The Paradoxical Journey [CLOSED]

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java smiled to himself as he looked over the ocean of clouds below him. And underneath that layer of voluminous white clouds was the sea. And underneath his hooves was his beloved, and very much a prototype, airship “The Lonely Tempest” had been fully repaired, with a few performance and aesthetic enhancements since it's journey in the Pinto Desert. The place of it's first flight. So now, it looks less like a salvaged ship, and more like an impressive airship.

The impressive vessel was small, easily manned by a crew of three or four, but will feel incredibly cramped with a passenger count of ten. On both sides of the ship, were small sized zepelin balloons. Easily large enough to help with the lifting and balancing of the ship. And a larger balloon high over head that did most of the altitude work.

The flying ship was equipped with six very visible engines. An addition of two more, compared to the last time. And each one sounded as it was creating howling winds, and did just that. Unlike it's ancient brothers who filled the air with a thunderous rutting sound, along with putrid smoke.

The helm was at the very front of the ship, and there were wires strewn across the entire ship. Plus curved metal rails that lined the underside of the vessel.

And this brings us back to the stallion. Whom was leaning on the port side railing of the ship. His fore hooves lazily placed on the top of the smooth red-wood rails. While his rear hooves were casually crossed without a hint of consideration to his stability.

That same smile he wore, was a very content and relaxed one. His mind already zoned out as he lost himself over the majestic beauty of being an earth pony so high in the air. The wind tearing at his already mad-scientist like disheveled mane. And lightly batting his tinted goggles that hung on his neck.

He didn't have to have a reason to take it for another flight. Bits didn't have to be considered when his little prized beauty and magnum opus didn't require fuel. Time would only be the real resource he'd have to justify waiting. And all he could say was, just to get away from the world and relax for a couple of hours. Or maybe a day or two. And such a thing was doing him wonders. No worries. No more problems for a while. Just peace and quiet to think.

But his smile slightly weakened. A sneaking suspicion overcame him while he was thinking.

“Hmm. I suppose it wouldn't be to much to say that this is boring. A nice boring! But still boring! I'd like it to stay boring! Would I? Maybe. Should I? Yes... that's what sane ponies do! Enjoy boring!”

Such peaceful arrangements with his luck normally did not last long. Like some higher being of a princess felt it absolutely necessary to make sport out of causing havoc in his life.

And so, the stallion's gaze wondered to the front.

“Hmm. I suppose it wouldn't be to much to say that this is boring.”

He waited for a moment, mentally counting down. Like he was expecting something to happen. When nothing happened, his brows furrowed as a spark of anger filled his mind.

He quickly began pacing around the deck.

“OF COURSE IT'S NOT GOING TO STAY BORING! Why wouldn't it?! Hah! It's like my entire existence is simply the bi-product of DISCORD playing some sort of game of chess! Yes, that's what it is! METAPHORICALLY AT LEAST!”

He spun on his hooves, and slowly marched up a flight of stairs to reach the top of a cabin.

“And why should I expect such crazy things!? I pretended to be mad, and turns out I am actually daft! Go to a doctor, and held in a mental ward over night! I find love! TWICE and it goes wrong. First being a sociopathic griffon, and the second being a changeling! Get a kitten, and it's a buckin tiger! Take a test flight, and get attacked by pirates no later than five minutes of being in the air! MAYBE NONE OF IT HAPPENED! MAYBE I AM CRAZY BECAUSE NOTHING IS HAPPENING! MAYBE THE WORLD IS MOCKING ME! LIKE BUTTERFLIES DANCING AROUND JUST TO MOCK THE VERY EXISTENCE OF MY SANITY!”

He quickly rose up on his rear hooves, and tossed his fore hooves up to the sky, now openly calling out to the world.

“BE THAT THE CASE! I KNOW SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN! SHOW ME WORLD! WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN STORE FOR VORONOI, JUST TO RUIN HIS DAY!”

[Gerrard]

If anything in the world was not boring, it was probably Aquaria. The white tiger striped griffoness with jet black wings and talons was frolicking on the beach, he feathers and fur poofed up after a good shaking of her lithe body. She had just escaped the all too alluring clutches of the tranquil and salty ocean. If this wasn't her day off from work, she would still probably be on the beach, merely as a safety supervisor, the legendary lifeguard! Lucky for her though, another pony had the honor of getting paid to go swimming today, the happy hybrid now dry from her previous romp in ocean. With a deep breath, she took in the salty ocean air and squirmed with excitement as an object entered the periphery of her vision while stretching her feline frame.

It was a balloon, no, it was three balloons! It was a whole party of wild balloons! They must have escaped a local event and ventured into their natural habitat. Aquaria knew all about animals returning to the wild and domesticated animals didn't have the survival instincts to survive in the wild! She had to rescue them before they got altitude sickness and crashed back to the ground. Only wild ones knew how to navigate the skies safely, or so she theorized, never really seeing any wild flocks of the colorful flying beasts! With a quick springing motion, the dark hybrid pounced into the air, her raven wings flapping as she took flight, loose feathers littering the ground as she chased after the free 'beasts'! In a matter of moments, the normal sized balloons had grown into larger more imposing balloons as she edged closer. They were actually really far away big balloons instead of close small ones, the lifeguard almost perplexed that someone could have overfed a balloon so much. It was irresponsible, this balloon needed a diet and Aquaria aimed to give it one!

Just before reaching the balloons, another object entered her vision, a boat fashioned to the large beasts! She gasped in awe and horror, the easily distracted griffoness changing course as she flew down to the ship below and landed atop the cabin with a loud thud. "Ahh, your boat is lost! It isn't anywhere near the water. I think you must have taken a wrong turn at Baltimare and got separated from the ocean! Is anyone here, or is this a... GHOST SHIP. Oh my gosh, it must be a ghost ship, regular ships cant fly because they are heavier than air. BUT A GHOST SHIP IS LIGHTER THAN AIR BECAUSE A GHOST HAS NO WEIGHT," she gasped loudly in horror and excitement, her striped tail wagging excitedly as her rose colored eyes searched for the ghost crew. Aquaria was now a stowaway on a ghost ship and had to blend in with a crew she couldn't see! "Swab the poop decks you scallywags! Prepare to be boarded, Yarr!" she declared in a loud and proud voice as she closed one of her eyes and pretended to be a pirate. She knew how to talk like a pirate, and she reasoned that if she spoke like one, the 'ghosts', which didn't actually exist, would probably leave her alone.

The large griffoness perched atop the cabin and waited for the captain to exit his quarters. Hopefully he wouldn't notice she was a stowaway and make her walk the plank!

[moonshineTheleocat]

Java winced after a shadow came over him. And hearing a small thud behind himself. He sighed, remembering that he had actually taunted the world into throwing something at him. And there it was. Like the world or some higher being had replied to his decrees.

“Best to see what I was left with,” The now annoyed stallion hummed quietly to himself. His hoofs now lowering down onto the railing in front of him, while his torso twisted to let him look over his shoulder, and quickly spotted a Griffoness It appears he got stuck with a loon of all creatures. A white tiger with black strikes mixed in there. But she still had the appearance of a loon. But she also seemed to quite capable of the behavior.

Because before Java could even open his trap. She quickly spoke up. Saying something about how her boat was lost, and it not being anywhere near the water. The Stallion's head quickly recoiled backward as his eyes squinted into a confused leer. His lips pursed together as his mind RACKED it's self constantly to try and even comprehend what could possibly be going on in this Griffon's mind. And so, the only question he could muster came up. “What!?”

It chirped out of stallion with a tone as confused as he was. His head shaking as he asked the question, and ended in a canted tilt. However, his question wasn't answered. Instead the clearly more demented and odd ball of a character went on about the possibilities of his ship being a ghost ship. Naturally, he'd take it as an insult... as it was practically one when he first adopted it. But when her illogical deductions all summed themselves up. He repeated the question again. This time with an increase in octave, confusion, and even verbal punch.

“WHAT!?”

And then the little oddball began to speak in a horrible pirate accent. Using slangs that he was sure that most pirates now a days didn't even use. And she seemed to be Tatarus beant on ordering around an unexisting crew. Like she was the captain of his ship!

“WWWWHHHAAT!?” The pony yelled out again, this time tossing his hooves about as if he tried to grab some form of understanding in what's possibly going on.

[Gerrard]

Aquaria's rose-colored eye widened as she realized the captain had found her. She looked him over critically and gasped for reasons not clearly obvious. The striped hybrid was trying to figure out if he was a ghost like his ship 'clearly' was. When she couldn't see through him, the lifeguard figured out his secret, a smirk appearing on her excitable face.

He wasn't a ghost at all, he was actually a pegasus! You needed to be a flier to stand on a ghost ship without falling through, or so she theorized. "Oh hi cappn, nice to meet you. Err I mean good to see you again boss! I mix up my words when I'm excited, and I'm excited a lot," she giggled while trying to restrain her wild wiggling. It was clear that she wasn't a crew member, but she was doing her best to blend in. Her efforts of course where inadequate to say the least, the faux pirate forgetting to keep her 'damaged' eye closed as she giggled and tried to maintain a semi serious face.

Before she could go into more dialogue, she gasped in horror and charged the pony and scooped him up in a hug before squeezing him tightly. "Ahh, you lost your wings Mr. Peg! We gotta collect them before you fall through the ghost ship," she explained, clearly making a name for the pony because she didn't know his name. Her tail was wagging wildly as her chest feathers enveloped him as her dark clutches 'prevented' him from falling to his doom.