Brass Maiden
From the ashes, New Life is born.
Just like every morning in this small town, Treble Rose awoke to the sounds of industrial clutter, racketing on the air like a gong timing her awakening. She awoke peacefully, too, greeted by the sun's warm rays. She slept in the buff, and no other way. At first, it was a bad thing to her, something uncomfortable. But one night she just let everything go, threw modesty right out the window and stared up at the starry night sky on her balcony, bare as a newborn, enjoying the cool breezes that swept through occasionally, all worries and doubts let go to the wind, like she were practically fuming the two through her pores, and the wind carried it all away. Like a white incense.
She thought of that carefree wonderful feeling every time she awoke.
She appeared at her window, buttoning a white button down, and smiled to the workers that sat just outside her window. Three waved to her with equal smiles, then returned to their work, hefting up an old massive motor. She turned sharply to her dresser, grabbed her brown slacks, and noticed that she couldn't move her wings, they were sitll stuck in the shirt. A moment's struggle, and they easily pushed through the slits in the back, allowing her to flap them freely, and then she folded them to her back, wrapping the belt around her waist as she approached hte door. She grabbed her shoes, and put them on int eh air as she flew, straight to the harbour master's office.
Upon approaching the door, it opened by the old grey stallion's own accord, timed right for her to enter as she backwinged to a stop in front. He was smoking his pipe, as usual. A large ivory pipe that gave him a proper amount of tobacco over the course of the day. Large, but not wasteful.
He greeted her with a pat on the back, scratched his short white beard, and adjusted the hate that lay over his white locks. And ol stallion indeed. though he dressed as casually as any local. Blue shirt brown pants. And a tricorne hat.
"So, whats today's work?", Rose asked.
"Eh...just 'ave a seat first, lass.", he pointed to the chair opposite his own, across the desk. Rose knew it well as the very place that many of the newer employees met an angry harbour master, and were given a long, few minute long silence before the words finally came out. You're fired! His methods scared her heavily. Yet she tooka seat, having lost her smile.
"Now. Ye 'ave been workin' fer me fer...oh, three months."
No silence? He didn't even look angry. He looked sincerely happy.
"I 'ave eh...A good friend. 'E needs a mechanic to work on 'is furner durin' flight, maintain repairs, an' so on."
"And...You recommended me?"
"Well...", his smile disappeared, "Very...reluctantly."
"Because I'm your best mechanic and a very trustable person. You'd hate to see me go."
He looked away. "No lass...I'm in debt. I owe a lot o' people a lot o' money, an' this is the deepest pothole o' debt I have!" He looked like he was pleading her to agree with him, to do this for him, but...he's basically selling her to get out of trouble.
"You're giving away your best mechanic, a very proud and great, wonderful, worker...To get yourself out of trouble...To settle a debt...How long have you had this planned?"
"Not long!", he retaliated immediately. It was a lie, Rose knew it was a lie. She sighed because it was a lie.
She shook her head, looking away, "This puts you on a new type of low, Captain...I once thought highly of you, and now...you've put yourself worse than heartless scum..."
He didn't say anything. But he visually cringed, pouting even.
"But I'll do it.", she crossed her arms.
"thank ya lass!", he said very thankfully.
She stood, kicking the chair back. "Four months I've lived in th eone place I wanted to always be, closest to the ships. Not even half a year. it probably won't even phase you. You may seem upset now, but by tomorrow, you'll be living the same life you ahd for the past few months, years, however the hell long you've been here."
His happy expression had long since turned to regret.
"I'm going home. I will not come into work this morning. Thanks for ruining my day."
She left.
She marched angrily down the dock, then took off, flying home. She spent the rest of the day at home, didn't not make another sound.
Night rolled around, and she had long sicne fumed off her anger, but now she was a little less than angry. She hated the Captain, still, but she would still do this for him. He gave her a job, he paid her generously for three whole months. And, she'd ahte to see the old stallion get cuffed and dragged away. He's a good...No, forget that. He is no longer a good man. Just a user hidden behidn that disguise.
A knock came from her front door, and she sat up in her bed. She was still clothed, so, just slid off the bed, and walked from her room straight to the front door. She opened it, and the harbour master himself stood on the other side.
"Time to go lass.", he said.
"Already?", she asked. a moment of silence passed, and she sighed, "Fine, lets go..."
It was a walk in pure darkness. The harbour master didn't carry a alntern like most did to see where they were going, but the sounds, familiar paths, and feint moonlight allowed Rose to follow the old stallion. In minutes, they were on the lower docks, just off of a ship that was idling. The Captain approached two stallions, quite large for any stallion, and they exchanged a few feint whispers that Rose coudln't catch.
She siad nothing.
A well-dressed stallion approached from the shadows, smiling, chuckling lowly and gruffly. Rose couldn't make out his features in the dark.
"Well. Looks like we have a fair trade! One mechanic, and the debt is gone? I'd say that is fair trade. One grease monkey mare.", he looked towards rose, giving her an uneasy feeling.
"Yes. One mechanic, well trained, and if she doesn't know the engine, her knowledge of how one works comes into paly, and she'll learn it inside and out in no time."
"Good, good. Because we don't have a traditional engine. A literal powerhouse. So.", the shady stallion held his hand out. "Do we have a deal."
The Harbour Master reached for his hand, but stopped halfway, retrieving his hand. "No. I changed my mind."
"Not gonna happen.", the shady stallion replied.
"I said nay! Ye can't- hmph!"
In the dark, she barely was able to figure out what happened before another punch was thrown at the old stallion. He doubled over, and was thrown backwards. Rose panicked for a split second, then turned, wings flaring out as she readied to take off. She need to get help, needed to save Jarken, had to-
An unseen wall stopped Rose dead, and she flailed as she fel, ending up losing her sense of placement. When she stopped, trying to regain her sense, it was too late. A large hand grabbed her arm tightly, painfully, and she struggled against it, not at all gettign free or making any progress towards warding off the stallion. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her wings in place so she couldn't move them, and then he picked her up completely, hefting her off.
They passed onto the ship, down below deck, moving towards what Rose realized was the brigg. And as soon as she did realize it was the brigg, she was thrown in a cell forcefully. The cell door closed behind her. She was upon the bars in an instant, yelling at the brown stallion.
"Let me out!", she commanded.
He gave no reply and left without so much as a second glance.
"Come back here! Let...damn it...", she gave up.
For a moment, she observed, checked the rest of her cell, finding a female zebra there, and then began to process everything.
"It's no use...", the zebra replied with a very hoarse voice. "No one can hear you in here..."
"...Why are you so hoarse?", Rose asked, half-winded
"I kept screaming for help..."
"You screamed for help long enough for your voice to go out?"
She nodded. If she screamed long enough to go hoarse, then either their captors didn't care if they screamed for help, mainly because it was too feint to be heard, or...the cell. The cell must be enchanted. Rose looked through the bars to the other side cell, and there was a scrawny looking stallion reaching out to her, trying to say something. She heard not a single sound come from him. Definitely the cells...
"I found that out a bit late...", the zebra admitted, "And I payed the price. Now I can no longer speak..."
"How long have you been hoarse?" It was a curious question.
"Three weeks?"
"So you've completely lost your voice. Maybe even permanently. I know someone who can help if we can get out."
"Wait...", the zebra stopped her, recoiling uncomfortably. "If you do, don't try to save me."
"What? Why? It's not like this place is keeping you alive. though, I'll admit, you look a lot better than bag of bones over there.", Rose pointed to the stalion across the hall.
"Thats because I get special treatment..."
"Special treatment. And you want to stay here for that? special treatment when locked up?"
"I'm the captain's lover."
Rose froze for a moment. "Whoa, thats...", she looked at the cell once more. "Thats kind of messed up."
The cell door opened behind Rose, and she was grabbed by both her wings, and pulled out of the cell. The door was slammed shut, and she was hefted under the arm of a brawny stallion as the engines started up, pulling the ship away from the port.
Well...the ship si taking off. She made her choice before being brought aboard, and despite disagreeing with the brutality of those on board, she had chosen to do this. It still made her blood boil. This was completely messed up. From the pirate-esque look of every person on board, to the rotten deal, to even that zebra in the cell. She was getting very fiery.
As the stallion walked into the room housing the engines, the sound of heavy machinery filled the air, and the thick smell of mechanical friction and grease followed. It smelled like every ship she had worked on in the past, but it wasn't friendly this time, having a bad vibration to it all. Mainly because these engines felt heavily out of sync. Unkempt, neglected, and torn up from hard use. The stallion tossed her onto the metal floor, and she rose to her feet again just as he closed the door behind him, up the stairs.
With a sigh, Rose crossed her arms, and was met with a very scary sound, loud and hard, from right behind her. Metal upon metal impact. She turned her head to the right fore-engine, and stiffened. The piston jammed, and the way it did, the piston was pusshed into the pressure chamber. A piston isn't supposed to go into the pressure chamber at all. And something running this ferviously has to have a lot of steam pressure built up. If that ruptured, half the ship would be destroyed, and it would plummet to certain doom.
Rose scanend the area quickly, finding a trusty pipe wrench in a enarby toolbox. She grabbed it, and rushed towards the engine, aiming it at the best possible point, givign the machine a good wack. The pipe flew off, steam erupted from the innards of the mechanism, hot and scalding, and she backed away, coughing. Not normal steam,. Definitely no where near normal steam. She rushed towards the boiler, and grabbed the main valve wheel, turning it as fast as she could until the engines all stopped. The thrumming of the engines became a wanted absence, her heart pounded in her chest like a piston, and she could here the cries of an angry mistress on board. She didn't care. She jsut saved lives!
"Waht the hell happened to my-", the mare stopped midsentence. "What did you doto my engine?", she asked, frozen by the sight of one small pice amiss.
"Broke off a pipe. Learned that it's not jsut steam your pushing through these things, and then realized how much more danger we were all in."
"You better start explaining, or I will throw you off my ship from this altitude! But first, I'll break your wings!"
"Are you the captain?", Rose asked.
"Yes! I own thsi damn ship! Now I want answers!!!", she bellowed.
"Alright. Piston jammed straight into the pressure chamber. Any logner and it might have ruptured. you ever seen a pressure chamber rupture when pressurized enough to jackhammer a piston?"
"So you broke off the main steam pipe. Gods. I don't want to say it because you just stopepd us midair, broke my damned engine, and among other things-", she stopepd ehrself, taking a breaht, "Thank you. thank you for takign the drastic measure to save our lives. Now. If you don't have it fixed within the next fifteen minutes, you go overboard."
"Do you ahve...three centimeter piping on hand?"
"We ahve lengths for emergencies in the corner. Get to work!"
Rose and the mare both sighed. As the captain ascended the stairs, Rose sighed, taking a small walk and takign the moment to catch her breath. She just averted certain death. thats good. She's a good person. Now, to keep to her word. She made an agreement with a scoundrel out of good heart. Maybe overly good heart, but she did...Jarken. He's probably beaten dead.
So that was the captain. An indigo blue mare inside an indigo blue coat and tricorne, all embroidered with real gold. flowing, volumous mane, black. a sword at her side... Roar didn't know what to think of it. But that's the captain. She was her knew boss.
Didn't that zebra say something about being the captain's lover?
Rose gave another sigh, and turned towards the corner that the captain pointed to. Lengths of different thickness pipes littered the whole area there. She should get to work, find the right size, and get the work done. But the piston. It's still jammed into the pressure chamber. She would need either a tool that would ruin the piston rod, or had to open up the chamber by force to push it out. Thing is, piston rods that thick, as she estimated the shaft, are hard to come by. Chambers that support such thick rods, are not. Rose approached the corner, found a cap of the specific size needed, got to work, and five minutes later, had capped off the broken pipe instead of fixing it back up to the machine. She went to the other engine opposite the right fore-engine, and shut the intake. Then she turned the main valve wheel, opened it up,a nd ascended the stairs herself. the captain opened the door as she reached for it.
"Tiems up and...I see youg ot the engines working. They sound weak."
"Well, I only have bad news for you. Right fore engine is ruined. To fix it, you can get a new shaft or pressure Chamber. You'd have an easier time and would pay less for the chamber. If I removed the piston from the chamber, I'd ruin the shaft. If you want to save the shaft, I'd have to cut open the chamber."
The indigo mare punched the nearby wall, leaving a heavy dent in it, then pinned to Rose with the same hand. "Get the aft engines tinned up, then! We need to make it across the desert before sunrise, got it?"
Rose looked back towards the two still usable engines. Old, abused, and unkempt.
She smiled, turning back to the indigo mare, "Let the zebra out of the cell, send her down here. I won't put her to hard work, but she will still work to keep the ruse up, all so that if you want to see her, you can pass by engineering instead of the brigg."
"Who the hell do you think you are?", The captain asked.
"THE mechanic, YOUR engineer, and the mate who will make this ship run better and fly faster than any other out there."
She clenched her fists, unsure at first, then crossed her arms. "Fine. But I don't like how you're taking control."
"I love my work. And, you keep me happy, I keep you happy with good work.", her smile faded, "And if you get any word on if Jarken, my old boss, survived the beating, let me know at least."
"Beating? My quartermaster beat Captain Jarken?"
"Aye, ma'am. Something wrong?"
She didn't even hesitate to answer, "Want to see someone go overboard?"
Rose smiled devilishly, "Yes."
They walked into deck, just outside of that closed door, and everyone on deck turned to attention.
"Find Coal Black! Restrain him, take his weapons, and remove his coat! I want him on deck, NOW!!!"
No one moved.
"Move!!", she commanded, "Or I'll turn each of you in to the law!!"
Still nothing.
"Rose.", she turned to the White pegasus. "I think we're in the midst of a mutiny."
"I'd say you're right, but a bit late, lass!", the stallion mentioned walked into deck, flintlock drawn.
"Black, I'm going to throw you overboard.", she started towards the stallion. He fired, hitting his target, dead in the center of her head. The captain feel backwards.
"Now, lass.", he addressed Rose.
She was shaking, blood slightly spattered on her white coat and shirt.
"Scared lass? Just a mutiny. Now get the engines back up and running."
"No she won't.", the dead mate spoke. In fact, she stupid back up, continuing her advance on the black stallion.
He cycled the and fired again, this time missing. Two more rounds, and he drew his sword just as she grabbed him. The captain brought her knee right Bergen his crotches, then threw him to the deck.
"Who all doesn't Restrain and disarm him will know what it feels like to have their lungs ripped from their chest. I'll make sure your alive to see your beating heart, too."
They flocked towards the traitorous stallion, and picked him up. The captain approached, and flicked the bullet at him.
"I am eighty Seven years old. I look like a young mare. I am immortal. If you want to kill me, you will need to find a volcano and find a way to cap it off!", she fumed. "Now tell me. Is Jarken alive?"
"He's an old stallion, he was gonna die anyway."
"I've had problems with you from the start. I truly thought I had a good friend. Laughs amongst the ship are shared like we are family. You were a good cook. Loved your stories too."
"Look at how soft you are.", he smiled.
She bent down to his eye level. "My lover has sat in a cell for three weeks and stayed loyal. A mare who knows how to listen without being an obedient dog. Did I come out of my cabin, prancing and frilly? No. Thought I should let you know before I shot you."
She stood, pulled her own pistol, a full, massive revolver, and as he opened his mouth, fired. No hesitation. She then grabbed the corpse by the scruff of the neck, stripped the coat and hat, then dragged it to the edge, tossing it overboard.
"I have one jacket of every solid color.", she said aloud over the deck. "I need a new quartermaster. I will think over who it will be when the sun rises, and decide when the sun sets. Bring us back to the port Mr. Coast."
"Aye, Captain.", the stallion replied, turning the wheel furiously.
"Rose.", she addressed the pegasus. "Go let Native Herb out of her cell. Bring her to my cabin.", she gave Rose a thick key.
Rose nodded and departed. A few moments later, she arrived at the captain cabin, and closed the door behind Native Herb.
The cabin was a big change. Red carpet lined the walls, the floor was wood, the furniture, a dark ebony glossed over with lacquer. a vase sat on the table, holding metal flowers.
"Native...", the captain embraced the zebra.
"You alright?", Naive Herb whispered loudly.
"Yes. Rose.", she addressed the Pegasus. "I want you to choose my quartermaster."
"Me?"
"Yes. I don't feel like dealing with it all."
"But I barely know anyone on the ship."
"And everyone barely knows you. You've been on less than an hour."
"I see. They're going to try and make themselves look good to you."
"I also don't want to deal with it all."
"You trust me for this job?", Rose asked.
"Almost as much as Natty here."
"Thats...Thank you.", Rose said.
"Everyone on this ship, save for you and Natty, are wanted people somewhere, even the docks we're headed to."
"Jarken."
"Take the White coat out of that closet.", she pointed to the fat wardrobe in the corner. "They'll Listen if you're in the coat. They all know that they will or they get thrown in the brigg."
"So I don't have such a hard time choosing."
"No. I changed my mind. I need someone I can trust as my quartermaster. You're the only able minded candidate."
"Able minded.", Rose said, unsure.
"Between the only two people I trust completely. Natty can't bring it to herself to raise her voice, even if she wanted to. Despite being physically unable."
"I've only been on for maybe ten minutes."
"I met someone who was on a ship no more than that and became quartermaster. He was a slave that helped a pirate Captain escape."
"You?", Rose asked.
"No. But I wish.", she advanced towards the wardrobe, pulling out the White coat for Rose. "Put it on.", she tossed it to her.
"Aye, Captain."
After having donned the cloak, Rose took a look at herself as a whole. She even spotted a mirror, and wandered a bit shakily over. Indeed, in such short time, she had become a bit uneasy, but, this is a pirate ship after all.
As it seemed, her face was specked with dried blood on one side, her right to be exact, and her hair was a bit frizzy. The coat was a perfect fitting size. She liked that much, but now she looked a bit too official.
"You said I'm your new quartermaster.", Rose said.
"Correct.", The captain answered. She was sitting on the sofa that sat before a low table. Her elbows lay on her knees, and her forehead was propped against her clasped hands. Native Herb brought out a platter of wine glasses, and set them in front of her, already filled.
"Why?", Rose asked.
"Because I trust you."
"Sounds more of a lie than the truth."
"What do you want me to say?", sh easked, opening her hands in gesture.
"The truth. The answer to my question. at least elaborate why you'd choose a total stranger as your quartermaster."
Seh sighed and sat back, grabbing the wine on her soft fall back. After tipping the bottle back, she pulled it away, huffing. "I just had a mutiny attempt to take place. Had I not been immortal, I'd be dead, and my ship taken by a worthless stallion."
"A pirate."
"Pirates are not worthless young aldy.", she snapped. "Pirates have their thing, then there is several levels below: the worthless scum like Coal Black."
"And the subject?"
"A happy mechanic means well-kept, fine-tuned engines, and well-kept fine-tuned engines means a happy captain.", she took another drink, "It's not easy to explain beyond those two. Its the details of the unexplained that will make it understandable, though. I'll try. My quartermaster tried to take my ship. You fixed my engines, forgave me after such a ahrsh event took place, and you even went as far as trying to help me, all smiles and forgiving. You gave me an idea, but I guess the best to say about that idea is that I just didn't have the confidence to admit I love a mare, without you here. You are forgiving. You're not lying or trying to put on a fake face, it's all genuine. If you want to know the reason why I made you my quartermaster, thats the best I've got.", she tipped the wine bottle back again.
"What about being a heartless leader? You're a pirate, aren't you? Can't go soft. Coal Black, if we are talking of the same person, said tha you went soft. He did keep to an old pirate code."
"Aye, that he did. But he was still a traitor, and used the old pirate's unspoken code as an excuse to make people suffer. He was worse than a pirate. Pirates are not slave drivers, torturers, rapists, or murderers. We only do what we must to get what we want. Which does sometimes mean murder, and sometimes torture. But for a purpose, not for nothing."
"So, keep a smart head on my shoulders."
"Don't lsoe it.", she pointed to Rose.
Rose smiled slightly, "And Jarken?"
"He's...an old friend."
"But you and he are the same age.", Rose retorted.
"A...", she glanced at Native Herb, "He was my childhood friend and first lover. He ended up falling into debt to me because he couldn't keep a promise."
"How much did he owe you?"
"His life."
"Will I ever know why?", Rose asked.
The captain set the empty wine bottle on the table, and picked up one of the glasses, downing it in a few gulps. "You'll have to hit me hard in the feels to know that much. Not even Natty knows."
"Understood."
"And...", she stood, "You will still address me as Captain, Captain A Cappella, or ma'am. Am I understood?"
The ship lurched slightly.
"Aye, captain."
"Now come on, we have a stallion to save...or...", she stopped, refusing to go on. She walked out without another word.
They left the cabin, and walked off deck, onto the docks. Immediately, A capella broke a lantern off of it's post, an handed it to Rose. "Go that way, I'll go the other. First to find him, holler."
"Yes ma'am.", Rose replied, taking off. It didn't take but maybe a minute's time to find him. Amongst a massive of broken barrels, bloody and beaten hard. "Captain!!!", she called out. Within moments, the blue amre appeared, and spotted the old stallion. She rushed over and crocuhed next to him.
"He's still alive, but very weak. Help em pick him up!", she commanded. Rose nodded, and took on of his arms, setting it over her shoulder.
An hour later, they were at the nearest place of healing. A small rescue station set aside for emergencies when someone fell off the docks. Theyw ere quick,a nd usually only dealt with shock and drama, but there were times when someone hit the ground far below, and thats whne they really got to working miracles.
Rose stood outside the door, beside the captain. She ahd both revolver and sword in hand. The law, guards of different kinds, were all about. She kept her face hidden under her hat.
"Ladies, are either of you his wives?", one officer asked them.
"No.", the captain snapped.
"I am a close friend of his.", Rose piped up.
"Alright. Close enough. Do you know where he kept his will?"
Rose fell into a short silence, shock takign over. "...W-wait, does that mean..."
"He's not going to make it through the night. I've seen miraculous healing here, but..he's old, and he didn't get help in time. I'd actually be surprised if he lived if you got him here on time. The miracles they work here jsut are not working."
"Damn it...sixty years, damn it...sixty years.", A Cappella swore under her breath, sheathing ehr sword, and holstering ehr revolver as she walked out. She threw the door open, then slammed it as ahrd as she could, breakign the frame.
"Who is she?", the officer asked.
"A past lover of Jarken's."
"Can you get her to come back?"
"Not even if I wanted to."
"Excuse me?"
"I'd doubt he would survive if what you say is true. But I'm also not going to sit here and watch the greatest,a dn worst, stallion I've ever met, die."
"Lass..."
Rose turned towards the stallion in bed, and she waited a moment, before speaking. "Jarken."
"I'm sorry lass...", eh apologized.
"Don't be. I got more out of that deal than you did, minus the beating."
"Lass...", he reached weakly into his vest, removing a folded piece of parchment. He held it out, then his body finally gave out. He let out his last breath, and dropped the paper.
"Damn it...", she swore, approaching the dead stallion. She picked up the thick paper, unfolded it, then folded it back. A map. "I found his will.", she passed by the officer, flashing the folded square.
"We need that.", the stallion said.
"Then take it from me. You've got about fifteen seconds before this goes to the captain. Everything goes to her."
The officer spoke not a word.
Just outside, Rose noticed the heavy bends in the metal walkway posts ahead, each a lighter indention than the last. Something had to have set A Cappella off. Rose set of towards the ship. A Cappella was in the cabin, as Rose had predicted, but Not in the state she'd expected. Native Herb had her in a tight embrace, and Rose could see just how much the hardened captain was fighting it all down.
"Captain.", Rose broke the silence. She held up the folded square. "His will."
A Cappella swallowed hard, "He gave that to you, or did you take it?"
"His last real sentence was an apology."
"Thats...good I guess."
"Right before I told him how I faired better than he. I wish I hadn't said what I did."
"Load up. We're setting off."
"Aye Captain."
A few minutes later, the deck hands were called back from the docks, and the ship's ten Mahoning engines rumbled to life, pushing the ship away from the docks. Rose stood on the bow of the ship, staring off at nothing, moments before retracting her hands from the warm metal. A lot happened within the past two hours. She's on a beautiful ship, second in command, she tussled with an evil stallion, watched an old stallion die, and met a good captain, add far as she knew.
Rose left towards engineering. She was going to get those engines running better than any other has run, are running, or ever will run.
