//------------------------------// // SHIP AHOY // Story: Amnesia and Love. // by Shimmering Honor //------------------------------// Chapter 12: SHIP AHOY “You can’t leave me here! Let me down!” Lightining’s world had been turned upside down, literally, he now hung on the A frame set up for Shimmering and Midnight as blood slowly poured out of his neck. “I zink I can, and I zink I vill.” Shimmering walked away as the buffalo left. “No...come back...I demand it...let me down!” “Have fun with the vultures!” Midnight shouted as the trotted into the distance, the sun started to rise and shimmering regained his blue fur and feathers, his ears shrank and his fangs disappeared. “Interesting,” he mumbled as he looked himself over. Shimmering and Midnight walked for a few more days, resting every few hours, hunting for food and just talking, nothing spectacular had happened since they escaped the camp. But on this day, Midnight was quiet….awkwardly quiet. “You okay Mid?” Shimmering had asked her “Y..y..yeah I am fine” she smiled and he kept going. No I am not, I think I have fallen for him...oh celestia look at him, his strong forelegs, the way his whole body flexes...and the wings...ohhh those wings look so soft and well kept. She thought to herself, he looked across at her and blushed. “Your drooling” Shimmering said bluntly and she quickly wiped it off and looked away, trying to hide her blush. Oh no, he saw me...calm down Midnight, calm down, I am sure its okay. They kept on walking and soon came to a cliff, looking out over the ocean. Shimmering looked down, the white tips of the waves slammed into the side of the cliff, sending spray up and over the two ponies. “10 meters...not bad” Shimmering muttered, he looked up and out towards the horizon, Midnight looked at him, his mane blowing in the wind, his leather jacket reflected the sun, his stetson shadowed his face and made her heart flutter. He looks so calm...so...perfect. He moved his head forward, as if trying to get a closer look at something and took his glasses off, his emerald eyes squinting “there is a ship out there” he states. Midnights head span round “WHERE!” And sure enough, just visible on the horizon was a pair of sails. “OH wow...could we fly out it, might takes to civilisation?” Midnight smiled, then frowned “Oh, that would be bad for me...what with the hanging that will be waiting” she shivered slightly. Shimmering looked across at her and sighed. “I can see what I can do about that, let’s go.” He smiled and flared his wings, Midnight beamed at the thought and copied him, yet deep down, she knew he couldn’t do anything about it. Both Pegasi shot into the air and headed towards the ship. After 10 minutes, they soon saw it was a military ship, a frigate. The ship had three large masts with four huge sails on each, as they got closer they saw it had two sets of gun ports, meaning at least 3 decks within the hull. Shimmering felt uneasy as the ship wasn’t flying any fags. Shimmering landed carefully on the deck, Midnight soon joined him. “Where is everypony?” she asked, the ship was deserted, not a soul in sight, Shimmering shrugged and moved towards the captain's cabin, he knocked and waited. He knocked again. And again. Nothing. He pushed the door open, and the cabin was empty, they both walked in and looked around and found everything looked like it was normal, a journal sat on the desk. Midnight walked over and opened it to the last entry. “Something is foul on ship, so we are going to be towed behind on a lifeboat till the air clears” She read out. Shimmering sniffed. “There is a trace of something” and he walked out the cab and to the first deck, sniffing as he went. “HEY!” Midnight called and ran after him. They headed down a level to one of the gun decks, again, everything was perfectly placed, cannons lined and ready, tables set for meals. Hammocks hanging ready for a pony to sleep in. The ship creaked and swayed as the two ponies exploded, going deeper into the ship, a stove was still cooking some form of stew, medical equipment was neatly stored and the cargo was still intact. “Well, I can say they weren't raided” Shimmering noted and headed back to the top deck” “There is a rope dangling of the back here” Shimmering spotted, he headed to the stern of the ship where a rope trailed in the water behind them, tied to one of the lamps. He leaned out and pulled it in. “But its snapped” Midnight pointed out, Shimmering looked out to sea. “The crews long gone then” he bowed his head for a second then turned and headed to a small table. “Looks like we have to take this ship to port, thankfully all the maps and equipment are onboard still, so I can easily get us to a port” he smiled and headed to the wheel, then stopped. “Lets wait till tonight, when the stars are out”He smiles and Midnight nodded in agreement. They both went to a couple of hammocks below decks and climbed in, falling asleep. A few hours later, hoofsteps on the deck woke Shimmering up, he noticed Moonlight coming through one of the gunports and stepped into it, his fur going grey and frizzled as he transformed, a hatch opened nearby and he ducked into the shadows, “Fancy this frigate just sailing along on its own” Said one Stallions voice “Shame the Royal Navy will lose it now” Another said, Shimmering could see them walking down the steps into the hull. “Hey, there is somepony ‘ere” said the first voice, they had spotted Midnight still asleep in the hammock. The pulled out a couple of musket pistols and moved closer, Shimmering could see both where earth ponies and so easily taken if he could get above them. “Ohh and its a mare too” said the second as the got to within inches of Midnights sleeping form. They leaned in too look closer. Midnight however, was not asleep. She span around quickly, he hind hooves smacking one pony in the neck, sending him tumbling into his friend, both fell to the ground and both muskets went off. “WHAT WAS THAT!” more voices could be heard from the top deck as about 5 ponies rushed down the steps, they didn't find anything. Their two friends had disappeared, all that remained was two smoking muskets. “What the? is this one of them ghost ships captain?” “I ‘eard that if a pony boards one of them ships, he becomes part the crew” “Nah, I heard you go to Davie Jones Barn” “Dont be silly, there is no such thing as a Ghost Ship...wait...where is Red Case” four ponies looked round and sure enough, they were missing a stallion. “he was right there” exclaims one there was a sudden swosh and only three ponies remained. “I told you, it was a ghost ship...we are all doomed” Screamed one and he ran to the steps. “Hard Flank get back here...AHHH” Shouted another who was then dragged into the shadows. “Help me AHHHHH” he screamed followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor, a red puddle soon seeped out the shadows. “Every pony for himself” Screamed the one that ran, as he reached the stairs he stopped “Captain...there is something behind the stairs” he said nervously, he could see through the slats and two piercing yellow eyes with slits for pupils looked back. “Where...SHOOT IT!” the Captain screamed, only for the pony at the stairs to disappear into the shadows too with a terrified scream. “Show yourself, now!” screamed the pony. He spun round as he heard Hoofsteps behind him, then from his left, no right...now behind him again. The pony kept spinning this way and that, soon stopping as he had managed to get tied up in some rope. “what the?” it tightened around him and he fell to the floor, two sets of hoofs could be heard now, both appearing out the shadows in front of him, one was a grey stallion with frizzled fur and mane, another was a Black mare with maroon mane. “Looks like ve ‘ave caught use a pirate” said the stallion, the mare just smirked. “I am thirsty” the Stallion kept on and moved closer “And I am zure he does not need hiz blood anymore” he said slowly as he walked around the bound pony. “Please dont” the Captain whimpered. “Too late for that” said the mare and his vision went dark, his closing never to open again.