"Here it is, Captain," Blaggut said. He had just led Slipp to the tent where he had seen the three ponies.
Slipp drew his cutlass. "I'll tickle those ponies up a bit wid me blade and make them sing like a finch at a feast!" He started striding toward the tent.
Blaggut was horrified. "Oh, Cap'n, you wouldn't hurt three pretty liddle ponies, would yer?"
"Only way to make them do what we want."
Now Blaggut was confused. "But what exactly do we want them to do?"
Slipp tweaked Blaggut's snout. "Isn't it obvious, doodle nose? We want their vittles if they've got any, then we'll have them lead us to those diamonds and rubies Equestria's so famous for."
"Hold on, Captain, there's more ways of makin' a duck sleep then beltin' it over the head with a rock. Maybe if we treat the ponies kindly, they'll share their treasure with us willingly."
It was an idea that was foreign to Slipp's nature, but seeing the possibilities, he agreed. "All right. We'll try being nice- for now. But I warn ye, yore scheme had better work, or 'twill be the worse for ye."
By this time the ponies inside the tent had woken up. They trotted out to see who was making all this noise. There was a yellow earth pony, a white unicorn, and a brown Pegasus.
"Oh no! Searats!" the unicorn cried.
"Ya better keep yer claws off us," the earth pony said. "Stay back! Ah know karate!"
Blaggut winked chummily at the three little fillies. "Don't be frightened of the Captain. He's just an old sea dog with an 'eart of gold."
Slipp tried to smile disarmingly, but it only made him look more frightening. "Aye, you've got nothing to fear from u-"
The earth pony delivered a flying karate kick to his stomach that sent him to the ground. "Ooh, me liver 'n' kidneys!" Slipp squeaked.
Blaggut was all concern. "Aye aye, liddle missy, that was a naughty thing ter do. You've gone an' 'urted the pore Cap'n's livers 'n' kidney. 'Ere, let me 'elp yer up, Cap'n. Are you shipshape?"
Slipp stood up and grabbed his cutlass. "Treat the ponies kindly, you said, scrummitchops. I'll slice that cheeky snippet in arf afore she's much older. Let me at the swab!"
Blaggut placed himself between the ponies and Slipp. "You kin cut me in three arfs if'n yer like, Cap'n, but don't yew lay a blade near my little ponies!"
By now the unicorn and the Pegasus had each wrapped their hooves around one of Blaggut's legs. "I like you, sir," the unicorn giggled. "You're a funny rat! What's your name?"
"My name's Blaggut. What's yours?"
"I'm Sweetie Belle," said the unicorn.
"I'm Scootaloo," said the Pegasus.
"An' Ah'm Apple Bloom," said the earth pony.
"And we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" said all three ponies together.
"An' where does Cutie Mark Crusaders live, in liddle tents like yonder one?" Blaggut asked.
Scootaloo laughed. "We don't live here. We live in a little town called Ponyville, not far away, but we were on a camping trip and got lost."
Slipp glared at them. "Do you 'ave any vittles?"
"What are vikkles?" said Sweetie Belle.
Blaggut sat down next to her, chuckling. "Not vikkles, vittles. Vittles is food!"
"Oh, food!" Apple Bloom nodded understandingly. "Like puddin' an' pie an' cakes an' soup?"
"Yes, yes, that's the stuff," Slipp said, nodding eagerly. "Pudding, pie, cake, an' soup. Where is it? 'Ave you got any?"
Apple Bloom thought quite deeply about the question, then stated matter of factly, "No!"
Blaggut laughed until tears ran down his ugly face. "That little filly is a cool un, Cap'n!"
Sweetie Belle trundled off into the woodland. Slipp looked after her curiously. "Where does she think she's off to?" he asked.
Apple Bloom curled her lip scornfully at Slipp's ignorance. "Varmint yore size should know that. She's goin' to git food vittles for ya!"
The searat Captain brought his face close to Apple Bloom's, snarling, "I'm a rat, not a varmint!"
Apple Bloom sat herself on Blaggut's lap in a businesslike manner and explained patiently to Slipp, "Rats is varmints. Everypony knows that."
Slipp blew a snort of exasperation. "Why did yer 'ave t'go an' find this wise mouth?" he growled at Blaggut. "Why didn't yer just bring back vittles like I told yer to?"
Blaggut stroked his new friend's head fondly. "She don't mean nothin', Cap'n. You leave the liddle tyke t'me; I wager we kin chat like ole messmates. Avast, 'ere's the unicorn back with vittles."
Sweetie Belle had returned with some wild plums and blackberries. She was levitating them in the air with her unicorn horn.
"Stripe me! That's a nice little trick," Blaggut exclaimed. "Wish I could do that."
Slipp started plucking the fruit out of the air and going to town on it. Sweetie Belle watched with disapproval. "You'll make yourself sick pigging all that down," she chided. "Chew ten times an' swallow more slowly. My sister Rarity's always sayin' that to me."
"Rarity," Blaggut repeated. "That's a pretty name."
"We'll take you back to Ponyville in the mornin', if we can find it," Scootaloo said.
An hour later the Cutie Mark Crusaders were sound asleep in their tent. Slipp scoffed at Blaggut, who sat at the entrance watching them. "Ahoy, nurseymaid, d'yew reckon they'll want a drink o' water in the night?"
"Aye, well, if they do, Cap'n, I'll get it for 'em!" Blaggut said.
Slipp tossed a plum stone at him. "Well lookit yew, the bold searat, yew butter brained brute. 'Ave y'gone soft all of a sudden?"
Blaggut shrugged. "I like children," he smiled happily.
Slipp leaped up and grabbed Blaggut by the throat. "You 'ave gone soft!" he snarled. "Well lissen, softrat, when we gets ter Ponyville there might be plunder an' killin', so don't yew go soft on me then, or else y'll feel my cutlass across yore gizzard. Do y'hear?"
Blaggut gulped and nodded. He knew only too well what his captain was capable of. When there was loot to be had, murder and treachery became a mere formality to avaricious searats like Slipp. Blaggut took one last look at the Crusaders before settling himself down to sleep at the tent entrance. He almost hoped they wouldn't be able to find the way back to Ponyville, because his intuition told him that if Slipp came to Ponyville, it would mean trouble for the ponies.