Ahoy, Me Hotties! [RGRE]

"What do you mean he just left?"

Twilight, in her hurry and franticness, paused only for a moment to respond ever worriedly.

"I mean he just left!"

"But why would he leave outta the blue like that, sugarcube?"

"Well..." Twilight blushed a bit. "I...think it was because of our fight yesterday. But I didn't think that'd be reason enough to just leave like that! And take Spike no less!" She seemed to tear up at the up at the end. "Because of me, he-..."

A white hoof rested itself upon her shoulder.

"Now darling, it wasn't your fault."

"Sniff. R-Really?"

"Absolutely. This sort of drama is normal for growing colts and stallions." She paused. "Though, for what reason he'd steal away Spikey-wikey I just don't know."

"Maybe Spikey was worried that Robby-wobby would be scared by himself and went along with him."

"Be that as it may Pinkie, Spike is still a baby dragon." Sure enough, Twilight soon began to do the thing she was known for, and that was overthink and overreact. "Oh, what if they got lost on the Everfree? Or fell off a ship in the middle of the ocean? Or took a left when they should have gone right and are now being sold off by slavers as we speak?!"

"Twilight." Rainbow said, standing in front of the now hyperventilating mare. "Chill. The buck. Out. If there's any stallion I know that can take care of themselves, and that's a big if, it's him, so just relax, aight?"

"And how do you know that?!" Twilight all but shouted, to which Rainbow, suddenly growing a tad red, slowly responded.

"Well...let's just say he...helped me...with some stuff a while ago. Seeing their looks, she was quick to follow up. "Look, he's not like other stallions, alright! He's...cool, I guess. He isn't into all that prissy, sissy, stallion stuff like all stallions are so..." Damn she was blushing super hard now. And those wings...were not doing her any favors either . "So just stop worrying so much okay?!"

Waiting for Rainbow to gather herself, Twilight spoke up once again.

"Whatever the case may be, Rainbow." She started. "Robin and Spike are out there, alone and without a clue as to what they should do. As their caretaker-, no, as their friend, it is my responsibility to see to it that they are brought back here. Safe and sound." She then began to pack up a nearby saddlebag. "And I'm not just going to sit around here and wait."

"Where are you going, darling?"

"Out to go look for them." She then turned to the others. "You girls stay here in case they come back.

"But Twilight-"

"NO. I've already made up my mind. As their caretaker and friend, it's my responsibility to-"

Applejack stopped her with a hoof.

"We get it sugarcube, you're worried about them." She waved a hoof at herself and the others. "We are too, and...that's why we're all coming along too."

Twilight blinked incredulously.

"Wha-, but Applejack I said-"

"But nothing. You're worried for those two something fierce, we get that." She smirked. "And it's plain obvious that you'll just be running yourself hog wild if you're the only one searching for them. So that's why we're all going to be looking for them. Together! Ain't that right girls?"

A chorus of agreement rung clear, even if some were more hesitant than others.

"Really?" Twilight said, rubbing at her eyes. "You girls would really do something like that for me?"

"Of but of course darling." Rarity said, poofing her hair a bit. "Isn't that what friends do afterall? Help them chase after their crazy coltfriends?"

Jokes aside, Twilight was absolutely touched.

"Oh girls!"

And with classic friendship style, the girls all embraced eachother in a group hug.

Several heartfelt moments of fur-rubbing later and the girls finally separated with Twilight filled with a renewed sense of purpose and drive.

"Thanks girls, I...I needed that. Now come on! We can still catch up with them if we hurry!"

And with that, the girls headed out and off to their own places, hoping to gather whatever they thought would be needed for the inevitable journey ahead. But before she left for her cottage, Fluttershy, who hadn't said much during the whole conversation, suddenly turned to Twi with a determined look on her cute little face.

"Don't you worry one bit Twilight, I'm sure we'll find them soon enough."

"You really think so, Fluttershy?"

She nodded.

"Of course." then she smiled. "And besides, I'm sure they're thinking of coming back right now."

...Two days later...

"And so the man says to the nurse, 'Miss, I think that heart monitor there is broken.' And of course she asks why, and he says to her 'Because miss, how's it still beeping if I sure as shit know I'm seeing an angel right now?'

"Wow."

"Heh, yeah yeah, cheesy as all hell. Buuut she apparently liked it because two years after that, I was born."

"No way."

"I'm living proof, aren't I?"

Taking a sip from his milkshake, Spike sat back in his chair in awe as Robin simply stretched from his spot on the floor, a choice made all his own in defiance of tiny-ass chairs and to put at ease over-apologetic restaurant staff. But lack of playset furniture aside, that still didn't stop Robin from needing to tilt his head down a bit in order to properly address the dragon on the other side of the table. But at least they were somewhat eye-level with one another.

"So your dad was a sailor?"

"Yup. And so was his dad, and his dad, annnd his dad before him too." Robin said, continuing this little jaunt through his family line as far back as he could remember before needing to take a swig from his second milkshake. He chuckled. "Basically it was tradition. If you were the man of the house, then that meant you were already a man of the sea."
Downing the last of his shake, Robin peered into the empty glass before looking back up at one very mystified Spike.

"Woah." Was all that the little dragon could say.

"Eh." Robin replied, shrugging away the awe. "Not much else to it, really. Just came natural to us, I guess."

"That's..." Spike paused, fumbling for a word that could properly portray his amazement at hearing his friend's seemingly legendary family history. "So wicked." Nailed it.

"Heh. I guess it is."

"So wait a minute." Spike suddenly said, a question just as suddenly finding itself at the forefront of his racing thoughts. "If all the guys in your family were 'men of the seas'...does that mean that at one point, one of them was an actual pirate?"

At that, Robin found himself momentarily befuddled as he thought it over and, after thinking as far back as he could recall the oldest stories his dad, grandfather, and various uncles had told him while either sober or drowned in hooch, he had come to the sudden conclusion that that very question could've held some actual truth to it. A potential reality within a definite possibility.

"I...I don't actually know Spike." Robin finally said, genuine wonder and curiosity dripping from his words like the drops of strawberry milky goodness that cornered his lips. "I mean, as far back as I can actually remember, nearly every one of my forefathers severed as a seaman." He then looked at his hand, counting off three fingers. "Midway, Hampton Roads, Lake Erie." He blinked, then smiled. "...For every century since the founding of my nation back home and even well before that, there was always a Crow." He hummed thoughtfully. "But a pirate Crow?"

Shaking his head, Robin was now more sure than he'd ever been before. This, this was his chosen path. Maturity and other adult responsibilities be damned, this was fate.

"Come on, Spike." Robin said while digging into his pockets and slapping onto the table's top a number of bits he borrowed from Twilight before standing up and stretching, much to the surprise of the waitress and cafe's other outdoor patrons. "Time to go." And without waiting for Spike to chug the rest of his milkshake, Robin walked off. leaving the dragon to jog after, up to, and behind the striding human.

"Where are we going now?" Spike asked curiously.

And without stopping, Robin simply responded in kind.

"Where are we going?" He repeated before chuckling. "Why, to go work on step one, obviously."