ThunderCrash

There were moments where he detested this river and forest, but then there were these moments when he loved the ability to reply so quickly to letters and things. As a colt he'd never really thought of writing letters, but now that he was older he was glad he'd decided to write to the Princess of the Night. It was... fun... and that was something that he wasn't accustomed to - though he certainly wasn't about to complain.

Dear Princess Luna,

Ah yes... it is built on a mountain... I tend to forget sometimes that unless I'm looking at a picture or a map. Granted, I've never really been within sight of it, so it hasn't much been burned into my memory. Imagining it now though... the sheer scale of it... makes me feel pretty small. A mainmast is seemingly gargantuan compared to a pony - a castle spire would probably make me feel like an ant. I can only imagine how long it must have taken to build, even with magic.

Oh, I wouldn't say it was a lack of cultural know-how. Were I royalty, I certainly wouldn't expect the letter of a pirate either! Granted, I don't think anyone would expect that, save perhaps another pirate. We aren't exactly common-place... which is, even in my opinion, is likely a good thing.

Actually, since my last letter was sent, I have convened with my officers. Most of them are in favour of getting help. It was a vote of seven to three. The three only voted against because they're worried about being found out and captured. I can't exactly push away their fears, but they're willing to go with the vote. The crew is being informed as I'm writing this letter, and while I can pick out some muttering... it sounds like a lot of them are actually kind of excited. Knowing my First Mate, he's probably already speaking with the commanding officer of our Marines and getting an honor guard detail assembled. They do ever so much like to show off. Now it seems silly to have been worried about the crew's reaction.

And as a note, had it been personal help, I would have accepted assistance gladly. But because of my crew it makes it more a process of deciding a foreign aid policy. The officers of my ship being somewhat a rough equivalent to the ministers of government you and your sister probably deal with.

Any time is fine for me; it will take a while for the drydock to be finished, and I have nothing to do until then. I'm a pegasus, so I can fly to Canterlot. That might also be the better option, both because it seems more... proper, I suppose... and I haven't gotten to stretch my wings for a while. A long distance flight might do me some good. The real question I suppose is what day and time would suit you best, considering you're the one with the nightly duties. For all intent and purpose, I can leave as soon as I recieve your next letter.

You're right about that... I really don't have much to do besides this, though rest assured, I do find a good deal of enjoyment in writing you. I can easily understand why those ponies find you interesting - you have an air of mystery about you, and ponies are a curious lot. And thank you for the well wishes. Pleasant nights to you, Princess.

Sincerely,

Captain Thunder Crash

Coolness. ^_^

The train's design is a modified steam locomotive. Instead of using wood or coal to heat the boiler, it uses magic, and the system with the water is fully enclosed (that is, the pistons don't release steam into the open air as they work, instead the steam is fed to a storage tank via piping so that it can cool, condense into liquid water, and be fed back into the boiler for re-use). It's also more streamlined.

Overall, there are only three differences between a regular engine and this one:

1. Magic instead of coal to boil the water.

2. Pipes and storage tank to recycle the water.

3. More streamlined exterior.

Thank you for reminding me! ^-^ And done!

Thunder Crash blinked rapidly as the dragon popped her head out of the water. That was something he certainly hadn't expected. He'd heard of dragons, seen them in books and from afar, watched them in flight... but never had he seen or heard of a dragon swimming before. It seemed odd, but not the bad sort of odd. Instead, it was the interesting sort of odd. That sort of odd that made you want to study and learn and figure things out. It was the type that made things happen, really.

When she pounced onto the pile of fish and hissed at him, he did something akin to the opposite of backing off. Instead, his eyebrows rose and he sat on his flanks abruptly; wings ruffling just slightly. He'd never heard of a dragon that couldn't breath fire, and though she'd just come from the water she didn't seem to have gills - thus, she'd probably been holding her breath, and could still breath fire... if she was capable of doing so. This in mind, his wings were ready to carry him away at a moment's notice if she decided to barbeque his hindquarters. "I can assure you, I mean your lovely pile of fish no harm."

Watching her before she asked her question, he shrugged a bit. "Oh, I don't know. The ability to help assumes that help is needed, and currently it isn't needed, so logic would thus dictate that you can't help me." He paused shortly. "Apologies, I've recently read a lovely little detective novel." He smiled a bit then. "I take it that either the fish here are plentiful, or you're very good at fishing. Perhaps both?"

The letter that graced his desk was undoubtedly from the Princess of the Night, and that fact alone made him slightly giddy. He managed to keep a calm demeanor, but the sight of it did make him happy. He hadn't been sure if she'd write back once she realized just what sort of sailor he really was, but was glad for the reply he received. As he read it over, he held in a laugh at the thought of other ponies not exactly accepting what he was. He didn't expect them to, nor did he really care if they did or not. Electric had, and he didn't really need anyone else to. Of course, having friends was never a bad thing. Getting his stationary ready, he sat down to begin his reply.

Dear Princess Luna,

That would truly have been a sight to see, I think. I've often wondered what things were like a thousand years ago, and even before that. I'm hardly a historian, but it's always been a fascinating topic. So far as those lovely towers are conscerned, yes, I can see how that would be quite the problem. Would be like a workbench with no light... odd as the comparison might be. Which... actually makes me wonder something. Were the towers always so tall, or is that new?

Personally, I would greatly appreciate any help that you could provide... though I'm not sure how my crew would react. They'd appreciate it, no doubt, but... well, this was our trial by fire, in a sense. My father is the Admiral of our fleet; three ships in total, including mine. I'm the newest captain and I was supposed to essentially prove myself. I fear that if I got outside help before we had a true opportunity to do this ourselves, my crew would lose all respect for me. Not to mention I'd likely never hear the end of it from my father. A pirate asking for help (or even accepting such if were offered) from royalty is something rarely heard of. It leaves them in a debt, and often means becoming a privateer. Being that it's been... well, far too long to recount since there's been a real conflict, it leaves privateers with little way to repay their debt or make a profit. And a crew that isn't making a profit isn't very... happy... with their captain. You can see the problem there, yes?

Of course, there are numerous ways around that, but really, honestly, what's the point of being a privateer if you can't really fulfill the station properly? It would be akin to being royalty without any control of, or involvement with, the government. It becomes a title, a station, and effectively nothing more. I'll spare you the rant about becoming a merchant in the stead of piratical endeavours. Simply put, in summary, it's mostly about the merchant's rather monotonous lifestyle.

Back to proper topic though... I'm not sure about help, really. I would appreciate it greatly, but it's not a decision a captain should make without imput from his vessel's staff officers. I assure you though, I'll be speaking with them soon and shall have a more finalized answer by the next time I write you.

You are most welcome for the compliments and sentiment, I assure you. So far as all your adjustments go, I'm very sure you'll do just fine. I imagine it will take time, but in due time I foresee you adjusting very well. If ever you need a helping hoof though, you can always call upon me and I will do my best. Never feel as though you can't ask for help, dear Princess. After all, to ask for help shows the strength of mind in recognizing that it is needed.

If you extended an invitation to me, I wouldn't be bothered by the opinions of others. After all, I wouldn't be there to see them. Rather, I would be there to visit with you. As well, if I have an invitation from a Princess... the royal guards can't very well go against that, now can they?

Also... thank you for the reply. I wasn't sure if I would hear from you again considering my... station, in life.

Sincerely,

Captain Thunder Crash.

[ - 1 candy ]

Having gotten the urge to scare some ponies out of his system, Thunder Crash was calmed down. His natural progression inland had lead him to trying to find the statue of Nightmare Moon that he'd heard about days ago. Of course, after his carousing around the Lunar Palace, he'd decided to tell his crew that they could take Nightmare Night as a holiday and cut out on the hard work of making their dry dock. They all needed the rest anyway. The crew had jumped at the chance for some down time, and many had decided to go inland a bit more and enjoy the festivities. Being pirates they didn't really need costumes. They just blended right in with all the regular merry makers.

Of course, tonight was a night that Thunder had been particularly waiting for. He'd written a couple letters to Luna, and he did hope that he got to meet her, but this statue was something he wanted to see. He'd never known the Princess, as she was now or while her other self was making a merry mess of things, but he'd always wanted to meet her - even when he was just a foal. Most ponies feared her in their youth. They got told spooky stories and were scared of her. That hadn't been the case with him. No, his parents had told him the good about her - that she made the night sky, and that it was because of her that they were safe at night. Because of her they couldn't get lost. In a way, she was their guardian angel, in no certain terms.

Touching down not far from the statue, he stood behind the mare that looked upon it. A small smile came to his face to see someone else here, though when his keen eyes fell upon the engraving he scowled a bit, stepping forward.

"Sea and Sky..." He scoffed, "...Wish they'd change that engraving." He looked up at the statue. "Nightmare Night might be all about fun, but... poor Luna will never be let live this down." He paused, then looked at the mare with a faint smile. "Besides, it's kind of silly to leave good candy laying around, don't you think?" He looked at the hooves of the statue then. "Unless... hmmm... I wonder if Luna ever comes to collect it." He chuckled at the thought.

Roleplay Type: Mane RP

Name: Steamgear

Sex: Male

Age: Young Stallion

Species: Unicorn

Eye colour: Grey

Coat: Dark Grey, can usually be found in overalls with whatever equipment he may have with him at the time

Mane/Tail: White, combed straight. Usually wears a dark blue and white striped engineer's cap.

Physique: Not overly muscular, but obviously has worked with more than magic for most of his life.

Residence: Canterlot, at the roundhouse.

Occupation: Railroad worker - has multiple duties, from line, locomotive, and train repairs to conductor, and once or twice in a pinch has been a fireman [aka: stoker - the one that shovels the coal into the firebox of a steam locomotive].

Cutie Mark: Railroad diamond. (Two crossed railroad lines in the shape of an X [the term coming from the shape made in the center of the crossed tracks.) Recieved during his first time riding on a steam engine. He'd always wanted an escape from the life he had (see history) and one day while at the railway station running an errand, an engineer asked him for some help - with the promise of letting him ride on the engine as it shunted some cars as payment. Performing the tasks asked of him, the engineer kept his word to Gear, and when Gear was let blow the engine's whistle, he knew from that moment on what he wanted to do with his life.

History: Nobody knows where Steamgear was born or what ever happened to his parents. His origins are a basket on the steps of an orphanage in Dodge Junction. It wasn't a sad life though. He was happy as a foal, even without knowing who his parents were. After all, he had a lot of brothers and sisters to play with! As he grew older he began working more and more though; he had a single obsession - the power of steam. He didn't quite understand it himself, though he sometimes blamed his name. He always wanted to know how steam technology worked, with the prime example being the railroad's locomotives. It was new technology, and seemed to break down a lot on the outer edges of the desert. All those long stretches without water towers were the problem, but he never spoke up to the railroad workers about it. If anyone knew, they did.

Rather, growing up he worked very hard for the owner and operator of the orphanage. He was a very wealthy stallion from Manehattan that spoke often of turning Dodge Junction into a desert paradise, like Las Pegasus. Unfortunately, the man had no interest in Steamgear's passion, and the two often clashed verbally over what the young colt wanted to do with his life. It was obvious that he loved the railroad, but the big city stallion always saw it as a waste of time, energy, and money when there were ways of flying. He even laughed at the thought of a unicorn that wanted to use technology. Magic was their forte. Why not use it? The colt, despite being a very hard worker and very smart, always seemed very silly to him.

The day did come when he earned his cutie mark, and it only served to stoke the passion he had for the railroad - fledgling a thing as it was. Considering the railroad diamond cutie mark, the Manehattan stallion finally relented and helped him along with his goals in life. He didn't see them as being profitable, but then again not every pony out there was about making money. Thus, he got Steamgear a job in the repair shop of Manehattan's roundhouse. He worked there for most of his colt years, learning everything, and eventually worked up the courage to talk to his boss about some kind of promotion. His supervisor had been waiting months to be asked, and quickly got in contact with the roundhouse operator in Canterlot. The next train out that way took Steamgear to Canterlot, and he's been there ever since.

In all his time around the trains though, he's come to design one of his own. One that's far more reliable and less trouble than the current trains - not to mention an incredible amount faster. He even has models of it... but nobody will listen to him. They think of him as an amazing worker, but not a source of ideas.

Character Summary: Steamgear himself would say that his talent is being a hard worker, but in truth it's just about anything that has to do with steam power. he's very good with it and knows just how to use it after working with it for so long. He loves working with it, and feels strongly that it's something that should be used more because there are so many possibilities with it. He rather dislikes it when anyone says that it's a useless or trivial thing - especially if they say it was outdated before it started being used.

As far as his hobbies are concerned, he likes building models and working on designs - though he can just as often be found working on the real thing and walking along the tracks to check and make sure they're in good condition. He's nice to be around, though he's a little reclusive. He gazes at stars at night, and tends to wish on every shooting star that some day he'll get to build at least the locomotive for his train - to prove it works.

He's not really afraid of anything, though he hasn't come across much to be afraid of. If there was anything he continually failed at, it's probably convincing his superiors that he has good ideas. He hasn't really bothered with things he doesn't think he'd be good at.

If there was any one thing that was difficult to do, it was scare a pirate that had actually lived in the Everfree Forest for an decent amount of time. Considering where The Deceitful Mare was stuck in the river, a trip to the Lunar Palace wasn't all that frightening to Thunder Crash. He'd visited the crumbling, decaying, (perhaps fossilizing,) ruins quite a few times since being stuck out here. Of course, it had been a while since he walked through the halls. The first time had been one of only three - and all three times had been looking for things of value. He had wanted to see if there were any riches or artifacts here that he could sell. Unfortunately, he'd come up with absolutely nothing. This place looked like it had been gutted after... well, after whatever it was that had happened here. It had been empty for an incredibly long time, and he was curious as to why.

Of course, if it had been Nightmare Moon's palace, that might have explained why even Luna didn't return to this place. Even so, he'd always thought that Luna's alter ego hadn't had power for very long - and it took a long time, even with powerful magic, to build an entire structure; much less a castle. Something told him it hadn't been Nightmare Moon's castle, so much as Luna's before she... lost it. Probably something to show that the sisters were equals, but even back then it hadn't meant much, and likely just became a beacon of how different they were. Celestia had the beautiful shining palace of the sun, and Luna had the dark palace of the night. Celestia's was surrounded by an entire city, and Luna's was... isolated. From the look of the area, the Lunar Palace's grounds had been large at one time, but there had never been a city here. It really wasn't hard to see what made Luna snap, and that was just looking at the ruins a thousand years later. Yet, this was hindsight. Always 20/20.

Tonight was a new experience for him though, as even when he was young he'd never done the Nightmare Night thing. Free candy was cool, but he'd never really understood the big deal. Wasn't this kind of celebrating a dark thing that had happened in those long ago times? Was kind of morbid when you thought about it. He shrugged that off though. One of the places to visit tonight was the Lunar Castle, so why not? He'd shown up early though, during the last hours of daylight, and had been waiting. The stallion was a pirate, so why not join the fun and try to give a scare or two? From his perch, high atop the castle's main tower, he spotted his first target through his looking glass.

"Oh my, look at that..." He whispered to himself, "...dressed up like Nightmare Moon. Let's just see if she has the same constitution as the late terror of the night." Snapping the spy glass back into the main tube and latching it, he stuck it in his inner coat pocket and took flight - gliding instead of flapping his wings in order to stay silent. Making a wide turn he swooped down slowly behind the mare, and not until he was nearly upon her did his make noise, with a shouted "YAH!" from nearly directly behind her.

The moment he said it though, he abruptly pulled up and rolled, turning toward the darkness of the treetops and vanishing from sight. Strange as it might sound, the lights helped him hide, as everything beyond the source of light along the path was harder to see. Then he spotted another target. Poor things. He thought, Oh well. Sometimes you have to work for what you want.

Pulling the same trick, the pirate swooped in from behind with a loud "BOO!" and then shot toward the darkness of the night to vanish again, grinning to himself. Mischief managed... for now.

It was a fairly lazy day for Thunder Crash. The dry dock was under construction, the ship was stuck in the sand, and there was little for him to do in terms of directing his crew. Really, honestly, what was a Captain good for if the ship couldn't move and everything could be handled by his officers? The answer was... sadly... absolutely nothing. Thus, he'd headed away from his ship and the bend in the river, away from the Everfree Forest, and across the lakes as fast as his wings could carry him. Maybe what he needed to avoid becoming a sad sack was to just have a day out to himself. He probably could have flown to see Electric, but he didn't want to feel like a burden today. He was a pirate captain, not some whimpering school-colt.

Shaking off the thoughts before he worked himself into the beginning stages of depression, he surveyed the lake from the skies above. Thus far he had seen nothing in the way of his father's flagship, or the vessel that his mother captained. Neither ship had made it thus-far, and he was feeling greatly pleased by this. Maybe they'd had trouble in the same manner as he had - after all, their vessels were even larger than his. He had the smallest vessel of the three, just a sloop, but he'd not sailed upriver on his own before. His mother and father had done so many times, but usually in the ship that he now captained, and thus might not be experienced in using the larger ships in the same way. Perhaps he was in luck and wouldn't look a fool after all!

He'd very much like not to look one.

It was starting to be about time to head back when he spotted a patrol flying over the lakes and he cursed his luck. Snapping his wings he rolled and dove for the lake below - only opening them again just before the surface of the water and rocketing along over it. He headed for shore figuring that he would have to wait until the skies cleared before heading back.

"Perfect." he muttered to himself. "I'll end up not getting back until after dark." Though, he didn't mind that. Flying by starlight was never a bad thing.

As he began to near shore though, he noticed a large rock that had fish piled on it and couldn't help but be curious. Hovering near it for a moment and then landing, he stepped close and then looked around.

"Well someone's good at fishing..." He tilted his head. "...But where in blazes are they...?"

Thunder smiled to himself as he noticed Electric flying closer to him, and he couldn't help but do the same in return. She was a lovely mare, smart and funny too, and such a loving thing. He wondered if she realized these things about herself, or if she thought lowly of herself, as seemed to be so common among the young mares in this day and age. He certainly hoped she had her confidence. It just wouldn't do for her to think low of herself when she was such an amazing pony!

The flight was an amazing one - accompanied by a beautiful mare that he felt a great deal toward (even though they'd only known each other for a very short time) and flying over some of the most amazing scenery in all of Equestria. It was splendid - and made sure that he got to stretch his wings properly. Sailing was a grand thing, but he rarely got call to fly when his ship and crew needed tending and direction. Being that it was stuck though... well, it meant he could move without worry. It also meant his officers could handle the direction of the makeshift drydock that was being constructed around the sloop.

Hours passed as they flew, but finally, with about half an hour to spare, they reached the outer foothills of Roam. Now it was just a question of finding the highest place to watch the sunset from.

"We're here!" He called, doing a quick barrel roll and them popping up again. "Now just where to land..."

The letter that came across Thunder's desk surprised him; not so much that it really came, but so much that it came as quickly as it did. Of course, timing was probably second nature to someone that controlled the moon and stars. Reading over the letter, he smiled, and then let out a sigh of relief at the information that was disclosed. He'd be tacking this up in the galley for sure, just to make sure that anyone and everyone who even thought to start up that old argument could see the fact of the matter. Thank the stars, it would be much quieter without all the bickering.

Dear Princess Luna,

I do hope this letter finds you well, and in good spirits.

The night sky brings a smile to my face as well, especially when seen from somewhere without "light pollution" as I've heard it called. The country and the ocean are excellent places for viewing... though, I suppose a captain's opinion would be biased considering the profession. As far as imposing goes, perish the thought! You wouldn't be imposing at all! I welcome a visit whenever you like. And... since you mentioned when we're docked, it actually does just so happen that we're... well, docked... sort of.

Alright... so... we're actually stuck on a sandbar right now. Navigating the rivers of the Everfree Forest with an ocean going vessel... not one of the brighter ideas of my short career as this vessel's captain, I must begrudgingly admit. I have my crew working on the construction of a makeshift drydock right now. With any luck we can alter the flow of the river around the ship and dig ourselves off the sandbar. Once that's accomplished we should be free to sail away. The construction is slow going, so we'll be here some time longer. If you get the opportunity to visit soon, we're actually very easy to find. We are, coincidentally, stuck at the bend in the river closest to the Lunar Palace. If you're atop it, you can actually see the light of the lanters in our upper rigging at night. I only know that after flying up to satisfy my curiosity. Thank the heavens I'm not a cat.

Your answer has helped quite a lot, thank you. You've put my mind at ease twice over - once because I don't have to worry about spirits, and twice because I don't have to listen to my crewmen bicker like schoolchildren anymore.

I know something like that isn't easy to talk about though. I can't say I've ever been through something that stressful, but... my father, well... he's been around a long time, and has plenty of stories of his past. Some lighthearted, and others... far from. Of course, when it comes to you... I never have been able to understand why you weren't more popular than you were. It really makes no sense to me. Sure, yeah, your sister is responsible for the sun... we can't exactly live without it... but it's not exactly the most creative thing. I'm sure anyone can agree about that. It doesn't exactly change. Just moves from one side to the other - and actually hurts the eyes to look at it. I much prefer the moonlight - softer, gentler, and in my personal opinion a more beautiful thing. It seems to make everything it shines upon positively glow.

I look forward to that as well. Perhaps I may even come visit you if I were to be given such an opportuniy. Though... something makes me doubt the palace guards would be very... accepting... to the idea of letting a pirate captain inside the palace. Well, unless they got to clap me in irons. I'm sure they'd just love that.

Sincerely,

Thunder Crash

P.S. I don't know what, if any, difference it would have made... but personally I wish I'd been alive back in those days, before everything happened... Wish I'd been able to become acquainted with you, and if possible, friends with you. It probably sounds silly to you, but even as a colt listening to stories, when it came to you and your sister, you were always my favorite. I just wish you could have been spared the pain, sadness, and anger from back then.

Thunder Crash wasn't giddy, or overly excited, or hyper upon discovering that the royalty of Equestria was taking letters from the common people. No, rather, he was ponderous about whether he should even write a letter. A pirate corresponding with royalty? Was that really wise, at all, for him? He doubted it greatly. At the same time though, he did have his numerous curiosities, and he couldn't help but want to write to them. He was young and perhaps utterly foolish, but it was a chance he was willing to take.

Ah, but now who to write to?

Wait, why choose one over the other? He'd send a letter to each!

The paper he used was now, he supposed, a bit of a drawback... since, well, it gave him away. After all, the header did read...

From the desk of Thunder Crash,

Captain of The Deceitful Mare

Yeah... like that didn't give away that he was a pirate.

Dear Princess Celestia,

As you may have guessed thanks to the header, my name is Thunder Crash. Due to my vessel's name, you can probably ascertain my profession. Family business, very rewarding in fact... well, usually. Anyway... enough about that... I was wondering if you could enlighten me on something. You see, I like to think of myself as a student of history. Unfortunately, that also means that there is a rather large question that I've always drawn a blank on... and I suppose it's one that's rather personal for you and Luna.

...Where did you come from?

I suppose that must sound rude to ask so bluntly, but... I can't help but be curious. I mean... a unicorn and a pegasus can have little ones, but... they never come out to be like... well... you. That and... the earliest that I can recall finding anything in historical record about you and your sister is the first defeat of Discord so... that leaves a large question mark in the historical record, at least for me. I understand if you'd rather not divulge this information for personal reasons, as it is, after all, your personal history, and you are entitled to share as much or little of it as you wish. I'm just a young, curious, pirate captain.

Whatever your answer may be, I wish you well.

Sincerely and Curiously,

Thunder Crash.

Dear Princess Luna,

As you may have guessed thanks to the header, my name is Thunder Crash. Due to my vessel's name, you can probably ascertain my profession. I would like to start off by saying thank you. Without you, a life on the sea would never have been possible - not only for me and those of my certain profession, but for any sailor that wants to go further than a few miles from shore. It is because of you that we have been able to explore the oceans with the certainty of knowing where we are. It is because of your night sky, your moon and your stars, that we have been gifted with the ability to discover what lies beyond the shore, beyond what we can see from the beach, and for that... for that I sincerely thank you, and hope that you will know what this means for those of us who sail on the sea. It means that we can not only explore and trade, but be safe and secure as we do so (weather provided, of course).

Next... well.. I'll be up front with this. This question of mine deals with something you'd likely rather not talk about, and if that's so, that's perfectly fine and I can respect that.

...Yes, I'm going to ask something Nightmare Moon related...

You see, my crewmen have been talking about what happened oh so long ago and have two basic theories that they seem to rally behind and argue over. One is that she was just part of you. The other is that she was something... else. I personally didn't put much thought to the argument at first, but at some point it became inevitable that I would think about it. My hope, strange as this might sound, is that she was part of you... that is to say, something natural, something explainable, something... well, something that didn't possess you. Because... the latter absolutely terrifies me. If a princess with such power as you could fall victim to a spirit... what could happen to the rest of us?

So, my question, if of course you desire to answer something so personal, is this:

...Was Nightmare Moon you... or was she something else that possessed you?

If you choose to answer, rest assured, your answer will stay between us if you wish it to.

Sincerely and Respectfully,

Thunder Crash

No, he would have used Gurren Lagann to destroy the Aubergine out of principle if it was forced upon him.

The same as the Greak Kamina would have done.

Aubergine. Tada.

That mischievous grin of hers was something that he'd grown used to already. Seemed like most of them were that way, even if she didn't mean for them to be. But then, he could hardly blame her. It always seemed to mean some sort of fun was in store for them both. When she rushed ahead of him, he blinked, then smirked at the face and the raspberry she blew his way. Oh, that was the game, now was it?

As she flew off, he jumped up, snapped his wings, and shot after her quickly, falling in behind her in short order. He wasn't the fastest flier around, but he knew little tricks that could help him seem faster. It came from sailing and having to deal with the wind all the time. It always had little tells that most wouldn't notice. The air wasn't something that was fixed. It was always moving, and a slight adjustment of feathers could take advantage of those movements.

"Roam's a long way, Electric." He chuckled, "Don't wear yourself out at the get-go!" He smiled and adjusted his wings, popping up through the treetops. He had to admit, Everfree was much nicer looking from the topside.

Thunder couldn't help but chuckle a bit as she span around and glared at him. When she fixed him with that icy glare, he just grinned a bit and played innocent - which was probably the most ironic thing that a pirate could pretend to be. Innocent. Right. Uh-huh. As her smile formed, so did one upon his own lips. One that was warm - and so much unlike what one might expect from a pirate.

"Of course I'm here, Electric. Why wouldn't I be?" He said softly and nuzzled her back lovingly. He noticed the shuffling, but decided not to comment on it. She was probably nervous, just like he was, but why were they? They liked one another. In his heart, he knew that was the important thing. "Yup! All packed and ready to go. Soon as we get there we better bed down for the night so we can be awake at sunrise."

With a stretch of his broad wings, he readied himself for lift-off. "So, how about we get outta this gloomy place, gorgeous?"

Thunder Crash had never really figured he'd end up with a mare that wanted to be with him in the dating sense. Not to mention one that was gorgeous... and nice... and smart... and awesome... and - okay, simply put, she was the best that he could pretty much think of, shy of royalty, and... let's face it: royalty probably wouldn't come close to matching her. She was just so... so... her. Yes, that wasn't all that descriptive, but he was kind of tipsy on love right now. Or was he starstruck? Either way, he wasn't sure, but the entire crew had noticed. Now, he wasn't normally the type to shrug off responsibilities, but... hey, he'd already given his word to her. He wasn't going to back out now, especially when he was sure that there was a real shot at happiness here. The ship was going to be stuck regardless. Maybe this trip would be good for him - might even give inspiration for getting the ship un-stuck. Yeah... that was a valid excuse to run off with a mare while his ship was stuck, right?

...Somehow he doubted his father wouldn't see it that way... though his mother... well, she might. She was the romantic of the two adults in his life. Granted, he was an adult himself, but he often felt like a kid with how they treated him. He'd been hoping that this mission might be the one where he finally did something right and proved to his parents that he'd be able to take over once they retired. Totally not going according to plan, either. Oh well. The massive upside was that he was going to be spending time with a mare that had grabbed his interest and that he was actually hoping for a future with - assuming this date went well. Goddesses did he ever hope that it did!

Saddlebags firmly in place, he had tested his wings and the weight, decided he was set to go, and shot off into the Everfree Forest. He'd flown back to the ship from the clearing this morning, so he knew to look for the one with the pile of... well, forest stuff... in the middle. Wasn't hard to find either. He also saw Electric already standing there, and with a wicked little grin, he swooped in and landed behind her.

"BOO!"

Alright, I edited this in to show that they don't actually bring harm to anypony:

It was also during this raid that Thunder Crash had to utilize the tactics which his parents had utilized for many many years: stunning their opponents. For pirates, they were a fairly decent lot. Diamond Dog settlements were their primary targets, and always had been. Gems were worth a lot of bits, and piracy was always about making money. Even so, his father had a unicorn friend from his childhood who helped create some special "stun" weapons - and Darkmane used them ever since, reasoning that if they didn't hurt anypony, there would be less reason to hunt them down.

So they don't hurt anyone; just stun them long enough to get what they like and leave.

With any luck I'll get to work on it tomorrow.

Haven't had the time to do the edits yet, but I should have them done in the next few days. Work's been keeping me busy when I'm gone and tired when I'm home.

Alrighty. I'll go through and make adjustments ^.^ Then reply again once I've got that done.

^_____^ Thank you ever so much!

o.o Seems like this is an exciting time to be joining up. So much going on.

Actually, it's the combination of the wreath and roger that gets the "great" pirate captain. I figure that a regular roger would have just meant he's good at being a pirate. The laurel wreath adds the connotation of excellence to the mark.