Ballad of a Pirate

by Skywing the Mutant

Surprise, surprise

I stood on the docks of Baltimare, staring out over Horseshoe bay. The dark blue water reflecting the sunlight in a brilliant display of light. I pulled my panpipes off my back using my magic as I walked, and began to play a simple, relaxing melody.

Before I go any further, I should probably introduce myself, right? I am Star Whistle the unicorn, born and raised in Hollow Shades, a small forest town northeast of Canterlot. I am a minstrel by trade, and my preferred instrument, as you would guess, is the panpipe. I used to own a music shop at home, but one day I decided to get away from it all for something exciting. What could be so exciting, you ask? Why, traveling, of course. I’ve been over the northeastern province of Equestria, and a bit into the Crystal Mountains. Not much, but enough to learn just how bad it is to be frozen in a block of ice. When I heard there was a pony with a ship, looking for a crew, I felt a need to at least check it out.

I stopped a few minutes into the song, as I didn’t have much time to waste wandering around. I turned, and calmly walked down the pier. Looking for a ship by the name of Posideon's Compass, and it’s captain, Skywing.

Eventually, I found what I was looking for what I was looking for. The ship was a bit retro in the style of which it was built, by which I mean it uses sails, rather than one of the new zeppelin attachments, making air travel impossible. It was a relatively small ship as well, and I could see a couple ponies running around on deck, doing various tasks.

I put my panpipe away in it’s case, and stood on a small platform, which I then levitated over the small distance, onto the ship.

A light blue earth-pony stallion stopped as he ran by, and just stared at me, before asking, “What the buck was that?”

I rolled my eyes, “I levitated the object I was standing on with simple magic, thereby giving myself a temporary flight. Now, may I speak with the captain?”

He just pointed to the area near the wheel, where a bright-green mare with REALLY messy hair was standing, just watching everything. I slowly approached the mare, and said, “Hello, ma’am, my name is Star Whistle. I heard that you are currently looking for a crew, and came to try to join.”

She only stared at me before hitting me from behind hard with something made of glass. “Don’t you dare call me that.”

“Don’t call you what?” I asked, holding my head, and thinking Damn, of all kinds of people, the captain has to be a crazy pony.

The mare turned to the crew and ignored me completely “Alright this is your final chance, make sure you have everything you need!”

“Yes sir!”

… Sir?... Oh, NOW I see what I did wrong!... Oops. I thought as I slowly stood, making sure my panpipes weren’t broken, then myself... What? They were damn hard to make right, and I don’t want them breaking on me!

The captain turned to me with the look of distrust, I can’t really blame him. “Don’t make me rethink letting you on board.”

“Yes sir.” I said, trying my best not to begin to rub the spot he hit to try to soothe the pain. “I won’t.” Well, at least I get to try sea-travel out I wonder how different it will be from boating on the rivers.

The crew scrambled to make their final preparations. “Caramel, up here.” Skywing ordered from his spot.

The well built, light amber stallion made his way to us, “Aye, Captain?”

“We’re short on room at the moment, so I’m forced to have the colt stay with you. and tell Thor she has the wheel.” Skywing then immediately turned around and descended the stairs and retreated to his quarters.

“Aye sir,” He said and ran over to a light brown mare with a Hammer and lightning cross cutie mark.

I walked down the steps to the pony Skywing had called Caramel, “Need any help?”

“Not particularly, why d’ya ask?” He said, as he hefted a barrel onto his back, and began to take it below deck.

“Just thought that since the captain say’s we’re sharing a room, I might as well try to help as much as possible.”

He paused, before pointing to a pile of barrels and crates “Get as many of those to where I’m puttin this one.”

I nodded, and charged my magic, picking up nearly all of them at once, organizing them into a straight line, and having them go behind him, following him directly to wherever the storage area of the boat was.

“So you’re the Captains last decision?” The light brown mare trotted up to me. “You don’t look like much, yet again I don’t look like I could kick caramels ass.”

I processed what she said for a moment, before responding, “If you’re judging me by my physical characteristics, a lot of things will be surprising.” I said as I slowly made the trail of barrels follow caramel perfectly down the hallways, and picking up the rest as the first were put down.

“Yeah, uh’huh” She didn’t seem that impressed. “Listen, you’re going to need more than magic to make it on the high seas.”

“I know that, and one doesn’t exactly become weak after spending their life traveling through forests and swamps.” I said as I looked around the ship.

“Good, now we know you won’t wimp out.” I honestly think she’s just trying to get me mad.

At that exact moment, I put down the last barrel in the storage area, and turned to face Thor. “I came here for one reason, to see things I haven’t seen before, and there is no way I would back down from it.”

She grins at the end of my sentance starts to trot off. “Just remember your place, and I’m his second in command.”

I decided that I should at least see the inside of the ship before we were moving, and went below deck. To my surprise, the technology used on the ship was top notch. Almost everything on the ship ran on magical power, stored in gems. Lamps, locks, cannons, and such. The fact that Gem-powered cannons are actually being used outside the royal navy itself was a shock, especially considering that this looks a rather modest ship from the outside.

“Piece of beauty ain’t it” I spun around to see Caramel had followed me down below deck.

“Yeah, I’ve only heard of gem cannons, and from what I had heard, they aren’t even available for purchase because the materials are so rare.” I said, eying one of the cannons, and getting an... Urge to tinker with the mechanics a little. You know, see how it worked.

“Well I’m not sure where he got these, but something tells me there’s more to it.” The light amber stallion rubbed his neck as a dark thought passed through his head.

“I wonder...” I said looking at the cannon for a few more seconds, before looking up, “Eh, I’ll think about it later. How long ‘till we set sail?”

“Not sure, let’s get top side and wait for orders.” Caramel seemed eager to leave, as interesting as the equipment is I couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous down here.

“Lead the way,” I said, and followed the light brown earth pony out.

As soon as we got topside Thor trotted up to the wheel. “Raise anchor we set sail now.”

A black glow covered the chain’s holding each anchor, and began to be lifted out of the water, and set up properly.

“... How did-” I began.

“Shush,” A yellow pegasus with a golden and black striped main and tail said, “Wait for orders, you don’t want to anger Thor.”

“Permission to come aboard?” A commanding voice came from the docks just before we set sail, the same kind that always comes from a Royal Guard.

Thor trotted to the side of the ship to get a good look at him, with the rest of us following. “State your business.”

“We are looking for a wanted criminal that we believe is here at port.” The guard stood like a statue, something that confused me and at the same time fascinated me. How do they do that?

“New guy, get the captain.” Thor looked directly at me when issuing her orders.

“Yes ma’am!” I said as I ran up the steps, and into the captain’s quarters. “Sir, you’re needed on the deck, something about guards looking for a wanted pony.”

The captain’s quarters was surprisingly empty, only Skywing and a board made of stone. “What now?”

“Royal guards are asking to come onboard the ship to look for a wanted pony they believe is at this port.” I quickly explained.

Upon hearing that, Skywing stormed out with the board. I followed him and looked just in time to see him jam the board into the guards neck. “Is he the only one?”

“... I don’t know.” I said, staring at the dead guard, “He was the only one I saw, but there could be others.”

“Yeah, we’re in deep shit.” Thor look into the sky as an airship controlled by the Royal Navy came our way. I followed the direction she was looking in and felt my jaw unlatch.

“Let me guess, we’re fighting our way out of this?” I said as I face-hoofed.

Skywing took the dead royal guard’s armor onboard, then spoke. “Damn right.”

I levitated my panpipe off my back, and held it up, “Very well, I’ve been working on this amp.” Oh, did I not talk about that? My panpipes are enchanted to have various effects on all who hear, which I call ‘amps’.

“I want all of their armor.” Thor made the command as the ship came within striking distance.

I didn’t respond, beginning to play. Another thing about my amps, the sound of other instruments just seems to... come out of nowhere while I play. Anyway, the song was mostly just a buff for the purpose of making those who hear/heard it temporarily stronger.

Cannon fire came from the airship, and one managed to hit the very tip of the bow. “Hey, I just bought that! Okay, I’m pissed.” I heard Skywing say.

“You’re always pissed.” Thor stated.

As I reached the end of my song, I opened my eyes to see that the guards had managed to not yet reach a distance they could have heard my song from. I grit my teeth, and began to build up magic in my horn, using a small amount to put the panpipe down against the mast of the ship. I then flowed all the magic underneath my hooves, and jumped. The magic shooting me up toward the guard ship, and slamming me through the wall of the ship, as well as two guards.

“STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!” One of the remaining 4 guards in the room shouted, running toward me. I picked up the sword of one of the fallen guards in my teeth, and charged the guards. About a foot away, I cast a fire spell, creating a cone of flame from my horn, and roasting them alive. I then killed the flame before it could become too much to control, and looked over my work with a single thought. Well, shit.

Skywing appeared on the other side of the airship, and as I looked at him, it became apparent that he is extremly pissed. “Y-yes captain?” I asked, dropping the sword.

As soon as he stepped aboard the airship, his board flew to the right. He remained silent as he approached me, and stopped a foot away from me. A moment later the board came back and hit me on its broad side. Before I could realise what had happened, the board’s sharp side was at my neck. “You listen to me, and you listen good. You don’t do anything without my order, got it? You don’t fight, you don’t jump ship, you don’t even use magic without my order. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

“Yes captain, I understand.” I said, my eyes wide as I tried both to listen and keep the sharp part of the board from getting my neck.

“Good.” Skywing lifted the board off of my neck. “You’re taking everything down, after you set fire to this ship.”

“I understand, just one question,” I said, “Immediately, or on a signal?”

“Now.” Skywing got back on his board and flew back to his ship.

Looking around, I noticed crates all throughout the room, as well as the fact that I was bleeding from my head and neck a little. I decided to ignore the latter for the moment, and focus on the former, prying open a crate with the sword in my mouth, I found that inside was, of all things, smaller boxes filled with gunpowder, and felt an evil grin spread across my face. Oh, I know what to do here... but first... I thought as I turned to the guards that had been killed, and began to remove their armor, weapons and such, and put it into an empty crate that was in one corner. I moved the crate to the edge where I had burst in, before turning around, shooting a ball of fire onto the crate of gunpowder, and jumping out with the crate of equipment held firmly under me. I then used a more complex levitation spell to slow my descent enough that when the crate touched the ship, there was not so much as a small cloud of dust that formed beneath it, and at that moment, the guard ship exploded.

Thor grinned as I landed back on the ship. “That was impressive, you got all their armor and still pissed off Skywing.”

I paused for a moment, “In what way is that impressive?”

“Killing that many guards would make him happy, normally.” Thor smirked. “I know I’m happy.”

“He was pissed because I acted without orders, at least that’s what he said.” I said, rubbing the spot where his board nicked my neck.

“You’ve earned your place in the crew” Thor patted me on the back as Skywing came out of his quarters with a rolled up flag.

The light blue earth pony from before looked at him, and said, “We setting sail, captain?”

Skywing brought down the Equestrian flag and raised a new one in it’s place. The flag unraveled, to reveal itself as a modified Jolly Roger. The flag was that of a particularly pissed off mare’s skull with the captains cutie mark over forehead. Why am I not surprised? I thought as I stared at the flag, Eh, it’s better than being wanted for just killing the guards on that ship. “Welcome to the Mutant’s Crew... What was your name again?”

~End of Chapter One

Author's Note:

A fanfic done by me and Morning Dawn.

Comments

[RavensDagger]

Cute.

[Mondays Dawn]

2261525 ... What part of that is 'cute?'

[RavensDagger]

2264501
I found it okay.

My jaw didn't drop at the prose, but it wasn't bad either. The charcter's okay and the setting seems all right.

I can't give a person a vague compliment?

[Mondays Dawn]

2264510 Fair enough. I was confused for a moment >.<