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Post by Bella on Jun 7, 2005 20:36:19 GMT -5
(Morning after the RoL is stolen)
I will call them, he thought, to no one in particular. I will call. They will hear. We will save the rainbow. Everything will be OK. He squeezed his eyes tight and reached out for the champions, not knowing where they were, but trusting himself to find them, wherever they were.
~~~~~~~
Kail's chest contracted as she felt Razzaroo reaching out towards her. She was the farthest away, but there was no doubt in her mind that she could feel him the strongest, and felt relieved that he was coming.
The night had been turbulent at best. Kail hadn't slept well, tossing and turning to bad dreams of rainbows and gods and stripes and Course. Bad dreams of everyone around her dying. And then she had heard her mother stumbling around in the kitchen and had finally decided to get up and investigate.
Kail's mother had this strange knack of seeing things - it had been happening ever since her near drowning... or rather the first one. She would see things that were happening right then, in real time. Of course, it was always too late to do anything about it, but it was the sight nonetheless. And late last night she had seen something terrible.
Kail walked along the coastline, kicking at empty shells and watching as they skidded into the water. She could see the ship that carried the locket, so far out on the horizon it was no more than a spec. And she knew she could easily overtake it in flight, but despite her training, and despite her advanced healing, she doubted she could get the locket back by herself. This was going to take all seven of them.
Kail turned back away from the black spec on the horizon and cast her eyes over the ships still in port. Of all those large, fast ships, not a single one had bent to her plea. Not a single captain had said that seven wouldn't be too many, that the reward was enough, that they were already on their way out and no it wouldn't be any trouble at all. None of those big, fast ships would take the Champions to the locket.
But then, on the far side of the dock, she saw a ship that was dwarfed by all the others. A ship that had the appearance of "for hire, for the right price". Perhaps that would be her ship.
Kail took up a trot, and then tore into a canter across the docks, where she finally stopped, starring up at the pirate ship that might be her last hope.
"Hello!"
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Post by Jewel on Jun 8, 2005 0:45:35 GMT -5
((I'm assuming she's at Tiger's ship, so that's where I'm going to respond from...))
Scarlet ears pinned back and swiveled forward again as the green mare called from the dock below. A groggy stallion thunked heavily across the deck and peered over the edge of the railing. Inwardly, he cursed himself for being such a light sleeper. He hadn't even tied the leather shark tooth-adorned strap around his leg yet.
Cutter narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her from afar. In a lower, less urgent voice,"Lass, what's your purpose?" He asked, clearly annoyed at being woken, albeit by a strange mare.
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Post by Crescent on Jun 8, 2005 1:59:59 GMT -5
Tiger had slept deep that night. The sleep had not completely erased the thudding in his head nor the bad taste in his mouth, but he was awake. He tied his bandana around his head and checked he had all his weapons.
D*mn that Bridie, he thought to himself. I don't even remember what she did last night. Well... He looked around in the cabin, she ain't here now. Probably with Cutter, then.
He felt even more grumpy for that thought, and slammed the door open as he started out of his cabin to the upper deck. He wanted to get going. Off this stupid port. Off this stupid town.
He stomped up the ladder to the main deck just in time to hear Cutter speak out. He frowned and walked over.
"Cutter!" he barked at him. "What's going on?"
He was still looking at Cutter as he stopped at the railing, but soon he looked out to the dock. He was slightly surprised to see the green pegasus down there. And then he got wary, turned back his ears and felt the handle of his sabre with one hoof. Was she of the authority of this place? He noticed the other pirate ship gone already. Had his fears come true? Were they to be blamed for whatever foul deed it was that the other pirates had been up to?
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Post by Shadow on Jun 8, 2005 8:23:33 GMT -5
"CAP!!!" Gan Ning's voice was heard before he blasted out of the water like a cannon ball, landing on the deck drenched to the bone. Gathering the water from his body and hurling it back into the sea, his eyes narrowed darkly. "We have a HUGE problem on our hooves. Those other sea dogs made off with a locket I've heard of; One containing the bloody Rainbow of Light, brother to the Rainbow of Water I worship so much!" He paced on the deck, his thick and still lethal tail dragging on the boards, leaving water where he went. "If the locals think WE swiped it, we're gonna face worse than a hanging! Maybe a hanging with barbed wire, a firing squad to shoot us as he dangle, and then a stoning all while getting run through by red hot fire pokers!"
Few things ever got a sea hardened stallion like Gan Ning of the entire crew fired up then when it involved the Rainbows, the only thing he still had true faith in. Well, aside from his fellow crew mates being at risk of a hanging or worse, including being injured in a fight. One time a boarding crew managed to get lucky and land a blow on Cutter with a club; The entire enemy was treated to Gan Ning's total fury and the full power of the sea, washed overboard by a tidal wave, or tsunami as he knew them back home, and drowned in a whirlpool that draged them to the sea floor. Finally bothering to look overboard, he calmed down by reverting to humor.
"So, what's going on that you two are starring at?" He then raised an eyebrow at Kail, the azure and sea green stallion turning to his mates. "I don't think she's here to have us strung up, guys."
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WingSong
'80's Pony
~Quicksand~ ~Tweak~ ~Baby Gadget~ ~Posey~
Posts: 158
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Post by WingSong on Jun 8, 2005 9:28:28 GMT -5
((Okay, I'm making the assumption that she spent the night in what used to be Pippi's bunk, just for the record...))
Quicksand heard several voices outside, and rolled out of bed the minute she was able to register that some of them were familiar and one was not. Running a hoof through her hair a couple or times and wanting very much to just go back to sleep, she slowly walked towards the edge of the deck, hanging slightly behind the others.
When she caught the last few sentences spoken, it was clear that she hadn't missed much, and she looked down at the mare looking up at them. Well...she didn't look like a pirate - which, though she hated to admit it, was a bit of a relief to Quicksand. Stepping forward and hoping the crew wasn't in any sort of trouble, she asked in the soft voice she'd been using a lot lately, "Can we help you with something, miss?"
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Post by Bella on Jun 8, 2005 13:10:20 GMT -5
Suddenly feeling quite overwhelmed by the number of not-quite-friendly looking faces now peering down at her, Kail took a deep breath to compose herself. What had she really been thinking? That she could just walk up to a pirate ship and demand that they take her and the other Champions on a wild goose chase after ANOTHER pirate ship? Not quite likely. What the Rainbow was she going to say?
"Can we help you with something, miss?"
Well, someone at least was civil up there. Building herself up with another deep breath and holding her head high, Kail hoped the Queen wouldn't mind the slight lie she was about to tell.
"I'm here on behalf of Queen Sunrunner of Dream Valley. Last night there was an incident in the castle and unfortunately some very prized possesions of the courts were stolen. The ponies in question have already gotten away during the night and we need a free ship to follow them. You would have the whole of the Dreamer army at your disposal, and could expect a very mighty reward when the goods were returned to the Queen." Not that having the Dreamer army at anyone's disposal was much of a good deal - they were quite experianced, but had outlived their fighting skills ten years ago.
Waiting patiently for some form of answer, Kail wondered what she would tell the Queen if the bargain was struck.
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Post by Jewel on Jun 8, 2005 17:18:20 GMT -5
"Cutter!" he barked at him. "What's going on?"
The red stallion clenched his jaw to keep from yawning noticieably. While he never moved to care what others thought of him, he did occaisionally step out of his way not to openly disrespect the captain. Either way, it still felt too early in the morning for the stallion's liking, and it didn't help Cutter's mood.
"Down there, Cap'n," He said gruffly, seeming rather uninterested thus far. Probably just some silly mare looking for directions.
It was then that Gan Ning catepulted aboard.
"If the locals think WE swiped it, we're gonna face worse than a hanging! Maybe a hanging with barbed wire, a firing squad to shoot us as he dangle, and then a stoning all while getting run through by red hot fire pokers!"
"Slow down, Gan'Ning, before yer imagination makes off with all of us!" Cutter said half-jokingly, stepping toward the other stallion. Losing one's head wouldn't get any of them anywhere. Though he had faith in Gan Ning, his words were more those of masculinely disguised compassion.
"Can we help you with something, miss?"
Cutter thought of making a few different crude remarks here, but bit his tongue on the matter. Quicksand seemed pretty soft now, but he was sure that weeks at sea would do plenty to roughen up her edges a bit. Whether or not anyone would notice, he planned on keeping an eye on her from time to time. Though, Gan Ning seemed to have that field covered...
As Kail made her proposal of sorts, a curious and thrill-seeking part of Cutter flared inside. He looked toward Tiger with a raised eyebrow, wondering what his thoughts were.
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WingSong
'80's Pony
~Quicksand~ ~Tweak~ ~Baby Gadget~ ~Posey~
Posts: 158
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Post by WingSong on Jun 8, 2005 20:50:41 GMT -5
Quicksand looked again at the mare on the docks and felt suddenly very jittery. Wow - the queen needed their help? Well, then they would have to accept - right?
She edged over to the captain and said, "We can help, right?" The mare looked up at Tiger shyly for a brief moment before her eyes shot back down to her hooves. She'd sounded a bit more determined than she'd meant to, and didn't want to seem too pushy in front of the captain. Blushing, she finished weakly, "I mean, we-we are going to help her, aren't we?"
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Post by Crescent on Jun 9, 2005 3:48:30 GMT -5
Tiger was jolted a little by Gan Ning's rushed appearance and by what he said. He grimaced and flattened his ears to all the noise. He felt like growling to all of them to shut up or at least keep their voices down. His head was still feeling like an anvil had just fallen on it.
That was the main reason why it took such a long time for him to organise his thoughts and to understand what the different people were telling him.
Ok. First things first. The Rainbow of Light was stolen. An interesting idea. He half wished he'd come to think of pulling something like that. A twinge of nervousness went through him as he thought of the option that perhaps Barnacle was on the other ship. He pushed the thought aside as quickly as he could, however. Nah. And even if he was, what was it to Tiger?
Second thing. The little mare down there was wanting their help. On Queen's behalf, no less. He raised an eyebrow to that and was considering it as the eager eyes of his crew turned on him. He flicked his ears nervously back and forth. He wasn't sure. He didn't feel comfortable with helping the authorities. But then there was the reward.
Quicksand's approach to him made him look at the mare.
"We can help, right?" The mare looked up at Tiger shyly for a brief moment before her eyes shot back down to her hooves. She'd sounded a bit more determined than she'd meant to, and didn't want to seem too pushy in front of the captain. Blushing, she finished weakly, "I mean, we-we are going to help her, aren't we?"
He couldn't help but feel just a little softened by that. Well, mares were his weakness. And the one down there... he glanced over the railing - well, she was a fine looking piece too.
And she had said the magic word. "Mighty reward".
Finally, he grinned.
"Aye," he said and nudged Cutter. "Go lower the plank, Cutter. Let's invite the little lady on board. She can tell us more about that reward."
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Post by Jewel on Jun 9, 2005 13:47:07 GMT -5
"Go lower the plank, Cutter. Let's invite the little lady on board. She can tell us more about that reward."
With a gruff nod, the heavy stallion walked with large strides toward the loading area of the ship. He grumbled under his breath, "She DOES have wings, ye know.." A few clunks and grunts later, a large board with small pieces of wood nailed across in a ladder-like fashion lowered from a cutout place at the ecge of the ship.
The strong stallion stood at the top of the ramp, neck arched and looking down at Kail, "Welcome aboard, lassie."
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Post by Bella on Jun 9, 2005 19:11:50 GMT -5
Kail waited patiently on the dock, her stomach doing little flipflops while her heart felt like it was going to explode it was beating so fast. The thought that she shouldn't be so nervous flashed through her mind - she had faced the Dark Rainbow and False Gods, and here she was scared of a few pirates? But like it or not, they made her more nervous than any supernatural being in Ponyland.
As the ramp slammed onto the dock before her she jumped slightly and then took a deep breath before starting up. It wasn't the most strudy contraption and she was very glad to have a working pair of wings on her.
Reaching the red stallion at the top, Kail nodded her head formally to him in acknowledgement and thanked him before turning to the stallion who seemed to be the owner and operator of this here fine ship.
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Post by Crescent on Jun 10, 2005 3:15:43 GMT -5
Tiger could just make out the grumbling of the red stallion, but paid it little heed. He was the captain. If he wanted to invite the mare up along the ramp, then Cutter would just lower the ramp, wouldn't he?
Tiger was still a little disgruntled at the thought that Bridie had perhaps slept the night with Cutter and at the headache in his brain.
She was a fine thing, though, this messenger of the Queen. Tiger trotted a few steps closer, then stopped to regard the mare with a self-confident smile.
"I'm Sea Tiger," he said. "The captain of this bucket. This is my first mate, Gan Ning," he nodded his head towards the azure and sea green stallion, "and that handsome buck there's my second mate, Cutter."
He tossed a hoof towards Cutter, and disregarded the fact that Quicksand was there. She was of the common crew. In introductions such as this, she didn't matter. He mightn't dared to overlook Bridie in similar fashion, but she wasn't there, so he could afford to ignore her.
He then smiled to the mare.
"And your name...? Or should we just call you Beauty?" he asked, trying if charm would get him anywhere with her.
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Post by Bella on Jun 14, 2005 20:20:27 GMT -5
"Kailani Pone Hoofspen," the peg said with a tight voice. She didn't like being sweet-talked and she would rather none of them called her by any sort of nickname. "I am here on orders of the Queen Sunrunner of Dream Valley, to ask for your help and promise you a reward in return." Yes, she had already said that, but it just seemed much more formal to repeat herself now that she wasn't yelling up the side of a ship. She also wanted to remind them that she was here for buisness. Nothing more.
Kail studdied the stallion before her and hoped he took her seriously. She was used to ponies treating her like a child, she looked like a child, but she hoped that her voice and manner would give away the truth - that she was a Champion and not someone to be messed with. Still, she wished she hadn't come alone.
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Post by Queen Sunrunner on Jun 15, 2005 19:10:53 GMT -5
(OOC: You can smack me for butting in if you want, but... I want an itty bitty peice of this. I can delete and/or modify any of this if need be, though.) A nearly-frantic mind reached out, trying to find Kail. **Kail? There--oh, thank the Rainbows, it is you. It's such a mess over here, we're still not sure which end is up.** Dragonrose's normal calm had completely fled her. Since the Diplomat lived in the Castle...well, she'd woken up to a right disaster. **We knew you were around and thought...** She trailed off as she got her mental and magical bearings on what was going on. Dragonrose had picked up some of a Guardian's tricks in her years spent with Emerald Shadow. **You're already DOING something, aren't you! You're a step ahead of the Queen herself, though you can't blame her. Do what you need to, you have my personal authorization--and thus, the Queen's--to do whatever you deem nessicary. Want help? we can join you in a heart beat..wings are handy that way.** The older flutter seemed very relieved that someone, at least, had thought of something to do.
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Post by Jewel on Jun 15, 2005 23:11:06 GMT -5
As Kail stood, with dignity and a slight stiffness, Cutter rejoined the group, standing to the side of the captain, and not entirely in the 'circle' so to speak. Arching his large neck, he stood in an intimidating fashion, much taller than the pegsus. He didn't sport a grimace or scowl, more of a quiet, observant expression.
Emerald eyes glanced inconspicuously between the captain and the pegasus. This sure was beginning to sound interesting.
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