Twilight's Pirate Adventures

by David Silver

5 - Land Ho

Twilight nudged her rook forward. "Check." She cocked a brow at Spike, daring him to react.

He licked over his lips as he eyed the board. "Mmm, what if I..." He reached for a piece, putting his fingers on it but not moving it just yet.

"Land ho!" came an excitable cry.

Celaeno unfolded her spyglass in an instant, looking down and forward from the front of the ship. "There she be! Prepare for descent!" The entire crew gave a cheer, rushing to bring the ship into the dock below.

Spike hopped from his seat. "Well, guess we'll just have to stop this game here. Uh, thanks for the match."

Twilight rolled her eyes as she stepped to the deck of the ship. "Trying to call that a draw, are we?" She moved past him despite that, trotting towards the front of the ship with him following behind. "Now, you mentioned, Captain, that the old ruler had stepped down?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that." She wobbled a feathered hand in the air. "He's announced it, but it hasn't gone into effect yet, since he hasn't picked who'll be the next."

Twilight turned to the captain, pointing a hoof. "The way you described it before, it was chaos. The pirates were struggling to even think of how to select a new leader. Now, you have a leader, but they're just slow about picking a replacement?"

Celaeno crossed her arms. "Just because he's there doesn't make him any more in charge. I said he retired, and he did, but he's still there. The others want his blessing to be the next lord of the island, and not a single swashie has succeeded in impressing him."

Twilight sank to her haunches with a thoughtful frown.

Spike gave a little 'huh'. "So, he's still kind of in charge, at least of finding a new person to be in charge, and everyone's waiting for that to happen?"

"That's about the size of it, aye." Celaeno turned away and stepped back towards the steering wheel. "Be ready for a few bumps. We'll be landing on water in not too long."

Twilight turned back to Spike. "Well, then we have a clear person to approach."

"Woah."

"What?" Twilight followed his eyes, completing her circle to look down and see they were approaching a sizable island with countless ships all along its many beaches. Some ships hovered, but most were resting clearly in the water. Those that hovered seem to have large bits of hanging tapestries with words and pictures on them, perhaps advertising.

"Wow," she echoed, rearing up and putting her forehooves on the rail for a better view of things. "It really is a little nation." She could see many little trails of smoke coming from chimneys and the cut of roads marking the land as civilized. The roads were not even squares, or even clear circles. A bit of a jumbled mess, Twilight imagined they were the result of what happened when a community didn't bother to do a lot of planning about the layout of where buildings were placed.

The details were becoming more clear as they descended. Spike thrust a finger forward at a collection of people in bathing suits seemingly playing a game of volleyball. Most of them were bipedal, though one pony delivered a sudden and vicious spike, to the unheard but easily imagined cheering of their team. On the other team, a biped dragon picked up the ball, probably saying something snippy, and the players arranged for the next serve.

Twilight shook her head. "This doesn't look like too bad of a place. Celaeno was just trying to make it sound worse than it was."

Spike leaned dangerously over the side. "Uh, Twi?"

"Yes?" She turned to see what he was pointing at and saw a cat person rubbing their head, the swinging doors of a tavern still wobbling where they had crashed through it moments before. "What's the--"

Twilight didn't get to finish her question as the ship touched down on the water with a great lurch. Spike yelped as he fell over the side, but only descended a precious foot before Twilight's reflexes let her get a grip on him in her magic. She held him there, upside down, as the ship settled from its transition from the air to the sea.

Once the water became relatively calm beneath them, Twilight leaned forward with a cruel smile. "Now then, I believe you are owed a little something, my dear Spike."

Spike's eyes went wide and he began flailing his arms. "Wait wait wait! Don't let me go, please!"

"Why shouldn't I? A little water won't hurt you, but it may cool y--" She cut off as Spike's sword slipped free of its sheath and made a shallow gouge along the slide of the ship before plunking into the water. "What..." She lifted the panicked dragon up and set him down on the deck of the ship. "Why did your toy sword do that?"

Mullet's hand came down suddenly on Spike's shoulder, gripping firmly. "That's no way to take care of me blade, swabbie. Only cure for it." He picked up the still stunned Spike. "Fetch!"

"Wait!" Twilight thrust a hoof forward, but it was too late. Spike was hurled into the briny deeps with a short yelp before he hit the water. "What did you do that for?!"

"Ye were ready to do it yerself, Princess." He gave a firm nod. "Aside, I trusted him to watch over that blade. It's his responsibility."

"You gave him your sword? Why?!" Her wings were fully extended, concern across her face. "Is he alright?! I wasn't going to really drop him! Just scaring him would have been more than sufficient. Nevermind!" Her last words were punctuated with her leaping up on the rail. "I have to save Spike."

Before she could dive herself, the water sloshed a moment, and a small figure poked free, a sword held high. "Got it!" shouted Spike with pride.

Mullet patted her on the shoulder. "Have some faith in the boy. He's got some grit in 'em." He laughed and turned away as Twilight sank off the rail with a relieved sigh.

Celaeno pointed down at the bobbing dragon. "Get him out of there! This ain't the kind of treatment we promised."

Boyle snagged a lifesaver on his hook and hurled it in the same motion, sending it to land perfectly over Spike's head. As soon as Spike had his arms through it, Boyle began to pull him aboard in strong tugs. "Just hang in there, and we'll have you back where you belong."

Celaeno gestured for Twilight to come closer. "We're just about to land. I don't want you running off, Princess. This should be consi--"

"--It doesn't look so bad at all," argued Twilight. "They were playing volleyball of all things. I've seen more dangerous sports." She rolled her eyes mightily. "We're in more danger of your crew throwing us into the sea."

"Apologies for that," she said, casting a dirty look towards an unapologetic Mullet. "There's much worse than a bit of beach fun to worry about. The first thing that defines the people here is that they don't cotton to the laws passed anywhere but here, and the law fer here are mighty slender at times."

Spike got a hand onto the railing and pulled himself up and over, flopping onto the deck with a wet splat. Water splattered from the impact, his outfit soaking wet. The sword was in his other hand, still clenched as it lay beside him.

"Good job," congratulated Mullet as he crouched beside the waterlogged dragon. "Now, maybe next time ye won't be letting your sword take a swim, eh?"

Twilight dried Spike with a glowing horn and shimmering magic the drained the water free of him. She began to pluck at bits of seaweed and other green bits that clung to him with her magic. "I'm glad you're alright, Spike."

"Yeah..." He sat up, catching his breath. "Uh, so... everything's even?"

Twilight grabbed him in a hug. "Silly Spike, yes, everything is even now."

Captain Celaeno hiked a thumb at the busy dockside they had anchored in. "We're here. If everycreature's done getting themselves washed for the event, we can disembark. We should secure lodging first."

Spike pointed down. "We won't just sleep on the ship?"

"Etiquette," gruffly noted Boyle as he coiled a rope.

Mullet nodded in agreement. "We could, and some of us will, but it's impolite if the entire crew 'cowers' on their boat. It sends bad signals, makes us look afraid and weak."

"Too right," agreed the captain, a smile on her beak. "And we can't have that, now can we?" The crew roared their agreement.

Lix Spittle came forward with a thick and wide board, extending the gangplank down to the dockside. "Disembark when you're good and ready."

A voice shouted from the direction the plank had gone, "is that who I think it is?" When Captain Celaeno peered over the side, the voice continued, "it is! Captain Celly! It's been too long! Come down here!" The source of the calls was a bipedal canine with a grin only his species could pull off so well, his tongue lolling.

"Henry Mastiff," declared the captain as she leaned over the side. "As I live and breathe; It's been too long!" The both gave rough cries of jubilation as she descended the plank towards him, both hands spread out as if to give one another an embrace.

She swung a hand in and caught him across the face with a rough punch, sending him staggering back a few steps. He barely hesitated before stepping in, slamming a balled fist into her belly just a little too fast for her to dodge.

Twilight watched with wide eyes. "Should we... help?"

Boyle shook a hand. "Nah."

Lix Spittle laughed at Twilight's expression. "That's just how those two say hello. If it gets out of hand, we'll step in."

"And not a moment before then," addended Mullet. "Come on, no reason to be impolite about it." He began to descend the plank.

Even as the two laughed and pummeled one another, most of the ship disembarked. With both sides properly bruised, Celaeno waved back at her crew and passenger. "I know ye've met most of these scurvy birds."

"Oh, aye." Henry bobbed his head, spitty leaking from his swollen lips. "Mullet, found a new crew I see? Good taste in captains." He stepped forward and slapped the bird on the shoulder instead of going for a new brawl. "She been treating you right, boy?"

"Nothing to complain about, sir." He looked left and right. "Where's your vessel, speaking of that?"

"It's complicated." Henry waved the question away. "There'll be time for that later. Who's this fresh-looking slice of barnacle?" He had his eyes on Twilight, eying her equine form intently. "Ye be dressed the part, but the way you came down that plank tells me yer still a lubber. Did they gang press you, little miss?"

Twilight lifted an ear at him, poked through her fancy piratical hat. "I've come to--"

Mullet stepped in the way. "She's a friend of a friend. We owed a favor, so she's getting a peek around."

"Ha! I can smell a lubber a mile distant." Henry snuffled his wrinkly mastiff nose. "Ye stay close to the people who know what end's up and maybe you'll get to tell some fine tales to your friends back home, aye?"

Spike pointed up at the doggy pirate. "Say, uh, they didn't pick a new Pirate Lord, have they?"

Henry shook his head violently, jowels flapping about. "As if we should be so lucky! Old greybeard's sitting on his last duty something fierce. Fer being retired, he sure holds all the card. I guess it's true, old habits don't die easy."

A cynical voice interceded, "won't be the only thing dying if this keeps up." A passing sailor kept right on walking, not joining the conversation.

Author's Note:

They have arrived! It's time for pirate adventures!

Henry didn't call out Spike as a lubber. Was he just missed, or was that an unspoken compliment?

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

Henry didnt even know about the dragons yet, either?

Maybe Spikes swim tipped it for him?

[Emtu]

everycreature

AUGH

Hate that SO much, What is wrong with "everyone" or "everybody"?

[zimmerwald1915]

8756420
Those be filthy EqG terms. We don't take kindly to those 'round here.

(I kid.)

[Twilight_Shimmer]

who here besides me think it would be hilarious if Spike or Twilight (most likely spike) got named Pirate Lord?

[tsaukpaetra]

Seems like Twilight was successfully distracted from the fact Spike has a real sword. That will come back up later, but for now it's good to let the idea simmer. Perhaps it was just shock at another sample of pirate humor.
So the retired Lord is still holding back? We wonder if it's caused of good intentions or something else...
Keep going! ;)

[tsaukpaetra]

8757483
Nah, they're not quite that daft...

[Twilight_Shimmer]

8757879
Are you sure?

[tsaukpaetra]

8758183
About 54.9104 percent sure.

[Twilight_Shimmer]

8758752
XD that still leaves some wiggle room.

[tsaukpaetra]

8758921
And that's what makes it exciting.

[howard035]

The Twilight Spike interaction in this chapter was quite cute.
8757483
8757879 I mean, of all the creatures on this island to be chosen as Pirate Lord, who has actual experience being a "Lord" of any kind? I only count one.

[Twilight_Shimmer]

8761742
Even if it was only for a few moments before he passed it to another.

[howard035]

8762110 No disasters or crises on his watch!

[Twilight_Shimmer]

8762117
I could just see Twilights expression I imagine it would at first be something like this O_O followed by

[howard035]

8762129 I mean, between the Dragons, the Changlings and the Crystal Empire, Spike does have a habit of cultivating good relations with foreign powers.
But yeah, I could see Twilight informing Spike that he can't be a Pirate Lord AND her #1 Assistant, and Spike promptly abdicating.

[Twilight_Shimmer]

8762152
which one? the #1 assistant or the Pirate lord

[Dimensional Librarian]

8762129

And then followed with a collective of Pirates that won't take his declining of the position

[howard035]

8762184 There's certainly enough room for them in the Castle. Honestly I'm surprised more ponies haven't copied Trixie and just moved in there on the sly.

[Twilight_Shimmer]

8762194
I am now imagining Ponyville full of Parrot Pirates

[howard035]

8762208 Would anyone ask Fluttershy to get rid of them?

[Dimensional Librarian]

8762212
Well they are fellow sentient creatures/beings not much Fluttershy could do that any well seasoned politician couldn't in that situation.

[Twilight_Shimmer]

8762215
Imagine the CMC beginning to hang out with the Pirates