Spitfire and Old Silver

by The FraudulentBrit

The Voyage, Day 2

“Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises. Way hay and up she rises early in the morning.” Silver and the Sailors sang as they loosened the sails. The night had passed peacefully for the Hawkins, and now they and the Wonderbolts were now receiving a crash course lesson on working the sails. “As you can see…” Silver began to say to the Wonderbolts. “The fuller the sails, the more speed we get.” Rainbow Dash and Soarin were certainly able to tell that the ship was now moving noticeably faster. Fleet Foot asked, “But what about the engines?” Misty Fly immediately answered, “The engines are used to keep the ship up in the air. It’s why a ship like this uses sails.”

“And here I thought that the Wonderbolts weren’t known for their brains.” Perry blurted out loud. Before the Wonderbolts could try and defend their honor, Silver called out, “Stow it Mr. Perry. I won’t have hazing on my ship.” “What’s hazing?” Angel Wings asked. Silver replied, “Institutionalized bullying. I don’ne know how the Wonderbolts do it, but up here all you are the same rank under me.”

After a few tense seconds, Silver began, “Alright, now for today’s assignments. Miss Spitfire!” Spitfire stepped forward. “You will be with Mr. Nelson.” The three legged Pegasus hobbled towards the Wonderbolt captain and said, “Alright madam. Follow me down to the store-rooms.” Spitfire followed the Pegasus towards the stairwell. As she descended, she heard Silver call out, “Miss Angel Wings, you will be on the wheel.”

“Alright now Miss Spitfire, hand me that checklist.” Nelson ordered Spitfire. Though she was still offset by the idea of taking orders from some-pony like Nelson, she remembered Silver’s “alternative” choice. “Aye aye sir.” She answered and inspecting the table next to her for the checklist. Eventually finding it on a clipboard buried under a schematic of the ship, she handed it to Nelson. “Ah, there it is. Thank you.” “You’re Welcome.” Spitfire replied to him.

Spitfire couldn’t help but find herself eyeing where his fake leg once was, the empty sleeve on his jacket now pinned close his chest as if his hoof were it were hidden under the side of his jacket. “So….” Spitfire began. Nelson cut her off. “I need you to take this and make sure we have enough food.” As he handed her the clipboard, Spitfire hesitated for a moment. Nelson let out a sigh and said, “Alright, you do this and I’ll answer whatever it is you need answered. Deal?” “Deal.” Spitfire answered as she took the clipboard and began to inspect the food stores, making sure they weren’t low on anything. Nelson, on the other hoof, was sure he left a little something somewhere on the ship.”

“Get Moving!” Cutthroat barked to Scootaloo and a limping Flint. The two were being led down a dark hallway, lit only by a few flickering lights. “Where are you taking us?” Scootaloo asked. Cutthroat simply let out a sinister chuckle and said, “The Pit.” Flint stopped walking and defiantly spat out, “You won’t get away with this.” “We already have boyo.” Cutthroat answered as he slugged Flint in the chest. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground, but Cutthroat used his magic to lift the broken sailor up. He then turned to Scootaloo and coldly ordered “Keep moving.” Scootaloo immediately began to march forward as the thuggish unicorn used his magic to carry Flint towards the end of the hall.

At the end of the hall, there was a simple door. Cutthroat turned to Scootaloo and barked, “Get in there.” The frightened filly immediately darted towards the door, opened it, and ran inside. She was surprised to see that the room was bare; there was literally nothing in there other than the light fixture in the ceiling. Behind her Cutthroat dumped Flint on the floor and left the room, slamming the door shut and locking it. Scootaloo ran towards Flint and wrapped her hooves around him, whimpering, “I’m scared.” Flint, trying to rise to his hooves, tried reassuring her, saying, “I won’t let them hurt you.” “But who’s going to look after you?” Scootaloo worriedly shouted to Flint.

At that very instant, the floor split open, as if it were a giant trap door. Scootaloo and Flint found themselves falling down a relatively shallow drop. Of course, this still terrified Scootaloo, reminding her of that night aboard the airship, which started this whole mess. “You alright kid?” Flint asked the filly. Scootaloo simply nodded her head and answered, “Yeah, all things considered.”

Cutthroat’s voice then spoke over an intercom. “Alright fillies, get moving!” Scootaloo found herself pressed against Flint, who wrapped a hoof around the scared filly. Flint then said, “Alright kid, I think I see where he wants us to go.” He then began to herd Scootaloo towards a large set of doors, similar to those used as the gates of a ranch. “Open the gate!” Cutthroat’s voice shouted over the intercom again. The gate began to slowly open, revealing a scene that horrified Flint.

As the two ponies made their way past the gate, they were confronted by a massive sunken field, inhabited by hundreds of ponies. Scootaloo turned to Flint and asked, “Flint, what is this place?” Flint, steeling himself, simply answered, “This, I fear, is the Pit.”

Spitfire never knew that it could be so taxing simply taking inventory. For the last few hours she had been going back and forth all over the ship, making sure everything from food, utilities, spare clothing, and even ammunition for the cannons were exactly where they should be. Needless to say she felt she had done an acceptable job at the, as she felt, menial task. Still, she always relished a job well done.

“I see you’ve taken to a quartermaster’s post like a fish to water.” Nelson said from behind Spitfire. Spitfire rotated herself to see that Nelson had acquired another, albeit crude, prosthetic leg. “I knew it was down here somewhere.” The sailor said in relief. “Though I swear this time I should leave it somewhere easier to get to.” Spitfire couldn’t help but let out a short giggle. Nelson noticed this and, in a playful but still serious tone, barked, “Well you try dealing with only having three legs and then see if you find it funny.” “Oh. I didn’t mean….” Spitfire found herself stumbling. Nelson then placed his real front hoof on Spitfire’s shoulder and said, “It’s alright. I was just messing with you a bit. Besides, you’ve had a fair bit of experience with that.”

This certainly had Spitfire confused. “What do you mean by that?” Nelson answered, “Angel Wings told me about a few, shall we say, traditions the Wonderbolts have. I have to admit, they certainly wouldn’t fly under my command.” This statement, though somewhat insulting, intrigued Spitfire. She asked, “You were a commander?” Nelson replied, “You did want to know a bit more about me, didn’t you?” Spitfire was somewhat surprised he figured out what she wanted to know.

Nelson then began, “You see, I was once an admiral in the Equestrian Navy. Even once received the honor of being made a member of Celestia’s Circle.” This certainly shocked Spitfire. Celestia’s Circle was a group of the country’s greatest military heroes. To be made a member meant that one had been among the greatest heroes of Equestria, barring the Elements of Harmony or Starswirl the Bearded and his group. Nelson noticed Spitfire’s awe and continued, “I was also one of the first members of the Admiralty to take a stand against hazing.”

This statement certainly irked Spitfire. “What is it with you guys and hazing? I mean, it’s no big deal, just a bit of teasing.” The Wonderbolt captain protested. “For one…” Nelson began, his voice growing deeper and more serious. “It is very unprofessional for anyone, whether they be a Wonderbolt, sailor, or soldier.” The certainty with which he spoke unsettled Spitfire. Nelson then continued. “Secondly, it destroys a unit’s ability to work as a team.” “Please, it’s a unifying experience.” Spitfire cockily replied. Nelson then added, “You know, I once thought like you. I went through hazing and allowed it to continue under my watch.” He then stepped forward towards Spitfire and sarcastically asked, “Do you know what happened?” “Nothing out of the ordinary?” Spitfire asked nervously.

Nelson took a deep breath and bluntly said, “One of my midshipmen killed himself.” Spitfire was stunned by this statement, especially his unchanging expression, making it clear he wasn’t lying. “One of my midshipmen, young Pegasus named Slip Shod always had trouble with his duties. Poor lad was subject to everything from name calling to unnecessary duties to even blanket parties. Eventually he threw himself off the ship.” Nelson then began to look down in shame and solemnly continued, “It was a messy sight. I had to explain to the situation to his mother.”

Nelson then steeled himself and began, “But that’s another story for another time. For almost twenty years I was the most decorated officer in the navy.” He then looked away, worrying Spitfire. “Then one day I was ordered to deal with a group of sea serpents off the coast from Las Pegasus.” He began to look over his prosthetic hoof and continued, “We were able to deal with most of them, but one got a bit too close. Figured I’d make a good snack.”

For the second time in as many days, Spitfire was stunned. To imagine losing a part of her made her stomach churn. Nelson continued, “Afterwards I was honorably discharged from the navy, and for a while I just roamed around, looking for work. You see, I had hit the point in my life that I was really only suited for sailing and little else.” Spitfire then asked, “So, how does Stumpy fit into this?” Nelson then began, “Firstly, please don’t call him that. And secondly, I accidentally fell asleep in a crate and found myself on this here ship. I was then approached by a teenaged colt, your brother, and we struck up a conversation about missing body parts.” Spitfire then asked, “I take it that he hadn’t received his metal wings yet?”

Nelson answered, “Not yet. But he did show me where his once were, and then brought me to the captain.” “You mean Flint?” Spitfire asked. “He wasn’t captain yet.” Nelson replied. “It was a fellow named Black Watch. He helped me get set up as a quartermaster and the rest is history.” Spitfire took in what she heard as Nelson continued. “I admit how Silver and I met wasn’t exactly the most extra-ordinary of circumstances. But I have seen him grow over the years into a skilled sailor, a fine gentle colt, and if I may, a far better leader than you.”

This last statement irked Spitfire. “Hey, I’m a far better leader than him. I made captain of the Wonderbolts while he was washing pots and pans.” Spitfire failed to notice the sound of hoof-steps behind her. “For the record, I served as cook as well as first mate, not just some pot washer.” Spitfire turned around to see Silver, a smug look on his face. “Ah captain.” Nelson said to Silver. “I was just explaining how you and I met to Miss Spitfire, though I may have gone on a tangent about hazing.” Silver let out a playful sigh and continued, “I should’ve guessed.”

Silver then turned to face Spitfire and said, “Though to be fair, Miss Dash did inform me about her probation after her little stunt.” He then pressed a finger on his metal wing against her lips and said, “Though to be fair, in your horse shoes I’d have probably done the same thing.” This certainly intrigued Spitfire. “Yeah, I can’t allow insubordination to go unpunished.” She replied. Silver added, “Though I’d also want to know why, and do something to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

From behind the group, Misty Fly called out, “Guys, we’re approaching a desert!” looking at each other for a few seconds, Silver, Spitfire and Nelson made their way to the top deck and found the other Wonderbolts at the starboard side railing, gazing into the barren emptiness. “Whoa, you sure we’re going the right way?” Soarin asked out loud. “We are.” Silver answered. “Considering we just made it to the desert, we should be there by day-break tomorrow.”

Wyvern then asked, “Cap’n, did you order Miss Dash to make a fire?” “No, why?” Silver answered. Wyvern then pointed to the stairs that lead to the galley, gray smoke starting to emerge from the pit. “Oh no.” Silver said to himself before dashing to a bucket near the mast. Grabbing the bucket, he ran down the stairs into the galley. Misty Fly leaned towards Surprise and asked, “He put Dash on kitchen duty?” “Yup.” Surprise answered. “You think he’ll make that mistake again?” “Probably not.” The two Wonderbolts joked to themselves.

Rainbow Dash knew that she wasn’t exactly the best cook in the world, but that didn’t mean she deserved a bucket of cold water tossed into her face. “What was that for?” She asked to the pony who drenched her. “You were startin’ an inferno!” Silver sternly answered. Rainbow, shaking herself dry, realized it was Old Silver standing before her and said, “Well, I was trying to…. Eh….. I’m not that good of a….” Silver then just shook his head and answered, “Don’t worry about it. Go get yourself cleaned off. I’ll handle lunch.” Rainbow Dash nodded and answered, “Aye aye sir.”

Twenty minutes later, and the sailors and Wonderbolts were now seated at the galley. Silver then began to hand out bowls of a piping broth to every-pony. Soarin asked, “What’s this?” Wyvern began to sniff his bowl then remarked, “Ooh, it’s a wheat stew.” Spitfire devoured a spoonful of it and remarked, “Eh. Tastes like the cheap canned stuff.” “It is.” Silver replied. “Need to keep our strength up, and we may have had an accident earlier.” Most eyes began to make their way to Rainbow Dash, who was now sporting a sheepish grin. “Heh heh. Sorry about that.” She meekly replied. Luckily for her, every pony’s look let her know they didn’t hold it against her, and soon they were all eating their lunch.

Silver then spoke up again. “As such, I’ll take over kitchen duty for tonight. Rainbow Dash shall be transferred to Mr. Nelson. Spitfire will henceforth be serving the rest of the day under Mr. Perry.” Perry received a playful jab from Nelson, who said, “Good luck with her lad.” “Thanks. Guess I’ll have to keep her away from the powder.”

“Alright now.” Perry began as he faced Spitfire. “Down here I got a few rules. One, don’t touch the cannons unless I say so. Got it?” Spitfire rolled her eyes and replied, “Yeah I got it.” “That’s “Aye aye sir” kid. Got that?” Spitfire groaned and replied, “Aye aye sir.” “Alrighty then.” Perry replied, clapping his front hooves together, he pointed towards a bucket of water with a rag next to one of the cannons. “Gun number eight over there is rather dirty. Take that rag and give her a good run down.”

This certainly irritated Spitfire. “Oh come on. Why do you guys keep making me clean crap?!” Perry rolled his eyes and replied, “For the record, that gun has had the primer removed. And secondly, I don’t like your attitude. Seems to me since you’ve boarded you’ve been acting like a great big jerk. Or should I say a jack…..” Spitfire shoved her hoof right into Perry’s mouth and angrily interrupted, “Don’t you dare call me that.”

Perry then grew a cheeky smile on his face. “You don’t like being called that don’t you?” Spitfire angrily replied, “You bet your flank I do!” Perry, still sporting his knowing smile, continued, “You’d pummel anyone who called you that?” Spitfire found herself pinning Perry against the wall, angrily seething out, “You wanna go right now?” Perry, pinned against the hull with a wing pressing against his throat, wheezed out, “Maybe you understand why your brother hates it when you call him Stumpy.”

Spitfire now found herself starting to realize something. True, she had her Wonderbolts nickname, but now she had this pompous unicorn almost calling her a…. a very insulting word. And when he tried pushing it, she nearly struck him. She didn’t want the thought crossing her mind, but it still did. Had Super Marine really found his nickname so insulting. “Uh, kid?” Perry’s voice managed to squeak out, snapping Spitfire out of her contemplative trance. “You mind letting me down?” Spitfire immediately released Perry, who promptly fell to the deck.”

“Wow, you certainly have a lot of strength for a stunt flier.” Perry managed to say as he began to catch his breath. “Seriously, when was the last time you guys fought anything?” Spitfire bluntly answered, “Tirek?” Perry rolled his eyes and replied, “Just like everyone else?” Spitfire then began to say something else, but Perry interrupted her, “And for the record, I don’t remember hearing anything about the Wonderbolts standing up to the Storm King.” Spitfire began to struggle with what to say next, but couldn’t think of anything.

Perry then began, “If you’re wondering why I went on that little tangent, It has to do with how I met your mother.” “You mean brother?” Spitfire replied in a deadpan answer. “Meh.” Perry replied as he shrugged his shoulders and continued. “You see, I used to be the Navy like Nelson, but I was drummed out for not taking things too seriously. Then I heard this bloke by the name of Black Watch was in need of a gunnery officer so I joined up.” Spitfire then asked, “So how does Stu…. I mean Super Marine fit into this?”

Perry began, “Well of course for the first few voyages SILVER and I didn’t interact much, but then came the mutiny.” “Mutiny? What’s that?” Spitfire asked, confused. Perry continued, “We found out a cabin colt had plans of taking the ship and becoming a pirate. He had several crewmen on his side before we even left port and took the rest of us captive, but not before tying Black Watch up and tossing him overboard.”

Spitfire didn’t know what to say. Luckily for her, Perry continued with his little story. “However that was their biggest mistake. Silver led a counter mutiny and we managed to take back control of the ship.” Spitfire then asked, “Who was the colt who led the mutiny?” Perry took a deep breath and replied, “This real brat of a Pegasus named Somers.”

Somers. That name echoed in Spitfire’s mind. She knew that name. He was one of the Raiders. Heck, he was likely one of their leaders. No wonder Super Marine hated him so much. “Oh.” Was all that Spitfire managed to let out. “Exactly.” Perry replied. “Turns out he was some little punk who always wanted to be in charge, but honestly I don’t think he ever really had the right stuff.” “Ok, what do you mean in charge?” Spitfire asked.

Perry levitated the bucket and rag with his magic and presented them to Spitfire. “I’ll explain as you clean the gun.” Spitfire simply sighed and answered, “Aye aye sir.” As she took the rag and soaked it, Perry began again. “Found out Somers was the son of some influential Canterlot noble. He had been at some sort of academy, but to say he was expelled for insubordination would be putting it lightly.” Spitfire inquired, “What did he do?” Perry replied, “I dunno. Something about a fraternity and pirates.”

Perry then took a deep breath. “Honestly it doesn’t matter. All I really know is that he was his dad had him serve here as some sort of last chance. Needless to say he and Silver almost instantly began to hate each other. Once the mutiny was over Silver just threw the little brat overboard just like he did to Black Watch. Little bastard had it coming.” “Whoa. Language please.” Spitfire attempted to chastise Perry. “Sorry kid, but considering we all looked up to Black Watch I wouldn’t exactly say it was an unjust punishment.”

The next few hours were mostly filled with the same thing; Spitfire did what Perry told her, and Perry filled her in on his relationship with Silver. Though in the back of Spitfire’s mind, questions were racing all around her mind. She recollected the stories she had been told earlier from Wyvern and Nelson as well as Perry. Now she truly didn’t know what to think of her brother. Sure she heard some very nice fluff about a colt who could get along with anyone. However, she couldn’t get the image of her brother tossing that Somers pony off the ship. Maybe he had deserved it, maybe not, but she didn’t know how to feel about it.

She wouldn’t have long to find out.