Pipsqueak

by thisnameisironic

Chapters

II - Captured
III - Initiation
IV - Insomnia
VI - Nightmare's Minion
VII Part I - Distractions (Edited)
VII Part II - Shadows of the Past
VIII - A Filler is a Filler
I - Talk of the Town
V - Getting There

II - Captured

Featherweight shrieked.

"A girl! Get away from me, I don't want cooties!" he shouted, clearly the youngest of the group.

Dinky huffed at the boy's rudeness.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?" she asked, but he was already inside the cabin hold.

"You..." the one named Rumble scowled. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to be a pirate! That's what!" she replied.

"A pirate, huh? Well, only boys can be pirates!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"And why can't a girl be a pirate?"

"We're real pirates! This isn't a game!"

Dinky smirked.

"And what do you do then?"

"We explore the skies and seas in search of treasure, fighting off monsters and the occay...occo...sometimes bad pirates!"

"And you're good pirates?"

Rumble realized his mistake and corrected himself.

"N-No! We're the baddest pirates of them all! The Lunar Crusaders!"

While the two continued arguing, Captain Pip was in the background, looking at the new girl. Back in school, he had a bad experience with them: Two girls, made out of money as he'd like to think, made fun of him for lacking a cutie mark. He'd even stay after school because of the moments when he would fight back. Since then, however, he now wears a compass on his flank and has traveled the seas showcasing his bravery and swordsmanship.

This girl was different, though. She had a beauty to her that he didn't mind, and yet a spunky attitude that would make adventuring with her fun. If only she was there at Ponyville, to join his crew at the same time Rumble did. He could see him playing with her a lot. However, she was still a girl, and girls were too different from boys to be pirates. After all, how could she help with making sticky bombs? That's a boy's job. Despite that, he still felt like he could make a place for her to-

"PIPSQUEAK!"

Pip snapped out of his trance. Rumble had the girl's wrists tied by rope.

"What do you want done with her?"

Pip wanted to say something against it, but he couldn't find the words to use to keep his crew's respect.

"In the jail hold!" he blurted, rather randomly.

"Aye aye," Rumble responded.

As Rumble took the girl into the ship, Pipsqueak just stayed there motionless, and questions began to circle his mind. How old is she? She looks around my age. And I'm 10, so that means... he counted what grade he would be in on his fingers. What if she was in fifth grade like me? Is she nice? She seemed funny. Can girls even be pirates? Just then his heart felt warm, something he hadn't felt since he last saw his mother. Why do I feel strange thinking about her? There were so many questions to ask, and his adolescent mind couldn't comprehend such. There was only one question he did know the answer to: Who do you go to when you need to ask questions?

Princess Luna.

Dinky was pushed into the lone jail cell. It was larger than she expected. It looked like it hadn't been used for ages, yet no signs of dust could be found. There was a small bed of hay to sleep on in one corner and a bucket in the other.

"I don't even know how girls use the bathroom, but the bucket's there if you need it," Rumble said. He paused for a moment. "Uh...yeah...listen, I'm sorry. I just don't understand girls, okay? Just be good in there. Pip will decide whether you stay or not."

As Rumble retreated, Dinky used this opportunity to observe her surroundings. The room was lit by a single lightbulb, but it was still bright enough to see clearly...wait, how do light bulbs work on a ship at sea? Ignoring the lack of logic, she noticed a collection of barrels in one corner opposite of her position outside of her cell, smaller than what she's usually seen on the docks. One of them was open, placed near a bucket on the floor. The room was barren except for a rusty sink, a paper towel dispenser, and a step stool. Oh Celestia, I really hope I'm not where I think I am... she thought. That was answered when two pirates slammed open the door, one struggling to hold his bladder.

"You have to learn eventually, Featherweight." Rumble ordered. "You can't be a pirate if you're a wuss." He rushed over to bring the step stool in front of the bucket.

"But I get shy! I have to sit down!" defended Featherweight.

"Come on, I'll leave to let you go if you actually do it."

"But Rumble-"

"What's Captain Pip gonna say when he finds out that you can't pee standing up?"

"But what if it gets on my leg or shorts?"

"Trust me! Plus, Luna can clean us up if she has to. Look, just watch and try to copy me. First, pull down your shorts..."

Dinky took her cue to look away. She didn't know which fact was the most disgusting: a boy teaching another how to pee, standing up and peeing in general, that the one being taught was now half naked as his shorts and underwear were on the ground, or the sounds of pee hitting a bucket or wall. Maybe it was the fact that a boy no older than a first grader is exposing his blank flank rear directly at her. Any one of these was something she didn't want to witness but had no choice.

"This is embarassing and I don't like this!"

"Stop complaining. Don't aim too low, or else you'll drip some onto your pants when you're done."

Much to Dinky's relief, the auditory urine flow was coming to a halt as the younger boy released the last of the liquid into the bucket. Rumble shook his head in disapproval.

"You have a long way to go." he observed.

"I'm sorry," replied a timid Featherweight.

"There's pee all over the wall."

"I know..."

There was an awkward silence, before Rumble spoke up again.

"You know what to do."

"Yes, sir..."

"You aren't in trouble. Just you get to dump the bucket into the barrel."

Featherweight looked in shock.

"You're...you're not making me clean up?"

"Not this time you aren't!" Rumble laughed. "Every time we finish using the bathroom, we dump our pee into the barrels in case we're attacked by a sea monster or bad pirates."

Featherweight gave a nervous chuckle. Dinky could see that he probably didn't clean up after himself before now. Rumble helped the small lad lift the "heavy bucket" (it was light, but said otherwise for Featherweight's confidence) and poured the waste into the barrel. Dinky noticed as time went on that Rumble wasn't a bad guy, but just misled. School hasn't exactly helped between the battle of the sexes. After all, every playground had a similar rhyme, no matter what sex it was targeted to:

Girls go to college
to get more knowledge.
Boys go to Jupiter
to get more stupider!

Pipsqueak looked around the hallway, packets of fruit snacks in his shorts pockets. He opened the door to the massive expanse that was his bedroom. Royal magic could make anything possible, and being blessed by Luna, he and his fellow pirates have their lives (almost) easy. His pirate-themed room, aside from the bed and dressers, had more than his accomplices would live with: Two foam cutlasses hung from the wall for sparring, an antique desk he "stole" sat in a corner for his journal entries, and the ambiance retained similarity to a dark summer evening on the beach, a setting that calmed him from the tense goings of being Equestria's coolest pirate.

In the center of all of this was a shallow open pool, not so much for swimming as it was for bathing. A shower head extended high enough to pour down soapy water onto his always greasy hair. Pirates weren't supposed to be afraid of dirt and grime drying on their skin, but some old habits die hard. Plus, it was Luna's suggestion that he should look "presentable" whenever he comes back inland.

On the very opposite of his entrance was a shrine designed with a crescent moon and array of stars, and despite the dark room, it shined like a nightlight, always visible. Luna said that it was made out of mythril (a word Pip continues to mispronounce), one of the strongest metals in the universe. It wasn't difficult to carry, yet it could deflect any arrow that tried to pierce it. It kind of came with the Lunar Crusader code that one acquaints himself to. Even their swords and cannonballs were made of the stuff, so that it's easy enough for a grade schooler to lift. Plus, it was dark blue, just like the night sky, to match how awesome Luna was.

Pip set his sword (or rather, his dagger,) on the shrine along with an unopened box of fruit snacks and knelt.

"O Night, I sacrifice these...uh...fruit snacks in your name!" he chanted.

The room began to dim, until all light inside was absorbed by the shrine. Before Pip could react, lightning began to spark from the base. Startled, he jumped underneath his bed. Even with the sacrifices, he was still scared of what resulted from them. If there was one thing being a pirate wouldn't help, it was his fear of storms. A cloud of stars emanated from the statue, a mixture of supernovas and nebulae visible within. The sound started to die down, and all light was slowly coming back into view. He heard the opening of a packet and a familiar voice.

"It's been quite literally ages since last I've eaten these."

"Luna!"

Pip dashed from the safety of his bed and hugged the tall princess. Luna chuckled.

"Of course, brave pirate! Now prepare yourself for the Monster of Tickles!"

She lunged at the boy and started attacking him, plucking one of her own feathers and using it as Pipsqueak tried his best to fight off the laughter. Pip loved Luna. She seemed like his mother, in a lot of ways, except for being "a hundred hundred times cooler" and she was playful and nice to whoever she came across. Luna helped Pip remember that he was still childish, and he didn't mind a bit.

"Hahaha...stop!" Pip shouted. "I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"Yes you are you silly ruffian!"

After what seemed like hours of constant giggling, he finally convinced the Princess to stop tickling him. He was about to ask why he summoned her until he realized a wet spot in his shorts.

Note to self: change your clothes after this talk.

"It appears you need a bath, Pipsqueak the Pirate." the princess stated as she pointed toward said wet spot.

"Great, so you saw it too..."

"I know you, Pipsqueak. You tend to get overexcited whenever you see me."

He started taking off his clothes as Luna placed each on a rack, one by one.

"I have to ask you something," Pip began. "A lot has happened..."

So, he began to tell of his story with the new girl.

III - Initiation

As Luna began to get him ready for his bath, Pipsqueak, with no doubt, had enough stories to tell since he last saw his favorite princess: his first battle against the Mega Giant Squid, his newest enlistee Featherweight (his title would come later), and finding an abandoned fortress that they could use as a hideout. However, none of that took the priority that was the new girl. He told Luna everything he could about her: how he found her, her spunky attitude, and of course, his feelings about her that he hadn't felt before when stealing maidens across Equestria (which in all actuality, he made up to sound cool). Luna listened intently, and was more than willing to let out a few chuckles when Pipsqueak stammered talking about her.

"It appears you like her, my apostle," the moon deity commented.

"I do," the bare-naked lad agreed, sitting in what would be knee-deep water had he been standing. "She seems nice and...what's an apostle?"

Luna chuckled, now that the cute pirate had fallen into her trap as predicted.

"A follower, basically," she answered, as she was shampooing his head. "It was used during a more ancestral time, when pirates and knights fought valiantly against each other. But enough talk about the past, let's talk about how to kiss your new friend."

Pipsqueak's smile quickly faded, as he started to feel a mix of embarrassment and shock. What was she talking about? Kissing? Disgusting! She was a girl, and kissing was so gross he wouldn't even let his mom do it. Did he say something wrong? All he said was that he liked her...

Oh no...

"I..." Pipsqueak was trying to retaliate but couldn't find the words, so he blurted. "I don't like girls! They're gross and icky and have weird smell!"

Luna, however, instead of frowning at the comment, only grinned larger.

"Is that so, Captain?" she playfully questioned. "Because if I remember what you said correctly..." Luna stopped bathing the boy and transformed into the image of Pipsqueak himself, capturing his accent to the tiniest detail. "I like how she acts. Something about her seems adventurous and fun to be around." Luna changed back to her normal form, seeing Pipsqueak's look of defeat.

"Okay, okay, I like her," he admitted guiltily. "To be honest, that was kind of the reason I summoned you in the first place." He thought for a moment. "That, and I want to know if she can be a pirate. I don't see many girl pirates." He shivered as a magic ball of lukewarm water is dropped on his head to wash off his hair. "AH! Watch it!"

"My apologies, Captain," Luna chortled as she warmed the water to a higher temperature, careful not to scald her little pirate.

"So, can you tell me about her?"

Luna took a deep breath before giving her answer.

"Unfortunately, I cannot."

"What? Why?!" the pirate reacted.

"That would require me telling you what her dreams are, and such are to remain secret," she replied as she requested Pip to stand up to wash his legs and feet.

Her favorite pirate sighed in disappointment.

"I can tell you this, however," she reassured him. "She would make a great pirate."

"But can girls be pirates?" he asked.

"Maybe not in the past, but as Princess of the Night I assure you that she can be the first."

"Captain?" a young boy called out from the ajar door.

Pip screamed as he quickly covered his groin to the best of his ability and sunk down into the bath. Featherweight immediately covered his eyes, embarassed to see what he just saw.

"FEATHERWEIGHT! You have to knock!"

"I'm sorry!" the boy cried. "I didn't mean to!"

"Oh, and who is this?"

Luna walked over to the tike-sized boy, the only currently shorter than Pipsqueak, as he stood nervous in the air of royalty.

"I'm...I'm Featherweight!" he replied. "P-P-Pirate of the Lunar Crusaders!"

He let out the cutest "Arrr!" imaginable for a boy roughly in the first grade.

"He's so adorable! I just wanna snuggle him!" the princess exclaimed, forgetting to hold back her RCV, as she lifted Featherweight and rubbed her cheeks against his face like a cat.

"What is the reason you're here, Featherweight?" Pip said, still covering his exposed body inside the bath.

"Rumble told me to tell you that we're leaving soon," he responded once Luna finally set him down. "He said we have to take care of the girl."

Almost time to leave? But it's not sunset already, is it?

"Yes...um...bring her to my room," he replied as he grabbed his favorite treasure map towel and climbed out. We're initiating her."

Featherweight's eyes widened in panic.

"B-B-But she's a girl!" He exclaimed. "Girls can't be pirates! And...And she has cooties!"

"As girls think of us, Feather," Pip responded calmly as he walked toward him. "After all, cooties are the same thing as lice, and I can tell you that she does not have any. You, on the other hand..." as he picked out a white buggy speck, "could use some cleansing. My bath's done, isn't it Luna?"

"Indeed it is, Captain. I believe you expect me to destroy the 'cooties' on his head?" she asked expectantly. She loved Pipsqueak, but sometimes he let his position of responsibility get the better of him, even in front of a princess.

"Can you?" Pip asked as he put on his now-cleaned pirate attire, ignoring a staring Featherweight. "He just joined a couple weeks ago, so I doubt he's had a proper wash since. I still have a lot to teach him."

"And your Ponyville friend, Rumble?"

"Of course, but at least he at least uses the showers."

"Okay, now shouldn't you get to initiating your new crew member?"

"I know, I know!" He rushed out of his room with Eclipse before she could finish. Luna turned to find Featherweight already following Captain's orders (or rather, what he implied). However, it was clear that Featherweight wasn't comfortable with the idea.

"It'll be okay," the princess assured. "My name's Luna. Now, come into the bath. It won't hurt...much."

Dinky didn't know how much longer she could live in this cell. The bathroom-jail was more disgusting than she already thought it would be. In just the span of an hour, she encountered about half a dozen spiders; her reaction to one skittering out of her toilet bucket while in use could leave much to the imagination. She wouldn't dare touch any sort of bug, especially one that crawled. She wouldn't say it was arachnophobia. No, she might as well be a bug-o-phobic.

The bucket was another thing -- she had no idea how to use it. Clearly, she wasn't going to just stand up and do her business that way; she was taught to sit for such. However, the bucket didn't exactly leave room for decency. She eventually came to the decision to squat for her business, which worked somewhat. Sometimes, she accidentally would leak onto the back of her leg, grossing her out. However, times were desperate; she would need some practice before she would even come close to accuracy, especially if she wanted to be a pirate. She had to tell herself that pirates made messes at times to press on.

Unfortunately, her business was interrupted by a door creaking open. It was the one lad Rumble, and she made the fatal mistake of facing toward the door when she had to go.

"Lady?" he called. "Captain Pipsqueak wants to see-AH!" He quickly slammed the door shut and continued talking with her outside. "What was that?!"

"I was doing my business before being rudely interrupted!" she shouted.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, honestly!" Rumble cried in fear. She could guess the very image of seeing a girl relieving herself traumatized him.

"Well...you didn't see much, did you?" she asked.

"Well, no...I mean, I can say I didn't." he replied.

Several awkward seconds passed by before Rumble spoke up again.

"Um, Captain Pipsqueak wants to talk to you...I can come in now, right?"

"In a second..." she shouted as she pulled up her underwear, finishing her job. "Okay, you can."

Rumble walked in awkwardly, clearly still trying to forget what he just saw. Did he see her..? She'd rather not think about it. After all, despite the ever-glowing light bulb, the room was still pretty dim, especially in her corner.

"Captain said you have to wear this on the way there," he said as he held up a blindfold.

"What?!" Dinky protested.

"This happens with every prisoner," he explained. "You won't get hurt. I promise."

He promises? she wondered. I didn't know pirates made promises. I thought they were mean and nasty. However, if there was anything that she could expect since being on this ship, it was not to judge a book by its cover. Rumble seemed like a jerk but now he wasn't that bad. He's looking out for that one little kid, despite how gross the account was to her. Plus, the hospitality she was given seems like something any other pirate wouldn't have the generosity to give. After all, her own toilet? Who would give a girl that?

Despite the stupidity of what she was about to do, she put her trust in pirate in front of her. He covered her eyes with the blindfold and led her by wrist to the room she was supposed to enter. What was happening? Was she about to be killed for trespassing? Maybe what her father said was right, that pirates were bad people. But these ones seemed so nice, if not welcoming. Maybe most pirates were bad, but these ones weren't, she was sure.

Trusting her judgement, she and Rumble came to a halt. She could hear knocking on a door, along with shouting from inside. It didn't seem normal.

"COME HITHER!" a strong, loud voice shouted before a much younger voice interrupted her. Even Rumble was on edge.

"Wait, no, don't come in!" the youngster shouted. It sounded like the boy Rumble was mentoring a few hours ago. How long has it been, exactly? The bathroom jail didn't have any windows, and there's no way to tell time. She didn't know how to tell time from the sun. Maybe she's being put to death, but her stomach was growling. She needed food...did she even eat lunch?

Wow, I have trouble sticking to one thing at a time when I'm about to die.

Despite the young boy's plea, Rumble entered anyway.

Pipsqueak was pacing back and forth. He was noticeably nervous. He kept mumbling to himself what he was going to say, but regardless he was getting nowhere. This would be the second time he initiated someone to his crew, the first being for the naked boy standing uncomfortably in Pip's bath as Luna lectured him on his wrongs.

"It is impolite to urinate during one's bath!" Luna shouted. "Especially in the presence of a princess!"

"But I couldn't hold it!" Featherweight replied, tears streaming down his face knowing he did something wrong. "I was going to pee after I told Pip about the girl but you wanted me washed!"

"THERE IS NO EXCUSE!"

Featherweight fell to the floor of the bath, his face red from crying so hard.

"Y-Y-You're scaring me!" he cried. "I don't even know how to pee-"

The quarrel was silenced by a knocking at the door, catching everyone off guard.

"COME HITHER!" Luna shouted. As soon as she realized that she needed to control her Royal Canterlot Voice, she was interrupted.

"Wait, no, don't come in!" Featherweight shouted, but Rumble entered before he could finish. Featherweight ducked in hiding, while Pipsqueak noticed the future pirate...piratess? Was that a word?...being led through toward the altar. Luna took a deep breath and returned to her calm figure. She looked like nothing even happened. Pipsqueak, however, was no fool. He knew how Featherweight felt, because it was a similar situation that was his first time angering his favorite princess, permanently regretting such deeds. Of course, he was able to get away with letting loose when swimming every now and then, but since then he had also learned where and how to do it when he did so.

"Featherweight, out of the bath." Luna commanded sternly, to which the boy wisely obeyed. He got out but was modest at first.

"But...what about my-"

"Pirate attire are hanging on the rack. How hurry and clothe yourself. The meeting's about to start, and it's rude for a setting like this to expose your bits." Luna allowed the kids to do whatever they want when she was gone (even urinate into a pool or ocean like Featherweight just did), but when she was in attendance, she demanded absolute respect when she was near. She was willing to let the kids have fun and even help, but she was still trying to maintain her original rigid stance. Any purposeful urination around her would NOT be tolerated.

Featherweight quickly took his clothes and went behind a dark blue screen. However, that didn't stop the shadows of his body movement from the other side. Meanwhile, Rumble led Dinky to the lunar princess and untied the blindfold around her. Dinky's eyes adjusted to the light before examining her surroundings. She was truly hoping she wouldn't be able to see the exposed body of a six year old boy. Thankfully, there was none in sight.

"Dinky Doo of Port Canter!" Luna began in an intimidating tone. Dinky didn't even question how she knew her name; Luna was a princess of dreams after all, and she probably knows everything that could be known about anything. It was probably a bad idea to question or interrupt her.

"There are numerous reasons why you should be killed right now! You have trespassed onto the Lunar Mare; not a very wise decision! You have fled from your parents, leaving them scared and worried, because you only thought about yourself! You have dreamed of being a pirate, and choose to live by that dream now without considering any consequences!" Luna shouted, as Dinky mentally crippled from the realization. "Now what say you, Dinky? Why should you become a pirate, and abandon civilization for the dream of setting sail?"

Dinky had a mix of feelings welling through her. The princess was right. It was a stupid idea to even come close to a pirate ship. Pirates were dangerous, and they could do bad things to her. The fact that these boys were around her age only reinforced the fact. Her parents were probably crying by now...even if she knew they weren't her real parents, she still felt a twinge of remorse. And Luna was right; she was going into this too quickly. She could drown; she didn't know how to swim. Sure, she went "swimming", but she always stayed at the by the shoreline while the rest of her friends would move deeper into the water. What if the Lunar Mare got shipwrecked on a desert island? She'd starve to death, probably, which in her mind was the most painful way to die. And what if they encountered monsters at sea like the sailors have seen, like a kraken or giant sea serpent?

However, her worries seemed to be overshadowed by a different feeling: bravery. She knew in her heart that what she was doing was right. Dinky had sneaked onto the pirate ship because she wanted to be one in the first place. She wanted to rebel from the standard norms and be her own person instead of just another prim and proper lady in Port Canter. And her parents? She cared for them, but they would always restrict her from having a social life and having friends. And consequences? There were good and bad no matter what choice she made. Pirates don't worry about consequences. They do whatever they think is right, no matter what's at stake.

It wasn't until she finally snapped out of her thoughts that she noticed a blue aura around her body. Luna, in the meantime, looked impressed.

"Your thoughts impress me, Dinky. You know which of your paths are true," the princess announced. "You will be learning much on board the Lunar Mare."

The pirates stood in awe, Featherweight peeking from behind the changing screen. Luna knew already? But she just asked the question and not even a minute passed. Then again, in retrospect, this was nothing new. Luna was a princess of dreams, and often those past and present dreams could be read through a person's thoughts. It was crazy, really, how the presence of dreams gave Luna mind reading powers.

Meanwhile, Luna shared in the awe as well. This Dinky girl was serious about becoming a pirate. She was willing to give up everything she had -- fortune, friends, and family -- to set forth on adventure, certainly not even Pipsqueak could give up so easily. She saw the girl's memories: awkward birthday parties, always being taught to be prim and proper, and the restriction of her social life outside school in an attempt to keep the family's reputation. The parents showed love to her, but they always put their own lives over hers. It was depressing to see this, but not the worst she had seen. After all, Featherweight's memories during his bath could be read easier, partially because they were darker and stood out easier; it actually hurt to read them. He was homeless, and faced a difficult time at the Vanhoover Orphanage simply for being the youngest. She could see other orphans playing pranks on him, the beating he got resulting from his temptation into peer pressure, and many hours of loneliness (Is Celestia not aware of events such as these?!). Unlike Dinky, he never had any plans to become a pirate, but the sympathy and following support from Pip and Rumble helped lead to his final decision. After all, the ideal of friendship had a magic of its own.

For mine sake, that sounded atrociously corny.

"Miss Dinky," she announced. "You have a spirit that I have never seen from any lass I have had the opportunity to meet. You have earned your rank as a Lunar Crusader."

Pip ran up to congratulate her. She made it! She actually became a pirate, and Luna likes her too! He could already imagine the adventures that awaited him now that Dinky joined. Rumble congratulated her too, surprising Dinky with how quick his mood changed about her in the matter of an afternoon. Pip chuckled a bit at the sight; Scootaloo would kill him if she got the wrong idea. He was about to speak up until he heard a bell chiming.

"That must be my sister summoning me." the princess stated. "Captain Pip, I trust you will show her among the hallways and corridors to her chamber?" to which the young boy saluted.

"I promise that I will be loyal to the new recruit as long as she is with us, Princess!" he said, "It is my duty!"

Featherweight, who recently deserted the privacy of Pip's changing screen in his pirate uniform, and Rumble snickered at the last part of the line. After all, it was typical childhood maturity to laugh at anything that sounded dirty.

"So it shall be, Pipsqueak the Plunderer."

With that, she disappeared into a dark cloud of nebular mist. Pip turned his attention to his cohorts.

"What are you two laughing at?" he questioned, putting the two pirates back in stance. "We're supposed to set sail in a half hour! Get to work!"

"Yes, sir!" they answered simultaneously, as they ran toward the door. Featherweight, however, was stopped before leaving. Pip's face remained stern, but his voice became a gentle tone.

"So Luna told me you don't know how to pee like us," he said with a smirk on his face. Featherweight looked away, clearly ashamed of his lack of pirate knowledge. Pip laughed, however. "I can teach you. It's simple when you get used to it."

"You can?" Featherweight asked, with a light in his eyes clearly from an opportunity to act like the big kids.

"Certainly," Pip responded. "You have a lot to learn, but just because I'm the Captain doesn't mean I'm a big meanie." He noogied the tike. "Now, get to work before I keep all the fruit snacks for myself!"

"Y-Yes sir!" he said with a smile before ultimately heading back toward the deck. Pipsqueak and Dinky were the only children left, with the room showing no signs of Luna's presence. Even the bath was empty and lacked any hint of bubble solution or grime and mud leftover from careless pirates.

"I didn't know pirates were nice," Dinky commented. "I thought they were supposed to be unforgiving and ruthless."

The Captain shrugged his shoulders. "Most are, but why act that way to their fellow crew members?" He was about to take his clothes off to change into his pajamas when he remembered something important: a girl was in his room. "Um...you don't mind me dressing for bed, do you?"

Dinky gave him a funny look. It was time to play a little game with him. "Bedtime? For one that sails only in the moonlight?"

"A pirate needs to sleep too!" he retaliated, flustered. "Plus, it gets really cold at sea, too. I'm already plenty active during the day!"

"Oh, boohoo," Dinky mocked. "Doing what?"

He had to think for a moment. "Well...I, uh...I have important captain stuff to do! Like working on my swordplay and figuring out where to look for treasure!" He waited for a response from her. She was a feisty catch, he knew. How did this attract him to her, though? It just seemed annoying right now.

"Oh, okay," she said. "I see how it is. Now, where am I staying?"

Pipsqueak thought. When Featherweight joined the crew, a new door appeared in the hallway for his bedroom. Perhaps the princess's magic did the same for her? Not wanting to look bad, he answered with confidence.

"I don't know. But Featherweight's room appeared out of nowhere when he joined. It's probably the same with you. It'll even have your name on it."

Dinky couldn't help but smile. She could tell he was hesitant, and his facial cues to her questions were just adorable. How was she not booted off the plank by now?

"So, I'll find my room in the hallway?" she asked.

"With your name on it, of course," he assured, forgetting that he already mentioned that beforehand.

"Alright then. Good night, Captain."

Pip looked in shock.

"Good night? If you're going to be a pirate, then you have to help put up the sails with the rest of the crew!"

Dinky just smirked, in the same fashion that he did with Featherweight.

"It's eight o'clock. It's my bedtime."

And with that, she exited the room as Pip was about to speak up.

"Yeah? My bedtime's at eight-thirty! Beat that!" he shouted as she closed the door. He sighed, and started taking off his clothes to change.

"Girls. They're more weird than princesses."

A crack of thunder emitted from the statue, making Pipsqueak jump, as if saying "I heard that!".

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Author's Note

UPDATES:
Added original beginning of Chapter 4 to end of chapter to not end abruptly.

IV - Insomnia

Dinky couldn't sleep, even with the sounds of a calm ocean audible from the open window above her. She was told by Luna as she came in that the bedroom often reflects the dreams and wishes of the designated pirate; she thought she wanted to be a pirate this whole time. Oddly enough, however, among some pirate decor were furniture that seemed to hold an heir of royalty, often coral pink with seashells engraved along the sides. Was she distraught? Why is this room telling her that being a pirate wasn't what she was dreaming? Sometimes she dreamt of being a mermaid rather than a pirate, playing with other young mermaids under the sea. Perhaps her dream was much simpler: not so much to be a pirate, but just to live around the beauty of the sea.

Her room wasn't as bad as she'd thought it be. She had her own bath and shower in the corner (probably because of her gender) walled save one door-like opening, so she would at least have privacy instead of having to bathe with other boys. Luna still said she would bathe her in Pip's bath every now and then, and should get used to spending her life with boys; the latter was the last thing she wanted to hear, but it didn't affect her greatly compared to what was in front of her now. She was a pirate, and she could live the dream...too bad she couldn't do that in her current state.

Dinky crawled out of her bed and slipped herself onto the floor. Instead of her underwear, she now had new clothes to match the pirate attire, including a hooded pajama onesie that somehow kept her the perfect temperature for sleeping (it even included a cute little horn on the top of the hood). In this case, it kept her warm, since she could be shivering from the sea breeze entering the room instead. She sneaked over to the door and tiptoed into the hallway. She was hoping none of the other pirates were awake. Was there a curfew on this ship? If so, that would probably be the biggest irony of all time; sailing under the night and even serving under the Moon Princess, but still having to be in bed before nine. She was about to take a step forward when a door opened, a shadow rushing into the room across in a near blur. A whispered voice could be heard from said room. She quickly made it past the open door, trying to avoid detection. She quietly opened the door to the deck and shut it quickly.

Now that she was outside, she walked toward the side railing. Ignoring the salt hitting her face (it would take a while to get used to that), she stood on deck and listened to the ambiance. Waves crashed against the boat, gently swaying like a cradle. A calm wind brushed through her hair, sending a chill down her spine. The moon was full, and although Luna escaped Nightmare years ago, the familiar unicorn head still shone as a reminder that you were always watched by the Princess of the Night. Dinky could sometimes feel that Luna was talking to her indirectly, but it could very well have been the wind playing tricks on her. She laid down by the mast. The atmosphere was so soothing. She could fall asleep here if she decided to...

"Dinky? What are you doing out here?"

Her captain's voice woke her up immediately.

"Captain..."

Pipsqueak was interrupted from his dream session when he was shook awake.

"Captain Pipsqueak!"

He turned to his opposite side to see Featherweight with a desperate look.

Pipsqueak moaned. "Is there a sea monster outside? Because if not-"

"I gotta pee!" Featherweight blurted.

Pipsqueak just stared.

"So why are you telling me?" he asked. "Just go."

"You said you would help me learn how to pee standing up, remember?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Come on! I don't think I can hold it much longer!"

With a sigh, Pipsqueak forced himself out of bed and onto the hard wood floor. I wake up before saving a fair maiden in a dragon-guarded tower for this? He led the small boy to the bucket in the bathroom and instructed him as Featherweight tried to replicate.

"You know, you need to learn how to do this on your own." Pip said as he decided to fill the bucket with his own share of waste. "It's not a big deal if you make a mess. You simply learn from your mistakes and adapt."

"But I look up to you," Featherweight whined.

"Yeah," the captain responded. "but being a pirate means you have to take responsibility. You need to learn to take care of yourself in case something bad happens."

Featherweight looked in confusion. "Like what?"

Pip thought carefully. Which situation could he use that wouldn't end up with Featherweight scaring himself into wetting the bed? Would Featherweight get captured by Griffon rogues and have to survive in a jail without any clothing (Luna told him Griffons did this during the 180s C.R.) while waiting for his crew to save him? What about if the ship crashes and the pirates are separated from the impact? He figured changing the topic would be an easier solution.

"Welp, I'm done," he stated, pulling up his pajama pants.

"Wait!" Featherweight shouted. "I still-"

"You had a nightmare, didn't you?"

Featherweight looked toward him with eyes widened before conceding defeat. Pipsqueak, however, reassured him.

"Everyone has those," Pip spoke. "I still have those today. Ask Luna."

Featherweight looked in wonder.

"You do?" he asked, directing his attention from urinating to Pip.

"Look where you're aiming, Featherweight!" the captain blurted, and in response Featherweight noticed his remaining tinkle dripping onto his own bare foot.

"I'm sorry..." he replied.

"You better wash that off unless you want your feet to smell bad in the morning. As pirates, we already get that problem when exploring."

"Yes sir," Featherweight agreed, as he pulled up his pajamas and went to the low basin to wash it off.

"Now, get back to sleep. We have a long day of sailing tomorrow."

Pipsqueak left the bathroom and was about to go back into his chambers until he noticed a silouette in the corner of his eye. He looked over and saw the new girl pirate. What was her name...Dinky? Yeah, that was her name. She seemed...out of it. Obviously, she couldn't sleep, but should he just bother her while she relaxes in the wind? Even with those pajamas, the weather was still pretty cold on the ocean blue. Lunar pirates received magic-enhanced clothing because of the usual weather like this, but even a princess's magic had its limits.

Now is your chance.

Pip looked around. He could have sworn he heard the Princess, but she was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she was using telepathy like she always does when she's too busy to see him yet still has something important for him to note.

Chance for what?

A chance at love.

I told you already! I don't like her that way!

Love starts as a friendship. When bonds grow, sometimes love will blossom.

Shut up!

She looks cute in that onesie.

Luna...

Otherwise, it almost looks like she's wearing nothing at all...

Luna.

...nothing at all...

Luna!

...nothing at all!

"Dinky, what are you doing out here?" Pip called to her, trying to bottle his anger from Luna's pestering.

Dinky didn't know what to say. Was she in trouble for being out here this late at night? Was there actually a curfew for night pirates? Either way, her cover was busted. However, Pip didn't seem mad, so maybe she was safe. Instead of making some pea-brained lie, she decided to tell the truth.

"I couldn't sleep," she said simply.

"Something bothering you?" he asked.

There was an awkward silence before her answer.

"I miss Port Canter," she replied, Pip understanding her troubles.

"Miss your friends and family?" he asked.

"Maybe."

It was clear she didn't want to talk about it. Pip looked for another topic to spring on.

"Aren't you cold out here?" he asked. "The seas usually make night time colder than usual."

Dinky shrugged. "What's there to complain about? My pajamas cover my whole body."

Pip couldn't disagree. She was the only one that had such, resulting in slight jealousy. It must be so warm and cozy in a onesie; cotton covering your entire body, blocking out the salty breeze of Equestrian waters, and even some having a patch on each side of the waist that tears off or opens to make using the bathroom easier and warmer. Rumble adapted to the cold (probably because pegasi could tolerate weather conditions more) and sleeps in his underwear, wearing his prized Wonderbolt t-shirt. Featherweight, though he's toilet-trained, still has a weak bladder and, as a pegasus like Rumble, has to wear light clothing. Even Pipsqueak, Captain of the Lunar Mare and adopted child of the Night, was left to bed with a white tank and the only long pair of pajama leggings. How come girls always got special privileges though?

"Well," Pip said. "look at you. You have full body pajamas and even though I'm the Captain, I'm still stuck with a tank to sleep in."

Dinky giggled. "Too bad for you. I'm a pony now," she said as she playfully shook the attached tail on her rear.

Them hindquarters, young Pipsqueak.

LUNA!

Luna chuckled through her telepathy.

"Well, you could always try and get back to sleep," he advised. "Sometimes reading a book helps too."

Dinky smirked at him and raised a brow. Pip screwed up.

"N-N-Not like I read, anyway!" he retaliated, but it was too late.

"Oh, sure," she replied sarcastically. "I believe you."

"I really don't!" he shouted.

"So if I, say, sneak into your room in the middle of the night," she questioned. "and find a bookshelf by your bed, you still wouldn't read?"

"You've already been in my room! I have nothing to hide!"

"Okay, I see," she said. "Anyway, I need to get back to bed."

"You can sleep with me if you want," he said before putting his hands to his mouth. What the hell did he just say?! Did Luna possess him and take over his speech? Could Luna even do that? He was about to slap his own cheek when Dinky replied after quite a curious look.

"No, I'm fine. But thank you anyway."

Pip sighed in relief. That was one danger avoided, and because of Luna's pestering, he could predict several more.

She was walking past him back to the cabin hold when she suddenly turned around and kissed him on the nose. His reaction should have been, UGH! She kissed me! I need first aid! I need to wash this off ASAP! Instead, he said nothing and felt his face become warmer than his slumber wear was keeping him. Oddly, he didn't feel embarrassed, or even the instance of retreating, but just stood there, frozen as a pole. He didn't know what to say...no, he wasn't able to say anything.

"Thanks for being here," Dinky said before Pip was left as the only one on deck. Despite the wind blowing against him, he still felt the warmness of her kiss, sweet and tender as it was.

Pipsqueak was running as hard as he could. He didn't know what he was running from, but his surroundings didn't give many good vibes. He was in a crumbling city, and the sky was orange with the hues of a burning flame. Destruction could be seen from all angles, ranging from burning houses to falling ashes from the sky. As he was running, a child...Featherweight?...and a mother were crying at the sight of a father being crushed by a giant boulder. He wanted to stop, but his legs wouldn't let him.

Our house hasn't been crushed yet! All I have to do is turn on this corner...

The house had fallen in on itself, but Pip only ran faster toward the wreckage. He could see his mother, half-crushed by the weight of the ruins, not making any attempt to escape. He had to help her; it was the only logical idea.

"Mom!"

He shouted, but she didn't respond.

"MOM!"

Again she didn't respond. Pip tried to lift the beams off from her, but they wouldn't budge. He could feel his arms giving out, but we wasn't leaving without his mother. She was the only parent he had.

Come on, Pipsqueak! You need get Mom out before-

His thoughts were interrupted by the ground trembling. Something large was coming, he could tell, but nonetheless he forced himself to continue trying to lift the heavy beams. Before he knew it, there was a shadow beneath him; not just his own, but a much larger one. He turned his attention out of fear, looked up, and saw the ugliest monster he could ever have imagined. It was a grotesque body, of which it looked like its skin was ripped off. It was entirely naked from head to toe, but its eyes -- its grimacing, intimidating yellowed eyes -- were staring right at him.

"Pipsqueak!" his mother shouted. "Run as far from here as you can!"

"I'll fight the monster myself! I can-"

He searched for his trusty sword but found it had disappeared from his waist. Now he stood frozen. Knowing that his mother would be killed, he might as well go with her. Suddenly, a royal guard picked him up from behind and carried Pip on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here, boy?" he shouted. "You can't help your mother!"

"Let me go!" Pip screamed. "My mom will-"

He stopped in mid-sentence as he turned back toward her mother being picked up by the monster. He struggled, but the guard's hold was too tight.

No...

The atrocity looked at its next meal.

This isn't possible!

It looked on with pleasure as his mother's back was snapped.

Luna! Wake me from this dream!

He tried to scream at the top of his lungs but nothing came out.

Luna! Please, I'm begging you!

The monster brought her closer to its opened mouth.

LUNA!!!

The titan was about to bite down on her when he heard a voice in his head, dark and ominous.

How could you? You abandoned your own mother! My friend, you truly are a terrible person.

Pipsqueak was in tears. He couldn't comprehend what was going on.

Tsk tsk tsk. Now, now, don't you worry about it. When it comes down to it, everybody loves themself above all.

The monster bit into his mother, as Pipsqueak screamed.

...

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

VI - Nightmare's Minion

Pip entered his bedroom and locked the door behind him. Unlike on the Lunar Mare, rooms at the fortress weren't created by imagination, as they were simple and provided only required necessities, like a desk or a changing screen. You wouldn't need a shower in your room because the restrooms and showers were down the hall. You wouldn't need your own bath because the spa was two stories below. The slick, layered granite bedrooms, however, still had necessities that other pirates wouldn't have: an armoire to store their swimsuit used for the lagoon below, a weapon rack nearby in case of invasion, a water bed (which admittedly sometimes backfired for a child's bladder), a body-sized mirror, and a desk with pencils and crayons for journal entries.

Pip threw his shorts and underwear off, knowing that as soon as Featherweight's and Dinky's tours were over, it would be time to play. He took out his swimsuit, light brown and rustic with his cutie mark on each flank area, and sniffed it; it still smelled of chlorine. He loved swimming, especially outdoors. Luna added chlorine to the water surrounding the fortress to make it feel more like a swimming pool, and it practically worked. The atmosphere was the best of both worlds, as he would be able to both pee in the water without any consequences and do so with the fine sand getting trapped between his toes. However, although he loved playing in the water, he was a pirate. He had treasure hunting to do. Making sure his swimming trousers were snug, he moved to his desk and opened a drawer to take about an array of treasure maps. Luna had new maps prepared for the young buccaneer every time his crew docks. Treasure could be found anywhere, from a forgotten temple under the seafloor to a mountainous cave above the Everfree Forest; from hidden underneath floorboards in a standard portside tavern to searching all over Manehatten for a few measly doubloons.

He looked at this visit's dozen of maps. A hidden cave at Foal Mountain? He already went there, and he would've noticed something like that by now. Plus, that mountain smelled weird...like newborn babies? It was a scent he'd rather not go back to anytime soon. A grotto in White Tail Woods? He had never been to White Tail Woods. It sounded like a good place for camping. But a grotto? That sounds small and little rewarding. He'll consider it for now. An abandoned castle in the middle of the Zebrican Ocean? That was automatic approval in young Pip's eyes. Anything abandoned was bound to be abundant in riches.

"Well, it seems you are once again deciding by your own greed."

A chill went down his spine, despite the summer rays shining onto his back.

That voice...is it?

Taking a gulp, he forced himself out of his chair and turned around. There was no source of the voice. It was probably his brain playing tricks on him. That nightmare last night scared him stiff. Getting his thoughts back on track, he took the maps to his bed. Walking over, however, he caught something out of the corner of his eye from his mirror. Is Luna ready? He looked toward the window, but nothing was there. Luna's scared him before, and she's probably trying to now. He turned back toward the mirror and screamed at the stranger staring back within.

Dinky walked around the halls with Luna. As big as the fortress was on the outside, it looked even bigger on the inside. She recalled one of those old boring black-and-white shows her parents watched of that weird old man and a time machine. His time machine was just a narrow rectangular box, but inside seemed to be an entire universe on its own. She watched it as a little kid, but got bored easily. She could never understand at the time how someone could watch something that has no color. After all, nothing keeps a child's attention more than technicolor cartoons that had innocent, violent humor. Adults were just weird.

"So how often will we come here?" she asked.

"As often as your ship passes by," Luna answered, her gaze focused toward the end of the hallway ahead. "I must divert this topic, however." She paused in front of an arch, of which the inside was marked by baby blue tile, completely out of place in a castle made of dark rocks. "Now, here are the bathroom and shower facilities for this floor."

Dinky looked inside, and saw that the bright wall in front of her actually connected two separate rooms. To her left was a row of three showers separated by walls of glass. However, the glass was so blurred only as little detail could be seen as possible, much to her own relief and most likely her other mates as well. Curtains hung from a metal cylindrical bar to ensure that the only parts of her body visible to outside were her legs and feet. To her right held the actual bathroom, which was surprisingly much cleaner than she anticipated. Instead of urine stained flooring and unmentionable terrors, the setting was more like how a school's restroom should be: toilets on one side, with privacy doors and walls surrounding each one (Thank Faust!) and a-

AHHH!!

A shriek erupted from the floor above, making Dinky jump. The voice, though, there was no mistaking...

"Pipsqueak!" she shouted. However, Luna was already making a mad dash toward the stairwell.

"Something's blocking my magic. Hurry, child!"

While Dinky was too weak to control her magic at her age, there was no point trying if royalty couldn't. As fast as her legs could allow, she rushed up the spiral stairwell.

Princess Luna had done pranks on Pipsqueak in the past, putting Nightmare Moon's image into his mirror at night and hiding spiders or other creepy crawlies under his pillow or bed covers. However, this wasn't her, but rather a grotesque...thing. It was an anthropomorphic rat that showed extremely old age, as if it had lived forever. Even with that, however, it still had a full head of yellowed, mold-like hair. The body itself was beaten, and wore a tattered trench coat. Also, was it just him, or was the figure...blocky? Pip looked behind him, but no such person was there.

"You seem surprised to see me in person, my friend."

Pip froze. What was this thing, and why was he real?

"Am I really just a nightmare to you?" A spider crawled out of its nose, seemingly on purpose.

"You're..." Pip began but he couldn't vent his emotions into words. "Get lost!"

"For what? I wouldn't cause any trouble..." He paused for a second and thought, putting his...flippers?...against his chin. "...or would I?"

"Enough of your games!" he shouted. His fear was slowly channeling into frustration.

"Oh come now," it laughed. "My friend, you and I are like light and shadow. You can't have one without the other. I only exist because of you...Pipsqueak."

"Pipsqueak, are you there?!" Dinky shouted, banging on the locked door. "Luna, it won't budge! Help him!"

"I can't, I already said!" Luna responded, her edge not very well hidden. "Something is disabling my magic!"

"But you're a princess, you should be more powerful than whatever's in there!"

Ignoring Dinky's complaint (albeit legitimate), Luna looked around and saw the armored mannequin behind her. She took it and held it as if it was a ram.

"Get out of the way, Miss Dinky. Dost thou know what 'to improvise' means?"

"SHUT UP!" Pip screamed, throwing his desk chair at the mirror, breaking the reflection into pieces. However, despite the shattered shards of glass and wood on the ground, the creature's image still retained. Now, however, its image was on each separate shard of glass. Now instead of one scary creature eyeing him, he faced a dozen if not more.

"Just remember, Pipsqueak. You won't be a child forever."

Luna broke the locked door open for Dinky, just in time to see the creature before it faded away. Pip was sitting on the floor, crying into his arms. Even after the rat's leave, the pirate was in tears, still muttering.

"Leave me alone...leave me alone..."

Rumble was wondering why his captain was taking so long. He and Featherweight were told to meet by the showers, but a message from Luna said to continue without them. Not wanting to disobey his sworn ruler, he followed her command. However, even during their shower period, Rumble focused less on helping Featherweight's aim and more on his best friend. Did something happen? Was there a special princess-to-captain talk going on right now? And wasn't Luna supposed to be guiding Dinky through the castle like he has been with Featherweight? He snatched himself out of his trance to focus on what's now. He was helping Featherweight become a master at the art of shower urination (whom was quickly adapting) and he should be helping to make the new underling comfortable, not the opposite. Too bad the grunt had to ask a question as soon as he finished trickling down his leg.

"Rumble, where's Captain?" he asked curiously.

Rumble hesitated before making his response.

"Busy," he replied. "Captain duties, like finding treasures and stuff. Luna's having a meeting with him, too. And, uh, he had to get his swimsuit ready." He was hoping any possible reason for his delay were all of the above.

"We have swimsuits? Oh, thank Faust," he said, relieved that he didn't have to be naked in front of anyone in anyplace other than the showers. "Admiral Rumble, can I ask you something private?"

Rumble laughed. They were both boys. What kind of question was that?

"Go on," he challenged. "We're both men here. Ask away."

"Is it..." Featherweight paused as he hesitated to ask in front of a high-ranking pirate. "Is it funny that I don't like being naked in front of people? Like you?"

Rumble stopped washing his hair to think. Honestly, he felt mixed emotions about the subject, mostly because of how relatable it was. When he still lived in Ponyville, he actually was a little hesitant going into a changing room whenever his babysitters took him to the public pool in Cloudsdale. Unlike other children his age, he wasn't so scared about his blank flank as he was about...down there. That was a secret that he wouldn't even tell Pipsqueak at first. Since he became a pirate, however, Luna reassured him that his fear was more out of courtesy for his surroundings rather than embarrassment. He'd laugh from remembering, too, his first reaction when one of Luna's "textbooks" said that it used to be normal for people to parade with their privates hanging out for everyday tasks. However, times were different and nowadays that was considered obscene by the more civilized attitudes of Canterlot.

"It's not a big deal," he replied coolly. "Not to me, anyway. Of course, some people will complain about stuff like that, but we're pirates. We're all in it together, whether we're fighting a kraken or showering and cleaning ourselves. Am I making you uncomfortable somehow?" He noticed Featherweight struggling to reach his wings to clean them. "Need some help with that, bud?"

"Yes please," Featherweight said as Rumble dispensed soap to scrub the younger's gritty wings. "I don't know, it's just weird. I feel like you guys tease me behind my back like I was at the orphanage."

"You don't have to worry about that," Rumble assured. "Think of our crew as one huge family and our ship as a house. We don't betray each other because, at sea, we're all we have. Do you understand now?" to which the young boy nodded with a smile back on his face.

Featherweight really was a brother to him, in a way (part of that might just be because they're both pegasi), and he felt like he could talk about more matters with him than his own captain. His attention finally relaxed about Pipsqueak's situation, he let the small boy rinse off his wings before helping him into his swimsuit and walking him out of the showers toward the lagoon that waited below.

"Captain, are you alright?" asked a worried Dinky.

"Get away from me!" he shouted, pushing her back, but Luna wouldn't have it.

"She's trying to help you, boy! Show some appreciation!"

Not wanting to triggering his princess's rage, he let Dinky lead him to his bed. He felt dizzy. All of this had to be some weird daydream from the summer heat, right? Was he hallucinating all of this and making himself look like some insane person from Canterlot Asylum? He wanted to talk, but he couldn't describe what he saw. How exactly do you get your crew, or even the princess of dreams, to believe that a blocky rat person invaded your bedroom mirror and taunted you about your future until you finally lost it?

This was wacky even for Equestrian standards, with its existance of chimeras, dragons, and minotaurs, and random tunes that played out of nowhere when someone started to sing.

Luna on the other hand, was surprised. She would naturally expect the spirit of Nightmare to enter his dreams this time of year, what with it being October and close to Nightmare Night. However, this would usually only happen at night, when the spirit was more powerful. This was new; this wasn't any of Nightmare Moon's images, but rather someone new. She thought back to her legends of Equestrian lore, looking to see if this figure was familiar, when it hit her. She thought this rat was banished to Tartarus the last time she saw him.

She saw him in person, and it was difficult to forget the vividness of the image because it was the only true memory she still had from being a young kid.

A very young Luna dragged her half-asleep sister into her room and pointed at the mirror. The noticeable wet spot on her bedsheets, even visible in the faint moonlight shining through her window, showed that whatever startled her did so tremendously. Celestia, however, wasn't willing to have this at one in the morning. These nightmares had been going on for at least a week now, and yet Luna hasn't come up with the bright idea of telling their mother. It was always Tia; Tia, I had a bad dream. Tia, can you make me a glass of water? Tia, Tia, Tia!

"Luna, do you have any idea of what time it is?" the elder sister groaned.

"But he appeared again!" whined the youngster, squeezing tight to her Ursa doll. "The creepy mouse did!"

"Luna, how many times have Mother and Father...and I...told you?" She said in as much of a dignitary voice as she could muster past her bedtime. "You're getting to be of age where, as future Princess of Night and Dreams, you'll have nightmares every so often."

"But he keeps coming back!" she explained, in tears. "And these aren't nightmares, they're real! Can't I just sleep with you, Tia?" she asked, activating her cute puppy face. Unfortunately, Celestia was used to it by now. She always wondered how it worked every time with her mother. Trying to sound assertive without waking her up and making Luna cry more than she already had, she spoke.

"Luna, you'll be seven years old next October. Especially as royalty, you can't rely on others to baby you. I love you, sister, but you have to face these challenges on your own. I don't know where these nightmares are coming from, but as you'll be dreamwalking one day, you have to find the solution on your own."

Luna was streaming tears. How could her sister betray her like this? She thought Tia loved her and would protect her from everything that threatened her, and now she was just abandoned. She wasn't old enough to understand what dreams were, or what caused them. How was she expected to fight something that "supposedly" didn't exist? What was she talking about, it was real! Why wouldn't it be? She knew the difference between real life and a dream, and this was real life!

"Can't I just sleep with you once? Just tonight?"

Celestia glared and sighed. Of course, she was annoying, but she wasn't going to risk her sister being exposed to whatever night terrors she experiences throughout...nor risk many sleepless nights as this cycle repeats.

"Fine, you can sleep with me this once," she decided. As Luna's hopes soared, Tia interrupted her. "However, first you need to change your pajamas. And get the servants to wash you up, too, because there's absolutely no way I'm letting you sleep with dried piss in my bed." Nevertheless, Luna smiled (and even blushed at the mention of her accident) and ran toward the doorway before turning around.

"Can I bring Umbra, too?"

Celestia broke into a smile and chuckled at the mention of her sibling's stuffed ursa major.

"Of course you can, sister."

"Princess, are you alright?"

Luna snapped herself out of her trance. She felt a tear slipping from her eye. Was she crying? Pipsqueak was staring curiously toward her face, looking for an answer, but still trembling. He contained his fear within his eyes, as his pupils were bead-sized and red from his recent sobbing fit, but showed no signs of serious mental trauma. In that sense, she was relieved.

"Yes..." she stated. "I think I know what this thing is that is terrifying you."

"A minion from Nightmare Moon?" asked Dinky, equally anticipating the reveal of the villain, though more out of an awkward combination of concern and excitement. Dinky found it odd how Luna seemed much quieter than she usually was.

"Possibly," the princess considered. "but this entity has been around much longer than she has. I was hoping he couldn't escape Tartarus, but if Tirek was able to..."

Her thoughts wandered off. The memories were back. Her memories of the spirit were back, and she knew his name.

Gregory...

Luna began to walk toward the door, catching Pipsqueak's attention.

"Luna, where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going back to Canterlot," she said. "I have some work to do."

With her magic, she opened a portal to the Canterlot's royal library. She stopped before entering and looked back at the two.

"I'm sorry for the troubles you are about to face," she said before leaving for good.

Author's Note

UPDATES:
1) There was an unfinished scene that would have been buildup to Luna and Dinky's coming to Pipsqueak's aid. I finished it so Luna's barge in didn't seem random or like a last-second rescue.
2) If wondering why there was only one scene of Rumble and Featherweight in this chapter, don't worry. I assure that they will see more time in the future. For now, however, Pipsqueak: The Mature Chronicles has an entire mini-story based around Featherweight and his personal secret that he carried from the orphanage.

VII Part I - Distractions (Edited)

Once the portal shut, there was a long silence between Pipsqueak and Dinky as the two were left in the room alone. Out of all the things that could happen, in Pip's eyes, this was the worst possible thing. The only "girl" he was comfortable talking to was Luna or even any of the other princesses. Otherwise, he was a blabbering idiot in front of girls that ultimately led to his own humiliation. He tried to make as little conversation as possible so she would leave, but without much success.

"What happened?" she asked.

"None of your business." he responded.

Silence.

"What was that mouse thing?"

"I don't know."

More silence.

"You wanna go swimming now?"

"I don't feel like it today."

The conversation continued like so until Dinky, unfortunately for the boy in swimming trousers, put her hand over his own. Both jumped in shock.

"What are you doing to me?!" Pip shouted.

"I don't know! It just happened!" Dinky panicked. She knew now that her subconscious motion probably cost her some chemistry between them.

"Well..." Pip trailed off, leaving the rest of his words to his face's sudden bright red hue. Dinky giggled.

"You like it," she said.

He held a finger to object but found it pointless to. Puberty is a weird thing. So what if he "like-liked" her? She saw her as nothing more than a friend...at least, that's what he hoped.

"It's okay," Dinky reassured. "Want to hear a secret?" Before Pip could answer, she continued. "I kinda like you too."

"I don't like you!" he screamed. "...at least, not that way."

Dinky sighed.

"To be completely honest, I'm not so sure either," she said. "It's just in my dreams I keep seeing Luna-"

"She's bothering you too?!" he interrupted. Dinky nodded, then laid on the bed.

"I don't even know what she's talking about, or whatever puberty is," she said. Pipsqueak agreed.

Once more, a period of silence passed, though this had an awkward aura as both children were noticeably blushing, facing in opposite directions attempting to resist looking at the other's face. This time, Pip broke the silence.

"Well, uh, I need to get showered. We are swimming, aren't we?" he asked.

"Only if you want to," Dinky replied, smiling. "You are the captain, after all."

He never realized how much he liked her smile. Something about it just seemed to pull him toward her like a magnet. He hadn't really noticed before, but her blonde hair seemed to reflect the beams of light protruding from the window. He liked that factor. He liked a lot of things about her, as if it wasn't already obvious enough to him.

"Yeah, but..." Pipsqueak trailed off again. His social skills with girls seemed to be at toddler age right now. He wanted something, but he knew it wasn't appropriate to ask. "I'm...still trying to forget what I just saw. Now I'm crazy, because I don't want him to taunt me again."

"Paranoia?" she asked. One positive aspect of living in a wealthy family was her seemingly limitless vocabulary compared to her peers. Too bad her spelling could use as much work as others if not more. It made writing letters absolute Tartarus for her.

"Whatever that is," he answered, his own rather limited. He usually used words that Luna used, even without knowing what they meant.

"Basically what you're describing. You know, if you're not comfortable right now-"

"I need to get showered."

"You could shower with me."

"Yeah, okay...wait, what?!"

He looked in shock. Did she just seriously ask that? He couldn't do that. He was already shy enough about having his bits hanging in the Princess's company. No, there was something that scared him more.

Can she read my mind?

"Just kidding!" she giggled. "And even if we did, I wouldn't look." She smirked at him. "That is, if you don't want me to."

"Of course I wouldn't want you to look!" he panicked. "You're a girl! And I..." He stopped before he could go any further. What sense was there in arguing with a girl?

There was a long silence between them. Again, Pip was the first to speak.

"I guess I could go swimming," he decided. "but I still don't trust you."

"I don't blame you," she replied. "Now come on. Aren't Rumble and Featherweight waiting?"

She held out her hand innocently as to draw Pip toward her. Hesitantly, he jumped from his bed. He clasped her hand, to which Dinky blushed, and went to the floor below.

"I still don't like you that way," Pip enforced.

"Neither do I," she agreed, before her face reacted as if though she forgot something. "My swimsuit! Shoot, I need to get it!"

"Then go get it," he replied calmly as she ran toward her room, letting out a sigh of relief when she disappeared. Quickly, he rushed to the showers so he could wash himself as quickly as possible before she could meet him. If there was one thing for certain, he would never allow her to use the same shower as him. Looking down each end of the wall, he scurried to his floor's bathroom and climbed into the bathtub, before pulling down his bathing suit and turning the shower knob.

Luna searched frantically throughout the Canterlot Royal Library's lore section. There had to be something in one of the thousands of bestiaries about her childhood nightmare, whether it be rumors or otherwise; she seemed to be finding everything but that. Minotaurs were mainly dominant in the underground labyrinths beneath surface Equestria, and were known for promiscuous behaviors and or hotheaded attitude. Hydra, though near extinct, could be found in Everfree Forest's swamps, and when one head is removed, three more grow in place. Manticores were thought to be extinct until one was found in Everfree Forest around when Nightmare was freed from her after she returned from the moon. Celestia always told her to forget about the past, but she never did remember her time on the moon, nor how she ended up there in the first place. Occasionally she would have dreams where she was a young girl on the moon, and meanwhile having monochrome adventures with friends she would meet there. For some reason, despite being the Princess of Dreams, she still wasn't able to tell if they were all memories of her past or if they were manufactured by her own distorted mind.

She continued to search through scrolls, textbooks, and even occasional forgotten note cards left inside documents to no avail. Luna failed to stifle a yawn. She was getting tired of having questions and not finding answers...as well as tired from not having her sleep. It was around noon and Luna had adapted her schedule to work nocturnally for her sister's sake, and noon for her was like two in the morning for Celestia. She managed to read an entire shelf of lore and mythos (it was apparently a popular subject to be written about) before footsteps were heard toward the entrance.

"Luna?" Celestia's voice called. "My guards informed me that you arrived."

"I have, sister," she responded, still focused on the task at hand. Luna was clearly exhausted, her usual galaxy-like head of hair replaced by a familiar periwinkle cut. Celestia hadn't seen her sister's original hairstyle since after Nightmare Moon's invasion. Luna was left magically exhausted after reformation, unable to cast many spells, and thus why it didn't flow. Now, Celestia could see, Luna was in the similar state again. It went without saying that she was concerned for her.

"Luna, you need your sleep," she reminded.

"Yes, Tia, I know," Luna groaned. She wasn't going to rest now. She still had to find that creature that so frightfully scared her in her youth.

"Luna. Rest."

Celestia glared at her, and as she was elder, Luna obeyed.

"Now," she began. "What are you doing here at one in the afternoon? You told me you would be with your little pirates."

"Yes...but things changed."

"Things?" Celestia asked.

"Yes...things."

Celestia stared at her, the type an older sibling would give to her younger when they know they're hiding something. Her face was demanding an explanation, especially considering the disorganized pile of books behind her that would give her former obsessive compulsive student nightmares. Luna, unwillingly, explained her reasoning.

"Remember when we were kids and I kept asking to sleep with you because of the 'monster in the closet'?" she asked, making quotation marks with her fingers.

Celestia's face stayed unmoved.

"Well," She paused a moment. "He may have escaped Tartarus and is terrorizing little Pipsqueak both in and outside his dreams."

Celestia kept her expression.

"You do realize," she began. "that he was a figment of your imagination, correct? You had a lot of nightmares like those when you were coming of age to dream travel."

"I'm not a toddler anymore, sister!" Luna shouted. "I demand an answer to who or what Gregory is!"

Rather than reminding her younger sister to use her indoor voice like she normally would, she sighed. She motioned her exhausted sister to move as she walked toward the shelves. Celestia examined the books still left to be searched through.

"You won't find your answers here," she simply said.

"What?! But the Canterlot Royal-"

"Use your inside voice, Luna," Celestia interrupted, to which Luna sighed.

"The Canterlot Royal Library is the largest of its kind in all of Equestria. Not even Stalliongrad has a library this massive!"

"That may be, but what a library might not lack in size might lack in one's topic of interest," she explained.

Luna just stared. It was clear she was desperate. Celestia turned toward her.

"There is only one library that has been left forgotten, Luna."

Luna felt a chill down her spine.

"You mean..?"

Celestia's look had become determined.

"We're going to Everfree. It's time we give our old castle a visit."

Pipsqueak led Dinky back to her room after a long day of fun. Both were still wet from their ocean playtime, and by this point they were exhausted of any energy they had at the beginning of the day. Dinky was surprised at how much could be done at a beach, especially on the rather small crescent-shaped island around the fortress. She remembered how she was scared when Pipsqueak jumped off the castle roof into the water, only to find out that that particular area of water was deeper than it looked. She even tried herself, and she almost lost her breath swimming back toward the surface. She couldn't even feel the bottom of the pit, and no doubt she was frightened, much to her embarrassment when she surfaced to Pipsqueak pouncing on her.

There was also fruit from the palm trees along the shoreline. Rumble would climb (with some help from his wings) to the fruit and knock them down before hovering to the ground. Oh, the taste of coconut milk! Dinky had never drunk it before, but already she seemed to fall in love with it. Not even grape juice could keep her away! All the tropical fruit she tasted were delectable, and she didn't know how she was able to live her life before this without a juicy pineapple or ripe banana.

Her swimsuit wasn't the restrictive one-piece like she had in Port Canter, but rather a two-piece bikini similar to what she would see other schoolgirls wearing. Its cute look, a periwinkle color trimmed by lavender, appealed greatly to her after all. However, while the change would be simple to anyone else, this took some adapting for Dinky. She wasn't used to her belly being exposed as she swam, and at first she was sheepish about that. Her developing breasts and bottom were still covered, but she still felt naked nonetheless. Was it ethically appropriate for a girl to expose her stomach when swimming? Her bottom piece was easy to put on, but her top was a different matter. She couldn't reach that far on her back to tie it properly, so she had to ask Pip to do it for her. He was willing to do it, but when he was done, she turned back toward him uncomfortably looking away before glancing down at a suspicious bulge coming from his trunks. Even now, it was clear that he was still self-concious about the incident.

"That was enjoyable," Dinky exclaimed with as much muster as her body would allow. She took a bite out of her kiwi in hand.

"Too bad we have to leave tomorrow," Pip agreed. Dinky stopped midway of a second bite.

"What?" she asked. "Don't you guys stay here a few days usually?"

"When nothing's going on, yeah," he explained. "I don't want to leave, either. But...something's wrong. I don't know what, but it's just a feeling, and I'm..."

I'm scared. I want to wake up from this terrible nightmare. I want to live a happy life with my pirate friends, and I want to live without that damn bloody mouse!

Did he just swear? Twice? Did he really say two bad words right next to eachother? Lucky for him, he trailed off his words into his head, and didn't look bad in front of his crush.

Well, I can say I'm a pirate now if I couldn't before.

"It's okay," Dinky reassured. "That mouse guy left you in shivers. In fact, you still look like you are."

Pip didn't realize until now that he was trembling, and the creepy monster in his mirror from that morning seemed to only be one reason as to why.

"I'm..."

Pipsqueak paused as to avoid using any words relating to fear. He was a captain (a pirate captain, at that), and captains were fearless and brave, not timid in nature. Too bad that's what Pipsqueak admittedly was most of the time. Dinky waited patiently for him to finish, but he felt that no matter what replacement word he used, Dinky would know how he truly felt.

"I'm nervous, that's all," he finally excused. "It's just...this hasn't happened to me before. I've been on adventures, but this one feels dangerous, even for my tastes. I don't want something bad to happen."

Dinky just listened. She did that a lot whenever he talked. Even when he was scared enough to wet, just listening to him talk felt nice, as well as the feeling that she could make him feel better.

"Well, let's not worry about it right now," she said, purposely changing the subject. "What's for dinner?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Luna usually tells us, but she's not here."

"She seemed weird," Dinky recalled. "Isn't she usually loud and bold?"

"When she's in her serious mood, yeah," he responded. "but when she's not, she's a funloving princess who makes sure us pirates have the most enjoyable time possible. That's why SALCS is surrounded my freshwater, and why I can jump off the fortress parapets like a diving board and land smoothly."

"But that wasn't the Luna you just talked about," she pointed out.

"I know. That's what scares me."

There was a moment of silence for the realization to kick in. Pip didn't even care at that point that he used a word attributing to fear, because he was right. Either Luna was serious and bold or fun and adventurous. He had never seen a Luna that was grim or quiet, especially of the latter. He prayed in her name that she was able to come back by dinner.

She didn't.

The elliptical, oak dining table was awkwardly silent, with the four adolescents facing each other. The plates in front of them were empty, and there was nothing to eat. Instead, Pipsqueak improvised with fruit snacks and juice boxes from their Port Canter raid. The throne that Luna would be sitting in originally was empty.

"Captain, where's Princess Luna?" Featherweight asked. "I'm hungry."

"Quiet, Featherweight. We have fruit snacks," Rumble asserted, though his expression toward Pip asked the same question. Knowing that an explanation would have to be addressed sooner or later, the captain cleared his voice.

"Luna...left back to Canterlot for...uh, princessy matters, and we..."

Despite his frequent stuttering from his lack of public speaking, their attention was kept on him.

"Well, we might be in for a doozy. As you know, this week is Nightmare Night..."

How the bloody hell does Luna do this?!

"We're going to Ponyville," he said. Rumble did a spit take, as Featherweight tilted his head in confusion. Dinky was the only one that didn't make a reaction.

"But Pipsque-" Rumble bit his tongue to not seem disrespectful to his leader in his questioning. "Captain Pipsqueak, you and I both agreed we would never go back there. We ended up much better here at sea than in that country town."

Pipsqueak banged his fist onto the table, making Rumble flinch.

"That may be, Rumble, but our closest friends live there, what few we had!" he exploded. "My mum lives there! Your brother Thunderlane lives there! Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo live there! The group that saved Equestria half a dozen times live there! Ms. Cheerilee, Pinkie Pie, all of them live in what you just called a 'country town.' And so what if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are still there? You know what the difference between us now and then? Our bloody cutie marks and experiences that would give them nightmares!"

The room was tense. Realizing his emotions overtook his rationality, Pipsqueak observed his crew. Dinky had a look of shock on her face, not anticipating the outburst. Featherweight, though it was not directed at him, hid under the table in fear, sobbing. His best friend, Rumble, who would stick with him thick and thin, had tears running down his face. It was clear that Rumble was trying to ignore them, but his voice still hinted at his melancholy. Pip's nightmares were turning him into a monster.

"I miss Thunderlane..." the second-in-command muttered, his voice shaken. "You're right, Pipsqueak. I'm sorry."

"It's settled, then," Pipsqueak decided, attempting against joining along with the currently emotional crew. "We're leaving for Ponyville tomorrow, and be on the ship by first light. If the schedule goes according to plan, we should arrive a couple days early."

Without anything more to say, Pipsqueak left his chair and exited the room, almost expressionless. Against her better judgement, Dinky followed.

"What did you do that for?" she questioned, firm yet respectfully.

"I'm sorry, Dinky," Pipsqueak sighed. "Things aren't going to be rainbows and sunshine for awhile."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Is it about the mouse?"

Pipsqueak didn't answer, and instead ignored her as he ran upstairs.

VII Part II - Shadows of the Past

Luna rushed into her elder sister's bedroom. Now that she was washed by the royal servants and donned in a fresh sleeping gown, she could finally sleep with Celestia and be safe from the monsters that watched her at night. The Gregory mouse couldn't possibly bother her now that the protective, reliable Princess of the Sun (a title given to Celestia quite recently with the appearance of her cutie mark) was sleeping with her.

This was not the first night Luna had to sleep with Celestia that month. It seemed every few nights the horror came back to torment her, and every few nights she wet the bed because of it. She saw it come out of her closet a numerous amount of times, retreating just as her parents arrived. They would ask if anything was wrong, and Luna would explain as understandably as she could for a little princess that had just begun learning her alphabet. However, she would just be reassured that she was just imagining it. The reassurance would only help until the next time the mouse came around, and it was frequent. She started having nightmares about him, about how they were similar. Even if her mother could read dreams, why did she have to be tormented so frequently by this thing?

"Thank you, Tia!" Luna said as she cuddled with her sister. Celestia smiled.

"You're welcome. Now go to sleep. We have tutoring in the morning."

Hugging her Ursa doll, Luna nodded to sleep. She hoped she could be safe here. She didn't want to make Tia crabby in the morning.

"There's only so much time before you become insane."

Luna shrieked, to her big sister's annoyance.

"Already?! Luna, how many times do I-"

Celestia stopped her words as she noticed the looming shadow coming from one corner of her room.

Odd, she thought. doesn't the moon usually shine down on that area?

Celestia felt Luna scuffle under her covers for protection, but the older sister was not so much scared as curious. The shadow took the form of a disgusting mouse who eerily smiled at her.

"Hello, Celestia."

"What do you want from my sister?!" she shouted. The rat only chuckled.

"Answer me under the order of the Queen!"

"Queen, you say?" he questioned. "As far as I'm aware, you're just old enough to escape childhood, yet adulthood is still far."

"Mom!" Celestia called. "Dad! Help!"

"Now that's not very nice, especially considering your future."

Celestia's vision became blurry. Her room faded to white, as she was put into an endless void of which there was no logic. There were three shadowy figures in the distance, walking away from her. Almost uncontrollably, she ran toward them for what seemed like an eternity. She was just barely getting any closer. She kept thinking that this had to have been a dream, but when would she wake up? She was exhausted until she finally caught up with the silhouettes, when she recognized their features. One turned toward her, a prince she recognized as Sombra. His thick, somewhat greasy, jet black hair glistened underneath his crown. He was the son of the king and queen of the Crystal Empire, who were good friends with her own parents. His illusion eerily smiled at Celestia, triggering a chill to be sent down her spine. He was exactly how she remembered him, but now his eyes seemed discorded, with a visible dark aura emanating from his eyes.

"Surely you remember Prince Sombra, don't you?"

Memories forcibly flooded into her thoughts. She remembered her enjoyment when they would take one of his bedsheets out of his armoire and slide down the spiral stairwell of one of the ornate towers. She reminisced on how he taught her how to fish in the Empire's park, and the hilarity when her first catch slapped her face with its tail. She remembered when they rode on Equestria's biggest Ferris wheel at each summer's Crystal Faire. There were so many memorable moments between the two children, and as they both got older, Celestia came to a realization.

She was in love with him, and according to her mother, it was mutual.

Why else was there an impatience inside her when it came to meeting him again? Why else did she feel her heart melt whenever he was even mentioned? Why else did she remember more highlights between her and Sombra than with her own sister? She felt stupid for not understanding before. She began experimenting. She spent more time writing letters to her crush, and he would always reply back. When she wasn't being tutored, she would seek time to take a train to the Crystal Empire and meet up with him. On late nights, they sneaked out of the castle to watch the stars or just wander around the luminescent buildings and decorations at the Crystal Plaza. The patterns gradually became more explicit. One night, they went to the castle's pool and courtyard, where they experienced their first look at their opposite sex's body without any formal wear to cover it. Celestia would giggle at how unnerved Sombra was finally examining her anatomy, even though he desired the idea originally. She giggled even more at his sheepish attitude when she asked for him to do the same.

Celestia now faced a completely different prince. This isn't the one she had known all this time.

"How gallant of him, accepting the sentient darkness surrounding his empire as his master. He also found a nice crystal that he was going to send you."

Sombra took a black jewel off from the ground in front of him and tossed it toward her. As it landed, almost on cue, giant rocks rose underneath Celestia, entrapping her legs. This couldn't be happening. This all had to be a dream, just another nightmare to get through life with.

"Would you like to learn more about your other adversaries in the near future?"

Suddenly, the illusion she was trapped in literally shattered around her. She came back into reality, lying on the floor. Next to her was a corpse reduced to ashes and blood. She looked toward the door to find her mother and father holding strange but colorful jewels in front of them - a crimson bolt, a cyan balloon, an orange apple, a bright pink butterfly, and an indigo rhombus in all. A sixth magenta jewel, Celestia realized, was the same that was placed into her mother's crown. The six-pointed star glimmered as if it shone a ray of light. She looked at her in awe.

"This nightmare is over, for all of us," she stated wearily. "The monster would be unwise to come back with the Elements of Harmony in our possession."

She looked at Celestia, with a look of assurance.

"Tomorrow," the queen stated. "you are having a special lesson. I believe you are old enough to learn what these are."

It has literally been ages since Luna had ever traversed through the Everfree Forest. Rather, it was more of like what became it. This was where the sisters used to live as children, but since has been overgrown with thorns and poisons unknown to a commoner. Naturally, since it has been so long, it was difficult to remember why they left in the first place. She reminisced on her tantrum that eventually sent her to the moon, and she knew something seemed off about her at the time. She wasn't herself, and though she was envious of her sister, she had never before raged so severely against her. It was a past memory she'd rather forget, but how after she spent one thousand years of her life on a truly solitary prison? It was lonely, and Celestia never made any communication. Why couldn't she? If she was to be imprisoned on the moon, would it be any trouble to send a care card? Didn't she know the difficulty she faced there? Did she even care?! And of course, how could she forget how she was left to keep warm in the cold expanse of space with nothing but her favorite childhood blanket?

Luna took a deep breath. She was beginning to let her emotions overpower her common sense. Last time she let that happen, she was sent there in the first place. After all, the moon wasn't entirely bad. As she was still young, she ventured through the lunar caverns carelessly, and even made a few friends. There were also some fascinating discoveries she made: creatures that appeared in her storybooks populated the moon. She made friends with a lunar mermaid about her age who helped her navigate the underground rivers. She first thought it was weird that her friend's underwater race in their kingdom swam without any form of clothing and didn't mind, which even at that point in time would have been taboo outside of specific private celebrations. She also met bat-Pegasus hybrids whose fearsome look was deceiving for their actual natures. One was more serious than the other, but was still protective of the group and kept them together during tough times. The other was fun-loving and quirky, and Luna admitted to herself of how she was smitten for him. She also met another princess - well, queen - like her at a Changeling hive and helped her defeat her traitorous vizier. The moon was filled with adventure, and it was completed thanks to her blanket-cape and a map.

The forest has since become overgrown...and dangerous. Unlike the rest of Equestria, nature operated on its own accords. Plant life grew and fertilized itself, trees reached toward the sky due to the lack of height limitations enforced in civilization, and storms blew in rain and snow without any anticipated warning. Animals, instead of being taken care of those with a relevant cutie mark, played natural selection, which Luna learned was normal in a much more ancient time. Luna only knew that this existed in the seas, as caretakers were primarily restricted to land. Unlike the sea, however, the carnage was visible. The sisters would occasionally pass carcasses along their path. Luna cringed at visible ribs of a manticore left half eaten as flies buzzed around its remains. Celestia, however, retained the nonschalant expression she had kept since they left Canterlot. If her sister, merciful as she was, was ignoring the hurt, then maybe this topic was more serious than Luna originally planned.

After coming to a point, they came across a chasm. On the other side, the ruins of the castle Luna recognized as their old home loomed in the distance. Memories rushed back to her of childhood memories. She remembered her first fish caught with Celestia's help, only for it to escape back into the stream behind the castle. Was it still there, or did it dry up? She and Celestia would both swim in handmade swimsuits, usually made of fabric from castle storage. Luna's was cute, with large seashells covering her undeveloped chest held by a string tied around her back. Despite the amateur handiwork, the bathing suit still fit snugly.

"We're here," Celestia said, breaking Luna's train of thought.

"This isn't anything how I remember it," Luna observed.

"No, it isn't," the sun princess explained. "because I made it this way after you were gone."

"Why? It was such a beautiful castle."

"It was, and it hurts me every time I come here. I used one of Starswirl's forbidden spells to make this place the way it is."

Silence passed as they walked through what would have been the courtyard. Trees that were once abundant in shades of green were now rotted, and the rough grass below them was brown and has appeared dead for a while.

"Why have you taken me here?" Luna questioned. "And why did you do this to our home?"

Celestia hesitated in her tracks. She stood frozen, as if she were a statue.

"Our home...had to be abandoned. When you were possessed by the spirit of Nightmare..."

Celestia shed a single tear at the horrifying memory.

"I had to flee after banishing you to the moon. Nightmare could have taken me as well."

Luna hugged her in reassurance. It was understandable that such an incidence had to happen. If both rulers of a diarchy fell to defeat, Equestria would be in grave chaos.

"You need not worry anymore, sister. I'm back to the way you knew me before."

Celestia smiled at the comment before they moved forward.

"Only Twilight and her friends have been able to find this relic of Equestria's past."

Celestia focused her magic on the chained portcullis in front of her. There were six locks on the corroding iron bars, which Luna recognized, were designed with the shape of the six respected Elements of Harmony. Though the Elements have since been reformed into the Tree of Harmony, Celestia still had power to emanate from them. Luna used to be able to control some of these elements as well, but she figured that power was taken away through her punishment. As the rusted locks were concentrated, a prismatic light was emitted from each lock, as the dark atmosphere was engulfed in a brief flash of light. The locks didn't fall, but instead the portcullis slowly opened to give access to the main hall. Stairs on either side in the middle of the room led upward to the balcony, where an open passage sat toward the top left. Memories flooded through her, as Luna recognized it as the royal library.

Without hesitation, Celestia moved toward the corridor while her sister followed. Luna noticed the new surroundings of her old home. Ivy spread along the walls like disease to where even in her midst it noticeably pulsed, almost like a beating heart. She looked toward two tapestries across the wall, separated by a broken stained glass window. Luna looked with sorrow, as she recognized the two figures that were portrayed - her parents. They've now been gone for more than a millennium, and now Luna was beginning to remember the depression through the family, how Celestia tried to calm her after they left. While Luna was beginning to become able to perform spells, she was still a young girl, and she didn't restrict her emotions from getting the best of her. So many hours were dedicated to crying and remorse, knowing that they wouldn't come back...

"I see you noticed the tapestries," Celestia called, as Luna snapped out of her memories and to two more tapestries. One was dark blue and torn, most logically hers. The one of her sister opposite of her own was almost how it had been when she had last seen it, though: bright white fabric with various red, orange, and yellow strips running across, as the center showed a luminescent sun, the only cutie mark whose power could control the sun's passing through day and night. The very same was what her sister was gifted with.

"Yes, Rarity stitched my old tapestry back together. It was very well done. How generous of her to do that."

Celestia and Luna exchanged smirks. With as stern as she often seemed, she still had a sense of humor that often went unnoticed to the public. Regaining her professionalism, she motioned Luna.

"It's time," she said, sending shivers down Luna's spine in anticipation.

They entered the library, which despite the occasional visits from the six current bearers of harmony, still retained an unused look. It looked much larger than how she remembered, which was surprising considering how small she used to be. There were four levels in all, with bookshelves covering each wall. While Luna stood in awe, Celestia flew to the third level and examined the binder of each book closely. Eventually, she found the book Luna was looking for.

Extended Glossary of Abnormal Creatures and Entities
997 F.R.

"Sister, your answer," the elder sister called. Luna's attention was caught almost instantaneously as she teleported to the third level. Luna's anticipation was killing her. All her years, she had a gross, terrifying mouse named Gregory stalk her childhood, and only now would she be able to find out what he...or it...really was. She almost took the book and risked ripping out the yellowed pages before Celestia took it back from her.

"Remember, Luna, these books span more than a millennium in age, from when our mother was present," she stated. "It's miraculous that they even hold up to this day."

Celestia carefully skimmed through the large textbook-sized encyclopedia of myths and monsters that have either died out or still exist to this day, with Luna peering over her shoulder. Luna recognized some sketches as monsters that she had either seen on their stroll here or some monsters that she helped Pipsqueak fight overseas (and to be fair, she played the role of some of those monsters, though not too harshly as to hurt the boys too badly). After glancing at various articles of hydras, nymphs, and sea serpents, Celestia flipped to a page that made Luna flinch and turn away.

"Do not fear him, Luna," Celestia assured. "The difference between your childhood and now is that you've faced many more terrifying things than him and braved through them."

With some hesitation, she looked back toward the image and instead of flinching this time, chuckled. Now that she saw him for what he was, she questioned why she was afraid of him in the first place. He was a dirty rat, yes, but his form was blocky and cartoon-like, like the toys she played with as a kid. Maybe the rat compensated for his lack of intimidating appearance with what he was able to perform. Intently, she read its description.

Gregory (Transcendent Dreamwalker)

Little is known about this creature, but it can be dated back to even before the birth of a unified Equestria. It's often seen and portrayed with tattered clothes and occasionally holding a lantern. It visits those who lack self-esteem or courage to feed on their souls. Until 996 F.R., when it had tormented royalty's Princess Luna, it had not been seen for several thousands of years, and only one has been identified. Its last recorded sighting was approximately 18000 B.F. when it was sighted after a tsunami hit the island chain of a civilization called Japan.

When encountering the creature, remember that everything that may happen at all is an illusion. His advantage is his ability to change the world to how he would like his victim to see it, usually playing on their phobias and doubts. Only the victim can see what goes on, while in reality it may seem that they are in a trance. He cannot physically hurt his victims, but he can mentally and emotionally break them, often leaving symptoms of insanity or post-traumatic stress disorder. It's suggested to immediately interrupt the vivid hallucinations before the victim loses hope and, therefore, their soul.

Luna read on, but many of the words were rubbed away and faded due to the crippling age of the tome. Overall, there wasn't much else she learned than what she already knew. She looked to her sister for any more information, only to be replied with a shrug.

"That was the only tome I knew that even referenced him," Celestia stated, much to Luna's chagrin.

"There has to be something else," Luna said aloud. "If we don't do something, Pip will be in grave danger!"

That couldn't have been the only record of him, she thought. There had to be more!

Celestia looked up and thought.

"Maybe," she suggested, Luna's eyes beaming. "Mother and Father might have written something about it. The creature did fall to the Elements, after all."

Noticing Luna's pleading, Celestia sighed.

"You made a promise, if I remember correctly, that you would sleep after we checked the castle."

"But Gregory!" was all Luna could muster, her weariness and anxiety visible to the solar princess. With another sigh, she focused her magic on Luna as she became increasingly tired. A simple sleep spell would put her to rest if nothing else. Even a goddess of dreams wasn't immune to drowsiness.

"Celestia..." Luna yawned. "What are you doing?"

"Rest well, sister," Celestia said as Luna fell to the floor, her breathing becoming light snoring. Even after all these years, she still looked adorable when she slept. She could remember Luna's star-splattered onesie that she fell in love with to sleep in. Maybe on the next Hearth's Warming Eve, she should get them both onesies to sleep in instead of the typical gown that she has had to sleep in for the past 600 years. Carrying her younger (and noticably smaller) sister in her arms, she teleported back to the castle to continue with the day's schedule.

VIII - A Filler is a Filler

Pipsqueak:

I apologize for leaving so abruptly yesterday. To be honest, the monster you face is similar to what I experienced at your age. Yes, this monster has existed during my own childhood, and its history even predates the history of Equestria. My sister, Celestia, came to my aid when he tormented me, but I thought the Elements of Harmony destroyed him for good. I will talk to you about him in detail when we can next meet in person.

As of now, however, I sense you are going to Ponyville, to reunite with your family and friends that you missed. I fully encourage you to participate in the Nightmare Night activities while you are still young. Though I may not be there in person, maybe you can feel comfort that my spirit is there. Whether or not it chases you is based on your own adventurous spirit, whether you want to face your fears head-on or spend time with peers. Nonetheless, my personal tailors have made costumes for each of your crew, and they will be distributed on the eve of Nightmare Night.

That is aside from the point. As of right now, I will be spending less time with you and your crew to see if I can find any additional documentation on this creature, as such has been scarce. Also, the residents of Ponyville will be notified of your coming so you won't feel unwelcome. I know that you have the responsibility and courage to lead your crew during these difficult times despite the ongoing fear that you may face in the future. My advice is to fight through it all. It was difficult for myself to prevail, but the power of friendship and support will undoubtedly prove to be the most dangerous weapon Gregory had ever faced.

I pray that we can meet again, so you may have a better understanding of what times lie ahead.

From your favorite princess and founder of the Lunar Crusaders,

~Princess Luna~

Pipsqueak pondered the information that he gathered from the note mysteriously left on his bedside table as he showered for the long flight ahead. Thankfully their galleon's magic can set sail on its own by his command, but his lack of sleep was getting to him. It was funny how Luna mentioned how he was "courageous" (a descriptor he took by heart), but he felt anything but, refusing to slumber in fear of the Gregory mouse intruding on his dreams. Despite the steaming shower, a chill went down his spine thinking about him, so much so that he jumped when the shower adjacent to him began to start.

"Good morning, Captain."

The voice belonged to none other than his best friend. Pipsqueak sighed in relief.

"Good morning, Rumble," he replied.

"Did I startle you, Captain?"

"A little bit,"

"Sorry."

Pipsqueak began lathering soap down his legs, as they were still dirty from the beach activities the day before. As he thought about it, he didn't really wash himself very often, other than during Luna's bathtime and here. Other times were more of a rinse than anything, and while most patches of mud or scum would disappear, he never truly soaped himself clean, almost always resulting in dirty feet and greasy hair. Then again, his shower wasn't very much different from what Rumble and Featherweight had to share, so it didn't come as a surprise to him. Throughout a long pause, Rumble whistled a tune to a familiar song about being a pirate before he broke the silence again.

"I'm not really sure I want to go back," he said. Pipsqueak halted his actions.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well..." Rumble paused, as if he was afraid to explain. Suddenly, the realization hit the captain harder than a brick to his face. An impish smile materialized as he figured out what had Rumble so nervous.

"It's Applebloom, isn't it?"

Unbeknownst to Pipsqueak on the other side of the wall, Rumble was bright red at the mention of her name. He was almost embarrassed to think about her, and recently when he did, his bits started to extend. Naturally, since puberty was starting to take effect, the new change caught him off guard. Sure, they were childhood friends, but it wasn't until leaving Ponyville that Rumble realized how much he really liked her.

He liked her a lot.

In response to the silence, Pipsqueak laughed and broke into song.

"Rumble likes Applebloom! Rumble likes Applebloom!"

Rumble groaned. Perhaps it was a wise idea after all to let Featherweight sleep in.

"Yeah?" he defended. "Well maybe I should tell Dinky about your own secret."

Pip fell silent almost immediately. Was an underling, best friend or otherwise, threatening blackmail?

"After all," Rumble said. "Your stature isn't the only thing that's small."

"Hey! She doesn't need to know that!"

"So then don't make fun of me for having a crush, especially when you have your own," Rumble concluded before going back to washing himself again. Slowly, he could feel puberty acting up again with just the thought of seeing her, like a dog happy to see its owner.

Dinky awoke with a mess of hair. Despite the conflicts from the night before, she nevertheless slept like a log.

A pirate's log...

She giggled at the pun she made before sliding out of her bed. She stretched her back and shoulders and walked toward her mirror. She almost didn't recognize herself; Luna must have visited her that night, as the lashes and lids of her eyes were polluted by a dry crusty substance. She took a double take when noticed that she had drooled that night, with dried slobber around the corner of her mouth. Her hair had been spread out overnight, looking akin to the Frankenstein monster's bride.

She sighed. It was going to take a lot more than a comb to freshen up and make herself at least somewhat presentable in front of a group of boys.

She opened a closet near her bed and picked out her clothes. She took off her pajamas and used underwear and examine her new attire. When dressed, she would look fairly similar to the other boys, with the exceptions of a indigo skirt and a dark blue vest which, unlike the boys, covered her chest completely instead of retaining their V-neck designs. She was sure it was for good reason, too.

Now that she knew her clothes fit perfectly, another thought came to mind, making her actions unnecessary.

Shower...

Unlike her ship cabin, her room didn't come with an individual shower, presumably because of how the showers and restrooms were jointed in an academy-style fashion. Thankfully, she had the floor to herself, so it wasn't likely that the boys would intrude on her. They were boys, but she didn't think they were pervert types. Still, what if one were to unintentionally walk in on her with a message? She figured she could wait until she reached the ship. She bathed last night before dinner, anyway, and though she preferred to shower twice a day, it was more out of her paranoia for following routine rather than necessity. Although unsure whether she was to bring her swimsuit to the ship, she exited her room, sure she had everything she needed.

She went down a flight of stairs and stopped in her tracks. She felt she saw something in the corner of her eye, though she wasn't quite sure. After all, she just woke up and was starving from the lack of food the night before. It was very likely she was making herself hallucinate. She climbed back and looked at her surroundings suspiciously. Nothing appeared out of place, and it wasn't likely that one of the boys were playing a prank on her. They were probably showering right now. In fact, when she went to the floor below, she could hear the running water from the boys' floor's bathroom, so she knew for a fact. Figuring it was her imagination, she darted down the stairs to walk onto the ship.

An anthropomorphic rat revealed himself back into full view. He sighed in relief. For a second, he assumed that he would've been caught.

"Drat, that was a close one."

He wiped his tattered clothing and took out an odd device. It was a cuboid shape, and seemed to take the form of a standard box. However, its black as charcoal shell indicated it was more ominous in reality. He pressed a button on the side and began to speak into it.

"The girl is headed toward the Lunar Mare. The pirates should leave in thirty."

A dark blue mist swirled from the hollow box, entrapping it.

Yes, the mist seemed to speak. but don't just stand here! I'm interested in this girl...

"As am I, Mama," the rat responded, with a devilish grin. "As am I."

I - Talk of the Town

The Easy Eyes Tavern at Port Canter was busy that afternoon, moreso than usual for the given time. It was almost quarter past two as the usual chatter was about. Families have gone for lunch after a day at the schoolhouse, while visiting sailors discussed news and rumors spread across the seas. Waiters seated groups of people and a lone bartender passed out cider and ale to young and old alike. Everything was fine, until one sailor barged through the swinging doors.

"Captain! He's coming!" The boy looked flustered and on edge.

"Son! How many times have I told you not to barge in like so!" His elder, a middle aged man, gave a paralyzing glare.

"But...but...he..."

"Spit it out, boy! What is it?"

"The Lunar Mare! A galleon's been sighted flying the Lunar Mare!"

The noise suddenly transitioned to a deafening silence, save for the wind outside. The Lunar Mare? No, it can't be. He must be mistaken. He's no older than a schoolboy, after all. A young, inexperienced sailor like him can't possibly recognize such a symbol...if only that were the case. Anyone who had a brain recognized what the Lunar Mare meant: pirates. Not just any pirate, mind you, but him. The pirate the notorious Blackjack and Ironfist were cautious of.

The worst part: he and his crew were mere boys, the perfect illusion.

The silence was broken by very quiet chatter. The unanimous topic was discussed.

"I heard he kidnaps maidens from across the seas."

"His blade is so sharp he can cut through metal."

"He defeated a giant squid by just shouting at it!"

"It's scary to think he's only eleven and is still the most fearsome pirate in Equestria."

No matter how radical the rumors, no one questioned. The pirate was unpredictable, and you never knew if you were his next target. Some tried to rub these rumors off, but they couldn't help but feel a chill move down their spine at the very thought of possibility.

His name was Pipsqueak, the pirate from Trottingham. Normally, he would be a joke. For being of eleven years, he was short for his age, thus his name. He wasn't exactly bulk, but he made up for that in charisma. He was able to swoon any lass that he took liking for. For those few that weren't afraid, he was a true gentleman. However, in his second grade, his father disappeared at sea. He aimed to find him, if anything, for his mother. That seemed to be his main goal, but that wasn't the reason he was so feared.

On Nightmare Night, during his first year in Ponyville, he swore allegiance to Luna, Princess of the Night, the same that attempted to overthrow her reigning sister nearly one thousand years ago. She became very protective of Pipsqueak, and quarreling with him meant challenging Nightmare Moon. Some teased or harassed him during his early career, but they soon regretted their actions when they vanished and were never heard from again.

The doors were kicked open. Two boys, in dark blue pirate attire, stood on either side of them, allowing for a smaller boy to enter. He had a patch over his right eye, and was the only one with a sword in his holster. He took out his sword (a dagger, rather,) and waved it around before walking over and hopping onto a bar stool.

"What'll it be, young Pip?" the bartender asked, unfazed by the danger in front of him. Most had to be in these situations, but they knew how kind-hearted the kid really was. The customers looked over expectantly, waiting for his answer.

"Juice box. Apple. And cookies. And fruit snacks.

Some gasped. The tavern only provided cider and ale, besides the usual battered foods. And fruit snacks? What was this madness and trickery? However, the man behind the bar went to the back and pulled out crates as requested, one by one.

"Here you go, Captain," he said as he lifted the last crate next to his seat. "Need any help carrying that to the ship?"

"Not today, mister, no, thank you," Pip replied as he jumped out of his seat. "Rumble! Featherweight! Carry them back to the ship!"

The boys followed their orders and lifted the crates, with some difficulty from one boy, before moving outside.

"Now then, I must be off."

Pip jumped out of his seat and onto the floor, nearly stumbling and losing his balance. He tore the straw out from the wrapping on his juice box and stabbed it into the box, putting some on edge. He took a sip out of it and ran outside.

The tavern in its entirety sighed in relief. That could've gone far worse than expected.

One blonde girl, however, looked toward the exiting lad in admiration. She'd never met a pirate before, and despite what her parents kept telling her, he didn't seem that bad. He seemed like an adventurous type, always looking for scores to settle. And to be free of the tyrannical bondage of parents of whom showed no compassion for such a daring young man...the pirate's life? She loved being a rebel.

This was the opportunity. She can sneak out and become a pirate.

"Mom? Dad? I have to use the bathroom."

The father glared.

"Just as we're about to leave, Dinky? This had better be good. Hurry up and be quick before that ruffian comes back."

Oh, I'll come back, she thought. ...not.

She darted to the bathroom and locked herself inside of a stall. There was a poor excuse for a shuttered window near the ceiling...the perfect escape route. Now to find a way to reach up there...

Dinky looked around. She would have to use a toilet to stand, but she wasn't tall enough yet. What else could she use? There was a pipe attached to the ceiling...maybe she could wrap something around to get out? She looked at the sloppily placed roll of toilet paper...too unstable, and it would probably tear at the slightest tug. She examined the rest of the room to see if she could use anything else to pull herself up. Then a thought came to her mind.

No...

She couldn't do that. She wasn't that desperate, was she? Sure, she wanted to be a pirate, but this idea was ridiculous. She could get in trouble for it...but she was willing to take the chance.

Making sure no one else was inside, she took off her dress and threw it around the pipe. After a few tries, she jumped onto the dress and carefully climbed up the makeshift rope. The more she climbed, the more she could hear her dress threatening to tear. With one leg, she kicked through the driftwood shutters and climbed out. She dropped to the ground and realized she was forgetting something...

My dress!

But now the window was too high. Now she was stuck in the spring heat wearing nothing of importance but her Hello Kitty underwear. She groaned, knowing this is what her mother thought would appeal to her (even though she did at first.) This was the point where she would get "20 across the ass," as her father said, but she wasn't ready to give up yet, not until she was a pirate.

But seeing her like this? Maybe she should just hide out. The boat wouldn't likely leave until the next morning, so that gave her plenty of time to sneak on board. If only she knew magic...but that would be an issue for the future. She looked toward the docks from behind the corner. Thankfully, since the Lunar Mare was in town, the streets were cleared, aside from the two boys from earlier carrying crates. She swiftly moved toward the ship, hiding behind every tree for a few seconds for safety before moving on. She liked this thrill. It felt like the time in first grade when she and her friends played a prank on some boys at a pool party after they threw a stinkbug into Dinky's backpack. They poured a magic liquid that turned green when they (inevitably) peed in the pool, humiliating themselves.

You know, girly things.

Dinky continued to get closer to the ship and waited for the crew mates to enter a cabin. They were discussing something, which put the blonde on edge. Did they see her following them? More importantly, did they see her embarrassing underwear attire? To her relief, that wasn't the case as the boys dragged the crates in. They would notice her sooner or later, though. Dinky looked for a place to hide, but didn't see anywhere she could stay hidden for long. She noticed a couple empty barrels beside the door, and beamed.

Hopefully they're strong enough to carry me.

She quickly took off the lid, hopped in a barrel, and resealed the lid. Thankfully, there was a tiny slit where she could see what was going on.

"Captain, where do you want these barrels?"

Just my luck...

She could sense that two pirates were on either side of her. Her stomach twisted.

"Just set it in the bathroom. Extra barrels for our sticky bombs, just in case."

Sticky bomb? Bathroom? It didn't take a boy to put the pieces together. This was the reason why she normally hated boys, but she couldn't help but think how diabolical that would be.

"Yes, sir," said one of them. This voice was different, though. In fact, it was more high-pitched than the previous. Wimpier, too? Dinky wasn't usually one to judge.

Pipsqueak spoke up again. "How many do we have right now?"

"About four and one-third barrels, Captain," said one boy. "The bucket's near empty."

"Very good, Rumble."

The pirates lifted the barrel.

"Why is this...so heavy?" a different voice asked.

"Don't tell me you're tired already, Featherweight!" shouted the captain.

"It wasn't before!"

"Well let me help!" Rumble groaned,

The trio of pirates lift the barrel off the ground before the bottom collapses, revealing the half naked girl inside.

V - Getting There

Pip woke up with a start. He checked his surroundings. He was still in his room, still in his bed, which means he was still at sea. He looked down under the covers and saw a dark wet puddle resting underneath his waist. Well, at least this time he would have a reasonable excuse as to why he wet the bed. He got out from under the covers and sat on the edge of his bed.

When it comes down to it, everybody puts themself above all.

What was that supposed to mean? What was Luna trying to tell him...if it was Luna?

He took off his clothes and went to his bath to shower. As he adjusted the temperature, a thick wall-like steam surrounded the perimeter of the bath and rose just high enough to cover up to his waist, hiding his unmentionables. That was one plus that Luna added after Featherweight's intrusion: actual privacy. Granted that previously every Lunar Crusader was a boy, now that a girl was among the ranks, Pip was even more self conscious about his privacy than before, to the point of embarrassment if even one pirate saw him naked while he was bathing. Luna said she had her own shower (to which she thanked her) but even then she could barge in and see Pip's barely scrawny body standing in front of her. He would have to adapt (as she would have to), but right now it was his request for even a little bit of privacy.

Pip always took long showers. He wasn't even sure why either. If he wanted to, he could probably finish shampooing his hair and soaping the rest of his body in the span of five minutes give or take. Instead he spent most of his time pondering...well, everything. Among topics were where to sail to next, the fastest route to find treasure, and as all boys learn how to do at his age, work on his aim in the shower. Working on it since he set sail, he's mastered the art, and it still feels good to relieve. That seemed to be the only way to urinate in the bath without Luna noticing. Of course, he could be using it to fill his waste bombs, but Rumble did it too, whom even encouraged Featherweight to work on his own aim likewise each morning. Of course, Dinky would be different, but in her cell, he figured she got it down. Nonetheless, he cringed at the idea of how a girl could and would pee.

While originally he was going to set his sights on Baltimare to the north, Pipsqueak couldn't stop thinking about his nightmare. Could that really happen? A giant skinless monster -- a titan -- rampaging loose and eating his mom? Maybe the nightmare wasn't so much supposed to be about that detail, but rather the message at the end that was engraved into his skull.

'You abandoned your own mother?' What was that voice talking about?

There was a knock on his door, startling him, followed by a shout.

"Permission to come in, Captain?"

Realizing that it was Rumble, his panic subsided and he answered.

"I'm showering, but since you're a boy, yes."

Rumble entered and closed the door, covering his eyes out of respect.

"It's okay," Pip assured. "You can look."

He did so and chuckled.

"You're spoiled," he reminded. "Featherweight and I have to share a shower."

Pip chuckled back. "At least your shower is big and perfect for aiming. Oh yeah, how is Featherweight's training going?"

Rumble shrugged and hinted a smile. "He's having trouble. He's nervous to hold his aim, and he keeps peeing all over his leg like a dog."

Pip fell to the floor laughing. Rumble even let out a few chuckles until Pip could be seen again from the mist cover. "At least it was in the shower and not otherwise," he said, recovered.

Rumble wished to return the subject to the original.

"Captain, we're fifty kilometers from the SALCS," he stated.

"Awesome!" the captain cheered, running out of the privacy of the mist before stopping.

Rumble tried to hold in his laughter, but failed. Pip's waist was in the middle of washing and a ring of bubbles covered his waist and censored him perfectly. Pip blushed and scooted back to the privacy of the bath. Rumble eventually regained his composure, after Pip cleared his voice a few times.

"What do you want done about Dinky?" he asked.

Pip thought carefully.

"I'll take care of that," he decided.

Indifferent about the response, Rumble saluted before exiting the room.

The secret base, the Super Awesome Lunar Crusader Secretbase (Or SALCS, for short), lived up to its name. Made of brimstone, mythril, and magic, Princess Luna used the remains of an abandoned pirate hideout to create what every adolescent pirate wants: a castle to rule the seas from that came included with bed and bath, open showers, toilets (that was a huge deal considering their use of buckets at sea), training grounds (or, as landlubbers called it, a playground), and a sauna; despite common views, even young boys could use a steam room to relax occasionally. They would always visit whenever it was on the way to a destination and stay for a few days, because no doubt it felt good to sleep in real beds. Centered in the middle of a lagoon, it was the best spot to swim, and usually the only place they could. After all, adults would complain about a group of boys skinny dipping by the harbor, and adults were annoying. Of course, their little base still had its share of regulations that all boys agreed they must follow, each topic written on a piece of paper, with as best handwriting as possible. For example, on a waterproof note at any set of showers:

Rules of Showrin Showering
1. Don't wear the Super Awesome Lu SALCS swimsuits in the open showers, unless your really really uncomfortable. We're all boys, we have the same bits.
2. Save your pee for the shower. Luna says it saves water and time.
3. If you need to poop, don't do it in the shower.
4. If you need to pee wearing a swimsuit, don't do it in your swimsuit unless it's an emremerjen emergency.
5. You can do the above if you're in a pool. If someone asks, don't be chicken and just say you did, and know how to do it.
6. Shower before going into the sauna because your princess says so.

Obviously, these rules were made when Pip and Rumble were just starting off their pirate adventures three years ago, when their spelling and grammar were still terrible. They would have to be changed and updated, especially with Dinky joining the party. Hopefully, Luna made a few additions to SALCS since.

Pip turned off the shower as the steam started to fade away. He went to his dresser and got out a fresh uniform, today a replication of the costume he wore for his first Nightmare Night, the first time he met Luna. He had good memories from back then, and thus heralded something seemingly unimportant with high regard as a result. He sniffed it before putting it on. Freshly cleaned and yet still smelled of sea salt. That's the pirate's life, and Luna knew it. He loved the scent.

Just finished with pulling up his dark brown cargo shorts, he exited the room and made his way toward Dinky's.

It took awhile, but Dinky was finally able to sleep. Talking with Pipsqueak made her feel a lot better about this whole leaving-her-family-and-friends-for-the-sake-of-adventure thing. It felt nice...until it was interrupted by her door being kicked open and adolescent shouting.

"Wake up!" shouted Pipsqueak as he rushed to her bed.

Dinky groaned. The sun wasn't even out yet.

"Is that how you reply to your Captain?" he questioned before taking her covers off. "What if something happens and we get shipwrecked? What if there's a sea monster?"

Sea monster?

Oh no.

Dinky jumped out of her bed, resulting in them knocking noggin-to-noggin.

"OW!" Pip screamed as he fell to the floor. Dinky held her own head in response. Nothing said "Good morning!" more like a head-on collision, literally. Dinky felt dizzy, but not concussion-worthy. If anything, that was a relief. She looked to her captain to apologize, but stopped at something. His face was red, and occasionally made noises like...sobbing? Was he crying?

"Captain, I didn't mean to!" she blurted.

"Yes you did!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face. "You did because I scared you!"

Dinky thought for a second. Crying doesn't seem very pirate-like. Then again, both of them weren't even old enough to be called teenagers yet, so she could give him some slack. She tried to think back to when her mom told her how to babysit her younger cousin while her aunt was visiting. Would those work on older children, or even boys? Ultimately, it was worth a shot. She hugged him (which caught him by surprise), rested her head on his shoulders, and spoke in a soft tone.

"It was an accident, Pipsqueak," she reassured. "I promise."

"Wha...What are you doing?!" his tone turning from hostility to confusion.

"It was an accident. I'm sorry."

Pipsqueak pushed her back to look at her. She didn't know if she was honestly trying to apologize, or just offend him, but somehow it felt good to him.

"Um...It's my fault," he admitted.

"Yes, but I hurt you nonetheless," she replied. Pipsqueak wiped his leftover tears and snot on his sleeve. Aside from his red eyes and face, she looked like he was back to normal.

"Um...we're landing in 30 minutes," Pip announced, his voice still shaky from his recent sobbing.

"Where?" she asked. Pip attempted a laugh in response through his shaky voice. It was relieving to see him in good spirits again.

"The best, coolest, awesomest pirate base ever!"

Dinky just tilted her head. Pip sighed.

"The Super Awesome Lunar Crusader Secretbase? SALCS?"

Dinky stayed unmoved. Pip sighed a second time, louder and more apparent.

"You'll find out. Luna gets to show you around. She even updated the bathrooms and showers and everything so girls could use them."

Dinky looked toward her screened bath in the corner.

"I need to shower."

Pip chuckled.

"Fine, fine," he said. "I guess you won't be peeing in it though." Dinky cringed in disgust.

"That's disgusting!" she screamed. "I most certainly am not! If I need to use the bathroom, I'll be using the toilet!"

"If you insist..." Pip said with a grin before leaving. Dinky stared at him as he was leaving.

"Peeing in the shower..." she muttered. "Boys, I swear..."

Pipsqueak went out to the deck, previously after drying off his tears and mucus from his recent crying. How pathetic of him. Crying in front of another pirate, especially a girl? He's a damn pirate! He shouldn't act like a baby, lest he wants to be treated as one. He's eleven, not four! He's been sailing for three years, and not once has he cried!

That was one flaw Pipsqueak knew he would be dealing with for a while: refusing to act his age. He was a pirate, and as such, should be intimidating and adult-like. Instead, he was still of grade school age and faced his own immaturity in some of his worser moments. When he and Rumble got captured their first time at sea, he bawled until Luna was forced to break them out. Another time, during his first raid, he tripped and scraped his knee, asking for a bandage from the nervous citizens of the dock. Granted, it was fun to be a kid, but when it comes to life as a pirate, you need to be presentable. You had to make a statement, look inside yourself and say 'What am I willing to put up with today?'

He was a swashbuckler, not a toddler.

Forcing himself to change the subject, he looked onto the horizon, a dark gray structure in sight. Soon, he would be right at home at the SALCS. He could use the rest, considering the nightmares he's been having. He wondered if he was the only one having them, or at least, in any variety of weirdness. Opening the snack box, he took out a grape-flavored juice box and packet of fruit snacks. Pip loved apple juice, but serious matters called for a different flavor of fruit. After all, once he's there he would be eating real fruit, not these condensed drinks.

"The SALCS!" Featherweight called from the crow's nest. "It's...uh...ten minutes away!"

Pip measured the distance himself from his own level. They were too far away to be ten minutes to, yet the fortress (he thought the word sounded cooler than "castle") was in the naked eye. Gathering his own information, Pip relayed back to him.

"It's twenty minutes, not ten, but you're learning!" he shouted.

After an "Okay!" from his subordinate, he looked back out to see and took another suckling of his juice box. He would need to be plenty hydrated for the fun they were about to have; an entire...what day was it today? Thursday?...an entire weekend of swimming in Jolly Roger's Lagoon, mapping the Mare's next destination, and sitting in a hot tub butt naked as his shoulders would be massaged by a pair of spa beauties Luna called sirens. They are supposedly dangerous, but as they are under Luna's control, they wouldn't dare harm her own legion.

"Something wrong, Captain?" a voice from behind him asked. Pip turned around. Who else would it be but his best friend Rumble?

"N-No, Rumble," Pipsqueak stammered. "It's fine." His friend, however, showed no belief.

"Then why are your eyes red?" he asked. "I may be bigger than you, but I'm not dumb."

Pip submitted his defeat. "Okay...I was crying."

Rumble smirked. "You mean letting out liquid pride?" he corrected, triggering Pip to smile.

As much as it got in the way of "pirate maturity", Rumble was and always would be Pip's best friend. He was always there to help him when need be. Heck, a lot of Pip's "manhood" was channeled from his second-in-command. Since Rumble lived with his older brother rather than his parents, it was logical to presume that what Rumble taught Pip was exactly what his own brother taught him. If not for him, their deadliest artillery wouldn't exist. Even though Pip already had a sibling in the Royal Guard, Rumble was the truer brother to him and was responsible for being the only person Pip could tell secrets to.

As Rumble crouched to grab a juice box of his own, a cold wind breezed the deck, causing Pip to shiver. Could it be the first wind of winter? It's only October...wait, it's October already?! Pip suddenly felt the pounding of his heart, the acceleration of his breathing, and even his legs started to tremble. It was October: the month of Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Night occurred on the last day of the month, always on a full moon. Children would traverse their neighborhood asking for candy, in which all must be offered to the spirit of Nightmare Moon. This was also when he first met Luna in person, and became a sort of accolade to her. He always liked Princess Luna and the lore that followed her and her military division. He remembered getting suspicious eyes in first grade for doing a project on the history of Nightmare Night, but he didn't care. The one thing he didn't like about Nightmare Night at that age, however, was Nightmare Moon herself. He would wet the bed after seeing her face, and the rhyme of the holiday didn't help.

Every year we put on a disguise
To save ourselves from her searching eyes
But Nightmare Moon just wants only one thing
To gobble up children in one quick swing
Hungrily, she soars the skies
If she sees nobody, she passes by
So if she comes and all is clear
Equestria is safe for another year
Fill up her belly with a treat or two
So she won't return to come eat you

He would still have nightmares about those rhymes, and for good reason; didn't all kids his age? However, what has become a fun, adrenaline-filled evening with a few cheap scares has become a living nightmare at sea. His peers in Trottingham and Ponyville had it easy; Nightmare Moon is much more threatening at sea than on land, especially to little pirates like himself. Ever since he left for sea, he'd been receiving...dreams. Dark dreams that his own mind couldn't come up with; dreams that tested whether he was truly ready for the real world or not. These were the most frequent in October.

And yet even last night's dream couldn't compare to how his dreams have been in the past. This was not Nightmare Moon, he would think. It's something else. There he goes worrying about a dream that he's been telling himself to put off until he met with Luna, but noooo!

"Captain!" Rumble called. Pipsqueak snapped out of his trance. Was he spacing out that entire time?

"We've hit land. We're at the SALCS."

Pip took initiative as the full crew of three stood in line. He cleared his throat.

"We have arrived at the SALCS, also known as the Super Awesome Lunar Crusaders Secretbase."

Dinky was about to raise her hand but lowers it again.

"Dinky?" he asked.

"Where's the B?"

Pip looked in confusion. Dinky continued.

"It's the Super Awesome Lunar Crusader Secret Base, right? Shouldn't it be S-A-L-C-S-B?"

Pip's face turned to a scowl. "Yeah, well Secretbase is one word. It's easier to say than SALCS-Buh."

"But it's not!" Dinky complained.

Despite the early morning sun, lightning cracked onto the ship deck. A swirl of blue clouds descended from the skies, and Princess Luna appeared on deck. Instead of wearing her royal tiara and bib (Pip always called the thing around her neck a bib), she wore a red and white striped shirt, like he'd seen from lower ranking pirates of other ships, and a dark blue bandana over her hair. Behind her back, Pip made a motion toward Featherweight and Rumble to leave.

"And that would be our cue, Dinky," he said quickly as their peers ran off the boardwalk. "I hope you find yourself comfortable! Luna will show you around. I...uh...have to pee!" With that he fleed. Luna looked toward her accolade in a serious manner, but returned Dinky's irritation with a smile.

"Why does he have to announce whenever he has to pee?" she asked in a disgruntled fashion. "And can't he do it here on the ship?"

Luna simply grinned and answered with what was on both their minds.

"Boys will be boys."