A Pirate's Diary

Night One

I never thought I’d actually be writing in this dingy, old thing. A fellow shipmate of mine lent it to me, she said it just might help me somehow. Since I’m going to be writing in this for who knows how long, I might as well pour my thoughts onto these pages. I can only hope this can help me get an easy night’s sleep for once. I feel I’ll never get used to the constant shifting and creaking of this ship, same for the roar of the restless ocean. I’ll never get used to the potent smell of seawater and algae. Perhaps if I had a simple bed of hay to sleep on instead of this filthy hammock, I just might be able to find a chance to rest.

Anyway, I might as well introduce the ‘fellow shipmate’ I mentioned earlier. I can’t quite tell if she was trying to be friendly and genuine, or if she was simply trying to get me to leave. It was during our lunch hour, a time where we can all sit and converse. I suppose the only good thing about this is that our captain is kind enough to allow us to have a break from our jobs. I must say, I never thought I’d share words with many ponies from such distant islands. Many of which I had never even heard of. As for my aforementioned shipmate, I’m not too sure of her origin. She never spoke to anyone, always to herself. Oddly enough, I believe I’m the only one to even attempt a conversation with her out of the crew. Although, it seemed I was the one who did most of the talking. I had noticed she always carries this worn, tattered bag around with her at all times. I asked her what was inside, but all she told me was that it was filled with her belongings. Nothing at all specific, but I suppose it’s none of my business after all.

It’s actually just now occurring to me that I never did get her name—and honestly—I’m a bit intimidated to ask. For the sake of this journal, I might just approach her once more. I could start up a conversation by thanking her for this book. I’m not too sure how long it’ll last, but it’s worth a try. Thinking back on her now, her stern voice is just about the only thing I know about her. I don’t even know the color of her coat nor mane as everything was covered by clothing. A black cloth tied around her face covered everything from the nose down to her neck, and a wide-brimmed hat masked the rest in shadows. If I’m going to be completely honest, I had believed she was a stallion for the longest time since there were no easily identifiable features to be seen.

Well, I suppose I might as well get on with introducing myself. My name is Alass, I’m responsible for swabbing down the deck. I never thought the job would be that difficult, but I was surprised to find out just how nauseating this job is. The smell combined with having to collect all the algae and grime is simply revolting. Then again, I could’ve been one of the lucky lads to have to scrape the sea barnacles off the ship. I’ve watched them do it, and to me it looks like a horrifying experience. They tie themselves with a rope to the ship, and drop down into ocean to do their job. I can barely handle being on this ship surrounded by the ocean, I can’t imagine actually going down in it. If anypony were to read this, I’m sure they’d think of this as strange. A sailor who fears the ocean, now that is a paradox all on its own. I’ve had this fear since I was little. Whenever I imagine myself in the water, I always see this pitch black abyss below. My heart starts to race, and as soon as I picture the creatures that could very well be in the water with me, I feel the need to snap myself out of it. One would ask, then why am I here? The answer is simple, I chose to. My home consists of a small island with small villages. We have to grow our own food, weave our own clothing. We aren’t as lucky as those prestigious islands that get imports of such things overseas.

One morning, we see this beast of a ship anchor near our shore, and fear crawled up our spines. We’d been visited by filthy, low-life pirates in the past. Granted there wasn’t much for them to take, but they took from us everything they could. I was so very young when it happened, my Uncle told me stories about that day. Stories that fueled many nightmares to come. He was the one that instilled this fear of pirates in me, and rightfully so. Since then, our village has developed a deep hatred for these ‘filth’ of the seas. We’ve grown smarter since, crafting weaponry of our own to defend ourselves. My Uncle, being the excellent craftspony he is, built many of our weapons. Things like slingshots and makeshift spears. He’s a well-respected stallion amongst our village, my Uncle. Building and fixing homes, bringing smiles to everypony around him. He’s been there for me every day of my life. Writing about him almost makes me feel like he’s still nearby.

The captain and her crew stepped onto our land, and just about everyone in town gathered at the shore armed and ready. My Uncle had one of his hooves place on my shoulder. When I turned to look at him, I could easily tell the fear had been building inside him as well. The captain's maroon hat was tilted down to block her eyes, and her thick, brown coat along with the red jewel tied around her neck finished off her 'superior' appearance compared to her crew. The captain held out her hoof to halt her crew, and she tilted her hat to reveal her face. It was rather hard for me to believe such a young and gentle face could command a band of heartless thieves. Her lilac coat of fur, violet mane and lush purple eyes didn’t help either. “Good ponies, there is no need for your weapons,” she began. “We aren’t here to pillage, or to harm. We come to your island to offer you a proposal. I am traveling across the sea in the search to assemble a crew. A crew to aid me in my search for a treasure long thought to be lost. However, I assure you it does. I know it to be true. . . Riches that you once thought could only exist in dreams could be yours. If you so choose to join me and my crew, you shall receive that and much more.” By this point, many of the townsponies had lowered their weapons to then whisper amongst themselves. “But be warned, it will not be an easy task. By joining us, you are placing your life at risk. So, does anyone wish to come aboard?”

I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. A pirate promising riches to any who join her crew, something like this doesn’t just happen by accident. That was the moment where I made one of the riskiest decisions of my life. To join a ‘pirate’s’ crew nonetheless, and leave my home to sail the dreadful sea. However, if I were indeed to last until we found those riches, I could return as somewhat of a hero for my island. Just one gold coin would already be more than what we have, and returning with more than that could change everything for us. I glanced all around to see if any were brave enough to step forward. Instead, nopony budged. The captain turned her head away, and I reached my breaking point. “I will join!” I shouted. Everyone around me gasped, and my Uncle turned me around violently to glare into my eyes.

“What are you doing?!” he asked exasperatingly.

“This is it, Uncle! Our chance to dig our village out of the peasant life!”

“Joining a ‘pirate’ isn’t the only way of doing it!”

“What else can we do?! We’ve lived our whole lives without any improvement. Are you telling me that we should just wait for coin to just be given to us? You’re the one who taught me about ‘fate’! Things happen for a reason, right?” He thought for a moment. It was then I could tell in his eyes that he understood me. “Something like this is never going to happen again. You even said, when an opportunity presents itself—”

“You take it. . . Listen, as far as I’m concerned, you’re the most important thing in the world to me. I made it my mission to make sure I keep you safe. . . Promise me that you’ll be safe.”

“I will.”

“And when you go out there, promise me you won’t forget who you are. You aren’t a cold-blooded thief.”

“I promise, Uncle.” He embraced me as tightly as he could, and I could feel my heart quivering.

“Who said that?” the captain asked, turning back to us. I sucked in a deep breath, and stepped out from the crowd. “Just you? No one else wishes to speak up?” A silence filled the crowd, and she then beckoned me forward. “I’m giving you one last chance. Once you board our ship, we will not be turning back. Are you sure this is what you want to do?” I had almost wished she never asked me that. I had my mind made up, and now she offered me my last chance to turn back. Yet I still nodded my head, and planted my hooves firmly on the sand. “Very well then. I’m pleased to have you as a part of my crew. Climb aboard, and I’ll give everyone a briefing on our next steps.”

“Wait, can I just—”

“Whatever it may be, I’m afraid not. Night will be falling soon, and we must set sail to our first destination. So, I suggest you give them one last wave goodbye.” So, I turned, and waved to every familiar face as my final goodbye. My Uncle’s face . . . I had never seen such sorrow adorned on him like that before. It crushed my heart to not be able to have just a few more words with my Uncle, but the captain hurried me aboard before I could continue thinking about it. I watched from the deck as my home began to vanish into the horizon. It felt like some part of me had been left behind, and will never be recovered. I had never set hoof on a ship before, it felt like stepping into a completely new world. The captain gathered us all on the deck, clearing her throat.

“Attention, crew!” she began. “Firstly, allow me to express my deepest gratitude to you all! It takes true bravery to sail these waters, and I am without a doubt that I’ve assembled a brave crew indeed. I am Captain Sparkle, and you will address me as such. From this point on, you are not the same as you were before you boarded my ship. Times will come where you need to make choices, act in ways you never would, and you need to be prepared to make these adjustments. I warned you all before you made your decision, and you still took my offer. Remember that all of our lives are in danger every minute. Whether it be in the midst of battle with ponies like us, or the very sea itself, we must be alert at all times. Now, this is something I’ve had to come to grips with myself, and you all must as well. Believe it or not, we are pirates. There’s no getting around it. We are despised, yet we are feared!” Everyone in the crew raised a hoof, and cheered for her words. “And it’s that very fear that we must use to our advantage! We cannot lose it. If we do, then our future at sea will not be a pleasant one. And, speaking of our future at sea, I suppose it’s time to inform you all of our step towards our treasure!” The crew cheered once again, this time greater than before. “We must pay a visit to an old . . . acquaintance of mine. She resides at the ornate island of Copperstone. We’re going to need some information she possesses if we are to continue forward. For now, I want you all to get comfortable, we will be sailing for a while.”

After that, we all dispersed and got settled in to our new home. Captain Sparkle assigned us our duties to the ship, as well as our designated rooms. And, well, here I am. The captain’s been consistently giving us updates on our estimated arrival to Copperstone Island, and we’ll apparently be anchoring very soon. I’ve been constantly asking myself if I made the right decision, and I always manage to convince myself I have. I just hope I’m not wrong. Everything does happen for a reason, I know it.