Sky Pirates of Valentine

“One night, Lapiz.” StarStorm told his friend. Lapiz, one of the workers at the inn, was a shy, dark blue stallion, with long, silky silver hair. A unicorn, was getting Star the keys for room 203, where he would be staying for the night. Tomorrow was when they would be leaving. Today was when StarStorm, Ember, and Ava had to give the briefing, explaining to the crew where they would be going.

“S...sure, here you... go.” Lapiz didn’t look at StarStorm.

“Lapiz. What’s wrong?” Star noticed his strange attitude.

“I... just be careful, alright?” Lapiz hovered the keys over to Star, placing it on the tip of his wing feathers. “One of my friends got shot down... I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.” Lapiz quietly mumbled.

“I won’t. Don’t worry bout that.”

“O...okay.” Lapiz entered the staff room, returning back to his paper work. Star moved his wing up, letting the key slide down into his feathers, tucked away.

“Ember, lets go.” Ember had been sitting on a chair, flipping through a book, yawning at its boring content. Hearing his name, Ember got up from his seat, threw the book down and followed StarStorm as they went up the stairs to the next floor. “What were ya reading?”

“Just a book about cooking. They had some nice cake in there.”

“Cake?” StarStorm licked his lips at the thought. ‘Buck me... i’m getting one screwed up sweet tooth.’ Sweets always caught his attention. He had bought a packet full of gummy bears, but had already finished on their way to Olympus.

“Geez, Star, don’t you remember that story the ponyville pony told us? Some fillies caught a picture of Celestia getting stuffed with cake. You’re gonna end up like her.” Ember shook his head, stepping his hoof on a sharp object on the ground. ‘Ah, frick!’ Ember ignored it for the time being.

“What, ruler of Equestria and all powerful alicorn that raises the sun? Sure, why not.” Star chuckled.

“No you twit, you’re gonna end up with your reputation shattered, and a bunch of fillies laughing at you.” Ember grumbled.

“Well, i’ll make sure to stay away from any fillies. Shame I can’t say the same thing with you.” Star took a few steps ahead, ascending the stairs a bit faster. They were on level five.

“What?” Ember tried to catch up to Star.

“We all know how hard it is for you to keep your hooves away from little fillies, Ember. Just don’t let them get a picture of you.” Star laughed and flew up the stairs. Ember turned red as a couple passing by gave him a look of disgust, walking away from him quickly.

“Hey! Shut the fuck up!” Ember flew up after Star, but could not quite catch up to him. Star arrived at the floor their room was on, floor twelve. StarStorm waited for Ember at the top of the stairs, and as Ember flew up in his small burst of rage, Star stood still, raising his hoof up to stop him. Ember flew straight into the hoof, tumbling over Star and rolling into a bundle in the middle of the hall.

“Frigging asshole.” Ember brushed himself up, punching Star in the leg, and looking around the hallway at all the rooms. “Which one are you staying at?”

“It’s on my... key.” Star looked at his wings, and saw the key was not in it. “... must have lost it while flying. Ember, go get it.”

“Why the heck should I be the one getting it?”

“Captains orders.”

Ember frowned. “Tch.... whatever.” he said, annoyed, flying down the stairs. The commotion had made Ava, who was staying next door to Star, come out to see what was going on.

“What was that about?” Ava asked. Star smiled, dusting himself off.

“I’m glad they clean the floors round here. So, is everypony ready?”

“Yeah, everypony is meeting at the ship today, at around three o’clock. I wonder how many will leave...” Ava shrugged off whatever Star was doing, scratched his mane.

“I wonder how many will live.” Star looked left and right, and could hear Ember coming up the stairs. “You know where Blue is at?”

“She’s downstairs. Why?”

“I want to know what her job is going to be when we’re on the ship. I didn’t really ask and just... let her join.” Star looked at Ember as he arrived on their floor.

“Here’s your bloody key.” Ember spat it out in front of Stars legs.

“Classy, Ember. Classy.” Ava rolled his eyes, going back into his room.

“Where are you going?” Star asked him.

“I’m going to work out the costs and how many supplies we’ll need to keep the crew alive. I’ll be at the briefing though, i’ll see you there.” Ava entered his room, closing the door behind him and got to work. Star and Ember stood out in the hallway, and turned their heads as they heard a door open, but it was just a pony leaving his room.

“So. Wanna see Blue?” Star began walking upstairs.

“What blue?”

“Not the colour, the mare.” Star laughed. ‘I need to think of a better nickname for her sometime...’

“Wait. Is she that mare I talked to at the tavern?”

“Yup. That’s her.”
“Yeah... okay. Fine. Lets go.” Ember followed, looking down. Star forgot to ask Ava which room she was actually in, but he’d probably find her eventually.

“Forgot where to find her. Knock on doors till you get her room.” Star ordered Ember.

“Lazy bastard. Ava is right there, lets just ask him.”

“Let him deal with his work.”

“Whatever.”

Star got to the floor above them, and looked around. ‘Why did I let her join...’ he thought to himself. He thought back, far back... and remembered all his friends, she... she reminded him of a friend of his.

“Keep knocking rooms, you take the right side, i’ll take the left.” Ember did as he was told, knocking on a door, apologizing to any ponies that aren’t Blue.

Star kept thinking on that night. Of course, with all the ponies he’d met over the years, eventually, one was bound to be similar to his friend. ‘...hm. Don’t get too attached...’ Star repeated to himself, his smile turning into a blank, emotionless face. ‘Don’t get too attached.‘ Knocking on a few doors, he did not find Blue, and apologized to all the ponies that answered.

“Star! Found her.” Ember stepped back as Blue got out of her room, looking for Star, spotting him, she walked towards him.

“What’s up, Buttercup?” Blue said humorously.

“I forgot to ask you before. What’s your job?” StarStorm smiled at her. It was nice to see her again. Although buttercup might be a tough name for him to get adjusted to. “You do have a job, right?” Star couldn’t quite remember what they talked about back at the inn.

Blue looked into his eyes, and Star could see something... for a moment, she did not look like Blue. But only for a moment, and after that moment had passed, she just smiled and hopped around him. “I paint clouds! I’m a cloud painter.”

“A... wh- why would- what? Why do clouds need to be painted?” Star turned his head around as she circled him, trying to keep up with her.

“Because if we don’t paint them white, how else are you going to see where the clouds are?” Blue chimed. Star was baffled. He had never heard of a cloud painter. Ember was listening in, and he too seemed at a loss.

“So... can you do anything else?” Ember asked for Star.

“I can do StarStorm~” she giggled back at him, continuing her little prance.

“Enough of this. Lets get back to the ship and wait till the briefing...” Star pushed her away, bored of the charade, and going down the stairs.

“Wait! I can also do navigating.” Star stopped, hoof hovering in mid air.

‘Navigator...’ Star remembered his early days. When he was the navigator. “So, you’re a navigator too, eh? Where would a mare who paints clouds for a living learn how to navigate the skies?”

“I learnt it from my dad, he was a sailor like you guys. He took me onto a ship when I was little, which is why i’m so interested in everything.” Blue brought up. The two stallions looked at her, and back at each other.

“Now come on, lets go. You’re our navigator Blue. Do what you do around now.”

Heading back down, Star got to his room, opening his door, glanced around at the hotel room. ‘It seems alright.’ Star said, his face lightening up. “Guess I could stay here till this ship is finished being repaired.” Leaving the hotel, Star and Ember decided not to take the crowded streets around this time, but flew instead.

“Hey! It’s going to be three in a bit!” Ember yelled over the wind as they flied.

“Yeah, that’s why we’re leaving now! Ar- PFT!”

“What?!”

“Something got in my mouth!”

“Probably just a ... bug...” Ember began to slow down, and Star right after him. As they hovered in mid air, they both looked up, as small, glistening objects fell from the sky. Star spat out the thing in his mouth, which he had kept in his cheek, since he couldn’t spit it out properly while flying. The small object landed on his hoof, and seemed like a scale.

“Hey... they don’t have dragons round here, right?” Star stared at the object.

“No... Look!” a shadow in the air above them blocked out the sun, and was falling towards them at a high speed.

“MOVE!” screamed a voice from a nearby cloud. It came from a pegasus, and to StarStorms surprise, the same pegasus he met at the shop. Another voice became audible, it sounded like the earth pony he also met at the shop, screaming, getting louder and louder as the shadow got nearer. The pegasus jumped out from his spot on the clouds, leaping towards the shadow, which could now be recognized as a creature of some sort, tackling it and holding it down on a cloud next to Star and Ember.

“Got her! She’s a big on, eh?” the earth pony said gleefully, stamping on the creatures chest.

“Not the biggest we’ve hunted so far, but somewhere along the higher-ups.” the pegasus replied to his comrade.

“The heck is that thing?!” Ember yelled.

Both ponies looked up at the two, remembering they were there. “This, my friend, is a manticore!” bellowed the earth pony. Star grinned, flying towards them and landing next to them on an adjacent cloud.

“I didn’t know you could hunt those out here...” Star kicked the manticore in the shoulder lightly, watching its scared eyes move from pony to pony, breathing rapidly, but not making a sound.

“What?! You know about that thing!?” Ember stayed his distance, still kind of shocked at what was happening.

“Yeah, well, manticore activity has been picking up lately. Not sure why.” the earth pony stayed still, not stepping a hoof on the cloud. Star wondered if he would fall, or if he had some sort of spell to keep him on here. Perhaps a unicorn friend gave him an enchantment that would let him walk on clouds, like he had heard about before.

Curious to know, Star asked. “You’re pretty brave for an earth pony. Never thought i’d meet one in the sky. How are you up here?”

“Rifty flew me up here. Being an earth pony has it’s benefits, ya know? Strong and all. He flies me up here, I land on the little beasty, do some stomping, down she goes. His flying, my strength, that’s how it works.” the earth pony answered, hopping onto his friends back.

“Kale does the tough stuff, I just keep him in the air. If he falls off, I catch him, throw him back up, and keep fighting.” Rifty continued.

“Rifty and Kale... are you monster hunters?” Star chuckled, shaking his head at the two. Extraordinary.

“Yup. We’re not the only ones on our team, we work for a guild... but we’re the only ones around here. Oh, and to make it clear. We are not thieves.” Rifty flew away from the body, ascending, Star following soon after. Ember was seen flying towards the ship.

“Yeah, and you can tell your little friend that, too.” Kale grumbled.

“Hah, heard that, did you?”

“It’s not that hard to hear when she’s screaming it at the top of her lungs.” Star was thinking about while they were walking away, but could now remember hearing her yell it at them in the shop.

“Oh, right. So, what’re you going to do with the body?”

“Well, now we move the cloud down, and place the body on the ground. From there, we’re taking it to a building, where it’ll be shipped off to some crazy pony who wants this for a pet.” Kale held onto his friends back tightly, and Rifty began to descend quickly, landing on the cloud and pushing it down. Star flew after them, and they eventually landed.

“Some crazy pony will want to buy it sooner or later. Get a lot of crazies these days, eh Kale?” Rifty called to his friend, who hopped of his back and kicked the manticore. The manticore was still awake, not even knocked out, but fearful.

‘Like you’re one to talk, guy...’ Star thought. Eyeing them carefully, Star watched as the Manticore got up, limping behind Kale as he walked away. ‘Taming a manticore isn’t that easy... what the hell did you two do to it...’. Star got an idea. Two ponies like these could be useful on the voyage.

“Come on you bastard! Lets go, go!” Kale shouted at the manticore, jogging away. Rifty stayed back to talk with StarStorm.

“Sorry bout your friend.” Rifty quickly said, about to leave.

“Wait!” Kale had left, but Rifty looked back. “I’m captain StarStorm. And... based from what I saw, I could use a bunch of guys like you.”

“Everypony needs guys like us. There’s a reason we get paid so much.” Rifty shrugged.

“Me and my crew, we’ll be getting paid more then you’ll ever be. Heard of Africa?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“... we’re going to be stealing from the merchant lines. And we’re going to need ponies like you. You’ll get your fair share, trust me. With what i’m planning, there’ll be enough for a pony to buy his own ship by the time i’m done. What say you?”

Rifty had a look of interest, his eyes glistening as he imagined the treasure that were stored on those infamous airships. “Heh... we’ll think about it. Where will we find you?”

“In an hour or two on a ship, the big red one, you can’t miss it. Briefing is in an hour.”

Rifty looked for his friend in the distance, and saw him already beginning to disappear behind a line of trees. “After we’ve dealt with the manticore.”

“See you there.” Rifty and Star parted ways, Star to his airship, and Rifty to his partner. ‘That takes care of the security...’ Star thought, flying quickly, hoping to catch Ember before he gave his own speech to the crew. Five minutes of flying, he arrived, and even from a distance, he could see a crowd of ponies huddled onto the main deck of the Harbinger, and saw Ember on the second deck above. ‘Time flies...’ Landing on the ship, Star walked towards Ember. “Hey, how long till the briefing?”

“Thirty minutes. Bout time. What happened?”

“Just got two new crew members, that’s all.”

“Those two maniacs? Great. You always were too opportunistic for your own good.”

“Well, well, well! Look who’s using big words! I didn’t think you would know something like opportunistic. Say, can you even spell it?”

“Piss off.” Ember growled.

“Yeah, yeah, relax, they’ll be useful, trust me.”

“Whatever.”

“It’s too early for now. We’ll wait until every pony is here. Then i’ll give the speech.” Star headed into his quarters, looking around. Coincidentally, Ava was already there, placing maps across the walls, moving certain objects around. “Everything well, Ava?”

Ava flinched at the voice, not noticing Star. “Yup. All ready. Tomorrow’s the day, eh? No going back.”

“No going back. The sooner we get out of here, the better. I’m getting bored. Everything is getting boring. I want to get back into the action.”

Ava rolled his eyes, sighing. It was always like that. Wishing to be back into the action during breaks, and wishing for breaks during the action. “You’ll be crying for home when you get out there, won’t you?”

“Probably will be. With like, you know, the rest of the crew. And you.” Star sat on his bed, lying on his back, thinking about what to say.

“Hey, I don’t complain there’s nothing to do when we’re supposed to be doing nothing, and I don’t complain about having to do everything when we’re supposed to be doing something.” Even with what Ava was saying, he had to agree with Star. Everything so far had been pretty boring, planning, talking, walking. Nothing interesting. But by tomorrow, they’ll be back on their journey. The very fact they were going on one of their most dangerous journeys so far made his stomach feel weak.

“Call me when every pony is here.” Star finished, and stared at the ceiling above his bed.

“I’ll leave you to your thinking then.” Ava exited, closing the doors behind him. He stood on the deck as he watched the crowd of ponies getting larger and larger, the pegasi sitting on the riggings above them, the unicorns and earth ponies talking in groups spread out on the ships deck. ‘They all seem pretty excited... if only they knew...’ Ava began to think, sighing. Who knows how many would have left after they heard this ship was heading for the one of the most dangerous places on this planet. About forty minutes passed, and the crowd had grown considerably. About five hundred ponies, two hundred on the decks, a few in the clouds and tops of the masts, and the rest standing on the ships around them.

Ember couldn’t believe the numbers that showed up. Perhaps their reputation had outgrown them for their own good. Ava looked over the crowd, and opened the door to StarStorms quarters. “Star. It’s time.”

Getting up from his bed, Star took a deep breath, readying himself. He had to look confident. No pony would follow a leader who was to scared to even give a speech in front of a few hundred ponies. His legs began to shake, but he steadied them, and stepped onto the deck, looked out towards the ponies on his ship. Ember was standing to his left, and Ava to his right. As the crowd saw him approach, they became quiet, beside a few mumbles. Amongst the crowd, Star could see Blue, standing alone, not talking to many ponies, instead isolating herself. Suspicious... not like her previous behavior on the other night, and did not match her personality. Star shook his head, focusing on the task ahead.

“Listen up!” Star said with a clear voice. To his own surprise, his voice was louder then he thought, echoing across the ship, and to other ships. All mumblings had ceased, and all eyes were on him.

Time for his speech. ‘Great...’ StarStorm was never good with speeches. “We’re all here for one reason. It’s not for fun.” he looked at different ponies in the crowd, looking them in the eye. They didn’t seem scared. Yet. “We’re here to do what other ponies dare not to. We’re here to steal from powers beyond us, and i’ll admit it, I won’t guarantee you’ll be alive by the end of it.” some ponies were beginning to shift on their spots, feeling uneasy. Many remained determined, ready to risk their lives in order to become more wealthy beyond their imaginations. “We’re not going to be flying over Equestrian waters any more, ponies. We won’t be stealing from your average pony. We won’t be in the same environment.” Star took another deep breath, and from what he could see, many ponies were now confused. They were used to hearing about pony fleets, and had never really thought of any other animals.

“What’s he talking about?” they whispered, glancing at each other.

Star could see from the corner of his eye, Ava, closing his eyes, bracing himself for the reveal. “Friends... we’re going to Africa.” his words were met with murmurs and gasps, it was obvious they knew about the dangers of that land. “You will be far from home. You will meet many different kinds of creatures, hostile and friendly.” around a hundred, from various parts of the crowd, began to leave, hearing enough. ‘Good. The weak ones are gone.’ Star thought. His face remained straight, showing no signs of hesitation or fear.

“But one thing is for sure. If you return from this voyage, you’ll be famous across the world. You’ll be welcomed as legends. Your names will be spoken with fear as they tell stories of us for decades.” with those words, a few ponies returned, their fears overtaken by their fantasies. “If you’re not in the right mindset... if you don’t have the courage... you will be left behind. Legends are not made of cowards. If you’re ready to die for glory, I welcome you aboard. If not... leave while you’re still alive.”

“... yeah, i’m staying.” “... no way that’s going to happen.” “Think of the money!” Mixed responses filled the ship. But to the surprise of Ava and Ember, almost four hundred remained, all ready, grinning, excited, buzzing with chatter about what they would do with their part of the bounty.

“Go take a night at the Olympus inn. Tell them you’re with my crew, and you’ll receive your room. Be here by tomorrow morning, right after sunrise. We take off by ten o’clock. You may leave.” Star stood still, and Ember began to talk to some friends he had made. The pegasi flew away, the unicorns teleported back to the pier, and the earth ponies walked off the board ramp as the crowded ship began to empty.

Ava approached StarStorm, a nervous look on his face. “Did you really need that big fancy speech? You could have just told them where we were going.”

“Ava. Haven’t you heard the tales of Neponian?” StarStorm calmly replied. "A stallion will not have himself killed for bit and a penny, you have to speak to their hearts to rally them."

“Hm... you’re right.” Ava was silenced, and thought back on StarStorms words. “Will we... really be that famous?”

“We will.”

“And rich?”

“We will.”

“Then... lets head to Olympus. I want to sleep as much as I can before we’re back into the action...”

“Okay. Lets go.” Star didn’t feel the need to speak that much anymore. A blue mare stood alone on the deck downstairs of Star and his friends.

“That was a nice speech you did!” Blue squeaked.

“Thanks... so you’re not chickening out? You’re definitely going with us?” Star replied, flapping his wings, getting ready to fly.

“Yep! Riches and glory and whatever!”

“Then I look forward to flying with you, Blue.” Star flew off, tailed by Ava and Ember, and finally, Blue. ‘Tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow. No stepping back. I will become the greatest pirate in pony kind. I will.’