//------------------------------// // Tome 2 - Bucket // Story: Guns of Pegasus // by Twisted Gears //------------------------------// "...So, Cartography, Engineering, and Astronomy. Anything else you can do for our ship, Tin?" Asked Baron Von-Owl, looking down at Tin, that was still laying on the ground, facing the sky. "I-Er... I have some contacts here and there too." He said, trying to hide the fact that he never touched the Helm by himself, or shooted an actual weapon in his whole life. Owl looked up towards Bloodwing. "Well then, seems so. May I ask, from where do you actually come from?" He asked, his sight returning to Tin. "...From the industrial city of Fallow, Sir." He said, remembering the -once upon a time Vanhoover's- skyscrappers, that were turned into factories and homes after the chaotic disaster, simply known as The Rupture. "Ahh.. To the Dry West. The Mares in that zone are pretty to eye, yes..." He said, his eyes escaping reality, as he lost tracks of his actions, and started to drool on the thoughts of nice, roundy plots. "...Captain! Wake up! You're drooling... Again!" Said Bloodwing, bringing Owl back to reality. "Ah!" He cleared the liquids from his mouth, and then looked back to Tin. "Well then, I guess that I should introduce you to the rest of the crew!" Tin nodded as he got up from the ground. Owl signalled him to board the ship, as Bloodwing walked past him, heading inside. During that moment, Tin got the opportunity to see Bloodwing's flank, where a set of gears connected by wires were printed on. This made him think. If she's a gunner, why does she have gears as a Cutiemark? He looked at his own flank, where a compass was printed, as a permanent memory for him, when he had to find a way to escape the first attack on Fallow, from the wrath of Yeshan pirates. He limited himself to clear his mind, and board the Galleon. And it wasn't nice to stare at a future Crewmate's butt. "...Mares and Gentle...Colt, we have a new member on our crew! Everypony, raise your hooves for Tin Compass!" Said Von-Owl, after Tin boarded. He saw a Mare in the ship, and a Colt. The Colt was a little earth Pony, with a green coat and a darker green for his mane. He wore nothing but aviator goggles on. "Welcome to Tartarus!" He said, with a wicked smile on his face. "...Thanks?" Replied Tin, raising an eyebrow. He thought that underaged Ponies couldn't ride Airships, but the last time he checked a Law book, was around ten years ago. Then again, each region had its own set of laws and customs. What was legal in one may not be in another, such as Slavery being legal in the Fjorlands but a banned practice in the Mercantile guild. Then the mare waved to Tin next. She was unusually tall, orange-ish Coat, a mane red as an apple, and eyes with the shine of the sun. She wore a brown leather jacket, with a corset under it... For some reason. "Welcome to the Char--!" She attempted to say, right when she was interrupted by another mare, that suddently popped out from behind her. The second mare was a Pegasus, blue coat and magenta Mane. Her left eye was covered under a bandage that hid about half her head too. It looked recent, whatever that happened to her, and her other eye was yellow. She wore nothing aside from the bandage. "Ah, we have a newbie? Welcome aboard, then!" The Orange-Ish Mare looked up, to her recent interruption. "Hey, Cloud! I told you to not interrupt mewhen I speak!" The Pegasus -named Cloud- landed next to her. "What'dya say, Pepper? You'll have to excuse my lack of audition, I was shot at just yesterday!" "You wouldn't gotten yourself shot if-" She got interrupted again, as a third mare bursted out from the Engines room, with a Wrench on her mouth. She was wearing large goggles covering her eyes -Wich were yellow-, that matched her white coat, and brown mane. She had metallic boots on her hooves, probably to protect them from the heat the Engines emmited when working. She spitted the Wrench towards Cloud, hitting her right on the back of her head with a 'DINK!'. "Last time you both discuss today, damnit! I'm tired of your constant blabbery!" She shouted, before turning over to Tin, finally noticing his existance. "Ah, hello! Welcome aboard... Whoever you are! My name's Rusty, to serve!" She added, making a slight bow, her mane dropping a considerable ammount of iron slag onto the wooden deck. Tin looked to Owl, the one that was laughting his flank off at the situation. He clearly enjoyed watching three Mares almost kill eachother more than what he should. Tin then looked back to them. "....Thanks, miss... Rusty." He said next, eyeing Cloud, the one that was rubbing the back of her head due to the recent impact, and glared towards Rusty. Meanwhile, Bloodwing used the oportunity to lift Tin again. "Well, you know everypony already! Lemme put you straight where we'll need you!" "H-Hey! Put me down!" He said, before stopping his little struggle to get himself free. It was pretty much pointless, since Bloodwing was pretty fast in the matter of raising Ponies from the ground. Soon, he was dumped on the Helm. There was a table right behind it, with a crystal display showing the map of the area; that being the giant rock Cathedral was built on, and the surrounding territories; Virna, at the north-East, former Hollow Shades, current commercial and political rival to Cathedral, the Black Channel at the East, a patch of empty sky that used to be the Everfree Forest. The former Manehattan and Fillydelphia were past the Channel, and were the current domains of the secretive Order of Chaladon. The Albys region was at the South, former Appleloosa, and the Fjorlands and the Firnfields at the North, former Crystal Empire, and the Crystal Mountains, respectively. The map only reached the former Equestria, now divided in those little city-States. It was unkown what happened to the Gryphons, the Zebras, Yaks or the Saddle Arabians as every communications with them broke, just as the earth did. Bloodwing proceeded to drop Tin on safe floor, as he looked around, noticing the map. Bloodwing landed at his side, and gestured to the table. "Well, here's the map. The Baron knows how to use it, but he ends getting troubles with plotting courses and all that. I think that there's when you enter." She adds, as Owl goes upstairs, towards the Helm, leaving the three Mares discussing -If not already hitting eachother- behind. "Well then, Tin. You'll be up here with me pretty often. You also have the Balloon heater right... There." He adds, gesturing towards a bottle-shaped metal piece, attached to a pipe that led to the Baloons over their heads. The piece had a balloon printed in black, contrasting with the white-stained metal plates that were the part made to be the balloon's source of power, aside from the highly-combustible Gas that was commonly being used to fill the Baloons. It was a common but dangerous practice to achieve lighter-than-air buoyancy. Tin nods. "Got it. And... Uh, one little question." He added next, rubbing his mane. "Spit it up." Replied Von-Owl. "I've got ears, and I plan of making a good use of 'em." "Where's-Uh... The Bathroom?" He asked next, smiling a little. The drinks from the night prior were already attempting to, well. Flow out. "...Heh. There's no fancy 'Bathroom' on this ship, mate. However, there's something that assembles one. Follow me, then." He added, gesturing Tin to follow him, while he walked downstairs. Bloodwing gave Tin a 'good luck' look. Tin followed Von-Owl he walked down and towards the Engine room. Owl opened the door, and gestured inside. "At the left, you'll see a Bucket. That's it." He simply stated, looking to Tin, the one that returned a concerned look. "You're saying that we...?" He asked next, looking into the Door. Owl simply nodded. "Yup. Once you're done, dump it off-deck, from the hole behind. Make sure it doesn't hit the proppeler though, or else you'll have to clean a real mess." He added next, with all the seriousness he could gather, wich wasn't much. Tin just stared at him, wondering if it was a joke or not. "For... Real?" He asked next, raising an eyebrow. "This isn't a rookie prank, right?" Owl nodded again. "For real. This ship was built with the battle in mind, not mundane commodities. Like Bathrooms, tea-Storages, Showers..." He added, thinking of what the Changeling Charger lacked of. "Plumbing in general." "Does this ship at least has... I dunno, somewhere to sleep, or do we have to sleep in the main deck?" Tin asked, crossing his hindlegs and holding a bit. He really didn't wanted to do his needs on a bucket. "Well, we usually lock up the lower deck, and lay down a few bedsheets. 'Less you're insane, like Cloud, that sleeps between the Balloons. Because you aren't, right?" He asked, looking at Tin with a bit of concern now. "I-No! I'm not insane! ...I think. B-But well... Uhm... I'll use the... 'Bathroom' for now... Don't mind me." He added next, looking into the room, and towards the Bucket. It was oddly clean, and even shining, waiting for Tin to use it the way a Bucket shouldn't be used. "...'Aight then. I'll let your privacy be. Lock the door if you're planning to use it for... 'Other' things. Te-hee." Added Owl, before closing the door behind him, not giving Tin enough time to reply, and walking off towards the three Mares that were now fighting eachother, and not verbally exactly. However, he didn't made the effort of stopping them, as he just sat at a safe distance, and enjoyed the show alongside the colt whose name was never told. They shared oppinions on who they would bet if a more serious fight broke out. Rusty was the one catching the most attention, as she was the smart one to use a Wrench as a 'tool', and not precisely to fix. ...This feels just like home.