The Sun Comes Out
#5 of The Griffon of Paradise: The Full Account
Tired. Weak. Keep falling asleep. No idea where I am.
This fucking sucks.
F
UCK
So cold
January? 1135
Okay, I'm FINALLY awake enough to sit up and write a full sentence. I haven't written anything over the past several days, and thanks to that I've lost track of times. The nights and days blurred together, and I don't even know if it's January anymore. Kept drifting in and out of consciousness from the cold. I'd check my watch, but the button to switch it to the date busted a year ago.
Dash, if you're reading, I still have that goofy ass Wonderbolts watch you gave me for my 14th birthday. You know the one with the cheesy catchphrases from each of the team's 1129 lineup? Hope you don't mind that I didn't wear it in Ponyville. I had an image to maintain (no offense).
But yeah, I've kept it with me. Even after our fight, I held onto it. There was a point where I was so mad, I considered dropping it overboard. I'm glad that I stopped myself. Else it would've been one more thing to be sorry for, and I've got too many of those already.
Speaking of considering stuff, just before my last stretch of memory fog, I remember scooping up some seawater in my hands. I almost drank it, Dash. I almost gave up. But then in the back of my head I thought about what you'd do in this situation. Then I thought about what you'd WANT me to do.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm still that scared little fledgling, looking for someone to raise her up like you did?
Anyways, thing is I was wrong back there in Ponyville. You're not lame at all. Shit, you're cooler than me by far. I just wish that I remembered that before I put you down in front of the others and stormed out.
Hey, if I ever get out of this, I'm gonna come back to Equestria, and we're gonna have a day all for you. Whatever you wanna do, we'll do it. Go to the bar? To a sports game? Hell, if you wanna bring Butterfly and that pink pony along, go for it!
But I gotta focus on the here and now. So there's some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the clouds are gone. I woke up to a bright, sunny morning. Even better, it's not even cold anymore. I pushed back the tarp to what felt like a mild summer day. I was even able to take my coat and sweatshirt off! Just how far did I drift these past few days?
Now for the bad news. I can't feel anything in my hands and feet but this fucking ache. Holding this pen is still awkward, and my fingers have started to turn black in places. I can't move two of the fingers on the left hand, and one on the right. Too scared to take my shoes off to see what my toes look like. I'm guessing gangrene has set in, in which case I might be screwed unless I find a way to cut them off without bleeding to death.
There are more, bigger cracks in my beak than before. They hurt like a bitch, but I can still chew. Most of them feel superficial, so now that I'm in warmer weather the smaller ones might heal. Gonna need surgery on this big one, though.
Holy shit, some more good news! I was just about to sign off from writing this when I looked up and saw land on the horizon. The current seems to be taking me straight toward it. And that's good, because I only have one oar on this boat and some busted planks. Even if I did have oars, I'm too weak to row.
I've been watching it grow closer. Looks like some kind of tropical island. It'd explain the sudden change in the weather. I REALLY must've drifted far!
Anyways, I'm not gonna look a gift pony in the mouth (again, no offense). This is probably my best shot at staying alive long enough to get back home. Damn good thing that this island is here. I'm down to the last bottle of water and pack of biscuits. Hopefully there's something better to eat there, and I'll be able to patch myself up.
I'll write more once I'm on land and gotten my bearings.
-Gilda