Chapter 4: The Crew of the Fancy Flute
Chapter 4
The Crew of the Fancy Flute
“But we have to save them and stop the pirates!” Octavia screamed out. She stopped hitting Vinyl’s chest to look at the merchant ship as it slowly moved away. Vinyl shook her head.
“No can do, Sweet Cheeks. See those sails?” Octavia turned and gasped covering her mouth with one hand, seeing the sails and masts of the beautiful craft being burned.
“The pirates won this fight and I’m not going to risk my sweet ass for some snooty Royals.”
“How dare you,” Octavia gasped in shock. Vinyl only laughed at her shock making Octavia glare coldly at her. “Who are you anyway?” Octavia asked.
Vinyl just shown off her grin at the princess as they reached the end of the pulley. Octavia let out a scream as Vinyl dropped her unceremoniously onto the deck of the small sloop. Vinyl leapt off and landed on her feet on the deck. She pulled up her goggles to her forehead, above her horn and nodded to a pony at the quarterdeck. Octavia stood up and ran to the rail to watch as the burning vessel became smaller and smaller as they flew away. Vinyl snorted as she rubbed her eyes.
“Good thing that I got us out of there or we would both be burnt to death.”
That didn’t change Octavia’s mind as she turned and attacked the mare, again. “Now see here you... you ruffian! I order you to take me back to that ship!”
Vinyl turned to Octavia with a bored expression. “And why would I do that?” Octavia gasped.
“Excuse me?”
Vinyl shrugged, starting to dust off the soot and blood off her white servant sleeves. “Listen, Sweet Cheeks-”
“Don’t you dare call me that,” Octavia snapped glaring at her.
“Well what else can I call you?” Vinyl asked, smirking at her own joke. Octavia exasperated loudly in frustration as she straightened herself up before Vinyl.
“You can call me by my rank. I am Princess Octavia, daughter of Prince Tick Tock and Duchess Sapphire Melody. And I am the sixth in line for the Throne of the Equestrian Galaxy.”
Vinyl raised her brow, opening her eyes, staring at the princess from the side. Seeing this reaction Octavia sniffed and stroked down the skirt of her dress. She raised her nose in the air showing that she was a snobby Royal. “And you will address me as such.”
Vinyl started to shake then started to snort. Octavia blinked out of her state to see Vinyl bent over with her hands on her knees, smirking.
“Are you alright?” Octavia asked with concern.
For her answer, Vinyl simply let out a burst of laughter to where she went down on her knees on the deck, slamming her fist on the ground laughing. Octavia went red from the embarrassment and the frustration of it all. After a while of laughing, the white unicorn finally got control of herself, wiping her eyes with her dirty sleeve.
“Okay, that was by far the funniest thing I have ever heard in my life,” she giggled as she stood up shakily, breathing deeply just to get under control. Octavia raised her brow crossing her arms across her chest copying her father down to the look on her face.
“Are you finished now?” She asked curtly.
Vinyl giggled again. “Yeah, sorry, that was just too much. Woo, I’m glad I decided to save your sorry ass.” Octavia gasped at the profanity, getting another laugh from the unicorn. “Seriously, Sweet Cheeks, don’t be so uptight.”
Octavia’s face went red again, growling. She raised her finger up to confront Vinyl again about her name, when she heard a cry of happiness. Octavia had barely time to blink when a gray blur tackled Vinyl to the deck. Octavia actually yelped in fright only slamming against the rail which made her wince, rubbing her back, knowing she’ll get a bruise.
“Alright, alright, Derps get off I’m fine!” Vinyl yelled out pushing the ecstatic mare away.
The pegasus in question, looked about a couple of years younger than Vinyl and Octavia. She had a messy blonde mane and tail. She’s dressed in smudgy, dirty clothes. She has a shirt that looked three sizes too large for her since the sleeves were a few inches past her fingers. Her hat looked simply like a dirty brown rag with a brim. She was wearing some kind of pants that were sewn together on the fly and didn’t look well maintained, but the pants were bright, what with all the colorful patches around her knees and rump.
The pegasus rolled off of Vinyl, clapping her hands; well her sleeves were over her hands making, clomping noises.
“Sorry Cap’n, I thought I made a mistake in lowering the life line and you didn’t do anything to tell me you were coming.” The pegasus said in a child like voice. Octavia slowly moved away from the rail, hearing the conversation. Vinyl only laughed and ruffled the pegasus’s mane.
“Aw, Derpy, you can’t be afraid of me being a little late. Help me up will you?”
This “Derpy” jumped and stood up. “Oh, yeah, right!” Vinyl grabbed the sleeve hand and was pulled up. Vinyl pointed to Octavia with a grin.
“Derps, this is a passenger, Sweet Cheeks.” Octavia glared at Vinyl.
“No, I am Princess Octavia-” Octavia yelped seeing the pegasus’s eyes and face, her nose was pressed against hers.
“Oooh, she’s pretty,” Derpy said smiling. Octavia pushed Derpy a little ways away from her.
“Oh, uh, thank you?”
Vinyl chuckled seeing Octavia clearly uncomfortable. Vinyl wrapped her arm around Derpy’s shoulders grinning. “Okay, whatever Princess. This bright ball of fur Derpy; she’s the one that saved our asses back there.”
“Yep,” Derpy said, saluting. “One day I’ll be a real spacer!” Vinyl laughed hugging the walled-eyed pegasus.
“One day Derpy, one day,” Vinyl spun her around and pointed to a door.
“Go get Spike and Scoots would you?” Derpy nodded with a salute as she ran to the stairs to what might be the entrance to the lower decks. Octavia blinked in shock pointing a finger at the doorway.
“But she can’t be a space-”
Vinyl glared at Octavia, making her stop. “Hey. Derpy is the best spacer out here. She might have cock eyes but she’s smarter than she looks.”
Octavia blushed, shaking her head. “No, no, no, that was not what I was coming across...” Octavia said with a gulped, after what she just witnessed. “I just thought...”
It was Vinyl’s turn to be nasty. “Hey, those new laws about insubordinate ponies can’t have lives is totally wrong! It’s just like those laws they put up after the war. Hybrids,” Vinyl spat to the side with a frosty glare at the Princess’ way. “If I hear you making any comments about her, I’ll throw you overboard, capiche?”
Octavia glared back. “Well then why did you even care about bringing me aboard in the first place?”
Vinyl gasped at the comeback. She opened her mouth to answer, but a call from Derpy made her turn to see two other spacers behind her. Vinyl cleared her throat turning her attention to her other friends, two young ones. One was a pegasus, just like Derpy, but she has orange fur with magenta purple mane and tail. She was dressed in a short sleeve shirt with a few patches, oil and grease stains; with a dark blue doublet with several patches. She wore a blue kerchief on her head. She looked like she was twelve or thirteen.
The second young one was a sight. He looked like a dragon with his lavender purple and green scales. He’s dressed in a light shirt with his jacket around his waist. He was wearing dirty pants with a rope as a belt. He didn’t look pleased, he had the air of someone older than his age, which to Octavia he looked like a twelve year old, too.
Vinyl chuckled at them. “Hello, wonderful crew. Did you see to the spoils?” She asked.
“Aye, captain,” the young pegasus answered with a salute.
Vinyl’s smile turned to a frown pointing at the young pegasus. “Scootaloo, did you fix the engines?”
Scootaloo blushed. “Uh, a temporary fix, Cap. We have to return to port to get better parts.” Vinyl groaned, slapping her hand over her face.
“Of course,” the dragon interrupted, making everypony look at him. “If you would have listened to me before we took this heist, we could have gotten a newer ship.”
Vinyl growled at the statement. “And I told you that we have to save that money for more important matters besides getting a new ship.” Spike crossed his arms across his chest with a glare at Vinyl.
“Oh? What good is our money if you keep gambling it at those fights?”
Vinyl turned ready to yell back when suddenly, “I like muffins!”
Everypony stopped to stare at the curious pegasus as she chewed on her sleeve with a grin at her friends. Then suddenly the anger went away as the crew started laughing. Octavia didn’t get the joke. Once the crew stopped laughing that was when Spike gasped and pointed at Octavia.
“Who in Luna’s Moon is that?” Vinyl chuckled at her friends.
“Oh just some Royal Hybrid that was targeted by some pirates, no big deal.”
“What did you just call me?” Octavia asked with a glare. Vinyl looked at her with a shrug as if she didn’t think anything was wrong.
“Hybrid, that’s what you are.”
Octavia glared coldly. “I’ll have you know servant-”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Vinyl interrupted with a glare. “I’m not a servant or a slave, got it Sweet Cheeks? The only names you can call me are Captain, Vinyl, or my full name Vinyl Scratch. But never call me a servant.”
Octavia blinked at the force of the words. “Ahem, I mean Miss. Scratch,”
Vinyl started chuckling. “I don’t even have the pleasure of even granting that title. I’m no old lady.” Octavia blushed turning away, grinding her teeth. “Anyway since we are at name basis here, you already know me and Derps,” Octavia looked at Derpy to see her floating upside down with her wings flapping with a goofy grin. Her oversized shirt took the liberty to fall over her face revealing her gray belly as she giggled.
“The dragon is Spike, he’s the cook, and that squirt is Scootaloo, best mechanic out in Equestrian Galaxy. Fellahs, this here is Princess Sweet Cheeks.”
“It’s Octavia,” Octavia growled.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh hey Spike, what’s for supper?” Vinyl said walking past the crew members to the stairs of one of the three hatches.
“Well from what we got it’s bean soup.”
This was answered by sounds of displeasure.
Octavia blinked remembering something. “Wait a second,” she yelled, stomping on the deck. Vinyl casually turned around with her hands behind her head.
“What now?”
Octavia glared. “I order you to send me to Canterlot.” She said with a sniff and her nose in the air. Vinyl raised her eyebrow.
“Not gonna happen, Sweet Cheeks.”
Octavia gasped. “What? Why?”
Vinyl scratched her head then shrugged her shoulders. “Well because of three reasons.” She said showing three fingers. She folded her fingers back to her fist then raised her first finger. “Number one, our engines need new parts and we have no time for a costly journey.”
Scootaloo nodded her head in agreement. Vinyl popped up her second finger. “Number two, we’re low on supplies.”
Spike and Derpy both nodded at this. Vinyl then popped up her third finger. “And number three, there is no way we are going to a Royal Planet that doesn’t take kindly to spacers like us.” Octavia opened her mouth but Vinyl continued with a glare. “And that is why we can’t take you, Princess Sweet Cheeks, to the Royal Planet of Canterlot. There’s just no way, no how, we can take you there.”
Octavia glared back. “But I gave you an order-”
“Look Princess,” Vinyl said sweetly serious with her arm around Octavia’s shoulders. Octavia glared at her. “You see, I’m the type of pony in space that... or... What are the words I’m looking for?” Octavia tried to move out of Vinyl’s hold but failed.
“Oh that’s right... I. Do. Not. Care.” Vinyl smiled sweetly and walked away patting Octavia on the cheek. Octavia blinked for a moment at what she was told. She looked out to see nothing left of the merchant ship, ERS Cadenza.
“But, I’m a Royal, surly you can take me back then my Aunt, the Queen will give you a cash grant, a prize for bringing me back!”
Vinyl stopped in her stride to think. But her face shown comical thinking. “Oh let me rethink my choice.” She frowned flatly at her. “What do the words I Do Not Care mean to you Royals? Listen Princess, your type won’t let me past their blockade.”
“Blockade,” Octavia asked in shock.
“Oh? Didn’t know that?” Vinyl asked in sarcastic shock. She frowned again pointing to the direction of Canterlot. “Well the whole planet has a giant blockade of war ships filled with killer unicorns and pegasi that kill harmless spacers like us. So I’d rather not go there without a Royal Invitation. So you’re at a loss. Happy?”
Octavia looked down at her feet trying to process what she was hearing. “But surly... Is there any place I can go, if you cannot take me to Canterlot?”
Vinyl started shaking her head when a devious dirty plan popped in her head. “Oh, um there is actually,” Vinyl said sweetly.
Sadly Octavia was too naïve to realize the threat in Vinyl’s voice. She perked up with hope. “Really?” Octavia asked. Vinyl nodded.
“Oh yes. You see, on every Space Port that’s been controlled by Canterlot, there are large stations where the Royal Guard trains and helps the ponies. Once we reach our destination, I’ll direct you to the station and voila! You’re soon going home.”
Octavia smiled brightly at her. “Really, it’s that simple?”
“Simpler than going to Canterlot itself Princess, believe me.”
“Thank-”
“Please, please, no need for that. Hey Derps!”
Derpy stood beside Vinyl with a salute. “Aye, Cap?”
“Please escort the Princess to one of our empty rooms. Make sure she’s comfortable.”
“Aye-aye, Cap,” Derpy said grabbing Octavia by the wrist and pull her with her.
“Oh uh, Miss. Scratch?”
“Yeah,” Vinyl said sourly.
Octavia blushed. “Which station are we going to?”
Vinyl smiled, “Oh the Fillydelphia Space Port, of course. It’s just a couple of hours from here.”
Octavia shown disgust and fear. “Fillydelphia, but isn’t that-”
“Yes, the dirtiest space station known to spacers. But hey, don’t worry, you’ll be fine under the Royal Guards’ watchful eye.”
Octavia was pulled to the quarterdeck to the small building behind the helm. Derpy lead her through the door before she could argue.
Vinyl chuckled, shaking her head, “Wow, I swear I have never met any filly like this.”
Spike raised his brow at her. Vinyl noticed the look and glowered back. Spike sighed and went below to his kitchen. Scootaloo followed him below leaving Vinyl grinning at her evil plan.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Later that night after dinner, the crew of four sat down in the middle table playing a game of Bones, a game with dominoes. There was already a bunch of dominoes already on the table connecting with the numbers.
Derpy called out, “Dominoes!” after placing her last domino grinning. Vinyl sighed as Derpy took the small pile of coins to her side of the table, stacking them into towers.
“Another round,” Vinyl asked. The other three nodded.
After Derpy stacked all of her coins, she shuffled the dominoes face down on the table. Once that was over, the group separated the twenty-eight dominoes for four players. Once that was done, Derpy placed the first domino in the center to start the game, a one and five domino. Derpy chuckled keeping her dominoes standing, looking at the colorful dots in her hand, planning her next move. Spike looked at his dominoes then at the numbers in the middle. He placed a five and blank on the five slot making the fives touch. He grinned.
“Ha! Beat that.”
Scootaloo licked her lips thinking. She placed a one/six tile with the ones touching. The group let out a hum at the number choice as Scootaloo tried to count with her fingers then she sigh saying, “No five?”
Vinyl nodded counting. “Nope, not this time.”
That’s part of the rules, if you have five points then you add a mark to your scorecard or house. They don’t usually do this but they do it anyway so they can really tell who wins the money they gamble on. Vinyl looked at her facedown dominoes using her magic to let them float as she tapped her pencil on her lips. She looked down at the line then at her numbers. She grinned and placed a six/five domino on the six side with a grin.
“Five points.”
“How,” Scootaloo asked thinking.
Vinyl pointed her pencil at the five at the end of the line then at the blank space on the first domino.
“Because, you have to add the end of each domino of the line together, so I got an easy five. See five plus blank is five.” Scootaloo nodded. She usually didn't play, but when she did she would try to get better by watching the other's moves and playing along.
“Alright Derps, your turn,” Vinyl said looking at her dominoes to plan her next move. Derpy nodded thinking as she lowered down to the floor so she can zoom to her dominoes with her nose to the table.
“Hmm... ha,” She yelped causing her dominoes to fall over. Vinyl used her magic to stop them then flip them to facedown position. Derpy blushed at the accident then scooted her domino at the line. She placed a zero/four domino on the zero side with a grin causing the group to groan at the loss of the easy spot. Spike took his next move and placed a double five.
“Ha! Double five put in ten points!” The mares let out a groan at the double five. Vinyl placed two more ‘x’s’ on his score card.
“Lucky!” Derpy yelled out.
“Hmmph, luck had nothing to do with it. Your turn, Scoots.”
Scootaloo let out a grin as she placed a five/three domino next to one of the double fives with a yelp.
“Ha! Ten points see,” Scootaloo points and counts the five, four, and three. “Ten, does that count?”
“Nice one. You’re getting better, but you need to get better at your counting.”
“Aww,”
“Sorry, Scoots. Expect a lesson on numbers on your time to watch.” Vinyl chuckled. Vinyl took her next turn; she grinned when she placed a six/three domino on Scootaloo’s three and made a dance.
“Aw, yeah, fifteen points.”
Eventually after two more minutes, Spike was the victor and everyone was getting tired as they started picking up the dominoes and sticking them in a small sack. Vinyl crumbled up the scorecard and tossed it away. She lost all five times they played.
“So, what do you all think of the princess?” Vinyl asked chuckling.
“I thought she was nice,” Derpy said pushing all the bits into her money sack. Spike sighed, gathering the drinks and started for the open kitchen behind them.
“To tell you the truth, that was by far the most stupid thing you have ever done!”
Vinyl shrugged as she pulled off her goggles from her head and started cleaning the lenses with her shirt. She already pulled off her servant disguise and pulled on her clothes. A yellowed long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows; a dirty brown vest with two patches. Her trousers were an army green color with patches on one knee and her pockets. Her boots were a charcoal black color with no shine. She only chuckled at her dragon friend.
“Aw, come on Spike, that’s not the worst of them was it?”
“Just shut up,” Spike growled. Vinyl blinked at the bite in his words.
“Geez, not to worry, I’ll get rid of her.”
“How,” Scootaloo asked with a worry. “Ain’t Fillydelphia the slave capital of the galaxy?”
Derpy yelped and hid under the table shaking. Vinyl blushed turning away trying to get the memories out. Spike sighed as he poured into the four mugs fresh coffee.
“You of all fillies would already know, Scoots.” he said passing the mugs to everyone. He helped Derpy out from under the table and handed her the cup in her shaking hands.
Scootaloo gulped. “But aren’t they going to . . . you know . . .”
Vinyl stood up. “'Night, I’m taking first watch.”
“Vinyl,” Spike called out, causing her to stop at the stairs. Vinyl turned slightly to him. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Vinyl blew a raspberry at her friend. “Aw, come on Spike. We have a client to meet at Fillydelphia anyways. Not to mention, we get our best at the Slave Pits! 'Night,” she called again, pulling on her goggles as she climbed up the stairs leaving the three crew mates staring sadly at her back.
Spike spat to the side, getting a jump from Derpy. “One of these days she’s going to go back there and when she calls for my help, I’ll just spit in her face and tell her no.”
Scootaloo used the tip of her finger to stir her coffee. She sniffed the steam and made a face. “But wouldn't she... you know, die?”
Derpy yelped and ran under the table again. Spike sighed rubbing his sore eyes. “I know what she’s thinking. I don’t like it.” He turned to Scootaloo. “Get some rest, you too Derpy. I'll clean up the mess.” Derpy peeked out from under the table shaking. Scootaloo took her hands and helped her stand back up.
“It’s okay Derpy, they’re not here to hurt you again. They’re not here to take us away.”
Derpy nodded as she followed Scootaloo outside, then to the hammock room. Shaking and whimpering, fearing for an attack from behind or above.
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I had no idea Spike was a female ("Spike said rubbing HER sore eyes.")