• Published 29th Oct 2012
  • 8,506 Views, 517 Comments

Upon a Falling Feather - ezra09



Skypirates Rarity and Pinkie Pie abduct Twilight. Daring Dash and Fluttershy must save the day!

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Grab Another Bottle, Drink Away the Sin

“Another drink!” Rainbow Dash cheered, waving for the barmare.

“Oh, uh, don’t you think that’s enough?” Fluttershy asked. “We have to leave really early, don’t we?”

“It’s fine. Grab a mug yourself.”

“I really shouldn’t. Mister Armor is already asleep, and we cast off in a few hours. Let’s go to our rooms.”

“Nonshense,” Dash said, slurring the word through a large gulp. “The daring Captain Dash has never run away in her life! Not from the angry manticores, the hungry group of neanderthal griffons, and certainly not from a bottle of rum.”

“I wasn’t really saying anything about running a—”

“Y’see, Fluttershy, there are two kinds of ponies in this world. There are quitters, and there are, uh, not quitters. A real sky captain never quits anything. Where would I be right now if I quit anytime things got tough, or a storm threatened to blow us out of the sky?”

“Well, we wouldn’t have had to replace the crow’s nest. Oh, but we needed a new one anyway.”

“So sit yer flank down and grab a mug.” Dash held her own drink aloft. “To new business, and all the bits this Sparkles is gonna pay us.”

“It’s Shining,” Fluttershy mumbled, raising a second mug half heartedly.

*****

Alcohol is a vile thing, Rarity thought, swirling her glass slowly.

Whether it was rum or wine, enough could turn the most charming prince into a complete scoundrel. Ponies would go through life in a haze, worried only about their next drink. Even ponies that only drank on special occasions could count on a headache the next morning.

Rarity took a small sip. It was weak and flat, obviously left with too much oxygen for too long. Unfortunately, it was all she could afford now.

With any luck, that would change soon. Once the princess paid their ransom, Rarity could use the money to begin building her family’s fortune again. So long as nopony knew who was responsible for Twilight Sparkle’s kidnapping, she would be back among the upper class.

Of course, Pinkie had told Twilight their names, and that could cause problems down the line. Rarity shook her head and took another sip. Their names weren’t one of a kind. As long as she never came face to face with the student again, nopony would know.

But if somepony did find out, or if they were caught before getting the ransom money, her family name would be tarnished irreparably, and they would likely hang for piracy.

Rarity drained the glass and poured herself another.

*****

Iron Will sat bent over a table much too small for him. The only tables in the Griffon’s Nest that could accommodate his size had been smashed during the brawl. He stared at his mug, uncharacteristically silent.

“Ma-a-a-aaaah,” one of his goat crew members said knowingly.

He nodded in agreement. “It was a lot of money. And I feel like that was just for show.”

“Maaaa-a-ah.”

“There isn’t any other work at the moment.”

“Maaaa-a-aaaa ah.”

“You’re right. It serves her right for bucking me. That’s twice now. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to follow them then.” Iron Will stood up, pointing at the goat decisively. “Prepare the Juggernaut! Iron Will sails at dawn!”

“Ma-ah!”

*****

Three of the bar's walls were full of windows and candle holders, leaving only the back corners dark. "I don't think we should be here," the cowpony said, leaning on the fourth wall.

“Why not?" the monochrome pegasus asked, eyeing him from beneath the brim of her hat.

"Well, nopony knows us yet." He glanced around the bar. “I hear the crowd gets pretty tough in these parts.”

“You worry too much, Braeburn. Lighten up a little.”

Braeburn sighed, flagging down a passing barmare for two drinks. “Why are we even here, Miss Do? You told me this expedition was of the utmost importance. Time is of the essence, as soon as possible, any of that ringin’ a bell?

“First, what did I tell you about calling me miss?”

“Sorry, Daring.”

“Better,” Daring Do said, leaning back in her chair. “And it is. Our expedition starts here.”

“In a bar?” Braeburn asked, eyebrow raised.

“Where else would information gather and rum flow freely?”

“And is the rum really that important?”

“To open any chest, you need to find the right key,” Daring said, miming a locking motion over her lips. “We’ll hear the local gossip tonight, and set out tomorrow.”

“And what if it’s all really just a fairytale?”

Daring Do shrugged. “Shouldn’t matter to you. You get paid either way.” She looked out the window across the room, eyes shining. “But I’ve got a good feeling about this one. We’ll find her.” She raised her mug to his. “Braeburn. You and I are gonna save Equestria.”