with disdain. The Zebra looked at me, eyes tired, blank, and ears flicking in the strong gust that ripped across the deck.

I don’t even want to know how long they have had her prisoner.

“Hmm, I don’t–nrggh-know Kapera...Has he said anything yet?”

“No, the flying rat has been tight lipped, mind you; I haven’t had the time to give him a good interrogation. We have been trying to catch as many breaks with the wind as possible. I think we have gained a good half a day, maybe a whole day on Arch’s ship, especially if he stops at the port.”

Another strong gust pushed against me, actually moving me slightly on my rope. Sorry, the villains had me hanging upside down from a plank they had nailed to the mast. I was joined, of course, by the zebra. They brought us down for feeding and a sip of water, but as you can imagine from the rodent’s complaint, we were extra mouths to feed, on a limited timeline.

They hadn’t spoken a word to the zebra mare since removing us from that crate, yes, I woke up in a crate, and I am not talking about that. It was embarrassing and, and, no!

Now they were talking about tossing me overboard, well, the other prisoner too.

But…I didn’t want to die, at least not without confessing my love to Luna first, and then I could die a happy stallion. So, escaping was my only option.

“Good,” The changeling gave a smile to her, an almost grateful smile. Weird, actually this whole situation was weird. “I guess we might as well question him since we are still…” Her muzzle went into a frown and she winced, her headache I assumed.

The scaled mare attempted to comfort her to my alarm, “Don’t worry if he gets loud again we can always toss him overboard!”

Shut up!

Even more worrying was the fact that the heifer and rodent looked more than happy to help with that, the heartless criminals. Gennady seemed unsure then, his disdain gone, and making eye contact with me, shrugging. I still couldn’t believe him. He had seemed so innocent, helpful, back at the makeshift dock…But, so had the changelings when they were in disguise.

“Lyric, you know that’s not a good idea. Thestrals don’t just wander to the coast; they are part of the Lunar guard…” She squinted her eyes at me, cocking her head. “He is definitely part of the guard, the stealth armor, and I remember seeing him around the castle. His name was night-something or other…Or moon-something or other, I can’t remember. Though, he was always by Moonbutt.”

M-moonbutt?!

“My name is Moonlit Echo and don’t you dare disrespect Princess Luna you, you bug!” I yelled at her, my ears folding back as the anger coursed through me.

How dare she?!

Her eyes turned cold, “And why should I respect your princess?” She spat out the word ‘respect’ like it was disgusting to her. “What has she ever done to command my respect?” Despite her dead eyes her voice was venomous now, far more passionate than her eyes let on.

“She raises the same moon you hide under, scuttling like the insect you are. Controls the stars that you use to guide your nefarious plans, direct your wayward life! And she destroys nightmares! Without her and Princess Celestia you wouldn’t have night and day! I think that is more than worthy of respect you insect!” I grinned at them, feeling victorious. That was irrefutable-

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA,” Queen Chrysalis was laughing at me…

I narrowed my eyes at her, what an ungrateful-

“Dear Faust! Can he hear himself? He sounds like an echo of some bucking propaganda.” The rodent shook her head at me as I heard some cracking.

Looking over I quickly saw why, the Minotaur siblings were looking very eager to try a pony punching bag, namely me. I guess she really took that spear to heart; it wasn’t anything personal, although it might be. Why were all the Minotaurs I had met so far on Ari’s side, the changeling’s side?

A swoosh reached my ears-

“Ahhhhh!” I cried out as the zebra attached herself to my neck.

After a couple seconds she let go, swinging away from me, “Nenda buck mwenyewe Thestral! Umeharibu nchi yangu!” I don’t know what in Tartarus she just said but I think she hates me, or at least hated something I said.

“YOU CRAZY SAVAGE!” I know, not the smartest thing to do, insult the violent mare just a swing away from trying to eat you. Sure every pony says the stories of pony-eating zebras are just stories, but I’m starting to feel like there was some truth in them. She was bearing her teeth at me, with a clump if my fur stuck in them.

The hybrid just gave me a sad look as I looked at the group before me.

“I know, and that is why I left.”

I looked over at the rodent, she wasn’t looking at me, she was staring at the savage while frowning, a sad frown as her eyes softened. Why was the yellow demon sad? Was she one of those Zebrica savages? Then why-

Lyric interrupted my thoughts though, “You are from Zebrica?”

“Well, yes.” The rodent looked at the group before releasing a sigh, ears folding back, and tail dropping. “But my family left many years ago. Our rebellion against the king of pirates was failing, our village slated for extinction…” My neck pain fading as I was sucked in by her voice, whatever story she had started spinning.

What was she on about? ‘King of Pirates’ and extinction, just what story was she crafting? It didn’t matter. I wasn’t some foal that would fall for her tale.

A heavily accented voice spoke from beside me, “Nguvu...What really happened there?”

“That name I haven’t heard in a long time…Well the bucking truth is we were outnumbered, overpowered, and we all died or fled.” She looked at me, like really looked at me then, her golden eye narrowing as she assessed me. “And don’t you DARE spout your bucking propaganda at me you bucking tartarus bound racist!” She turned back to the savage she was, removing her apron to our gasps. “THIS IS BUCKING REAL!” A paw pointed at her c-chest, “I AM SICK OF HEARING YOUR PRAISES AND PRAYERS TO THAT IGNORANT PRINCESS! BECAUSE OF THEM-,” She suddenly stopped, taking deep breaths, “-they brought the trade but they never regulated it…The pirates, no, the slave traders had taken over, still run the country.”

Silence dominated the deck for a second, this turned into many as I gazed at her chest…That wasn’t fake, it was disgusting, and I didn’t know what to say.

K-Kapera’s chest, abdomen really, was screwed up in a criss-cross of raised skin. It was furless, pattern less, and white from scar tissue. I had only seen such images in sketches in the medical training manuals, the old ones, the really, really old ones. From the time just after the great war, when ponies came home bearing such wounds, now spells had come so far, and most recruits couldn’t handle the images in the old books. I’m no scholar but I believed in being prepared…I wasn’t prepared for this twist.

This was real, something was really happening, scars like that don’t happen from a petty training accident.

What was it?

I looked at the beings before me, glancing at the sav- zebra beside me.

Why? The queen of changelings suddenly invaded four months ago, after nearly half a millennia of remaining hidden, and lost. Why was she still so weak? Where were this herd mate and the king during the invasion? Strategy wise, it could have gone off without a hitch if he had replaced the groom-

“You are very quiet there Moonlit Echo. I hope you aren’t thinking of escaping now, are you?” This time the queen interrupted my contemplation, her voice cold and dead.

Looking up, I blinked in her direction, my anger replaced with confusion. “Why? I don’t understand.” I looked around the deck at the motley crew before me.

“That is a pretty broad question there Echo, you will have to be more specific.”

Sighing as frustration welled up inside me, there was soo much I didn’t know. Gaps and inconsistencies that poked at my theories, “None of this makes sense.” My foreleg jerked in the ropes as I tried to gesture to the group before me. “Why did you invade without the changeling king? Why then and not before? Where was that, that, h-hybrid during the invasion? Why are you so weak? Wh-.”

A snort sounded before I was hit with a ball of water. I spluttered in shock for a second before I looked at the mares, their ears were back, and another orb of water was suspended in the air like a snowball.

Why does my hoof like my mouth so much?

The bull’s uncertain voice reached me, “What changeling king?”

“Really Gennady?! You are still acting innocent? After leading me to my death you are still playing that Ari is an Alicorn?! I’m not a foal!”

Water hit the deck, “You really think Ari is a changeling?”

“Ari is certainly not a changeling. He is however the only chance we have to saving the world,” Her eyes narrowed at me, “Your world. Now don’t go giving me that look. To answer your questions, Ari is an Alicorn that was brought to our planet by a god to save this world from the unbalance your princesses have caused. SHUT IT!” I did, “By moving the sun and moon around they have upset the balance so Ari is going to meet them and convince them to stop. However we are now on this boat due to some zebra,” She turned her glare to the mare hanging beside me,“Trying to kill him, which had lead to him getting captured, and us going to rescue him. Any more questions bat?”

My eyebrow twitched and I swallowed my reaction to correct the bat slur.

I had so many questions. If, and it was a big if still, if she was telling the truth then that left several new questions. “Yes.” Kapera groaned, putting her apron back on before face pawing, muttering to herself. “Why didn’t Ari just go with those two ponies he rescued from the slave traders? How is the world in peril? Everything seems okay to me.” More snorts, this time from the whole group, and the mare hanging beside me.

“That is complicated…” Queen Chrysalis began, looking at the others.

‘Dinny’ spoke up, “Mother Nature is unbalanced, causing storms that are destroying the countries around Equestria.”

“Exactly! Remember the water you swam through? The storm you had to find shelter in? That swamp used to be fields, families used to have homes throughout there, and then the rain came. It has flooded out…killed many Minotaurs, so many…” His little sister brought him in for a one armed hug.

The storm raged in my mind.

All that rain, the relentless wind, and the house creaking as it had been torn open. It was empty, they had known…Then why?

Looking up from my thoughts I looked at the cushion bound queen, “Then why the airship?”

“W-What?” Queen Chrysalis looked at me in confusion and fear, ears splaying, and mouth opening to ask me again.

“A-a a-airship?” Kapera repeated.

The hesitance in her voice surprised me, the bold rodent sounding more like a scared filly in that moment. I paused before I answered her. “Yes! The one that-,” I gulped down the bile, closing my eyes, “-that tossed those dead griffins into the water. It nearly scared the piss out of me!” My eyes opened and froze at the sight before me.

“We don’t have an airship.” The changeling spoke with a seriousness that almost held my attention, but my attention was elsewhere.

Kapera had a strange look in her eyes, almost like she wasn’t here anymore, “Was it the largest bucking thing you have ever seen?” I nodded dumbly, my eyes unable to focus on her shaking body anymore.

The waves licked the hull of the boat; the birds went silent as a dark cloud moved in the distance. Slowly my brain came back to me.

She continued, “That would be t-the pirate king then…”

I’m sure the group made some appropriately surprised remarks, but everything was quickly settling in my brain.

Blinking, I tried to clear my eyes, I was not crying. Was I going crazy? No, no, I was in some deep manure now, if I wasn’t dead before I was now, that-

Squinting under the sun, my ears twitched and let my jaw drop. My mouth finally responding to my brain’s frantic signals, “T-that is it! I’m sure of it!” The group turned around, looking at what had captured my eyes, at the rapidly growing airship in our horizon. It approached as a black blimp against the otherwise clear sky.

The same thought was echoed around-

****

Ari

Shit!

I shifted uncomfortably in the pony pile, Ayodele’s muzzle uncomfortably close to mine, breath mixing with mine. A new weight that was partially on my back wiggled and groaned, rubbing against the base of a wing, sending my feathers further out of order as a shiver traveled down my body.

This whole moment ruffled my feathers.

It had seemed like a good idea to let them cuddle around me after we finished the planning session, a uneventful one mind you, our minds just weren’t into it. My instincts were certainly all for sleeping that way. Calm had dominated my mind with so many ponies around, like my worries had been blown away in the breeze, and I had welcomed some peace after what had happened. I had been exhausted.

Now, waking up was a different story.

Counting to ten I tried what had been working so far, thinking of the families that had been displaced by the storms, and now the families that had been torn apart by slavery.

Like a bucket of cold water my morning visitor retreated from my thoughts, choosing to hide in the safety of my sheath.

Following my next bodily urge, I began to gently levitate mares off of me. Grumbles echoed as I adjusted the sleeping arrangements. I stood with some groaning as my stiff skin protesting, pain coming in waves as my wounds began oozing blood again. Damn I hate whips, slavers; okay I hate all of it. Nothing about this was fun.

Maneuvering through the mares was interesting, I was very glad for my magic now…Although I did wonder what my magic did to the inhibitor. One moment it had been there and the next it was gone, the world was white, and I was blown back.

Definitely have to work on control…After I eat though, more slavers were coming after all.

As I entered the kitchen I saw it was already occupied. Folami, the unofficial healer of our group, was standing on slightly wobbly hind legs while she chopped some herbs.

“Morning Ari, Did you have a good sleep?” I nodded, raising my muzzle as the calming scents of many herbs reached my nose, almost as calming as a pony pile. “Can you start by bringing up breakfast? Then I want to treat those wounds, okay?”

Giving her another nod and shaking off my sleepiness I opened the hatch rather awkwardly with my hooves. Last time I tried my magic it had been a tad bit loud, and they needed all the sleep they could get.

I heard her sigh and the chopping resume…

How does she chop with a hoof? I know the book explained earth pony qualities as strength, but that requires grip. How does a flat hoof grip a knife? Sorry, I will have endless questions I guess; just it hits me sometimes.

But now I needed food, my stomach was awake again. Hay sounded good; it was actually an interesting experience. You would think it would be bland like bran and dry, but really it varied. For example, some of the hay was sweet and moist, really green, but that was few and far between out of the bales last night. Most were mild, like squirrel bread, not really ‘wow’ but still edible.

Ahh, there is some more apples!

With my prizes in tow I made it back to the kitchen, it was awash in scents similar to thyme, rosemary, and coriander. Although the herbs being chopped and now into a green paste looked nothing like those herbs, those were the closest I could come to describing their scents.

“I just meant enough for breakfast, oh well; it will save us a trip later.” She was looking at the ten bales I had brought while shaking her head. Yes, I had held back last night. I figured stuffing my face after four days of no food was a bad idea. Today I was determined to be full.

“Actually five of the bales are for me.”

Folami raised an eyebrow at that, “Really? I suppose next thing you will tell me is that you love cake too. Just how much of what I hear about Alicorns is true?”

Setting most of them to the infirmary I left five with me in the kitchen.

“Not all, I actually am not a fan of cake. Cinnamon buns are much better, although I haven’t had the chance to try those on this planet-yet! Eventually I will recreate them.” My stomach grumbled, “Exactly, its breakfast time!”

“Oh, that…Okay, that is kind of disgusting there.”

I almost choked when I felt a hoof touch my side. Of course I side stepped away, but the hoof followed, along with a soft slap on my flank. Damn mares.

“Hold still, we can’t have our leader injured, can we?”

Leader? Again with that word, it was time to nip this in the butt.

Ignoring the grumbles from the infirmary we locked eyes as I willed my body not to move away from her physical exam. “What do you mean by leader? I already told you when we were captive that I’m not a leader of anything, and quite frankly I think I’m a bad choice to lead any pony.” She just raised an eyebrow again, “No, really. I’m not good at public speaking, I know nothing of this world, and I haven’t ever lead a project before.” It was true I just was the general laborer in my uncle’s business, I didn’t lead any projects, and I was just a clerk at the bookstore. Worst choice possible to lead some pony, especially in such a situation, I didn’t know what she was thinking. “You would be a better choice than me.”

Musical accented laughter filled the air, “It’s not the speaking skill, scholarly knowledge, or prior experience that makes a good leader. Sometimes it just takes a sense of justice, a good heart, and ponies wanting to follow the pony.” I shook my head franticly at her. Did she not hear me? This was not a good idea. I didn’t want to fail any pony or have any pony mad at me. There were lives at stake here!

Hoof steps echoed in the doorway, Marble stood there with her head cocked, and a frown on her muzzle. “Ayodele’s asking for you Ari.”

Thank you, a reason to escape this talk.

Brushing past her I moved into the slowly waking group. Some had dispersed to various spots around the room, chatting and eating. Though, as soon as I entered it grew quiet, eyes followed my stiff steps to the snorting zebra on the floor.

“I’m not an invalid Marble Cake!” She called out, pinning her ears, and faced away from me.

“She didn’t say that you were, just that you were asking for me. Although the fact that you have to deny it makes me wonder. How are you feeling?”

A long sigh echoed around the room, highlighting the otherwise silent mares, watching us. This was not at all suspicious.

“Good, I guess, all things considered I’m happy to be alive…” She looked me over as I stepped over, laying in front of her. “You still haven’t got those treated yet? Don’t they hurt?” She grimaced while looking at my body, confirming my belief that I looked really bad; alive was still a win though.

“Y-.”

Our talk was cut short as Folami and Marble came out of the kitchen, a familiar red bag and green mush with the zebra, and a light blue crystal grasped in Marble’s mouth.

“Emira, grab a couple towels.” A zebra mare rushed back to the kitchen, “Ari you can talk later, first I want to clean you, to the deck.” Waving a reluctant good bye to Ayodele I went to the deck.

It was horrible.

The only enchanted jewel with water they could find was one of those pressurized ones…Yah, I squealed like a mare through that and I had a surprising amount of blood in my fur. Then drying off…I think wrapping me up was the easiest part of it, it was the least painful at least. All the zebra mares joked that I looked like a zebra Alicorn with how much white I was sporting now. Of course I made the black, white, and red all over joke…It went over horrible too, they didn’t get it, and the timing was bad.

But ever mobile mare it seems was blushing or sporting some red.

After that Ayodele decided she ‘forgot’ what she was going to talk to me about, it had nothing to do with the mares talking around her. Actually, she seemed out of the conversation after that, really out of it. I wasn’t even gone that long…Oh well, I suppose not being able to walk was hard. Folami insisted she not walk if she could help it, not that the work we had to do she would be able to do.

Today we were taking stock of down below, or rather who we lost. We had all agreed last night to toss the dead slavers overboard, sure they had families at home, I’m sure anyway. But we weren’t keeping such things on deck, or below deck for that matter.

We started out with ten mares and myself going down to sort through the mess, six mares remained by the time we were done…It wasn’t easy, I somehow didn’t vomit but I really wanted to. Dogs tore into them like, well, dogs did to prey. I learned just how weak our skulls were; several had a spiked tail ball through them.

I had to wrap and levitate those ones out, touching them just wasn’t an easy option, in one mare’s case it wasn’t possible.

“Omph!” I caught Marble Cake as she always went down. “You okay?”

Her expression didn’t change but her cheeks heated up. “Of course I am.”

Humming my confirmation, I placed her on my back, keeping her still with my magic as she squirmed. A stubborn one, she probably pushed herself too hard helping Folami, she was still rail thin, and would be for a while I’m sure.

“I can walk! P-put me down already,” the other mares were beginning to watch us, some snickering. It really was cute, with the size of the equestrians they were the smallest ponies here, the foal sized group members, and I was the biggest.

“Yes, you do know how to walk. I’m glad to hear that.” I made my way around the deck, letting the mares get their dose of humor at the sight of us, god knows they need it.

“That’s not what I meant you silly colt! Now put me down already.”

Chuckling, I made my way back to the infirmary, pausing at the pony in the doorway. Ayodele stood there, swaying, and with a red face. Not another one. I don’t want to see her hurt…

Sighing, I grabbed Ayodele in my magic, and readjusted Marble on my back.

Ayodele didn’t protest when I placed her securely behind my neck, draping Marble over my rump. I could see her face from the corner of my eye. She was smiling and taking deep breaths, exactly how I felt, ponies were like a calming agent on my nerves. Not that I needed that right now.

I was still hungry and it must be lunch time.

When I entered the room I received many nuzzles as I passed, many murmured 'thank you', and nodded. Everypony was feeling better, they were still worried, but we were grieving. Yes, I hadn’t known those ponies but they haven’t known me either, yet they still fought at my prompt.

The funeral was to be this evening, the bodies piled where the captain’s cabin had been.

For now, we were eating, resting, and in the case of Folami, changing bandages.

“Ayodele! There you are,” the mare in question shrunk a little on my back, being caught. “What part of ‘rest’ don’t you understand?”

Silence from my back as she shoved her muzzle into my feathers, trying to hide behind my tucked in wing, a muffled reply came from there.

“Why do I even bother?! All three of you should be resting, especially you Ari. Your mares won’t be happy if you die out here! Not that we will be either, we need our leader, you,” I scrunched up my muzzle at her. “Especially since you destroyed the ship’s deck cannons when you blew away half the deck…Not that you shouldn’t use that spell against the slavers that come, but aim high okay?” She looked a little nervous for second before moving on to her next patient.

There were cannons there? Shit again.

“WAIT!”

“W-what,” Ayodele stuttered out, “We-.”

I shook my head at Folami’s retreating rump, “I won’t die, they are waiting for me, and I will make back to them.”

A long silence descended as I levitated some hay over and grabbed some apples from the open barrel. The healer ignoring me as more mares joined the area I was laying in. Spring Dew and Feather Quill settling in under my good wing.

“Wait, hold on a second. What m-mares were Folami referring to?” Marble asked, stuttering over the plural word…She probably didn’t know about the law of the herd yet, shit, explaining that would be fun.

I could practically hear their ears rotate to listen in. Mares, wherever I was, they always liked gossip it seemed. “Well, the two mares that are worried sick about me. I went for a walk and as far as they know I never returned.”

“T-two?!” Ayodele added, sounding more upset than disgusted. I guess herding wasn’t practiced in Zebrica? That would explain Folami’s expression too.

Nodding I finished my mouthful of hay. “Yup, although I don’t want you to think I’m some plays stallion or something; I grew up in a monogamous society. But my marefriend convinced me think over herding and well the rest is history, we are a very happy herd now.”

“But isn’t herding…Old?” I don’t think that’s what she wanted to say. “I’m pretty sure it must be illegal in Equestria at least.” Marble added as Ayodele kept silent.

I felt my smile drop as I realized I would have to explain what happened while the ponies were kept captive. “Well, actually there is a funny story there. You see…Well, the princess re-enacted a old law that makes herding mandatory in Equestria now-.”

“WHAT?!” Feather Quill yelled from beside me.

“Yes, and when you return-,” I felt Marble tense on my back, “-okay, if you return there is a mandatory conscription to form herds. It’s exactly what it sounds like; you get paired with whatever stallion needs more mares.”

Another round of silence and murmurs came from the mares, the zebras looking at their equestrian companions in pity.

“Do you need more mares then or are you going to have the princesses as mares in your herd too?” She queried as Ayodele started nibbling on my wing bone, tail swishing slightly. I hope she is okay, this is a lot to take in.

“Well, that is another reason I’m not staying in Equestria. It would be inevitable that some mare would try to match me with them…But I can’t really see myself with them and that’s not just because my mares hate them. I really don’t like what have heard of them…Seen the results of their actions.” I looked at the mares watching me, the equestrians were shaking, and I’m pretty sure Spring Dew was crying into my side.

Folami came back from putting away her supplies and grabbed an apple before nodding to me to continue; in fact I think all the mares were present and enraptured in my words.

“There isn’t really much else to say, I mean, when I heard about that law I sent a letter to the princesses stating how they could change the law and still solve their population problem. Not that they will probably listen, but I still put in my two cents. I mean I have tons of experience in that department.” Taking a deep breath I continued, “I went through tons of fertility treatment on my planet, I was infertile you know. But something during the whole planetary travel fixed that and, and now I’m expecting foals!” A happy laugh escaped me at the end, this felt so good to tell some pony that, euphoric even.

The sound of an apple crunching broke the silence.

Ayodele finally spoke, “C-congratulations Ari, I’m h-happy for you.”

Her voice wavered as she probably was at a loss as what to say, I mean it was sort of out of left field. I hadn’t really mentioned them to the other mares before. Every pony was taking this pretty good. That is to say, they weren’t focusing my former infertility. That always made moments awkward for my friends, they had refused to say the ‘P’ word around me for a whole year when I first told them, a little too considerate.

More congratulations were echoed from the others and I felt joy, this was going to be alright!

Somepony should stick my hoof in my mouth; I triggered Murphy’s Law, as soon as I thought that life was good my world was rocked. Really, the boat was. The sound of splintering wood reached my ears followed swiftly by the sound of water trickling in below us.

“Fuck!” I swore before it hit me, they were here really fast, faster than I would have liked. “Every pony stay calm!” Totally wasn’t calm, I wanted to scream in frustration. Can’t I get a break here? “I will handle it.”

Removing Marble and Ayodele from my back I went to face the cannon fire, ignoring the worried murmurs and the quiet sobs.

Why did I have to take on slavery too?

Uh huh, those bodies lying before me on the deck, there were families that were going to be grieving all over again…And I had the chance to change that, no more families torn apart, I was given this power, and I wasn’t going to sit on my butt like the others that had it.