The Little Pony legend: The Guardians of Harmony

by MaggiesHeartLove

It's time to be awesome!

*(~)*

Proverbs 31:9~

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy

*(~)*

It's Time to be Awesome!

Capper was thrown to the wooden surface of the docks, the shadow of Tempest looming over him. The cat felt his hairs stand on end in fear.

"Now… where are they going?" She asked, her horn charging up threateningly.

Capper got back up on his paws, dusting his jacket, trying to act confident and cool, but he could still feel the two storm creatures breathing down his neck from behind. "Okay. No need for violence. Uh, they're headed…"

Capper was just about to tell Tempest where the Guardians were going, that is until the sunlight hit one of the pearl buttons on his jacket, making it sparkle. He was reminded of Nori's generosity, how she had so sweetly fixed his jacket as best she could as a way to say thank you. Having those kids at his apartment wasn't at all what he had expected.

He actually… enjoyed their company. Hiro was a funny little guy, Mai was criminally smart and witty, Gallant Steed could go on for hours about the types of creatures they had back in their homeland of Equestria, Iris treated him as if they had known him for ages, and then were was Chrysalis.

Sweet, charming, beautiful Chrysalis. The girl who restored part of his beloved home. The girl who saw beauty even in the mustiest of places where he had nearly lost all hope of ever finding that beauty again. She wasn't just beautiful outside, but inside. When he looked into her eyes his stomach felt weird and his chest did a strange 'thump' sound. Seeing her so angry when they discovered his game was more painful than he dared to admit out loud.

If he told Tempest where they were, the kids wouldn't stand a chance. Tempest was known for being as merciless as her superior. He couldn't betray them again. Betray Chrysalis again. If he did, he would never be able to forgive himself. Capper was always so accustomed to looking out for himself, maybe it was time to look out for someone else. Someone who deserved it more than he did.

"They headed east! Yeah, to... to Black Skull Island." Capper finally said, pointing in the opposite direction as to where the kids were really going. Black Skull island was almost as far as Mount Aris, or at least it seemed that way, so it would give the kids enough time to get there and leave before Tempest found out anything. And, since Capper was a master at smooth-talking himself out of any situation, he was confident he could do the same now.

"So, uh, glad I could be of service to His Majesty, the Storm King. I'll just be on my way." Capper let out a cat-like yowl when the storm creatures blocked his path. This might be a lot harder than he had hoped.

"When I get my Princess." Said Tempest, much to Capper's dismay. "Until then, your fate is still... up in the air."

Grubber laughed, "Oh, you're gonna go in the ship! Which is a boat! Theoretically, an air-boat!" he taunted. "We make a great team." Grubber said to Tempest as they boarded the ship. "I love it how you said his fate was "up in the air", and then I said, "you're gonna be in the air on an air-boat!"

Capper was forced to follow by the storm creatures. He hung his head as he did. Getting out of this situation was going to her harder than he thought.

At least he would know that Chrysalis and the others would be alright. She deserved to live and spread beauty to a world that desperately needed it.

She certainly brought that same beauty back into his life, even if it was short lived.

(~)

The sun had long since set and the moon and stars were already high in the sky. The kids had managed to keep themselves hidden long enough in the cargo hold, but they still weren't sure where they were heading. They concluded that the airship was one of the Storm King's judging by the emblem everywhere on the crates and various Storm King themed merchandise. So getting whoever was stirring the ship to help them was not going to be an easy task.

Hiro looking into the boxes, finding nothing but Storm King bottle heads, Storm King action figures, Storm King shampoo bottles and Storm King toilet seat warmers. The earthbender rolled his eyes and sighed as he tossed them away.

"Hiro! Would you stop touching that stuff!" Akari snapped.

"I'm sorry, I'm bored!"

"Shush! Keep your voices down." Iris said. She and Chi gently lifted the cargo's floor door only an inch enough for them to see whoever it was that was working on the ship.

They saw these bird-like creatures with bird-like claws and feet and no wings on either their backs or arms, but they were definitely birds judging by their beaks and feathery bodies. They also, for some reason, had long reptilian-like tails. Still no stranger than the chimera spirit creatures back home.

They also wore black uniforms with the Storm King's symbol on them. They worked back and forth, moving crates from one place to another. One belched loudly and scratched his butt. Iris felt sick to her stomach and Chi cringed in disgust before closing the door carefully.

"What do you think?" Nori asked. "Should we just... ask them to take us?"

"Last time we trusted someone, he tried to sell us!" Mai pointed out. Beside her, Chrysalis lowered her ears in disappointment.

She was still bitter about having trusted Capper. She really thought he was a nice guy and that they had a lot in common, but it turned out to be all a lie. Maybe he could have changed, but it was too late to know now. No doubt she would probably never see him again.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Gallant said, "We can't just hide in here forever. We could be going off course for all we know."

"Plus they're working for the Storm King." Akari said, narrowing her eyes. "We can't trust them."

Every time she heard that name; 'Storm King' this, and 'Storm King' that, it made her feathers ruffle and her horn burn with blue fire. They had yet to even meet him and the villain was already becoming a serious thorn on her flank. He was the reason why they were out here to begin with. The reason Tempest turned her mother to stone on their special day. She swore, no matter what it took, that Storm King was going to regret he ever messed with them.

"They're not the only ones." Mai said bitterly, her eyes falling upon Hozu. The entire time, he was silent, frozen in the same curled up position, not speaking or looking at anyone. He only looked at them when he felt Mai's cold eyes upon him.

"How in the name of Celestia did you do that?" The youngest Sato sibling asked demandingly.

"Mai, calm down." Iris said, trying to keep the two from starting an argument which could blow their cover.

"Calm down? The guy created a storm cloud which almost killed us and you want me to calm down?!"

"I wouldn't raise my voice if I were you." Hozu said, his voice cold and distant, but also unafraid.

"Don't get smart with me, frost tips! My brother almost got killed because of you!"

Hozu got up from where he sat, his anger flaring. "I never asked to be a part of this! You're the ones who roped me into your little quest!"

"Oh, so now you're blaming us? You could have left the minute Iris let you go!"

"Or maybe you should have just left me in the desert!"

"Maybe we should have!"

"Both of you STOP!" Iris quickly covered her mouth, realizing her stupid slip up the second the last letter left her mouth.

The kids gasped when the cargo door opened up and one of the bird creatures, a large green colored bird man with big muscles and wearing a hat towered over them. His right claw was missing, replaced with a single golden band.

"Hey, guys! Come check this out!"

Another bird, wearing a similar hat stepped over beside his companion, kneeling on one knee. His yellow eye, surrounded by red and yellow circles, studied them. His right eye was covered by an eyepatch and red feathers stretched from the back of his hat.

"Looks like a pack of stowaways."

"What are we s'posed to do with 'em?" Another bird asked, clearly female, overweight with pinkish feathered and rubbing her chin with a fork.

Another bird poked his head. The top of his beak was replaced with a metallic version, no doubt due to an accident, and his eyes were unfocused, with one eye having the iris rolling around whenever he moved. Rather than speak, he squawked like an actual parrot. Despite his appearance, he looked just as eager to do harm to the kids as the other birds did.

"I think we tie 'em up!" The muscular one said.

"We clip their wings!" The pink, plump female said, staring at Akari and Iris.

"Nah. We scar 'em…" Said the red-feathered bird, "…emotionally!" his eyes landed on Hozu, who looked genuinely frightened. For a guy who liked to act aloof an carefree, he certainly wasn't someone who was eager to be a part of any of this. He wanted out from the beginning, but now he was stuck until further notice. Mai was right, he should have left when he had the chance.

"Wai-wai-wai-wait. What say the book, Captain Celaeno?"

Another bird creature walked onto the front. A female, but unlike the other one, she was tall and slender, almost like a human woman. Her plumage was of a light creamy color and had beautiful light yellow green plumage on her head and tail. Like the others, she had bird-like feet, but one was missing, replaced by a wooden peg-leg. She wore the same uniform as the others and a black bandana over her head, which partly hid her lovely feathers. She had a single beauty mark underneath her left eye, and her eyes were a vibrant, rose colored pink.

But, as lovely as she looked, she had a look on her face that was far from friendly. She pulled out a rule book with the Storm King's symbol on the cover. She opened it on one page and read aloud. Her voice was low and ominous.

"Storm King's rule book says… Throw them overboard."

The green, red-feathered bird with an eye patch yanked on a rope and a wooden plank rolled out to the side of the ship. The bird creatures all gathered around, ready to grab the kids by force. Rather than be terrified, they prepared themselves to fight back. There was no way that they were going to get thrown off this ship. No way, no how!

The sound of a loud union whistle blew and the female bird, Captain Celaeno, shouted at the top of her lungs.

"All right! That's dinner!"

(~)

"What?!"

Iris and Akari stared at one another, puzzled by the sudden change in dynamic between the kids and the birds. Akari looked over at Gallant from the other side of the table, who shrugged his shoulders in confusion. They were being… nice now?

The kids were dragged out the cargo hold, but rather than get thrown overboard, the bird creatures… politely led them to the dinning room where they sat down. Without saying a word, the birds handed each of the kids a silver tin plate and the pink feathered bird dropped a slop of green colored gruel with bird seeds and… what looked like little strands of hair, onto their plates.

The birds munched on their food, while the kids only stared at the disturbing gruel before them. Chrysalis saw some hint of bugs inside the slop and, seeing as small bugs were part of the changeling diet, she was the only one who dared to take a bit. She immediately regretted it and inconspicuously spit it back into the plate. Her tongue stuck out and she tried to wipe it clean with an old napkin.

Chi looked back and forth between herself, the food, her friends and the birds. "Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone! You were just about to toss us overboard and you stopped for a dinner break?"

Akari quickly shot Chi an angry glare, a way to tell her to keep her mouth shut. They just narrowly escaped being forced off the ship, she did not need the wisp making things worse.

"Storm King only allows two breaks a day for meals, then it's back to hauling goods." said the muscular green colored bird with only one hand.

"So you're delivery guys?" Gallant asked.

"And gals." Celaeno added, tugging at her hideous shirt. "These uniforms aren't exactly doing us any favors."

"Then can you deliver us to Mount Aris?" Akari asked with a friendly smile as she levitated the map.

Celaeno sighed, tapping the cover of the rule book with her claws. "Sorry. We do what the Storm King orders or we suffer his wrath." She said. She didn't sound angry or even excited about the whole thing, she just sounded… exhausted.

Akari's ears dropped in irritation. "Right. Still going overboard."

"Eh, it's nothing personal." said the female pink bird, "Want some pudding?"

"There's pudding?" Nori asked excitedly. Her ears dropped in disappointment when she found out that the 'pudding' was just a more jiggly version of the same slop they were already eating. "Uh, on second thought, I don't need the extra calories."

"How long have you been working for the Storm King?" Iris asked. These birds didn't look so dangerous, not anymore. They looked depressed and drained emotionally. Who knows what that monster did to force these creatures into this kind of job. A job they plainly didn't enjoy in the slightest.

"Five years." said the red feathered bird, chewing on his food with disinterest. "Though, we ain't never seen folks like you before."

"We're from pretty far away." Hiro said. "I don't think we properly met. My name's Hiro. That's my sister Mai, my cousin Iris, that's Gallant Steed, Chi, Akari, Nori, Chrysalis and this is Hozu."

"Celaeno." The captain said, gesturing to herself. "That's Boyle, Mullet, Lix Spittle, and Squabble." She gestured to the one clawed muscular bird, the red-feathered one, the female pink one and the one with the unfocused eyes.

"Not like it matters." Calaeno said sadly. She munched on her food, her eyes dull and gray.

"If you weren't always delivery birds, then what were you before the Storm King?" Chi asked, more interested in knowing what happened to these guys.

The birds froze in place. Boyle's mouth hung open, just about to stick the spoonful of slop into his beak. Celaeno let her spoon sink into her food.

"That's none of your business."

Iris looked up to the poster of the storm king right behind Celaeno, over a torn up black sheet. Sticking out from the side of the poster, Iris saw something else. It was white and when she moved just a bit further back, she could see the rest of it hidden underneath the poster. The star on her forehead glowed and she willed the poster to be listed upwards, revealing the rest of the torn black piece of cloth, which was revealed to be an old and worn out flag.

"Hey! I met that guy in the desert!" Hiro pointed at the image, causing Celaeno to gasp and look behind her. The poster was glowing purple and lifted upwards, revealing the bird-skull with crossbones imprinted on the flag.

Chi's eyes widened, "Whoa! You used to be… Pirates?! No way!"

"Um, we prefer the term "swashbuckling treasure hunters"." Mullet said.

"So, pirates." said Chi. Squabble squawked in reply.

Celaeno rose from her chair and forced the poster back down. Iris stopped her magic the moment she saw the bird-woman's furry field eyes land on her.

"That was a long time ago! Like I said, it's none of your business!"

"But, why would you leave behind a life of adventure for… this?" Chi gestured to the entire room, which was filled with all kinds of junk, all with the Storm King's symbol on them. There were even scratch marks on the walls, a few crossed out, evidence that they have been counting the days from day one.

"You wouldn't understand." Celaeno said, clenching her claws in irritation.

"Try me." Chi folded her arms, leaning back against her chair, waiting for Celaeno to speak. When she wouldn't, Mullet spoke for her. The two seemed to be pretty close.

"We used to be the most fearsome sky pirates there ever were." He began. "But one day, we had out loot stolen by the Storm King's guards. He went back to get it, but the Storm King proved to be stronger than any of us. He threatened our Captain's life. We offered to work for him in order to spare her."

"Of course, Celaeno couldn't bare to leave us." Said Lix Spittle sympathetically. "She made a deal with the Storm King. If she worked for him, then we would all be spared."

"He swore that he would make our lives miserable if we ever defied him again." Boyle said, his feathers dropping sadly.

The kids were silent. Chi's eyes softened, her heart breaking bit by bit upon hearing their story. They didn't take this job out of cowardice, but out of true bravery… to spare the life of their captain, who stayed with them so that she wouldn't lose them. They weren't just a pirate crew, they were family.

"I'm so sorry." Chi said. "That was very noble of you all."

Celaeno sniffed, wiping away the tear that never came to be. "Like I said, that was a long time ago."

"But, you don't have to keep living like this." Chi said, standing up from her chair, grabbing everyone's attention. "This may be hard for you to believe but, we're on our way to find the Queen of the Hippogriffs, she may have a way to defeat him."

"The Hippogriffs are a myth. You're wasting your time."

"And you're wasting your life away working for that tyrant!"

"We have no choice!"

"There is always a choice!" Chi snapped back, slamming her fist onto the table. "You're not alone in this fight anymore. We can help you."

"What makes you think you have the power to help us?"

"It's what we do. We help new friends out, but you have to take the first step. You can let some cloven-hoofed Storm King tell you how to live your lives, or…" Chi swooshed towards the Storm King's poster and ripped it off, revealing the pirate flag again. "…you could be awesome again!"

Hozu spoke up, "Uh, Chi, is now really a good time for a—"

Chi:

I know the world can get you down

"—song?" Hozu face palmed himself. This was going to be a loooong trip.

Chi:

Things don't work out quite the way that you thought

Feeling like all your best days are done

Your fears and doubts are all you've got

Chi stood on the table, singing to the pirates, empathizing with them. She knew better than anyone how it felt like to have your spirits squashed. She had spent years living with Nova, seeing his struggle, but she also knew for a fact that there was always hope. Always a light at the end of the tunnel. You just needed to be brave enough to find it.

But there's a light shining deep inside

Beneath those fears and doubts, so just squash 'em

And let it shine for all the world to see

That it is time

Yeah, time to be awesome

Chi speed around, removing a large blanket that covered up all of the pirates's old treasures, and even a portrait of Celaeno in all her former glory. Her eyes were bright and fearless, even as a painting.

The rest of the crew hadn't seen their beloved treasures in so long. They seemed to brighten up the room--and their hearts--in a way that felt like a distant memory.

Could it be possible that they could rekindle that adventurous spirit they once had? They thought the Storm King had stolen it, but as the guardians clapped their hands and stomped the table in a rhythmic fashion, the birds couldn't resist joining in.

Even Akari, who was unsure at first--still thinking about how they were going to get to Mount Aris--couldn't resist the joviality of the song, and its message about being adventurous and bold. It took her back to her childhood of exploring the Everfree Forest with her friends, galloping wild and free. She joined in the fun, but Hozu silently made his way out, uninterested in the merriment.

Guardians:

Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!

It's time to be so awesome!

Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!

It's time to be so awesome!

Celaeno tried to resist the toe-tapping rhythm by closing her eyes shut. When that didn't work, she angrily swatted her plate away, looking at the picture of her former self. It had been so long, how could she possibly be that Captain again? Could she really defy the Storm King? What would he do to her crew if she did?

Celaeno:

You've no idea how hard it's been

Guardians:

It's time to be awesome!

Celaeno:

This dull routine we've been forced to do

Chi:

Don't let them rob you of who you are

Be awesome, it's all up to you

Chi appeared before her, handing her her old captain's hat, still bright and new as the day she hung it up for what she thought was for good. It felt so good to have the fabric against her claws again. Chi and the other Guardians sang alongside the birds. She had never seen them so happy before. They were regaining their spirits back, and all thanks to these kind children who wanted to help them, even after they had tried to throw them overboard.

It had been so long since Celaeno had seen genuine kindness and loyalty be displayed like this. Maybe she could start over. Maybe, they could all start over. Maybe it was time to stop being afraid and take back what the Storm King took from them.

Celaeno:

I feel the light

Stirring deep inside

It's like a tale still yet to be told

Chi and Celaeno:

And now it's time to break the shackles free

And start living like the brave and the bold!

Celaeno put on her captain's hat and a electrifying sensation ran across her body. Five years of oppression and fear melted away as she and the rest of her crew tossed aside their hideous uniforms and put on their old pirate gear. Boyle laughed as he stuck his hook back onto his handless band.

Even the Guardians put on a few pirate accessories. Iris and Akari wore matching pirate captain hats with crossbones, while Hiro had an eyepatch and bandana around his head. Nori found a lovely pirate's hat with an elegant feather, adorning the edges with her pearls. Mai found an old sword and Gallant put on a headband and pirate jacket, which Akari found rather dashing on him. Chrysalis even found an eyepatch of her own, splashing a bit of paint to give it that extra color.

Before long, the once miserable delivery birds had transformed entirely into the swashbuckling pirates they once were. Celaeno swung her sword and she and her crew bursted through the doors, ready to take back their ship.

All:

It's time to be

Awesome!

Let loose, be true

So awesome!

It's time to be

Awesome!

Go big, be you

So awesome!

Mullet took Chi by the hand, swinging alongside her on a rope, feeling the wind in his feathers. Lix Spittle helped the princesses chart their course for Mount Aris, with Hiro placing a pirate's hat on Hozu's head, who leaned against a stacked pile of cargo, looking uncharacteristically stoic throughout the whole thing. Boyle tossed Celaeno an old trunk of treasures and she pulled out a single diamond and a pearl necklace, which she happily gave to Nori as a gift.

Mullet:

We used to soar through the clouds in the skies

Lix Spittle:

Elaborate schemes we would love to devise

Boyle:

We rescued our treasure and stored it away

Celaeno:

Saving those gemstones for a rainy day

All:

We see that light filling up our skies

Chi:

So take the Storm King's orders and toss 'em!

Chi made her point by taking the old rule book and throwing it overboard instead of her and her friends.

All:

'Cause it's the time to let our colors fly

Celaeno:

Hey, scallywags, it's time to be

Awesome!

Hiro started drumming on a few crates as if they were drums, while the rest of the crew sang. Even Squabble even joined in by drumming… with his head. Though, it didn't seem to hurt him.

All:

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

"Come on! Let's show these Guardians how it's done!" Celaeno took the wheel, feeling the wind in her feathers once more. The crew pulled on several ropes and the sides of the ship opened. Steam puffed out and the rest of the front port opened up like the petals of a flower blossoming in spring. The rays of the full moon broke through the clouds, radiating like diamonds which were caught on the sails that emerged from the sides of the ship, puffing up into place, traces of dust flew out.

The sails were styled one on top of the other to resemble bird wings, all with the radiant colors of the rainbow! The wind picked up, making them flap beautifully. Even in the nighttime light, the wings carried the sun-like glow of revival that reflected the lost spirits of the bird pirates themselves.

The children stared in wonder, even Hozu was astonished at the sight. All it took was a song and dance to make this happen? The pirates were miserable before, and now their ship looked like a rainbow bird that had just broken out of its cage and was soaring free through the skies at long last.

The birds never thought they'd ever see their ship like this again. They weren't Storm King delivery birds anymore. They were pirates. They were free. They were…

"Awesome!"

Chi hugged Celaeno, much to her surprise, but the pirate bird welcomed the gesture. "I knew you had it in you! And now for the finishing touch! Iris?"

The Avatar Princess nodded and flapped her wings, creating a gust of wind in the process. She flew around the sails, moving her hands in swift movements, creating streams of fire that sparkled like dewdrops and changed colors to reflect those of the sails. Rather than the flames burning through, they became attached to the sails, creating a liquid-like surface effect on the wings, reflecting the stars in the sky, making them sparkle.

It was no Sonic Rainboom, but it was still a breath taking effect. Rainbow Dash would have been so proud.

The pirates cheered, tossing their hats into the air as Iris landed. She was immediately swarmed by pirate birds who hoisted her and the others up, throwing them in the air in celebration. Hozu stood by, the wind catching his bangs as he watched the Guardians be welcomed into their pirate family. A small smile dared to form across his lips.

Celaeno turned the wheel in the other direction. "Next stop, Mount Aris!"

(~)

Comments

[Kozy248]

"Maybe we should have!"

Mai, that was uncalled for!