“I’m baaaack!”
Everyone stared at Pinkie as she grinned obliviously at the Marines, holding her pose for a few seconds. Then she dropped down on all four hooves again and scooped up the blades she had dropped, ignoring everyone else while she walked up to Rainbow Dash and held them out to her. “Two wingblades and one sword. These are all yours, right?”
Rainbow stared at her for a moment, then blinked and started to strain against her ropes again. “Don’t act like nothing happened! What the hay are you?! What was that?”
“I’m a rubber pony.” Pinkie unceremoniously dropped the blades and let them clatter to the ground, raising herself up on her hindlegs again to try and undo the knots on the ropes around Rainbow’s barrel. “Wait, let me get these for you…”
“What the hay are you all doing?!” A young voice filled with indignation shouted across the grounds, quickly followed by Diamond Tiara running onto the scene. She stopped to look at both the Marines and Pinkie’s group, stomping her hoof angrily. “What are you just standing around like that for? Why haven’t you killed them yet?! Rrrrgh… Shaggles! Shaggles! Get over here, right now!”
Several of the Marines flinched as a low growl behind them made their fur stand up. They quickly stepped aside, parting to let a huge male wolf through… easily larger than even the adult ponies and about three times as tall as the filly he belonged to. He looked around for a moment, finally focusing on Diamond Tiara.
Diamond stomped her hoof down again, then pointed it at Pinkie’s group. “Shaggles, sic ‘em! Attack! Go and kill those ponies, all of them!”
The wolf turned his head to look at the ponies its owner had pointed out, then growled again and slowly moved towards them, the rage and bloodlust in his eyes focused especially on Rainbow Dash as he remembered the mare that threw him through a window.
Rainbow gave a nervous glance at it, then looked down at Pinkie. “You know, this would be a really good time to finally untie me! What’s the holdup?!”
Pinkie chuckled sheepishly, a bit of sweat running down her forehead. “Uhm, don’t worry, I almost got it. I’ll take care of that wolf and everything as soon as I, uhm… get this one solved out.” She held up her forelegs, which had somehow tied themselves into a neat pink bow.
“Seriously?!” Rainbow let out an exasperated groan and started to pull against the ropes again, then let out an even louder yell. “Oh come on, you made them even tighter than before!”
‘Shaggles’ took another step towards them, the fur on his back standing up as he prepared to–
“Oh you poor thing.”
He stopped, directing a slightly confused expression at the yellow pegasus who had spoken, and who was even now stepping toward him. He took a step back, then flinched and growled at her, baring his fangs.
“Oh my, you are really hurting aren’t you? That’s a nasty limp you got there, Mr. Shaggles.” Fluttershy looked down at the wolf’s right front paw, then turned her head to direct as much of an angry glare as she was capable of towards Rainbow Dash. “Miss Rainbow, I think you accidentally broke poor Shaggles’ leg when you threw him out of that café. Now, I’m not saying anypony is at fault here, but the little guy seems to be in an awful lot of pain right now and I’m sure he would feel much better if he got an apology from you.” Shaggles pounced forward and snapped at her in the middle of her talk, but she stepped back and to the side to dodge without even looking at him.
“You... What… I… Seriously?” Rainbow tried and failed to move her foreleg to point at the wolf, who was even now jumping and snapping at Fluttershy again, forcing the mare another step back. “It attacked ponies!”
Fluttershy frowned. “First of, Mr. Shaggles is a ‘he’, not an ‘it’. But you are right, that really wasn’t… really wasn’t very nice of…” She dodged two more attacks and turned her head to frown at the wolf. “Listen, I know you are angry and hurting, but this behavior really isn’t making it any easier for me to help you.”
Shaggles let out another growl and jumped forward to snap at her. Fluttershy stepped to the side and raised a hoof to flick it against his ear, making him yelp in surprise and retreat a few steps.
Fluttershy sighed and shook her head, giving him a disappointed frown. “I tried to be nice, but if you want me to help you you need to calm down. The bone in your leg grew back together all wrong, and if I want to fix that it will really hurt for a moment. Now, if you are nice and just lie down like a good boy, I will give you something to make the pain go away and make you feel better until I’m done.”
Shaggles stared at her for a moment, visibly confused and unsure what he should do now. He turned his head to look at his owner and saw her glaring angrily at him.
“What are you waiting for! Kill her already, you stupid mutt!” Diamond Tiara stomped the ground and jumped around angrily, working herself into a tantrum.
Shaggles blinked, then turned back to Fluttershy and growled at her. He ducked down, ignoring the pain in his leg as he tensed and jumped at her.
“I really didn’t want to do this…” Fluttershy sighed and shook her head. She took a step to the right, staying just out of reach of the fangs as she grabbed the wolf’s right front paw with a hoof. Then she raised her other hoof, bringing it down at the wolf’s leg with one swift, practiced motion.
[CRACK]
“Arooooouuuuuuwwwwhhh!”
The entire execution grounds were silent, save for the quiet whimpering of Shaggles as he tried to make himself as small as he could. Everyone watched as Fluttershy gently and carefully bandaged the foreleg up to the paw, then started petting the large wolf.
“There we go, in a couple days you’re going to feel just like new again. Just try to stay off that paw until it has healed properly, okay? I knew you were a nice doggie, you were just scared and confused because your leg was hurting.” She put the bandages back into her saddlebags, pulling out three brown, bone-shaped dog treats instead. “Here you go, a little reward for being such a good boy now.”
She petted him a little longer, then looked up and turned her head to look at Rainbow Dash. “Now, I think somepony still–“
“I’msorryIthrewyouthroughawindowandbrokeyourleg!” Rainbow yelled in a high pitched staccato, eyes wide. Her head snapped down and she started to squirm around again. “Filly, get those ropes off me before she goes and breaks my leg next!”
The Marines stood frozen and stared at them for a few seconds before Morgan’s voice shook them out of their stupor again. “What are you imbeciles waiting for?! If guns don’t work, use your swords!”
The stallions flinched, fumbling a bit as they drew their swords one by one, holding the handles in their mouths as they charged forward towards Fluttershy. The pegasus whimpered and pulled Shaggles closer, trying to hide herself behind the wolf.
[Clang Clink Clang]
“What, seriously?” Rainbow smirked down at the other mare, talking effortlessly through the sword handle in her mouth. Her wings were bent over her back, holding back the swords of all the Marines at once, the edges of her blades shimmering a faint purple. “You take care of that wolf like it’s nothing, but these goons scare you?”
Pinkie grinned, nudging Scootaloo’s shoulder as the younger filly watched with wide eyes. “Oh, I totally need her for my crew now. Good idea cutting the ropes with her sword, by the way. Quick thinking.”
Morgan growled through his beak, watching. “Can’t you idiots take down even one mare?”
“W-we’re trying to, but we can’t break through! This is crazy!” One of the Marines yelled back, wincing as his sword started to slip a little.
Rainbow chuckled, glancing back at the stallions. “Sorry guys, but for you I don’t even have to break a sweat. Come back when you’re a bit stronger.” The purple shimmer in her blades faded into a faint red as she tensed, whirling around and knocking back all twelve stallions at once.
“I don’t know why I expected more of you. It looks like I will have to take care of these intruders myself.” Rainbow turned her head to see Morgan walking towards her, spreading his wings. The large griffon looked down at her for a second, then flapped his wings once and turned, shooting towards Pinkie Pie instead. “The devil fruit user first!”
“Duck!” Pinkie shoved Scootaloo aside and jumped in the other direction, narrowly evading Morgan’s attack. The griffon’s large axe hit the ground and cracked it open, a shockwave of the strike traveling forward and splitting the wooden cross Rainbow had been tied to neatly in two.
“Wow, you really are strong. Duck!” Pinkie held her hat as she crouched down, Morgan’s axe swishing over her head.
“I’m a Marine Lieutenant! You are no match for me!” Morgan swung his axe the other way, lower this time.
“Duck!” Pinkie jumped over the strike, rolling around once in the air before her back hooves shot out, extending and hitting the griffon’s head. “Goose!” The griffon let out a garbled yell at the hit, being kicked backwards and ending on his back. The griffon groaned and raised his head, then fell down again, staying on the ground.
“Everypony freeze!” Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy all turned around to look at Diamond Tiara. The filly was holding a revolver, aiming at Scootaloo from two steps away. “Can’t any of you do anything right? You three, stop fighting or this filly is dead!”
Scootaloo was trembling, staring at the gun before she turned her head towards Rainbow Dash in fear. “I-I… I don’t…”
“Hey Squirt…” Rainbow closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again and gave the pegasus filly a cocky smirk. “You’re not gonna let some bully push you around like that are you?”
Diamond Tiara took a step back. “W-what? Stop spouting nonsense, you featherbrain! I have a gun here, drop your weapons already!”
Rainbow ignored her, keeping her eyes on Scootaloo instead. “You snuck into this base twice to help somepony you barely knew. I like your guts, kiddo… you’re gonna be a great mare someday, I’m sure of it.”
Scootaloo stared at her for a moment, then gulped and closed her eyes, stopping her shaking. “I-I…” She opened her eyes and turned back to Diamond Tiara. “I’m gonna work to become strong and awesome like Rainbow Dash! And I’m not scared of you!”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Rainbow Dash smirked, stretching her wings. “But you’re still a filly yet. How about me and my new friends help you out this time?”
Pinkie gasped, eyes sparkling. “You mean you wanna be friends with me after all?!”
Rainbow rolled her eyes, but smirked. “Eh, at the very least you’re gonna make life interesting. On one condition, though…” She moved her wing towards Diamond Tiara.
“Aaaaaalready on it!” Pinkie grinned and shut one eye to aim, angling her hoof back. “Gummy Gummy…”
“W-wait! Stop that! Uncle, do something!” Diamond looked up behind Pinkie, where the large shadowed form of Lieutenant Morgan had stood up and was looming over the mare again, axe raised to strike.
“Pistol!”
Pinkie’s foreleg extended forward, the hoof hitting Diamond Tiara straight in the face and knocking her out, the gun falling to the ground harmlessly. Pinkie retracted her arm again, holding the pose for a moment without turning around. “Nice one…”
She fell back on all four again, still not turning around as the griffon behind her slowly keeled backwards, eyes white and several large cuts across his chest. “…Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow turned back around from where she stood behind Morgan to give her a cocky smile, a faint blue glow slowly fading from the edges of her blades. “The future pirate queen, huh? You won’t make that with such a small crew… how’s the world’s fastest pegasus sound for a crewmember?”
Pinkie grinned and turned around as well. “You sure about that? I know what I said, but I really don’t want to bully you into anything.”
Rainbow shrugged, acting aloof. “Yeah, sure, why not. I’ve already been branded a criminal here, might as well act like it.” She slumped a little and looked down. “And, well… almost dying here, like this. It made me realize something.”
She looked up again, narrowing her eyes and pointing a hoof at Pinkie. “We both have pretty ridiculous goals, and if I want to reach mine I need to work myself a lot harder than I’ve been doing. So don’t you dare slack off and fall behind, Pirate Queen, or I can’t accept you as a captain.”
Pinkie just grinned, extending her foreleg a bit to bump Rainbow’s hoof while her other foreleg went through a set of peculiar motions. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. That’s a Pinkie Promise, and I never break a Pinkie Promise.”
Rainbow chuckled, relaxing a bit. “Well then, you got yourself a navigator. If that position isn’t already taken, I mean.”
“Oooh, you can navigate? That would be supertastic, being lost at sea is no fun at all, even with friends.”
Rainbow poked her own head. “Pegasus instincts and I had a good tutor for it. Trust me, I almost always know where I am and where to go.” She turned around. “Now let’s get out of here before those Marines wake up or get reinforcements.”
Pinkie, Fluttershy and Scootaloo all stared at her, watching as their new navigator walked away from the gate and towards the main building of the Marine base. Fluttershy shuffled a hoof, speaking up timidly. “Uhm, Miss Rainbow Dash? I, uhm… I think the exit is this way. I-if you don’t mind me saying I’m sorry.”
Rainbow froze, standing still for a few seconds. Then she began to tremble and burst into laughter. “Ohmygosh, I wish I could’ve watched your faces. Did you really all think I… I mean, nopony could possibly be that bad at directions.” She turned and walked past them, still giggling to herself. “Totally nailed it.”
The other three stared after her for a moment, before Pinkie suddenly giggled and bounced after the pegasus. “Oooh, I like her. I think we’ll get along just superiffically.”
~~~~~
“Nice ship.” Rainbow plopped down on her rump in the little dingy, putting her saddlebags down next to herself.
“You, uhm… don’t think it’s a bit small?” Fluttershy asked, eyeing their new companion nervously.
“Pfff, nah. It’s not like mine was any bigger.” Rainbow waved off. “We should probably get a real ship at some point, but for now this is just fine for getting to the next island.” She lay down, crossing her forelegs behind her head just like Pinkie was doing on the other side of the boat. “Bit of a shame the kid couldn’t be here to see us off, but I guess it doesn’t matter where we said our goodbyes.”
Fluttershy nodded softly. “I think it’s nice that she wants to clean the house before her mother comes home. Must be hard, having parents who are away so much.”
“Eh, you get used to it.” Rainbow closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.
“Hey, Pirate! Pinkie Pie!”
Her ears twitched and she opened her eyes again, sitting up and turning around to look back to the port. “Hey, isn’t that brat number two? What’s she doing here?”
Silver Spoon was running down the pier, stopping at the edge to shout after them. “I signed in with the Navy, you hear me?! Next time we meet, I’ll arrest you!”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow, glaring back at the filly. “Is she serious? Man, what a brat… Hey Captain, you wanna say something to that?”
Pinkie didn’t move, grinning under the brim of her head. “Just wait a moment.”
Back at the pier, Silver Spoon tensed and grit her teeth, then snapped up a foreleg in salute, eyes closed as she screamed after the boat. “Thank you for everything!”
~~~~~
“So, why are you helping me? Aren’t you with that other filly?”
Silver Spoon didn’t look up, focusing on their destination instead. “I’m not some kind of lap dog who’s always by her side.” She stopped, turning to a door and pulling out a key. “This is her room. The bounty hunter’s weapons are in there…” She pulled the key away again. “But before I let you in, I need to ask a favor of you. You see, I always wanted to join the Navy and become a Marine.”
Pinkie tilted her head a bit. “I won’t leave any of my friends here for your arrest, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Silver Spoon shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. It does have to do with staying here, though.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at Pinkie confidently. “You’re a pirate right? You broke into a Marine base twice for somepony you apparently don’t even know. If you’re really as strong as your acting… I need you to defeat the Lieutenant!”
Pinkie blinked, then giggled. “Wow. You’re really bad at being a Marine, aren’t you?”
“It’s not a joke!” Silver Spoon stomped her hoof, then pointed it at Pinkie. “This whole base is rotten at the core, and it’s Morgan’s fault! As long as he is the Lieutenant of this town, I can’t join the Marine and feel good about it, but nopony on the island could hope to stand up to him.” She faltered a bit, tearing up. “And I’m too weak to do anything…”
She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked up, seeing Pinkie smiling down at her. “You’re not too weak to do anything. You got me to help, didn’t you?” The mare snatched the key and unlocked the door, walking inside and looking around with a thoughtful smile. “A Marine who isn’t too proud to ask a pirate for help? That’s either very strong or very stupid.
Silver Spoon just stared at her as Pinkie found the blades and started strapping them to her back. The filly grit her teeth and looked down, then blurted out, “Just so you know, I’ll tell everypony you held me hostage!”
~~~~~
Silver Spoon slowly put down her hoof again, staring after the boat. Another pony suddenly stepped up next to her, causing her to flinch and look up. Her eyes widened as she recognized the yellow earth pony stallion as Warrant Officer Gunpoint, Morgan’s second in command and now the leader of the base by default. “W-Warrant Officer? I wasn’t… I mean, I-I didn’t.”
The stallion took a deep breath, then saluted sharply, looking after the boat. “Thank you, Straw Hat!”
“Thank you, Straw Hat!”
Silver flinched again, turning around to find the entirety of the Marine base behind her, all of them saluting as one. She stared at them in disbelief, not sure if she was really seeing what she did.
Gunpoint lowered his hoof again, then turned around to his subordinates. “Men, we just saluted a group of pirates. Is that acceptable?!”
“Sir, no, Sir!”
“I think three days without food sounds like an appropriate disciplinary action, don’t you?!”
“Sir, yes, Sir!”
“Then get back to base! We have a mountain of food we’re not gonna eat and the town is hungry! Double time it, I don’t want anything to spoil just because you move at the pace of snails!”
“Sir, yes, Sir!”
The Marines turned as one, marching down the street back to the base. Gunpoint took a step, then stopped and turned his head to look down at silver. “Did I stammer? Get your hooves moving, Marine!”
Silver jumped, then gasped and grinned, running after the others. “Sir, yes, Sir!”
~~~~~
“Hellooooooo, Shells Town!”
Pipsqueak looked over the small harbor town with an excited grin, his small pirate boat tied to the pier behind him. “The first step on my journey. I wonder if Fluttershy and that pirate mare were here, too. Aww man, I bet all the strongest ponies here already joined her crew.”
He pondered, then stomped his hoof. “Well, that just means I have to look even harder! I bet I’ll find the perfect crewmember in this town.”