//------------------------------// // Chapter 046: Mutiny // Story: Ultimate Equestria // by Leo Pachino //------------------------------// Isyan continued to torture and tease Korsan for minutes without end. He berated him. He insulted him. He slated him. And if Korsan shown any sign of strength, Isyan would remedy that with a punch into Korsan’s soft belly. By the ten-minute mark, Korsan’s belly was as red as a burning cherry. “I can already see that crying wimp inside of you coming out! Haha! This is rich!” Isyan roared in pride. Korsan began to feel his eyes watering. His ego was on the verge of total collapse. Then, out in the distance, a familiar mare screamed out, “Isyan stop!” Isyan immediately stopped what he was doing. He turned to the mare who was now galloping towards him. His fur and skin turned pale, like he saw a ghost. The mare was soon joined by two others. “It can’t be…” He gasped. Korsan looked behind him and saw the mares. It was Rarity, Lilis, and Slasher. After weeks of having seemingly vanished, Slasher had returned. The rest of the pirate crew soon surfaced to the deck and followed the trio of mares. “Slasher?!” Korsan and Isyan exclaimed, one in joy and the other in shock. “That’s right!” Slasher roared. Isyan exclaimed, “How did you-” “Let Korsan go!” Rarity interrupted Isyan. The massive group of eighty unicorns, led by Slasher and Rarity, surrounded the mutineers and their captain, Korsan. “Hey!” Isyan shouted at the approaching pirates. “Don’t any of you take a step closer!” “Isyan, how could you?” Rarity asked. “How could I-? All of you, look at yourselves. Think for once! What are we? We are pirates right? What are pirates? Terrors of the sea, unmerciful to anypony they come across in order to get riches beyond compare! Are we currently pirates? Are we?” Isyan asked the loyal crew of The Perfection At first, the surrounding ponies remained adamant. They kept scowling at Isyan, waiting to pummel his pretty face in. However, one by one, the pirates broke their glare and looked at each other. Isyan had them, they doubt was growing. He continued, “Exactly. All we’ve been doing for the last couple of years is just taking nature hikes and working our flanks off for nothing. Nothing! Remember what we just went through on this latest ‘quest’? Attacking Equestria, fighting Twilight and her gang, dealing with Rarity and that nose picking brat of a sister, fixing this blasted boat, nearly dying on far too many occasions, and for what? For some busted artifact that we didn’t even take? And our ‘captain’ expects us to move on like nothing happened? I’m not tolerating this, and neither should you!” “Really? ‘Riches beyond compare’? Look at what you’re on! You’re standing on a giant floating airship that’s filled with some of the rarest and most luxurious artifacts I have even seen.” Rarity protested. “…Why? Why are you being so protective of this rat? He wants to destroy the lives of so many ‘innocent’ ponies, albeit he’s executing this desire very poorly, but he still intends to do such. He’s attempted to kill your friends on numerous occasions. He even stole you and your little sister away from your past life. Yet you still value his life over you and your sister’s potential freedom. Why?” “I-I-I…” “Is it love, Rarity? Do you love this monster as you’ve put it? As well as the rest of you fellow crew members, why do you all still support him? I hear your cries. You’re all hateful, untrusting, scared of Korsan. I just want to fulfill your wishes, and restore to you all the pirate names that you all desire so greatly, yet you attempt to resist me.” “…” “Let us hear it from our captain’s most beloved wench. Rarity, do you still love Korsan?” Hesitant to answer, Rarity looked over to Korsan. She saw his quivering eye look at her in desperation, his body crushed below all the chains. She could almost sense him trying to speak to her, but too frightened to say the wrong thing. Rarity then looked down at her right hoof, seeing the fresh scars that the stallion put in her. “…” Rarity wasn’t sure what to say. “Do you?” Isyan asked. “…No. I don’t. We’re though.” She declared. Shame immediately hit. Rarity lowered her head and shut her eyes, Isyan’s joyful cackles ringing in her ears. She could already see Korsan slowly lowering his head onto the cold wood and give up on himself. “Even she admits it!” Isyan proclaimed to the crew. “This poor excuse of a stallion is a failed romantic as well as a failed leader. Been reading one too many romances of the sea, he has, filling his imbecilic mind with fantasies of love.” Swiftly, the renegade leader turned back to the sulking pirate captain. He lifted his cramped head up with magic. “You’ll never find love” Isyan said. “Love is imaginary for a pony like you. It’s a pity really.” “…I hate you…” Korsan uttered in his dying breath, cutting off his vision from the world with a stiff eyelid. “I hate you too.” Isyan said in glee. “Like they always say, you can choose your friends…” Without hesitation, Isyan violently smacked Korsan’s left cheek with his hoof. The onlookers gasped and watch as the tortured pony’s cheek flared. “…but you can’t choose your family.” “…” Korsan’s only response was his eye opening in a furious stare. A light hiss rung of his tongue. “Now, where were we before?” Isyan asked. “I’ll wipe that dumb look off your stupid face once I get out of this…” Korsan grumbled. “Korsan, Korsan, don’t be violent to your cousin. I’m going to have to discipline you.” Gently, Isyan ran his thin hoof over Korsan’s eyepatch, feeling the indent of the scar peaking above. The rest of the scar was under the black patch. Isyan had an idea of what he plans to do to him. “May two of my ponies please remove the sail? I want everypony onboard to see this, the dethronement of a foal and the coronation of a grand leader.” Quietly, the two ponies from the mutiny group walked over to the large sail and rolled it off of the ponies underneath, careful not to rip it. “In the meantime, who here knows how mummies are preserved?” Isyan asked the onlookers. “Anypony?” Silence followed. “It’s very simple, as my cousin would put it.” Isyan said. “First, you dry up the body, using spices, herbs, salts, sands, and chemicals to make sure that the skin and everything underneath has no moisture whatsoever. Then, you wrap it up tightly with linen, for if one droplet of mist or foreign particles were to seep into the body, rot would immediately follow. So what would happen if this was to happen to a pony still living, perhaps one who hasn’t removed an eyepatch for over seven years? I would imagine it would hurt like Tartarus.” Alexander and the eight prisoners were freed from the sail. They gasped out for fresh air immediately. The two who freed them directed their attention to Isyan and a chained Korsan. The nine gasped upon the sight. “Are you ready for this, Cousin? Are you ready for the world to see you in your truest form?” Isyan asked. “…Bring it on.” Korsan groaned. Isyan reached his hoof out to the patch, ready to rip the thing off. However, before Isyan could even touch the eyepatch, a sudden jolt struck into his side. Isyan lost grip of Korsan’s crossbow. It leapt from Isyan’s hoof and fell near Korsan’s hind hooves. “What the-?!” Isyan bellowed. Snapping his head around, Isyan saw Slasher tightly grabbed onto his side. “Let him go!” Slasher screamed. She was immediately pulled off by one of Isyan’s followers before being restrained to the deck. Another pony of the mutiny quickly came to Slasher and attached an anti-magic strap to her small horn. “Are you mad?! I’m about to free you Slasher, yet you still side with him?!”Isyan exclaimed. “You locked me in the brig!” Slasher Gutzoult proclaimed. She was burning in fury, continuously kicking and flailing against her captors. “You were getting too close to us. I tried to convince you on a number of occasions, but you were still adamant for whatever reason.” “Whatever reason? This isn’t just ‘overthrowing a corrupt leader’ as you’ve been claimin’ this mutiny is. This is just a way for you to get back at your cousin.” “Mind your tongue, Miss-” “Quit denying it! Face the fact, you couldn’t stand your cousin, a pegasus, getting all of the money and glory while you were stuck in whatever rut you got yourself into.” “Bite it!” “Never! Korsan may not be the best captain, his ideals may be vile, he may not be the most sane, he may not be the most ruthless pirate, he may not be the most safe, but what he is, is better than whatever type of captain you call yourself. You know why? Because he cares about us. He’ll listen to our problems and have an answer in time. Despite his dedication to his works, he’ll always go down into the galley for the sparring. He has given new life to criminals like me, and has given us the greatest adventure imaginable. You? All you want is money and power. You’ve been pushing us around ever since you got on this boat. If it’s a choice between two evils you want, then I choose Korsan!” Slasher proudly declared. “…” A grin grew on Isyan as silently looked down at the kicking girl. “What? Cat got your tongue?” Slasher taunted. “No, I’m just a bit shocked how much my cousin has traumatized you. All of what you just said there, was out of fear. No, not respect because he is a good captain, but respect out of fear. Most of you were so ready to leave this crew as soon as that fateful day came three years ago. But then, Korsan made an example of Nitin Gale and his daughter, November, and you immediately began to fear leaving him. Isn’t that right, Ryan?” Isyan asked. “Yes, Isyan.” The named pony replied. “So you see?” Isyan asked the crew. “There is no need for fear. All of you surrounding me and Korsan, ready to protect him: there is no need to. He doesn’t have any tricks up his cape to get out of this. He won’t lash out at you when you turn your backs to him anymore. You hear that?” Isyan returned to his prisoner. He carefully cupped the black patch in his hoof before announcing, “No more Korsan!” Isyan pulled the eyepatch away, and Korsan immediately screams in pain. His scarred eye and surrounding skin suddenly throbbed and scorched as thousands of salty air particles burrowed themselves deep inside. Moisture seeped into the dry flesh, boiling upon contact. The onlookers gasped. Rarity covered her eyes from the horrific sight, barely summoning the strength to peek under her hoof. “Isyan!” Korsan cried out, flailing in his chains. Despite his efforts, his right eyelid stayed stiff and locked. It had not moved for years. Korsan literally forgot how to blink that eye. Everypony else stared at the exposed eye in horror, speechless out of sheer shock. Korsan’s right eye was entirely glazed over, with barely any sign of a pupil. Instead, a glossy scar ran across the white from top to bottom. Isyan simply stared and smiled at his torture victim. He could only exert so much power onto one pony. He felt like he had to make the most of every moment with Korsan’s body. “Let’s make this image a little more clear…” He said, licking his chops. Carelessly, Isyan slid the patch across Korsan’s face and planted it over his other eye. After minutes of grueling pain, Korsan accepted the gruesome torture. His bays of pain slowly began dying. “Much better… This is you, ‘dear cousin’ Korsan!” Isyan hissed. Consumed at his growing personal power, Isyan could help but to laugh. His laughs turned manical, nearly destroying his lungs as he wildly displayed his dominance. The other pirates remained silent, instead focused on the now slowly breathing mass of chained flesh that was once Korsan, swimming in his own pool of tears. “Don’t you just love it, being squished by the boots of the ones you’ve tortured?!” Isyan asked. “…” Korsan was quiet. “What? Got nothing to say?” “…” Finally recovering from his facial cramps, Korsan softly closed his destroyed eye. It hurt, but it was relieving nonetheless. “…Very well then. I’ve had my fun with you. Time to put you out of your misery.” Isyan said. With a flick of his horn, a long, pointed sabre hovered out from the back of Isyan’s suit. A shiny brown aura of magic surrounded the blade. This was Isyan’s prized weapon for show. “Release the chains, I got this.” Isyan said to his lackies. Listening to their leader, the ponies released the chains. Isyan then grabbed hold of several lengths of metal at Korsan’s chest, hoisting him up to eye level. With Korsan’s hooves barely touching the floor, Isyan sets the blade to his throat. “Any last words?” Isyan asked. “…” Korsan said and nothing. He didn’t even bother mustering up a spitball. “How about the rest of you all? Final words to give to your ‘dear’ captain?” Isyan asked the onlookers. Only the soft breeze of the dark clouds in the distance responded. Even Juliana remained silent, as if she knew what’s about to happen to her master. She was powerless versus the mutineers. As Isyan glanced around, he saw everypony bowing their heads, trying as hard as they could to avert their eyes from the inevitable. “Fine then, I guess you all won’t really miss him.” He said with content. “…” “From this moon forward, The Perfection and its crew of one hundred unicorns will no longer be run by the tyrant Korsan Maden. Instead, a new, better leader shall take the title of captain, I, Isyan Maden! As soon as this rat’s blood has been shed, we will be going to the nearest kingdom and burn it to the ground! We shall take their treasures and slaughter any pony we see, no matter if it’s a pegasus, Earth pony, unicorn, alicorn, whatever! Stallions, mares, colts, foals, elders, rich, poor, we will show no mercy to any of them! We are pirates, terrors of all ponykind, and we will do whatever we want to do! Starting now!” Isyan swung down the blade with all his might. This, he saw, was the end. Suddenly, Korsan’s limp body sprung back to life. His hind booted extend into claws. They grabbed the nearby crossbow. Korsan then pulled away from the incoming sabre, buying just half a second of time. He aimed his armed hind legs at Isyan. The trigger set. Without any hesitation, Korsan fired. With no time for his cousin to react, Korsan ended his schemes. The crew gasped in shock as the sound of the metal bolt fired from the crossbow shattered the silence. The bolt struck Isyan directly in the horn. The horn instantly shattered. Isyan released a bloodcurdling shriek as thousands of the shattered bits of horn rained down onto his face. From under the thick lays of iron cable, the sound of gears rapidly whirring roared across the air. With all of his might, Korsan ripped out of the chains that once held his body stiff. Broken links and shards of steel showered down onto everypony. Sight became nothing more but chaos and panic. Isyan, seeing Korsan now charging at him, released another scream of terror. Korsan swiftly snatched his once-captor by the throat. He barbarically smashed him into the mast behind them, pinning Isyan’s back to the tall tower of wood. He tore into the scared-white pony’s soul with his warped eye. Eye-to-eye, the power of The Perfection returned to Korsan. A small smile formed on Korsan’s mouth as well. A menacing chuckle croaked from his throat. “Korsan!” Isyan shilled. Korsan hysterically barked, “Hahaha! Oh yeah, I love it! More!” Isyan could only stamper as the mad Korsan held his body, still riling in pain. “K-K-K-” He stammered. “What are you waiting for? Summon your followers again! Squish me! Choke me! Put me to the blade again!” “Y-you’re a monster! More than a monster! A-a demon! Y-you’re supposed to be blind! It’s impossible for you to see!” “This eye right here’s blind, you say? I see the truth in this eye. And do you know what it sees? It sees a monster! You’re a monster.” “Wha-wha-what are you?!” “I’m a monster! We’re all monsters! Don’t you get it! Anypony can betray you. Anypony can try to take your life. They’re so messed up in the head, that it controls their every move. It’s unpredictable! We’re all monsters like this! I’m terrified out of my life! I love it! I love it all!” “You’re ludicrous! Please let me go!” As Isyan, hornless and defenseless, wept and pleaded, Korsan continued to stare. He tone began to apparently calm down, yet the grin on his face grows even wider. “Mad? Hehe… Aren’t we all? Aren’t we all mad monsters?” Korsan asked. “You’re a fair share of madness as well. Shall I tell our audience of how you got here? I’ll tell them. You were locked away in a dinky prison for the murder of one of our own family members. Isn’t that something? I only thought of you as a mere punching bag when I picked you up, a toy I can vent my frustrations onto. However, you ended up being a bigger pain than I ever imagined, a thorn to the eyes and ears.” “Please, I beg for forgiveness!” Isyan cried. “Oh, but aren’t pirates supposed to be ruthless? Hm?.” “You know what, you-you’re right! I was an idiot. Yeah, let’s all have a laugh. Hahahahaha-” Immediately, Korsan snapped back into his deranged state. He slammed the back of Isyan’s head into the mast, laughing upon seeing his cousin black out for a second. A trickle of crimson ran down Isyan’s scalp and face. “Laugh it up! That’s right! Laugh at me! Humiliate me! Scare me! It’ll be all the more rewarding when I spill your guts!” Korsan roared. “No-no-no-no-no-no! I’m not laughing at you! I’m laughing with you! I’m your cousin! Please! Spare me!” “…” “Please?” “Now’s about time that we finish this.” “No!” Slowly, Korsan dragged Isyan to the edge of the boat, not even paying mind to the crossbow still clenched in his hind hooves. The other ponies watched in horror as Korsan held Isyan over the edge by the neck. “You wouldn’t do this to your cousin, would you?!” Isyan asked, trying everything he can to be spared. Frantically, Isyan pawed Korsan. Tears poured from his eyes and fell into the ocean a kilometre below his hanging hooves. Seeing Isyan struggle after what he pulled causes Korsan to break out into laughter as well. He eventually returned into his calmer tone. “Farewell, dear cousin, Isyan Karsi Maden.” Korsan said. “Please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything you want!” Isyan exclaimed. “Oh, I’m not going to kill you. The water will, either shattering your bones into millions of bits and turning your organs to mush, or causing you to exhaust your energy and slowly drown, a far worse result.” “Please! I’m begging you! Let me go!” “…Very poor choice of words.” “No!” “Adieu.” With one twitch of a muscle, Korsan let go of Isyan, dropping him off of The Perfection and to his death. The screams of the traitor painfully echoed throughout the sky for an endless minute before fading away. The onlooking ponies could only stand and take in what they have all seen and heard.