Kat arrives in Canterlot!!

Kat sighed and rubbed her growling stomach. I've been out here for days! she whined mentally, so hungry She closed her eyes, grabbing the sides of the boat.

She stood up weakly, and looked out across the ocean. In the distance, she saw a strip of land with ponies mulling about. A beach! Foooood!! she cheered, licking her lips. She grinned, holding her hat to prevent it from flying away with the wind. Her boat hit the sand and she flung herself out of it, landing on the soft ground.

"Hey! where's the food?!"

Brew was on the beach, gathering ingredients. He recalled a sense of déjà vu with that. He had come up here before but ingredients were low. Right now he needed a kind of sea urchin. He had stuck his head in the wave pools, and indeed found himself a good amount of them. He put them in his saddle bag and brought out a sandwich to eat, getting hungry.

Suddenly, a random mare sailed ashore and started asking about food. Brew thought a moment. Well, giving somepony food wasn't a romantic gesture. Just an act of kindness. He took a sandwich out of his bag and handed it to the aforementioned mare.

"There you go. I wasn't going to eat that one anyway- too much for me."

Things were happening at the beach. Things of both comfort and excitement. Wild Card was buried underneath the sand. Why? He chose to take refuge there. What reason? He had none. He just wanted to swim in the sand, as he called it. It was pretty nice down there, if you can bear sand in your mouth. He could hear voices coming from the surface. One asking for food.

Wild Card burst out of the sand, shook some off of himself, and spit some sand out. He greeted the two ponies with a very wide grin and hugs. They might be annoyed, but that's just how Wild greets.

"HI! I'M WILD CARD!" Wild looked towards the water and saw a large ship. He looked back and saw the mare. From what he could gather, it was her's. He looked at her again "Ooh! Are you a pirate! Pirates are cool!"

Cloud fluttered her wings, quietly tanning in a secluded corner of the beach. Her blonde locks were twisted up in a bun, and her wings were stretched across the sand in a relaxing position. She sipped a cocktail with a cute little umbrella stuck through the glass.

"Why didn't I do this sooner?" she asked herself. "It's quite nice out here. Quiet and relax-"

"Hey! Where's the food?!"

Cloud squeaked, startled, and somehow her cocktail ended up overturned on her head. She groaned and flapped into the water, shoving her face into the waves and clearing the stinging alcohol from her eyes.

"So much for peace and quiet," she muttered, glancing over to the pirate who had somehow got up the river and to the beach.

"Hey!" she yelled. "I was trying to tan in peace! I mean, um, could you please quiet down?"

Manners had escaped her for the moment, but the ballerina caught herself and sank into the water.

"Thanks!" Kat beamed, snatching the sandwich and devouring it with one bite, "That was delicious!"

Suddenly, a light grey stallion burst out of the sand, announcing his name. Kat laughed loudly,

"Nice to meetcha Wild Card! I'm Saphira Katianna! Kat for short. And yes, I am a pirate! I just need a better ship then this piece of junk." she grinned, kicking the small boat. Turning to the stallion who gave her the sandwich, "And you are?" she asked, tilting her head.

A mare called out to her, complaining about peace and quiet. Kat giggled and glanced at the blue pegasus, "Hey there!" she yelled, "Sorry!" though she wasn't. She turned back to the two stallions.

Brew smiled at Kat. She seemed nice enough. He watched her devour the sandwich in one go- big appetite that one.

"The name's Mixed Brew. I'm an alchemist down in ponyville. Nice to meetcha."

He saw another pony burst out of the sand. So this was the infamous Wild Card. Brew didn't really have an issue with this Stallion's mannerisms- there was probably a reason for it. He'd either grow out of it or at least live in blissful ignorance. Brew also noticed a rather angry looking mare moaning at them. He just laughed.

"Sorry friend, but this mare is in clear need of nourishment and supplies. I appreciate that you need your quiet and I can respect that, but Kat is clearly just bring friendly."

Brew grinned. He loved smooth talking like that. It was a talent of his, even if his main talent was alchemy. He looked at Kat, remembering there was a ship work nearby.

"If you're looking for a ship, there's a builder's bit up on the docks there." He pointed to the shipyard with his hoof. " I don't know about prices, but they're well made."

Wild Card beamed at the three ponies. He loved company. And one of them was a pirate. SHe had a funky name. Lots of letters. At least he nickname was short.

"YAR! Hello thar Kat! That be a mighty fine ship! YARRRR!!!!" He looked at the pony who was yelling at them for being too loud. She was pretty. Must have done something that requires you to be pretty. Wild Card waved a little bit too enthusiastically

"HELLO! I'm Wild Card! And buck peace and quiet! YAR!" Wild bounced in his place, ecstatic to be talking to these ponies. The only thing that would make this event better is jelly! "JELLY!"

Cloud sighed and pulled herself out of the water. She flapped her wings to dry out her mane and fur, and her curls settled gently around her shoulders.

"I'm truly sorry for seeming so rude. It's just my first break in three weeks, and I'm dead tired. I was hoping I could escape life for a bit, but it seems that isn't going to happen."

She picked up her empty broken glass with her teeth and trotted over to a trashcan, dropping it in and shutting the lid. She turned to the pirate and shrugged.

"Sorry. All I had was that cocktail, and I only got a sip. Speaking of that, I do need to get a new one, and there's a nice shack over there-" she pointed, "-right on the edge of the water. I'd love to treat you all. It's always nice to make new friends."

She giggled at Wild Card.

"They've got some nice jelly desserts, too, if you'd like some," she said. "After all, its not very often a Canterlotian mare can catch a break."

"OHHH!!" Kat screamed, smiling like there's no tomorrow. "A shipyard!! Thas perfect!!" she laughed, "hey, you, Wild Card. You're silly! I like you!! And thanks for the offer! I'd love a treat. What was your name?" She asked, turning to the Pegasus. "This is awesome!! Who knew Canterlot was this great!"

She beamed, strutting off towards the shack the mare had mentioned. Wow. What an odd bunch. An alchemist who lives in Ponyville, a completely insane stallion, and a most-likely important mare. Kat like this group! Perhaps they would be her friends?

As she waltzed in that direction, she hummed to herself. Not an actual song, but reall one word over and over. Food. She ran a hoof along her growling stomach, boy am I hungry! she grinned, laughing.

Brew nodded to the Pegasus. "Sounds like a plan."

He followed the group to the little bar. He leaned over, talking to the mare running the place. He ordered himself a drink, then leaned on the shack, looking out to sea. He looked at Kat.

"I kinda envy you. Being a pirate must be a lot of fun, what with all the adventure and treasure and such you get. I'd ask to join your crew if I didn't have the responsibility of a shop to own. Also, I don't think a stallion and a mare stuck alone at see would turn out very good for me." He looked at the Pegasus. "This is very nice of you. Sorry if I was a little rude back there- I just hate it if I think somepony is stuck up."

He sipped his drink, admiring the beach. The sea was a lovely shade of emerald. Celestia, did Brew love emeralds. Never knew why, but if emeralds were available he was in like a shot.

Wild Card hopped with the group to the food shack. He wasn't all that hungry, but who doesn't enjoy food? He was surprised the ponies were enjoying his company. Most times he was beaten or shunned or insulted. Which was then counteracted with his wackiness. He slid into the shack and started looking for food.

Wild looked at the food he could buy. It took him a while before he could find anything filled with or related to jelly. Some ponies wondered why he loved jelly so much. Mostly because it tasted like the food of the heavens. But there was a little dark secret behind it as well.

One mare he was somewhat interested in loved jelly. Of course, he's Wild Card and didn't get those feelings. So they weren't madly in love with each other. But he did really like her. She died, unfortunately, and the jelly is like a memory of her to him.

Wild pushed the sad and sob story thoughts out of his mind. He literally tried to. He punched himself in the head, then he forgot about it. He also forgot where he was for a minute. He bought some jelly filled cookies and trotted outside, enjoying every bite of them

Cloud sat on the barstool and ordered another cocktail, sipping at the alcohol and hoping it would help her relax. Her muscles were sore, her mind tired, and her ears sick of hearing classical music. But, such was life in the showbiz, and she had to go back tomorrow...

She groaned and gently layed a few bits on the counter to pay for everypony's food and drinks.

"Thanks," she said quietly, sipping again at her drink.

"Ooh! I'll take one of those, and one of these and also a few of those! " she shouted gleefully, pointing to each thing she wanted. The counterpony prepared her food, and she leaned back in her chair. She looked at the blue Pegasus, "hey! I didn't catch your name!" she laughed, placing a hoof on her head.  A black piece of cloth was tied around her mane, though it still caught with the wind. She also held onto her Katanas, just in case.

As Breew looked along the beach, he saw serving which instantly made him gallop straight for it and pick it up. He studied the roots of it, the leaves stretching out and the little flower on the top. He'd found a canvas root!

He yelled in exultation and danced happily along the beach, not noticing a couple of mares giving him looks at first. One rolled her eyes while the other giggled and waved to Brew, which instantly made him stop dead and run up to the shack and hide behind the counter, slipping the bartender a few bits to let him hide. He clutched his head, shivering and remembering Icy. She suffocated him with her kiss, squeezed the air out of his chest with her hug. He remembered his friends cheering him on, before realising he was crying...

He calmed down a bit, sitting up covered in sweat and a single tear running down his cheek. He wiped his face, then went back over to everypony else.

"Sorry about that. Look what I found! It's a canvas root. It strengthens any potion you add it into! I tell you, this is extremely necessary. I can plant it and grow more, and soon I'll be able to expand into different strengths of potions as well as volumes and types....."

He smiled happily, having repressed the thought of Icy.

Wild Card sat on the counter next to the two mares and swung his legs back and forth. He didn't have much to do, so he zoned out and went into his wacky little mind. He stared vacantly at nothing with his tongue out, drooling.

Wild thought of many different things. Rainbow colored kittens, tanks that shot frozen yogurt, and jelly filled crystal ponies. He remembers the first time he ever met one. He was mesmerized by the sparkles and their bodies. How does a pony become so shiny and stuff? Wild wished he could be like that.

While the party of the century was happening in his mind, Wild Card was staring off into space, drooling. If only they could see what went on in his mind...

Cloud grinned at the happy pony.

"My name's Cloud Dancer," she introduced. "Prima Ballerina of the Royal Canterlot Ballet. Glad I could help you out. It's like you haven't eaten in days."

The white stallion showed off his find, and Cloud smiled, the happiness rubbing off of her. These were good ponies. They were probably honest friends, too, unlike some of her dancers.

Cloud didn't have many friends besides her former Landmare, from whom she had received her house in Ponyville, and the mare who occasionally boarded there. She hoped these ponies could fill that void in her life.

Kat laughed, "You're spot on!" Grinning, she spun around in her chair delightfully as she eagerly awaited her food. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to face Brew quickly-only to fall off her spinning chair from the momentum.

"Ow." she giggled, standing. "Hey Brew! Why don't you then?" she asked, completely expecting him to remember what he had said before.

Brew raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't I what? If you mean to plant the canvas root, I only just got the stupid thing. I'll plant it when I get home."

He put the canvas root carefully into his saddle bag. If that thing broke he'd be disappointed, that's for sure. Brew then quietly drank, watching the antics of the other ponies. What a motley crew, so to speak. He then asked Kat something.

"Say, if you're a pirate shouldn't you have a crew? Seems a little weird to sail the seas on your own.

Wild Card was still spaced out on the counter, drooling and staring at nothing. He started moving his hooves around, as if he was actually touching something. His imagination was getting stronger than him, it seemed.

Wild leaned on his side and started touching Kat. He pokes her and rubbed her head with his hooves, like touching her was some once in a lifetime experience. He lightly slapped her cheeks a little bit and flipped onto his other side, looking at Brew.

Wild Card just kept a blank stare at Brew. He did nothing but look at him, his eyes wide open. Neither side knew what was going on. And it's pretty likely only one side found this normal

Cloud sighed and gazed out at the waves from the huge river, which was surprisingly warm for running freshwater. 

"How did you get up here, Kat?" she asked curiously. "We're pretty far upriver, and the current's going the other way. It must have taken a lot of work."

She fluttered her wings to get the sand out and took a sip of her drink again. 

"Wild Card, where do you live?" she asked curiously. "I think I've seen you before."

"That's what I meant. I don't have a crew, so I was asking why don't you join my crew. It would be useful to have an alchemist on board." Kat stated, staring at Brew. Earlier he had said he would join her crew, but...something. Randomly, she felt a pony's hooves on her face. "What the buck?" she pouted, turning to Wild Card. He sure was a strange one. Kat wondered if he could fight. But, for now, she had to deal with him.

"Get off." she said, pushing Wild's head into the sand, then returned to eating as if that was a normal every day thing.

"Huh? Oh, I dunno. I didn't do anything, I just sorta drifted." Kat replied, tilting her head at Cloud curiously.

Brew laughed a little at Kat.

"Well, I have responsibilities. A shop, friends, a pet tarantula to look after. I couldn't leave all that behind. Besides, I'm not the adventuring type."

He noticed Wild Card was staring at him. Brew put a leaflet over Wild's eyes. The stallion was amusing but the eyes and smile were just creepy. Still, Brew the pirate...madness. It would be fun sure and he'd find lots of exotic ingredients but he'd get himself killed.

Wild Card soon found himself face first in the sand because of Kat. He should have saw that coming. While having his face stuck in the sand, Wild stuck his flank up in the air and took a nap. His snoring could be heard quite clearly, even though his head was in the sand. There were times where his legs bucked or twitched a bit from certain dreams he had