Dinner is Served
Over the Edge and Over Again: Chapter 13
Dinner is Served
The banging on the cellar door continued. Someone was shouting to him too. It was probably Twilight, like it always was, but Barbossa couldn't be bothered going the extra mile, especially after how tiring the day before had been.
Though, despite the work he'd done, the pirate didn't really feel the need to sleep. He didn't even feel tired. He just wanted an extra hour or so to himself for a change, rather than spending whatever waking moments he had with the ponies.
“Hector! Can you get up here?!”
Laying down on top on his dusty mattress, Barbossa rested his arms behind his head. As far as he was concerned, he had done an honourable duty with the task he had been set. He had sung to the children, given one of them a tattoo, and helped the skittish pegasus with her charity work.
And Barbossa was doubtful that Twilight and her friends had all that much faith in him to begin with, so he'd likely gone above their expectations as well. All in all, he'd made good on the princess's request, and as long as he stayed amiable, he wouldn't have to do much more work to keep his freedom.
The captain doubted he was completely finished with doing tasks for the horses, but at least he didn't have to worry about doing anything wrong. His previous victories likely held his security in place.
“I know it's early, but it's important!” Twilight yelled, still smacking her hooves against the bottom of the basement door.
But the pirate lay there in defiance, hoping the little unicorn would assume he was still asleep. If it really was as early as she implied, she'd probably leave him be. The ponies seemed like the kind of beings to do that.
Or maybe not. A long, drawn out creak echoed throughout the underground bedroom, and the unmistakable sound of hooves hitting wood followed soon after.
Twilight curiously peeked her head down from further up the stairs, looking straight into the eyes of her alien guest before pouting her lips.
“You are awake! I've been shouting you for at least twenty minutes.”
Barbossa just waved a hand in the air, letting out a curt laugh as he bounced off his makeshift bed and got up to his feet, wobbling slightly as he caught his balance.
“Have ye? If ye had, I surely would have heard.”
Twilight's pout didn't shift from her face. He'd been awake the entire time she'd been shouting him. Fully dressed too, spare for his hat, which he was currently in the process of putting back on top of his head.
“It doesn't matter. We got a letter from the princess; it's about you.”
Satisfied with his hat and its placement, Barbossa nodded, and suddenly deciding the topic at hand was worthy of his time and interest, the pirate made his way up the awkwardly sized steps, moving past Twilight and out of the door that led to the library.
Arriving upstairs, and taking a glance around the room that welcomed him, Barbossa caught eyes with the rest of Twilight's brigade of six friends. The pink one just waved at him, bouncing and shifting around to get his attention, while Fluttershy gave a weak smile, bowing her head. Spike gave a quick wave too, albeit less enthusiastically than Pinkie had done.
None of the others gave him the same amount of courtesy. Applejack and Rarity shot him a sidelong glances from where they stood, but that was about it.
Grumbling, not lowering himself to greetings if they weren't willing to do the same, he lowered his head to Pinkie, Spike and Fluttershy in turn, before moving to the green sofa in the corner and sitting himself down, sinking into the cushions when his body landed upon the fabrics.
“I hear I'm needed?” he asked, crossing his legs over each other, and hoping one of the more sociable ponies would answer.
Pinkie nodded, bouncing over to him with a scroll in her mouth, speaking to him with the parchment still loosely held within her own jaw.
Not catching a single mumbled word, Barbossa sarcastically nodded and pulled the paper from her mouth, none too bothered by the saliva covering a small portion of it.
“To My Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle,
I request the presence of Captain Hector Barbossa, as well as you and your friends, at the castle as soon as you are able. We have good news for your resident alien, and much to discuss, and we feel having everyone present would make the ordeal easier to explain.
I hope to see you within the day.
Princess Celestia.”
Scratching his beard with one hand and holding the unravelled scroll within the other, the pirate allowed his brow to rise slightly. She wanted to see him. The princess herself. He didn't know what reason she had for summoning him on such short notice, but he certainly knew what he was hoping for, as well as what was most likely.
His hopes held even more truth in his eyes when he considered that he wasn't the one being visited. A summons implied he was needed at the other end.
“I wonder what the princess wants?” Pinkie said, cocking her head to the side.
“Perhaps yer royal majesty has procured a way for me te leave this land,” the human proclaimed, slapping the paper with the back of his hand, “About bloody time too.”
Sticking her tongue out at him with a smile, Pinkie casually shrugged as Twilight came into view. She levitated the scroll from the pirate's grasp and opened it in front of her own face, apparently rereading it. Her eyes flickered back and forth before adjusting to face the man sitting opposite her.
“I don't know. She never really mentioned it in her letters; Luna was the one looking into it, and you haven't repaid everypony yet.”
“Aye, but what's te say she hasn't simply found a way back?”
“What do you mean?”
“Yer princess don't seem te be dark hearted. And I doubt she'd have me stay in this world longer than I be needed.”
“So you think she was going to send you home the first chance she got?”
“Ye catch on quick, purple pony. If I were goin' te be imprisoned and sent away at the first chance, why would she keep me longer still on pleasant grounds?”
That made sense. Twilight herself knew the captain was hardly enjoying himself, and sending him home at the first chance they got seemed like the fairest thing to do. Even if he hadn't helped everypony he was supposed to, he'd shown he was willing to do so. That was likely all that mattered.
“Well, we won't know until we see her.”
“Then shall we get goin' then? I'd rather sate me curiosity than sit here dwellin' on it.”
As everyone nodded, the ponies all made their way to the door. However, Barbossa stopped in front of Twilight before she could leave, crossing his arms and scrunching his forehead together. She moved to the side to get passed only for him to do the same.
“Yes, Hector?” she sighed, tiredly looking past him towards the door.
“Ye'll be getting' that book with me sword and pistol, Miss Sparkle. If I am te be leavin' yer world, I'll not be leavin' me things where I'm unlikely te see 'em again.”
Twilight paused, realising that, in all the rush, she had actually forgotten Barbossa's confiscated weapons.
Asking Spike to fetch the book, Twilight patiently waited for it, and finding the correct page, levitated it into the air so the pirate could see for himself. His sword and pistol were still there just as they had been left, along with the lines Twilight had sliced to pieces during her demonstration, still chopped into pieces.
“I didn't want proof, I be wantin' 'em back.”
The purple unicorn abruptly closed the book, letting it slam before she lowered it back into Spike's ready claws.
“And you will get them back before you leave. I promise.”
Fetching her saddlebag, and resting it over her back, Twilight lowered the book inside, kindly gesturing for Barbossa to move aside when she was done.
He didn't.
“And some o' yer pet’s food, for me troubles, of course. I've been more than tolerable with yer antics, and it would be a nice farewell gift te yours truly.”
“Why would you...you know what? Fine. Spike, please get him some gemstones.”
Sighing at the loss of his food, Spike moved over into the kitchen, disappearing for less than a minute before coming out with a small armful of gems. He didn't know how much he was meant to get, but he knew Twilight would replace his snack store eventually.
Walking up to Barbossa, Spike casually let his arms go limp, dropping the stones within his grasp onto the floor at the captain's feet.
“Why do you want gems?” Spike asked, somewhat curious as to why he had to give away his food to something that couldn't eat them.
“From what I read, in yer world, gemstones are a somewhat common artefact, yet in mine, they are most certainly not.”
“You're going to sell them? They're not worth very much.”
“Aye, not here, but they'll fetch more than just a few pretty pennies where I come from.”
Rather annoyed that the pirate was not only taking his food, but selling it for some sort of profit, Spike gave a meek growl before wandering outside with the rest of the group. Pirates were meant to steal gold and silver, not rubies and emeralds.
Picking up the assorted treasures, Barbossa took a brief glimpse at each new colour that entered his grasp, storing all of them within his coat soon after. He just smiled at how easy it was to actually get them.
He had planned to steal one, or twelve, when he had the time. But now that he was leaving, the experienced pirate was suitably happy that asking actually worked for a change.
“I have your things, and you have some gems. Can we go now?” Twilight said, making it sound more like a statement than an actual question.
Rather pleased with his new found bounty, Barbossa nodded and made his way out the door. The others were gathered around outside, and spare for a few other ponies wandering the streets, there was not another soul to be seen, which contrasted with the other times he'd been surrounded by every pony and their lover the second he stepped outside Twilight's front door.
“What time is it? Ye said it was early?”
“It's just gone half past nine, and the princess' letter arrived about half an hour go, so we have to make up for lost time.”
He hardly thought half an hour was lost time worth reclaiming, but seeing as a way home was possibly waiting for him at the other end, Barbossa didn't want to bother commenting on it.
Though, now that he thought about it, the princess had yet to deliver his meat, so perhaps he was just going on this trek for a meal?
He bloody well hoped not. As nice as it would be, getting his hopes up over a voyage home would hardly leave him in the best of moods. Especially when Celestia was making him drag his good self all the way over to the her castle.
And he didn't even know where that was. Twilight had mentioned the castle whenever she spoke of her past endeavours, and she referenced it more still whenever she could, but he couldn't recall where it actually was, or if she'd even told him at all.
“Where we goin', exactly?”
“Over there,” Twilight said, pointing in the distance towards a mountain, “To Canterlot Castle.”
Squinting his eyes, he focused on the sharp, craggy incline in the distance to see a castle cascading from its side. It was white, and judging by how big it was compared to the distance, quite large in size too. He wondered why he'd never stopped to notice it before.
He also ignored the name. The pirate had learned there was no point complaining about them since no one else thought they were strange. If anything, complaining made him look stupid by comparison.
“And how long's that goin' te take?”
“Two and a half hours on hoof, maybe just under two if we galloped the whole way there.”
The pirate let out a small groan before scratching the back of his head. Then again, two hours was hardly a large amount of time to be on ones feet. He guessed he'd walked further in shorter amounts of time too.
Following the colourful group as they walked towards the edge of Ponyville, he looked around as what little residents that were outside carefully moved back as he approached.
He wasn't sure if he was accepted or feared, seeing as during the day, half the populace would crowd around him, whilst the other would hide in their homes. But if he was actually set to be leaving, then they could take his presence however they wanted.
Eventually reaching the edge of Ponyville, and passing over the small bridge that Barbossa assumed marked its entrance, the pirate looked to his side before realising something.
“Yer out o' yer chair, Rainbow! Ain't that nice?”
The cyan pegasus looked towards him for a moment before focusing her gaze back on the path ahead. She trotted forward with a limp, as if she'd sprained her ankle the day before, rather than actually breaking the bone.
“Yeah, no thanks to you.”
Letting their short conversation fall in on itself, Barbossa didn't bother striking up anything else to say to her. He doubted she wanted to talk to him anyway. Most of the others were conversing with each other however, chatting about various subjects, some of which the masculine pirate didn't fancy getting into.
After another twenty minutes of savouring his personal silence, Pinkie Pie approached his side, moving away from Fluttershy and Spike to match his pace.
“I never threw you a party. I always throw parties when somepony new comes to town.”
“Aye, well, I'll be leavin' soon. And unless ye had rum, I wouldnae have bothered comin' te the 'party' anyway.”
“I could have got rum,” she replied, trying to sound confident in her ability to find the beverage at such short notice, “Ooh, I could have got rum and raisin ice cream. Or made it into a cake for you.”
“Iced cream?” he asked, frowning at his lost chance to actually have the delicacy of a dessert presented to him.
Twilight turned her head from her position at the front of the group to face Pinkie. The others had since started listening to the pink pony and the pirate's conversation as well, ever curious about how he answered whatever the party pony could think to ask.
“I don't think his race have the ability or the means to store ice yet, if what he's told me is true. They probably don't have ice cream either.”
As she turned her head back to face forward, Pinkie continued on with her chat with the pirate, much to his own displeasure.
“You don't have ice cream?! Not even vanilla?!”
Barbossa eyed up Twilight from behind, none too caring for the assumptions she thought she could make.
“We have iced cream, for yer information, Miss Sparkle. I've just never had the pleasure te eat it meself,” he scowled back, receiving an appropriately guilty look from the unicorn in return.
Lowering her ears, as well as her head, Twilight cleared her throat before mumbling something apologetic under her breath, coming free of the conversation as Pinkie saw fit to change it.
“I've thrown everypony a party. Twilight, Fluttershy, me, Rainbow, Peculiar, Lyra, Bonbon, Ditzy, Rarity, Timey, Honeydew. Everypony except you.”
“I'm not a pony. And ye can hold a special one with yer friends once I'm gone,” he casually spat, hoping she would ease up on her yammering.
“What are your friends like?” she said before gasping, “What's your pirate crew like?! Are they all cool and swashbuckley? Are they all moody?”
The others were all looking towards him now. Fluttershy and Applejack had moved to walk at his side with Pinkie, while the others kept their formation in front of him. Even Rarity looked somewhat interested, as did Spike, who now sat on her back.
“Come on, Hector,” Twilight asked, “I gave you some gems, just like you asked. And seeing as we might never see you again, you won't have to answer anything more after today. The least you could do is tell us about your friends.”
The others nodded, especially Pinkie, but Barbossa focused on the fact that he might never see them again. They'd likely not let up though, and seeing as he did now have a child's weight in gemstones resting in his pockets, the information was more than paid for.
“They be as good as any other crew.”
“Is there anyone in particular who stands out?” Twilight asked, rather more interested in hearing a less vague answer.
“Joshamee Gibbs. He's very useful. Good man te have on a ship too.”
Twilight sighed at his answer, still unsatisfied.
“What does he do? Is he fun to be with?”
“He's useful, Miss Sparkle. Most of the crew respect him, and he's a hard worker on deck. But yes, he has a knack for stories and legends.”
Ready to ask more, Twilight was cut off as Pinkie excitedly jumped in instead. Happy to let her friend take control of the conversation, Twilight moved forward to let her to ask what she wanted.
She was somewhat curious as to what Pinkie, of all ponies, would try and ask too.
“Does anyone have an eye patch? Or a parrot on their shoulder?”
“Ragetti's missin' an eye, and Cotton had his tongue takin' from his mouth, so he has a parrot.”
“What's its name?” Fluttershy said, hopping forward slightly.
“Cotton's parrot.”
Unsure of how to follow that up, Fluttershy nodded and went back to simply listening. Pinkie quickly got back into the swing of things.
“Any peg leg pirates?”
“Not on my crew; they hold ye back.”
As the walk towards the castle continued, so did the questions. He was definitely getting tired of Pinkie's questions. Talking about his life, that was something any man enjoyed, but she often enquired about the most trivial and random of issues, which ended up with him continuously saying yes or no for most of them.
“Can you get pink pirate ships?”
“No...”
He regretted dropping the name of his favoured ship now. Even after his explanation on style and pattern, as limited as it was, Pinkie still seemed to think that her own species’ taste standards matched that of his own. Barbossa hardly considered himself cultured, but he at least hoped he had a grasp on what was considered garish or not.
“Not even a little rouge?”
Variety would have been favoured as well, but the ponies that spoke apparently had no intention of any deep minded questions, choosing to ask about his favourite this or funniest that.
In the end, he spent a good deal of the trip talking with them, finding little else he could do to make the time flow faster. It wasn't overly monotonous, and he'd told them of most of his crew in the process, but it definitely consumed the time it took to take the trip.
They eventually came close to what he assumed was another town, and coming from behind some trees, he once again saw the castle, though this time, it was much, much closer.
It was a sight to behold; white all over with barely a blemish. It was gloriously large too, and much bigger than he assumed it would be. It towered high into the clouds, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, it looked quite impressive. It was finer than the palace the King of England occupied at least, and it was more imposing too, standing tall and dominant over the city below it, like any ruler should rightly do.
He knew it was a city now, seeing as it was bigger than the small town he'd been living in. The ground was composed of mainly cobblestone and rock, unlike Ponyville's dirt roads and the buildings were of a much higher quality too.
They were made from mortar and brick, but most still kept the hay covered roofs that he'd become used to, though a good deal opted for thatched slate instead.
“This is Canterlot,” Twilight said, waving her front hoof forward.
“Canterlot,” he mumbled to himself, still very much loathing the ponies habit to name things after themselves, “Jesus Christ...”
He was growing tired of all the horse themed talk and names, as much as he'd come to accept it. Ponyville was laughable enough, but after days of 'everypony' and them constantly getting his body parts wrong, he was getting rather irritated.
At least humanity had the decency to name the world after what it was made from rather than themselves. Even their countries were named before the people living inside it. England and France came before any Englishmen or Frenchmen littered the land, or so he assured himself.
Continuing their walk through the city, he garnered a less than favourable response from passers by as he followed his equine entourage.
Unlike Ponyville, where most of the residents had attempted to be talkative, every creature he passed ran away. The males looked upon him from over their muzzles, while any mother with a child quickly scampered away to areas unseen.
Or, at least most of the ponies did them did.
“You there!” several voices hollered at once, catching the group of ponies, and especially their human, off guard.
Barbossa took a cautious step back, remembering he still had nothing except a knife to protect himself with. The voice had came from the direction of a crowd of horses, and each of them were clad in a set of pristine golden armour.
The crowd of eight equines marched towards the group, taking notice of the ponies and cautiously moving their eyes away from the creature that had their attention.
“It's okay, he's got a meeting with the princess,” Twilight announced, walking up to the stallions as she gestured back to her otherworldly friend.
The stallions didn't move from their spot, still staring at Barbossa with a skeptical look on their faces, unsure whether Twilight’s word was enough to go by. Even the one who led the group seemed less threatened and more curious about the creature they were investigating.
“If you ask Celestia, I'm more than positive she will tell you he is expected. And trustworthy.”
Twilight's claim was hit back when she turned around, only to see the human growling towards another stallion stood in the street. Barbossa was hunched over, pushing a dark smile up onto his face while the grey unicorn kept a defensive stance, growling back.
“Then could you please tell...him, to stop growling at passers-by?” the foremost guard asked, still trying to keep both his eyes on the alien.
Twilight turned back to see the unknown male unicorn briskly trotting away, close to running as the captain crossed his arms into his chest and laughed.
“I think we'll just escort you, Twilight Sparkle,” the guard declared with a smile, nodding towards the other stallions to make their way to the rear of the group.
Twilight reluctantly obliged, annoyed that she had to be escorted through her home city, but glad it got the issue of Hector out the way. It still annoyed her Celestia hadn't simply sent a chariot to take Barbossa to Canterlot, but the little unicorn knew from prior experience that they weren't used for every little thing the princess wanted them for.
But while Twilight focused on the trot to the castle, Barbossa eyed up the guards, staring worriedly at each of their identical features.
“Why'd ye all look the same?”
There were two guards behind him, with the rest surrounding the group in its entirety, so the pirate didn't have a specific one in mind when he asked.
“It's tradition for every solar guard to look the same,” Twilight remarked, “It shows they are both loyal to serve under Celestia, and proud to wear her colours.”
“They born the way they are?”
“No, if they have been welcomed to the guard, their armour turns them, and them alone, into what you see here.”
Barbossa just looked back down at them, finding it rather bizarre that such a thing was applicable in their society.
“Right...” he said, not completely sold on the idea of changing appearance to suit a leader. A uniform, sure, that would acceptable, but changing what you are? It seemed a step too far above being a simple patriot.
Wandering through the rest of the city, passing a large number of ponies who crowded in the street simply to gawk at him, Barbossa saw it fit to growl and pull faces when appropriate, scaring them away.
Every now and then a stallion or mare chanced themselves getting a little too confident or cocky, scowling at the human, only to receive the same treatment back.
“Stop scaring the locals. Or next time we will take you down, whether or not Twilight Sparkle is with you,” the guard wandering behind Barbossa ordered, speaking with only a hint of anger in his voice.
Though Barbossa still did as he was told, he'd had his fill of scaring random ponies for now.
Soon after leaving the main streets of the city, and after being told once more to behave by a different guard, Barbossa soon stood at the castle doors. They were a good deal taller than him, and unlike many similar doors from his own world, these giants were not simply decorative. Surprisingly, when pushed in by six of the guards that had escorted him, the two, large doors moved effortlessly to the side, revealing a large entrance hall behind them.
The princess was already stood atop a set of stairs when they arrived, and unsurprisingly the others swiftly made their way up to her the moment they could their way past the guards.
Barbossa took his time heading towards the stairs, attempting a menacing glower as he walked past the guards who had told him off. Both stood emotionless for the most part, but the wary flickering of their eyes were enough to please the captain.
“Hello, Captain Barbossa. Are you well?”
Watching two of the hulking stallions close the doors behind him, the man absent-mindedly waved his hand in the air before replying. The princess had called him from the stairs where she stood, and Barbossa wandered forward towards her, seeing no reason not too.
“For now, but we'll see how this meetin' goes.”
The princess laughed before elegantly raising a hoof to her mouth. The ponies and dragon stood below her didn't follow in her example, but they still smiled.
“Quite right, captain. I believe you should all come with me then, though we do have some time before I demand each of your company. And it is nearing lunchtime.”
Rather keen with the implication of the princess' words, Barbossa pushed his way up the smaller than average stairs, skipping two or three steps at a time as he made his way towards the mares at the top.
Though by the time he got there, all seven ponies were advancing down a hallway positioned just past the marble steps, as was Spike, who sat atop the largest equine's shoulders.
Slowing from his brisk paced walk to a slow one, Barbossa caught up to the group and lagged behind, taking in the corridors of the royal castle as he passed through them.
Much like literature, art wasn't something he really appreciated to its fullest, though Barbossa wasn't afraid to admit that a good few of the paintings and stained glass windows were definitely attractive to look at.
A lot of the sculptures seemed pleasing to his eyes too, but he reasoned that it was more due to the fact they were all made from rare gemstones and crystal, rather than because of how they looked.
Some of them were quite large, coming up to around the pirate's chest, but he was logical minded enough to know that even if he had his entire crew to assist him, he wouldn't get out with the things in his possession.
Mostly because there were far too many guards dotted around the palace corridors. There were other ponies too; beings the pirate assumed were the staff of the royalty living inside, but not very many wandered close to him, even with Celestia acting as his guide, but none outright ran away either.
Still mindlessly following his pony acquaintances and their benevolent princess, Barbossa nudged into Applejack's rear, only realising when he looked to the group that they had come to a stop. Celestia was looking straight towards him, as were the rest of the beings at her hooves.
“I believe that I promised you a meal, Captain Barbossa.”
“I remember somethin' along those lines, aye,” the captain answered back, only to see Celestia smile back at him.
“Well, our original plan was to have your meal sent to you while you stayed in Ponyville, but recent developments mean it would be impractical.”
“Because you summoned us here?” Rainbow Dash butted in, asking before the pirate even got a chance.
“More or less. It would just be a waste to make your guest wait for one thing in Ponyville, whilst another in Canterlot.”
“And what exactly be waitin' for me in...Canterlot?”
The whole group turned to face the alicorn now, somewhat curious about the answer themselves. Her letter hadn't been too informative, to say the least. Though Celestia only smiled, not answering their question right away.
Instead, she opened the door to the room they had stopped in front, and ushered the group to follow her inside.
“My sister believes that she may have found you a route of sorts back to your own world. Though, Captain Barbossa, I cannot stress enough how prone to change that 'may' might be.”
That was...a start, Barbossa thought to himself. He was stood there, wishing for a definite way back to his own shores, but at the moment, a possibility was enough to keep him reasonably happy; it was better than no way back at all.
But despite his impulse to ask how she was going to go about sending him back, Celestia spoke first, nudging her head towards the table in front of her.
“Though I do believe a meal would be worth a while. You have all been walking for more than an hour or two.”
Finally taking notice of the room they had wandered into, Barbossa looked to where the royal mare was pointing before smiling to himself. The room itself was impressively large, and clearly a dining room. The walls were covered with ornaments of gold, as well as other fine materials and several large paintings.
The table in the middle of the banquet hall was a fine sight to behold. The table was dressed as elegantly as the room it was in, stretching from one end to the other. But it was the large array of food visible at the opposite side that brought a grin to the captain's face, not the covers or candles.
“I promised you a small portion of meat, and I am a mare of my word, if nothing else,” she said, graciously winking to the human as she walked past, “though I hope you'll excuse me if it is not your taste. The griffin I asked for advice eats meat far more often than I ever have.”
Barbossa allowed himself to smile at the joke, though most of the ponies behind them didn't do the same.
Twilight shared an awkward glance with her friends, while Spike shook the thought from his head. The little dragon wasn't as bothered by the idea of a meat eater as his friends, but his upbringing still made the thought unsettle his stomach.
“But I must confess the meat you will be eating is being served cold. You have a selection to choose from, but seeing as we are all eating together, I didn't wish for the smell to affect our appetites. You may be an omnivore, but you are still in our country.”
Barbossa let a small sound emanate from his throat, something in-between a groan and a sigh of acceptance. He had meat, and that was good enough, given he would be sat with sentient horses while he at it. Which, admittedly, wasn't something he had expected to happen during his lifetime. Or anyone's lifetime, for that matter.
Waltzing up along side the table, taking notice of the huge number of chairs he was passing, Barbossa took a good look towards the pinnacle of the table.
Every chair was a good deal smaller than he was used to; each one looked fit for a child, much like every other piece of furniture in the ponies' world.
Though while enough chairs were around for is smaller allies, a much bigger chair sat at the table's peak, obviously for the largest mare in the group. Watching her sit down, letting Spike crawl from her back beforehand, Barbossa watched as she motioned to the chair next to her.
It was just as large as her own, and appeared similar in design too, thought he only assumed it was of a matching set, seeing as his frame wouldn't exactly do well on the seats the ponies were to occupy.
The pirate sat to Celestia's left, taking a moment to look to his own left, curious as to whom had been placed next to him. Though it appeared only he, Spike and Celestia had pre-determined seating.
The middle of the table itself was decorated and glorified with a selection of salads, vegetables, and an array of other edible items the pirate couldn't place. Though he did quickly notice, that while the mares all shared the spread in the middle, both he and Spike had an extra selection of delicacies to choose from.
Spike had a small selection of gems and sparkling rocks in front, decorating a shining, silver tray, but it was the one opposite the captain himself that interested him. In front of Barbossa was an another silver platter, and on top was a decent selection of cold meats set in small, even piles. From sight alone, he could tell at least one of them was chicken or turkey, while another appeared to be a small, neatly layered, stack of ham.
It was safe to say all of the meats were sliced, though some were cut thinner than others. There were five meats in all, and while he couldn't rightly tell without taste, he had a good idea of what each one was.
Looking up from his future meal, Barbossa took a second of pause, realizing everyone at the table was staring at him. Though much to his own expectations, their looks were more of curiosity than disgust, especially Celestia, who seemed inclined to find out whether her choice was actually something the pirate would want.
“Uh...” was all he awkwardly mumbled, reaching out to grab a slice of ham, and what he assumed was beef, from the top of their piles, before reaching over and taking hold of some lettuce, sliced tomato and buttered slices of bread.
Making a loose sandwich from what he had, leaving the beef on his plate, Barbossa took a rather large bite from what he'd made, still rather ill at ease with everyone looking at him.
He couldn't deny the meat was good though. The ham was sliced, but still thick enough to retain some form of chewiness, and the greenery wasn't too bad either; the lettuce was crispy, and the tomato was as juicy as any other he'd eaten.
Taking another look around the table, the only other creature attempting to eat was Celestia, seemingly pleased that her new guest enjoyed what she'd managed to procure for him.
Twilight was just staring at him with a somewhat pained expression, as if she'd seen or smelt something that didn't agree with her senses, while the others held something between displeasure and curiosity in their eyes, if such a thing existed. Pinkie was doing her own thing. She just looked at him with a giddily happy expression, rubbing her stomach and nodding her head. It was then that Celestia swallowed her current mouthful, clearing her throat to address her subjects.
“Is something wrong?” the white mare asked, not sounding completely innocent with her question. She was met with Twilight turning her head down towards her own plate, and the others, spare for Pinkie, doing something along the same lines.
“It just feels...” Twilight began, “unusual, to be sitting near an omnivore while they're...”
“Actually eating meat?” Celestia replied, watching as all the mares nodded, except for Pinkie Pie.
“Well...yes, to be honest.”
Despite the atmosphere, and the focus it had on him, Barbossa picked up his slice of beef, pulling it apart with his fingers before placing it on another slice of bread, along with some carrot slices.
“Does it make you ill?” Celestia said, rather bluntly as Barbossa picked another few slices from his platter, deciding to continue with his meal before the alicorn teacher's morality lesson got him sent outside.
“N-not really,” Fluttershy said, stepping into the conversation, “I know animals eat meat. It just feels strange knowing one's being...eaten next to me.”
“Yeah, I mean, I used to hang out with a lot of griffins, but most of them ate with each other, rather with us,” Rainbow added, “It's just...weird to see it.”
Celestia looked over those who hadn’t answered her question, surmising by the nodding that they all shared a similar view on the idea. Not that she didn't understand. She'd just had a lot more time to accept the fact for what it was.
“Well, I can assure you that the meats Captain Barbossa is eating were reared specifically to be eaten, and didn't suffer when or before their time ended. If it was not for our otherworldly guest eating them, another would have done so in his place,” she said, sounding calm, and clear, despite the topic being discussed.
Still trying to enjoy his meal, before anything could go wrong to pull him away from it, Barbossa continued to gather a variety of vegetables and salad dishes to go with what he had. He was no connoisseur of fine cuisine, but he knew what he liked, and he knew what he liked to go with what he liked.
“And he's eating vegetables too,” she said, pointing to the captain as he paused to look up at her. holding a quarter of a cucumber in his hand, “Granted, he's being very greedy with his meal, but if you don't concentrate on the issue, eventually it stops being one at all.”
The mares reluctantly giggled at the princess's mild insult, much to the chagrin of Barbossa himself, but he was happy enough to let it go. He was actually enjoying his meal, despite everything being cold.
But after Celestia had finished her speech on social, and mealtime etiquette, Barbossa suddenly remembered how he had things of his own to say. Swallowing his mouthful of potatoes and turkey, which was slightly too dry for his taste, the pirate moved for more bread as he spoke.
“Ye were sayin' about me way back?”
“Ah, yes. My sister was the one in charge of finding you a way home. Though, for the first few days, she made little to no progress with creating a way for you to travel.”
“Then what changed?” the pirate asked back, tearing the bread he had in his hand with his teeth, bypassing whatever table manners the mares were currently following.
“She actually found the portal you originally came through. Teleporting is hard enough, Captain Barbossa, without knowing exactly where it is you want to go.”
Celestia looked out towards Twilight, and following the princess's line of sight, the pirate saw the little unicorn eagerly nod in agreement.
“Travelling between worlds seemingly has the same principle, according to Luna. You need to know the other end before going there. If you don't, you could end up anywhere, which would be a problem if you ended up somewhere more alien to you than our world.”
Barbossa could sense the princess was trying to make a joke out of it, so he smiled in return, hoping to keep the conversation on track. The others had started to eat their meal, albeit slowly, though they all listened to their princess while she spoke.
“After failing to find a spell to recreate the portal you came through, Luna devised a plan to find the original. Spells to create a gateway of the kind you need are apparently all but unheard of, yet there does exist a spell that lets an extremely competent user reactivate an older one.”
Celestia paused to pour herself a drink, finishing it before continuing with her explanation.
“It took a great deal of effort on our part, as well as locating and creating newer spells to allow the old one to work, but we eventually did reactivate it.”
“Then why are we 'ere and not in the forest?”
“In order to reactivate the gateway, the spell needed much longer to cast than we originally thought. In the end, we found a surprisingly easy way to move the portal here to Canterlot so Luna could work on it without prying eyes, though in doing so, we fear we may have moved the portal in your world, as well as our own.”
“And I be guessin' that's where the 'may' comes from?”
“Of course. But I believe we can talk about this freely after our meal. Luna knows much more about the situation than I do, and I'm sure she'll be more than happy to explain everything herself when you meet her.”
For once, Barbossa agreed. What he was being told was good enough for his ears, and as much as he wanted to get going, he didn't want to risk falling into the dark abyss above the world's end. The crew were surely long gone from the Locker by now, which wouldn't bode well if he were to end up in Jones' prison on his own, with no man or map to help or guide him.
But the meal went on regardless of Barbossa's inner musings. He ate his meat, and most of the ponies attempted to eat their own food while he did so, with varying levels of success. Pinkie didn't seem to mind, but the pirate couldn't comment on the rest of them.
Savouring his food for a while longer than the others seemed to, Barbossa eventually did declare himself finished. He enjoyed a good meal when it was thrown his way, and it wasn't often that royalty was the one feeding him. Noticing Barbossa had finally eaten his own weight in food, Celestia stood to look over the menagerie of creatures sat in her banquet hall.
“While your new friend's route home was the main reason I called you here, there is also something else that needs to be discussed.”
The ponies got up from their low chairs and onto their hooves, while Barbossa did the same.
“Though I am afraid this matter is something I'd rather not get you involved with, Captain Barbossa. For now, at least.”
He stood still, only halfway out from his chair. Looking at Celestia, he creased his brow, throwing the princess a suspicious glare.
“Rest assured, we are not leaving you, nor are we abandoning you. There is just something I require the Elements for, and although you are a friend, it is still something few are privy too. But you are welcome to stay in here and help yourself to more food. And we won't be longer than twenty minutes, if all goes well.”
Sighing to himself, Barbossa dropped himself back into his chair, nodding towards the mares and waving his hand mindlessly towards the door, “If ye must.”
The princess nodded at his approval, though the captain suspected it wasn't necessarily needed. If this was so important, they would have likely left without his consent. All the beings made their way down to the other end of the room, eventually piling out the door as a group, but not before Pinkie could squeal, “See you later Barby!” from just beyond the doorway itself.
Cringing at his apparent nickname, Barbossa waved his hand absent-mindedly in the air, not really minding if Pinkie saw the gesture or not. Her voice barely reached his ear, so he doubted she'd hear a reply.
And like that, he was alone.
Taking a gander over what was left of the banquet, Barbossa licked his lips at the sight of two green apples, which sat rejected amongst bananas and pears by the ponies that had just left.
“Maybe it ain't all bad,” he mumbled in the silence whilst reaching out to them, placing one in his outer jacket pocket before struggling to find space for the other.
Taking a brief glance around the grand hall, and to the various artefacts that lined it's perimeter, he pushed himself from his chair and towards the nearest wall, hoping something would suffice until Celestia returned.
He remained calm in the knowledge he didn't have to steal anything, for a change. Even if he wasn’t in his own world, the gems lining his pockets were bounty enough. Robbing a royal family seemed idiotic, in retrospect.
Hearing the clatter of a window, Barbossa looked towards the roof, and its massive skylight, before turning back to the room he was wandering. Paintings were dotted around the hall, as were nameplates, dates and description for said paintings, so he deduced he'd found something to pass the time.
Looking to the half a dozen or so portraits he passed, reading the brief plaques underneath as he went, the captain eventually stopped in front of one in particular, rather more interested with it than the others.
It portrayed a bright, pink pony, who, much like Celestia, had both a horn and a set of wings adorning her sides. But while the creature was pink, she handled the scheme much less garishly than Pinkie did, assuming it was a female. However, it was the small plaque underneath that caught the pirate's attention.
“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” was written below the painting, though Barbossa knew it's rough meaning; “Princess I love everythin'?”
Focusing his eyes on the Italian name, sure it was actually Italian, Barbossa moved on to the next painting, deciding the he could ask the princess, and impress Twilight with his knowledge, when they got back.
“Ye'd think royal ponies would have less boastful names,” he whispered to no one in particular, only realising how insane the comment was after it left his lips, “They're gettin' te me...”
Once again hearing a clatter, this time inside the room itself, Barbossa turned his head to face it. Nothing was there though. He couldn't pinpoint the source, or what had actually made the noise.
“I completely agree. Though you have to admit, the whole idea of theme naming does work out rather well for the rest of us.”
Once again turning on the spot, standing parallel to the hall to keep guard on both ends, the pirate growled at the sight that met him.
Nothing.
There was still nothing.
Thinking back, that was always the worst sight to see when someone was talking to you; it usually meant there was an ambush, or something worse if fate wasn't looking down on you. Barbossa even turned to view the paintings for a brief moment, cautious in case something was suddenly going to jump at him; it made as much sense as anything else he'd seen.
But there still wasn't anything worth seeing to see.
“Oh, don't be so ridiculous; I'm not going to jump out of a painting. That's much too predictable,” the voice rang out, coming from not one spot in the hall, but rather all of them at once.
Barbossa was losing his patience now; whatever was talking to him was trying to create havoc with his mind. Much more so because he couldn't decide on whether the voice was a threat or not, but even with the kind nature of the ponies, he had his doubts.
“But you!” the voice bellowed, fading into cackling, maniacal laughter, “I don't know what I was expecting to find when I got here, but it certainly wasn't something like you.”
Gritting his teeth, Barbossa stood his ground, reminding himself where the door was in case the situation demanded it. His walk had brought it him much closer to it than he had been, and no more than a few dozen meters could stand between the buccaneer and a possible exit. Looking over the walls, the ceiling and skylight, as well as double checking the paintings from where he stood, the captain looked for anything similar to a living being. The lack of one didn't make him feel any better.
“But it isn't like Celestia and little Luna gave me much to go on, after all. I'm just surprised you lived long enough to actually get inside the castle.”
“Show yersel'!” the captain yelled in retort, still waiting for whoever the coward was to show himself, for the voice was most definitely a male one.
“But it all worked out for the best, I suppose. Freedom is quite a gift when it wasn't even thought possible in the first place,” the voice said, “And I'd empty your pockets, if I were you; it's rather cluttered in here.”
Pausing what little movement he was doing, Barbossa looked down towards his torso, raising his arms into the air. Holding his stance for little more than a second, the feel of life wriggling at his chest and it's unnatural vibrations was enough for the captain to decree pulling the jacket free from his body a worthy cause.
Not accounting for all the gems still inside, as well as a few more of his previously owned artefacts, the pirate looked from above as a few of his belongings spread to the floor around the long coat.
Mentally berating himself for throwing most of his belongings on the floor, the movement he had previously felt began to show sign of itself. A little pouch was squirming around next to his jacket's left sleeve, and the golden coin inside was pushing itself out.
“Oh, this is such a disappointment now that I actually have it. I still love the design on the front though. Very archaic.”
Looming over the coin, and the voice emanating from within, Barbossa bent down to examine it, tapping the doubloon with his knuckles before picking it up.
Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, Barbossa watched as the face embedded in the gold began to smile, moving it's skeletal jaw, and matching the voice coming from inside.
“A tad small too, though I do suppose it is a book you can't judge by it's cover. Isn't that right, captain?”
Honestly praying that sanity had yet to leave his sense, and not quite sure what to do, the pirate tossed the cursed medallion on to the floor, letting it collide with the stone before slamming the heel of his shoe on top.
Moving to look over the medallion once more, Barbossa couldn't hold back a flinch when it flew straight it to the air, stopping in front of his face, only to dance around, spinning and gyrating around an invisible axis.
“Here I thought you were a greedy, nefarious pirate, yet here you are, scared of a little, gilded coin,” the coin once again said, before a form began to appear in the air behind it, “Rather spoils the whole pirate thing, don't you think?”
The being took its time appearing, but the first limb to materialise failed to match the next, as a claw blinked into existence, along with a coated leg and hoof. The rest followed soon after, and with a final pop of the air, a new being floated eerily in the room with the human pirate, still spinning the coin between an unnaturally bright, yellow paw.
“Though it's a shame it doesn't want to work properly. I was getting so excited for a while there too. Still, a spit and polish surely couldn't do it any harm.”
The creature was mismatched, and bizarre, yet there were still limbs the pirate could place. A bat's wing hung from the beings back, and what he could only assume to be a horse’s head sat atop its overly long torso.
“Chimeras now?” Barbossa mumbled, eyeing the being over without trying to show a hint of fear, despite the rising feeling of panic he felt in his stomach.
The creature took it's time responding, blinking down towards the captain with its big, yellow eyes and beady, red pupils.
“I do hope that isn't an insult. I prefer the term, draconequus,” the creature said, ending the final word with a flair of his hands and a small explosion of coloured paper.
Barbossa couldn't care less what the 'dragon horse' wanted to be called, as long as it wasn't a threat. Though despite the childish exterior, the pirate couldn't help but wonder how wrong this was going to turn out. The being didn't strike the pirate as someone he would want to strike an alliance with.
“And what it is it ye want, dragon horse? Assumin' ye came wi' an intention in mind,” the pirate asked, using the surprisingly civil conversion to return his jacket to it's rightful place, along with what used to be inside.
“My name is Discord, not dragon horse. But I thought I'd just come and see you before you left for home. Back to your own shores, as it were,” he explained, only to be met with a crooked glare, courtesy of the pirate.
“I find meself doubtin' that.”
A quick glance down towards the door emphasized the captain's point, though much to the ignorance of the being floating impossibly before him.
“I've even brought you a gift,” the creature exclaimed, clicking his talons, “I just couldn't stand by and do nothing after hearing how much you loved your treasure.”
Despite the flaky nature of the being’s argument, Barbossa let his jaw drop as a heap of golden coins hit the ground, spreading here and there when they all made contact with marbled floor. His heart, soul, and a good deal of his very being driving him to do otherwise, Barbossa did no more than hold a hand out towards the mountains of gold, pulling it back when his priorities spoke for themselves.
“Look at all of this treasure.”
“All o' it...” Barbossa subconscious uttered out, surprised he had said it at all.
And as if to meld the pirate’s mind into turning, more coins continued to appear, pouring from a single, empty, invisible void next to the dragon horse. A steady stream of shining gold, just falling to the ground, chiming as each trinket made contact with the mound already below it.
“It could be yours, you know. I mean, I certainly don't have any use for it.”
“...Aye...”
His life had been full of hidden treasures, and many more stolen ones, but even his time as an undead monument to the curse of Cortés hadn't yielded a single mountain of doubloons the size in front of him. And it was still increasing.
“Quite the bounty too, wouldn't you agree?”
Every second Barbossa stood there, thinking, watching, rethinking and looking over the creature bargaining with him, the mountainous pile of wealth was growing larger and larger. And the little voice singing at the back of the pirate's mind was getting louder with it, as was the feeling in his heart; take it. He could hear it so clearly, as if it were really there.
Take the gold!
But...
“I am a slave te greed, no longer,” was all Barbossa replied, hoping for the love of God he was making the right choice.
Discord leaned back into the air, feeling the armchair that didn't exist contort perfectly to his body. It didn't matter how he sat, as long as it was done with an air of flair and random confusion. And on something invisible.
“Are you sure?” Discord questioned, once again clicking his talons together, holding his eyes closed with a confident smile on his face.
The fountains of gold continued to flow, as more and more spurt from the fabric of the world, tearing at the air throughout the dining room, and forcing itself into the tangible reality. The doubloons sang in a mismatched chorus as each of them chimed against themselves and any surface they seemed to hit.
Bribery was something Barbossa enjoyed when directed his way. It opened new doors, closed old ones, and held no ill consequences for him whatsoever. Most of the time. But bribery only worked when the offer toppled any older ones. And as it stood, the captain saw no such thing in front of him. His perception of the being in front of him had been secured too, whether said being liked it or not.
And the medallion, still spinning in the beings grasp. How could he make the same mistake again, when the memory of the past was still floating right in front of him?
“And if I were te take yer gift, how, pray tell, de ye expect me te take this hoard back wi' me? Yer offer ain't been implied, but already yer losin' yer chances.”
It was also best to keep calm, even if the situation was teetering on the edge of comprehension. Then again, Barbossa considered his threshold thoroughly widened, given what he'd seen during his life.
Though the last week had made him much more accepting of new impossibilities, to say the least.
“Oh, I never said you were leaving with the gold.”
The captain took a cautious, and well desired, step backwards as he subconsciously reached down towards his missing sword, “What happened te yer farewell gift.”
“No, no. I implied it was a farewell gift. You merely let your mind wander. I mean, really, what use could you possibly be if you weren't even here?”
Another step backwards seemed like a safe bet to the captain. The door was far away as it was, and any head start wouldn't be looked down upon. And Barbossa was more than positive the chimera wasn't an ally now, if he ever had the chance of being one.
“Then again, I assumed you'd be willing enough to accept my offer of riches. Somepony else certainly did.”
Moving his hand from his waist, the pirate rummages through his coat, hoping the vague idea he had forming in his head would work half as well as he imagined it would.
“As generous as yer offer is, I'm afraid there'll be no accord on me own side, Discord.”
And with his sentence finished, Barbossa pulled at one of the many gemstones buried within his jacket, and Discord watched as the sparkling jewel flew up into the air by the power of the aliens arms and, following the rather laborious rules of the universe, fell back towards the ground. The human who threw it, however, was well on his way towards the door, running fruitlessly away from the god behind him.
Discord sighed, partially because he fell for such a basic tactic, but mostly because such a basic tactic had been used in the first place.
“I'm not entirely sure why I had high hopes for you,” Discord announced with a dramatic wave of his paw, tossing the coin into his talons, “To be honest, I assumed you'd have something a little more crafty up your sleeve.”
Barbossa got himself to the door, not truly expecting to get there at all, and pushed his hand towards the exit, reaching out for the handle.
But the door wasn't there. His hand met nothing that he expected, and rather than wood, or even metal, the pirate's skin met the wall itself. Focusing his eyes, and hoping his plan wasn't a total failure, Barbossa found the air leave his lungs as he looked up to a crude painting of what should have been his exit.
“Of course, it isn't completely fair, having you against me. You don't even know who I am,” Discord’s voice said, echoing throughout the room before finally appearing in a bright flash of limelight.
Barbossa clenched his fist, digging his nails into the skin of his palm, not wanting to admit to himself that he wasn't faring too well without the ponies nearby. He didn't even know if they'd be of help to him, but seeing as they were the only allies he had in this world, they were the only beings that he hoped could.
Reminded they weren't actually with him, the pirate captain knelt to his knee before sliding his hand in his boot, swiftly pulling out his blade and hiding it beneath his sleeve, despite there not actually being a real need to hide it.
Standing back to his full height, Barbossa froze as he came eye to eye with Discord, his eyelids half closed and both of his scruffy, alabaster eyebrows confidently raised above them. The sudden twinge of the lion’s paw pushing against his chest didn't better the pirate's resolve on what he wanted to do.
“I suppose you regret leaving the gold?” the chimera smugly teased, poking the pirate harder in the chest with the same expression and smile on his face.
Then Discord flinched back, concentrating for a moment as to why he'd flinched. Opening his eyes, the god of chaos looked back at the pirate, following his line of sight, eventually coming to stare at his hand, and the knife that Barbossa held within it. The knife lay half buried in Discord's neck, twisted ever so slightly to the side, drawing nothing except a short lived sigh from the draconequus himself.
“Not the most novel way of trying to kill me, but I've seen others try worse.”
Barbossa pushed himself further back against the door, half hoping the wall behind him would miraculously give way, he threw a punch out towards the creature in a rash attempt at turning the situation around. The hit landed, but it did no more damage than the knife, or any less, as it appeared; the creature moved only as much as the punch made him, and any pain was far from evident, if he felt it at all.
Barbossa couldn't help but notice the harsh irony; him standing before an immortal being with a knife sticking out from his body, when he had been on the other end of the situation not under a year ago.
“I ain't the only thing in this castle, and ye ain't goin' te make me stay, not for any amount o' gold!”
“Oh, you’re being such a baby about all of this,” Discord nodded, tapping the pirate on his forehead, “But that's okay; I can fix all that. You just need a fresh outlook on life. A new goal to strive for.”
Spinning the coin between his talons and their knuckles, Discord flipped the medallion into the air, catching it in his paw before closing his eyes with it tight in his grasp, feeling an unusual strain of magic above his own.
Squeezing his grip slightly tighter, the god hovering above Barbossa cleared his throat, shivering as he let a tiny puff of air escaped his lips.
“Oh, that'll do for now,” he decided, frowning at the medallion as it refused to change completely under his will, “It's not as fun a I’d thought it would be anyway.”
Once again tossing the coin in the air, letting it fall towards the ground below, Discord watched with glee as Barbossa reached out his hand, clutching the doubloon mid fall.
Eyeing up the cursed medallion in his hand, the pirate moved his eyes lazily over the treasure he held, creasing his face into a wicked smile and clutching it tightly between his fingers.
Then Barbossa began to laugh.
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WOOOOOOOOO UPDATE FUCK YEAH
Um... this is bad. Very bad.
Whelp, my job here is done.
Uh oh....
I get then feeling that he will break free on his own....
Let's hope he is stronger than discord thinks he is...
Oh great, Discorded Barbossa. That's just lovely. And things were going so well...
I got lost when Discord got introduced. Can someone give me a quick summary as to what happened?
I dunno....
I would't underestimate the powers of the old human deities.
Methinks that coin will play a large part in the future.
1845184
Discord took the Cursed Coin and tried to bribe Barbossa with unimaginable wealth.
Barbossa declined and tried to 1) escape, 2) Kill Discord with a hidden knife, and 3) resist the spell of whatever Discord did with aforementioned cursed coin, with an 0-for-3 success rate.
Undead discorded barbossa is best barbossa
1845242
Thanks, mate.
1845243
That depends entirely on who's side you're one.
I think shits gonna hit the fan... and... Boom, it hit it
did discord get the curse?
That Cover art alone is worth a big thumbs up!
845533
I swear to Celestia that is one creepy profile pic!
1845303
It will become clearer next chapter, but I may add better description to the events in this one; Discord isn't cursed though. Wouldn't make much difference, in my opinion
Even when you refuse a deal, Discord still gets what he wants.
...
Dear god
I think you mean "on"
Dropped a t
What sound of his name? No one said his name
1845663
Thanks for pointing these out, and they have been fixed
This is getting very, very intresting.
...
This new development worries me. It worries me greatly.
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk
while the captain was eating meat..
um...pinkie are you used to the idea of eating meat why are you rubbing your stomach?
be careful rainbow be very very careful.
Discord you tricky douche.
this is gonna be goooooood
Cue Barbossas's theme. Also am I the only one who misses Jack? (The monkey)
Even with the whole Discord thing, I still can't get the idea of Celestia and her army of white, blonde haired, blue eyed ponies.
HEIL, PRINCESS!!!
1846087 Which monkey?
did he get cursed again?
Well, this is interesting. I am really not sure if Barbosa got discorded, re-cursed, or something else, and none of them can be good for the others no matter how much fun it is to watch the mayhem from the outside.
1845211
Agreed, I'm also wondering if Calypso will try to bring Barbossa back, so she can be freed from her bones.
1845353
Well, he wouldn't be able to eat his Cotton Candy clouds or drink his milk of chocolate glass...
This chapter.
This Discord.
Epic.
It's not a lie when I'm saying that this was the best chapter so far. Kept me on reading, even at 5.10 am!
However, I found three little mistakes:
-- To the castle or to her castle. Make up your mind!
-- Wouldnae?
-- I'm pretty sure that there were enough chairs for his smaller allies.
Also, you used to write was stood there several times. Imo, stood is a fine verb itself and isn't in the need of was. Celestia stood there. That's just fine.
Waiting for more! (Evil cliffhanger is evil..)
Discordly Barbossa?
I wish he had his monkey.
Discord comes to ruin the day again. F*** this gay Earth.
Discord ? FUCK YEAH !
Is Barbossa cursed by the coin again?
I can't wait till Twilight sees undead Barbossa and he says: "Ye best start believin' in ghost stories Ms. Sparkle yer in one!"
Honestly, I was surprised in both positive and negative ways when I noticed Discord. What is his business with Barbossa, why did he come to him? That's not the problem, but _why is he free again_? You're not a bad writer, Perpetual, I give you that, so I expect you don't botch this one up.
In this one fic I pre-read the author put too many things in and then left (forgot perhaps) them half unrevealed. The ending he chose was not the one you'd expect, was made in a hurry and did not, I repeat in caps, DID NOT please me, nor did it please the readers. I noted him about the flaws with more scolding text... well, no result. He took no advice. I stopped pre-reading it when it became too painful to read.
Well that was off-topic. Anyways, keep on ponyin'!
1849373
Being a not bad writer is part way to being a good writer
And don't worry; Discord's freedom was something I spent a few chapters working out and foreshadowing. The good thing about writing five chapters in advance is that I can add such things should the need arise, so his being free will be explained in the next chapter, as well as some more after that
1852349
You write FIVE CHAPTERS... IN ADVANCE!
you have my respect.
1858553
Means I can change or add little bits to better the flow of the story, or still get a chapter out even if I'm running behind with the rest of my life 
Makes everything a wee bit easier. I wrote until chapter five, then released chapter one, and the cycle continued
Also makes reading over the chapters easier, seeing as I won't have seen them for a while, and the bad bits stick out more. I always found rereading after countless hours writing always left me skimming over, rather than actually checking for plot holes and mistakes.
That was indeed something I enjoyed reading. A, very, fine chapter indeed.
1931601
so it was kinda bad luck on my part in happened to be more common than I thought. I would have chose him falling somewhere and fighting something regardless.
Yeah, in hindsight, it wasn't the best opening to choose. I went through many, and I chose that in the end because it seemed like it would happen a lot in a forest full of Manticores. I've never actually read that anywhere else myself
One initial draft had Barbossa falling through Cloudsdale and being caught by Derpy/Dash/Luna's Guard. Another had the whole ship falling through in ruins with him, destroying a good portion of the cloud city in the process. I'd do more dramatic entrance if I wrote this story again, but you live and learn by mistakes
Even though your editor is a total chump(Feel free to let him know I said that
), I will give your story a shot. The premise interests me and it seems to be well recieved. Marked it to read later, have a good day 
1980609
They've both done a good job since they came on board the ship, me thinks.
Just for the record, I had no editors for the first few chapters
1982579
Oh, I was just referring the DannyJ, he edits my story too :P
1982633
Call him what you will then 
1983794
That's a very good point; poor Will. I hope the care bears treat him right. And rewriting the first chapter may be a good idea. Might get around to it after the next few chapters are done.
Excellent chapter