A Harmless Bit of Fun (Closed)

[Aisede]

Rose compiled her findings into a sort of mental 'report', already formulating her own remedies for the various minor (and not so minor) maladies she'd detected. 

 

Sending this Twilight's way, she followed with a skip in her step. 

 

"Plans? Plans were for my predesessor. Today, I embrace chaos." She giggled, although she had so little knowledge on actual chaos magic she may as well be ignorant. She was just being silly anyway. "I really meant it when I said today was just a lazy day for me, Twi."

 

Morphing into a raccoon, of all things, she scampered up Twilight's legs to settle on her back, curling up with a satisfied grin.

 

Then a thought hit her.

 

You know... I could show you what would happen if you did spent a little more time in there, she voiced in a casual tone. 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight received the report and filed it away mentally. The truth of the matter was that she was very well aware of the great and small health concerns of her crew. How could she not? She obsessed over details small and large when she dealt with ponies and for all of her seeming indifference she knew each one of them well enough to know what she should not do. Namely, that she would not want to interfere with their lives. She could probably simply remove their ailments, but she knew that path would lead to madness. There were always more ponies to help; why not them and not others, and why allow the natural order of things to be interfered? Besides, death was not the end. She knew that more than most. Why be so worried about it?

 

"Well, I don't think I need to see where that would have led. This is a family ship, you know," she mockingly chided as she made room for the transformed Rose on her, gently sliding the wing to allow room for the raccoon. "I was thinking something a bit less exciting than diving to the bottom of the world. Did you have perhaps a game in mind? Come to think of it, I've never seen you play a game. Hard to read somecreature like you without applying a bit of game theory in the most literal of senses, no?"

[Aisede]

A game did come to mind, actually. Liar's dice. It was an old game, invented by bored sailors and perfected by the most duplicitous curs to call the seas their home. Rose amongst them, at least a less empathetic version of her.

 

True, I have had little time to engage in such frivolous activities when not spending time with my beloved. Have you heard of liar's dice?  An image of two cups and a hoofful of dice would appear in Twilight's mind, complete with an old rickety table that could easily be seen on any ship-of-the-line. It requires some deception, but the fun is in the guessing. Probabilities and possibilities. On occasion, brazen creatures would challenge me to a game, unaware of my true nature.

 

She chuckled, the sound coming out more like chittering from her procyonid form. 

 

They were always so surprised when I called their bluffs. Pride and confidence truly are the downfall of many a great creature. Give me a moment to recall the rules and I'll relay them to you, if you like. 

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Twilight looked at her cup and dice as it appeared, studying it passively. The cup and the table did not match the ship well. Of course not, how could they? The cup was of western Anduilian make and the table was...the wood felt more like it came from the Velvet Strand, while the shop was made mostly from the forests of the Seaddle region. While Rose spoke about the game and her experience with it, Twilight decided to correct the situation. If they were going to play a pirate's game, then they could play it the way pirates could.

 

In a flash of her horn, the two mares found themselves transported to the port city of Puerto Aguila, in a small, seedy bar on that island of pirates. She took a drink out of her mug and tipped her feathered pirate's cap, loosening the buttons on her blue and gold jacket. There were a number of pirates and ne'er-do wells abound and around them, yet at the moment they attracted no great attention. They had been there for a bit. She looked down at her cup and smiled. "Ayy, I know me a fair number of variants of the Liar's Dice, my fair Rose," Twilight drawled, clearly liking her pirate persona. 

"So, you ill-mannered scallywag, what variant be in play, yarr?!"
 

[Aisede]

What a lovely reminder of Rose's past. 

 

The changeling wasn't entirely taken with the setting, but it was familiar enough that she could take comfort in it. What she couldn't stand for was Twilight's absolute butchery of pirate culture.

 

She couldn't help it, she laughed, uproarious and unabashed. 

 

"Oh..." She wiped an invisible tear from her eye, slowly shaking her head. "You do realize pirates never talked like that?" Luckily, Rose had actually commissioned a real uniform appropriate for her station some time ago, before Blueblood's wedding. It appeared on her in a flash of light- not as showy as she'd have liked, but then when she made an entrance, it usually involved terror and dark magic.

 

Or a different Rose did that, at least.

 

"This place feels... Familiar somehow, but I know I've never been here. Where are we, if I might ask?"

 

She waved her hoof in the air, dark magic manifesting at the tip of her horn in inky black and purple. A hex appeared around their table- it would instill mind-numbing fear in anyone who decides to "interrupt" their game.

 

Why did she do it? It felt good... It's something she did many a time before, so why not now?

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight rolled her eyes playfully as she played around with her hat. Her oversized, glorious hat. It was a hat that Rarity would be proud of, and Twilight knew it gave her a certain Je ne sais quoi. "Yes, I know this outfit is not accurate, but it is certainly a lot of fun. And very reminiscent of the projector shows I used to watch. Captain Swashbuckler and His Merry Band of Buccaneers, if I am remembering my pirate favorite one correctly," she said with a slight eyebrow raise as she pondered it. "Yes, that's the one," she said as she leaned back. She took a few heavy dives of her mug before looking around.

 

"This is Puerto Aguila, the island of pirates. Not far from Saddle Arabia, not just a hive of pirate activities but the location of the most well-known pirates of the age. Not just of the sea but of the air- the griffons abandoned a working airfield the last time they gave up colonizing the island. Depending on season and tide, there are more pirates on this island than there are sailors in the Saddle Arabian Navy," she said as she took some more heavy dives into her mug, dropping it down excitedly. "Ready to play?"

[Aisede]

A whole city full of outlaws, and Twilight is fully aware of them? Why hasn't she done anything about them if they're so numerable?

 

"Queen Moor have this place torched by the Royal Navy if she knew about it. Why do you allow its continued existence if it harbors such prominent criminals?"

 

Tapping once against the table, two empty cups teleported from the bar to their table, as well as her own mug. She took a swig of her own, nodding appreciatively. They know what they're doing, at least, even if it seems they're too incompetent to hide.

 

Five more taps herald a pair of dice, five each. 

 

Taking her own cup and dive in two hooves, she rigorously shakes it- then slams it down on the table. 

 

Let the game begin, Princess.

 

 

[SteelEagle]

 

"Queen Moor could try, but stronger navies than hers have tried. Sometimes they think they win only to see it return to a pirate haven years later. Other times they actually lose the battle. The pirates still scatter, the island is destroyed in another raid, but the result is the same. This pirate haven has been destroyed and burned down well over a dozen times. It has been colonized by nations and abandoned, military outposts have been created and garrisoned only to see its occupants eventually become pirates. Maybe its in the water or the air. Maybe it is a pillar of continuance that keeps the rest of the world basically harmonious," she said as she took another drink, avoiding listening to the sound of a fight at the bar. She slammed her cup of dice down and looked through it.

 

She could solve it. She had the ability that mortals lacked to solve such a problem permanently. But to do so would...be to play at something greater than she was comfortable being. And it was outside of her national borders, at that. How terrible would it look for her to take such actions? They couldn't stop her, of course. They would even play at being grateful. But nopony was naive enough to suggest that they wouldn't hold it against her. Plus...
"Or maybe some things just aren't meant to be controlled. Three twos."

[Aisede]

This is the sort of place a less civilized Rose Compass would call a sanctuary, in that case. And in the end, the existence of pirates wouldn't threaten her ultimate goal of improving the health of all living creatures.

 

In fact... This place might serve as excellent testing grounds for some less socially acceptable experiments. Experiments she should probably keep Twilight in the dark about.

 

This place was really bringing the dark side out in her. 

 

"Four twos." Twilight must be pretty confident that there are more twos on the table. 

 

"That's a rather funny thing, coming from an immortal, nigh omnipotent sovereign. The way you talk about peace and Harmony, I'd be inclined to beleive that, at some point in the distant future, you're liable to crystalize the world nto a perfect picture of 'harmony.' Or do you deny this?"

[SteelEagle]

 

Is it really all that surprising? Immortality gave one a certain perspective. You saw the cyclical nature of things. It gave you an understanding that control was an illusion. A strong but mortal pony may wish to dominate, but even the strongest would fade and with them their positive qualities. Only the nature of their actions would remain. As an immortal, and as a sovereign, there was a lesson. For whatever strange aeons her life would stretch and for whatever stars she would see blink in and out of their frail existence, she would come to define Equestria. Her actions and beliefs would shape it as readily and easily as she drew breath. If she wanted Equestria to be harmonious, she needed to harmonious.

 

"I hope not. To do so would be to take control of the lives of my subjects to a degree that would remove their free will. Harmony must be a choice. To force it is to pervert it. Four threes," she said as play passed to her friend. "It would become fear, and fear is the most destructive foundation of sovereignty."

[Aisede]

"And yet I was able to rule over the Andalusian seas for centuries through fear and intimidation. There's not a port pirate or otherwise that does not know the name S-" she paused sharply. "That does not know my name. The Mare of The Mist. The West Wind."

 

"Only the Royal Navy still resists me, and even then I was able to bribe half a fleet into turning on itself, and blackmail the rest. Pirates fear my magic, others my cunning- ultimately, they all fall in line or suffer a cruel fate."

 

She sniffed, and Twilight may be able to see a glimpse of her old, terrible self in that expression. Disdainful eyes glaze over the pirate patrons, although her mind was in another time entirely.

 

"I could probably take over Port Anguilla with minimal effort, and maintain control for centuries. One benefit of being immortal is that I can keep an eye on trends, and pick up on patterns. Learn what families to trust the least, and how their foals and grandfoals act. Their goals, ambitions- stoke the flames and tie a noose around their necks if they decide to turn that fire on me."

 

Her horn flared to life again, black and green and purple swirling in a disquieting misasma.

 

Then she closed her eyes, and the Rose Twilight knew returned with a small, tired smile.

 

"... I'm calling it. Liar ~"

 

She slowly lifted her own cup, revealing two 5's, two 1's, and a single 2

[SteelEagle]

 

One of the many issues when you dealt with those who had lived long lives was dealing with an unearned sense of grandeur. The Andalusian Sea didn't register on most maps and the names of her pirates didn't go beyond those misbegotten shores. Rose was a mare of greatness with a history that was admirable in its quality, but she often forgot the vastness of the world. It was hard to sometimes wrap your mind around it! Celestia herself may be known in all corners of the world, but hardly to the degree deserved. Many were the cultures and histories of the world and understanding that your history was not the world's history was something that even mighty Alicorns had to contend with. 

 

As for the game, it was fun. She knew that it was unlikely she would win the first round, her opening bid had been too optimistic and she expected to pay the price. With a tip of her elegant and extravagant hat she opened her cup. She revealed 1, 2, 3, 3, 4. "Haha, I doubt you have what I need to cover it!" She said with a smile, drinking more from her mug and looking around. "You would not be the first tremendously powerful creature to believe she could rule over this island, you know. Have you heard of Black Ice?" Twilight said, the name sending a shiver down her spine. As she finished her mug, it was refilled. So was Rose's for that matter. 
 

[Aisede]

Rose arched a brow, sweeping her dice up in a turquoise aura and tossing them back into her cup like cubes of ice. 

 

"Not at all, although I have to wonder if there's an analog to him in my own world. He sounds like an important historical figure." If Twilight is bringing him up, he can't be a nopony

[SteelEagle]

Twilight no longer had anything to drink. She motioned over to the bar, and the bartender started working on it. 
"Black Ice was a powerful Kastroti Unicorn Warmage several centuries ago. was the last Unicorn to control the city of Kastrot, and such was his power that he forced Acroneighos to retreat behind its walls for decades, and cowed the Earth Ponies of Hippostion near utterly. He was the only leader of armies to score victories against the Aquillans, Saddle Arabians, Acroneighsians, Equestrians, Caribou, and Hippostions. A dozen kelpie kingdoms were put under his thrall. His power in this hemisphere was vast, untouched. He was the most powerful unicorn since King Sombra, and a much shrewder military leader. He conquered this island and used it as a slave trading hub. Whole settlements from Zebrica, Saddle Arabian military leaders, bright young unicorns from Equestria, griffons with the strongest wings- bought, sold, traded. Celestia herself was wounded by him and had to retreat from public view due to her own shame- the Long Winter. The first sign of her diminished power," Twilight stated matter of factly.

 

Indeed, it was rarely discussed in Equestrian history, let alone the history of other nations. That had everything to do with the most intensely poor historiography that was commonplace in Equestria. One of Twilight's real passions was solving this for future generation. 
"He was paranoid. He survived routine assassination attempts, constantly changed his security measures, consulted with arcane and necromantic sources- yet in the end, he made a fatal error. There is no order in Puerto Aguilla. He died one day, and no one knows how. Was he poisoned? Attacked? Cursed? Hexed? Hundreds of theories have been proposed. In the end, it didn't matter. He wasn't just killed, his very essence was snuffed out. Within a few years his influence had faded, and the untold sufferings that lay at his feet faded from memory," she ended with a trailing of her hooves. The bartender approached and Twilight opened a hole in the shield for him. Drinks delivered, bits given, and he left.

 

"I have my own theories, of course. There is a belief that while locked up, Discord experienced everything. While unable to see or feel in that state in the traditional sense, he could still influence. Perhaps he was so furious at Blace Ice's attempts to bring order to chaos to an island that through its history has been devoted to him that he struck Black Ice down. Areas strong in chaotic energy such as this land could have allowed it. He has never denied it when I've asked. of course, that could be him playing a trick," she ended with a joyless laugh as she gathered her dice up and started shaking the cup.

 

"It is unknown how he died. What is known is that this island is a graveyard of ambitions and a testament to hubris. Maybe it is important that it is an object lesson in humility for the proud and powerful."
She slammed her cup down. "Ready?"

[Aisede]

What Twilight just described was a tyrant. A total, complete monster who held dominion over a vast territory. Rose couldn't say she'd ever heard of such a thing occuring in her time, or before it. 

 

But... Was that really all so different from her older self's schemes? She aimed to rule the seven seas- and beyond. With her love, of course. She couldn't say she had been a tactical genius, however. And slavery...

 

She could still remember it. Her very first memory, locked behind bars. There would be no slavery in her world.

 

"I still say I could give it a shot," Rose said with a cocky smirk. "Bet you fifty bits I could hold this place under my thrall for at least one week. If not, I'll admit that some things really are beyond the control of some creatures."

 

Raising her brows, her smile broadened. "How's about that for a deal?"

 

Of course, she wasn't going to ignore everything Twilight said. Despite her apparent age, she was a sage and learned creature. Another Rose would have perceived her as a threat and attempted to be rid of her, but not the Rose she is today. Twi was special... 

 

Rose still had a bit of an ego, however. No force in creation had managed to kill her yet. This 'Black Ice' guy simply lacked... Permenancy.

[SteelEagle]

 

"A week?" Twilight smiled quizzically, searching and failing to find the proper tone. "Rose, I have no doubt Rarity could run this place for a week. You could probably last a lot longer. Not that I would take that bet," she shrugged. "Not because I fear I would lose. I don't think I would lose. But I don't like to bet with the lives and well-beings of other creatures, even if the lives aren't being...well-beinged," she said as she looked around. After a moment, she looked back. "They may not be the best types of creature, Rose, but they aren't pawns in a game. The only game being played-" she tapped her cup magically, "-is waiting for me to finally win one. Speaking of...three fours," Twilight said as she leaned back.

 

Twilight had to suppress a small amount of sadness. She needed to get Rose off this subject. What had started as a fun day between friends was venturing into territory she knew was not best for Rose to wallow in. She had come and was coming a long way and Twilight didn't want to see her start to fall back. Luckily, she was a creature of love greater than ambition and she knew what would really bring out the best in Rose. Or what Twilight thought was her best. "So, what are you going to be doing for Aloe's birthday? That is coming up soon. And what about Albedo's development- I haven't seen her for a while. How is Albedo coming along? Her development, I mean?"

[Aisede]

Rose stared at her for several seconds, frowning. She hadn't even considered the lives of pitates- of criminals. She's worked with ever breed of underworld thieves and backstabbers, and just learned to play their own game better. They would use each other as pawns- and they would try to use her as a pawn- so why not crown herself queen of the board?

 

She looked out at the denizens. Living, breathing, dynamic creatures. Had any of them had as rough an upbringing as her? Perhaps. Perhaps they have been betrayed, hunted, and subjected to discrimination of all kinds. Maybe they just didn't have room to change. Or the opportunity. 

 

Idly, she slammed her cup down onto the table, dispelling her hex as she peeked under the lid.

 

"... Hehe." She cracks a grin, closing her eyes with a shake of her head. "How do you do it, Twilight?"

 

Clearing her mind, she tried to return to the present. "four fours. And I was thinking of something simple, actually. A nice day off. Fun in the bed, obviously, but maybe I'll treat her to one of the massages she gives out? The whole suite. Something tells me that she doesn't get those often, if at all..." She paused, bringing a hoof up to her chin. "Actually, I don't think she's ever received a massage in the time I've known her. Maybe some of the things we do could count, but..." She shook her head with a sour look.

 

"As for Albedo, I think she'll finally be growing her hind legs within the month. There's something I'd like your opinion on, though. Something that's been bothering me."

 

She looked Twilight in the eyes, fidgeting with her hooves. "I don't know if it's my own tampering, but she just... Stares a lot. I don't think I've ever seen her cry, or raise a fuss. She'll pout if she doesn't get her way, but most of the time she's just staring at ponies and things. Like she can peer into their soul."

[SteelEagle]

 

"Five fives. I'm sure she would enjoy that. Aloe doesn't relax half as often as she should. Truth be told, I was a little upset when I heard that Lotus kept on extending her vacation. I understand it was technically a work vacation, but still," Twilight revealed as she removed her hat and allowed it to rest on the chair's top. She was sure that Aloe would have a grand old time, though the more intimate intimations were kept out. She didn't need to know anything about their love life, after all. Romance and physical attractions were always best shared with only the intended. Unless it was a herd, but then again this wasn't a herd.

 

"Albedo..."
Twilight started to think about Albedo, and understood why Rose may have concerns. However, it was not as deeply unexpected as she might have thought. All creatures had differing behaviors when they were young. Most of it came down to what was required for their survival. Pony young, indeed most young, required direct aid in their nutrition. They needed food, they needed water, they needed help taking care of themselves.

As such, there were a number of behaviors. Crying for attention and to indicate displeasure or pain. Giggling to indicate happiness or social acceptance. Mimicking of behaviors in order to fit in. Before the consciousness came into play, the subconscious of a creature laid the groundwork.
For a changeling, even a unique one like Albedo, things were different. Albedo did not require direct food and water, and her inbuilt changeling senses required a keen sense of observation to be able to take on the forms of others. Culturally, it was why there was mistrust between changelings in the past. They were always trying to see into others and they knew it, so they built up walls to protect themselves. "I wouldn't be too worried, at the moment. She is a unique being who will have unique traits and interactions. You shouldn't worry about that just yet. If the behavior continues once real socialization occurs, then we can help her along."

 

[Aisede]

"Liar." Rose grinned. There's no way she could raise to six fives, and she seriously doubted Twilight had enough fives of her own to cover her declaration. "And I would appreciate that, really. Although on the topic of Albedo..."

 

She trailed off, slowly lifting her own up to reveal a 4, 4, 5, 1, and 3. "There is a pony who has taken a special interest in me and my young, and I in her. I fear her paranoia may be misplaced, but she is quite wary of you and, indeed, all of the authorities of the land. Despite her... Niche interests in particular realms of magic, I feel a kinship with her. Her goals are just, even if her methods are not. I was hoping... Perhaps... That I could introduce you to one another? Dispel this mistrust."

 

Looking up, she met the mare's eyes. "Do you, perhaps, know of whom I speak?"

[SteelEagle]

Twilight smirked as she revealed her dice. One 3, and four 5's. "Not a liar at all. But oh my, what an accusation," she smiled as she put her dice back in the cup. "You're gonna have to make that back up to me, somehow," she said as she stuck out her tongue. It was fun to play games with Rose, like most of her friends. They all played differently and sometimes she had to learn how to adapt to it each and every time. She didn't know if she had a particular style. She imagined herself as somepony with keen observational skills when it came to how to play such games. Hopefully she didn't play the fool too often!

 

She swirled the cup in her magic as Rose spoke. She believed she knew exactly who this creature was and had her eye on the...threat...for some time. She believed in the best of everycreature and she had every reason to believe in the quality of a heart no matter how well hidden behind the veil of a hardened, armored exterior, but she also knew better than to allow herself to struck down low by naivety. "I believe I know who this is. We can speak of motivations and goals as well as means, but if we are thinking of the same creature, then I do not have much hope. Somecreature with her capability could do a great deal of good. What does it say when she does not?" Twilight said as she stopped swirling the cup. "I would still meet with her, of course."

[Aisede]

"You forget who you are speaking to, Twilight," Rose said with an air of aloofness to her as she grumbled internally. How in the world did she get four 5's? "I once had- and still do- possess the ability to heal the sick and cure the blind, but yet until only recently, I used my gifts to terrorize my home and subjugate my crew. It's not a matter of what she is doing in the present, Twilight, but what she intends to do. For an immortal, time is largely meaningless. Wounds will heal, and memory will fade. In the end, what we achieve is worth it..."

 

She paused, looking down at her cup with a small frown. "... Or that's what we tell ourselves," she murmured, ears flicking back. "That all of the pain and suffering we inflict is merely a means to an end. Even mistakes like me are but a minor setback.a setback to be banished to another world entirely, for the simple crime of existing."

 

She chuckled, shaking her head. Then she met Twilight's eyes. Suddenly, Rose looked very tired.

 

"I still don't know where I went wrong, Twilight. I wanted to heal the world, and ended up destroying it to save a single pony. And even then..." She blinked, shaking her head again. "I'll try and figure something out."

[SteelEagle]

 

She did not forget with whom she was speaking. She knew full well the life and times of Rose, and knew that her heart had been hardened by untold years of suffering and pain. It was why she knew better than to assume that she would be turned by love alone, because of all the feelings a pony could feel, love was the most powerful and transformative, yes. But it was also the one that could engender the greatest fear, the most desperate and terrible desires lay within it. Many were the stories of a pony in the throes of love who would make some terrible mistake and come to regret it. Love needed to be tempered by all the qualities of harmony, or else you would end up with somepony like Heart Stopper out of Kastrot. She would allow Rose to speak in full- it was evidence of her progress that she did not need further prompting to realize the thinness of her old world view. She tapped their mugs and they refilled.

 

"One of the most important lessons to learn is that while we may be powerful and unique, we are not better than anycreature else. We are not superior, we are not above them, and they do not exist for us. We share the same world, breathe the same air, and love the same as they do. When we harmonize with others we create the better future we seek to create. All other methods will fail, in short and long alike, in achieving a better future," she intoned earnestly as she took another drink. "Plus, it's mean. Speaking of mean, wanna play again or should we get back before the crew starts to panic?" She spoke with a smile.

[Aisede]

Rose wasn't so sure that she wasn't superior in some ways. She certainly doesn't expect Spoiled to achieve her level of power or intellect, not unless she's turned into a sphinx. Even Aloe, more than likely, will remain an earth pony. But... Maybe that's what she means. Power isn't everything, even if it is a strong determining factor in influencing the world. 

 

Rose peek's out of one of the windows, already knowing full well what time it is.

 

"Perhaps one more game, then we shall return so that I can turn into a lazy animal and lay on you the rest of the day."

 

She smirked, then rattled her cup around, slamming it onto the tabletop.

 

"By the way, I do appreciate your aesthetic. The costume looks good on you, even if you'd probably never last a day in the horseshoes of a real pirate."

[SteelEagle]

 

Ahhh, to be a lazy little animal for a day. She could do it without too much issue but her mind didn't allow her to honestly take advantage of the rest it would offer. She dreamed about tax codes and fantasized about zoning codes. She would love to tell herself she was overworked but the truth was that she was a mare who wanted little else than that. "That sounds like a good time. Nothing too big, though. The crew thinks I can be crushed and it is a little hard to dissuade them from that," she said with a laugh as she slammed her cup down and gave thought to what Rose had said.

 

Would she be a good pirate? Depended on the definition. Most pirates were given letters of marquee from one of the various states and given the 'right' to their work on the high sea. Of course, one pony's swashbuckling high seas adventurer was another nation's terrible criminal. Those that made this island home were a collection of those that turned a bit too much into the drift of the seas. At the moment, none of them were proper 'buccaneers'. Time said that would change, sadly. Twilight looked at her dice for a second before placing the cup back over them. "I don't know. I think I would have done very well. More as a buccaneer than as a pirate, perhaps. Four 2's."

[Aisede]

"Got it. At least a sperm whale, perhaps a kraken." She giggled into a hoof, getting back to the game. 

 

"You realize that 'buccaneer' is just an Andalusian pirate, right?" Rose quirked a brow, frowning. "Four threes. I realize that popular media portrays pirates as these jolly shanty-singing sailors swashbuckling and treasure-seeking. The reality is much more grim.

 

You think you would have done well?" She asked, and focused on the unicorn. She projected images towards her mind, in classic Rose style. Images of sinking ships, their magazines having blown the ship in half. Ponies drowning, others still and lifeless. "Think you could kill a pony? Think you could keep a clear conscience when you need to remind the enemy and your crew just what a pirate is with a classic execution? Do you think you could go day in and day out, unable to land in any proper port, and be forced into hitting trade ships and galleons just to get the resources neccesary to stay alive?"

 

Leaning back, her frown deepened. "My crew got off lucky. I was able to layer Luna's Rose in illusions, and disguise my crew so that we could land in a common port without the Royal Navy getting on our asses a heartbeat later. But being a pirate is not fun and games. And it's not something you should aspire to be, imitation or not."