Tales of an Equestrian Battle Mage

by Babroniedad

06 - Sunset - In Search of Griffin Slavers

Sunset traveled light. Determined not to make the same mistake she made last time she packed up her mages robe into her saddle bag on arriving at the border, crossing over as just another traveler. She gave the town she had caused the ruckus in a wide berth, catching the road towards the capital past the town and continuing on towards her destination. She slept in redoubts atop the trees to allow her to keep an eye on the skies as well as the woods around her and was sure to be deferential to any griffin caravans she passed, giving them the right of way and keeping her head down.

She did however keep her ears open as she passed by. And she was constantly on the lookout for the griff she had seen fly off from the back of her tent or any crew that looked to potentially be the slavers she was looking for.

She made good time, only once having to deal with some brigands who mistook her for an easy mark. She pretended to be terrified, running into the forest crying and screaming. They were completely surprised after toying with chasing her for half a stadia when she turned around and dispatched the nearest of them in a blast of fire.

“Ah crap she’s a witch!” Yelled the furthest of them, spinning around to run away. She yanked him back in her magic, tossing him into his companion, sending them both to the ground tumbling. Rearing over them she stomped down quickly with her fore hooves breaking both their wings. They shrieked out in pain. Throwing them up against a nearby tree with her magic she placed a hoof against the tree. Her hoof glowed teal and the tree branches and limbs grew over the two hapless griffs as they struggled against her magic. She glared at them as they hung there helpless.

“That’s right,” she growled at them. “I am a witch. The witch of the Everfree Forest. And I don’t like creatures who harm my ponies. I think I’ll let you die here while my trees slowly eat you!” She spat, then turned, trotting back to the road and continuing her journey. By the time she had reached the road she could no longer hear their cries.

Arriving in the capital that evening, she secured herself a room at a cheap inn and a bowl of porridge for her supper. Thanking the kindly griffin hen who ran the inn, she headed out into the night to make the rounds of the local taverns listening for any news of slavers and auctions of ponies. She had to keep her head down as most places were less than happy to serve her kind but were more than happy to take her bits.

After a night of nothing useful learned and moderate abuse from the drunken griffs surrounding her, she returned to her room and retired for the night.

The next morning, she visited the Equestrian Embassy, requesting to see the charge de affairs. She was taken into a small office to wait, where eventually a griffin hen entered.

“I’m Gilda, the charge de affairs for this embassy. You requested to see me, here I am. How can we help you?” she asked, taking a seat at the table opposite Sunset.

“Sunset Shimmer, Mage Corps. Sorry to drop in unannounced, but I tracked a band of slavers with captured pony citizens of Equestria to the capitol here, and am trying to find them before our citizens are sold off. Do you know anything about the slave trade here in Griffinstone?” asked Sunset.

“I know it is legal here, and state sanctioned. Our office has been instructed to turn a blind eye to it for now, as long as the slaves are legally acquired. And no, raiding Equestria and capturing our citizens does not meet that bar,” the hen added. “They have a guild, and keep decent records to cover the legalities. I’ve not heard of any ponies being sold or tendered in recent history, so I suspect that if your ponies are being offered, they are off book,” agreed Gilda.

“So where would be a good place to start? I’ve already tried hitting the taverns and listening in for anything, but got nothing,” added Sunset.

“Yeah, you’re not going to hear anything at the taverns that let ponies in,” agreed Gilda. “That kind of crowd is tight lipped, and would not be comfortable around others not like minded.”

“Like minded?” asked Sunset.

“As in, Griffins. Not ponies,” clarified Gilda.

“So what do I do then?” asked Sunset. “I’m not a changeling, can’t change what I am,” she laughed.

“Nope. And wouldn’t matter anyways, because if they don’t know you, they wouldn't let you in. I can make some inquiries. Ask around, reach out to my informants. I'll keep you posted. Where can I reach you?” offered Gilda.

Sunset gave her the name of the inn she was staying in. Gilda wrote it down and put it into her notes. “Okay. Give me a few hours. I’ll reach out to you either tonight or early tomorrow with anything I’ve found.”

“Thank you, Gilda. I really appreciate it,” thanked Sunset.

“No problem. Get some rest, Mage Sunset. You may need it, depending on what I find,” smiled Gilda, escorting her from the office.

Sunset nodded, then left the embassy and headed back to the market, purchasing the supplies she may need for any operation that may arise from whatever Gilda found.

After that, she returned to the inn in time for an early dinner of porridge and mead, then headed up to her room to rest.

She woke several hours later to a gentle tapping on her door. Rising from her slumber, she opened the door to find Gilda waiting for her. She entered the room and Sunset latched the door.

“Sorry for the early visit, but we found something, and need to move quickly if you want a chance at rescuing your ponies. The band that raided the villages and captured your ponies is a loyalist group called The Griff's Claw. They want war with Equestria, and think the raids will force Equestria's hoof. They also fund the group, as selling the captured ponies gives them the resources they need to stay operational. The word from my informants is that the group is planning on leaving first light with their captured stock on a ship they’ve secured passage on, headed for Kludgetown. We weren’t able to ascertain which ship, so we need to move quickly to interdict them before they ship out,” informed Gilda.

Sunset looked out the window at the night sky. The moon was near setting, and she could see the beginnings of dawn creeping up over the surrounding forest as the sun waited for its moment to rise. “Damn, Less than two hours to sunrise. Yeah, not kidding about the time being short. So what’s the plan?” asked Sunset.

“I’m coming with you. I know the city, and have the contacts if we need them. Normally I would farm this out to an operative, but no time. We need to move out now,” replied Gilda.

“Okay, will do,” agreed Sunset, grabbing her backed saddle bag. “Let’s roll!” She locked the door behind her, then dropped the key into the return box downstairs in the tavern on her way out the door, along with a two bit tip. She followed Gilda out into the night.

They headed straight for the docks. Gilda passed Sunset a rough sewn cloak to wear as they hurried to the docks. “Probably better if they don’t see you. With this on, you’ll just look like another laborer or slave coming in for work. If you prance around with that saddle bag and uncovered they will recognize you for certain. You do kind of stand out.”

Sunset slipped on the cloak, placing it over her saddlebag and pulling the hood up. “Good point, and thank you,” she stated as she briskly trotted beside the griffin.

“No problem,” answered Gilda. “Pays to be operationally aware.”

“Noted,” sighed Sunset, thinking of her recent mistakes.

As they neared the docks, they slowed, trying to blend in with the others heading in for work loading the ships along the riverbank for morning departures. Already there were crews at work loading and unloading cargo, and passengers trying to shift their way through the maze of work, attempting to get to their berths before their dawn departures.

Sunset was surprised to see a fair number of ponies among the crews and passengers, though among the latter they appeared to be the hired for the traveling griffs rather than the actual passengers themselves, as they were hauling baggage for the most part. They were almost universally clothed like herself, with a cloak thrown on, though only a few had their hoods raised. And most of the ponies had leather collars with metal tags on them.

“Surprised to see so many ponies here,” commented Sunset to Gilda under her breath. “And what’s with everypony wearing a cloak? That some sort of fashion here? And the leather collars?”

“No, they wear the cloak out of respect for their employers or masters. We griffs don’t have your cutey marks, and most griffs resent them and think they’re just another way of ponies being speciest. So they make their pony staff cover them up to avoid stirring up resentment.” She grimaced, “And the leather collars are for slave, or indentured servants. The metal tag in them is their slave id, showing they are registered with the crown.”

Sunset looked around again. “That’s a lot of slaves,” she noticed. “How did so many ponies end up slaves here?”

“Most of them are more what we call indentured,” clarified Gilda, as they continued through the throngs of workers and passengers moving on and off the ships. “The difference being, indentured are contracted to be slaves for a set amount of time in return for the promise of livelihood and an initial payout. Ponies here working as indentured servants were generally looking for a better life, and had nothing but debt and no future where they were. So selling 20 years of their life for a shot at something better while getting to pay off whatever they were leaving behind seemed worth it to them.”

Sunset nodded. “I guess I can see the appeal to that.”

“Not much different then signing on as crew for some of these ships, just longer duration,” agreed Gilda.

Sunset saw a familiar Griff in the distance, getting onto one of the ships being loaded. “That’s her! That’s the griff that flew out of the back of my tent when I was attacked helping the Major,” she whispered.

“Where? Which ship?” asked Gilda quietly. “And are you sure? I know we look a lot alike to you ponies.”

“I’m sure, I’ll never forget that griff,” whispered Sunset tersely. “And I’m not most ponies. But point taken.” She squinted, trying to read the sign before the boarding plank on the ship. “I can’t make it out completely, but it looks like it says Intrepid,” she answered.

“Ah, yeah they haul a lot of stuff between here and Kludgetown. Makes sense. That’s Captain Celaeno’s ship.”

“Who?” asked Sunset.

“She’s a pirate. Works this route as a side gig to keep up appearances and pay the bills. Piracy is not what it used to be with our navies on patrol,” grinned Gilda.

“Glad to hear that,” smiled Sunset. As they neared the ship, two sailors stepped out and drew the plank up, securing it to the rigging.

“Damn it. They’re leaving early. I guess they got everything they needed and were heading out before the rush,” swore Gilda. “Sorry Sunset, we’re too late.”

“No! No no no no,” groaned Sunset, watching them drop the lines and rig the sail, pulling away from the dock. “Damn it!” She saw the Griffins again, looking out over the stern as they departed. “That’s definitely her. So they are certainly going to Kludgetown?” asked Sunset, watching them sail out to the middle of the river and head down current towards the bay.

“Yup, that’s the only run she makes. If they’re on that ship that clinches it,” confirmed Gilda.

“Okay, so how am I going to get to Kludgetown ahead of them?” asked Sunset. “How long will it take them to sail to Kludgetown?”

“Not as long as you are thinking,” replied Gilda. “The Intrepid is a hybrid. As soon as they are out in the bay and clear of obstacles, they will take to the air. The Intrepid is an airship.”

“Ah crap. This just gets better and better,” groaned Sunset. “So again, what’s my next move?”

The best that could be arranged with such short notice was to secure passage on another airship headed to Kludgetown, leaving with its cargo and passengers at the normal time after sunrise. Gilda passed her a bag of bits and gems to help her secure the release of the slaves, and paid for her passage on the ship, then bid her good luck, promising to send a dispatch to Canterlot with the status of her operation.

Sunset thanked her for all the help she had been and retired to her berth to wait for the sunrise and their departure.

Sunrise came, and within the hour they were off. Sunset watched from her porthole like the others, as all passengers were restricted from the deck during departure. Too much going on in too small a space to have gawkers wandering around taking in the sights.

Just as the Intrepid had done, the ship lifted out of the water when they reached the middle of the bay, the crew shifting the rigging for sails more appropriate to an airship. Once the lines were secure and properly lashed, the deck was secured and the passengers were allowed to come out on the deck.

Sunset emerged with the other passengers, still wearing her rough cloak and glad for it, as the weather was noticeably cooler above the cloud cover where they were sailing. She looked around, watching the Griffin families hold their chicks up so they could see the clouds and skies over the railing, sharing their joy at the wondrous sight below. “It may not be as fast as a chariot, but I can see where it would have its advantages,” thought Sunset as she watched them with a smile.

Sunset stayed on deck, enjoying the fresh air and the antics of the griffin chicks, excited for what was clearly their first flight as they excitedly dashed around looking out at the clouds, sea, shoreline, and occasional islands as they cruised to their destination. Smiling to herself, Sunset pulled the cloak closer around her, glad for the warmth it provided.

In the distance, she spied a small storm cloud drifting along, looking like it was going to pass nearby. Watching as they neared it, she noticed a strange glint reflect for a moment from it, then it was gone.

“That’s odd,” she thought. “I wouldn’t have thought clouds could reflect like that.”

She was about to turn away when she saw a frigate burst from the cloud on a collision course with their broadside. “Hey, someone, what’s that?” she called out loudly, pointing.

The griff of the watch turned and noticed it too, immediately sounding the bell and yelling. “Attack from the Port! Griffs to your Cannons! Griffs to your Cannons! Attack from the Port!” The crew immediately leapt into action, jumping into the rigging and running down into the ship, opening the cannon ports and loading and priming the port side cannons. The ship's mate was herding the passengers down below decks, worried hens scooping up their chicks as they all raced below to huddle in the center of the hold. Sunset ignored them, staying at her spot watching the attacking ship close on them.

There was a flash and a sharp retort, and the rigging snapped and shredded as buckshot flew through it, shredding sails and wounding a few of the crew, who fell to the decks. One unfortunate soul fell off to the side, missing the deck and heading down into the clouds below, unresponsive. Aiming her horn, Sunset tracked him, and with a flash of magic he was teleported to the deck behind her, where he landed with a thud.

The crew scrambled to secure the rigging before it was completely destroyed as another shot rang out. Sunset threw a shield up over the remaining crew members in the rigging as the buckshot tore through again, making short work of the remaining sails. Shaken but unharmed, the crew abandoned the rigging, running over to the helm and gathering poleaxes, preparing to repel any attempts to board them.

The cannons below deck burst with their answering salvo, but as their target was coming head on, they had little beam to shoot at, and only one shot hit the bow of the attacking ship, bouncing harmlessly off the hardwood with no damage due to the angle of the shot.

The fwo attacking forward cannons barked again, both hitting their targets, the cannon ports on the port side of their ship. The remaining cannons replied with their answering salvo, all missing their mark. The attacking cannons barked again, silencing the rest of their port cannons.

“Damn, that’s not good,” mumbled Sunset. “Whoever they have on their cannons really knows their stuff.”

As the ship drew closer, they slipped over to present their broadside, then slammed up against their ship. A Griffin boarding party leapt over the railing, crossbows at the ready while other members of their crew lashed the two ships together. Sunset crouched behind a barrel on deck as they crossed over, quickly teleporting to the far side of the forecastle to watch from behind it as the pirate crew advanced on the defenders, poleaxes at the ready and gathered around their injured crewmates. Sunset stood ready to attack as well, her horn charged, but hesitated, knowing that the attacking ships' cannons primed and ready to fire into them point blank, there would be no way the passengers in the hold could avoid harm.

“Avast, maties, no need to die today!” called out one of the boarding crew, a large Griff with a garish sash and a saber, still strapped to their waist. “You fought valiantly, but you’ve lost, as you can see. Put down yer arms, and surrender peacefully, and there be no need of further bloodshed.”

Looking at the overwhelming number of crossbows aimed at them, the crew dropped their poleaxes and knelt on the deck.

“There be some reasonable mates now, good choice, maties!” nodded the pirate as the crew ran among them, gathering the poleaxes and pitching them over the side of the ship. Several of the crew ran below, and emerged prodding the passengers back up onto the deck, shaking and frightened by the ordeal.

When they were all gathered in the center of the deck, the pirate addressed them. “Now then, me maties. Surely you all know how this works! Me mates and I, we’ll be relieving you of any valuables on your persons, and you’ll all be good little Griffs and stay out of our way. Do as I say here, and we’ll be off on our way shortly, no griff the worse for our little adventure here. Do anything else, and you might not be able to enjoy the rest of your little cruise.”

While two of the party went among the passengers collecting gems, bits, and anything else they may have had of value, another contingent ran below decks, coming back up with anything they could find of value.

While they were doing that, a blast rang out and the ship shuddered. “Don’t worry maties, we haven’t scuttled you. Yet. Just taking out your rudder, don’t want you causing us any trouble after we take our departure. You’ll still be able to limp along to the shore, and tell the fine tale of your adventure with the Griffin Sea Pirates,” teased the pirate.

“Crap,” muttered Sunset from her hiding place. “Guess I need to find a new ride.” Seeing they were not going to harm the crew, she quickly teleported over to the pirate’s deck, hiding behind some barrels and rigging. A short while later, the pirate crew returned to their ship, undoing the lashings as they returned. The passenger ship drifted away. There was a muffled explosion, and the ship started listing downward slowly towards the sea below. Standing before the barrel and rigging Sunset was hiding behind, the pirate nodded in satisfaction.

“Aye, that ought ta keep them out of the air and our feathers, and still let them make it to shore,” he smiled. He walked over to the Mast, nodding in satisfaction as the crew secured the captured booty below decks. Sunset teleported over to the side of the forecastle, looking into the captain's quarters. She teleported again, directly into the captain's quarters, only to see a large griffin hen decked out in a captain's coat bent over a table examining maps, her back turned to her.

“What was that? I thought they were done with the fighting,” she said, looking up and turning around, having heard the pop of Sunset’s teleport. Sunset quickly noticed a drape hung over the wall opposite of where the hen was turning, and quickly teleported behind it.

Striding to the door, she opened it up and called out. “First mate! Front and center, now!” She slammed the door then returned to her maps.

The pirate Sunset had seen on the deck and with the boarding party entered, shutting the door. “Aye, captain,” he responded, coming over to stand next to her. “Ya needed something now?” he asked.

“What’s that racket? I thought you were just stowing the booty, and the fighting be over,” she asked without looking up.

“No racket, captain, the fighting be long over. The booty stowed and we’re under sail,” answered her first mate.

“I thought I heard a shot,” she responded, still going over the map.

“Aye, there be naught o’ that. Mayhap ya heard a rope snapping in the rigging?” he ventured.

“Aye, mayhap. Go check it out then, don’t want no messes in me rigging,” commanded the captain.

“Aye then,” answered the mate, moving off and leaving the cabin.

Sunset figured this was as good a time as any to make her request known. She teleported behind the captain.

“Well, that was quite a performance!” she laughed. “And my congratulations on pulling it off without taking or losing a single life. If you had we would be having a very different conversation,” she smiled.

The captain spun around, eyes wide in surprise. “And who might you be!?” growled the captain.

Just as Sunset was about to reply, the first mate came back through the door. Seeing Sunset before his captain, he drew a dagger from his sleeve and readied to throw it. Before he could, Sunset ripped it from his claw, launching it past the captain's beak and into the wall beside her. She ripped the first mate into the cabin in her magic, slamming the door behind him then blasted him up against the cabin wall pinning him there.

“Now is that any way to treat your paying customers?” Sunset smiled, trotting up to the captain.

Sunset continued. “I’ll make this worth your while. You left me at a bit of a disadvantage there, blowing my ride out of the sky. So, I am feeling generous. In return for your taking me to my destination, I’ll see that you get a little something out of it, and, I’ll agree not to kill you. Seems like a win-win for both of us, don’t you agree?”

“Scurvy dog! There is no way you’ll survive my crew! They’ll rend you limb from limb, and throw the pieces to the sharks below!” swore the captain.

Sunset smirked. “Hm. No. You might think that, but you're wrong. I could rip this ship to shreds right here, with a thought,” she paused to let the captain think on that.

The captain smirked, cocking her head. “You’re a pony, I think I’ll be calling that bluff of yers.”

“You don’t seem to understand whom you're dealing with,” Sunset smiled, tossing back the hood from her cloak. “I’m not just an over entitled unicorn who thinks she’s all that. I do have a reputation, you know. You may have heard of me. My friends call me Sunset. But my enemies call me the Witch of the Everfree. Ring any bells?”

Of course, she was pulling this fully formed from her plot. The only time she had ever been called the Witch of the Everfree was mockingly by her classmates after she became lost in the Everfree on one of their training assignments. She used her magic to form the trees into a shelter, waiting to be found. The first time she had ever used that silly title for anything even remotely serious was on the two brigands who attacked her in the Griffin forest. But, if it kept her from having to kill any of this captain's crew, and got her what she wanted, she wasn’t above taking the pitch and swinging for the fences.

“You got some brass, pony. I’ll give you that,” conceded the captain. “And what, besides me life that’s already mine own, do you suppose you can give me to make this worth the time of me crew and I?”

“To start, a full pardon for whatever misadventures you’ve already been a part of. To sweeten that up, I’ll offer you, uhm.. Let’s call it enrollment, shall we? Enrollment into Equestria’s service as a licensed privateer. It would mean perhaps being a bit more selective about your targets, but it takes the Equestrian navy off your back as long as you keep to the agreement. And whatever you take is yours to keep. Interested.?” asked Sunset.

“And who be you to be offering such fine prizes as this, with such high promises? Much to say and not much to show from where I’m sitting here,” countered the captain.

“Fair enough. But at this point, what have you got to lose?” countered Sunset. “Take me at my word, and take me to Kludgetown. If my word is false, my freedom is forfeit, as I am sure anything I tried at the docks would end up with my capture anyway. But if I'm not false, then you’ve gained a prize.”

“Be true, I could use yer Navy off me back,” mused the captain. “Free me mate, then we'll think on it.” Sunset released the first mate. He walked calmly over and pulled his dagger from the wall, returning it to its sheath. Glaring at Sunset, he went to his captain’s side in whispered conversation.

After several heated minutes, the mate nodded and approached her. “Okay, we’ll take you to Kludgetown. But yer not staying here. Yer stay in the brig until we get there, and no shenanigans.”

“Fine,” agreed Sunset, pulling the hood back up over her head. “Lead on.”

The mate led her out of the cabin, the crew noticing the strange pony in their midst. He led her down into the hold and over to the brig. “You need to put this on,” stated the mate, holding out an inhibitor ring.

“Unless you mean I need to put it somewhere on you, that’s not happening,” commented Sunset.

He stepped into the cell, attempting to grab her by the head and slip it on anyway. She twisted out of his grasp and knocked the ring from his hand onto the floor. She promptly stomped on it, embedding it into the wooden deck.

“Oops, not sorry!” she smirked. “Guess now you’ll have to dig it out if you want it. Feel like trying that too?” she goaded.

“Fine then! Stay here!” he commanded, shutting and locking the door.

“Whatever,” said Sunset, laying out on the straw covered cot to wait.

Bored, Sunset waited for their response.

Some time later, Sunset heard the call to quarters. “Navy ship-o-war! All Griffs to battle stations!” called out the first mate.

Sunset decided to intervene before the crew did something stupid and someone got hurt. Rising from the cot, she teleported directly into the captain's quarters. Seeing no sign of her, she trotted across the cabin and threw the door open. She saw the captain standing beside the first mate, rallying the crew.

“Throw up the white flag and parley!” Sunset called out to the captain. “You won’t survive this! The Navy doesn't deal well with pirates. Time for me to show you I'm not all talk. Trust me!”

The captain looked at her standing in her cabin doorway and scowled. She turned to her mate and nodded. He ran off, lowering their flag and raising the white flag of parley. The captain called out to her crew. “Stand down! Stand down! We’ll try for parley! Stand down!”

Her crew stopped what they were doing, turning to the captain. “Aye, stand down, me maties. We’ll give this pony a chance to prove her salt.” She waved Sunset to her to stand beside her as the Naval ship-o-war came abreast, cannons still at the ready and boarding party primed. A pony with Admiral’s pips hopped aboard, trotting over to the captain and Sunset.

“We don’t usually parley with the likes of you, but you have my interest,” she commented. “Speak quick, or I will end this quicker. What reason do you have for me to not just send you flaming down from the sky?”

“I think I can answer that, Admiral,” commented Sunset, throwing back her hood. “Sunset Shimmer, Battle Mage Corps.”

Surprised, the admiral raised an eyebrow. “Odd place to find a member of the Mage Corps,” she mused.

The admiral suggested they retire to her cabin to discuss the terms of parley. The captain and Sunset accompanied her back onto the naval vessel, past the rows of able bodied sea ponies waiting to board, crossbows at the ready. She led them into her cabin and over to her table, pouring three glasses of scotch and setting a glass before both of her guests. “To your health!” greeted the admiral, raising her glass.

“To your health,” agrees Sunset and the captain, raising their glasses and sipping the fine malt.

“So, Mage Shimmer, what brings you to my fine table this afternoon?” smiled the Admiral.

“I’m chasing after a group of Griffin slavers who raided several villages and took several ponies captive, and are headed to Kludgetown to sell them at the slave market. My previous ride had an unfortunate turn of events, so I’ve contracted with this band of griffins to take me to my destination. In return, I’ve offered them a chance at pardon and a privateers license if they can agree to the rules,” informed Sunset.

“We’re always looking for good privateers,” agreed the admiral. “And as long as this crew has done nothing too egregious, I don’t see any issue with the blanket pardon.”

“Aye, we done not ye need worry about. We don’t abide slavers, we don’t kill or cripple ships unless set upon for our lives, and have no truck with making families orphans,” the captain agreed.

“To that point, I can vouch that the captain and her crew were quite solicitous to the ship I had contracted,” Sunset added with a smirk. “Right before they crippled her and left me needing a new ride while they limped back to the coast.”

The captain rolled her eyes while the admiral smirked. “Admirable, to be sure,” she snarked. “I have no issue with this, and will let you pass unmolested if this is true. What say you, captain?”

“I say, what choice have I? Glad to be of service,” quipped the captain.

“Glad to have you,” nodded the Admiral. “I’ll have the articles of our arraignment drawn up for your signature, then you can be back on your way.” She waved over her attendant, who after whispered instructions left the cabin. The three enjoyed their scotch while waiting.

A short while later, the adjunct returned, document in hoof. The admiral thanked her, taking the document and affixing her signature and seal to it. Sunset did likewise, as did the pirate captain.

Handing the document over to the captain, the admiral smiled. “If that’s it then, you are free to leave. Good hunting!”

They all stood, shook hooves, then Sunset and the captain left, returning to their ship. The ship-o-war crew released their lashings, giving them a push, then moved off, letting them proceed on their way.

Sunset smiled at the captain. “Told you,” she grinned.

The captain grinned back. “Aye, you did at that, pony.”

Enjoying the remainder of their trip as a guest in the captain quarters, Sunset watched out the port window as they dropped below the cloud cover and landed in the bay outside of Kludgetown, sailing in and finding their moorings at the dock. Thanking the captain and her crew for the ride, Sunset disembarked, searching up and down the docks for Captain Celaeno’s ship.

Eventually she found it, all signs of activity on it passed, only a watch bird on deck. Sunset walked up the gangplank, calling out to the bird. “Permission to come aboard? I need to parley with your captain,” she called out.

“And what might you be looking to parley about?” called out the bird, moving to stand before her.

“Looking for some information about a cargo she was hauling, and might be willing to make it worth her while,” answered Sunset.

“This wouldn’t be about them griffin and their weird cargo now, would it?” queried the bird.

“It would indeed,” agreed Sunset.

“Them were right strange folk,” the bird mused. “Aye, fine then, come aboard. We’ll see if the captain be interested in talking with ye.”

Sunset nodded her thanks, following the bird over to the captains quarters, where the bird knocked on the door.

“What is it, Beaks? Kind of busy here!” called out Captain Celaeno from her cabin.

“Got a pony here asking about our passengers, says she can make it worth our while,” answered Beaks.

“Come on in,” replied Captain Celaeno. Beaks led them into the cabin, then left, returning to her watch and shutting the door behind her.

“Have a seat,” offered Captain Celaeno, pulling out a chair next to her at the table she was working at. “So what do you want to know, and what are you offering?”

“Well, I’m tracking a crew of griffin slavers who raided several villages, slaughtering everyone but the few ponies they apparently thought might make them some profit as slaves. I saw them board your ship so followed you here hoping to get the jump on them before they left. Unfortunately ran into a bit of trouble on the ship I took to get her, and was delayed. They cargo you just transported was my ponies, apparently brought here to be sold at the slave market.,” replied Sunset.

“Son of a sea biscuit!” swore Captain Celaeno. “I thought they were acting weird! They wouldn’t let anyone near their cargo, and insisted on carrying it on board themselves. Damn it, I hate slavers!” she growled.

Sunset smiled, relieved to hear that. “What I’m offering is a chance to collect the bounty for rescuing my ponies. If you can provide me passage back to Manehattan once I’ve rescued them, I think that would certainly be worth your while.”

“Aye, it would at that,” agreed Captain Celaeno. “Though between you and I would have done it for free if asked. Slavers leave a bitter taste in my mouth,” she grimaced.

“Well I’m sure you don’t have to take the bounty if you don’t want it,” smirked Sunset. “But a ship doesn’t run for free. Best to be paid when the chance presents, yes?”

“You’re not wrong there,” agreed Captain Celaeno.

“What can you tell me,” asked Sunset.

“They were certainly an antsy bunch. They were the ones that insisted we leave before sunrise, as soon as they finished moving the last of their cargo aboard. We flew straight here and docked, where they were met by another crew of griffins that helped them unload their cargo into wagons. They no sooner finished than the paid the balance of their due, and left with the wagons. I overheard they were headed to the auctioneers paddocks in the central market, which is where all the slave auctions are held as well,” provided Captain Celaeno.

“How soon can you be ready to embark? Once I have them freed, I may be coming to you in a rush,” asked Sunset.

Captain Celaeno smirked. “Yeah, I’d imagine. I’’ll send the watch out to gather the crew. We’ve already restocked, so we can be ready to go as soon as my crew returns.”

“Awesome,” smiled Sunset. “See you soon then. How do I get to the Central Auction? First time here in Kludgetown,” admitted Sunset.

Captain Celaeno gave her detailed instructions, as well as a letter of introduction in case anyone asked why she was asking around the market. “You can pose as a buyer on retainer to me for an assignment. Nothing opens the beak of a merchant like the chance to do more business.”

“Thank you!” nodded Sunset. “That’s much appreciated.”

“Don’t mention it, the least I can do to help out,” Captain Celaeno replied.

Sunset left, following her instructions to the Auction in the Central Market.

Asking around, she was directed to the Auction board, where she noted the next slave auction was tomorrow morning. Her deadline set, she started looking around for any sign of the griffin crew.

As she was moving around through the stalls around the auction house, she noticed a familiar looking griffin moving to a door in the building behind the auctioneers stage. She knocked twice, a small window slid open, and she said something. The door opened and she passed inside, the door closing behind her.

Sunset waited a few moments, then trotted over to the door and knocked twice also. The window slid open, and a bored Kludge looked out. “Password?” he asked.

Sunset sent a telekinetic blast through the window that knocked his head back. He crumpled to the floor. She teleported in behind him, dragging him behind a nearby table and closing the small window. Looking around, she spied the griffin heading down one of the hallways. She trotted quietly after her.

Following the griffin to the end of the hall and staying out of sight, she saw the griffin stop and chat with two other hens outside one of the holding pens. They then opened the door, and one of the hens entered with her, while the other stayed outside, shutting and locking the door. Waiting a moment, Sunset teleported before the startled hen.

“Surprise,” she whispered.

“What the..” the hen gasped out in surprise as Sunset wheeled and bucked her hard into the wall. She dropped to the floor, completely out.

Sunset hopped up against the door, forelegs pressed against it as she looked through the small barred window. She saw the two griffins talking in the corner of the pen. The ponies she had been looking for were all manacled and chained to one another, six ponies to a chain, their leads locked to posts rising up from the floor.

Channeling her magic, Sunset teleported into the pen between the two startled Griffins.

“Surprise, mother buckers!” she called out, wheeling and bucking the hen behind her into the nearby wall while she grabbed the other in her magic, throwing her up against the ceiling then slamming her down into the ground. She bounced slightly then lay still, both griffin's completely KO’d.

Seeing the sudden violence in their midst, the chained ponies panicked, bucking and pulling against their restraints.

“Whoa! Whoa, whoa!” called out Sunset, moving to calm the ponies. “I’m here to rescue you. Sunset Shimmer, Battle Mage. I’m taking you home,” she comforted them. Hearing this, they calmed, eyes still wide with fright but no longer panicked.

“It’s okay. I have a ship lined up to get you all out of here. Just follow along. Let’s go,” Sunset ripped the locks from the chains, gathering the leads up in her magic and led the ponies to the door. She blasted it open, then led them out and down the hall, past the guard still out under the table and through the door, out into the open market.

The lead auctioneer saw her leading the ponies out into the open market, and sounded an alarm. He stormed up to her and the ponies as several Hench kludges with crossbows and clubs came running at the alarm and surrounded them.

“What do you think you’re doing! The auction is not until tomorrow! Get this stock back into the pen, and you can join them yourself for your audacity!” he stormed.

“What are you talking about?” replied Sunset Shimmer. “I’m making a purchase now! I’m taking my purchase with me and leaving. I’m sure you can agree I am offering a fair price.” She levitated the bag of gems out, opening them and allowing him to get a good look inside.

“Nice,” agreed the auctioneer. “Or I can just take these, kill you, and sell my stock tomorrow like I planned. Kill her!” he shouted out.

Two arrows flew at her, both instantly turned to ash by her magic, immediately followed by the two kludges that fired on her.

“Kill her! Kill her!” screamed the auctioneer. Sunset leveled a blast at him, turning him to ash too.

“Enough!” she called out loudly, knocking every kludge over with a telekinetic blast. As they scrambled back to their feet, Sunset called out. “Who is his second in command?!”

Rising to his feet, one of the better dressed Kludges raised his hand.

“Congratulations on your promotion! Prove to me you have more brains than this crisper here and you may get to go home today. Are you taking my offer?” she shouted at him.

He nodded.

“Good, glad we got that settled. Escort me to my ship!” The kludges formed up around her and the ponies, marching them to the docks. Sunset led them to Captain Celaeno’s ship, where she gave the bag to the Kludge with a warning while Celaeno's crew helped the ponies onto the ship.

“Congratulations, you get to go home today,” she stated. “But if I ever hear you are selling ponies on your block, I will be back, and I promise when that happens, you will have a very bad day! Are we clear?”

The Kludge nodded, taking the bag. Him and his associates moved off, returning to the auctioneer house while Sunset joined the other ponies on the ship.

“Are we good to leave?” she asked Captain Celaeno.

“Loaded and packed. We’re good,” nodded the captain. She turned to her crew. “Okay, let's shag some tail here! Make me proud!”

They pulled up the gangplank and cast off the mooring lines, rigging the sails and moving out into the port harbor. Once they were clear of the docks and traffic, they rigged for flight, and lifted off into the sky, headed for Manehatten.

Sunset watched the approaching Manhattan skyline from the edge of the deck, surrounded by the ponies she had rescued. The first thing she had done after they took flight was rip the chains and shackles from them, then together with them, tossed them over the ships railing into the sea below, celebrating their release from captivity. The crew provided them with drinks and food, and played the concertina while the ponies sang and danced. It was a celebration enjoyed by them all.

As they neared the docks, Sunset shepherded her ponies below decks so they were not in the way of the crew as they landed and sailed into the harbor’s docks, securing a berthing and lashing the mooring lines. Dropping the gangplank, Sunset disembarked with Captain Celaeno and her ponies, taking them to the regional guard headquarters to report in and repatriate her rescued ponies.

While there, she secured the promised bag of gems for Captain Celaeno and her crew. As she handed them over to her, she took out her remaining bag of bits and passed it to her as well.

“I think you and your crew have earned a bit of paid leave on me,” Sunset smiled. “Why don’t you take this and spend it on some fun, and see the city's sights? When’s the next time you’ll get a chance like this?” asked Sunset.

Captain Celaeno took the offered bags with a smile. “Sunset, you spoil us. Thank you!”

“Thank you!” smiled Sunset back. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Go have some fun!”

Captain Celaeno nodded, waving off and heading back towards the docks. Sunset headed back into the regional headquarters, looking for a warm shower and a soft cot. Right after she finished her action report and sent it off to the princess.

Arriving at the castle by chariot much later that evening, she thanked the team that brought her home, and trotted into the castle, heading up to her room. She opened the door to be side tackled by a purple blur.

“Don’t you ever do that again!” cried out Twilight, holding her tightly. “I was so worried about you! Princess Celestia wouldn’t tell me anything about what was going on, just that you were ‘fine’ and would be coming home when you finished. But I overheard the other guards talking about your team and how horrible it was with what happened. And I thought for sure you were dead or something!” she wailed.

Sunset pulled Twilight up into a hug, snuggling her tightly. “I missed you, little sister,” she smiled, a tear falling down her cheek. “And don’t you know? I’m too stubborn to die!” she smiled.

“You dummy! Nopony is too stubborn to die! What if you had been hurt! Who would I study with then?” Twilight complained tearfully, snuggling tightly to Sunset.

“Not gonna happen,” smiled Sunset, snuggling back. “I’d never leave you like that.”

Giving her one more squeeze, she scruffed her mane. “I really did miss you,” Sunset smiled at her.

“Jerk!” Twilight hugged her tightly.

Dropping her bags on her bed, she lifted Twilight onto her back. “It’s almost dinner time. Want to go see if the princess wants to eat with us?” she asked, trotting out of her apartment and shutting the door. Twilight nodded, happily buried in her mane.

Together they trotted to the princesses private dining room. A guard was standing outside the door as they approached.

“Wow, she beat us there tonight,” noted Sunset. Twilight looked up from her mane to see the guard.

“The princess is inside waiting,” the guard instructed. “Go right in.”

Sunset nodded, opening the door and entering. There was Celestia, pouring over a pile of reports with a cup of tea levitating next to her. She took a sip, noticing her students entering. She grinned. “Took you long enough,” she laughed, putting the reports aside.

“A few days longer than I thought it would,” agreed Sunset, placing Twilight in the seat next to the Princess and sitting down next to her.

Celestia cocked an eyebrow, so Sunset just smiled and shrugged, getting a smirk from the princess.

“So, not to put a damper on the evening, but how is the Major doing?” asked Sunset. “I heard nothing since I left for Kludgetown.”

“She’s angry. And she has a lot of recovery ahead of her. But she's a determined mare. She’ll bounce back, with time,” answered Celestia.

“Happy to hear it,” nodded Sunset. “I don’t blame her for being angry. That should never have happened. I screwed up. I led the raiders right to them. I had no idea, I wasn’t staying situationally aware,” she castigated herself.

“And you learned. Yes, it was unfortunate. But unfortunate things happen in combat. Just learn from what happened, and do what you can to keep it from happening again. And it will happen again,” promised the Princess. “No pony is perfect. Not me, not you, no one.”

Sunset nodded. “Still though. It is my fault. I wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to see me again.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” answered the Princess.

Twilight had a thousand questions about what happened, so with the princesses permission, she regaled them with a sanitized for fillies version of the events and the rescue. Twilight listened with stars in her eyes, hanging onto every word her big sister spoke.

When dinner was over, Celestia thanked them for the company, and bid them good night. They trotted back to Sunset’s apartment, where she drew a bath before bed. Twilight insisted she wanted to join her, so they bathed together, scrubbing and soaking while Sunset asked Twilight all about what she had done while she was gone, giving her a chance of her own to brag a bit.

Smiling as she listened to Twilight relate all the different spells she had mastered, Sunset relaxed in the warm water, letting the pleasant conversation and the heat wash away the stress of the last few days.

When Twilight finished her tale, thoroughly pruned, they dried and headed into bed. Sunset snuggled her dear little friend who smiled while dropping off into sleep holding her tightly. With a smile of her own, Sunset joined her in restful repose.

Author's Note:

Sunset’s reference to herself as The Witch of the Everfree is a shout-out to MagnetBolt’s The Witch of the Everfree which is the start of an absolutely awesome set of stories that I highly recommend reading to anyone.

Comments

[Babroniedad]

In case it wasn't completely obvious, The Battle Mages of the Mage Corps in this story are inspired by the State Alchemists from Fullmetal Alchemists, and also by the Texas Rangers. One Riot One Ranger.

[Velvet-Fresh]

How old is Gilda here? isn't she like same age range as Dash? And Twilight. Junior Speedsters!