Ultimate Equestria

by Leo Pachino

Chapter 047: Drums of War

Korsan stood at the railing, silently watching Isyan fall into the rolling waves below. His grin slowly faded away and his face turned cold, stoic. The thrill of the kill was gone.

As Isyan disappeared from sight, Korsan forgot about him.

Korsan slowly turned back towards his crew and prisoners, all speechless.

“Anypony else?” He grimly asked.

“No sir, Captain Korsan.” The crew, including Isyan’s ten once-followers, quietly replied in unison.

Korsan slowly walked to the ten ponies. They were immediately terrified.

“Ryan, Butch, Maria, Clara, Lazarus, Jack, Fawnswa, Bob, Anton, Blackgate,”

“Yes?” The ten ponies muttered in terror.

“Why did you follow Isyan?”

“…” None of them could muster a word.

“…Let me ask you again. Why did you seek my wrath?”

Maria took a step forward. She removed herself from the crowd and stood at Korsan’s clawed hooves. She was a brave soul, but not even those stood a chance against Korsan’s terrifying presence.

“We-we-we-” Maria stammered at first.

“…” Korsan waited, impatiently tapping the floor.

“We wanted a break!” Maria finally said. “All we wanted was to put our lives of crimes behind us and move on. But you wouldn’t let us after Nitin. You-”

A swift, powerful strike to the cheek by Korsan immediately cut off Maria. The mare squealed in pain as the metal claws burnt into her soft flesh. The onlookers gasped as Maria dropped to the floorboards.

Korsan’s energy had returned. But this time, this was pure rage. This was deliriousness.

“You thought Isyan would let you off? You thought you could use his joy after he kills me? Huh?!” Korsan asked.

Maria silently wept into the wood, hoping to not be heard.

Korsan then turned to the other nine betrayers, who were all frozen in place. He slowly walked to them, extending his claws and stomping his hooves. The metal digits grinded against each other, generating sparks of burning heat.

“Isn’t it?!” He asked them again.

“We’re sorry!” The nine cried.

“Didn’t you learn from the Gales? I am a force to be reckoned with! And you will obey me! When I say to stay with me, you stay! Isn’t the message clear enough!”

Korsan raised his claws and the nine ponies instantly curled in defensive fear. The rest of the crew covered their eyes and ears, equally as scared. Twilight and the others were absolutely horrified. This was what Korsan was under that roguish veneer he had. The demon had revealed himself.

Just before Korsan threw down his claws, before he tore the ponies apart, Hans jumped in between him and the others. The onlookers thought he was mad. Korsan stopped however, his claws just short of Hans’s eyes.

“Hans?” Korsan asked.

“Sir,” Hans coolly said. “Perhaps they have learnt their lesson. We have never seen you this angry and violent as before, and you know how they bend to you will just by a hiss in your tongue.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Korsan replied.

Slowly, Korsan returned his claws into his mechanical suit. His body eased and his eye finally blinked for once. He was tranquil, for the moment anyways.

The crew also eased down. The way that they did so scared Twilight and her friends, for it seemed to be some sort of routine thing. Of course, none were more terrified than Rarity.

With the night rising, and the air calming down, a seldom atmosphere covered The Perfection. It would only be a matter of moments before business returned to normal.

“Can I get you anything, Captain?” Horus nervously asked, almost yipping as the scarred eye locked onto him.

“Nothing for now, I just need some room to ease up for now. Oh yeah, free Chopin and Juliana.” Korsan said apathetically.

“Is it true what you said?” Slasher asked the captain. “Are we monsters?”

Korsan hesitated for a moment to think. He tried to recall what his maddened being said, for it all happened in seemingly a flash.

“…We all are.” He finally said. “The only thing we can do about it is to put ourselves closer to the divine and pure. Isyan just wanted riches, he didn’t care about who was in his way nor how dirty his hooves would’ve become from the blood of the pure. He was one of the worst monsters.”

“Sir?” Yu hesitantly asked. “What about-”

“I’m now taking care of that. Ryan, Butch, Clara, Lazarus, Jack, Fawnswa, Bob, Anton, Blackgate,”

“Yes Captain?” The named ponies replied.

They weren’t as scared as before, but felt ashamed nonetheless.

“Are you all loyal to me?” Korsan plainly asked.

“Yes.” They replied firmly.

“Have you disassociated yourselves with Isyan Maden?”

“Yes.”

“Are you telling the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to listen to everything I say and follow my command without second thoughts?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I expect you all to clean up your mess. As for the rest of you, proceed with your own business as usual.”

“Sorry to bother you, Korsan, but are you well?” Lilis sheepishly spoke up.

“…I don’t know. I don’t know.”

“Is there anything I can do to-”

“No. Anything else?”

A silent response was given.

“I’ll be in my quarters.”

Quietly, Korsan walked back to the quarterdeck. Along the way, he kicked up his crossbow to his top hooves and tucked the weapon into his cape. Without a word, the other crew members slowly returned to their normal business.

Eventually, only Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Slasher, Alexander, the eight prisoners, and Maria remained, with Maria still face-down on the bow, silently weeping in pain and shame.

“He’s snapped.” Alexander solemnly remarked to the others. “Insane, that stallion has become, a real pity it is.”

“Maria, are you okay?” Rarity asked, reaching a hoof out to the fallen mare.

“Leave her be.” Alexander told her. “She wants to simply rest there for a while.”

This was an obvious lie. Alexander knew how great Maria’s warrior pride was, and dared not to disturb it. Rarity eventually understood this as well and backed away from Maria.

“What if he’s right?” Slasher asked.

“Who?” Alexander asked.

“Isyan. What if we do respect Korsan out of fear?” Slasher asked.

“…We do. As much as we try to reason otherwise, that is the truth.”

“Oh…”

“It’s better to fear and live the good life than to rebel and die, that’s for certain.”

“What?!” Twilight exclaimed. “That’s the opposite of ‘better’.”

“What?” Alexander responded.

“Aren’t you ashamed of the ponies you have made to suffer, even killed, just for this’ good’ life?” Twilight asked the pirates.

“You don’t think I am?! It’s an unfair world! I didn’t ask to do any of the horrid crap I have to do every day. I wanted to be a noble gentlepony, but fate had other ideas. Now I’m here as a pirate, and I have to do the wrong deeds and live with my actions. A little shame is worth my skin.” Alexander said.

“It doesn’t have to be an unfair world, Alexander.”

“It can be a beautiful place of harmony.” Fluttershy replied.

“If you fight for what’s right, it will be.” Rainbow Dash added.

“But it won’t be easy.” Applejack said.

“Sacrifices will have to be made.” Rarity said.

“But it’s all worth it in the end.” Spike responded.

“Yeah!” Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle cheered.

“…Am I just going to go against everything I just said because you all said a bit?” Alexander asked.

“You really think so?” Slasher asked Twilight.

A hint of hope sparked inside as Slasher saw these ponies before her, so optimistic in the face of danger.

“We know so.” Twilight answered.

“As your friends, we can help set you on the right path.” Rarity said.

“But why? What have we done to deserve this respect from you?” Slasher asked.

“Because we’re friends,” Rarity said.

Slasher replied, “We are? But we-”

Rarity explained, “I’ve lived with you all for two weeks. I’ve seen the way you girls and guys act, how you play off one another and support each other. I am more than certain that all of you are good ponies inside.”

“As Princess of Friendship, it is my duty to uphold the magic of friendship in all ponies.” Twilight said.

“But the letter-” Slasher responded.

“Do you honestly think that I’d give up that easily?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, it was merely a trick to send an emergency notification to Princess Celestia.” Spike said.

“And Korsan bought into the whole thing.” Pinkie said in pride.

“So expect help to come any day now.” Spike told Slasher.

Before Slasher could join in Twilight’s scheme, Alexander was quick to stop her.

He retorted, “Reality check: Did you not just see what Korsan did to Isyan? He’s going insane! Korsan’s going from a calm pony into a bloodthirsty lunatic faster than ever before. It can only go faster from there. If he finds out about this, we all might be thrown over without even bothering a monologue. I suggest that we don’t start anything and just stick to our old ways.”

“What about Princess Celestia?” Slasher asked. “She has an army.”

“Whatever sized armada she’s bringing, it won’t be enough to stop Korsan. He has Princess Twilight as a prisoner. If anything’s Twilight’s scheme will just speed up the ransom process.”

“As long as he doesn’t know, or isn’t about to do something dramatic, we should have enough time to think of something.” Twilight replied.

“Who said I was joining in this rebellion?!” Alexander exclaimed.

“Are you going to tell us off to Korsan?” Slasher asked, scared.

“Yeah, are you?” Pinkie threateningly asked.

“…No, I’m just, curious.” Alexander replied.

“What should we do?” Rarity asked Twilight.

“First, gather as many pirates as you can, get them to join our side. The more team members we have, the less Korsan will have when Celestia arrives.” Twilight replied.

“So, another mutiny party?” Alexander asked.

“Yes. Only this time, it’s for the right reasons.” Twilight replied.

“Count me in!” Slasher declared.

“What about Korsan? Aren’t you one of his loyalist members?” Alexander asked.

“As much as I respected him, I’m starting to realize that I may have been giving him too much credit. I didn’t know he was such a monster. I just… thought he was really emotional. But no, I was wrong. He’s a psycho. He just slapped Maria and tortured our friends, Alex. That’s not the captain I want to follow. I no longer want to be part of this crew if fear is the only thing holding it together. I want to start my life right.” Slasher said.

“Well then, welcome to the mutiny party.” Twilight said.

A loud hum then roared across the airship. Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and the pirates immediately recognized the sound as Korsan testing his speaker pipe.

“It’s Korsan, he has an announcement.” Slasher whispered to Twilight and the others.

“This ought to be rich.” Alexander muttered.

Three metal taps echoed from the pipes. Everypony onboard quieted down and stopped what they were doing.

Korsan’s voice echoed throughout the The Perfection with a foreboding message.

He said, “My friends, it has often been said between you crew members that I like war. Rumours that sneak under my nose, yes? Thought that I wouldn’t catch on? Well I did, and I wish to dash these rumours. My friends, I like war. No, friends, I love war! I love it all. I love blitzes, I love defensive lines, I love sieges, charges, I love mop-up operations, and retreats. Wars across prairies, in streets, in trenches, in grasslands, in frozen tundras, through deserts, on the sea, in the air, I love every act of war that can occur upon this world. I love the thrill, the power, the scale, the rewards, the action, the peril, the risk, the risk of death!”

“How many speeches does this pony have?” Twilight asked.

“Shhh!” Alexander hissed, a sense of fear resonating from his voice.

Korsan continued, “Every time I am one sword swing away from demise, I enter euphoria. I love blasting the enemy to smithereens with artillery salvos that thunder across the lines of battle in every direction. My heart leaps with joy whenever a pony is tossed high into the air and blown to pieces by well-placed explosive rounds. And there is nothing like my grand galleon using its one hundred guns to destroy enemy ships, and the feeling that comes when an entire crew runs screaming from their blazing brig, only to be swallowed by the ocean below, is such an exquisite feeling.

“Like when ranks of infantry brandish their blades and rushing into the enemy’s territory. It moves me deep within my heart to watch a fresh recruit stabbing over and over into the bloated chest of a long-dead unit of resistance, filling the blood-lust that had been empty for all of his previous years of a life of contained anger and rage. The sight of deserters being captured and held for ransom is an irresistible pleasure, especially when a little torture is involved. And there is nothing more arousing, than the sounds made by soldiers of defense dropping like flies, screaming in agony as they're mowed down by ear piercing cannons! When a band of pitiful resistance fighters makes their final stand with nothing but their own hooves, only to have their city smashed to mites of dust block by block by solid lead balls, I'm in ecstasy.

“Now, don’t call me crazy, but this next part, the part that I love most, is a bit of a doozy for the easily sickened. But, what I love even more, is my crew, all of you, under attack. I love it when my forces are ravaged by an entire armada of war ships. It intrigues me, like a good book, to see the character I have been rooting for my entire life, throwing their safety out the door and facing up to the massive enemy, and perhaps even be killed in a delicious fashion.”

Slasher and Alexander gulped at that last sentence. It almost disgusted them by how Korsan romanticized their deaths.

“I love to be squashed under the hooves of the nation’s strongest soldiers.” Korsan said. “The humiliation, as my crew crawl around like vermin, ducking from arrows and balls of metal flying overhead, reflects off my sight. But be rest assured, this is not merely for some sort of masochist’s enjoyment inside of my soul, merely. When the time is right, those who squashed us get squashed back, a reward that’s completely worth the cost and risk. In its entirety of rewards, costs, risks, and power, I love war with all of my heart and soul.

“Gentlecolts and mares... All I ask for is war, a war so grand as to make Tartarus itself tremble. Sea artists, I ask you as fellow brothers and sisters under my infinite wisdom, what is it that you really want? Do you wish for further war as I do? Do you wish for a merciless, bloody war? A war whose fury is built with iron, and lightning, and fire? Do you ask for war to sweep in like a tempest, leaving not even ravens to scavenge our target’s remains, from this Earth? ...Very well. Then battle is what you shall have.

“We are a clenched hoof, ready to strike down all who oppose us, with our might. But... After having our ancestors’ legacy enduring over many centuries wallowing in the darkness by these inferiors, for us, a simple "ordinary" war will no longer be sufficient. We need a massive war! A war beyond any other that pony's history has ever known! One that shall alter the course of history and restore all of our future descendants to the glory we as an entire species deserve!”

“He’s gone…” Alexander gasped, now shriveling at the hooves.

“Yet, I can sense doubt still among you gazing upon me, for good reason. We are but a single battalion. We are the remnants of a long defeated cause, now numbering merely a hundred strong. However, I believe that each of you warriors is equal to a thousand of their inferior might! We represent a force that could easily defeat an army of a million and one ponies, one hundred thousand fully rigged brigantines, ten thousand factions, and a thousand countries combined!

“It is time for them to awake the ones who sent us screaming into madness, to obscurity, and who now lie sleeping. Let's drag them out of bed by the mane, and remind them of what we are! We will remind them of what it feels like to live in fear, in inferiority, in pain. We will remind them of the sound of our ancestors’ greatest powers grinding against their throats. We will remind them, that there are more things between birth and death than are dreamt of in their philosophy. Our legion of one hundred mighty unicorns is going to burn this wretched world down to ash.

“Yes, my friends! We shall begin an assembly of new eras, starting with the war against all of the known world! But first, we shall strike Equestria, the leading country of this old world, and turn it into a beacon of our new world. Soon, Equestria's charred remains will illuminate the night sky! I have brought you all glory, riches, and power, just as I promised I would. All that now remains is your cooperation in this final campaign, our greatest campaign! Back to our favorite battlefield. Back to our beloved war! At last, the sea lion has crossed the ocean and is heading up the hill. Attention, all soldiers of The Perfection! This is a message from your captain, Korsan Arasinda Maden. …Friends, let’s bring them Tartarus.”

“Oh, no.” Twilight and Alexander groaned.