The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi


Need A Vaccuum?

Maple barely dared to breath as the batpony mare stepped back from her, admiring her handiwork. She was hogtied, laying on her side with all four legs strapped together, though strangely no gag... It might have helped that she wasn't saying anything. The mare nodded once, eee'd something at her, and wandered back down the stairs, not even bothering to move her somewhere than the landing outside the engine room.

The five stallions she had summoned stayed, watching her with varying degrees of interest, head-tilting, ear flicking, curious frowns and muttered conversation that was probably kept down more for their superiors' sake than hers. But they always shied away from poking her, and one by one they got tired and left, until the last one just laid down in front of her with his legs tucked under his body like a cat and stared dreamily at her, or maybe at some point far behind.

It was utterly unnerving in its alienness. Maple had one set of expectations for how being captured by guards would go, and aside from the ropes every attempt to match this to her experience in Ironridge failed. She wasn't even tied down to anything, just left with her legs bound. No enemies were taunting her... well, maybe they had been, but she couldn't understand it. And now she was being stared at, not harmfully or eagerly or even in appreciation but just... She shuddered. It was as peaceful as she would have been to a defeated enemy, at least, and probably curious, too.

Hopefully the light wouldn't hurt his eyes to much.

Flash! Maple's cutie mark activated, and the ties around her hooves were pocketed, freeing her to produce the flash club and unleash it on the guard. His shriek of surprise was almost too high-pitched for her to hear, and she shot him an apologetic gaze he'd never be able to see as she rolled upright and dashed off toward the library. There was another similarity between these pirates and the Defense Force, at least: none of them ever realized that tying her up just didn't work.

She slowed herself going into the library, just in case the stallion from before was still there. He was, though it took her a second to notice him... and in that time, he had already noticed her. Four bookshelves up, one down from the ceiling, he had cleared a tiny square of books and somehow wriggled backwards into it, wings folded, leaving him with just his forehooves dangling and his smiling head stuck out like some kind of fuzzy gargoyle. "Shhhhh!" he whispered with a stupid grin, immensely proud of himself and willing to accept even his quarry as a secret audience.

It took Maple three seconds to stop blinking, and then she was gone. Her room was near the start of the room corridor, and lit crystals were still leaking out from underneath. Starlight was okay.

"Starlight?" She knocked softly, keeping her voice down. The pirates would know she was here...

With a pulse of light, the crystals retracted from beneath the door, allowing it to slide open.

Tentatively, Maple reached out, starting to roll the door aside... and then, from nerves, instinct, or both, whirled and fired the flash club down the dark hallway, just to make sure she wasn't being snuck up on.

"Eeeeeeeeheeeheeeheeeeeeeee!" A batpony was launched out of the floor barely a hoofstep away from her, turning its scared jump into a jump scare and cackling madly in fright, waving its hooves and wings like it was trying to cast spooky shadows.

"Aaaaah!" Maple jumped back as well, tripping and scrambling to keep the flash club on and pointed down the hall as the failed sneaker flailed away down the ship's length.

Instantly, Starlight was there, though not outside enough of the room to cast the door's shadow over their captive. "Maple!?"

"Inside. Back inside," Maple urged, pushing her in. "I got what I needed and more. I don't know what these pirates' deal is, but it's spooky out there."

Starlight made no protest, and soon the door was sealed again behind them.


"Alright, bone brains," Valey declared, dropping onto the deck straight between the bound, relatively-unattended forms of Slipstream and Sirena. "I busted your boats, in case you didn't notice. Now stop trying to rob us, release my friends and leave us alone, or I'll take you to town, too! All... three of you?" She glanced back down at the boats, one filled with soggy sarosians and the other surrounded by swimmers who were trying systematically to right it. There was still that bundle of supplies... but who needed that? They probably had plenty still left over.

The three batponies left on deck, all stallions, looked at her curiously and tilted their heads.

"Right... you guys aren't the ones who understand me..."

Valey put a hoof to her forehead. At least they also weren't the ones who were offended. "Eeeee!" she shouted, pointing a hoof out at the water and hoping that matched 'go away' in their language. "Like... go eee over there, or something! My boat! Now shoo!"

The three stallions stomped their forehooves and applauded.

Valey could have slammed her head into the railing, but that wouldn't have been productive. Instead, she ducked down, putting her sharp teeth to work, and in seconds the ropes binding both Sirena and Slipstream had been severed and she was helping them to their hooves.

"Mkay, girls..." She furtively glanced between the entrances to the cabin, the bridge, and the rear cargo bay. "Listen, Starlight and Ironflanks are holed up... supposed to be holed up down below, but I really wanna take the bridge first. Once we get the lights back on, it'll make it that much harder for these clowns to sneak around. Beats me where Birdo is, but we're gonna get in there and you're... going to try to stay safe, I guess? While I clear out the last of these bozos. Any of you have any combat experience at all, whatsoever?"

Slipstream solemnly shook her head, and Sirena shrugged. "I've watched Wallace train from time to time. But I'm not a griffon, so a lot of good that does!"

"Yep. Figures. Bananas. Maybe Starlight's right. I should give all of you a crash course in self-defense sometime..." Valey frowned at the bridge, then at the three pirates to either stay put or bail. "Here we go."


Pow! Biff! Whud!

The pirates in the bridge, apparently, hadn't gotten the memo that Valey was a bad idea to mess with. In less than a minute, two stallions had their tails tied together in a knot, the rest had fled, and the lone mare was on her back on the ground, legs pinned strategically by a wing so she couldn't flail as Valey leaned on her and ruffled her mane with a hoof.

"Aww, don't feel bad," she teased, giving the pirate a wonderful smirk, face inches from the mare's own. "Listen, you had every opportunity to avoid this. You could've bailed when I asked. You could've never picked on us in the first place. And especially, you could stop being such a bitter jerk, stop eeeing... I know you can understand me and talk normal... and tell me just what the bananas your deal is, because seriously, I did nothing to you guys. Or else face the never-ending noogie. Savvy?"

The mare spat in her face.

Valey's cutie mark gave her plenty of time to react, but as she reared away, the mare slipped free, grabbing her knotted companions and yanking them roughly after her on her way out. Valey didn't give chase; they were leaving. That was good enough for her.

"You're not going to go after them?" Nyala asked anyway, finally showing signs of life.

"Nah." Valey shuddered just a little. "Much as I used to get a kick outta that... Making someone that uncomfortable just to get what I want? Bananas, I'm acting like Puddles. Even if it's something I deserve, and I've always been like that. Just not as fun to keep it up any more."

"You're enjoying this?" Slipstream asked, looking up in worry.

"What, being the biggest fish in the bathtub again?" Valey winked, stretching. "Oh, you bet. Having you guys in danger... Nah. But these pirates are smalltime. Kinda feels good to stretch my wings again like this. Anyway, Nyala, I need you to turn on the lights all throughout the ship, full blast. Do that, and it'll be pretty easy for me to run the last of them off. Think that's doable?"

"Oh, that's what gets them?" Nyala tilted her head. "I guess it makes sense... You'll be okay with the lights on too, Sister?"

Valey winked. "Yeah, don't worry about me. They're so weak, they benefit way more from the terrain than I do. Especially the mares, 'cuz they've got weapons to ambush with. Seriously, do all the stallions here seem just a tiny bit loopy to you? Whatever's up with these pirates, I have utterly no clue..."

"Alright, then," Nyala announced. "I'll do it. Here goes!"

A hum built in the distance, like the ship was gradually coming to life, and the lights soon followed. Warm yellow light flooded the bridge from several filtered crystals set into the ceiling, and Valey grinned. "Sweet! Now, stay as safe as possible, okay? Preeetty sure they're too much on the run to do any new looting, but I'll check back here in five minutes at the latest. Gotta go look in on Starlight and Ironflanks, see if I can find anyone else, and chase as many clowns out of downstairs as I can. See ya!"