The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

She's a Pirate

"You're alive," Shinespark managed, standing stiffly and steadily as Grenada nuzzled her cheek, glad the armor prevented her from feeling the tension in her limbs. "How? In the tower..."

"How are you?" Grenada sniffled back, choking. "I do not know how I'm alive. There was the storm, and I was in the tower, and it got cut off and went flying, and I hit my head and passed out... It was filling with water when I came to, and I climbed to the upper room but saw no one there! I-I sent up a signal, and those two found me..."

"I teleported," Shinespark murmured, still in shock. "Back to the room below, and brought the rest of the Spirit with me. But I didn't see you there, and the moment I turned back to the staircase, i-it was torn away! You survived the storm in there?"

Grenada hung her head. "Somehow..."

"And then those two saw your signal and picked you up," Shinespark finished, recalling how Howe and Neon Nova had disappeared with Kero's ship... this ship... after the battle without a trace. "You must have seen Sosa. Thought I was dead, with the rest of the Spirit, and that there was nothing left in Ironridge..."

"Y-Yes..." Grenada shook, hugging Shinespark's armor. "Is that not true? You came to find me..."

Shinespark sighed, putting a hoof around Grenada's neck and holding her close. "There was a lot more at stake than we knew when I found you in the control tower. Herman was trying to make Yakyakistan break their neutrality and invade Ironridge. That storm was actually a herd of windigoes... Real ones, from the legends. We saved Ironridge, but in the end, I left for exactly the same reason as you. Us meeting here is just a coincidence."

"Or perhaps fate," Grenada sniffed back. "So it is all over, then? The Spirit has fallen? We are outcasts, with nothing left?" She winced. "How did you get here, anyway? The skyport... we destroyed it. There should have been no airships left."

"Not nothing left," Shinespark answered. "Project Aslan works. We flew it here."

Grenada sat down, stunned.

"There've been so many developments..." Shinespark shook her head. "I'll need to fill you in. But... you're b-back..."

"Who flew it here? You had someone with you?" Grenada tilted her head. "Did someone else from the Spirit survive?"

Shinespark looked down. "Most of our friends are either dead or have lost faith in the Spirit and Braen, for good reason. I'm just Shinespark now. This is... only a disguise so I could use my brand without being identified. Right now, Arambai is in charge of Ironridge, while Dior is hiding in Riverfall, letting the Ironridge public think he was Braen to keep the heat off my back. I flew here with Maple, Starlight, Gerardo... a lot of the friends I brought when we had that last breakfast. And Valey. Valey was the one who ultimately saved Ironridge from Yakyakistan. I tried to challenge Herman, but even pushing myself that far past my limit, I just got swatted like a fly."

"Valey?" Grenada frowned. "The Defense Force Admiral?"

"She's a good friend," Shinespark insisted. "Also the reason why I'm here. This ship..." She felt the wood vibrate beneath her armored hooves, as an engine somewhere roared to life and the supports and tethers began to strain. "I think it just got taken over by a mare who's currently possessed by another windigo. Not one of the ones from Ironridge. She foalnapped Valey, and I don't know where she put her, but I'm following her to find out. I have to get her back. Once I do, you can come with us and join my crew!"

Grenada winced. "That... might be difficult, Br... Shinespark..."

"No. It won't! Not too difficult for me. For us. I just found you again! Why would it be difficult?"

Grenada glanced at the door back into the airship as the water fell away, the massive boat lifting clear of the hills and up into the sky from the valley where it had been hidden. "You saw who Howe and Neon Nova have made an alliance with? We are self-styled sky pirates, now. This is a pirate ship. And I only found out after we did that that this is a crime in this country with a guaranteed death sentence..."

Shinespark froze.

"Sorry," Grenada managed. "But you should leave before you get involved here, too. I... only found out about it after we plundered a sarosian caravan full of weapons that was heading somewhere. It is not something that won't catch up to me."

"That's not acceptable," Shinespark whispered. "I won't let that happen! I didn't find you just to leave you to a fate like that and pretend you didn't survive!"

Grenada frowned. "Do I look like I like it? Braen! Err, S-Shinespark! I did not make this country's rules..."

"Either way, I can't leave," Shinespark continued, hugging her. "I still need to find what this mare, Puddles, did to Valey and where she is. I owe it to her, at least. We were supposed to capture Puddles and bring her back under control, but..."

"What did you say Puddles did, again?"

"She's a mare possessed by a windigo," Shinespark sniffed. "The daughter of a famous explorer here, apparently. She foalnapped Valey and took her somewhere in this area, and now she's taking over this ship for herself. I've only seen a bit of her, but she seems foalish and temperamental. She also has extremely powerful ice magic."

The hills started to rush by beneath as the ship accelerated, flying west. "Essentially, this pirate ship of yours just got a change of captain," Shinespark finished. "Whether you think this is a path you're stuck to to try and evade the law or not, I don't think it's one you can follow safely. Less safely than leaving with us, at least."

Grenada blinked, the wind starting to pick up and swirl her mane even though she was standing in the ship's lee. "But..."

"It won't be safe for you to stay here," Shinespark insisted. "I have no idea what Puddles' agenda is or where she's going, but..." She swallowed, glancing over the railing as the coastline came into view. "I can fly, and carry you. Please let me take you? Please? We'll find something we can do. Someone we can petition, or..."

"Shinespark..." Grenada shuddered.

"If you trust my judgement." Shinespark held her, the ship now over the water and still accelerating. "Which might not be warranted, after how badly I messed up protecting Sosa... then we need to go now, before we get too far out. Once we're far from shore, we risk running into a storm if we try to fly back. We'll be trapped here, and for all I know Puddles won't ever give me Valey and I'll be wasting my time staying! Please come with me! Please let me get... let me bring someone back...!"

Grenada walked to the railing, the coast rapidly receding behind them. "B-But... I would endanger..." She snapped all at once, whirling to Shinespark. "Let's go! I'm coming!"

Shinespark charged forward, taking all of a second to put on a determined, pyrrhic smile. "Then let's go. To land, Grenada!"

CRACKKKKK!

Just as Shinespark coiled her legs to jump, Grenada at her side, the floor lurched under them with a horrendous snapping of ropes and splitting of wood. "Aaaaah! Shinespark!" Grenada yelled, pitching to the side.

"What!?" Shinespark felt herself slam into the railing as the ship dropped briefly beneath her. The cracking continued, and far above she saw a shower of something from the dirigible. Something like thunder sounded in the distance, and the ship jerked again, cracking further before dropping away altogether.

Comments

[Argeddion]

Two minutes of flying and Puddles already manages to mess up the ship

[Quinch]

Thunder? Or a sonic boom?

[whizzball1]

Endanger who????