On High Seas

The Assurance bobbed up and down under a clear sky. The late afternoon sun hung on the edge, hours from slipping under the water. The decks bustled with activity as sailors sorted the materials they had taken from the now sunken pirate ship, and set to work repairing the damaged rigging and sails that had been burned by the magical fire. Most of their sails had been burnt beyond use; luckily they had spares, and the crucial masts held strong.

They were able to obtain a wealth of items from the pirate ship. Ever-important lumber, sails, and rope would aid greatly in repairing the Assurance. Ammunition was strangely lacking on the pirate ship. Their cannonballs were much too small to be of use, and there were no muskets nor gunpowder to be found. They did find other useful goods, such as bread, fresh water, and some kind of dried fruit. There was even a substantial amount of gold coinage and jewelry.

With refreshed supplies, their most immediate concern was finishing preparations and deciding their next move. The crew seemed to still be trying to process the events of that day and the otherworldly magics and creatures they had encountered. They wanted answers soon, but for now they were content occupying themselves with their work.

The crew seemed to still be trying to process the events of that day and the otherworldly magics and creatures they had encountered. They wanted answers soon, but for now they were content occupying themselves with their work.

Captain Robert Williams sat alone at his desk. He rubbed his temples before sighing, and going over the situation again in his head. He and his crew were floating in some uncharted land, having been attacked by talking magical pony pirates, and still at risk on the open sea, unable to discern whether any port cities would be friendly or not. The supplies would hold out for another few weeks, but the men were going to get restless and they still had a mission to complete.

He just didn’t know what to do. Williams wished his father were here to lend advice, he always seemed to know how to approach any situation. Williams could always ask a more experienced sailor what their take was, but he wanted to keep that as a last resort. Once their being in a mysterious land sunk in, the men would look to him for guidance. He could not afford to show weakness, and must act with confidence and determination. Such was the mild loneliness he had come to know in his brief time as captain.

Williams realized he needed information. Where were they? At what port could they dock? Who ruled these lands if they were uncharted? What the hell are these magic ponies?

“Clear skies and warm winds surround us, yet we remain in a fog…” he muttered to himself.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Williams called.

Lieutenant Brown entered, “Sir, I came to tell you the prisoners have been placed in a spare room in the hold as you ordered.”

“Good, thank you. Tell the quartermaster to ration our supplies so we can last another couple weeks.” Williams thought about the pirates they were holding before continuing, “If we have anything left, use it to feed the prisoners. I think I’ll go have a look at them myself.”

“Aye sir, I’ll get to it,” Brown replied as he exited the Captain’s cabin.

Williams sighed one last time, enjoying the brief sanctuary from the problems his chair provided, before rising to his feet and following the Lieutenant. There was valuable information to be found.

A sorry bundle of ponies lay scattered across the sawdust-covered floor. Light filtered in from a small window at the very top of the room, illuminating floating particles of dust in the air. There were two candles on a small table by the door providing additional light. The room was silent, except for the occasional shuffling of the prisoners and the creaking of wood as the ship rocked from the waves.

Four vigilant guards watched over them, two by the door and two standing over the prisoners. They stood stiffly with their muskets against their shoulder, and hawk like gaze scanning the prisoner pirates for any sign of rebellion. It was unlikely they would dare to escape, however. While some of the prisoners held defiance in their eyes, others appeared more sullen at their current state. A few gave looks of curiosity as they stared at the guards.

The soldiers found it only natural for the ponies to be curious, and not only because they were a different species. They were, after all, far superior to these ruffian pirates. Simple commoners would be unused to the discipline and order, the pristine red uniforms, the crisp actions and smooth transitions.

And, for the most part, the soldiers’ thoughts were accurate. The ponies making up the remains of the pirate crew had never expected the ship to contain alien creatures. Neither did they expect them to be well organized, and apparently members of some foreign military. Some of the prisoners shuddered slightly at what these soldiers could want with them. Were they truly aliens, or just from some far flung corner of the world? What would they do to them? Were they scouts, ahead of a world-conquering army?

Williams walked in, and the soldiers snapped to attention.

“At ease, men.”

The Captain studied the prisoners. He’d never actually held and interrogated prisoners before, but he was familiar with the process. He searched the faces of the prisoners. Williams was looking for a pirate who looked somewhat important, so they would know good information, but also likely to talk. Most of them avoided his eyes, suddenly taking great interest in the floors or walls. A few returned his gaze, staring at him threateningly. They wouldn’t do at all, he thought.

He walked around the ponies, never taking his eyes off them. After some more searching, he found a suitable candidate. He settled on a glum, light grey unicorn, with a dark orange mane and matching eyes. The unicorn wore some kind of tattered cloth clothing, similar in style to the pirate captain's clothes. Most of the other pirates wore nothing, so this one’s clothes set him apart.

Williams pointed at the unicorn and spoke to two of the nearby guards, “Bring him along, I’d like to chat with him.”

The guards grabbed the unicorn, who protested, “H-Hey! Whaddya want with me!”

“Nothing to be worried about,” Williams replied with a smirk, “If you cooperate, it will be a pleasant chat. Come along now, we have much to discuss.”

Williams turned and walked through the door, the soldiers towing the nervous unicorn along. A light smile touched the soldiers’ faces; it would be interesting to see the young Captain get his hands dirty, and if he was successful eliciting information from the prisoner.

Williams thanked the soldiers as they left the small room, returning to their guard duties. Now he was alone with the unicorn. The room was noticeably smaller than the other, with no window and only several candles for light. A few crates of supplies in the corner on the right. The prisoner was seated on a dirty cushion on the left, next to the bending hull of the ship. Williams sat on a chair, above the prisoner.

The Captain looked down on the prisoner for a minute. He tried to stifle his his adrenaline and rapidly increasing heart rate, but he found it difficult. Here he was, a new Captain, about to interrogate some mythological race. Williams wasn’t even sure how to go about it, should he keep acting aloof? Perhaps he should be more kind, or would that show weakness?

He decided to begin with a simple question. “What’s your name?”

The unicorn weakly met his gaze, “I-I’m Silver Flare.”

Williams found that to be a most unusual name, but he kept quiet about that. Perhaps all these creatures had such odd names.

“Tell me, Silver Flare, why did you attack us?”

“We’re pirates… we thought you were some small merchant ship, honest! We weren’t going to kill anypony, we just wanted to take some supplies!” The unicorn’s voice wavered as he offered the pitiful excuse.

The Captain snorted and shook his head, feeling his anger rising. He couldn’t believe this miserable wretch thinks attacking innocent civilians was any better. “That’s not a good reason, Silver Flare. You know, under our law piracy is often punishable by death.”

“No! Please! You can’t do that!”

“Out here, Silver, we can do what we like. But you know what’s even more interesting?”

Williams didn’t wait for an answer before continuing, feeling more confident in himself.

“I saw what you and your horned friends did, casting magicks and fireballs. You know what the penalty for such sorcery and witchcraft is?”

The unicorn attempted to reply but seemed to choke on his own words.

“Death, again. Much nastier business though. Burned alive, or maybe boiled. Hung in a cage and left to starve, all quite dreadful ways of dying if you ask me.”

By now the prisoner was visibly shaking, and his eyes widened as Williams detailed just how users of unnatural magic were put to death.

“Of course, if you don’t find those fates palpable, we could always make a deal,” the Captain offered.

“Y-Yes! What do you want?!” the unicorn exclaimed, his voice quavering in fear.

“Answer my questions, and you and your friends shall live. We’ll drop you off with the local authorities when we arrive at a port.”

“Th-they’re not my friends, you know…” the unicorn muttered.

“Really then, why are you committing violent acts of piracy with them?” Williams pressed.

“I-I just need the money! I s-swear! I don’t like crime either!”

The Captain shook his head again and sighed amusedly. Hypocrisy at its finest, he thought. “Enough of this, you are a pirate, end of discussion. Now do you accept the terms?”

“Y-Yes,” the unicorn muttered, dejectedly.

“Excellent. Let us begin. What are you?”

The unicorn gave him a puzzled look. “I-I’m a unicorn, of course.”

“I know you’re a bloody unicorn, what species are you? Where do you come from? And do you all use magicks?”

“N-No, just unicorns… I’m a pony, sir. W-We all are. Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. We all come from Equestria.”

Williams prepared himself for what he was going to hear. It was important he remembered every detail about this strange creature and it’s answers.

“Equestria is your native nation, then?”

“Yes, i-its one of several nations. Mainly p-ponies like us live there.”

Just great, Williams thought. They were in foreign waters off the coast of some pony nation. “Do you know of the British Empire, pony?”

Silver Flare blinked. “T-The what?”

“The British Empire. Largest, most powerful nation on the globe?”

“I-I’ve never heard of it. Or seen anypony like y-you before!”

Williams leaned back in his chair. Could it be… were they on another planet altogether? He didn’t know if it was possible for the fog to have led them to some other world. Unless there were a divine act or insidious sorcery involved. Though given what he had seen today, that wouldn't be the strangest thing. He just had one more question.

“Where is the nearest port town that would be friendly to our arrival?”

“W-Well, Seaforth Port, where we sailed from, is less than a day, I bet,” Silver Flare appeared more confident in his answers as he went on, “Many different races stop there, you see, it’s a rather central location. Your appearance would be strange, but they’d be friendly! It’s just due south of us.”

“Is that so? Very well, we shall head to Seaforth Port. If it is as you say, we will turn you and your fellow pirates over to the proper authorities there. If not, I cannot guarantee your safety.”

“I-It is, I swear! It’s the closest port and it is completely safe!”

The Captain nodded, and rose to his feet. His boots thudded on the wooden floor as he walked over to the door and pulled the door open. He walked down the hallway, to where the rest of the prisoners were held. Sticking his head in, he spoke to the two guards that had helped him earlier,

“We’re all done. Take him back here.”

“Aye sir,” one of the soldiers replied, “He tell you anything about where we are?”

“A few things, I’ll speak to the ship once our preparations are complete.”

The soldiers left, Williams following them out the door. There, he ran into the quartermaster who was carrying a small wooden container.

“Ah, ‘scuse me Captain, I was just deliverin’ our new friends some dinner.”

“Excellent, thank you. I assume we have enough food for both us and the prisoners for the next few weeks?”

“Aye sir, while we were running low, the foodstuffs we procured from those pirates helped out. I reckon we’ll last another two, two and a half weeks at this rate. Though between you and me, I’ve been switchin’ out our biscuits with theirs. Much fresher.”

Williams chuckled, “As long as they’re safe to eat, do whatever you like.”

“Will do sir!”

The two went their separate ways. As Williams thought back on his brief yet productive conversation with the pony, he wondered how he could inform the men of their current predicament. He decided he would meet with Lieutenant Brown, and a few of the other officers aboard to inform them of what he had learned, and their next move. The officers could then disperse the information among their men. Deep in thought, he walked along to gather them for the meeting.

The room was tinted orange, as the setting sun shone through the window. At a table stood several men. Captain Robert Williams and Lieutenant Brown stood next to each other. On other ends stood a few lower-ranking naval officers, as well as Captain Crowley, the man in charge of the soldiers.

On the table sat a largely blank piece of paper with various cartography utensils around it. On the map was a crudely drawn estimate of where they had come from and the coast they could now see.

“With the information we learned from the prisoner,” Williams spoke, “it appears the closest port is called ‘Seaforth Port.’ He has assured us that is safe, and I believe it will be a suitable location to learn more about our current situation as well as unload these prisoners.”

“It also appears…” he paused before continuing, “it appears we are in another world. These creatures have never heard of any of the nations we know, and it is impossible they could exist on the scale they claim to without ever being seen before.”

There was a low murmur as the men grappled with that realization. They had expected perhaps they were in a new land, but an entirely different world was something else altogether.

“And just what are these creatures, Captain? Are they all capable of the flaming magicks we witnessed?” asked Crowley.

Williams shook his head, “No, not all of them. They call themselves, as a whole, ponies. Though they are notably different than the small horses back home, namely they’re intelligent. And, they come in three races it seems, earth ponies who aren’t too remarkable, pegasi that can fly, and unicorns, who are the ones capable of magic. Though their magicks appear to be more focused on a single action, such as throwing fire, rather than the reports of sorcery back home causing famine or disease.”

“Do you believe them to be a threat to Britain, then?” asked one of the other officers.

“No,” Williams replied with confidence, “While they are capable of flight and magic, they do not appear to have firearms like our rifles and muskets. From what we found of the pirate ship’s weaponry, they rely on swords and spears. Although, we still have much to learn about the countries of this world themselves.”

Everyone visibly relaxed, knowing that even with magicks these ponies were not a large threat.

“Relay this information to the men, if you will,” Williams said to the other officers, “It is important they learn of our situation quickly.”

The other officers nodded in understanding, and Williams continued, “Now onto our plan. Through the night we shall sail south, towards the land. There is a bright full moon, so we will not risk running aground. In the morning I will lead a small party into the town, escorting the prisoners to the local authorities, and hopefully finding a government office which would provide us information.”

Lieutenant Brown turned to Williams, “Sir, do you really think they’ll take kindly to a warship and soldiers entering their port?”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. However that is why the Assurance will remain at sea, while the shore party will take dinghies to shore. We will pose as a diplomatic envoy, which should help alleviate any concerns the locals have about our presence. We may remain at the town for several nights, although I cannot see it taking longer than three days. Will you be able to watch the ship while we’re gone, Lieutenant?”

“Aye, of course sir.”

“Good man.” Williams turned to Crowley, “If you would be so willing, a small group of twelve or so soldiers to accompany me and help escort the prisoners would be much obliged.”

“Of course. I have some good men who will help you. I’ll inform them tonight and they will be ready in the morning.”

“Excellent, thank you. I shall see to it that the quartermasters provide enough supplies for the journey.” Williams turned to face the entire group once again, “Remember to inform your men of our situation and get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us. Dismissed.”

The other officers shuffled out the door, leaving Captain Williams alone. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, noticing his heartbeat was higher than usual. While he may appear to the others as confident in the plans, he was still unused to being a captain.

Being thrust into a foreign world didn’t help matters. When their voyage began, his job wasn’t necessarily difficult. The men were all good men, sailors and soldiers of varying experience. The ship could more or less run itself. Yet now, in a completely new world, he couldn’t rely on his own limited experience or seek guidance from others. Williams knew he alone must make the decisions, the next steps, to ensure their safety and hopefully, return to England.

Now, he knew he needed to focus on gathering more information. It would be much easier to plan if they weren’t blind. Rising to his feet, Williams decided he would talk to the quartermaster before retiring to his bed. Tomorrow would indeed be a long day.

The sun crested the horizon and began to rise steadily, but the crew of the Assurance were already hard at work. Three small dinghies were prepared, each one carrying some small crates of food, ammunition, and gold, both in theirs and some that they had found on the pirate ship. Each dinghy would carry five prisoners and four soldiers, as well as one carrying Captain Williams.

The Assurance was fairly close to shore and a little east of the town. It wouldn’t take more than twenty minutes for the dinghies to row onto land, and from there perhaps fifteen minutes to walk towards the town.

Even without the use of a telescope, Williams could make out the shapes of ponies milling about in their town. Thankfully the Assurance didn’t look too alien compared to other passing trade ships they had seen, and none of the creatures seemed to notice them.

The port of Seaforth stood out from the surrounding grassland and forests. There was a small harbor at which half a dozen ships were docked. Behind it lay the town itself, consisting of various small two to three story buildings. They were all in a more medieval style, with the second floors often hanging over the first. They were all surprisingly bright colors, with white walls, yellow rooftops, and brownish red wood as supports. There were many flowerbeds decorating the buildings, both around the ground of the building and under the windowsills. All together, the village looked rather bright and cheery.

Other than the unusually bright colorfulness, Seaforth looked almost like a British port, bustling with commercial and civilian activity. There was a notable lack of any military ships or soldiers, however. Williams hypothesised that could be why the pirates were rash enough to attack them.

“Captain Williams,” a voice called out, “The dinghies are ready sir.”

Williams shook himself out of his thoughts and looked over. Sure enough, all three dinghies had been loaded with supplies, prisoners, and soldiers. They were waiting for him, now.

The Captain made his way over to the middle dinghy, Lieutenant Brown and Captain Crowley stood by, waiting to see him off.

Williams turned toward the two, “Wish us luck. I know the Assurance is in good hands, though try to avoid contact with passing ships in case of more pirates. If we don’t return within a week, send a search party, eh?”

“Aye sir, we’ll see to it,” Brown replied.

“Godspeed, Williams, don’t get into too many fights without me,” Crowley chuckled.

With that, they were off. The dinghies were let into the water, and the soldiers began paddling towards the shore. The prisoners were silent, though many of them looked relieved that they were being taken to a town they knew rather than being held in the hold of an alien ship.

The sun continued to climb higher into the sky, it’s bright rays sparkling on the crystal clear water. There was not a cloud to be seen, and the sky was a bright blue. Perhaps this is what the Caribbean would be like, Williams thought as a warm breeze passed. Certainly the warmth and clear, still waters were a stark contrast to the North Atlantic.

A short while later, they had reached the shore. The dinghies were pulled up onto the clean, white sand. As the prisoners were being roped together in a column, Williams took the opportunity to look around.

In front of him was a cobbled coastal road, and behind it large, grassy plain, with forests in the distance. To the right, the coastal road continued off into the distance, and to the left about a mile or two away it led into Seaforth Port.

Simply put, this new land was beautiful. The grass was a vibrant green, and everything appeared more colorful than back home. He could hear seagulls and other birds overhead, and the occasional buzz of a bug in the grass.

Once the prisoners were secured, they began to march them towards the town. The fifteen pirate ponies walked in a line, with soldiers in front of them, behind them, and occasionally on either side. Captain Williams walked to the right of the middle of the column, looking at the scenery as they went. Indeed even the soldiers themselves found it difficult to focus on the prisoners and the road ahead of them, as even the more veteran ones had never seen such a tranquil, colorful land.

The group proceeded down the road. The sound of boots on stone mixed with the clopping of hooves as they went.

“Great, off to prison we go…” muttered one of the ponies, a pegasus.

“This isn’t so bad, think of the alternatives!” offered a unicorn, whom Williams recognized as Silver Flare.

“Easy for you to say, this is home for ya,” the pegasus grumbled.

“Well, yeah, but I-”

“Quiet back there,” one of the soldiers ordered.

Silver Flare stopped mid-sentence, and hung his head meekly. The pegasus grunted and they both continued the forced march.

Clearly some of the ponies were less pleased with their situation than others.

After around twenty-five minutes or so, they were getting very close to the town. Along the way Williams had a sudden realization, and he decided this would be a good point to stop the group. The town lay just over a hundred yards away. He had the soldiers pull the column to the side of the road, and motioned for them to gather around him as he addressed them.

“It may not be the best idea to stroll into this town with a bunch of ponies as prisoners, they may not immediately recognize them as pirates. I’m going to venture into the town first and try to find the guards. While I’m gone, hold these pirates here and make sure they don’t escape.”

“Are you sure you should go alone, sir?” Asked one of the soldiers, wondering if it was the best idea for the Captain to go alone into a foreign, possibly hostile, town.

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. Anyways,” he added, patting his pistol, “even if it did come down to that, I’m sure I can handle a few ponies.”

The soldiers nodded, and went back to their positions to watch the ponies. Williams gave a parting wave as he set off alone down the coastal road.

As he walked, he wondered how he would go about finding guards or other authorities he could report their captured pirates to. Williams supposed there wasn’t anything he could really prepare himself for until he arrived and saw for himself.

After a few short minutes of walking, he found himself nearly to the entrance to the town. It was rather unremarkable, with no walls or even guards. The road simply led through an archway, and continued through the town. Various buildings and storefronts lay on either side of the road.

He got closer and could see ponies going about their business. Some were buying from street vendors, others were standing around talking to each other. Many were walking up and down the coastal road, which appeared to server as a main street for the town.

Williams felt his heart speed up as he approached. While he had been confident of his plan back on the ship, actually being alone and taking the first step into an alien town made him quite nervous. He had no idea how his arrival would be seen, and if he would even make it out alive. Already a couple ponies spotted him and stared.

The Captain stepped through the archway, and walked down the street. The street rapidly became more populated with many ponies, all of various races. As he stepped closer, silence slowly drifted over those on the street. One by one they turned to look at him, giving him mixed looks of curiosity and fear.

Williams looked at them and took a deep breath. This would be an interesting day.