• Published 19th Sep 2016
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Hecate's Orphanage - BlackRoseRaven



Cadence and other ponies from across countless parallel worlds work together to protect their universe from monsters.

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Rulers Of The Sea

Chapter Thirty: Rulers Of The Sea
~BlackRoseRaven

Jeanne de Brittany had ordered the quartermaster to assemble all their armor and weapons, as Freya had asked, and now Cadence was digging through the paltry pile of weapons for anything that was useful. La Croix was currently warding the ship, and Freya had fortified the wood, and to the surprise of the crew, removed the masts and sails. She was now transfiguring the wood into something else, while their dragon-boat tugged the much larger ship easily along through the water. But at least they would be a little harder for the enemy to spot, even if Freya had left a pole standing tall to fly a flag on, at the request of Jeanne.

The pirates and their captain clearly didn't like what was happening to their ship, and how Freya and Team 0-0 had taken over, but Cadence thought that the fact they were letting it all happen, even helping out with it, said everything they needed to know about this ragtag crew. They were willing to sacrifice this ship, which had served as fortress and home for months, in order to see their vengeance through to the end, and Cadence had the feeling that meant Salazar had done some truly terrible things to each and every one of these poor souls on board.

But there wasn't a lot of time to think about that, as she finally selected another stained but usable sword and tossed it into the pile of salvageable weapons, the mare pointing at this and saying to the pirates warily lurking nearby: “All of these need to be cleaned and sharpened. The rest of these are either broken or... well...”

Cadence picked up a rusted sword, grimacing a bit at the intimidating-looking blade that would doubtlessly break off the moment it was struck, and likely wouldn't be able to saw through even the cheapest leather armor. “Broken.”

The pirates mumbled disconsolately, but then they both nodded and went to work, so Cadence only picked up the rusted and crappy equipment and strode back up and out to the deck. She carried the tools over to the small workbench Freya had either magicked out of the air or forced the pirates to bring up for her, and the Valkyrie gave her a smile of thanks as she looked briefly up from the severed mast that was beginning to look steadily more... serpentine, Cadence thought.

But instead of letting herself be distracted, she headed quickly to the prow, where her father was leaning over the front of the ship, breathing quietly in and out as black crystal slowly spread over the hull, gradually armoring the front of the ship in solid gemstone. He glanced up at her as she approached, and she smiled at him, reaching up to silently rub a hoof over the purifier on his back before she grasped gently into his shoulder. “Don't push yourself too hard.”

“I won't, Cadenza. We still have time.” Sombra promised, and Cadence nodded back before she turned with a sigh to head towards the rear of the ship, where the enormous steering wheel was located, and La Croix was simply sitting, watching with amusement as Moonflower and Jeanne argued bitterly.

“'Spretty amazing, Cygne. It's like Moony's reflection come to life. 'Cept, you know, she be a she and all.” La Croix said mildly, and Cadence sighed as she looked at the two for a few moments before whistling sharply.

Moonflower and Jeanne both winced and spun towards her, then yelped as they painfully whacked their heads together, Cadence reflecting that at least this spared her a little bit of time punishing the two idiots as she said dryly: “Have either of you done what you were told?”

“Yes!” they both exclaimed at once, and Cadence didn't know if she wanted to smile or just smack them both. They really did seem eerily similar, she reflected... I never imagined there'd be another Moonflower. Mare or not.

“Once Sombra is finished, I'll energize the armor. He should be careful, though. I don't like how much Freya is overworking him.” Moonflower said pettishly, and Cadence smiled despite herself at this. “I also do not think this is a good idea.”

“Well... I do not agree with Morpheus but I do not disagree with him, either.” Jeanne said grumpily, raising her head with a sniff before she paused and leaned to the side, peering towards the prow of the ship as she added: “And who is that handsome stallion, anyway? He's so calm. So rational. So pleasant. Unlike a certain other stallion who spends all his time talking about himself, preening, monologuing and rambling away as if anyone even cared what he had to say; as if people wanted to take all the time and effort of listening to every last word that-”

Cadence cleared her throat loudly, and Jeanne winced a bit as Moonflower scowled, but didn't say anything. “That is my father, Sombra.”

“Oh. Your father. He must be very wise. He's certainly very handsome for... how old are you? You can't be that old. Seventeen? You're still a filly, really!” Jeanne said encouragingly, although Cadence twitched at the unconscious patronization. “So he's... definitely not-”

“My father is more than a thousand years old.” Cadence said stiffly, and Jeanne stared blankly before the mare added grouchily: “He's about fifty years older than I am. I am not a filly.”

“Oh, I... I didn't mean it that way! You're just so... pretty! And young... looking! Young-looking!” Jeanne said hurriedly, shaking her head wildly before she gave an awkward grin. “Gosh, would you... your mane is so... in... control. And your tail, is so... your coat is very white!”

“Thanks. I really appreciate that.” Cadence said dryly, and Jeanne smiled awkwardly before the mare shook her head. “Just... spend less time arguing and more time doing what you're supposed to be doing, please.”

Both ponies nodded lamely, mirroring each other almost perfectly, and Cadence looked between the two for a moment before she shook her head quickly and turned to walk away, muttering under her breath as she headed back down to the main deck to talk to Freya, to see what else she could do.

The Valkyrie didn't look up from what she was doing as Cadence approached, but said mildly: “Funny, seeing you taking out your foul temper on those two. They're just idiots, you know. Not much more than that. It's like you're shouting at dwarves, they won't learn.”

Cadence only grumbled a little, but she felt embarrassed as she looked away before Freya added: “Give me a few minutes and I'll be done with this. If you want something to do, though, scout the skies and let me know what you see.”

Cadence nodded after a moment, then she leapt up into the air, admittedly glad for the few minutes she could get to herself in the skies. She enjoyed flying, anyway: it gave her that wonderful sense of getting away from the world that she needed sometimes, of being completely in control in a universe where she normally felt she was at the mercy of every whim, twist of fate, and the strange spirit that was locked away inside her own body.

Her wings flapped, taking her up into the deep morning skies as her sharp eyes looked back and forth, tracing over the wispy clouds above that formed a blurry blanket over the stars. Or beneath the stars, technically, she supposed, as let herself drift backwards and fly upside down for a few moments, the mare sighing softly as she let herself glide upside down for a few moments before she allowed herself to simply fall.

She gazed out at the world as she fell towards the sea, her eyes looking back and forth. Time seemed to slow down for her as she dropped, her eyes drawing quickly over the horizon as she felt herself taking in every last detail of the world around her, as far as these cloudy, pre-morning skies would let her see.

She caught herself only a few feet above the water, her wings flapping powerfully, her entire body twisting to shoot above the top of the water with such force that she kicked up a spray with her passage. She smiled briefly to herself, taking a breath and closing her eyes for a moment as she shot in the direction of the ship's heading, raising herself slightly higher to avoid disturbing the water too much as her mind processed everything she had seen.

Faint luminescence from the clouds above; a touch of unnatural light at the horizon. A geometric blackness against the glittering dark waters far away. They weren't alone out here, in spite of how peaceful the night seemed, and how calm the air felt: one wrong move, and they would glide into view of the enemy.

She stayed low over the water as she streaked through the air, her wings carrying her easily as her eyes roved back and forth. Everything was so beautiful, but beneath all that beauty, there were so many dangers, above, below, and lurking on the waves.

She couldn't imagine how anyone could ever relax in these seas.

Cadence took a slow breath, then arched her back and flapped her wings firmly to launch herself higher into the skies, sailing up into the air as she judged she'd covered a safe distance from the ship now. As she sailed upwards, she spun slowly in a circle, her wings carrying her in a graceful corkscrew as she took in the entire world around her: she seemed to dance through the air, yet her dance was not for the beauty, or the thrill of it, but out of duty and the desire to keep her friends and compatriots safe.

She twisted backwards in the sky, then flapped her wings firmly, streaking back through the air towards the ship. It only took her a few minutes to return, and she landed by Freya before frowning curiously as she realized the mast-serpent the Valkyrie had been building was gone.

“Don't you worry about that. Tell me what you saw out there, Swan.” Freya preempted before the mare could say anything, and Cadence nodded as she felt the Swan twist impatiently inside of her.

“We have a lot of hostiles in the area. There's likely aerial scouts on some cloud islands, a ship to the southeast, and what I'm guessing our target is... twenty miles away? There's a lot of light on the horizon, but no visual confirmation past that.”

“Be careful, Swan. Sometimes your eyes play tricks on you.” Freya said mildly, her own gaze flicking up towards the cloudy, dark skies above. “Kirin lanterns and cloudfire can both be used to draw attention, while the scouts and soldiers wait somewhere else. And judging a distance on the sea is much harder than judging on dry land. You'll need to learn a new set of skills if you want to survive out here, Swan.”

“I don't really want to survive out here. I look forward to being back on dry land.” Cadence answered with a grimace, and Freya only laughed.

“But it's such an exciting change from the usual, isn't it? It puts me in a fair mood, to adventure on the sea like this, to enjoy a challenge that's so much different from the usual!” Freya replied cheerfully, and then she shook her head before continuing in a calmer voice, as her smile toned down slightly at Cadence's sour look: “Don't worry your pretty little head now, Swan, I'll get you and yours through this. Besides, most of the fighting will be done on land and air, just as you prefer.”

“I really would. I've had some bad experiences with ships lately.” Cadence said moodily, and Freya snorted in amusement before the mare hesitated, then asked: “Should we be on alert, then?”

“No. I highly doubt we can sneak this ship all the way to the island: as a matter of fact, the cover of darkness might even work against us.” Freya answered, gesturing around at the deck, and even though it was lit minimally by only a few scattered torches, Cadence couldn't help but nod in agreement with a bit of a grimace. Between that, the noise the pirates made, and the sheer size of the ship, they were unfortunately an easy target.

Freya turned her eyes calmly back ahead, and then she said softly: “The best we can do for now, Danzsöngr, is prepare for the inevitable battle ahead. I'm sure you're eager for that, though, whether you're fond of the water or not.”

Cadence looked uncomfortably away, and Freya smiled slightly before her eyes flicked towards Jeanne as the pirate captain approached, her head held high and rigid, her posture fearless, even if her eyes flicked nervously towards Cadence as she declared: “Everything is ready, and we are closing in on the enemy. I'd say we're fifteen leagues or so from the island.”

“You were quite a ways off, Danzsöngr. But like I said. The ocean is different, especially when it's calm like this.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence scowled grumpily. What the hell was a league, anyway? “How fast are we moving, Jeanne?”

Jeanne frowned a bit, and then she said awkwardly, as she looked towards the prow of the ship: “Well, you would know better than I how fast your tugboat moves, but... I would say... a little over twenty knots?”

“Correct. So you have two hours to get ready for the conflict. Once we're within a few leagues, we'll stop and get ready.” Freya replied with a slight smile, her eye flicking towards Cadence. “That goes for you too, Swan.”

“I'm not the Swan.” Cadence said before she could stop herself, and Freya looked at her mildly before the mare mumbled: “I'm not... Danzsöngr, either. I'm Cadence.”

“You are who you are, that's all you are.” Freya replied with a shrug, and Cadence frowned at the Valkyrie before Freya gestured towards the back of the ship as she continued: “Now, if you need someone to cuddle and coddle you and cheer you up, why don't you go talk to your father? He seems to have no problem treating you like a little filly who can't take care of yourself. But I don't need Cadence's whining right now, I need Danzsöngr to be ready.”

Cadence ground her teeth together slowly, but then she forced herself to simply take a breath and nod. Jeanne shifted uncomfortably, and Cadence began to turn away, before she stumbled and looked over her shoulder in surprise when Freya added almost casually: “And you, Jeanne, can stop all this pretending. You're no lioness and you're no pirate captain. You're just a hurt, scared pony who lost... her family, I would wager, to Salazar and his forces.”

Jeanne mouthed wordlessly, and then she began to snarl, before Freya continued, cruelly offhand: “And you were either his acolyte or his slave. Which was it? Were you a prisoner or a whore?”

Jeanne's eyes flashed with hurt and shock that quickly turned to fury, the mare lunging as her horn crackled with power, but a moment later she was face-first on the deck, pinned under one of Freya's hooves as the Valkyrie slowly leaned down and whispered in her ear, while the mare trembled uselessly beneath her: “I ask, Jeanne, because I won't be the victim of any last-minute betrayals, and nor will I have you ruining everything by running into battle with a false face on, only to have it torn off at the wrong moment and these dregs and scum and outlaws turn on us. Nor am I much of one for angst or sad stories.”

The pirate captain struggled free, yanking herself away from Freya, but the Valkyrie only smiled when the mare straightened before her with her horn crackling with energy, and her gorgeous mane disheveled as she fought back tears. But after a moment, Jeanne won the battle against the emotions making her body shake before she leaned forwards and whispered: “He is mine to kill. That is all you need to know, Madame Freya.”

“Don't steal overlooked names from history books. Stealing from a story to improve your own glory is as bad as stealing from the dead.” Freya chided, and then she glanced away before saying dismissively: “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do while you little girls go play house.”

Freya turned and walked away, and Cadence looked at Jeanne as the pirate captain hung her head in silence. She remained quiet until Cadence hesitantly stepped towards her, then reached up and gently touched her shoulder, saying softly: “Sorry. Freya can be... hard to deal with.”

Jeanne looked up for a moment, and then she smiled briefly, nodding once before she looked down and whispered: “How did she know?”

“Honestly? She just... knows things.” Cadence drew her eyes over Jeanne, and then she suddenly looked up and shouted: “Moonflower! Get over here!”

At the back of the ship, Moonflower winced, and Jeanne flinched before she shook her head vehemently, beginning: “No, stop it, I do not need to be humiliated in front of him of all ponies on top of everything else, and-”

Moonflower cocked his head curiously as he approached, and before Jeanne could run away, Cadence quickly caught her and said quietly: “Moonflower, don't be an asshole for five minutes. Jeanne, why don't you take Moonflower downstairs and have him help with... something, he learns fast. You two should talk. Just... talk. Moonflower, talk to her.”

Moonflower frowned at this, and Jeanne looked uncomfortably away, but after almost a minute, both ponies sighed before Jeanne said moodily: “Very well. I suppose... all will know of my...”

She looked away silently, and then she gestured with her head to Moonflower, and the stallion frowned before she mumbled: “Come along, then, Morpheus, oh... god of darkness and nonsense. You... can help me... map.”

“I... my name... really is Moonflower. I get... carried away, at times, with the character I created for myself. It was always silly, really, though.” Moonflower said awkwardly when Cadence glared at him, and Jeanne rose her head in surprise before the black stallion smiled hesitantly at the captain, silently lowering his head towards her. “I uh... I apologize if I have come across as... unpleasant. But you simply remind me of me. A younger, brasher, more foolish me, who still had so much to achieve, to find his place in the world, to understand...”

He chuckled quietly, and Jeanne smiled a little more at him before she nodded silently. And Cadence smiled herself as she sat back a little and watched as the two left, before she blushed a bit as her father's voice said softly: “That was very kind of you, Cadenza.”

“I'm... I'm not Danzsöngr. Sometimes I just have to remind myself of that, and that there's better ways to get people to open up, to trust us and each other, to... solve problems, then by just...” Cadence laughed a little, shaking her head and blushing a little. “I don't know what I'm saying.”

“I do. And I'm proud of you.” Sombra said softly, and then he stepped forward and embraced her, and Cadence hugged him tightly back with a smile as she let herself relax completely for a moment, safe in her father's limbs.

From the prow, Freya chuckled quietly as she shook her head slowly before she turned her gaze ahead, silently surveying the dark waters, and reflecting quietly that perhaps Hecate had chosen her Orphans with more wisdom than she had thought.

Cadence loathed what they had to do, but she was as ready as she'd ever been for it, as she carefully checked over her equipment before grumbling under her breath as she adjusted the rifle on her back. As long as it was protected by the same magic they would be enshelling themselves in, it was probably the one tool she had that would actually work underwater.

In the distance there were two enormous ships, just on the very edge of the horizon in front of a massive blotch. The skies above them were stained with dark swirls and strange stains of luminescence, as if lightning had been permanently trapped in some of the cloud formations. For a few moments, Cadence studied the sky, but then Freya whistled sharply and brought her back down to earth, the Valkyrie saying calmly: “You all know the plan. We move in beneath the water, and we sabotage those warships. Once we give the signal, we move in immediately on the island, and we'll be counting on your crew to provide us backup. I hope that these outlaws of yours aren't cowards, Jeanne. And you had best be right for your own sake.”

Jeanne only scowled at this, raising her head slightly: her fancy admiral's outfit had been replaced by a more streamlined set of body-hugging clothes, her mane tied tightly back into a bun and a belt of tools cinched tight around her waist. “They'll do their jobs, Madame Freya. You do not need to worry about that.”

“Just keep your hooves off your new coltfriend.” Freya said mildly, and Moonflower and Jeanne looked at each other with revulsion, although there was definitely more friendliness between then now, Cadence thought. But she'd figured that once the two figured out they had more in common than their showboating, arrogance, and bad habit of monologuing, they'd actually get along, although now Cadence couldn't help but wonder with a bit of sour amusement whether or not they had the same taste in stallions.

Freya turned around, looking up at the dark sky before she said softly: “Visibility will be lower than I expected. The sun should have started to rise by now, but there's too much dark magic poisoning the air, and blocking out the sky. Whatever you hate him for, Salazar is not the true threat here.”

Jeanne frowned, but La Croix only looked up and said hesitantly: “With all due respect, Mademoiselle Freya... I think we best not underestimate any of these cocodrils. I ain't too fond of the thought of gettin' near that island with all that miasma in the air. You don't go wanderin' into the bayou without a plan.”

“We have a plan. Go in, kill everyone, leave.” Freya replied with a shrug and a slight smile, and the zebra winced a bit as Sombra sighed and shook his head, but Cadence only shifted impatiently. She knew that this was all probably a bad idea, but the Swan was getting anxious, and much as she hated what they had to do, all the same, part of her was hungry for it, and longed for the coming battle.

Freya looked over the ponies assembled before her, and then she straightened and became serious, saying in a colder voice: “We move quickly,, and we have to strike without mercy, whatever your 'feelings' on the subject. We cannot allow this enemy to understand what is going on, or we lose all our advantages, and then we all die. Moralize if you want, but at the end of the day, they die, or we die.”

The others nodded, Jeanne biting her lip nervously as La Croix grimaced and Moonflower winced, but Cadence and Sombra only looked calmly up at Freya, as the Valkyrie smiled slightly before continuing quietly: “But if we do this right, we make sure as many of you boys and girls come back alive as we can, and that only those who had to die will be dead. So let's get this right.”

Freya looked over the ponies for a moment, but she seemed to be pleased by whatever she saw, as her smile widened slightly before she nodded firmly once before flicking her head to the side. “Line up here, in front of the plank. And hope that this magic holds.”

They did as instructed, and Freya turned her eye out towards the pirates, who were all watching nervously from the deck. The minotaur she had taken down earlier hesitantly rose a hand and waved at her, and Freya tossed him a wink, making him blush a little before she called clearly: “To all of you scurvy dogs, or whatever you call yourselves: remember to watch for the signal, and to fight with the strength of the bear when we call you forward! You sea snakes will act with strength and honor, or you will at least die on your hooves like warriors!”

The pirates shifted nervously, and Jeanne looked anxiously at Freya as she whispered: “I don't think that is quite the way to motivate them...”

“Oh, I don't want them motivated. The slower they move in, the more we get to kill ourselves.” Freya replied conversationally, and Jeanne stared as Cadence sighed tiredly, somehow feeling like the Valkyrie wasn't just telling some twisted joke. “No. They need to know what they're up against. They need to know that aye, some of them will die, if they try and face this evil. And they need to be prepared to give their lives for our cause, just as we are.”

Jeanne shifted uneasily, and then she finally gave a hesitant nod before looking up towards her crew, shouting: “All of you have already given your lives and souls to this cause! We are pirates! We are the scourge of the sea! We rule these waters, and we shall not let these scum take the oceans from us, as they have taken everything else!”

There were a few shouts of agreement, but all the pirates looked more intent now, straightening and looking down at Jeanne with renewed belief in their eyes, with rising passion, with growing strength, and Cadence had to admit, Jeanne seemed to know just what to say to motivate her crew. And more than that, they seemed loyal to her: certainly more loyal than Salazar's mercenaries were to him, Cadence reflected.

Freya chuckled quietly, then she reached up and caught Jeanne by the shoulder, giving her a brief squeeze. “Enough speeches. It's time to move.”

Jeanne nodded after a moment, but she gave one more brief smile out to her crew before she turned around and took a breath. Her horn glowed brightly, and a moment later, a bubble appeared around her head, her voice echoing faintly as she said hesitantly over her shoulder: “This is easy enough magic to replicate...”

Cadence and Sombra's own horns lit up, and they both formed bubbles around their own heads: the magic was simple, but Cadence admittedly wasn't as confident she could keep up the concentration necessary to maintain it under the water. Then her father tilted his head towards her, and she blushed a little as she felt the enchantment spreading over the holstered rifle as well, the stallion saying softly: “Remember, mi amore. We need every advantage that we can get.”

“Right, Daddy. Okay.” Cadence replied quietly, smiling briefly at him before she took a breath and turned around, looking down into the deep, dark ocean, and without waiting for Freya's order, she simply jumped.

She splashed down into the water, followed a few moments later by the rest of her team. Moonflower scowled horribly as he sank slowly towards the bottom of the ocean, his forelegs crossed and a bubble around his head, while Sombra looked as relaxed as ever, and bubbles and ripples passed through La Croix's ethereal body, Cadence envying his ability to become a spirit more than she ever had before in this murk.

A moment later, Jeanne crashed down, flailing wildly through the water and sinking past them before Freya dropped into the ocean, the same enchantment around her own head as she glared at Cadence. But Cadence wasn't fooled this time: the Valkyrie was appraising her, not frustrated that she had decided to take the first step.

“Alright.” Freya said, her voice strangely muffled by the bubble and the water all around them. “As Cadence has so kindly pointed out, there's no point in wasting any further time. We move in by serpent, and as I feel I must remind you yet again... we show no mercy.”

Cadence nodded quickly, and there were no arguments from any of the others. Freya surveyed them for a moment more, and then she whistled loudly; or at least, as loudly as the muffling of the bubble and water would allow her to.

After only a few moments, the waters stirred around them, and then Cadence looked down in surprise as what looked like a massive snake came rushing up towards them from the depths. Cadence's amazement only deepened as she realized after a moment that this creature had once been the mast of the ship, which Freya had apparently carved and transformed into the wooden snake that was now slowly circling them.

The enchanted beast came to a halt, floating silently beneath the waves, and Freya used her wings to easily push herself over to the neck of the beast, sliding her foreleg into a groove on its back. Cadence realized there were more grips over the elongated body of the serpent: one for each of them, as the Valkyrie ordered: “Alternate sides, and I want a magic user behind me and one in the rear!”

“Moonflower, behind Freya. Jeanne, you take the rear. Sombra will stay with you and La Croix and I will take center.” Cadence quickly ordered, and even if Jeanne looked less-than-pleased about being ordered around, she obeyed all the same. “Remember, listen to Freya as you would me. This is her mission.”

“I appreciate you remembering your place, Danzsöngr.” Freya said mildly, and Cadence did her best not to scowl before the Valkyrie grinned and leaned forwards, bracing herself as Freya shouted: “Fly, seasnake! You know the path!”

The wooden serpent trembled, then suddenly burst forwards, Cadence wincing as its body whipped back and forth as it shot through the waters like a torpedo. Jeanne and Moonflower both squealed loudly, clinging fiercely to its undulating body as Cadence gritted her teeth and Sombra braced himself against the body of the woodbeast.

They streaked through the waters far faster than the ship had moved, Cadence swearing under her breath as they raced through the dark ocean. But the further they went, the more the Swan began to twist inside of Cadence, as her skin first tickled, then itched with an unpleasant, almost painful sensation. Not dark magic, but something more physical and more malignant, like an illness, like there was a cancer in these depths, that was spreading poison through the waters...

She knew the others could feel it, too, as Sombra's purifier hummed louder on his back, and Moonflower lowered his head slightly, Jeanne shivering as she felt a strange, faint recognition stirring inside her. And in the depths, Freya thought she could see seabeasts stirring, although for the moment, at least, none of them seemed to want to leave the deeper darkness of the abyssal waters beneath them.

After only ten minutes, the serpent slowed and glided to a halt beneath a massive, ominous black shape above them. Cadence looked uneasily up at what was clearly the bottom of one of the ships, her eyes roving silently over the heavy steel, as Freya muttered: “The magic emanating from it... powerful indeed. And I shouldn't need to tell you it's the stuff of Decretum.”

“But weaker. Different. And the machinery... do you hear it?” Sombra asked quietly, raising his head slightly, and Freya frowned slightly as Cadence looked up curiously, straining her ears, hearing the rumbling and the thunking of... wait. Right. I hear it.

“It's damaged. The machinery isn't working right.” Cadence muttered, nodding briefly once. The timing for the gears rumbling away above was a little bit off, and it sounded like something was grinding together inside the boat.

Freya carefully pushed herself away from the wooden serpent, and then she carefully swam upwards to the bottom of the ship, patting gently over the steel underbelly before she nodded once, looking over her shoulder and asking calmly: “Handsome, can you use your magic to cut through this metal?”

Moonflower swam forwards and pressed his hooves against the bottom of the hull, and then he frowned for a moment before his horn began to glow as he muttered: “Yes, I should be able to...”

A beam of dark light shot out of his horn, the ray slowly, gradually tracing a large circle through the metal of the hull as he let himself drift a little deeper in the water, as the other ponies waited in uneasy silence. Then Moonflower winced as the metal shifted loose, the large, smooth circle of steel slowly falling free from the underside of the boat.

Freya lightly pushed Moonflower out of the way, and then she pushed herself up into the hole, poking her head through before the Valkyrie leapt up into the interior of the ship. Cadence followed quickly after pointing sharply at Moonflower, Sombra, and Jeanne, indicating the order they should follow in, since La Croix had already vanished and was probably scouting the ship.

Cadence grimaced as she pushed up into the hole and found herself inside some kind of machine room, massive gears clanking rustily away beside her as pistons pumped and thick cables sparked with electricity. She looked uneasily around, but Freya was already standing at a sealed door, her ear placed against the thick metal and her expression moody.

“Reeks.” she said over the growling and barking of the machinery, the ivory mare shaking her head in distaste before she added: “Your Loa friend ran ahead to check out the rest of the ship. Hopefully he'll come back with good news, because I doubt whoever is crewing this vessel understands how half the machinery here works.”

Freya pointed at a pile of what Cadence had thought was wreckage, but after a moment of looking at it, she grimaced in disgust as she realized they were actually the fallen hulks of Worker Drones that had been simply shoved aside into a corner. On closer inspection, Cadence realized that at least one of the drones was probably still in serviceable condition: apparently whoever was operating this ship simply didn't know how to make them work... and that's good news for us.

The rest of the group piled into the now-cramped machine room, Jeanne wincing away from the loud, growling machinery as Freya tapped a hoof impatiently against the floor. But it was less than a minute before La Croix returned, the zebra saying uneasily as he solidified: “Place be creepy as hell, and the ponies here... they ain't lookin' so good. It be a skeleton crew, though, almost all of 'em on the upper decks. Only counted about twelve of 'em, and they got some pretty big guns and armor, and... I dunno. They ain't right. They ain't fou, they ain't furieux, they just ain't... right.”

“Jeanne?” Freya looked pointedly over her shoulder at the pirate mare, who shifted nervously under the Valkyrie's curious and serious gaze. “Do you have something you'd like to share with the class, perhaps, little girl?”

All eyes turned towards Jeanne, who lowered her head before her eyes shifted to the side and she mumbled: “He... Salazar likes to reanimate corpses. I would... I would be careful, if I were you.”

“Perhaps not the most important thing you could have kept to yourself, particularly since we already met a few of his zombies, but all the same... annoying.” Freya leaned forwards, one of her swords drawing with a gleam of silver and floating dangerously in front of Jeanne, making her whimper a little. “I happen to kill what annoys me.”

She focused on Jeanne for a moment longer, then suddenly turned and slid her sword into the valve handle on the door, the ivory mare grunting as she twisted it hard to the side and used the extra leverage to force the door open with a hiss of air. As she yanked it back, she ordered: “Loa, take the lead. Show the Swan where to go. Swan, you know what to do.”

Cadence only nodded: it wasn't the time to argue, and it wasn't time to voice her displeasure. It was time to do what she was told: for once, she could agree with the Swan on that as La Croix guided her quickly down the hall. They passed several more rusting hulks on their way to a staircase, and what looked like a burnt-out generator, which told Cadence that not all the ship's systems were online... that just about confirms we aren't dealing with any Clockwork soldiers.

They came across a lone soldier patrolling a hall near the center of the ship mindlessly: he would walk all the way down to an intersection, turn around, and then walk all the way back to just in front of the intersection where La Croix and Cadence were, although not far enough to see around the corner and find either of them. Nor was he attracted by La Croix's whistle, only continuing on his route: that confirmed what Jeanne had said.

Fortunately, undead were not something Cadence had trouble dealing with, her horn glowing white as she leapt out behind the armored soldier and charged after him, tackling him to the ground before she slammed her horn through the back of his neck and tore upward. To her horror, the suit of armor all but exploded, and she was knocked rolling away from the burst of dark magic that had come out of the creature when she had killed it, the mare wheezing in pain and brushing at herself a few times before La Croix shuddered and mumbled: “Damn, Cygne. I ain't never seen nothin' like that.”

Cadence looked up, and felt like retching herself at the sight: the corpse was nothing but a reeking, oozy mass of rotten... Horses of Heaven, had it even been a pony? She couldn't tell. The remains had a hell of a stink, though, and it looked like there was some kind of bile and grime spilling out of the holes in its body and the tattered remains of its armor...

“Drowned carcasses.” Freya said, and both the Loa and Swan looked up in surprise to see the Valkyrie standing behind them, her expression grim. “Aye, I see. They won't be difficult to kill, at least... but we'll have to be more careful now. This kind of draugr is weak and flimsy and stupid... but they can move beneath the water and will be far fiercer there. I suspect there are many more of them than you saw, La Croix, but they likely only awaken when there is a need to dredge the seas. All the same, hopefully your team will destroy more of them on their way up.”

“Where are they?” Cadence asked, and Freya only smiled slightly, which made Cadence scowl a little even as the Swan shifted back and forth, as if chastising her for not believing mindlessly in the Valkyrie. “Look, they're my responsibility, and-”

“Aye, as you are all mine. I'm not giving them more danger than they can handle, and I told them to meet us all below deck, near the center of the ship.” Freya replied almost irritably. “Now, are we going to keep moving, or shall we just dawdle away our time here until your friends have to come find us?”

Cadence muttered under her breath, but then she nodded quickly before she gestured to La Croix, who led the way quickly onward. On the way up, they came across two more Drowned, but Cadence and Freya made short work of both of these, Freya slicing the head cleanly off one and Cadence using her knives to safely take down the other from a distance, avoiding being drenched by gore and black magic this time as it fell from a single strike to the back of its neck.

They made their way to a set of ajar double doors covered in rust and mold, Cadence peeking out of these to see the stairs beyond leading up to the deck as La Croix explained: “Most of 'em are up there. They got spotlights and everything, but I ain't sure how... well, how smart they are.”

“I'm fairly certain if they see us they'll be smart enough to attack us. And I'm also certain they're likely watching this ship from afar.” Freya replied wryly, shaking her head briefly. “We'll want to strike quickly and effectively. Go up there, Loa, scout the deck and see if you can figure out any flaw in their patrols.”

La Croix automatically looked towards Cadence, who nodded, and the Loa vanished. Freya and Cadence both looked at each other for a moment, and then Freya smiled slightly before she said softly: “I idolized Odin too, you know. But, just like you, I learned quickly why you should never meet your idols. It always ends up being a great disappointment, and sooner rather than later.”

Cadence looked uncomfortably at Freya, who looked back at her for a few moments before she continued musingly: “Certainly is interesting, though, that you and the Swan are so different. As to whether it's good or bad, I'm much less prepared to say. But it's definitely interesting.”

The smaller mare stayed silent, not really daring to say anything as she pawed nervously at the ground, even as the Swan twisted inside her in apparent frustration at the fact she wasn't falling all over herself to thank Freya for her half-compliments.

The Valkyrie studied her for a few moments, and then a smile quirked at Freya's mouth before she said mildly: “You know, I don't blame you for not liking me, Cadence. I don't like myself very much either most of the time. I'm a foul tempered old she-wolf, and I cause trouble and I get myself into situations I do actually regret later. Unlike the rest of you, I just don't wallow in it. For me, regret is a sting, not... something to waste my time sitting in.”

Cadence looked uncertainly at Freya, as the ivory gazed back at her and softened a little before she said gently: “But I need you to trust me, and I need you to hate me for the right reasons. Don't dislike me purely because the Swan is tethered to me.”

“It's not that, it's not... just that... I... do like you, Freya, I think you're amazing and impressive and...” Cadence fumbled for a moment, and then she sighed a little, looking at Freya and saying quietly: “Maybe part of it is because I'm scared of... what might happen if you...”

She looked silently over at Freya, who tilted her head for a moment before her eye widened in understanding as she nodded slowly, saying softly: “I see. You're worried that the Swan's loyalties are fickle. I'm curious, though, Cadence... do you see the Swan as a person, or as but a tool and a weapon?”

“I... try to see it as another person, inside of me. But the Swan is convinced it's nothing more than a tool, something that-”

“Aye, I understand. Sometimes it's much easier to believe that than face the truth.” Freya replied softly, and Cadence frowned slightly before the Valkyrie glanced to the side and said mildly: “Took you long enough.”

Cadence blinked and looked to the side in surprise to see her father approaching with Moonflower and Jeanne, and the black unicorn lowered his head courteously as he replied gently: “I apologize, but we came across some unexpected difficulties. There were more undead than we expected: I suppose you understand what they are, Signora Freya?”

Freya nodded, replying mildly: “The only surprise is that you seem to know yourself what they are. Although I suppose I shouldn't be, all things considered. You seem to be the only intelligent pony in this lot, even if you are far too much of a... what is the word that ponies use this day? Pussy?”

Cadence scowled horribly, and Freya grinned widely before she tipped a wink towards Moonflower, making him shrink back a little as she added easily: “But while cats are nothing to be frightened of, I suppose that in some cases, stallions should learn to fear just what-”

A throat cleared loudly, and Freya huffed as La Croix reappeared, saying awkwardly as he pointed towards the doors: “Uh... hate to be the one to ruin all this fun, but perhaps we should get ourselves back to business. We might be able to take 'em out nice and quiet like if we careful, since most of 'em actually have their backs to the door. There's two up top in the cabin, though: they might be a bit difficile, even if they don't got eyes like corneielles.”

Freya nodded thoughtfully, then she asked mildly: “And what, you can't take care of those for us, Loa? Or are you just too afraid to?”

La Croix winced a bit, but then he nodded grudgingly and mumbled: “Oh, fine. But only 'cause I be more scared of you than I am of attractin' any more unwanted attention to us. Don't blame me if it all goes wrong, though, don't know if my juju works on these kinds of monstres. Ain't never seen this kind of dark magic before. 'Sgot more in common with the saltwater than the bayou.”

“You do your part, then come back down here and tell us when it's done, and you can sit back and be proud of yourself while we handle the rest.” Freya said patronizingly, but La Croix only grunted before he vanished, and the Valkyrie snorted in amusement before she said dryly: “You know, it's less fun when all you ponies refuse to react to me. In the old days, it was so easy to rile everyone up, being a woman who never learned her place and all.”

Cadence couldn't help but smile a little at this, and Sombra said kindly: “I am sure you have always known your place, Signora Freya. I would wager you find it in the forests and the fields.”

Freya laughed loudly at this, shaking her head slowly before she replied easily: “Aye, but usually specific fields, my friend, such as the battlefield. And the bed, of course.”

Sombra only smiled as Jeanne and Moonflower both shifted awkwardly, but thankfully Freya became more serious as she looked up and said quietly: “I felt a burst of magic. I think our friend is taking care of the problem above... get ready to move. Remember, they do not react to sound, but only to sight. Use that to your advantage, and don't be afraid to call out should something happen.”

The others nodded, and a moment later, La Croix reappeared with a wheeze, the zebra shivering a little and covered in black goop. Cadence stared at the zebra, but he simply wiped sludge from his face before saying disgustedly: “They didn't react very well to a bit of goofer dust. Y'all are free to make your move. Watch it, though, there's ones right out there by the stairs who are movin' back and forth, so don't-”

Freya smashed the doors open, charging straight up the steps with a grin, and La Croix stared in disbelief as Cadence shot by him as well, the Swan leaping forward to follow the Valkyrie out of loyalty and instinct.

At the top of the stairs, Freya caught a Drowned around the neck with her falcate blade before she yanked forwards, slicing his head off and throwing his carcass down the steps at the same time as it burst apart into slime and goo.

The Swan narrowly avoided the explosion of ichors before she leapt to the top of the steps, tackling a second Drowned and slamming him to the ground before her blade buried through its throat, the mare leaping off and landing smoothly in the middle of the deck as she yanked her rifle free with telekinesis. It dropped into her hooves as she turned, the Swan raising the rifle as it extended: it only took her a moment to lock on to the enemy, her eyes narrowing before she fired a single silvered stake through the helmeted head of a Drowned in the crow's nest above.

It collapsed in a burst of black ooze, and the Swan turned as Freya ran towards another patrolling, mindless zombie: in less than a minute, the Valkyrie and the Swan Maiden wiped out the entire guard crew, Freya grinning as she used holy magic to burn their black blood off her swords as she remarked: “Some of them weren't even armed. I suppose that makes sense, though: they obviously didn't expect anyone to get close enough to board.”

Cadence felt the Swan receding, and she quickly took control over her own body, the creature seeming strangely pleased with itself as Cadence grimaced and quickly collapsed the rifle. She hated how easy it was becoming for the Swan to do that, as she muttered: “It feels way too easy.”

“Aye, it does.” Freya smiled slightly as she approached one of the massive artillery weapons on the side of the ship, the mare examining this before she used telekinesis to manipulate the controls, the rusty weapon slowly rumbling into a new position with groans and clanks of steel. “Well, let's make this easier on ourselves, shall we?”

“I... don't know if this is such a good idea...” Cadence began uneasily, but since the others were all already moving to reposition the guns, her father included... “You know, they'll probably lock on to us faster than we'll be able to target them.”

“Nonsense, it's simple math, like using a catapult.” Freya scoffed, looking over at the cannon and eyeing it thoughtfully. “Besides, if we fire all of the available weapons at once, we'll hit them with something.”

“It might take more than one hit to bring a ship like that down.” Cadence said awkwardly, pointing at the massive battleship in the distance. Freya, however, only grinned widely, which made Cadence grimace a bit as she muttered: “I really don't like that look on your face.”

“Aye, I know.” She paused, then whistled loudly before she called: “Loa, come here! You're the most useful one of this lot, so I need you again!”

“So much for getting to rest.” the zebra mumbled, as he hurried down the deck towards them. He sighed a little, straightening and looking uncertainly at Freya. “What do you want, mademoiselle?

“Half-polite. That's a good start.” Freya remarked, and then she gestured at the artillery cannon, asking mildly: “Do you know how to use these?”

“Oh, now I really don't like where this be goin'.” La Croix mumbled, wincing a bit as he looked apprehensively at the Valkyrie, but when she looked back at him insistently, he sighed a little before nodding grudgingly: “Yeah, I do. Real simple, y'just pull the trigger.”

Freya nodded at this, and then she said easily: “Then I suppose you wouldn't mind staying behind and pulling triggers until the enemy ship sinks, would you?”

La Croix groaned loudly at this, and the stallion looked pleadingly at Cadence, who grimaced before she said finally: “Freya, I don't think-”

“No, the problem is you think too much. It's a simple task and it won't put him in much danger. But if you'd like to stay behind, you're more than welcome to. But you might have some trouble catching up to us, since we'll be on that island and all.” Freya said in that awful belittling tone of hers, pointing towards the enormous metal seawall: but as tall as it was, the rocky cliffs stretched up past that, and Cadence could see some kind of structure high above, eerie and unpleasant light glowing all around it like a terrible beacon.

Cadence frowned a bit, and then she asked uncertainly: “How do you expect to get up there? Those cliffs look like they're a hundred feet high, and I doubt they're not going to notice if we fly up...”

But Freya only smiled slightly at this before she replied easily: “We go in from below, of course, just as planned before. Salazar's ships didn't magically fly up to the top of that island, after all. There must be a dock... and with the fact he's got these zombies manning these ships, I wouldn't be surprised to find an underwater dock, either.”

Cadence couldn't help but grudgingly nod in agreement before she turned towards La Croix, but the zebra only sighed and rose a hoof, saying moodily: “Don't you worry, Cygne. I got this. Ain't gonna be fun and ain't gonna be pretty, but I s'pose that's how life is s'posed to be anyway.”

The mare smiled faintly in response to this, and the Valkyrie chuckled before she half-reassured: “Well, we'll all be here for the first volley, at least. I want to make sure we get the cannons aimed right before we leave, even if it'll certainly draw a lot of attention to us... and I don't doubt they're going to be eager to fire back on us.”

“Let's hope they as bad at shootin' as they are at doin' everything else.” La Croix muttered, and Cadence grunted in agreement.

Freya smiled again, but this time her eye roved towards Jeanne, who was carefully manipulating the controls of another cannon to turn it towards the enemy ship with practiced ease, and the Valkyrie reflected that these Drowned were far from the most dangerous enemies they had to worry about.

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