The Ghastly Sky

by THEARTIFICAILINTELIGENCE

Rating: teen
Tags: Violence, Princess Celestia, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Death, Alternate Universe, Main 6, Princess Luna, Royal Guard, Adventure
Length: 2294

An old mare's tail turns out to be more than just a tale told to scare foals.

A thousand three hundred and 37 years prior to the return of nightmare moon, there was a battle. Not a battle between armies, but between the forces of pirates and the early airships of ponies and griffins. In this battle, the griffins and ponies lost one of their largest battleships. But in it's defeat, brought upon a retaliation from the pony and griffin forces that fought the pirates out of their skies.

However, that was not the end of this airship... sit down and listen to the tale of the Ghastly skies.

cover image taken from http://alternatehistoryweeklyupdate.blogspot.com/2012/03/airship-update-10.html
hope yall enjoy a story i have been dying to write for a long time.

Published 2018-08-12 16:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-02-03 23:12:53 UTC

sit down and let me tell you a story...

Deep in canterlot, down a long dark alley an old wooden bar stands, still standing and serving the citizens of the city proudly. Inside, dark and gloomy, this old bar is decorated by remnants of ships and naval decoration, dimly lit by the warm light of a crackling fire. The rough tables, benches and floor left unpolished and grimy. in a corner, an old stallion sits on a stool before a group of Royal Guard recruits, a cold iron tankard full of ale balanced on his hoof. His long, scraggly grey beard dripping with the remnants of his last drink, wild brown eyes wistful and his withered green fur creased by a hearty smile as he retells tales of old, legends and old mare's tales.

"... And so, the great hunt for the sky whale came to an end, the Captain taken kicked out of the navy for wasting over a year and 3 ships hunting down the beast he swore to his dying breath had tried to take him and his crew out the sky. but some say, if you fly over canterlot at midnight, you can still hear his screams of despair" The old stallion strains his voice, hoarse and gritty. the guards before him showing little to no reaction before one pipes up.

"you have told us this story 3 times, in a row! don't you know any other stories? it's almost nightmare night" the white stallion sighs, saying simply what the other 4 guards were thinking, much to the old stallion's dismay.

With a grimace, the elderly stallion sighs. "Fine, pull my leg why don't you. let me tell you a true tale, oh spirits, airships, and a ghost that cannot be quelled by any mortal means" He hums softly, before looking the 5 stallions in the eyes seriously.

"Are you seriously going to spin the tale of the Flying Dutchmare?" The same stallion stopped the elder with a frown, receiving a chilling grin in response.

"Not quite. Every old mare's tale comes from a legend, and not all legends, are made up. this is the tale of the one true ghost ship, driven by unknown means and reasons, striking every ship unlucky enough to meet it's path. she has been prowling the skies for over a thousand years, no crew, not docking once, and never defeated" The elderly stallion whispers harshly, a sad sparkle in his eyes, looking between his audience members. "to this day, she takes the brave and stupid out of the sky if they don't escape her rage"

The guards look between each other, unsure if the story teller is pulling their leg or not, they wait for him to continue the story anxiously. "but, how did it become such?" One asked cautiously, their fur a light grey, the shade of which made unclear by the flickering firelight.

"... How? How did it become such..." He sighs, looking at the floor for a moment, thinking. "it all started in the last pirate battle in the equestrian skies, supposedly anyway. The battle was long and the weather treacherous, 8 ships flying the black flag clashed against the 3 most powerful ships equestria and the griffins had ever built. the battle was long, but as it seemed victory was near... there was a terrible loss. one of the three caught aflame, it's armoured balloon catching and tearing her from the sky, but not before, taking one of the pirate vessels with her. After that loss, the 2 remaining battleships finished off the pirates, and sent their crews to search for survivors of their friends. none were found alive that day, the wreck left to smoulder as a memorial to those aboard." The old stallion sighs, tapping his hoof on the floor before taking a gulp of his drink, most of it spilling out around his mouth, down his soaked beard and onto the floor. "BUT, there was something dark in that ship. something that refused to leave. it stayed, festered among the dead and wrecked dreams of it's crew. 3 years after the battle, a group travelled there to pay respects to the dead, only to find the skeletons scattered about on ashen ground, the wreck of the ship seeming to have disappeared. And then, reports started coming in. about a dark cloud tearing ships from the skies, and of the stench of rotting wood in it's wake. they tried hunting it down to be rid of it, but each was lost to the darkness."

The guards shuffle closer, seemingly eager to hear the rest of the tale, but find the story cut short by an injured pony slamming the door open and stumbling in. the guards rushing over to help the poor mare. "Are you okay? what happened?"

The mare looked past them and at the old stallion, her coat soaked and her face blackened by smoke. "She's struck again... just outside the port... we couldn't save them this time..." She snarls, her voice strained through panting breathe, shaking as though in shock

"... where" The story teller asks, rushing outside to look up, only to catch a glimpse of a large airship, illuminated by lightning fading into thick, black mist like clouds, rain pouring down like a typhoon. "... The cursed ship... Once the golden lance of the skies, now it's dark executioner..."

Meanwhile in Princess Celestia's private quarters...

Celestia stares out her window as she watches this dark ship leave canterlot's airspace, the burning wreck of the merchant ship crashing down into the mountainside below as thunder and lightning booms in the skies above. Regret for being too late to save them covering her face and yet unwilling to go after the ship responsible in case it turns it's gaze onto the towns and cities her ponies occupy. "why... why do you hunt the ships you used to protect... why do you see us all as enemies, threats to be dealt with..." She asks herself, the dark sky starting to dissipate as it stretches into the distance. The echoing sound of a single cannon shot being fired is heard as a green flash comes from inside the depths of thew storm, shortly followed by the remains of the merchant ship exploding with pale green flames, the wood quickly turning to ash in it's wrathful embrace.

Frowning, Celestia would sit down and think, trying to figure out a way to make the skies safe again.

"It used to follow a strict route, did it not, sister?" The voice of Luna calls from the door to her chambers, said princess trotting over to sit beside her sibling. "what caused it to change that?"

Celestia looks to her sister with a small smile and wraps a wing around her, holding her close. "I wish i knew, Luna. But it has become, erratic. like a trapped animal searching for a way out... and striking anything that gets too close"

Author's Note

sorry if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes. i just needed to get this chapter done and out there.
hope you all enjoy.

A call for help

Historical books, newspapers, notes and letters circle around a lavender unicorn, taking vigorous notes on all related writings that she can find on the subject matter her tutor has written to her about in a letter. While she is not the only pony tasked with such a quest to find information, she is easily the one the princesses have the most faith in, something that she knows and reminds herself of, even as she finishes compiling data and signing it off. The tree-bound library in which she lives being lit up by a green flame as the large scroll is burnt by her baby dragon.

Celestia, in her own studies of the cursed ship’s movements over the past years, her sister, Luna beside her, looking through foreign reports of the ship’s sightings. Both taken out of their research by the fiery arrival of a hefty scroll forming from a familiar trail of smoke.

“I see your student’s recent task has been completed with plenty of information” Luna would raise an eyebrow as the size of the scroll, and silently hoping she was more successful at finding more relevant information that they had been.

“Yes, sister. It would appear so. Let’s see what she has found” With a nod from her sister, the two open the scroll Twilight sent, from the scroll several photos, paintings and drawings fall to the desk, along with a separate list of locations. The scroll itself giving a detailed accounts from eye witnesses and ponies claiming to have had unique interactions. From the absurd to the more probable.

“It’s strange sister, it seems several of the more elaborate ponies of canterlot have been claiming that our ghost has not only kidnapped them, but proposed marriage to them. As unlikely as it is, these tall tales are, amusing, to consider” Luna finds herself smirking at the idea that nobles would try to make such claims to increase their social standing, ignorant of the fact that such a claim would make themselves seem somewhat liable for the loss of opposing noble’s merchant ships. “What do they seek to gain from these claims?”

“They want to climb the social hierarchy, Sister, whether by fear or respect. Such is the nobility of today” Celestia sighs out her response, she had been hoping Luna could have been spared the noble’s pompous and ignorant nature for longer than she had been. However being a princess, and a recently un-banished one at that, draws a lot of attention from such ponies. Despite this distraction though, she points to a single story amongst the many compiled by her faithful student. “This claim by, Storm Caster, a weather-pony for Cloudsdale, if true would explain the erratic behavior of our foe. If it is to be believed, then they may yet be hope to reclaim our skies.“

Luna reads over the considerably shortened story of the weather-pony, raising an eyebrow in surprise of the pony’s claims. “Could this vessel truly drive off the Skylance if so, then, perhaps we could acquire the vessel’s services. A platform to use the elements from perhaps?” Luna inquires, looking to her sister’s face, who seems to be in deep thought, going by the slight frown, hard look in her eyes and slight twitch to her wings when luna asked about the subject matter at hoof.

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Below Cloudsdale’s stress booms like thunder echo up from thick black fog as green and orange flashes light it up. The occasional balloon of an airship can be seen piercing through the top of the fog as 2 large vessels exchange fire, one having haunted the skies for longer than most ponies can remember, a vessel of myth and legend, the other, a privately funded ship of the line, her captain said to be a noble of canterlot seeing to prove his worth and earn his title.whispers are shared among pegasi as they watch from on high, some saying that this is the same ship that has been toe to toe with the ghost ship 3 times now, others saying that this may be the last battle, that the ghost ship will surely fail this time around. But in truth, no one knew the outcome of this battle. 2 mighty vessels and 2 strong willed captains pitted against each other in a duel, likely to the death. One to reclaim the skies for their people and home, the other, seemingly intent on destroying hope for peace in the skies over equestria.

Blast after blast is heard, before a bright and large green burst is seen, glowing brightly as though in a ghostly blaze, ebbing and flowing wildly even as it seems to get consumed by the fog, the battle seems to have come to an end as no more canon fire is heard, the larger of the 2 vessels emerging atop the fog bank and rising to the sky city. Wounded but victorious, the gold emblazoned ship came into clear view, holes, splintered decking and scorch marks decorating the hull of the vessel. Words shining brightly in the golden armour name the ship the ‘Royal Victorious’ as pegasi swarm around the ship. Some flying to the deck to find out the names of the crew and captain.

The captain himself wears a vagrant blue tailcoat and a wide brimmed hat, casting a shadow over his face until it gets thrown onto the decking in celebration of another victory. The white stallion with blonde mane and blue eyes. Grinning down to his crew of griffins and pegasi, along with the crowd of cheering civilians, he prepares to make a small victory speech. “This battle, is just one, of the unknown number we will win, to rid our skies of this millenia old curse! For the princesses, and for the sake of everypony who calls the skies their home!” the crowd cheers, while the crew focus on getting repairs underway. The way they see it, Prince Blueblood can talk the talk as long as he likes, just as long as he keeps financing their mission to take down the beast that took many of their livelihoods away from them. To them, it doesn't matter who runs the ship, so long as their friends, and for some, family, can be avenged in the death of the cursed vessel that assails their skies every other day.

Author's Note

sorry this took so long to come out, and i know it is only short, life has kept me busy! i hope that this short chapter will tide you all over until i can get another out!