//------------------------------//
// In Which a Cannonball Opens a Door, and a Ship Sails Ahead of Schedule 
// Story: Chasing The Briny Neighsayer 
// by Nines 
//------------------------------//





Rose ended up meeting Swashbuck at the tavern, and after a night of interviewing sailors, she was quite ready to retire to bed. First, however, she had to run that errand for her father. Tailor Sweetsail was many things, and merciful was not one of them. He had locked her out of their home before, and he would surely do it again if she failed him.

The unicorn's jaw clenched at the thought of her father. Once, they had been close. She could still remember the warmth of him as he stood behind her as a filly, showing her how to use her unicorn magic to weave a needle and thread through cloth. The split between them had begun early, when she had started sneaking down to the docks at night to watch the sailors working. On the island, she was known as one of the best teleporters, and it was because she had honed her skills popping in and out of hiding spots during her nightly dock visits.

It was on one such visit that Rose had discovered Tailor had also slipped away to the docks, but not to watch the sailors and the ships, as she had.

It was to meet with his secret lover. She was a young mare that Rose had seen around town.

Confused by what she was seeing, the filly had emerged from her hiding place behind some shipping crates, her eyes wide and her body trembling. 

"Father?" she had called.

The look he gave her... Pure shock. Then anger. As if it were somehow her fault he had gone there to philander with strange mares.

Tailor took her straight home after that. There, he beat her flank with a switch until her skin bled and her screaming had reached a fever pitch. Rose's mother stood off in a corner, bewildered at the savage punishment. 

Over and over, she asked, "Tailor? Tailor, my love, what are you doing? Stop! Stop!" But she did not intervene. Rose didn't really blame her mother. The stallion had been beside himself that day.

Since then, all Rose could think of was escaping. Her obsession with the ships grew. She lost herself to studying them, asking about them, drawing them. When her cutie mark appeared, her destiny seemed clear. She was to design a ship that could take her away from everything.

These days, Rose was fairly certain that Tailor was no longer going behind her mother's back. Still, she could not stifle the resentment that rose in her when he spoke of loyalty and commitment to family. Never had either pony spoken a word of what had been witnessed that night out loud, but it stood between them like a thick wall.

Rose sighed wearily as she approached the carpentry shop, its position at the corner of a crossroads in the heart of town. The business did not appear active, which worried the unicorn at first, but when she neared, she spied a warm light emanating from further inside. That meant somepony was there.

I hope it's Isingo, she thought as she tried the door. Open. She pushed her way inside.

The shop smelled of freshly cut wood and wood stain. The L-shaped sales counter blocked off customers from the work stations behind it. Each station held a wooden work-in-progress. All the carpenter ponies were absent except for one, near the center of the shop floor.

Isingo was a tall zebra with small beaded braids in his dark mane and tail. A gold earring flashed on his flicking left ear, catching the light of his lantern as he craned his neck inside of what looked to be the couch frame Rose's father was waiting for. On his flank was a cutie mark displaying a shadow of what was two crossed hammers. The unicorn had seen the zebra about the town before, but they had never formally met. She had always thought him an interesting character, but he was reserved and always looked dreadfully serious. From what she heard, as far as zebras went, Isingo was a bit of an eccentric.

Rose stepped through the flap gate in the middle of the sales counter. "Pardon me. Isingo, was it? My name is Rose. A pleasure to meet you! My father, Tailor Sweetsail, sent me to check on the progress of the couch frame."

The zebra did not look up as she drew closer. Distractedly, he murmured in his lyrical accent, "Progress is a tricky thing, when deadlines become challenging. The frame is not cooperating. The pony who ordered this complicated piece, wished it with a wood that splinters instead of keeps. Unburden my hooves, and give your father what he wants? Or keep my honor as a carpenter, and see to it a solution be sought? Tell me sweet Rose, what would you have me do? Finish my work, or pass the buck onto you?"

Rose batted her eyes, nonplussed at the zebra's odd form of speech.

At her silence, the zebra sighed and pulled his head out of the frame. When he straightened, Rose took an involuntary step back. Even when stooped over, the carpenter was tall, but at his full height he struck an intimidating figure. His long, slim, exotic face was an expressionless mask, and the soft lantern light played illusions with his striped features. His cerulean eyes held hers with intensity...and something else. Rose couldn't put her hoof on it. 

"Apologies," Isingo said softly. "I do not mean to overwhelm. It is a traditional form of speaking amongst my people, though I'm hardly bound by it. Sometimes, in the late hour, I forget that other ponies find it disorienting."

The mare shook her head earnestly. "Oh no! Don't apologize. It only took me a moment to catch up with your meaning. It's a lovely way of speaking."

Isingo gave the faintest of nods. "Tell your father I'll need one more day. By then, the couch frame will be ready for your family's good work."

Rose cleared her throat and started backing toward the door. "Er... Well, thank you for the information. I'll let father know you're doing your best. Good night!"

Another small nod.

When they started to leave, Isingo cleared his throat. "Rose Sweetsail. Is yours not the mind The Briny Neighsayer sailed from? The work was exquisite, I should know. I worked on it some."

Rose looked at the zebra in surprise. "Oh! You participated in the ship building?"

"I came to Overo in the summer heat, penniless and with nothing to eat. No one would hire a zebra they were too scared to meet. Thanks to you, this challenge I was able to beat."

The unicorn offered a smile. "Really? How wonderful! I'm glad my designs led to such a positive end for you."

The zebra lowered his gaze. "It is for this reason that I feel I should say, I fear for you Sweetsail. Be wary on your sailing day."

The mare laughed uneasily. "I'm sure I'll be fine." She turned and started for the exit. "Now I really must be going. Goodbye!"

Except she didn't reach the door, for a startling blast rocked through it, ripping apart the door frame and the surrounding wall. Glass shards and wood splinters pelted Rose, who screamed in shock. Isingo leapt forward, grabbing Rose around the neck and forcing her down. He covered her head with his hoof.

"Shhh!" he hissed.

Rose stared at the floor, her body shivering hard. There was a ringing silence, punctuated only occasionally by the crack of hot wood and sprinkling debris.

Then another blast came.

It was somewhere nearby, and out of sight. Isingo stood, his head whipping this way and that as he surveyed the street through the windows.

"Wh-What do you see?" she whimpered, daring to lift her head just high enough to peek over a work station.

"Nothing," he said with a scowl.

Rose mustered up her courage and rose to her hooves. Looking out the windows, she saw this was true. They couldn't even see where the other blast had occurred.

Isingo went to investigate the rubble near what used to be the shop entrance. The sea wind howled in through the opening, whistling mournfully. After a moment, the zebra knelt down, his lips pursing.

"It's cannon fire," he announced grimly.

"Cannon fire?" Rose said with a bewildered look. She trotted closer, looking at where the zebra was. She gasped.

Nestled into the guts of what used to be the front counter was a heavy cast-iron cannonball.

Rose drew back, her eyes batting. "But the only ship capable of firing on the town like this would be..." Her face drew long in horror. "Oh. Oh it simply cannot be!"

"Miss Sweetsail?" Isingo reached a hoof out to her, but the mare shot out the ruined shop entrance at a full gallop, her mane flying behind her. "Rose! Wait!"

Her mind became hyperactive, trying desperately to come up with some reasonable explanation that could assure her that The Briny Neighsayer was still docked at the harbor. Even with the town being fired upon, she and Swashbuck could salvage whatever was left and return to sailing shape in no time. But if somepony was stealing it...?

Rose pushed herself even harder, her teeth bared as she exerted herself like never before.

Behind her, she could hear somepony's hooves hitting the cobblestone road hard. In the next instant, Isingo appeared beside her, panting heavily. Their eyes met a moment, but neither said a word. Rose wasn't entirely certain why the zebra would concern himself with joining her, but she didn't have time to question it. Her ship was in danger.

As they ran, the chaos blossomed around them. Ponies, roused by the cannon blasts, emerged from their homes. Some appeared merely confused, not fully cognizant of the damage that had taken place elsewhere. But then they passed a house whose roof had collapsed and somehow caught fire. A mare stood outside of it, covered in plaster, soot, and splattered blood. She screamed through gut-punching sobs that her husband was dead.

Rose slowed, conflicted by the tragic scene, but Isingo bumped her side, urging her to keep running. Surprised, she followed him after just another moment of hesitation.

"We cannot stop," Isingo grunted at her. "That was only the first volley. More will come."

And they did come. There was a distant thunder, and soon following it an ominous whistling. Seconds later, the same thing happened again. Buildings were torn apart. One cannon ball even clipped a building and struck a street lantern, knocking it across the street just as Isingo ducked to the side, plaster pelting his body.

"Are you all right?" Rose shrilled. The zebra gave a sharp nod.

When they made it to the harbor, the harbormaster could be seen shouting and cursing outside of his office. Guard ponies and sailors yelled, dashing to and fro in a frenzy. Some hopped onto a handful of sloops and schooners that were pulling out of the harbor.

It was no use.

At the end of the piers, like a great sinking void, The Briny Neighsayer was not at the place it should be. It was in the bay and turned broadside.

Rose stared, eyes wide and teary, as the ship she had designed to fend off sea beasts instead fired upon the innocent people of Overo Island. The moonlight struck its full sails, brightening them eerily. The thieves didn't light the deck--why would they, after all? It would only make it easier for the island fort and the pursuing ships to fire on them. As she thought this, she hung her head. The ponies going after the galleon ship were brave, but it was a futile effort. They couldn't hope to bring down the menacing vessel. 

But Rose frowned, gathering herself for a gallop down one of the piers. Distantly, she registered that Isingo was still following behind her.

Those sailors and guard ponies... I need to tell them to turn back. I can't just sit idly by and watch the ship I helped create destroy them and my home! Her jaw clenched. I might even be able to reach the ship... Could I sabotage it in some way? Make it dead in the water?

Glancing as a sloop passed her, the unicorn's horn glowed green, and with an emerald flash, she teleported to it. The sailor steering the vessel let out a whinny of surprise. Rose turned to him and shouted, "Turn back! That ship has over a hundred guns! You don't stand a chance of fighting it!" 

The pony blinked at her. "Fight it? Filly, I'm running!"

Rose blinked at him. "Oh. Well... Good!"

"Rose! What are you doing? We must find shelter!" Isingo shouted from the pier. 

The mare ignored him. All that mattered was getting to her ship. Somehow, someway, it would just be okay if she could just get her hooves on the Neighsayer. After that? Details.

Looking ahead, Rose focused on another sloop that had pulled out before the boat she was on. She focused on it, and with a flash she was there. Again, she cried out the same warning to the sailor aboard. Sweat beaded on the unicorns head as she looked ahead to a schooner and did the same. She had never done so many teleportations in a row before, and the effort took its toll on Rose. After the fourth teleport, her head felt as though it were being cleaved in half. Her vision tunneled and her breath came in rough gasps. 

Her latest ship was a schooner, and she was near the foremast. The ship was close enough to the Neighsayer that she thought she could make out faces, but with her vision wavering, she wasn't certain who she was seeing. Looking at the bridge, all she could make out was that a dark pony seemed to be in charge. Galloping toward the bow, Rose dodged a number of surprised seaponies, before her legs struck onto something low and hairy. With a yell, she toppled head over hooves, her face scraping painfully along the deck before she flipped onto her back. Groaning, she saw a pony with a very hairy head look down at her, his broad face tightened in a scowl. 

"Oy! Now what's this all about? Where did you come from, lass?" he asked roughly.

Rose wasn't sure if it was that she had struck her head, or perhaps the deck was poorly lit, but she thought the pony was awfully close to her face for having his neck lifted back. When she rolled over to stare at the sailor, she realized why.

The pony was only three feet tall. He was all black and remarkably hairy, his coat very thick and wild. His mane was long and wavy, and his chin even had a wiry beard.

"Hey! I asked you a question, little thing!" the dwarf said with flattened ears. "We don't need a filly getting underfoot with all this going on!"

Little thing? Getting underfoot? He must be joking! I tripped over him!

Other seaponies--of a regular height--came forward, their expressions menacing.

Rose backed up on her hind legs, front hooves held up. "Everypony, please! I only wish to warn you--that ship has you outgunned! You have no hope of fighting it!"

"And what should we do then?" A sailor barked as the ponies closed in a little more. "Let those pirates destroy our home?"

Rose opened her mouth to say something when she realized it was pointless. These ponies were set on fighting back, to the death if necessary. That left her with just one task she could act on.

Turning, the mare galloped toward the bow. Behind her, the sailors gave chase. With practiced deftness, Rose was halfway up the bowspirit before hugging her front legs around the wooden spar. Her trips down to the docks as a filly involved a great deal of up-close investigating, including climbing the rigging when she could.

Ignoring the growing protests of the crew behind her, Rose tried to get a look at the one steering The Briny Neighsayer at the bridge.

Who is that at the wheel? Rose scooted further up the bowspirit, straining her eyes. 

As the zippy schooner closed in on the galleon ship, the mare craned her head higher. Is that...? Her eyes widened.

Swashbuck. The brown stallion was barking orders at his crew, the very crew she had helped him to hire.

Without thinking, Rose pushed herself up higher with one hoof, her hind legs straddling the bowspirit. 

"Swashbuck!" she screamed. "Swashbuck, what are you doing!?

And for a breathless moment, the captain's head turned her way. He had one hoof raised, his chest expanding as he took a deep breath. Rose waved at him frantically. "SWASHBUCK!"

Then the stallion brought his hoof down in a hard drop, a single word tearing up his throat.

Rose's heart stopped, her pupils dilating as comprehension struck. Swashbuck hadn't seen her. Or perhaps he had. Either way, he'd just ordered for the Neighsayer to fire its cannons.

With terrifying thunder and lethal flashes, the side of the Neighsayer lit up as they rained cannonfire on the smaller ship. Rose screamed and shielded her head as the tip of the bowspirit she clung to was blasted off, raining debris over her quivering body. Simultaneously, she felt a cannon whiz by her, rustling her thick mane. 

"Mare's tits!" she heard a pony cry out in a panic behind her.

Rose dared to look back and was surprised to see the dwarf pony hanging onto the bowspirit by his hooves and wrists, his short stubby hind legs struggling to lift up.

"Hold on!" The unicorn shouted, turning carefully on the bowspirit as the ship rocked and sent sea spray into her face.

When she was fully turned, she slid along her belly until she could reach a hoof out. The dwarf donned a bewildered look to see the mare trying to save him, but he reached out to her all the same. Rose held her breath, her vision still fuzzy at the edges, and the salt water in her eyes did not help. Glancing up, she could see the schooner was in a bad way. The foremast was cracked, and there were ponies prone and bleeding onto the wet deck as the remaining sailors worked in a frenzy.

From the Neighsayer, Rose could hear the barking cries of the villainous crew. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest.

When I designed that ship, even I couldn't have possibly imagined how quickly it was capable of firing! Blast!

As she thought this, the dwarf managed to hook wrists with her. But when she tried to pull him up, she moaned. 

"You're too heavy!" she shouted.

The dwarf's amber eyes held her gaze, and a silent understanding passed between them.

I won't be able to lift him in time. If we stay here when the ship fires again, surely we'll die.

Terrified, Rose did the only thing she could think of.

She lifted her head, looked at the The Briny Neighsayer, and teleported.

Flash.

The mare collapsed onto the deck, too weak to even cry out, her head hurt her so. When she tried to open her eyes, her vision was blurry and doubled. Still, she could just make out a set of dark hooves approaching her.

"Well, well... Look who decided to drop in." She didn't recognize the voice.

Rose tried to push herself up, but the speaker slammed a hoof into her back, forcing her down.

"Oh no, no, lass. I think I like you right there."

"Let her go, Inky," she heard Swashbuck say.

Inky dug his hoof in, making Rose whimper. "But cap'n!"

"Now."

A moment later, Inky's hoof lifted, and Rose lurched to her feet, stumbling back into the railing as the natural motion of the ship sent her careening that way. Panting anxiously, Rose tried to focus her gaze, but the teleportations had taken too much out of her. Her vision wouldn't clear.

She didn't need it to see that Swashbuck was approaching her now. She must have teleported to the bridge.

"Hello, Rose," he said, smirking at her in what appeared to be amusement.

"Don't you touch that filly!" Roared the dwarf pony.

Rose's head snapped in his direction, where he'd landed near her. She had intended for the pony to teleport with her, but somehow she was still surprised she had managed it. "You're all right!" she exclaimed with relief.

The dwarf slid in front of her. She stared down at his hairy head, uncertain of what to make of this situation. She didn't even know the seapony's name, and he was defending her?

The captain stopped before the little pony, his gray eyes winked with mirth. "How brave."

Then in a blur, Swashbuck swatted the dwarf aside, his eyes flashing with an eerie energy. Rose was stunned. Did the stallion just use magic? But he's an earth pony! How could--?

Swashbuck looked at her, his smirk morphing into a more somber smile. Somewhere in the periphery, Rose was aware of the dwarf pony being collected by the sailors on the bridge. 

"You shouldn't have come, Rose. What did you expect to do?" Swashbuck murmured to her.

"You're leaving me," she breathed out in a whine. She reached up a hoof. "Swashbuck, how could you do this? After all I've done, how could you betray me? And the town! Please, oh please stop firing on them!"

"I have no choice," Swashbuck said coldly, his eyes narrowing.

She frowned, shaking her head unsteadily. "I... I don't understand."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry, lass. I tried to bring you in, but... He didn't want you."

"Swashbuck--?"

The stallion turned away from her. "Throw her overboard and cut the dwarf's throat."

Rose stumbled after him just as two seaponies came forward to block her. "Swashbuck, please!"

"For your sake, I hope you drown, Rose," he said over his shoulder.

The mare's face fell as the sailors grabbed her about the front legs and dragged her backwards. She turned her head and saw the dwarf pony kicking and whinnying angrily against the two seaponies that held his legs. A third sailor approached him, a knife in his teeth.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut, screaming as she conjured up her magic. The pain was excruciating, and she could feel blood trickle from her nose. Opening one eye, she could see the green aura from her horn light up the faces of the sailors dragging her.

I have one chance at this... she thought weakly.

She focused on the dwarf pony. When an aura surrounded him, Rose wrenched her head back, willing the pony into the air. She heard him scream, and a moment later a splash could be heard.

The unicorn went limp, her face becoming cold and tingly.

"Blimey! She sent that dwarf into the drink!" a sailor exclaimed.

She heard Swashbuck laugh. "Well, well! My delicate Miss Sweetsail still has some tricks in her saddlebags! Too bad you didn't use it for yourself, lass."

Rose strained to focus her eyes again, but all she could make were vague shapes in her dark and rippling vision. 

Then she heard the stallion yell, "Well what are you idiots waiting for? Send this wench over!"

Rose didn't fight as the sailors pushed her up and over the railing. She watched as the figure she suspected to be Swashbuck wheeled out of her view, replaced by the starry sky. When she entered the water's chilly embrace, she could see the cannon ports flash with smoke and fire yet again, the sound resounding even underwater. This was the last thing she saw before she passed out.


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The unicorn coughed up water, gasping as air filled her starved lungs. She was on sand. Her eyes batted open, and they stung with salt water. Hovering over her was Isingo, his coat and mane dripping wet. This time, his stoic mask was cracked. His eyes were wide and his brow furrowed, a relieved huff leaving his open mouth. Over him, the sky was lightening to a warmer shade.

A moment later, the dwarf pony appeared over her, his face twisted with anxiety. "Och! Lass, I thought you were a goner!"

She rubbed at her eyes with her wrists. "Where... Where am I?" she rasped.

"You nearly drowned," Isingo explained in a calm voice. His stoic mask had returned. "Fergus brought you to a piece of floating debris. When you floated close to shore, I helped you both back to land."

"You didn't help that much," the dwarf muttered.

Isingo ignored him. "I then breathed air into your lungs."

She looked at the dwarf. "You're Fergus, then?"

"Aye. And you're Rose Sweetsail, right? That was your ship that sailed off, wasn't it?"

Rose sat up with a wince. They were on the shore just south of the docks. Looking out at the water, she could see the sun rising from the horizon...and The Briny Neighsayer was nowhere in sight.

"It's gone," she intoned.

Fergus nudged Rose, causing her to glance at him. He was looking at something behind her. "Er... That might be the less pressing of your problems at the moment, lass."

She frowned and turned to see a small, but imposing team of guard ponies marching their way. Leading them was the town's guard commander, Rightful Halberd. The commander was an austere looking pony with a white mane cropped short, and a stark blue body. On his shoulders were shiny metal shoulder guards that matched his broad chest plate. The latter was fixed with a harness, where over his back, his namesake weapon was strapped. His cutie mark was of a halberd and shield, circled by white stars.

Batting his dark green eyes, Rightful glared down at Rose, who was so stunned she couldn't bring herself to stand.

"Are you Rose Sweetsail, designer of the galleon ship The Briny Neighsayer, and close associate of the so-called 'Captain' Swashbuck?"

She stared at him. "I... I am Rose Sweetsail, and I did design that galleon ship, but--"

Rightful's eyes narrowed. "Seize her." He turned a sharp eye on Isingo and Fergus as well. "And take the others into custody as well."

"Oy, what did we do?" Fergus protested with a glare.

"At best, you two are material witnesses to a crime. At worst, you are accomplices. Until we sort that out, I'm afraid you will just have to cooperate."

"Or what?" Fergus snarled, planting his hooves wide.

"Or face the consequences of insubordination, dwarf," was the icy reply.

"And what do you want with me, then?" Rose shrilled as a guard pony forced her up to her hooves.

The guard commander cast her a hateful look. "You are under arrest for a great many things, Miss Sweetsail. Among them: fraud, theft, and piracy."

"P-Piracy?" Rose squeaked as she was hauled away. "But I'm not a pirate!"

Her cry went unanswered. As the guards hauled her away, she repeated this until she was almost screaming.

"I'm not a pirate! I'm not a pirate!"