Daring Do and the Fate of Old Equis

“These'in be the survivors we were able to capture my leige...” A gangling mast bound Nagasi serpent said leading Flavian along the deck of the 'Mourning Wail'. “It was as the stallion said it would be... Six pony folk on a cargo barge right as he predicted...”

Flavian knew the Naga would never say it aloud to his face, her cultural dignity was too important to waste on her own feelings but even the cold blooded administrator by her body motion was unnearved by the 'abilities' of their new commander even as a passing thought.

“And the other parties? Have they also hit their marks?” Flavian said readying his claws one by one.

“Aye, all have either reported a clean raid or have confirmed they are in pursuit. Nothing unexpected has occurred so far...”

“Don't say 'so far' we can't aford to jinx this.”

The ungodly séance was still clear in Flavians mind. When the stallion of galleon scryed the position of their target. The blackened eyes darted and knew. The thing they needed was in the south-eastern sea, on a pony merchant ship. They knew how many hands it had, and he even knew the clue they needed for the viceroy was in the possession of a middle aged female. Some details were vague how ever, it wasnt known if the ship was alone or in a group, if it had weapons or if it was heading north or west along the coastline. That choice on who to attack was under flavians control.

He played it safe, every ship was reported to him and he gave the go ahead or not. He couldnt risk a full scale war with the ponies even though his pride ached for it. It would be wiser to choose targets persisely until he knew exactly how this situation with the stalion of galleon would play out. Who knows, maybe the warlock was reading his mind as he preformed his duty to these fresh captures, just waiting on a traitorous thought to capitalize on.

5 sky skippers, 2 air destroyers, 8 cattamerans and 1 galleon where all together 16 vessels to scour hundereds of miles worth of wide open ocean. Nothing to scoff at as a warlord keeping the unloyal and unhinged in check, but compared to the forces Flavian had under the stormkings rule or even the amount comanded by tempest, it was barely a drop in the sytars piss pot. With anyluck the other skippers had found simmuilar ships he identified to be easy pickings and the lead they needed would soon be theres.

“Alright, I will settle this new catch in. I want you to contact our lead ship so the stallion of galleon will randevous with us at Fiseteen.”

“How long will you be general?” The Naga said.

“Not long, these ponies are not the kind of creature cut out for this. If they dont know anything it becomes trivial.”

With that the Naga gave a court half bow before heading to the mapping room and Flavian took to overlooking his crew and the ponies. As he made his way down the stair case from the stern castle, slowly to the main deck he could smell the fear on the equines. Before him bound in rope they where, some where barely breathing, others where dazed and even one looked as if he had already expired, slumped to his side, bloody with a horn half shattered off his head.

Flavian sniffed the air and streched to his full height before his captive audience.

“Pony kin! I am commander Flavian, of the stormfront fleet. I'll be quick in explaining my mission to you, know that I will not repeat myself, it will be your responses that will judge to weather you have a continued existence, or if you'll be joining my hedgelings for dinner!”

Frightened the sailors looked around only to find grinning monsterous races about, hedgelings smacking their lips under grotesque masks, kackling diamond dogs, ornery minotaurs and other ponies malformed as grizzled pirates, all having a good laugh at their expense.

The young faced pegasus captain who was first in the row squaked out a response to Flavian, which ceased all noise on the deck form the pirates. “Uh... the trans mer-merkeid commpany will, pay any ransom you wish... We have no-nothing of val-”

*Clunk!

“Shut up stupide horse! The general ain't finnisht yet!” A tall but malnurished minotaur hand shouted hitting the pegasus with the stock of his crossbow to the back of the ponies head.

Raising the captains vacant face in his grip Flavian continued,
“As one of my crew just demonstrated, this is a lecture first, anymore of you talk out of line and you'll get hit with one through the mane. Got it?”

Quiet. All the prisoners shocked gaze on at Flavian in his trench and polished armor.

The pegasus, cross eyed gushed with blood. Knelling and concussed he just vacantly stared at Flavian. Unable to articulate, though his mouth was still moving and his eyelids fluttered.

With a sigh Flavian started again, “Pity, kill him. One of the others will know, hes too damaged now to survive the night anyway.” Droping his paw from the captains chin, letting the limp head fall to be catched by its damaged owners neck.

Nearly instantly the hedgeling behind the pegasus captain opened its gaping mouth and in a single motion clamped down and twisted the ponies head free from its place and flung it into a nearby bucket. The other pony captives that where still lucid screamed in terror staring at their captain spraying blood and twitching on the deck like a malfunctioning fountain. They wailed out petty prayers to be saved by the princesses before silencing when seeing Flavian change his glance to them for sounding without his permission. The act sickened most of the pirates as well who looked off just before the action was carried out, as they knew what was coming, only the other hedgelings eager for fresh carrion continued to laugh until Flavian raised his paw to silence them too.

“As I was saying before I was interupted, we are looking for anycreature that can lead us to this!” Flavian held out the worn piece of parchment that depicted the amulet.

“We know somepony, somewhere out on these very waters can lead us to it.” Rolling up the drawing and stowing it in his breastplate he continued, “Now, I can be a fair host to you, my little ponies. I can give you a chance to help me find this item for my master and join my crew as these fair folk have done, I promise it will be a more exciting life then you have ever known, I can promise you yes.” Flavian motions to some of the smaller members of his force.

“Now, can anypony help me out or not?” Flavian fingered with his arm for a response.

The deck was silent.

“So?”

Silence.

Squating down to their eye level, “Oh right, you can speak now. Guess I should've said that.”

Out of the line up a lime coated earth pony spoke out. “I dont know what that item is but ill do anything to help just ask!”

“Yes I will too! I'll do anything you need! Just dont kill us!” another, this one brown said. Before long all of the survivors were pleading to join him, promising loyalty and friendship if only he gave them their freedom.

“Good, good I'm glad to hear it, I really am. Just one issue though, if none of you actually knows where it is, you can't really help me can you? Steward, I think we have gotten everything we can from this catch, prepare the meat for the crew will you?”

At that, just as happened to their captain before them, the crews heads where snapped off an their corpses were thrown through the main hatch into the darkness below.

“Beside bein good eattin capt' what will this'in solve if you dont mind me askin'?” a snarking bullfaced dogman said looking down at the new meat in the hold.

“Simple my fellows, these ponies have a great strength that is also their greatest weakness.” Flavian said tapping his right temple for emphasis, “Their herd mentality. If one doesn't know the answer, its most likely no one else will. A pity for them but a advantage for us. Signal the next batch from the skippers that have came in. We will find out what we need to know. Even if it takes all day!”

At that his men cheered for him and Flavian, closing his eyes, savored this small gratification from them. He turned back to the circular stair case and begins his decent into the mourning wails underbelly. Yes the attention from his crew was in a quaint way satisfying to his ego and feelings of waywardness, but he knew with the return of his one true master he would once again have purpose.

Through a cramped walking space and behind a privacy screen the dog man scampered on all fours through his ship from hall to hall and around tight corners. With grace he narrowly avoids passengers and cargo shifting about as the ship sways from the waves beyond the hull. First across a gangling rope bridge above the galley where he tipped his tricorn to the chef and onto a minuscule side room next to his own quarters. Opening the old brass knocker he slid in to find his Naga aide and the looking glass waiting, being charged from some unseen aether.

“Has anything came through yet?” Flavian said grabbing a stool from the table that held the magic mirror.

“No, I havent heard from anybeing sence I started its filling spell... There was a message from before, a old hand from the messas sent it in a few hours ago for you.”

Flavian was used to old hands sending him corispondence from time to time sence the disalvement of his real fleet, and he thought nothing of the letter initialy but decided it best to read it now until the staleon of galleon made his apperance.

The letter was scrawled the way a creature with hooves would, large lettering and poor dilingual patterning although his prose was quite good. Flavian would've thrown it away but the creature said he was on a pony trade ship heading south off map on a apparent secret mission. The hand wrote that he thought such a unknown mission must have something valuable, and as any creature who once was a pirate could tell you, they never really get over the urge to dash off with a easy score. After seeing this detail Flavians eyes where pinned to the page. Slowly he reread each word over again carefully. It was a trade cog heading almost directly south from Baltimare, into a part of the map uncharted and deadly, the frost gates.

(Why would any sane creature wish to go there? A secret mission...)

Just as he finished the letter the mirror began to hum and rattle. Flavian pushed back his chair and knelled to the morphing mirror. His naga companion followed suit. Slowly its silvery frame warped into redhot metal wraping around a invisible skull to reveal the face of the staleon of galleon chromed and smirking at him.

“Oh come on bucko, no need for dirtyin' yer pants. Im no princess ha ha ha!” The staleons face glowed and reflected his face and the area around him. He was apperantly in a drinking hall.

Red faced ashamed to have to bow to a 'superior' like this pony bastard, Flavian quickly resettled himself into his chair and lowered his hat to hide his malevolent face. “I have yet to find the lead we need my commander.”

“Oi, I thought the old vicer said you were the best at ise sorta thing eh? You know what you need to know so whats the hold up?” The staleon said in a dark inflection while rubbing his jaws and scaggly beard with a hoof.

“I am as you've heard, but know that even to a master tracker, a skilled orator and a well trained sword, this would be a tremendous under taking. Your just lucky im all three. No other would be commanding this armada in search as well in as little time i've had.”

“Oh yes I agree kemosavi... you are the great flavian fastwrite after all, and I? Just some fucker in a canteena, drinking and whoring while you chase my golden goose huh?”

“Well maybe not the part on your laziness...”

“Oh you dont need to sugar coat the world dog, I see what anyother sees. You dont trust me and youre most likely trying to decive me here, I know a bull puck move over a genuine one. My eyes have that going for them atleast, in additon to being a superb fasion statement ha ha!” Even in the white silver face of the magic mirror the stallions eyes where still unnaturally black.

Flavian just waits in angery penence until the stallion is finished “I will relay what we have learned when I make port in Fiseteen, I dont believe we have enough information as of now.”

Huffing, ignoring Flavians word the mirror keeps talking, “But in all seriousness, I trust you will find my bounty soon, then its just the mater of summoning that coddled goatlegs out of oblivion. You'll get your abuser back and ill have enough bullion to start my own county so just hop to it dog, be good and I might have a bone for ya!”

Abruptly the mirror spurts out and returns to its original appearance steaming hot.

“This whole thing is bein' too strange, I dont much care for it...” the naga woman said wraping the warm metal mirror in a damp rag.

Flavian stands back up and adjusts to his favored posture.

(Neither one of these two can be left with the amulet. The Viseroy cant be counted on to use it right, and the stalleion...)

Once again the thoughts of the galleions deep lifeless voided eyes stared at flavians mind blocking out his thoughts. He decided here in the map room that even if it cost him his life he mustnt let the stalleion or the ponies find this amulet. He had a gut feeling the letter he had just read held the information he seeked. Now it just came to finding them without the stalleion turning the fleet on him...

.-=O=-.

“Your majesty is something wrong?” a concerned elderly yellow unicorn lady said at the overturned body of princess cadenza as she vomited into a sink.

“No, thank you- I think, I think... I'll be fine.” The princess said choking back her dinner as the muffled sounds of the orchestra sounded outside the powder room.

The unicorn after offering the slightest omission to see if the princess was still alive kept talking anyway. “Well you should know my cousin is a herbalist by trade, he was always telling my sister that the best thing for a sickness of the gut is root broth. Although I could never remember which one it was? Miragold? Mistorone? Mythbone?”

“I said I'm fine.” Cadence shouted through gritted teeth at the elder before turning back to the sink, checking her appearance in the mirror. She looked as she could've housed that monster chrysalis inside her by how bad she looked. The greening rings around her eyelids, just barely hanging the facade of the royal monarch over a diseased mannequin. After regaining her formal composure she turned again to the unicorn.
“Besides it's not a gut sickness.”

“Oh. Pardon me then.” the older pony had the face of a ashamed servant caught mismanaging their job. Cadence couldnt see them but she felt the elders tears where coming. The unicorn made her way out of the rest room and back to the theater as fast as her tested legs could convey, Cadence thought she might have seen a gasping as she left.

(Why do they always come to me at my worst? I don't deserve this life...)

But that was her depression talking, as it had been for weeks.

Even though this wasn't the crystal empire nor the castle at the summit of the city, all citizens of equestria who recognized cadence acted like that canary unicorn, trying to tend to her as if she was a fragile glass. Most times it was bearable, but at other times she felt that the hearts of the common ponies where the ones actually half made of glass, ready to shatter before her if she didn't act exactly as they expected. They would vain the sympathetic but if she called upon their help, they would crumble. It didn't help that her emphatic powers made her see ponies true feelings. This kindly old mare was one of the good ones, simply wanted to help her, but she now looked in her emotions as a little filly brushed from her unloving mother. Idiot girl. Treat others better.

In silence cadence stood yet again before the mirror, feeling the emotions of herself this time, the old unicorn and her passenger. The bile finally ceased and settled down her throat and she only felt herself and the child. It wasn't like flurry was... This one was a prince by the way it kicked.

Cadence putting on her evening shall and circlet returned out into the red halls of the theater and climbed the slope towards the royal observation booth.

The audience she could hear through the walls wailed and laughed on as she made the hard climb to the inclines apex. She had complained to Shining about the choice of position they had gotten at the show. She had wanted, and expected when they had left the palace to be lead to the rear seats. Where all the other sickly or feeble where. Not because she wanted to deprive her husband of the shows best in the royal booth but as her conditioned was reminding her, she had trouble walking uphill this far along in her situation.

But on the bright side the view of the stage was indeed gorgeous, and the royals only shared their dining and restroom with the other aristocrats boxes which thankfully we not completely filled this night. Just her luck then that the herbalist's cousin was in the powder room the same time she was. Or maybe it wasn't.

As she reached the final stretch to the brass inlay doors that obscured the royal booth she was helped up by two members of the EUP. They tactfully ushered her back to her plush viewing chase. In the box only sat two others, her husband and the greatest sorcerer in the world.

“Ah the princess returns to us then?” Star Swirl said standing up to pull out Cadences chair with his magic.

“Yes I have.” She said in a overly aloof way as she sat.

“He he, don't talk in that mater your highness, you'll end up sounding as Luna did when she started kindergarden.” Starswirl said returning to his own chair.

Shinning said nothing as he just concentrated on the performance below.

Leaning next to him she asked, “What did I miss?”

“Cadence quiet please.” Shinning said back in a passionate whisper.

On the stage below a group of actors played out what seemed to be a plead to princess celestia being played by the ever popular lady Fleur-de-lis. The other actors where dressed as different professions and speaking over each other trying to ask for favors from the monarch. There was a miner asking for longer days so he could see his children while they where awake. A farmer who asked if her days could be longer so she may work harder for the country. And last a noble, the comedy relief for the production. He asked for a longer day because he wanted to sun dry from his pool.

The audience chuckled at his expense.

“I've always hated this part of the show.” Star Swirl said watching through heavy eyelids.

“Hmm?” Cadence responded looking to him on her left.

“I was there when this happened. And I also was there the first time this play was preformed. Its changed a lot but there's things about it that still should be fixed.”

“Like what then?” Cadence said now intrigued with the living artifact in the booth with her.

“Well. For one there wasnt a simple court appearance for this. There where riots in the capital about this issue. Ponies beating each other because they thought that there was no downside to a eternal day. Idiocy knows no bounds with pony folk im afraid. It was so awful for so many... my students who studied the fates and stars where almost lynched for defending the natural orders... Ironically after Luna was cast out it was for a long time a dark age.”

“I have never heard of it that way. Didn't Luna start the uprising?”

“No. The ponies did that. It was more of a dive to protect Celestias authority that lead her to side with the mobs. They would follow her if she defeated a implied enemy. Don't get me wrong, the Nightmare Moon was seduced by vanity and contempt, but it wasn't for her sisters sun as much as it was for the populace who where obsessed with it. The shades just took advantage of her. Like they did the king of the north.” Star Swirls face became limp as he talked, as if he was trying to find who he was speaking to, Cadence or himself.

“And the first version of the play... how was it different?”

“Just blatant propaganda. The nobles just ignored the ponies involvement in hurting the kingdom and within a generation no one even knew what happened besides that retrovist legend written by those fucking sun cultists.”

“Can you two stop talking for a minute? The intermissions coming up.” Shinning armor said irked that Star Swirl was ruining the performance for him.

In the quiet they looked on to the stage again. Now a pegasus dressed in a black cloak shadowed behind princess Celestia, interjecting insults to her subjects as she addressed the ponies at court. After a few corny lines on that both parts of the day are important and to be respected, the court ponies where miffed and shuffled off stage. Then the actress of Luna walked out from behind the throne on the almost empty stage besides for her sister which didn't respond to her presence. She cried to the audience that her feeling compelled her to surpass her sister and take her place so the ponies would love her night instead. Egged on by the black shadow pegasas of Celestias side who told her she was worthless, that she would never be needed.

At that the orchestra played off a dramatic cord of lowering dread as the curtains closed for the intermission. The audience rose below them and the sound of hooves shuffling to the lobby made the opera house shake.

Shining gradually leaned back into his chair and turned to his wife. “Ok. The two of you can continue, just really wanted to hear the actors, you know, cause were at a play.” He had a sour sting in his words but ultimately was now relaxed enough to listen to them.

“Glad we have permission your majesty.” Starswirl said as he continued. “Yes when the old tribes first decided to depart to this land there was a unimaginable backlash. Our kind are creatures of tradition. It wasnt our way to stray from the valleys and forrests of our past home.”

Cadence continued as her husband assumed the position of reclining and closing his eyes content to listen to the conversation. “So what exactly was this homeland that you came from?”

“Girl, you grew up in the most knowledgeable city, in the most literate kingdom on the earth, within the royal halls of learning even. Do you really not know the name of our homeland?”

“Watch it geezer. That girl is my wife and a princess.” Shinning said only opening one eye to glare at him.

“Well do you know much more 'prince'?”

“Infact I do. The royal guard commanders have to know more then just how to tackle somepony or to march and wave a pike around.”

“Intriguing. Inform us then. I would love to see how the princesses lowered the standards in my absence.” Starswirl said apperating a smoking pipe from thin air.

Shining racked his mind on where to begin with the tale of equis. “I think the most important thing about the homeland was that it was haunted by windegos.”

Starswirl chuckled for a moment fiddling with his prarrie grass box not lifting his eyes to the royals. “Oh yes it was. But, tell me something I would'nt know by attending a school foals winter pageant.”

Shining knew he had been given special insight during his training but at this moment it alluded him like a half remembered dream. “Its to the south... Most of it was ruled by princesses and duchesses with a few tribal herds and... and they all had intense greed and parrionia, capable of great things but isolated and petty. They where not as advanced as us using crude iron for their tools and weapons and they venerated creatures like... dragons?”

Shining looked back at starswirl who was know reclining like the crystal prince was doing moments before. “I did not tell you to stop. I am still listening.” the wizard coughed out in between pulls.

Cadence said, “I am too. It is something I haven't heard much about.”

With that shining continued, “Well there's not much else really. I know starswirl was there and that there had been a decade of early winters and poor harvests... Thats what lead to the explorers leaving. And eventually everyone else.”

“Once again your modern serialized view is found to be lacking. Not everypony left, and they certainly were not paranoid, you can only be paranoid for something that has little chance to harm you, the old tribes had much to be wary of.”

The audience below began returning to their chairs below.

“Like what?” Shining chuffed, “I was lead to believe the homeland was a rich land that was only ruined by mortal folly?”

“Hardly.” Starswirl admited. “Pray tell princess do you know what a draconequis is?”

Before she could respond her husband butted in, “Yeah! Its just a fancy way of saying discord! That loud mouth alw-”

Starswirl coughs on his own breath in hearing the name, “Why in tartariouses 9 hells would you utter that name?!”

Shining and Cadence just look dumbly at each other and back to Starswirl. “What did I say wrong this time?!” Shinings face had risen from a slight reddening of the forehead to almost a blaze as sometimes appeared to pissed off powerful unicorns. “I came here to spend time with my wife and family not argue semantic ancient legends with some pony who has no right being alive in this era at all! I am a prince of the second most powerful holding in all of equestria! You will give us respect!”

From below the scant early audienciers stared up to the yelling above, one speaks out “Hey is there a problem up there?”

Starswirl is visibly taken back by shinings brash attack on him, with his best effort he tries to elevate the stress of the observation booth. “My prince please lower your voice, I did not intend to cause a coniption, what I mean is you shouldn't say that things name. Its a errorus omen...” Starswirl said lowering his voice and starring down the prince.

“Stop speaking in tounges then! Why shouldnt I-” Shining just saw the looks on his wifes muzzle and the calls from below them. With great passion he stands up and leans to obsure his face from the wizard and the princess. He says he has to get back to the crystal palace, and that he will pick up flurry from twilights castle in the valley. Quickly he storms out the doors and around a carpeted bend into the bowels of the operahouse.

“Shinning dear wait!” The princess says struggling to get up and after him.

“Your majesty, as a mare in your condition you musnt move too fast. Think of the baby.” Starswirl said keeping her in her seat. “I will go and look for him, just stay here, i'll only be a short while.”

With that again cadence was left alone, the ornate door softly shut and she was by herself in the box. Below the curtains parted and the audience stomped aplause.