//------------------------------// // Be Nice, Ironflanks // Story: The Olden World // by Czar_Yoshi //------------------------------// Valey soared silently towards the waiting skiffs, trying to get a count of enemies there. The boats were open, without decks or cabins, leading her to frown. Definitely not intended for being far out at sea... She could see lights on the coastline far in the distance, indicating they were still close to shore. But maybe they were far enough out that she could capsize them easily? If that was even how things worked. She had never even seen a body of water larger than the Ironridge Water District before coming to the empire, let alone learned anything about how boats interacted with open water. Still, that also meant they provided no cover, and she could see everyone inside. Somehow, no alarms were sounded as she glided up; perhaps because the pirates mistook her as one of their own. Valey reached the first skiff's edge and clung on, reaching up to try and see the bundle she had been chasing... and she frowned harder. It was a bunch of food supplies from the pantry netted together, not Gerardo. Not worth fighting for... but disabling their ships was. Valey crawled around along the outer hull until she reached the stern, a heavy mana engine mounted on the back and connected to an underwater propeller. Now that was a target! She'd only get the chance to take out one of these before being spotted, unless... Valey grinned. The rudder was being manned by a single crabby, slightly-overweight mare with a missing ear who looked entirely unconcerned by her presence, focused instead on a bag of something she was eating messily with her wings. She snickered: that had been her in another life, sans being out of shape. The engine chugged softly at her, powered on but in a neutral state. It had one lever, and it wasn't hard to guess what it did. "Heya." She dropped into the boat beside the far mare, taking the rudder curiously in her hooves and swinging it back and forth. "What's this?" The fat mare looked up, blinked, scowled, and said something in a language Valey didn't know that sounded vaguely offended, but didn't even start getting to her hooves. Perfect. "It looks super fun. Mind if I try?" Without waiting for approval, Valey jammed the rudder hard to the left, then kicked the engine's throttle with a hind leg, turning it up as far as it would go. The boat roared, tipped, turned and accelerated swiftly forward, causing the fat mare to roll off her seat with an undignified yelp and the stolen food to topple and fall on one of the stallions that was trying to secure it down. "Booyah"! Valey cheered, pumping a hoof and straightening the boat out of its turn just before it tipped... and ramming the second skiff broadside, with just enough speed to have power behind it. KLUNK! The boats collided with an impact of wood against wood, the engine revved... and the second boat leaned as the first pushed against it, caught at an angle and rolling in the water until it lifted and flipped over entirely, sending the entire crew into the sea. "Haha!" Valey backflipped, spreading her wings and drop-kicking the roaring engine once, twice, thrice... and the propeller shaft snapped clean in half, causing an internal chain somewhere to snarl and the engine to stall, jam, and emit a bang and a puff of smoke. "Take that, losers! Both ships down!" The crew of the first boat got back to their hooves, glaring at her and brandishing weapons. Nearby, the second boat's crew started to surface as well, fountaining water and flicking their wet ears. They weren't happy either. Valey tapped her forehooves together and grinned; time for a bigger fight. Several thunks sounded from outside the door Starlight was guarding, and she kept her gaze fixed totally on the crystalled doorjamb, flooding out as much light as her horn would allow while also maintaining a large amount of crystal. The three batponies Valey had defeated and she had restrained didn't just need their hooves bound; she had crystalled their mouths as well after the mare had started caterwauling in rage or for aid. Now they sat as close to the door as possible so she could focus her light, the two stallions giving each other looks and the mare glaring furiously, her entire coat puffed up like a cat. "It'll be alright," Maple murmured, sitting on her hind legs with both forelegs wrapped around Starlight, holding the filly to her chest and rocking. "Valey knows what she's doing. It'll be alright, it'll be alright..." "What did you even sneak up on us for?" Starlight growled, irritable that her horn was being taxed so quickly. She wasn't yet to the point of exhausting her buffer and getting a long-lasting headache from it, but she was going to reach there far more quickly than she liked. "You think it's funny? We were trying to have a peaceful night where nothing bad happened!" None of the captives answered, of course, the stallions paying more attention to each other than her and the mare making sock-in-mouth noises against her gag. Part of Starlight couldn't blame her for being mad; her breathing still looked uncomfortable after Valey had kicked her so hard, but the greater part was equally furious that these idiots had interrupted her night! Maple needed to feel effective, and the only way that was happening was if she could let her guard down, and of course when she did they got raided by pirates...! She felt the weight of the newly-filled saddlebags on her back, and part of her wanted to pick around in them for something to throw at the batponies. Especially the mare, who was clearly in charge. "...Hang on, Maple," she muttered, slipping free from the grasp and dropping to the floor. "I want to do something." Maple let her go, watching in concern, and she walked straight up to the captive leader, crystalled to the wall such that her butt was on the floor and her back and forelimbs were glued to the wall behind her. Starlight waited until she was a single hooflength from the mare, frowned, concentrated, and released only the crystal surrounding the batpony's mouth. Instantly, the caterwauling resumed, and Starlight was ready. She wasn't an accomplished puncher by any means, but the mare's belly was an easy target that was already sore from Valey, and two rear hooves striking at once sent the captive wincing and choking in pain. Starlight turned back around to face her, glaring, and stomped a hoof. "Talk normally, stop yelling and tell me what you want with us, or I'll crystal you again and punch you twice as hard when you turn down another chance!" The mare wheezed, breathing erratically, eyes watering. "Starlight, no!" Maple yelped, jumping down from the bed and grabbing Starlight and pulling her away. "But Maple-!" "Don't hurt them!" Maple glanced with wide eyes between Starlight and the coughing, choking batpony. "Valey already beat them! Just because they tried to capture us doesn't mean we need to do even worse to them!" "Nnngh..." Starlight growled, looking away. "But they attacked us for no reason!" "I know," Maple whispered, giving her a kiss on the forehead and then looking up. "You're not alright," she said plainly to the mare on the wall, reaching out a hoof. "Can I check you for injuries?" The batpony gave her a disdainful glare, but only a rasp came out when she opened her mouth. "Tell me where anything hurts," Maple gently insisted, putting her hoof gently on the mare's chest and beginning to feel for sore spots. The two captive stallions watched with interest, one waggling his eyebrows and the other giving the first a shut-up-do-you-want-to-be-killed look. Twice the mare involuntarily squeaked, and Maple sighed. "I bet we fractured her ribs. I really don't know how you heal something like this, though. I'm a baker and a shopkeeper, not a doctor..." "And I really don't know why it matters!" Starlight protested, stamping a hoof again. "Maple, why are you being so nice to them!? L-Last night was... wasn't supposed to..." Maple tried again to bury Starlight's face in her chest again. "Because I hate feeling helpless and it's the only thing I know how to-" "Look out!" Starlight shoved her roughly to the side. Covering her face had also covered her horn, and in that split-second both stallions had snuck their ways free. She raised a hoof, prepared to do whatever was needed in defense... but they completely ignored both her and her fellow captive, barreling for the window and nearly colliding in an attempt to get through it. One second of struggle, and they both were gone. "Grrr..." Starlight let the crystal that had held them dissipate, rubbing her face with a hoof. "Probably going to summon reinforcements..." "You think so?" Maple whispered, pointing back at the injured mare they had left behind. Starlight looked up, and the batpony was just as furious as she had been... only now with a visible touch of panic in her eyes, and looking at the window rather than them. She tried squeaking something, but still had no breath to speak with and winced at the effort. Starlight appraised her, then sagged. The mare really did look like she was in a sorry state... and she almost felt sympathetic for her, then stamped the feeling down with a pillar of rage. Maple saw it in her expression. "Starlight..." "I hate things that attack us for no reason," Starlight growled, still trying to get the batpony's eye contact. "Maybe they had a reason," Maple countered. "Maybe they needed food or money, or think all ponies and griffons are hostile because the empire attacked them first!" "For reasons that aren't our fault!" Starlight vehemently corrected. "They should just leave us alone! The pirates and the Defense Force and Hemlock and everyone ever!" Maple gritted her teeth. "Well, I hate destructive cycles and being helpless!" "But they put us in danger..." Starlight wilted. She was right. She knew she was right. But Maple disagreed, even though the pirates were being unfair, and she had to... had to be there for Maple. Had to do what it took to help her feel good about herself. "Fine. We can help her, but I'm not letting her go. What do you want me to do?"