Gatling Rain On a Steam Filled Morn

He tested the weight and distribution of each wrench, tossing them up, but, now that he had twenty wrenches set to throw, at his disposal, he was really wanting to see how funny, or anger relieving it was to peg somebody in the head with one of these.

And being the teenager he is, he's hoping it would be funny, like most his age would.

"Hey!"

Dropping his smile, he turned, and looked over the edge of the ship.

A stallion. He had a blue coat, captain's hat, he was a captain, which is basically an instant respect switch in Stormy's mind.

"Ahoy!", Stormy leaned over the edge.

"Could you get this heap of junk out of the way, so I can park there?!"

Stormy's smile disappeared, noticing two things in this picture. One, that stallion was dead serious. Two, he had a beer jug in his hand.

With a devious smile, Stormy grabbed one of the wrenches and tossed it up.

He threw it. And just as he wanted it to, it pegged the stallion in the head, knocking him over.

"Well, that played out more avenging and funny in my head. Oh well. That's one less Wrench I'm going to worry about. Only nineteen heavy carbon steel wrenches to go!"

Second meeting of the week with the police force on the same docks he turned his first bounty in to, it was a bit harder than the last. The captain wouldn't quit struggling.

"Would you quit?", Stormy asked, helping Maxim to hold him down.

"Why? I'm a PIRATE! What do you expect?"

"Good point."

Taking the wrench from his belt, Stormy knocked it against the captain's head. It worked Effectively.

The once writhing stallion was literally, now, an unconscious villain with a large bump on his head.

"Let's get him to the constable."

Maxim hoisted the captain over his shoulder, and walked beside Stormy to the designated building. Inside, there were seven officers already, each trying to hold down just one stallion.

"Stay back, kid! He's a feisty one!", one police stallion warned.

Stormy, absolutely going to take advantage of this situation, held his wrench up and tossed it at just the right moment, pegging said struggling stallion in the head, knocking him out just as easily as Stormy did to his captive.

"Uh...Thanks.", one officer thanked Stormy.

"I need that wrench by the way."

Retrieving the wrench as he approached the counter, a mare responded with a smile, opening the barricade on the other side of the wire mesh.

"Hello~!"

"Yes. I have the captain of the Red Flower in custody. In fact, it's that red coated stallion in the red colored stalion's arms."

"You mean the red colored stallion in the red coated stallions arms?"

Turning to look behind him, Stormy noticed that his captive had awaken, but, as he was, that stallion was dazed, struggling like a weak child against Maxim.

"Nope, the red coat. I wacked him just before walking in."

"And chunking your wrench at the other stallion."

Stormy laughed, "I just can't believe how effective and funny that is! Anyway. I'm here to collect the bounty on him and his ship. If you need the coordinates for his ship, you might want to bring a search party to check near the wastelands."

"Oh, we'll take your word for it. But, I still need to get the coordinates marked. did you check the compass before you departed from the site?"

"Well, I did, but I shot them down from afar. Sniper cannon works best when battling a ship bigger than yours."

"Tactical. So, about how far away?", she began writing.

"About seven to ten kilometers."

Stormy finished by giving her the coordinates to the location, and collected his pay.

That's it. Nothing else. Returning to his ship, the sun had set already, having been peaking just beyond the horizon before he walked in.

"I guess it's time for bed.", he said to Maxim.

"Yeah. But, when are we all going to get in on a fight, and not just Ellen and Eva?"

"Well, the weapons I have are mostly short to medium range, and seeing as I have had less firepower than the last two ships we went against, using the sniper cannon would ensure that we were all safe. Just thinking about keeping us alright."

"Alright, Captain. Oh, here comes Sally."

"Stormy.", Sally addressed her captain.

"Yes, Sally?"

"Can I speak to you?"

"Sure."

"Alone?"

"Oh...Well, see ya tomorrow Maxim."

"Alright."

Stormy walked with Sally to his cabin, and, expecting her to go inside, stopped in front of her.

"We don't really need to go inside, do we?"

"No, not really. I still needed to tell you something important."

"And what would that be?"

"My family. My dad's a pirate."

"Well, that's not really a big surprise."

"Well, it's who he is that's got me worried. He's a very powerful pirate. High ranked, and the way that the leadership system works, he, or she, who kills the leader, is the leader. So...

"So, since you think he is such a powerful pirate, he could easily get leadership over the entire pirate nation?"

"Not exactly, just, you gain your rank by killing whoever commands you in fair - ish - combat."

"So, you think that he may be higher up than he was before?"

"Yes, that exactly, just wanted to help you get a grasp of how the system works."

"Why?"

"Because, if he gets higher up, then that endangers us all. Even me."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, if you had a daughter, and she went missing, wouldn't you go find her, and possibly slaughter anyone who took her?"

"Depends mostly on how you put it, but I understand. And, seeing as I worked at the Boarder Grand Prix, that means they could easily find us. Thanks for the heads up, I never thought of it before. In fact, tomorrow, we'll go check out the grand Prix, make sure that Mr. Sprint is still alright."

"Ok."

"But, really, thanks. Is there anythign else?"

"No..."

"Doesn't look likke it to me."

"I'm worried."

"About the ELoise going down?"

"About you...You helped me escape, and rather flawlessly. You're a good Captain, but...Maybe you've just gotten a good fortune, and it may soon come to an end."

"Don't say that."

"Why? Because you want it to stay easy like this? You've gotten more than twenty grand in bits for dropping two Pirates in the paste two weeks, each of which you dropped using only one gun. You helped me escape, and I just so happened to be there to ask for help when the Eloise was perfect, and ready to go. Everything has been too easy..."

"...You're right. But, even then, we shouldn't worry about it being something like faith mixed with karma. I've never killed anyone in my life, until recently, and it's because I've destroyed two ships, which, only the captains, and a few others, survived. It's not a way of life, but it is getting by in life. I've never once stopped thinking that if I keep doing this, something bad is going to happen. It's like being a thief. You know that if you continue to be a thief, you'll soon be caught, and killed, or sent to prison. But we've not done this a long time. And I'm not trying to hide."

He leaned against the wall, and sighed, "If I am ever confronted with a ship twice the Eloise's size, do you know what I would do?"

"What if that ship was my dad's?"

Stormy thought for a few moments.

"...That ship's faith would become my decision, and my decision would be made, depending on who he is to you, and his intentions towards you. Do you sitll love your dad?"

"...No...I never really did. I found out my dad was a pirate just half a year ago. We haven't even been able to meet yet, and seeing as I have run off, and joined the Equestrians, he's probably going to flip out, and go after you, kill you, your crew, drop your ship, and take me home, probably beat me."

"So what would you want me to do?"

Sally stared at the ground, and looked up, "I want you to blow his ship to shreds."

"Then that is what I will do."

She half smiled, "Thanks."

Sally pulled Stormy into yet another kiss. But this time, there was a little more passion.

The events afterward quickly led into Stormy's cabin and, as any couple would do in a bed, they made love.

It was a bonding moment. Stormy really didn't pay much attention, worrying about what he was doing, and what he had to do, managing his own ship, but tonight...Tonight was for Sally.

Left to stare up at the ceiling as he lay there, Stormy thought mostly about the conversation before, and Sally.

He felt like he had accomplished something that, otherwise, may have taken a lot of effort to do. But, he also felt like he could take on the world. Probably just the after feel of sex.

Though, it happened as if only to be brief. One moment, they're talking, and the next, stripping each other slowly.

Turning his head to look at Sally, she seemed content as she slept. Arms crossed under her head, on her stomach, like it wasn't just enjoyable, but...something more.

It left Stormy to think. He's a young stallion, and she a young mare. He may be smart, and has outsmarted more than about ten pirates in his life, intentionally. But...He's still a kid, he has limits. and he knows that.

He's not some buff teenager who prefers to work out all the time, he's not the one kid that has low metabolism, and a love for books. He's just your average Teenager.

What if he was taken by surprise? Boarded? Attacked as he tried to defend his crew, alone.

He was one sword, but unexperienced. He'd need to be better than this.

Stormy was the first to awaken.

Silently getting out of bed, the first rush of sunshine he got that morning was soothing. It was starting to head into wintery climate already.

A few others were on deck, including Maxim, who, not one bit surprising, was lifting weights. Well, crates, to be exact. A simple workout. Except those crates were filled with very heavy artillery shells.

It wasn't worrying Stormy that he could drop them, no. Just, the ropes he had tied around the crates, are what worried him. If one broke, and the crate fell...

"Hey, Maxim!", Stormy called.

"Yes sir?", he put the crates down.

"I think its alright to work out, especially with crates that are as heavy as fifty pound weights, but, really, at least get some thicker ropes. You might cut your hands, or worse, those crates could fall."

"Yes sir, it's just, this is the only rope that I could find that could be used without them being needed later for the ship."

"Well, we have enough rope to re-rig the ship's balloon more than four times."

"I didn't want to bug you about it, because, there might not have been enough. It's just me thinking of the ship."

"Well. Might want to start cooling down, Maxim. We're going to depart as soon as everyone is wide awake. We're about ten minutes away from where I want to go, and I'd fly us there now, but, I also run the risk of not being ready for an impending airship battle."

"Well, I'm up for anything, if you are."

"I'm not.", Stormy confessed, "Not anymore."

"Did we lose something? Are one of the engines shot? A weapon messed up?"

"No. I'm just not ready anymore. Maxim, think of yourself as a captain. Then think of yourself as the only commander among a total of twenty people. Do you really know what would happen if you went down?"

"Well, I'd imagine the others would be a sitting duck in the water for a pirate to shoot, easily."

"Exactly. Well, I've recently had a confidence killer seep into my thoughts. I don't even expect you to understand this all. But, we need to make a trip to the Grand Prix. Maybe I will regain my confidence there."

"Why?"

"I have a friend that lives there."

"Oh."

"Hey, captain.", Eva called to Stormy.

turning to the mare as she walked from the other side, she stretched contently, a good thing.

"What do you need, Eva?"

"Well, nothing really, just saying hey. It's a good morning."

"For you at least. Well, we're going to be taking off as soon as everyone is ready, so we have some time to kill."

"You look a bit upset."

"Just something that shouldn't be too hard to control."

"If you need someone to talk to, just call me."

"Thanks."

The next hour or so was a bit slower than Stormy had hoped. It even got to the point where he was willing to wake everyone up. But, sure enough, everyone was around and ready for a good day. It was a good day, just...He hoped it wouldn't end badly.

Stormy passed through the middle deck bunk room, and made sure no one was asleep before returning to the wheel.

Sally wrapped her arms around him, putting her muzzle in his neck.

"Good morning."

"It is.", Stormy replied.

"It feels like today is the perfect day. As if no one would even be touched today. A day to just...relax."

"Yeah, a day that everyone, except for me, can relax."

"What's wrong?"

"What you said last night. I realized that I'm not ready, I'm not experienced. Maybe we've just gotten lucky the past few times."

"What do you mean?"

"I've lost a lot of confidence in one night. I plan on heading toward the Grand Prix on the boarder, see if I could regain some of that confidence, and then start training everyone. That's what I've been forgetting. I just realized that."

"Well, I say it's about time to leave."

"Yeah, well, everything feels different right about now. I'd prefer to keep silent, so, if you wouldn't mind, I could use some help getting orders out."

"What do you need?"

"I need the engineers to start the engines. We're about to leave."

"Alright."

Sally ran off.

Steadying his arm on the wheel, Stormy looked past the hull of his own ship, to it's very heart. It was not just a ship. It was not just his ship. It was a place to live, where a few crew members lived, now. All too young for this whole thing. But start at a young age, you get more experience earlier in life. It helps in this world of steam, metal, and gunpowder.

Looking at how his ship was built, it was easy to drop something like this. Just puncture the balloon. But, even then, you'd have to kill the engines that sat at the ready for when that happens.

The engines rumbled to life.

It's the sound of an engine that runs Stormy, not the thrill of being a captain, not the thrill of running a crew. He loved to own his own ship, of which he built from scrap in less than a year, but...It just doesn't feel like this should have been what he is supposed to be doing.

Lever after lever, he pulled the Eloise out of the docks, and made way for the boarder.

It was only a few minutes later when the mountains came into view, and several...new features.

As Stormy approached the wall of mountain tops that hid the Grand Prix docks, he held up his telescope to see further than able, and spotted the docks.

Two things were wrong. Several white flags and Blue flags lay on top of piles of metal and wood, where ships would be docked, but, there was also a red flag adorned at the top of the building that sat in the middle of the docks.

"We've got a problem.", Stormy held the telescope to Sally.

"They took it!", she spotted the red flag.

"Mmhmm. I'm going to land her next to the docks, and take Maxim with me to go check the building. I have to find Sprint."

"Aye, Captain Stormy."

Directing the Eloise to said location nearby the docks, a loud...sound, caught Stormy's attention, bringing his sights to rest on a black bow of a ship that hung just over the edge of the mountains. A few seconds later, a loud explosion rang next to him. In fact, it was the docks, the building which sat in the center.

So easily wiped from existence. A small building which Stormy had known for a really long time as a place to work, and help others.

Now, a childhood memory was destroyed, taken from him like a precious item you could never replace, or get back. One that had more sentimental value than your own belongings.

He didn't hear much of what went on afterwards. But he knew there was panic. He gave an order that he knew would be right, commanding all who could get off the ship, to get off, by any means possible.

Immediately, those who could, began running, all except him...

And Sally.

"Sally!", Stormy yelled at the blue mare, "Go! Leave!"

"No!", she refused, "Not without you!"

He wanted to scream, yell at her, get her off, save her, but...then that last part caught him off guard.

"Sally, I can't leave."

A grappling hook tore through the deck, and jerked the ship upwards, towards the black mass.

"As a pegasus, I would rather die than leave the Eloise."

Turning to the approaching ship, or rather, the black mass that the Eloise was approaching, he turned to Sally and began taking off his jacket, and shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to save your life!"

He jumped at her, and grabbed a hold, wings taking them both overboard.

The first few flaps were uncomfortable, having not used his wings in almost a week. But, he got it right, and slowed to a stop just above the ground, setting Sally down.

"Stormy!"

"No! Stay here! Get to cover! I can already tell what's going to happen. The captain always goes down with his ship."

Stormy flew back up to the eloise, and was grabbed by several pirates as he landed. Forced to the ground and bound.

He didn't struggle, he didn't fly off.

One pirate grabbed his right wing, and ran Stormy's own cutlass through it, severing a good part of it.

He did not scream. He may have cracked his own teeth, having clenched his teeth so hard, but did not utter a sound.

"Tough kid...", the captain admitted as he approached.

The captain was a fair blue. Kind of like Sally, but...Darker.

"And who are you?", Stormy asked.

"Captain Black Powder, proud owner of the Black Behemoth, largest airship to ever fly, and has the most capable firepower."

"You destroyed the dock house!"

"That racing track pit stop? Well, of course I did, it pissed you off, didn't it?"

"Are you Sally's dad?"

"She's told you about me? Heh. Good to see she knows me."

"I new today was going to be a horrible day. Every horrible day I've had in my life always started good, then turned sour."

"Well, it may be a horrible day. For you. But, for me, not so much. You've brought my daughter to me, and that's all you needed to do."

Captain Black Powder looked passed Stormy at the small vessel that brought the said mare up, and smiled.

"There she is."

Captain Black grabbed Sally as she passed by, and threw her in front of Stormy.

"See? Even if you tried to save her, you did nothing. It doesn't take long to find someone on solid ground. I thank you for bringing her back to us, but, that doesn't let you off the hook."

Captain Black turned to the row set before Stormy. All of his crew that was on board. It was only nine people. Inlcuding Maxim. He was thankful that at least Ellen and Eva were safe. But, it didn't dismiss the fact that Maxim, and all his friends were in that line.

He remembered their names like kin.

Era, Maxim, Heavy, Bulk, Piston, Engine Block, Amy, and Betty.

With an equal amount of pirates lined behind them, Stormy knew what would happen next, and regretted having even come here, more.

Holding that lump down, he forced himself to anger, just to enable him to talk.

"You are such a fucking worthless person.", Stormy spoke up.

Captain Black slowed his step, and even put little jaunt into it as he turned around, facing Stormy once more.

"Oh, look, such big, harsh words coming from a kid. Listen, kid. No one will come for you, no one will care. If anything, it may just let those Equestrian blue coats know that this war just got a lot more serious. Kill them all."

There wasn't even a grunt, only surprised gasps as each of Stormy's crew had a cutlass shoved through their chest.

That's just like those Pirates.

"Let Stormy go, and leave him. Once we get off, blow this ship in two, and destroy whats left."

They threw stormy against the deck, and hurried off, leaving him to stand on his own.

The amount of anger, the amount of sheer hatred, the amount of sadness that not even his pride could not hold down, all of it.

Not a single thing showed.

All Stormy could do was stare up at the larger ship as each cannon nearest aimed at the Eloise and fired. He was blown off the edge, shrapnel digging into his front side from the first blast.

It was painful, and made him feel like he couldn't breath. The sheer force of the blast winded him.

A few seconds after he was blown off, the Eloise was literally split in two, each half beginning to tumble down the side of the mountains. The stern was headed straight for him. Rolling at first, it hit a small cliff, and began to tumble awkwardly, then began to fall, top over bottom towards him, gaining.

Reaching him first, it slammed Stormy against one wall throughout the tumble, until it came to a stop at the bottom, slamming him against the suspended walkway opposite of him. With no momentum holding him, Stormy fell down, landing on the untouched magic tank below.

It busted in some places, mostly around the seems where it was welded, or bolted.

He could feel it.

Several spots of pain mixing. The intoxicating magic in the air, stinging his lungs like heavy smog, the shrapnel in hes chest, the broken bones in his back, and the heavy pain reaching through his severed wing.

It was all he could bare.

Pain forcing him to begin to black out, the last thing that was on his mind, was how easy this had happened to him alone.

His eyes shut, the air stopped, and another explosion rang far away, then another...

It was white. Everything. It's all he could see. His coat had turned white, the floor was white, the endless area around him was white.

Soothing.

He didn't want to move, he didn't want to think, only enjoy it.

Then something flashed through the white background.

He only caught a glimpse, but knew what it was. A scream for him.

Stormy...

Thoughts kicking up quickly, he didn't really know what to do.

His life played before him, fast. Going through what he had accomplished in his life, and slowed down to the most recent events. When he met Sally, their night together, then it came to a real time movement once his last moments were there.

His crew.

He saved most, but some still died. It was his fault.

Sally was taken, also his fault.

Maxim was a good friend. The one he remembered the most out of those nine crew members.

The tears began to fall, one after another, creating black dots against the white colored floor.

Every tear created another dot until, finally, there was a hole in front of him.

Then one thing caught his mind like a hook thrust through fabric.

Sally. They took Sally.

His mind began running through the hatred, and the tears dried up. But the hole in front of him grew, soon, covering the entire floor beneath him, and dimming the background to a solid black as well. All except his fur.

Sparks danced across his chest, and he could feel his heart kick up. He felt it.

Then another, he cringed.

And another.

He woke up. Eyes wide open, thinking right, heart beating, body moving...

He should be dead. If not from an explosion, from the poisonous magic that leaked from the tank.

A doctor flashed a light in his eye, checking his pupils, then spoke. Something he Couldn't hear.

"...fine. You said you wanted to speak to him?"

He could hear now.

"Yes."

It was Captain Yollossandra.

"Stormy."

Her voice was harsh.

Looking at her, the world did not slow at all, keeping it's quickened pace.

"What the hell was going through your mind?"

And then the scolding came. He wasn't even related to her, she even refused to ever bother him again, and here she is, scolding him.

For...what happened to him...his crew...

Oh my Celestia, this is worse than the time that I let that old stallion get away."

Stormy took a deep breath, and let it out.

"What happened?", he asked.

"Besides the fact that you wreak of magic, you almost got killed."

"I know."

"You've started a war, Stormy."

"I thought there was a war already going on."

"That was a more...mutual war. Like a clan war. Now, there is a real war going on. Pirates and Equestrian alike, are claiming anything neutral, and are already fighting."

"And you think it's because of me?"

"..."

"Because I know it's my fault."

"Yeah, you've started a war. A war that this world did not need."

"And I will take part in it."

"No you won't. Like that doctor just said, you will stay here, and recover from the magic poisoning."

Stormy grabbed the IV and ripped it from his arm, then sat up, pointing at the mare captian.

"You will NOT tell me what I'm going to do."

The doctor tried to push stormy back down, and Stormy pushed the doctor away.

"Get off me, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry, sir, but you are not. Now, if you do not lay back down, and rest, I'm going to have to restrain you."

Stormy threw the covers off and stood.

"Then come at me."

He walked out quickly, making his way down the hall.

That's when he ntoiced two things.

Not a single pain, or scratch.

Four wings instead of two.

He now not only had things that needed to be done, but things to discover.

But he didn't stop at all. Throwing the doors to the waiting room open, he turned to the desk.

"Where are my clothes?"

"Sir, please go back to your room.", the mare at the desk asked.

The doctor which had been tending to him, as well as Captain Yollossandra, grabbed him, and pulled him back.

"Stop, Stormy! That's enough! You are sick, and you need to rest!", the mare captain yelled at him.

"How about you stop. Do you know how you found me? Did I have four wings then?"

"Yes, it's a condition!"

"Condition my ass! Before I passed out, I had half of my right wing left, my chest was filled with shrapnel, and I had a broken back!"

The room fell silent, and he yanked his arms from the two.

"I'm going to get a new ship, and hunt down that bastard that killed my crew, and took sally. You want me to stay until I'm better, then back off, I don't want to be better. If I want your help, I will ask for it. It's my choice. And my choice is to end this war."

"You can't end a war alone.", Captain Yollossandra's voice was raspy.

"Watch me."

The following events were quite obvious. He was given his clothes, and allowed to leave. No one spoke to him, no one followed.

But now he had a new challenge.

He needed a ship, and he needed a new crew. He knew where to get a few. Back at the Grand Prix docks, probably where a few Pirate ships would be, but nothing he couldn't handle with where he was going.

He need a junkyard, just as he had last time.