//------------------------------//
// 23 Unexpected Passengers 
// Story: The Skyla Pseudonym 
// by iisaw 
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Chapter Twenty-Three


Unexpected Passengers


The first thing we did was get the wounded back to Equestria. One healthy pony went with each two that were wounded, and we also sent Swift Wing. I hated to lose one of our few fliers—particularly a pony as capable as Swift—but he knew the geography back home very well from his service aboard Pole Star. He would be able to orient himself and get to the nearest town or city to fetch help as quickly as possible.

I wish I had had time to write a note, telling everypony back home not to worry despite the sudden influx of casualties, but I had other urgent things to do. We were pumping gas from our reserves into cell number three at an alarming rate just to keep Nebula afloat.

Ao, Skyla, and I worked the rest of the night improving the patches, cycling out to keep watch and grab an occasional half-hour nap.  By dawn, we had done as much as possible with our limited materials, and though we were still having to add gas to the cell, it was at a much slower rate.

"Will our reserves get us to the gate in the Badlands?" Skyla asked, peering over my shoulder at the figures I'd scrawled on my clipboard.

"Maybe we can salvage some gas cylinders from the wrecks." I chewed on the end of my pencil. "Or some proper cell fabric to make a tighter seal. We might be able to find some large pieces that weren't burned."

"So that's a no," Skyla said.

"It's a not yet," I corrected. "In any case, we can still distribute a lot of medallions before we have to tap out. I'd rather not leave the Western Territories intact if there's any way to avoid it."

Skyla nodded. she looked up at the underside of the envelope and sighed unhappily. "We will find more gas or the minerals to make it from. There's no urgency now that the Imperial Fleet has been destroyed."

There was a thump of a pony landing on the quarterdeck, and a familiar voice said, "There are still many things to fear."

It was Loose Leaf.

She had spent the night lying on the apron in front of the gate. I'd sent Sirocco down to check on her a few times, and he had always reported that she was awake, but wouldn't answer him.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her, keeping a sharp eye out for any sudden movements. She seemed calm, but with Leaf, that really didn't mean much.

"There are still a lot of warships out there," she continued, ignoring my question. "In Nebula's condition, even a couple of revenue cutters would be a threat to us."

Us? Her choice of words was interesting.

"And cutters are exactly what we will run into crossing the border," Loose Leaf continued. "There is a route the smugglers use about ten leagues north of Fort Blood. It's a secret pass that's just big enough for a ship our size. I think it's our best bet for getting across undetected."

Skyla and I glanced at each other. She gave me a tiny shrug.

"That sounds good," I said to Loose Leaf, keeping my voice carefully neutral. "We're going to see what we can salvage from the wrecks first. How long will it take to reach that crossing?"

"There's a waning quarter moon tonight, so we can't risk the pass until it's up to give us light. We can spend four or five hours and still make it by midnight when the moon rises," she replied.

"You should get some rest now, if you're going to be up late guiding us through the mountains," Skyla said.

Loose Leaf saluted her, said, "Aye aye, Captain," and went below.

Skyla turned to me when Leaf had gone and said, "Any idea?"

"Not a clue," I replied. "Last night, she was trying to run a spear through me, and now she's... well..." I waved a hoof in the general direction of the crew's quarters.

"Did anypony from the fortress talk with her last night?"

"Not that I know of," I replied. "Sirocco flew down to check on her a couple of times, but she wouldn't speak to him. Maybe..." I trailed off in thought. "She's a believer. She needs something to be a focus for her."

Skyla nodded. "Big Bad Twilight went home, the Blacklips didn't care enough to come out and see if she was okay, so all she has left—"

"Is us," I finished for her.

Skyla gave me a shrewd look. "I think you're only included because you're part of Nebula's crew, Ms. Nightshade. I doubt she's forgiven you so soon." She stared off toward the dawn-lit peaks for a moment. "Of course, the other possibility is that she's decided to commit suicide and take us with her. Betrayal for betrayal, as she would see it."

"No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure she just wants something to believe in. She isn't really a devious pony."

"Unlike some I could name," Skyla replied.

Ouch. I frowned and gave her a non-committal grunt.

"Well, let’s get to it, Darkness Nightshade," Skyla said, using my full sophomoric nom de guerre. "Take the helm, if you please."

At the time, I had no idea why she was in such a prickly mood. But with everything we had been through, allowances had to be made. So I simply said, “Aye aye, Captain," and stood to the wheel, reaching for the ballast levers.

We lifted out of the valley and made for the largest wreck we could see. It seemed like a good choice, both because it was on lower ground and because a couple of large sections of its envelope were still intact. Ao made a scouting flight to make sure there were no imperial troops lingering in the vicinity, and then reported back to Skyla.

"It appears she made a relatively soft landing, Captain," Ao said. "This one believes we should be able to acquire many usable gems from her."

"No soldiers?" Skyla asked.

"No, Captain," Ao replied. "The nearest this one observed were a league distant and heading for the foothills. This one examined several discarded parachutes against the possibility that the enemy might be using them as cover for an ambush, but such was not the case." She sounded distinctly disappointed.

"Well then," Skyla said, happily clopping her front hooves together. "Let's go shopping!"

I took us in close, and we dropped our anchors and set out spring lines to keep Nebula steady in the uneven breeze.

It turned out that the wreck wasn't completely abandoned after all. About an hour after we descended on the broken airship like parasprites on a molasses spill, Sugarpine galloped over to where Skyla and I were carefully cutting away a section of gas cell fabric.

"Captain!" he called out as he approached. "I think there's somepony trapped in the wreckage!"

We followed him to the place he had heard the voice, and used our magic to carefully tear away the jumble of debris. I couldn't help noticing that a lot of what we lifted was highly carved and gilt paneling.

What we discovered was a young colt in a military uniform. There were so many medals and decorations on his jacket that it would have made fairly decent armor. Evidently, the Emperor's troops had deserted him.

I stepped back and let Skyla precede me, because I thought that the poor kid had been through enough without having my gruesome visage looming over him. If I had known what a brat he was, I wouldn't have bothered.

He wiped at his grubby, tear-stained face with a foreleg, and looked up at Skyla. When he noticed her horn, his expression went cold and disdainful. "You will assist me out of here, and then summon a sky chariot!"

Skyla lifted him carefully in her magic and spun him slowly around, looking for any obvious wounds. He sputtered in indignation and cried out, "How dare you touch me with magic, you filth! Put me down at once, or I will have you whipped!"

A couple of weeks before, I might have thought such behavior from a tiny tyrant amusing, but at that moment, I would have obeyed his command by dropping him on his head. Skyla merely floated him out of the wreck and set him down gently.

He stomped his little hooves, which made all his medals jingle musically, and shouted, "Don't you realize who I am? I am Emperor Fauvel the Seventh, and I—"

Skyla snapped her wings open with a loud whump of displaced air, and said, "I am Captain Skyla Windsong, the most feared alicorn pirate in the world,[1] and commander of the fleet that has conquered your miserable empire![2] You are my prisoner, and you will conduct yourself as such if you wish to avoid being chained in the bilge. Do you understand?"
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[1] Taking into account that she was one of only two alicorn pirates in that world, and had been our public face for most of our stay, this assertion was eminently defensible.
[2] Not so defensible.
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He flinched back and then visibly collected himself. "I see," the pint-sized Ironhoof said coldly. It was difficult to look down his nose at a pony so much taller than himself, but he managed it. "Very well. I acknowledge that I am your prisoner until such time as my knights rescue me and chop you to pieces. Show me to my stateroom and have a servant bring me breakfast."

Skyla smiled. Her smile was not a pleasant one. "Of course, Your Imperial Majesty! Ms. Nightshade, attend the emperor."

He hadn't really noticed me until then. When he got a good look at me, he gasped and tried to hide behind Sugarpine's legs, which almost got him stomped into jelly. I rescued him from the resentful rebel by subjecting him once again to lowly unicorn levitation, and things went rapidly downhill from there.

I floated the kicking, squalling brat aboard and locked him in the passenger cabin. Having seen the looks on the faces of the crew who witnessed the loading of the loathsome cargo, I gave strict orders that no unicorns were to go near him. I strongly disliked the nasty little colt, but I certainly didn't want him murdered. I even had Cream Puff bring him some food.

We got several large power crystals and enough fabric and gas cylinders from the wreck to get Nebula back into fair shape. The only problem was that it would take us a couple of days to make all the necessary repairs.

"We can't stay here, Captain," I said. "There are at least two destroyers out there, and even though they might be too afraid to attack us now, they might well decide to shadow us, either looking for an opportunity for a quick strike, or waiting to gather reinforcements. Our best defense is to disappear as quickly as possible."

"That means trusting that Loose Leaf is telling the truth about the smuggler's passage, and isn't out for revenge on you," Skyla pointed out. "How did a scribe hear about something like that, anyway?"

I sighed. "I'll ask her about it when she wakes up. I need to talk to her, anyway. I don't know what good an apology will do, but I do owe her one."

Skyla nodded. "In the meantime, we get underway. We'll set course on a heading north of Fort Blood. That's the general vicinity of Leaf's supposed secret pass, and well away from any towns."

Star took the wheel, and I went down to check on the brat. I met Cream Puff in the companionway outside the second mate's cabin. He was carrying a tray of food for the emperor that looked liked it could have been the chef's special at the Hayloft.

"That's quite a meal, Puff," I said, taking in the delicious aromas. "I'm not sure the kid is worth the effort."

Puff scowled at me. "This morning, he said that my fabulous primavera omelette was 'quite adequate.' I'm going to get some honest appreciation out of him, or he's going to get oat rolls and water for the rest of the trip!"

"Well, if he turns up his nose at this, you know where my cabin is. Don't…" I trailed off, struck by sudden inspiration. "Wait here for a second. I've got to get something out of my cabin."

I rejoined Puff a moment later, and we entered the Imperial Suite together. The colt's eyes went wide when he caught a whiff of the sumptuous meal. "Ah, supper! You may place it on the table, my good pony." Despite his affected casual air, I could swear I saw a bit of drool on his lower lip.

I held up a wing to stop Puff, and said to His Imperial Condescension, "There's just a small bit of business to take care of before you eat, sir."

"It can wait!" he snapped, already climbing into the chair at the table.

"Very well," I said, calmly, motioning Cream Puff out the door. "We will return later."

"I'm hungry!" he squalled.

I took two ships biscuits that had been sitting next to my writing desk for a week or so, and floated them over to the table.

"Here you are, sir. Wouldn't want you to starve, would we?"

He went red in the face and raised a hoof to sweep the biscuits off onto the deck. I watched him calmly. He sneered at me, but lowered his hoof. "What business?" he muttered.

Ah! I thought. The child can be taught!  "Just a tiny bit of paperwork, Your Majesty!" I took the folder out from beneath my wing and set it down as I removed the biscuits. "If you will just sign here… and here…"


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Near sunset, Sirocco found me in the bow scanning the countryside ahead of us. "Ms. Nightshade? Loose Leaf is awake and asking if we have any tools for tattooing aboard."

"Oh?" I stowed my spyglass away. "Is she… Does she seem—rational?"

He shrugged. "Well, she's not actually raving or spraying spittle, but she was saying something about a conspiracy against you."

I sighed. "Send her forward. I need to talk with her. Would you also fetch a bottle of ink, some clean rags, and a sail needle from the stores, please?" He saluted and turned to go. "Oh, wait! Also a set of hobbles—discreetly. Just in case, you know?" I added.

"Are you sure you don't want to start with the hobbles, ma'am?" he asked, only half-joking.

I stifled an ungenerous chuckle by forcefully clearing my throat, and went back to scanning ahead of us.

Loose Leaf approached a minute or so later, began to bow, then changed her mind and saluted me. "You wanted to see me, ma'am?"

Behind her, Sirocco quietly set the requested equipment down on the deck behind the capstan.

"Yes, Leaf," I said, indicating with a wing that she should sit next to me. "I hear that you want a tattoo? I can do that for you, if it's not too intricate."

"No ma'am. Just a couple of stripes on my lip."

I thought it might be something like that. "I don't know the symbols the Blacklips use. That would make you…?"

"A senior archivist. High enough that most would automatically defer to me, but not so high that they would expect to have heard of me. It will makes things a lot easier for us depending on who we run into on the way west."

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask," I said. "I did lie to you. I pretended to be your Twilight Sparkle, and I used you in a fairly horrible way." I looked down and I scuffed a hoof on the deck. "So—why? Why would you want to help us?"

"I… realized that you really do want equality of the tribes." Her voice softened and she looked down at the deck. "You come from a place where that's something that everypony takes for granted, don't you? I know I don't deserve it, but..." She paused and swallowed hard. "That's someplace I'd like to live."

I reached out and curled my wing around her shoulders. "Loose Leaf, you would be welcome in my kingdom."[3]
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[3] Notice that I didn't say which kingdom. Though Loose Leaf might not fit in very well in Equestria, Twilight Town was jam-packed with "characters", and mere eccentricity would go completely unnoticed there.
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She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a foreleg. "I can't thank you enough, Majesty."

"Oh. no!" I said quickly. "I get enough of that from the crazy kirin! Unless it's a formal setting, I want you to call me Twilight, understood? Uh… Well, except here, and then it's Ms. Nightshade or ma'am, okay?"

She sniffed again and nodded. "Understood, ma'am."

"Good!" I said, levitating the ink and needle up in front of her. "Now, how far apart do I make these stripes?"

"They should be a pin feather in width, separated by the same distance. One in the center and one to the right… Oh, wait!"

I assumed she was having second thoughts about getting her lip impaled a few hundred times with a sail needle, but this is the very aptly named Loose Leaf I'm writing about.

"I almost forgot! Before you begin, I should tell you that, after what the big dragon said to her last night, I'm pretty sure the captain is going to try to kill you. You probably should take her out as soon as possible."

My wing slid off her back and the ink bottle and needle dropped to the deck as I stared at her in shock.

"I can wait, if you want to do it now," she said, pleasantly.


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