• Published 28th Jan 2018
  • 1,698 Views, 125 Comments

Twilight's Pirate Adventures - David Silver



Twilight catches wind of a global leader that has no contact with Equestria. This will not stand. Fortunately, she's already made friends with one of their citizens and is ready to set sail to adventure!

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2 - Setting Sail

"I'll be out of town for a few weeks," explained Twilight with a soft nod towards the busy Rarity. "I just thought my friends should know so nopony gets worried."

"Thank you for the consideration, darling." Rarity measured along a section of cloth. "Still terribly busy, unfortunately. What has you running off then?"

Spike hiked a thumb towards Twilight. "We're going off to see some pirates, and not even the ones we know." His voice dripped with his dislike of the general idea.

Rarity paused in her work and looked over at Twilight. "You don't have a proper outfit for this at all." She shook her head quickly as she hopped to the floor. "This won't do."

"I'll be fine," assured Twilight as she backed away from the manic gleam in her friend's eyes. "Remember the Yaks? We should approach as who we are, not try to pretend to be them."

Spike placed himself just in her path and put out a hand, catching her by her rump. "Not so fast, Twilight. Rarity has a point." A little smirk on his face betrayed his satisfaction at the situation.

Rarity swung a leg over Twilight's neck, catching her. "Thank you, Spike. Now, where was I, yes, a proper buccaneer's outfit for you. You'll be fitting in better in no time at all. I'll squeeze you into my tight schedule, mmm, a hat. You'll need a proper chapeau to go with it..."

Twilight sighed softly as she went along with Rarity's movements, giving up in her escape.


Spike turned one way and the other as he looked himself over. "Huh, not bad..." He was dressed as a pirate, with a tri-tipped hat atop his head. He ran his claws along the golden edge that went across the front. "A little fancier than I'd expect, but not bad."

Twilight rolled her eyes as she followed him, wearing a pony version of the same outfit, though her cutie mark was emblazoned over where it would normally be. "At least we're a matching pair." She kicked a hoof lightly, shaking the snug black boot that was on the end of it, and all her other hooves. "How are the boots?"

Spike peeked down at his own pair. "Not used to wearing them, but, eh, had worse. Besides, Rarity made them." He smiled. "They look lovely."

"You would think that." Twilight shook her head and trotted away purposefully. "Let's meet Celeano."

"Besides, it came with a sword!" Spike drew a slender blade free of the sheath at his side.

Twilight reached a booted hoof over and casually bent the sword. "It's made of plastic, Spike. Don't even think of using it."

The sword sprang back into shape the moment Spike wrenched it away in a dramatic swing. "Don't worry, I'll be responsible." Despite his words, he made several faux swings and slashes at some imagined foe.

Twilight quirked a smile as she hastened her steps, prompting Spike without words to sheath his sword and dash after her. They approached the outskirt of the town, where a ship hovered. It was Celeano's vessel, bobbing back and forth gently.

One of her crew spotted her and gave an enthusiastic cry, echoed moments after by the rest of the ship. A ladder was thrown over the side, made of rope and swaying in the breeze and with the motions of the ship it was attached to.

Spike peered at it, then shook his head. "I assume we're not going up that way?"

Twilight spread her wings wide. "I'm not, but someone made sure I was wearing this outfit, and they get to climb." With a powerful beat, she was airborne, but listed to the side an instant later.

Spike had caught one of her legs in a quick jump and was scaling her. "Oh no you don't!" he called as he climbed.

"Spike!" She tried to right herself, but by the time she had, Spike was securely mounted on her back. She looked over her shoulder at him with a frown. "I'll have my payback, later, young dragon."

He stuck out his tongue at her before pointing up at the ship. "Our ride awaits. Besides, this whole trip was your idea."

Though grumbling, Twilight ascended for the ship. Seeing them coming without the help of the ladder, it was drawn back up onto the deck. When she crested the side of the ship, she saw she wasn't the only pony up there.

Hovering just before Squabble, the wall-eyed parrot, was Derpy, the wall-eyed pony. Somehow their eyes were meeting in the way only they could manage. They were turning their heads this way and that way, but their eyes never left one another.

Twilight tilted her head at the odd sight. "Um."

Mullet waved the whole thing away, his good eye focused on Twilight. "Nevermind them, welcome aboard, Princess. It's good to have ye aboard as a proper payin' passenger instead of a stowaway." He gestured with his dark green feathered hand to the deck. "Come in fer a landin' an' join us proper."

Spike waved from atop her. "Heya, Mullet. How've things been? I mean, you got a new ship?" He hopped clear of Twilight the moment she was over the ship and landed precariously on his new boots, wobbling a moment before he righted himself.

Mullet patted the railing of the ship. "The captain put most of her reward money into getting us back in the air again."

"Practically all the money, mate," argued Celeano as she emerged from below. "But let's not fuss over that. We have a new assignment." She put out her hands. "Twilight, welcome!" Her eyes wandered over Twilight and Spike. "Decided to try to look the part?"

Spike drew his sword as quickly as he could, almost tearing free the sheath in his haste to assume a pirate-like pose. "We're ready to set sail!"

Celeano smirked at the sight of the small, armed, dragon. "Well, I feel safer already, having you at our side." The others laughed jovially.

Even as Spike deflated, Mullet put a hand on his head, ruffling his fins. "It's all in good sport, little buccaneer. Do you have any idea how to swash a buckle?"

Twilight put out a hoof but Celeano was in front of her, blocking the way. "I made a room up just for you. It's odd in a way." She put a talon to her lower beak. "We've hauled cargo before, just happens to be alive this time. A cute little pony princess hoping to play with the pirates." She turned away and began leading the way. "You've been in the hold before." It wasn't a question.

Twilight had. As she descended the steps after Celeano, she saw the hold had been split in half with a dividing plank serving as a bulkhead that ran from the roof to the floor. Her steps sounded odd to her. Instead of the usual clop-clop of her hooves, her boots made new sounds of leather striking wood. At least the rhythm was right.

Celeano closed her talons around a simple door-knob that appeared to have been hastily crafted into what barely qualified as a 'door'. It was more of a rectangle of wood clearly cut right out of the surrounding wall, with a crude hinge installed, and that door-knob. She pushed inwards and it slid open without too much effort, though it wasn't as smooth as one might desire. "Your room."

Twilight stepped past her into the room, looking around as the sparse appointments. There were two hammoks strung out with cloth. There was were a few bowls, made of metal. More of caraffes, really. Twilight approached one curiously. "Something to keep water in?"

Celeano snorted back some laughter. "That's for when you can't keep water in."

Twilight colored swiftly and turned away from the chamber pot in a hurry. "It's... lovely."

"You're lying." Celeano patted Twilight on her pointed head. "It's the best we could manage with what we had. You're our guest, make no mistake there. We'll get you there, safe."

"And back," added Twilight, looking over her shoulder.

"And back." Celeano crossed her arms. "Speaking of that... I'm glad to see you didn't come looking like a blasted princess. It suits you, really. You approach them with all the airs of royalty, they'll take everything you have, and maybe a little more if they can get away with it." She wagged a lone talon. "They're scallywags and brigands, the best of 'em."

Twilight hiked a brow at that as she finished her circle and began to return to the door. "Are you either of those things?"

Celeano flashed a devilish grin. "At times... You should hear the tales, ar... But that's in the past. Right now, I'm your ferryparrot, and I plan to get that right."


Abovedeck, Mullet gestured to a selection of blades arrayed in a row. "The ones on the left should fit the sheath you already have."

Spike approached them with wide eyes. "Are they real?" His talons soon told him the truth as he wrapped his claws around the smooth and cool metal that could not be mistaken for plastic. "Wow..." He hefted up a shortsword that looked about the right size for himself and began to giggle.

"'Tis no laughin' matter, m'hearty!" Mullet had his own sword out in a smooth motion, turning it towards Spike. "If you have a blade out, it means you're willing to use it. Are ye?"

Spike fell backwards in surprise, the sword sinking into the deck where it landed. "Woah! Hey! I didn't mean anything..."

Mullet thrust out an empty hand towards Spike. "Don't be so ready to fold. If you plan to be a swashbuckler, it just means ye mean it when ye pull that weapon free. So unless we're sparrin', I don't want to see it wagging about like yer just discovering you're a boy."

Spike burst into laughter at the joke, accepting the hand and righting himself. "R-right! So... I should put this away?" He reached for his embedded sword.

"For now, probably best, little mate." Mullet slid his own sword away. "We'll get a chance to practice after we set sail proper. Most days, isn't a lot to do, so you'll have something productive to do."

Spike tugged at the sword, but it was in deep. He grunted with the effort and gave a stronger heave. He could feel it inch just slightly. "Got it..." He bent his knees and put his all into it, and the sword wrenched free, sending him staggering back before he bumped into the guard rail. "There we go." He turned it around to face the right way instead of straight down and slipped it into his sheath. Tucked away, it looked almost the same as the original plastic sword.

"Ye won't be needing this bit of waste." Mullet casually tossed the plastic sword off the side. "Ye got the real thing, and by the time we're done, that'll mean something."

Spike's eyes followed the trajectory of his so-recently obtained blade. Still... "'Least I have the real thing..."

Derpy nodded softly at the parrot who had only squawked at her. "Got it." She flapped back towards town.

Squabble nodded fiercely back in the direction Derpy had gone, as if the two had come to some clear accord. With a final squawk, he returned to his duties.

Twilight appeared from belowdeck, Celeano just behind her. "Spike?"

"Right here!" Spike waved eagerly as he broke into a jog towards her.

Celeano turned and pointed out across the horizon. "It's time to set sail, me fine crew. Let's show the princess here she's in good talons." The crew gave a communal cheer of agreement as they hurried around to get the ship mobile.

Soon it rumbled beneath them and began to sail through the air, cutting a clean path across the city and towards their target.

Celeano tapped a crystal foot against the wooden deck. "Ah, always good to start a journey proper. Princess, do you drink?"

Twilight looked baffled at that. "I drink plenty of things, but water most commonly."

Author's Note:

Yar har! Let's get going to the Island of Pirates!

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