//------------------------------//
// Pirates and Promises. 
// Story: A Golden Story 
// by aRegularPony 
//------------------------------//

Age: 0
A newborn looked at the new world before him. He was sat on the wooden floor of a boat, or a ship of some kind. Crystal, the pony's mother, looked at her son proudly. "He's going to be just like you."
Ironhunt, the father, didn't look so happy about this. "No. He shouldn't have to become like me. Its too dangerous."
Crystal giggled. "I don't mean that, I mean your personality."
Ironhunt's frown was now a smirk. "Of course. Silly me. So, what should we call him?"
Crystal thought about this. "How about we name him after your grandfather, Goldseek."
Ironhunt put his arm around Crystal's shoulders. "I like that. Goldseek." Ironhunt picked up Goldseek and hugged him, taking in his features. Goldseek had a dark blue coat, with a spikey bright bluish-green mane and tail. His eyes were a dark aqua colour.
"Da Da." Crystal and Ironhunt stared in disbelief at how fast the colt learnt his first word. He repeats it. "Da Da."
Crystal simply said "He's so cute. I would have preferred this to happen on land, but all well."
His mother gives Goldseek a gift, two identical green sweatbands and put them on Goldseek's little hoofs. They were a bit too big for the colt, but suited him perfectly. Ironhunt gave him a necklace, reading 'Daddy <3 me' putting the necklace on the colt, he heard some distinct cackling. And then it started.


*BANG* Ponies ran around everywhere. Another ship, a lot larger, was parallel to the ship he was on. That ship had a large mast with a pony skull picture on it. Goldseek watched as water flew into the ship and ponies ran around like crazy, screaming meaningless words. Ironhunt picked up Goldseek and ran to a safer place as the ground Goldseek was just sitting on collapsed. "Da Da?" 
Goldseek looked at Ironhunt, confused about what was happening, wondering if life was always like this. *BANG* The mast of the ship fell down, dropping a pony that was on the crows nest into the ocean. "Take care of Goldseek, honey."
Ironhunt handed Goldseek to Crystal, then armed several cannons, firing them all at once. Crystal repetitively whispers something to Goldseek. "I'm so sorry." 


A plank was pushed between two ships, joining them together, and a pony from the other ship started boarding the boat. It grabbed Crystal, causing her to drop Goldseek. Goldseek started crying, which caught Ironhunt's attention immediately, and he saw Crystal being dragged into the other ship. He ran across the plank and unsheathed a large blade, a scimitar of some sort. He sliced the pony with the weapon, and told Crystal to go back other to the other ship and keep Goldseek out of trouble. "I'll be back, just promise me nothing will happen to you or Goldseek." Crystal nodded, but Ironhunt knew more then anypony that was a promise that she probably couldn't keep. *BANG* One of the ship's cannons fell into the ocean, sinking to the bottom, never to be seen again. Ironhunt crossed the plank placed between the two ships, and started fighting the pirate ponies. One by one they fell into the sea, until there was just one pirate left. The captain. Ironhunt swung his sword at the captain, but the captain deflected it, injuring Ironhunt's leg, and making him unable to walk. Still, Goldseek's father continued to fight the captain, cutting off part of the pirate's hoof. In rage, he kicked Ironhunt, making him fall into the deep blue water.


The captain crossed the plank, filled with anger from Ironhunt cutting off part of his hoof. He pushed a pony out of the way, then seized a pony who he had saw Ironhunt conversing with. That pony was Crystal. Again, Goldseek was on the ground, crying, as the captain walked away with his mother. The pirate tied Crystal to what remained of the mast of the pirate ship, and sailed away, laughing madly while holding his hoof. Goldseek sat alone in the wreckage of the ship, crying and calling for his 'Daddy'. Ironhunt's head emerged from the ocean, and he began to swim back up to the ship. His tears were mixed with water dripping down his mane. He held Goldseek close, repeating the same words Crystal had. "I'm so sorry". He got into a raft that was on the ship in case of emergency and sailed back to land.

They fell off the raft several times, and the raft flipped a lot in the waves. Goldseek grabbed his father's leg and hugged it, falling asleep on his lap. 'No pony should have to go through that' thought Ironhunt. 'Especially not a baby colt.' Ironhunt held Goldseek tight, not even thinking of letting go. He ran his hoof through his son's mane while the colt snuggled his father. "I promise." He began to say. "I promise nothing bad will happen to you as long as I live. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

They reached the shore, and a couple ponies ran up to Ironhunt. "What happened? Where is everypony? What happened to Crystal?" Ironhunt sighed as he told the ponies what happened. "Pirates." One of the ponies had a tear run down her face, then pushed Ironhunt into the water. "MY HUSBAND WAS ON THAT BOAT!" Realizing what she did, the mare grabbed Ironhunt's hoof and pulled him back up. "I'm sorry. It's just that..."
"Your angry at me because I didn't save her." Ironhunt sighed. "I'm angry at me too. For not saving Crystal. For not saving your husband. I could only save one pony." Ironhunt picked up Goldseek and put him on his lap.
The mare realized who the colt was, and then said words that were heard a lot during the crisis.
"I'm so sorry."