For those who saw the movie, ye remember how Rainbow restored faith to the anthro parrots? Well... Behold Stardust's solution instead! Major spoilers on the portbound!

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"...Typical." I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "A cliche villainous threat. You're abandoning everything that means to be a pirate just because of one threat some random tyrant made?"

Caleano snapped her head to me, frowning in disapproval. "Like there are any better ideas."

"There are." I immediately countered, gesturing to her attire. "Look at you. Look at your crew. You're pirates for God's sake. You don't take orders from Kings. The whole point is to rebel, pillage and plunder at your leisure! Search for buried treasure and sail far across the seas - Or in your case, skies - for as far as the eye can see! You can't call yourselves reputable pirates if you bow down to authority so easily; that goes against the whole point!"

That said, I turned around and hurried down to the main deck, my boots slamming on the ground directing many of the bird's attention. Good, because I needed them to hear all this.

"You're not slaves! You're not delivery birds! You're PIRATES!" My fist pounded on the chest for emphasis. "To become such in the first place means you have a rebellious fire in your heart! Who is this Storm King to say what you can and cannot do? Who says you can't enjoy the free winds and adventurous spirits when he's not looking?" To further emphasize my passionate point, I then proceeded to climb atop the fixed crate and called out over the ship. "Are you all slaves to a King?!"

"Nay!" The rest of the crew responded aside from the Captain, who just stood on the steps and was regarding me in wonder. Good, maybe it'll sink in.

"Should you be told what you can do by anyone but your Captain?!"

"Nay!"

"Are we servants, or are we pirates?!"

"Pirates!" Followed with the sounds of unsheathing metal and weapons pointed in the air.

My grin only widened, raising my own fist high. "And you're not letting some overrated tyrant tell you how to live your lives, are you?! Let's prove him and your Captain wrong!"

"Aye!"

And what better way to do it than in musical accompaniment?

I jumped off the box and widened my arms, putting on my own pirate tone yet again and commencing with returning the spirit to a ship that has tried so hard to forget it.

"Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free,

You are a pirate!"

The crew joined in a split-second.

"Yar har, fiddle de dee!

Being a pirate is alright to be!

Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free,

You are a pirate!"

And while we were all jig dancing like real swashbucklers, I danced over to the stunned lead parrot and emphasized with joy.

"You are a PIRATE!"

"Yay!"

A map brought and unrolled atop a crate, all of us looking over it with barely-contained glee.

"We've got us a map. (A map!)

To lead us to a hidden box.

That's all locked up with locks. (With locks!)

And buried deep away.

We'll dig up the box. (The box!)

We know it's full of precious booty!

Burst open the locks!

And then we'll say, 'Hooray!'"

And a feminine voice pitched in, with all the jovial nature only a pirate could bring. Caleano leaped atop the upper deck over the railing, finally seeing it for herself.

"Yar har, fiddle de dee!

If you love to sail the sea,

You are a pirate!"

Yes! YES! I grinned upwards at the equally smiling parrot before continuing onwards with the song, pointing out with a loud exclaim over the side of one ship.

"WEIGH ANCHOR!"

"Yar har, fiddle de dee!

Being a pirate is alright with me!

Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free,

You are a pirate!

Ar yar, ahoy and avast!

Dinky-dink-dink-a-dinkadefast!

Hang the black flag at the end of the mast!

You are a pirate!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Yay!"

I spun around the log holding the main sails, and pointed with unrestrained glee. My love for pirate lore in general was getting the better of me, but who cares? My first and, perhaps, last time of ever partaking in a pirate crew.

"We're sailing away. (Set sail!)

Adventure awaits on every shore.

We set sail and explore, (Ya-har!)

And run and jump all day. (Yay!)

We float on our boat. (The boat!)

Until its time to drop the anchor.

Then hang up our coats, (Aye-aye!)

Until we sail again!"

And Caleano did her part yet again, both our backs dancing against one another with all the free spirit only a pirate crew may have. And on the main deck, the parrot crew danced and interlocked arms to their heart's content.

"Yar har, fiddle de dee!

If you love to sail the sea,

You are a pirate!"

I was loving every minutes of this! When was the last time I had such fun? Before leaving Ponyville, of course! Guitar lessons with Flash doesn't count, certainly!

"LAND HO!"

"Yar har, fiddle de dee!

Being a pirate is alright with me!

Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free,

You are a pirate!"

I motioned to the rest of the crew with a pirate's grin.

"Yar har, wind at your back, lads, wherever you go!"

"Blue sky above and blue ocean below,

You are a pirate!"

Concluding the energy-providing song with another pirate's laugh.

"Hahahahahaha!

You are a pirate!"

"You're all pirates, ya gob[BEEP]s." Exclamations of agreement, and my grin of triumph was transformed to surprise by a hand grabbing the scruff of my neck and dragging right next to the main wheel, courtesy of their lively Captain. Setting me beside her, Captain Caleano called out to the rest of her crew with newfound pirate resolve.

"Alright ya scallywags! Let's prove how no one tells our crew what we can and cannot do!" It was like she was an entirely different character. A startling experience, but also a welcoming one. "Full speed to the nearest outpost of the Storm King! We are gonna get ourselves some extra rewards for puttin' up with that tyrant's orders!"

"Aye aye Captain!" They all saluted with ecstatic postures, hurrying around the ship with far more zeal than earlier.

Also, parrot rainbows wings for full sails. Nice.

"Ye be havin' our thanks stranger." Caleano smirked my way. "Perhaps ye should be rewarded with somethin' only a true pirate may possess. I've got just the thing."

"An eyepatch?"

She chuckled. "Better than that lad. How about yer own pirate name? Any suggestions?"

A pirate name! Oh God, I wasn't ready for this! It felt like such a privilege. Well... It's easy to use a name added with 'beard,' but I wasn't the Captain of the crew so that couldn't work regardless. What name would fit...

A hohoho!

"Y'arg, I have just the name in mind, Cap'n." My grin matched hers humouredly. "I be Jack Starrow, scourge of the seven skies!"