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Prologue1,966 words
Punishment2,784 words

Punishment

“Haul ‘em up!” One uniformed stallion called, the crew pulling on ropes to hoist the longboat into the air to be re-secured with the others. But before that, two soaked ponies gently lay a third on the deck, backing off for the medical officer to examine the exhausted pegasus. When the watchpony had spotted the mare falling into the sea, the captain had been quick to order a rescue.

Her appearance struck them as odd, really. The decorations in her mane weren’t exactly the current style in Equestria, and the hat that seemed magically stuck to her head? The battered old tricorne was only popular among foals and fillies as part of costumes. What in the name of Celestia was she doing out in the middle of the ocean looking like a pirate from a children’s story?

“Get her below deck and treat her.” The captain stated after a moment. Pirates didn’t exist. She must have gone sailing and dressed up for the fun of it, he found himself thinking. Some storm must have caused an accident, which is why she was flying. A reasonable explanation - now all he needed was to know whether or not it was true. “Let me know when she wakes up, Azure.”

“Yes sir!” The blue unicorn levitated his bag of medical supplies as an earth pony helped move her. He was with her for some time, but found other than starvation and dehydration, as well as overexertion of her wings, she was fine. Easy enough to fix with rest and nourishment. What he didn’t expect was her reaction when she finally came around.

Goldwing blinked groggily, head pounding and throat dry. It was dim and cool, the area rocking with the gentle movement of the ship. The setting was familiar and comforting, really. How had she gotten there?

“Ah, there we are. How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty...” Her voice cracked as she turned to see who had addressed her, hoping beyond hope it was somepony she recognized. Azure Wind was levitating a glass of water, but was soon as she recognized his uniform - and the emblem on the chest - his patient bucked away suddenly, jerking out of the bunk and tumbling to the floor. Goldwing backed away slowly, eyes darting around for the exit. Once she spotted the stairwell leading to the deck, the pegasus ran. Pure adrenaline was the only thing keeping her on her hooves.

“Wait..!” Not expecting her sudden burst of energy, the unicorn chased after her. On deck, she found herself surrounded by ponies wearing the same uniform, and they were all staring at her. The pegasus spread her wings slightly, her posture defensive as she sought an escape route, backing towards the railing. There was no way her wings would support another flight so soon. “Miss, wait!”

His call caused her to jump as he approached, and she lowered her head, glaring straight at him as though about to charge.

“Get away from me ye bilge-suckin’ ass!” Her accent and insult startled him into stepping back, and the unicorn gaped. “Where’s yer cap’n?!”

“Here.” The stallion in charge of the ship drew her attention, and he could see her grind her teeth together. “There’s no need for such harsh words, miss. Especially when we fished you out of the ocean with good intentions.” He spoke as he made his way through the parted crew.

“‘Good intentions’? Th’ Royal Navy? Bah!” She stomped one hoof in anger, confusing them further. “Bet ye jest want th’ satisfaction t’ see me hang!” His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of her accusation.

“Miss, the death penalty is illegal. Please, calm down.” Her odd actions were making the crew uneasy, and as the captain, he had to take control of the situation. His eyes flicked away from her for a brief second, nodding to somepony behind her.

“Neigh! I’d rather drown than-” Before she could finish, a blow from behind dropped the pegasus. The unicorn medic stood there, a heavy book being levitated over her unconscious form.

“Perhaps the brig for her this time, until we reach port. For her own safety.” The captain mumbled, his crew not arguing the suggestion. Normally the brig was only used for sailors that smuggled alcohol on board and had a touch too much to drink, but in the current situation, it was necessary. Especially considering he had no doubt she had been about to jump overboard.

When Goldwing came around again, she scowled when she realized where she was. Her head was pounding, her stomach ached, and she was a captive of Celestia’s Royal Navy. Taking in her surroundings, she saw that the unicorn was sitting there. Upon seeing him, the pegasus backed up until she was pressed against the ship’s hull, eyeing him warily. He tried to offer a friendly smile, but it faded at her harsh glare.

“W-would you like some food?” He offered, levitating a bowl of greens next to him. Her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear, but she refused to budge. “Water?” No response. “Well... do you have a name? I’m Azure Wind, by the way.”

“Goldwing. Cap’n Goldwing.” She grumbled, and she fully expected some sort of negative reaction from him. But he simply seemed pleased with himself to have gotten an answer.

“Nice to meet you!” His cheerfulness caused her ears to drop back in annoyance as she watched him. Anypony that sailed had heard of Goldwing and the Jade Star. Hadn’t they? Perhaps he was just new. “You really should have something to drink, you-”

“Death is preferable t’ bein’ yer captive.” Goldwing snapped, causing him to frown.

“Captive? Oh, this, yeah... well, the bars really are your fault, threatening to drown yourself and everything...”

“‘Tis better t’ die at sea than t’ die at th’ noose.”

“Noose..?” Oh, right, the hanging thing. “No pony has been has ever been hanged, that only happens in stories. Princess Celestia frowns upon such violent punishments.” He was surprised to see her expression darken at the mention of the princess, and no matter what he tried, he couldn’t get her to speak again. Azure left the food and drink for her, before going to report to the captain what he had observed, hoping she would be more willing to eat without the company.

And she was. Without Azure there to remind her of the situation, the meal taunted her before she couldn’t take it anymore. The bowl and glass were soon empty, and Goldwing tried to rest and formulate a plan to get out of there. “M’ Lord Aquarian, help me...” But her whispered prayer went unanswered, an unexplained fear gripping at her heart.

The days passed uneventfully, as they often did on a ship, and Azure found himself pleased that she at least wouldn’t let herself starve. Goldwing had made plans to escape once they were in port, but her jaw dropped at the unfamiliar location that greeted her.

“I thought ye said this was Broncston..!” Azure raised an eyebrow at her exclamation.

“It is - the biggest port in all of Equestria.” He stated, leading her along. Other sailors followed, more to make sure she didn’t bolt before they reached the naval station, but she was too distracted trying to make sense of the chaos.

“But, it be not Broncston...! Where’s th’ pubs an’ th’ brothels?” It was much more... artsy than she recalled, and she had been there no longer than three months before. Her question received a few stares, and she was answered by Azure, who seemed embarrassed.

“Well, I suppose downtown...” He stumbled over the answer, not sure himself. But the mare was unsatisfied, turning this way and that to take in the sights. Familiar landmarks weren’t there, they must have tricked her and taken her to another port, one she would have avoided if there was the presence of the Royal Navy.

“Ye be lyin’ t’ me..! ” Goldwing accused, snorting at them. “Nothin’ but tricky bastards, th’ lot of ye!” One of them nudged her to get her to keep walking, and she bucked at him to get him to back off. She would humor them... for now.

They were almost there... but as soon as Goldwing saw the banner of the royal sisters, she dug her hooves in and refused to budge. An earth pony attempted to push her, and after a moment, she seemed to give in, only to leap away with a flick of her wings. But another pegasus tacked her to the ground quickly, a brawl erupting between the two ponies. The fight had gained the attention of a few passersby, who paused to watch the struggle for some sort of amusement.

Other sailors jumped in, and soon Goldwing was pinned. “Maybe we should tie her up?” One of them suggested, getting chuckles from his crewmates, but the pegasus squirmed loose enough to kick him for the comment.

“‘m not goin’ in thar, ye’ll just lock me up again..!”

It took a spell from Azure and the muscle of two other ponies, but they finally got Goldwing into the station, forcing her past the reception desk and through hallways towards an office in particular. There, the captain was waiting for them. He scowled at their disheveled uniforms, and he received a glare from the pirate.

“She shall be here shortly, try to make yourselves presentable.” He ordered, another unicorn helping lift the dirt from their jackets with a spell. Azure and the other ponies set Goldwing down gently, standing between her and the door to avoid another escape attempt. She considered the massive window in front of her, seemingly foolishly left open, but a flash quickly dismissed that idea when she saw who was coming through it.

Guards in golden armor entered first, regarding her warily. And beyond them... Princess Celestia. Every other pony in the room knelt before their princess, but Goldwing remained stubbornly upright, glaring at the white alicorn. The guards scowled, as though daring the pegasus to make a move, while the sailors watched uneasily. Celestia was confused and hurt by the apparently unwarranted hatred, watching the smaller pony to try to understand.

“What is your name, my little pony..?” The princess’s question was gentle, but rewarded with a stomp of a hoof.

“Cap’n Goldwing of th’ Jade Star.” At that, a flicker of confusion crossed the alicorn’s face before being replaced with a calm smile. The pegasus was obviously not who she claimed, perhaps a victim of an unusual spell that muddled the memory.

“Alright, Captain, where is your ship..?” Celestia asked to humor her, horn glowing gently with magic, aiming to detect any spells around the pony.

“I... I don’t bloody know! An’ even if I did, d’ye think I’d be tellin’ ye?” The magic in the room faded as Goldwing spoke, not finding any spells in the first place, save for an enchantment on her hat to keep it in place. There did seem to be residual magic around the pirate, a spell recently broken and still falling away. Concern tugged at the princess’s mind - the captain that had found the pegasus had sent her a letter, asking her assistance with the unusual pony. He wrote that she had spoke of hangings, and of her threat to drown herself rather be a prisoner.

“Peace, Goldwing. There’s no need for hosti-”

“No need?! With what ye do t’ me kin?!” Neither the accent nor the persona were the result of a spell, and those coupled with her harsh words hinted at an era Equestria had long ago forgotten. If Goldwing did have such knowledge... No. Before the situation could spiral out of hoof, Princess Celestia spread her wings, magic being summoned once more.

“We shall speak more of this in Canterlot.” And with that, the alicorn and pegasus vanished in the spell, teleporting them to the castle. The guards jumped, surprised at being left behind, quickly taking off, while the sailors stared at one another, unsure of what was going on. Goldwing scowled, her own wings spreading in a threat of escaping, unhappy with the sudden shift, while the princess tried to calm her. “Now, explain, please.”

“What be thar t’ explain?! We both know full bloody well what ye be doin’ t’ M’ Lord’s followers!”

“No, I need you to explain yourself. Are you truly Goldwing, of the Jade Star?” At Celestia’s sad expression, Goldwing frowned out of confusion and her ears went back.

“Aye, that be me!”

“How?” The encounter wasn’t going anything like the pirate had imagined - her enemy was too... peaceful. While the princess really did seem to be trying to help and understand Goldwing's situation, the questions she asked were somewhat unnerving.

“What ye mean, ‘how’? I just am, always have been.” Another stomp of a hoof, the silly questions were bothering the pegasus. “Where ye goin’ with this?” Celestia paused, closing her eyes as she thought carefully.

“The year is 1003 A.N, Goldwing. The Jade Star disappeared in 594-”

“Impossible!” Goldwing’s reaction was understandable - four hundred and nine years had passed without her knowing. “Ye be lying t’ me, Celesia!” But the princess’s regret-filled expression remained, the pegasus’s thoughts were chaotic. She wanted nothing more than to ignore the words from her foe, but somewhere deep down, it felt as though it was the truth. Though she hadn’t consciously been aware of the passage of time, part of her had.

“I’m sorry-”

“Why?!” Through her denial, Goldwing couldn’t make sense of the situation. “Why’re ye sorry?! Because ye’re th’ cause of this?!” She began to pace, needing to be doing something rather than simply standing there, watching the princess. “M’ Lord Aquarian summoned me... did ye ever wage war with ‘em, hm?”

“No... The Lords vanished before a fight broke out between our followers.”

“Well, where be they now?! I must speak with M’ Lord!”

“They never returned, my little pony. That era of time has been lost - there are only stories of pirates, and the Lords Aquarian and Terran themselves have been forgotten by time, to avoid unrest in Equestria.” Perhaps it wasn’t the complete truth, but a truth nonetheless.

“An’ ye jest let them be forgotten?!” Frustration overtook Goldwing, and she suddenly stood up taller, firm as she glared at the princess once more. “I don’ recall ye lettin’ ponies forget yer sister! ‘Nightmare Night’ an’ all that!”

“These were different circumstances - to avoid war.”

“A war ye were goin’ t’ start! Ye forced their hooves!”

“Goldwing, there’s nothing that can be done-”

“Neigh!” Goldwing felt dizzy trying to process all the information she had been given, though there was the ghost of a whisper in her mind cutting through her thoughts. Her obvious goal helped her focus. “I will find M’ Lord, and his brother!”

Celestia regarded the pirate before her. Four hundred years ago, the mare would have been punished for even suggesting Aquarian and Terran had existed. But Equestria had changed, and Luna had been restored. Perhaps it was time for the other alicorns to return as well.

“I will not stop you from attempting to find them. On one condition.” That got Goldwing’s attention, and her ears dropped back again warily.

“What be yer condition..?”

“You committed crimes as a pirate, even if it was four hundred years ago. As punishment, you will live in a town of my choosing for one year, or until I deem your punishment complete, before going on your quest.” The pegasus raised an eyebrow, watching the alicorn for any sign of a trick.

“And if I be refusin’ t’ cooperate with that..?”

“Equestria may be peaceful in this age, but this castle still has its dungeons.” The threat was obvious, and she felt backed into a corner. What choice did Goldwing have if she wanted a chance? Though she hated Celestia, the pirate knew a good opportunity when it presented itself.

“Fine. We be havin’ us a deal...”

“Splendid.” Celestia’s tone was calm, but something gave Goldwing the feeling that the alicorn was rather unhappy with the situation. “There is a student of mine in Ponyville, she will report to me your actions while you’re there.”

“Ugh...” A student to watch her? It was going to be a very long year... if she didn’t manage to slip away before then.

How hard could it be?

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