• Published 12th Mar 2013
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Semper Pie - deathtap



Meet Pinkie's long lost (more like forgotten) brother: Semper Pie.

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Mission 2, Part 11: All Aboard

"What do you mean, 'The ship is yours.'?" Wish asked.

The Watu commander stood there proud and tall, something she had not seen in a Watu for a long time. He seemed different, more like a Guard than a cold blooded murderer. Then again, most of these ex-Guards still had a semblance of it, but this particular pony had been at it for decades, even before Blood had arrived. Most Watu were always bent down and showing difference to one pony or another, but the commander always seemed to stand his ground. He never infringed or implied at any time that he was in charge, and followed orders without question, but there was more to him than met the eye and Wish wondered if that was the reason as to why the other Watu showed him an inkling of respect. Perhaps it was because he had a bit of backbone. That little bit gave him a certain aura or allure. A bit of that honor usually reserved for those who could stand .

"The ship is yours again, Captain. That is what I have been told to inform you."

"And Blood?"

The commander eyes seemed to lighten up despite the unchanging expression on his face. It was clear that there was some deep, deep, deep feeling of mirth that had bubbled up to the surface unexpectedly. Still, the next words she heard stunned her to the core.

"Dead."

She almost rubbed her ear, she couldn't believe what she had just heard. "W-what did you say?"

"He's dead. Killed."

Wish refused to believe such a feat were possible. Poisoned, maybe. Killed, impossible. She needed to see for herself. "His body?"

The commander took a step back and gestured as if it were his home and he was welcoming her into it. She saw a group of Watu standing around a raised dais, one of the anti-air cannons that had been destroyed. This was the highest point on the deck that wasn't part of the main bridge building. She looked back and saw canines in their hundreds up there peering down over the deck. The bodies of many were being moved to the far into the decks below. For what reason, she did not want to know. Dogs feasted on canines, that was known. Perhaps they deserved it, those Watu that had died. She just wished that she could spare her crew members from the ghastly fate. Still, she was a prisoner and she had been caught.

"Come." The commander led the way. To her sides she was escorted by her own crew members, both of whom were armed she noted. Were the Watu getting careless without their leader? Or were they leaderless now? No. Not possible. If they were, she knew that more than half of them would have deserted right away, or perhaps started trying to take control of the remnants by slaughtering those they thought were competitors, yet they remained as orderly as they had done with Blood.

As she approached the dais, the crowd parted for her. As she stepped up to the top the first thing she noticed were the alphas sitting on one side. Most of them were stained in blood making her sick to her stomach, yet one in particular caught her eye. The grey, silvery wolf-like creature seemed to sit taller than the others and had this air of command around him. But her eyes quickly spotted the body of the infamous Watu leader as he lay perfectly still with a small maroon cloth over his face so that it covered all his features. She knew it was him the moment she saw the forelegs placed at his side; the red hue of the stallion's fur was unmistakable. That was she he eyes drifted onto another pony in full armor, but not the armor she had expected to see. The red plume and the peytral were unmistakable. It was a Border Guard.

Or rather, it was the Border Guard.

"W-what are you doing here, Guard?" Wish asked astonished, unable to regain her composure. She knew the rumors, she had heard them during the chaos but she never actually through they were real. How does a Guard come this far away from Equestria and cause so much havoc? "And... is that really Blood?"

The Watu commander stepped up. "It is, sir. Do you wish to see?"

Wish did not respond and walked straight up to body and lifted the cloth. She looked at the face and placed it back down again. "Better than he deserves."

The Watu standing nearby started whispering to each other. Whatever they were saying, Wish could tell that they were scared. Their fate rested in the hooves of the pony now laying dead in front of them. What were they to do now? The question seemed to silently drift through everyone's mind as each and every single creature slowly turned and stared at the stallion overlooking the bow of the ship silently. He turned around and removed the mask he wore and placed it gently on the banister before turning. Wish wasn't sure which frightened her more, the Guard with the mask on, or off. Those eyes chilled her down to her core.

"I must know. Did you really kill him?" Wish asked looking at the pony.

The Guard did not make a sound nor did he move save for the slightest nod of his head.

"I... I want to thank you," she started. When it was clear that he wasn't going to say anything, she continued, "And for giving the ship back to me. The... your... commander informed me-"

"Can she move?"

"B-beg your pardon?"

"Can she move?" The Guard pointed at the destroyed burning remains of the ship's bridge. "Can the Eleonora Nevus still sail?"

Wish's heart sank. The cold tone of the stallion made her heart sink. Was Blood to be replaced by yet another monster? Was this Guard a banished warrior like the others? Was he going to continue the trade? The thoughts went through her mind, but she remained composed and decided that answering truthfully was the only way to spare her life and the lives of those aboard. "Yes. She can."

"Then you will head back to Lost Hope."

Again Wish was shocked. Her eyes opened wide. "You want us to go back to that place? The place where... where..."

The Guard turned and headed down the dais steps, the alphas following behind him. "You have your orders."

Strange, but it felt good to actually be given some from a Guard. She did not get his rank, not that she cared. He had defeated Blood in her eyes and could be an admiral.

"Well, that was entertaining," a voice stated.

Wish again felt her body freeze, and she turned around to see him. The captain that had led to her banishment all those years ago. The captain that she had sworn to find and... and... what? She never actually thought about it. Of course she didn't want to kill him, that was just not in her. She had wanted to safeguard the innocents of Equestria, not harm others.

"You." Wish took a step forward.

Instantly half of the captain's crew dove in front of him and bared their weapons.

At almost the same instant, Wish's crew did the same.

The two parties stood in cluster opposite one another. The pirate's crew were vastly outnumbered by Wish's, but they were all surrounded by a sea of Watu warriors and dogs, none of whom seemed very interested in interrupting them and excited about what could happen next.

It was Wish who spoke next. "You... why are you alive?"

"Good to see you too!" the captain muttered sarcastically. "Look, I know that you blame me for your banishment and I'm willing to accept that. Not a day goes by where I don't feel terrible about it, but the fact remains that you ordered your ship to fire on that vessel. You didn't look before you leaped. You can't keep holding a grudge. We were both doing our jobs."

"Piracy is not a job." Wish glowered at the stallion.

"Out here it is. Out here it's eat or be eaten and I for one intend to stay at the top of the food-chain."

"Enough!" the Watu commander shouted. "We have our orders. The Guard wants this ship moving, and we don't have the luxury of time. As of now, we have spotted several griffin airships in the area. We believe that the only reason they haven't attacked us is because they are wary of this... phenomenon."

Wish looked up into the clear sky. It was literally like the eye of the storm. She could see right up to the moon, but the gap seemed to be decreasing quite quickly. "Nautical!"

"Sir!" The stallion holstered his personal crossbow.

"Status."

"We've taken considerable amounts of water, sir. The entire lower decks are filled, which will drastically reduce our speed down to a crawl. Most of the lifeboats have been commandeered by the liberated slaves and there isn't enough for the rest of us here. Those boats were meant for the Watu and... I'm not going to lie, there wouldn't have been enough for less than half of the crew and that's if we crammed tight. Slaves weren't considered valuable enough to warrant boats for each." Nautical looked at the Watu commander who was standing silently to the side. "The main bridge is damaged beyond repair, but we still have the flag bridge intact. We will have to steer the ship blindly, sir, but only after the steering column is repaired. It was destroyed for both bridges when we barricaded ourselves into the flag bridge."

Wish cursed Blood for his foresight. "Anything else?"

"We've lost almost all the canons of the foredeck, few are functional and a few more may work if we repair them. The primary guns are functional, but we currently do not have the magic power needed to move them. Most of the unicorns are exhausted."

The Watu commander stepped forward. "The Guard has commandeered this vessel and appointed me to be in charge of what remains of the Watu, save the Elites."

"What do you mean? Where are they?"

"Scouting." The commander looked up into the sky. "They have been given orders to secure the lower decks and the pegasi to search out others and rally them here. Most of the Watu pegasi are missing, and the Guard wants as many as can be found to be accounted for."

"What's he proposing?" Wish didn't like it. Why was the Guard garnering all this military might? Blood was a crazed lunatic with ambitions that were unrealistic. But the Guard was different. She had a suspicion that if the Guard had wanted to, he could do far more damage.

"He wishes to use the Eleonora to storm Lost Hope. I believe he wants to end this slave nonsense. About time too. I may be banished from the kingdom I love, but I will stand with him."

"You would. I didn't see you put up much of a fight when he was in charge," Wish stated gesturing to Blood's corpse.

"Neither did you," The commander replied flatly.

Wish did not know how to respond to that.

"Commander," a Watu stated landing behind him on the dais.

"Yes?"

"Report, sir. Three ships spotted due north, and two more to the northwest."

"That makes fifteen in all," the commander muttered. "Something needs to be done."

"What for? They won't come." Wish looked away.

"You've been out of the loop for too long. We're in griffin waters now, and the Eleonora is badly damaged. Two parts of the hull have breaches and half the cannons are destroyed on her deck. They will come for us. The griffins will not allow such an opportunity to pass."

"You're crazy. They wouldn't come for the Eleonora. They have no reason to." Wish looked at Nautical expecting him to agree with her, but she could tell by his eyes that he did not. "Opinions?"

"I'm afraid the commander's right, sir. From the chaos of the deck and the ensuing battles... they will know something isn't right. They will come."

"And if the griffins get this ship..." the pirate captain interrupted, "they'll be able to hit Equestria's cities from far off. Even the Border Guard would be hard pressed to take her down. We got lucky, we would have never got this close if it hadn't been for... your lapse-"

Wish took an aggressive step. "If you're suggesting that I allowed you to come close to my ship, then you're highly mistaken. I had been relieved of my position when you-"

The commander stepped between them, his presence seemed overwhelming. "We aren't here for debate. The Guard has given his orders and it is up to us to see it through. We belong to him now."

Wish could only glare at the stallion opposite her. "I belong to no pony."

"You belong to this ship, and this ship is under that Guard's command," the commander stated. "Don't make the same mistake Blood did. It was his arrogance and folly that cost him his life and this ship."

Wish bit her tongue. The commander stared at her intensely. "Fine. Nautical."

"Sir?"

"Where' my bosun?"

"Dead, sir. Killed."

Wish closed her eyes and remembered the mare. She would find time to mourn later. "Fine. Get me someone capable as a replacement."

"Sir, I recommend Flaring Dawn. She is capable and knows most of the crew."

Wish nodded. "Fine. She'll do."

"Flaring! Upfront!" Nautical roared. A dark orange unicorn trotted up and stood at attention.

"You are to take anyone you need and you will patch the holes in the lower decks. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"And for Celestia's sake, steer clear of the Guard and his posse, you understand me?" Wish stated bluntly. She still did not trust him. Someone with that much power, coupled with her recent experience with Blood, could not be trusted.

The unicorn saluted. "Yes, sir."

The pirate captain looked at Wish then the commander. "She'll get the hull repaired. That'll take some time. But now that that's out of the way, we have to contemplate on moving this thing. I don't suppose either of you have any good ideas."

The commander shook his head. "I'm no sailor. I'm here to make sure that the Watu don't do something stupid. Many of them are fearful of staying, but most of them don't have anywhere else to go. Even if they won't leave, I can't let them become a roving band of marauders. Equestria is always hated outside her borders, so better not add to it."

Wish nodded solemnly. "True. We cannot afford to have the Border Guard come after us. If one of them can do all this," she gestured to the Eleonora in general, "then who knows what an entire battalion of them is capable of."

Silence was all that returned. She did not need to elaborate. A dragon dead, and one of the most proficient blade masters known also lay still in front of them. How had he done it? It was a miracle that the dragon was killed by a lone pony, but those who knew understood the significance of Blood's demise and the effect it had. The dragon seemed to be more of a figurehead; it was Blood who maintained order on the ship through his merciless means.

"Since when did the Guard start taking earth ponies?" the commander began.

"W-what?" Wish stammered in surprise. "An earth pony?"

"I've got it!" the pirate captain exclaimed suddenly ignoring the sudden outburst. "Listen, I have an idea. It's a crazy one, but it will work."

Wish and the commander shared a look.

"Oh?" Wish said sarcastically. "I'd love to hear this, pirate."

"Hey, I survived you, I boarded the Eleonora, and I will survive this nonsense. Listen to a guy who can think out of the box instead of just coming to the conclusion that I've already made up my mind that I'm better than you. I haven't. You're pretty clever yourself, but my idea is going to work."

Wish felt her cheeks glow a little at the compliment and also the cleverly disguised scolding. "Which is?"

"We use my ship, the Lipizzan to tow the Eleonora," the pirate captain stated.

"That little balloon powered boat? You've got to be joking. That thing won't be able to lift one of her anti-air cannons, let alone two the ship. Besides what guarantee do we have that once you get your ship fixed you won't cut loose and flee? If worse comes to worse, we can flee in your ship," Wish demanded.

The captain smirked. "I can't guarantee anything, but I swear I won't flee. I owe that Guard and I've never been a situation like this before. How is it that we were all trying to kill each other and now we're all working together? Do you know? You?" He pointed at a few of the Watu and the canines in turn. "I know that as of right now if we don't work, none of us are going to any of our homes ever again. We're all in this together whether we like it or not, so we're going to have to work together. We're all we've got. I understand that."

The Watu commander looked into his eyes. "Very eloquent, but what Captain Wish speaks is true. Your ship won't be able to pull this vessel. What we need is a proper airship."

"My airship is a proper airship," the captain retorted.

"We need one powered by a manna reactor. Still, something is better than nothing. Even if we move an inch, it's still better than not moving at all. What do you need?"

"Sails. Lots and lots of sails. And if we don't have sails, cloth. Lots and lots of cloth."

"What for?" Wish asked, her curiosity perked. This was a notoriously clever pirate captain.

He grinned at her, "Why, we're going to build a huge sail, then connect it to the remains of the bridge. A sail that big will pull the ship, and because the Lipizzan is an agile girl, we can move her to catch the best wind. What about that?"

There was a moment of silence before Wish actually smiled. "You know what, that's crazy enough to work. Very good, captain."

"Thank you, ma'am," the pirate bowed low in a flourish, "I aim to please."

Every single member of Wish's crew winced; she hated being called ma'am. But, for some reason, she either didn't mind or didn't notice because she said nothing.

The Watu commander shook his head. "This plan will be good enough for now, but we still need something... bigger. Something... proper."


Wish stared at the Lipizzan slowly making her way into the sky. It had taken a few hours to get her ready and it had been a monumental struggle. Thick ropes were tied to the edge railings of the Eleonora, the other ends to the insides of the Lipizzan via the cargo hatch doors on the deck. They were then pushed out of the gun-holes and down to the bottom of the hull and tied together with two interlocking bowline knots. Nothing, unless purposefully untied or cut, could break those knots. Between the hull of the Lipizzan and the Eleonora was to go the massive sail. Every single piece of scrap cloth that could be used was taken and stitched together by any spare creature dextrous enough to sew. Watu and crew sat side by side, along with any slaves that had the skill, and the sail started to take form, or were they ex-slaves? She could only dream. They started with the top, taking the smallest and lightest cloth and slowly made their way down. Each section completed, the ship would rise up a little more.

But even before that getting the airship that was upside down on the side of the Eleonora was a headache. The captain and his crew had blow a large hole with cannon fire into the hull to get inside. From a distance, it might have looked like the Lipizzan latching on the side of the Eleonora was a remora attaching itself to a whale. Still, without the use of magic, for the unicorns, even all of them combined, could not lift the airship themselves. So, more ropes were latched around the airship and the entire mass of Watu and any other pony and canine incapable of using magic heaved the ship upwards. A couple of times the Lipizzan slipped, but steadily and surely, they had done it. They had managed to secure the vessel on the Eleonora's deck.

From here the pirate captain, who had helped pull the ship up, wiped his brow. Wish noted that he was a handsome fellow in a roguish sort of way. He had a gentlemanly charm hidden behind what she could only venture to guess was an unwillingness to give up. That had to be appreciated. He took his hat off and dusted it against his foreleg. She noted his horn, but somehow it didn't feel right. The captain noticed her looking followed her eyes to the top of his head and back again. Then he smiled.

"Can't use it."

"B-beg your pardon?" Wish asked, looking away instantly.

"My horn. Can't use it. Long ago I was fighting a pretty powerful unicorn. Nearly killed me, and ever since my horn has been utterly and completely useless." He touched it and wiggled his hoof about as if it were a loose tooth. Again a small smile appeared on his face. "Lucky to be alive."

"Do you miss it?" Wish asked stealing another glance at the defunct horn.

He shrugged. "No, can't say that I do. I mean, I never was really strong with magic in the first place, so I never really used it. Besides, I was, am, more of a hooves-on kinda fellow. Sometimes I forget that I'm a unicorn."

Wish nodded. "I can respect that. Relying too much on magic can be a downfall."

"Well, I don't agree. I suppose that if you can use it and use it well... then why not? I mean, that's what earth ponies in the Day Guard do, right? They protect the unicorns while they attack."

Wish nodded. "That is how they usually work. Pegasi protect the air, unicorns usually are the heavy hitters. The earth ponies and pegasi protect the unicorns while they channel their magic. Usually. There are always exceptions, and the Border Guard, who have no earth ponies-" She blinked.

"Yeah, can't say that anymore, can you?"

"Well, the BG's unicorns have to be a lot more skilled as their magic has to be used in direct combat. I'm not saying the other Guards don't do that, just not..."

He touched her shoulder. The sensation sent electricity down her spine and she fought hard to stop herself from shuddering.

Down below them they saw a few of the less tired unicorns slowly inflating the balloon that had somehow been managed to be salvage. It had got caught up in the rigging when the airship was flipped and remained on deck. A sheer stroke of luck that had proven to be the greatest boon of all. The balloon had survived the bombardment of bolts, magical projectiles and quarrels and held to the last, where it was destroyed by the volley of cannon fire. Even then the balloon survived the ruptured explosion. After all of this, the Lipizzan was floating towards the sky, streaming behind it a massive sail that was perhaps the biggest ever made and it was a sight to behind as it ascended towards the sky in the moon's glow.

"Are you sure you don't want to be on her?" Wish asked looking up at the Lipizzan.

He shook his head. "No. I'm fine right where I am."

"A-and where's that?" she asked, her face feeling a little bit flush.

"Right here," he said still looking up at his ship. "Right where I want to be."

Wish turned away and smiled. "Why?"

"I don't really know, actually. Ever since I heard of your banishment, I've been... looking for you. When I heard that you became the captain of the Eleonora, I gave up all hope of making contact with you."

She turned to him shocked. "Why?"

"Well, it's difficult to approach this ship, as you already plainly-"

"No. I mean, yes, I know that... about the Eleonora, I mean. What I mean is, why were you looking for me."

He scratched the tip of his nose with his hoof. "You know... I don't rightly know."

They turned to one another and their eyes met. Her heart beat in her chest harder than she had ever felt before. She turned away. "This... this is ridiculous! I'm not some silly filly who's just stepped onto her first ship! I'm a captain! I was a captain of a warship! I am not-"

"Oh, to Tartarus with that!" the captain yelled. She spun around in stunned silence as he seized her in his hooves and in front of a very, very astonished crew, both his and hers, and every Watu around, he kissed her with a passionate ferocity.

As their lips parted, she blinked twice, thought about what had just happened, took a step back and brushed her uniform. Then she raised her hoof and brought it across the captain's maw. "Don't you ever do that again!" And this time she seized his face in her hooves and returned the favor just as vigorously.

Behind them the Watu commander stared with an expression of confused amusement. "Tell me, is this a common thing in Equestria?"

Bones looked at the Watu commander and nodded. "Oh yes. This is a typical ritual for courting captains. It's part of their whole... sharing a ship thing. They smack each other around as a sign of deep affection."

The commander furrowed his brow and nodded slowly. "I see." He stroked his chin slowly. "Interesting. Captains are a strange lot."

Bones nodded sagely. "That is true. That is true..."


Wish stood on the flag bridge going over the reports slowly, but all that she could think of was the pirate's lips on hers. No, the rogue's lips. After talking and hearing him, he was no pirate. He had too much honor to be one, but not enough to be not one. It was hard to describe, but she had never felt so jubilant. She sighed to herself. What was it with dangerous stallions that drew her? Not overly dangerous ones, not like Blood.

"Sir?"

The voice made Wish jerk and she looked up to see Nautical staring down at her. She sighed and wiped her face with her hoof. "Yes?"

"The hull's been repaired, sir. Most of it, and the water is being pulled away. The unicorns are trying to get the mechanical pumps recharged with magic, but for now the canines are taking turns on the manna cycles to generate enough power. It's slow going, but steady."

"Have we made any headway?" Wish asked standing up and walking to the desk where a carafe of water stood and a few glasses behind a small depression to prevent them from falling off the side and onto the floor. Not that could ever happen. It would take a lot to shake the Eleonora enough. Yet, today, it had happened. Several times.

"Yes, captain... sorry. Sir." Nautical mentally berated himself. Wish didn't like to be called captain.

The slip-up wasn't missed. Wish sat back down on her seat. "You think I am foolish?"

"Sir?"

"You think I am foolish. I mean, the Guard, can we really trust him?"

"My opinion? No," Nautical replied. "But we don't have to. He only wants us to return to Lost Hope. Once we are within range, we can take change course and have him travel the rest of the way with his canines."

Wish looked at him. "That will be suicide, Nautical. As long as we keep to what the Guard says, we'll get out of this alive. If we cross him..."

"We can always... recruit help from-"

"I hope you're not suggesting that I ask that pirate for help. That... scene from before was a momentary lapse. It was enjoyable, I'll admit, but it meant nothing."

Nautical looked at his captain resolutely.

She sighed. "Perhaps you're right. I will think on it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Ship closing in!" a voice called out.

The communication tubes were still half working. Flaring had assigned some ponies to help restore communications, and had completed some of them, especially the ones towards the surface and watch points.

"Where?" Wish demanded staring at the tubes and cursing her lack of visibility.

"Coming down straight above us!" the voice shouted. "Above the Lipizzan!"

"What are the anti-air cannons doing?" Wish practically screamed standing up.

"Incoming!" the voice through the tube called out.

The sound of an explosion erupted and the ship vibrated. She had barely felt it in the safety of the flag bridge, but Wish knew that it had been a direct hit. She sat back down and coughed. "Return fire!"

"Belay that order!" the voice of the Watu commander came suddenly through the second tube.

Wish looked confused and angry at where the voice had come. "Are you mad? They're firing at us!"

"Orders. We must obey. Do not return fire," came the response. There was some background noise before the commander spoke again. "Assemble all remaining pegasi to the upper decks."

Another explosion made the ship shudder a little. Wish slammed her hooves against her chair's forearm rests. She felt a mixture of anger and confusion as she stared at the tube dumbfounded. Was the Guard really going to allow the ship to be further damaged? They had just got around to repairing parts of it. Of course she did not know the full extent of the damage below the decks, but still, how could they sit there and do nothing? "Why?" Wish screamed out loud making the bridge shake just as bad as the

There was a moment of silence before the voice of the commander replied. "We're going to board that vessel."

Again Wish sat there dumbfounded at what she had just heard. "Why?" she asked quietly.

"Orders. We are to take that ship."


"Flank it!" Cinder cried, moving to the left to avoid the stream of bolts careening his way.

The griffin's Wallarmbrusts were just as potent as the pony's own version. The amount of bolts crisscrossing the night sky made it impossible to see coupled with the darkness. Luckily a few bolts were glowing as they sung past. Tracers, no doubt, or perhaps a stray quarrel. Cinder wisely did not wait to see. All the pegasi moved quickly cutting through each others' flight to confuse the gunners. All this to avoid getting slaughtered by the rain of bolts constantly firing their way. Cinder's orders were simple. Distract the griffin's until their boarding party had taken her. But they had severely underestimated this ship's firepower. The Heldenhaft, that was the ship's name, wasn't built for ship to ship combat.

Cutting up, over and down the other side of the ship, weaving through the array of top sails, he rushed by counting the number of guns he spotted. Under the ship's belly he turned on his back to and counted. Instead of three guns facing down, he saw twelve Wallarmbrusts prepped and ready. They were all firing and he could see the griffins concentrating hard to try and put snuff the pegasi swarming around them. Coming up from below was going to be easier said than done. The Heldenhaft was an airship built to attack the ground; to decimate targets under it with lethal ferocity. It was built to kill, not protect.

On the underside were two large batteries for laying siege to whatever was below it. Two very well placed shots from the anti-air cannons had taken out the downward facing cannons, the holes still smoking from the explosion. A few pegasi had tried to break into the hull from there, but the griffins had sealed any passage through. That was another thing. Ballistas were one thing, but how did they manage to use cannons without having innate magical powers? Perhaps it was not as surprising as he thought, they did have slaves after all. To create the reaction required to propel the cannonballs towards their targets, magic was a necessary requirement. Perhaps, if not a pony slave, a defector -- there were a few of those, Cinder knew.

It all seemed hopeless, yet he knew that giving up wasn't an option. Things had changed dramatically, anyone can see. For the first time in his life he actually stood next to an Equestrian Guard. For years he had admired these stalwart protectors of the nation he had wished to see. But he was a Watu. Killing had been all he had ever known. Still, this Guard had given him something that he was not going to take for granted: a chance to redeem himself. A chance do something right in some small way. For the first time in his life he felt he was doing something right. Working as a Watu had its perks and disadvantages. You could do what you wanted, so long as you did not cross anyone stronger or steal. You always slept with one eye open, unless you were unafraid. A Watu being murdered by a so-called friend was so common, that almost every other day a body was tossed overboard into the sea, like garbage. Cinder had heard the banished ponies talk, how they missed the life they were torn from. Was it through those stories then, that he felt that he finally belonged to something. If he died here, died during this mission, then he could at least believe that he had contributed something to help allay his sins.

He twisted his body again and saw the Lipizzan being hit hard from all sides. The small airship was somehow still keeping the griffin advance at bay. It was strange because before this conflict there seemed to be fewer pegasi, but as the battle wore on, there seemed to be a sudden increase in their numbers. Not that he was complaining. With the way things were, any help they could get was better than nothing.

A quarrel burst in a blinding flash to his left and he felt himself rocked by the sudden blast. With a skill that only one who has experienced combat, he quickly recovered himself and spun to a halt to glace at the source of the projectile. A griffin was reloading a crossbow as two others moved towards him. One carrying a long halberd, the other carried two sword daggers that had barbs extending from the hilt. Close combat specialists. It was clear that these two had no idea why a Watu was feared in combat. It would be a mistake they will not live to regret.

The pegasi drew his sword sword and pulled a short spear from over his left shoulder.

Just as they were about to make contact, the two screeched suddenly and plummeted towards the sea, in their necks were two bolt. Cinder looked down and spotted the source of the attack. The unicorns and other non-flying creatures were starting their ascent towards the Heldenhaft. He looked around, half the Wallarmbrusts were still functional. He turned to try and signal for them to stop, but a bolt passing his face distracted him.

What could he do?

A feeling welled up through his body. A strange desire to do something for others. He embraced this desire and headed towards the nearest Wallarmbrust. He charged towards the nearest one as fast as he could. Every single one taken disabled increased the chance of survival for the others and they could not fly as freely as they carried either a canine, unicorn or earth pony to help assault the ship. He charged into the glass dome, skewing it with his spear. The griffin on the inside laughed at the failed attempt on his life, and aimed his sight towards the pegasi below him.

A feeling welled up within Cinder, one that he had not felt in a long time that he had almost forgotten it. That fear over the lives of others, a fear that he would be unable to protect them. The sense of urgency was too great for him to ignore. This was not like before when he fought as a Watu. There he only had to care for himself, and ignore the others. He back up a bit and buzzed his wings like a bee for a moment before charging at the exposed end of his spear. Then, using his body and velocity, he did a half somersault and kicked the spear's end with near perfect precision. The force of the blow was enough to push the point through the already cracked glass and the spear pinned the confused griffin against the far side of the bulb. Cinder watched as the griffin tried to reach for the spear with his remaining good claw but it was hopeless. The gruesome struggle continued as the bubble slowly began to fill up with the griffin's blood and within seconds of that the struggled flailing grew still.

One more Wallarmbrust was down.


Flaring took what her captain had done to heart. The appointment as the new bosun of the Eleonora had given her more freedom and responsibilities and and it was her duty to lead the boarding party. It might not have been what Wish intended, Flaring would do what a good bosun was supposed to do. Her predecessor did not have that luxury as any and all attacks against other ships was in the hooves of the Watu. With no clear chain of command, it was up to her to do the needful. When she had asked for volunteers from the crew to help take the Heldenhaft she was surprised with the overwhelming response. Enemy was now ally, and the Watu joined hooves with the crew and even the canines and together they had managed to board a griffin airship. She may not have fully trusted the Watu, but she learned that she did not have to. They blindly followed orders as they were given leave to ensure that their primary objective remained intact. To protect the Eleonora through any means necessary. The obeyed the Guard in much the same way they obeyed their previous leader. They would fight and she would lead them. How could she let this opportunity pass. Deep in her soul she felt that she owed the griffins something for the slaves that they had bought. Not only ponies like her, but other creatures as well. Creatures that deserved a fate For years her inability to do anything grated on her conscience.

"Down!" a voice called and she felt herself being shoved aside.

A volley of bolts whistled over her head. Two ponies behind her ponies were too slow. They died instantly. She closed her eyes and looked away. She knew them both, served with them for all these years, and in a blink of the eye they were gone. Life was too fragile.

"We need to take out the other 'Brusts and fast!" one of the Watu group leaders shouted and pointed towards an open hatch leading downwards at the bow of the airship. Then he looked at her. "First mate?"

"Bosun," Flaring corrected. "Alright. That's a good plan. Let's go."

At once the four of them charged just as the four other Watus behind them fired a small barrage over towards the griffins that had just shot at them covering their advance. The gap between them and the hatch was in chaos as dog, pony and other creatures fought side by side against the griffins who were viciously trying to repel them. The griffins put up a good fight, but the Watu were a league unto their own and coupled with the canines' strength and ferocity, the began to be pushed back. The Watu were vicious warriors that had lived as long as they had because it was kill or be killed. They had no honor nor any desire to acquire it. Theirs was a miserable life where the bits they earned was spent just as quickly. They found no reason to save. A large purse made you a likely target and murder was common as a Watu Wakali. Immediate pleasures, not future outlook, was the Watu's unwritten creed.

The four Watu charged in low, keep their masked heads near the deck as they seemed to crawl at an impossible pace. Any griffin close to them had their ankles or legs sliced open as they pushed on. One griffin barred their path and fired a crossbow. The fourth Watu yelped and rolled to a stop and Flaring saw that the bolt had pierced through the neck. The second Watu rose up from the low crouching run and leaped into the air bringing brought down her spear at the griffin's throat. The griffin instinctively blocked the attack placing his shield in the way, but this was a mere distraction. It was the third Watu that took the kill as he drew his blade across the griffin's exposed torso spilling its contents onto the deck.

Flaring shuddered at the brutal efficiency of the kill, but didn't stop. In battle, stopping meant death. Down into the passage she ran after the three surviving Watu who were ahead of her in a tight formation. She glanced over her shoulder as she galloped down a flight of stairs and spotted fumbled to stay on her hooves. The Watu following her stopped and turned around in from of the hatch. She glanced down the hall and decided to follow the three that had now disappeared from sight.

She understood ships. She had practically grown up on the Eleonora proving herself to the captain and the others her ability to memorize a ship's schematics quickly. That and her skills at rebuilding damaged things had made her an invaluable member of the crew. She had always thought of herself as useless.

And then he came. Not only did he manage to board the Eleonora, free the slaves and cripple the ship, but he actually beat Blood in single combat. Arguably the greatest most dangerous unicorn in all the lands within and without Equestria. Flaring could not help but admire the Border Guard. She was inspired by him.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted when a halberd cut across in front of her, missing her head by the breadth of a hair. The sudden attack made her stumble backwards and she crashed in a heap on the floor. She looked up at a griffin who fought with the large blade to get it released from where the weapon had gotten stuck and pointed it towards her. She blinked, recognized her situation, and resigned herself to the inevitable.

A dagger flew and the griffin let out a squawk of agony and turned to see two of the Watu that had stopped at the entrance to the hold. The griffin attacked out of reflex, but the halberd got itself caught in the corner of the far wall and there was a struggle before giving he gave it up and unbuckled the axe from his belt. The Watu stopped where they were and the griffin grinned. For a moment Flaring thought that the Watu were too afraid to face the griffin, that he was too much for these warriors to handle, why else would they stop? But she saw that they had all drawn their crossbows, much to the griffin's horror, and aimed. The tight slap of the two strings tightening were instantly followed by the sickening sound of the bolts hitting their mark. The griffin fell to his knees, then to the ground, the body convulsing slightly before laying still with those wide eyes open and staring into hers. She shuddered and looked away.

One of the Watu paused and lent her a hoof.

"T-thank you," Flaring stated.

The Watu nodded, and then continued on after his or her companions. Perhaps they weren't so bad after all.


The line of pegasi tried to split apart, but their burden severely restricted their ability to fly. Some of the clever ones flew in long corkscrews to avoid the brunt of the remaining Wallarmbrusts, but there were still active. Apart from the one he managed to disable, thanks to the blood of the griffin he had killed, the others were still very much active. But it wasn't as if he stood aside and watched this all happen. All through this he was weaving in and out of other Wallarmbrust fire, dodging the griffins as they traversed in small teams of three to take the pegasi out. Definitely they were organized, trained and vicious. Any pony they caught wasn't merely killed, but usually done so brutally. He noticed that one of the griffins carried around what looked like huge gardening sheers and sliced off the wings of pegasi, sending them in an agonizing spiral to their deaths far below.

Throughout all this, the first attack team did manage to board the ship from above. They had taken off from the Lipizzan, swung up and above the clouds and dropped in on the deck of the ship. It was a clever ploy and it worked, as most of the griffins were off the airship hunting for pegasi under them, not above.

He felt a stinging sensation across his cheek as a large bolt whizzed past his face. He twisted his body around out of instinct and saw a long, black snake pass over, then under, him. A Wallarmbrust had him in his sights and he had lucked out in avoiding getting impaled. Flattening his body as much as he could he did a slight dive and banked out of range, the Wallarmbrust kept right on him. Thunderbolt changed his direction and moved up, but still the Wallarmbrust kept on him preventing him from going behind the gunner's line of sight. He was forced back down, where another stream of bolts joined the chase. He concentrated on nothing but moving. Every time he told himself to move, he would switch direction, sometimes to pick up speed, sometimes to try and escape, but something inside him told him to stay beneath the ship's hull. Perhaps a misguided sense of duty.

Then he zipped past one of the glass bubbles to see a unicorn stab the griffin through the back with a sword. In that brief moment, their eyes met and he zoomed by thanking Celestia about his good fortune, but the other Wallarmbrust still was hot on his tail. He pushed himself now, trying to get out of range, he could see the stream of bolts to his left closing in on him and he closed his eyes. He was too tired. Too, too tired. He couldn't go on. Then the bolts ceased. He stopped and turned to see that this was true for them all. He narrowed his eyes and saw that in the closest one, the griffins were desperately trying to stop themselves from being killed.

The sudden stopping of the Wallarmbrusts led to two things. The first was the sudden high pitched whistle going off and the entire griffin crew headed straight back for their ship. The second was the pegasi from below sprinting as hard as they could towards the Heldenhaft, which wasn't all that fast with some of them carrying a large canine in tandem. Despite his orders being fulfilled, Thunderbolt decided to help the boarding party and proceeded upwards into the sky. He spotted a griffin flying at an angle who didn't see Thunderbolt coming up from below. In seconds the griffin's head was separated from his body as the blade struck true in an upwards attack. With that, Thunderbolt leaned backwards and dropped straight towards the deck where he spotted a griffin shouting orders.

The griffin saw Thunderbolt charging and in an impossible motion parried the blade, but his velocity was too quick and before he could react, the pegasus collided with him. Hard.

Rolling to a stop, he groaned and rubbed his head. The fight was vicious. The griffin stood up groggily and Thunderbolt wasted no time. Taking the dagger in his left foreleg, he quickly leaped onto the griffin's back and stabbed him twice in the back and sliced through his wing. Even after this, the griffin tossed him aside and stood tall, ready for more. Thunderbolt stood up and growled, admiration and respect flooded his body. Still, this was a fight to the death, and the pegasus spread his wings open to look as intimidating as possible. A tactic he had learned as a Watu. Fear was their greatest ally.

The griffin, obviously, felt no fear for the pegasus in front of him and drew up a short axe.

Thunderbolt felt something sting his flank. He knew it was a bolt, maybe a quarrel, but he didn't care. Right now the most dangerous griffin on that airship for him was standing right there. Guess it was time to show the griffins just how dangerous a Watu can really be.


"Come on! Come on!" Bones shouted. "We're missing all the fun and explosions!"

"Shut up, Bones!" Fire Fly retorted.

"Go, go, go! Let's go! Stabby, stabby!" Bones said cackling in that sadistic way.

"I'm going as fast as I can! I'm not ready to die, okay? We can't just fly in a straight line!" Fire shouted back, annoyed at Bones' lack of common sense.

"Then hurry up!" Bones whined, as if he were a colt.

"Shut up, Bones!"

Suddenly the blue pony lunged forwards making the pegasus stop as a natural reaction. Fire was about to say something when a shield was brandished in front of him. A series of impossibly fast knocks was heard as a Wallarmbrust barrage brushed across them in pursuit of another pegasi. A Watu. Unable to see, Fire kept on going straight.

Bones peered over the shield and saw that the bottom of the Heldenhaft was coming up on them pretty quickly. "You're headed right for the hull!"

"Get that thing out of my face!" Fire retorted.

Bones obliged and at once the pegasus came to a sudden halt nearly sending the pony on his back over him.

Just then she felt a crushing blow shove him downwards a few feet and Fire look up to see Bones holding the same shield above his head as if protecting himself from the rain. Fire caught a glimpse of where the blow had come from and saw that a griffin held an axe and was pursuing them. Bones raised his shield again and the clash of the weapon and shield met with a near deafening crash.

The griffin was barely pushed back. He came on them once again, pulling the weapon to his side as the pegasi backed off to get some space between the two. Bones swung the shield again in front of his face and another loud clang echoed as the two ponies were pushed back from the impact. The griffin had both strength and momentum on his side and was using it to his full advantage.

"Get out of here!" Bones urged.

"With pleasure!" Fire replied, and turned over and flew away in an attempt to put some distance between them and the griffin.

"Move! Move, move, move!" Bones shouted excitedly. "He's gaining!"

"Shut up, Bones! I can't fly that fast with you on my back!"

"Are you telling me to jump off?" Bones asked.

Thinking it was sarcasm, Fire shouted, "Yes!"

His heart stopped beating when he felt his back suddenly get a whole lot lighter. Stopping, he turned around to see Bones slam into the griffin that was keeping up with them. It was strange to see Bones fighting him the way he did. A flightless creature like him was literally clinging onto the beast like a newborn infant. In any other situation, it would have been hilarious to see, but if Bones slipped the outcome would have been dire. Not that the blue pony would have cared. That morbid optimism creeped him out, but then again who wouldn't be put off? Still, Bones was one of them, and he wasn't about to let him die. But then again Bones dying seemed like an impossibility.

Bones had somehow managed to get on the griffin's back. He said something to the creature that made it freeze in mid-flight. Whatever Bones said, it was clear that the griffin was unable to believe what he had heard. It only took a second before Bones pushed his sword through the back of the griffin and leaped into the air.

Fire rushed forwards and gently caught Bones on her back as she descended gradually to reduce the impact.

"Thanks!" Bones shouted over the wind.

"Anytime!" She replied. "Hey, Bones, what'd you say to him?"

"Her!" he shouted back. "It was a she-griffin. I told her that I was about to penetrate her."

Fire's face felt like it was on fire. "You did what?"

"I told her-"

"I know what you said-" Fire stopped herself. Penetrate. Of course. Bones isn't the kind to think of that kind of thing. Not with his well-known fetish with bovines. Fire wanted to groan, but this was way too morbid for a joke. Bones to a tee. "You're crazy, Bones."

"So I've been told."

Before either could speak, yet another griffin came at them. This one spun in a corkscrew as Bones fumbled with his crossbow and fired, missing the agile creature. This griffin had a crossbow of his own and fired a bolt towards them. Fire dove and swerved to the side and down in an effort to avoid the bolt as it whizzed by her face. She turned back to see over her shoulder. Again, like before, the griffin was gaining on them.

"Get to the airship!" Bones shouted and fired a bolt.

The griffin easily moved to the side and the stray projectile quickly vanished into the chaos behind them. Just then Fire screamed and Bones looked up to see the blade of an axe bearing down on them. Bones just got his shield up in time as the axe struck, the force sending them downwards. The griffin was incredible. In each limb it held a weapon. A great short-handled axe in his left rear talon, a spear in his left forearm, a shield on the right, and a strange wavy dagger in the right rear talon. On his back was shoulder armor with long gray stripes through it and a skullcap on his head had a symbol that any creature would know. Even more famous than the fabled Watu, this was the most dreaded of all elite fighting forces. This was a Zerstörer. Born for the sole purpose of slaying any that threatened their Empire, especially the Equestrian Guards. It was said that one of these was equal to an Equestrian Combat Group. Perhaps a misconception as a Combat Group usually consisted of eight Guards working together. That was with the exception of the Border Guard, where eight of them together was sometimes a very rare sight. Most who wore the red plume went around alone and in pairs on rare occasions. That was, of course, excluding those who remained aboard the airships, who patrolled the borders with unabating vigil.

"Look out!" Bones shouted as he stood up and raised the shield just in time as the axe struck down.

Fire felt Bones push on her wing and she saw from the corner of her eye the strange dagger stab through the air. She twisted around and Bones leaped off of her and in a dive. The pegasus did not think and dropped along with him, flying along side him as she felt him grab her mane and pull himself back onto her while she let out a muffled cry in pain.

"Sorry!" Bones shouted and turned back to see the griffin give up him pursuit of them. "He's slowing down! Let's get back on that ship before something else surprises us!"

"Good idea!"

They once again sent the two of them fluttering carelessly for a bit before Fire caught herself and steadied her fall. She opened her wings and pushed trying to gain some breathing space, but again the Zerstörer was almost on top of them. How in Celestia's name did he move so fast?

"Bones! Do something!"

Without thinking, Bones turned and fired a quarrel. The griffin blocked it with his shield and used his spear to knock it off before the spell could ignite. The tip exploded below them in a burst of fire. Bones automatically reloaded and fired again.

"You missed!" Fire screamed.

"Did I?" Bones said grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes! You did! Completely! The thing has gone behind-"

Before she could finished her statement, the quarrel behind the griffin exploded. A surge of wind pushed out violently and the Zerstörer turned around to meet with the sudden wall of air. He expertly recovered from the wind imbued magic quarrel and turned to face the two ponies again, but they had gone. He let out a squawk of anger and frustration as the two closed the remaining distance towards the airship.

The two made towards the airship, keeping at the height of the banister. As they drew closed they could already see spells exploding and bolts being fired in random directions as griffin fought against pony and canine. The battle on the deck was chaotic, the griffins kept trying to land, but those that did were met with the aggressive ferocity of the canines, and those that did not were being fired upon by the ponies. It was a strange mix of defenders attacking and attackers defending. Bones shuddered with excitement.

"Ready to die?" he shouted to no one in particular. "Because it's a great day to do so! I mean night. Great night."

"Go get 'em, Bonesy," Fire shouted.

"Aye, aye!" the pony shouted, leaped off his friend over the rail, some of the combatants in a mortal struggle and came to a rolling stop just in front of a griffin. The griffin looked down, a mixture of hatred and disgust in his eyes at being touched by him. Bones' eyes lit up and a sadistic smile spread across face. "Hi, I'm Bones! And I'm here to kill you!"

Fire fell away, she was exhausted, and headed towards the Lipizzan, her job done, she needed some time to recuperate.

Author's Note:

Heldenhaft - Valiant.

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