piratejournal | [Voice]

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All Shepherds, meet on deck for tea time and discussions.

Keimi check in as soon as you can.

And yes, we're getting low on coffee, and cigars. I'll survive, [No, he won't.] but I still refuse to switch to tea.

For all you pirates out there, what did you lot do before you came here? Occupations, careers, whatever. I need to know what freedom you're fighting for, let's just say.

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I see.

Equestria is one country among many, and some wild lands as well. Ponies are the dominant species there, but we accept many others as well -- donkeys, griffons, zebras, even baby dragons. (Humans are unknown there.)

In ancient times, Equestria was founded when the pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies came together in unprecedented harmony, fleeing lands that had been ravaged by windigos to the far more fertile and beautiful area that would become Equestria. Unfortunately, before long -- relatively speaking -- the spirit of disharmony, Discord, conquered Equestria with his power, and turned it into a land of chaos and tumult.

Unwilling to endure the torment of our people any longer, my sister and I used the magic of the Elements of Harmony to vanquish Discord, at which point we claimed the throne and began rebuilding the land.

Besides Discord, Equestria has faced many supernatural threats. A thousand years ago, for example, my sister and I defeated the evil King Sombra, who enslaved the Crystal Empire to the north. Nightmare Moon also threatened to plunge Equestria into eternal darkness, and I was forced to use the Elements of Harmony to banish her as well. All three of the foes I have mentioned returned recently, although I had little role in their defeats the second time.

[Wow. That is a lot to take in. Even for Smoker who is pretty hardcore about politics and history, and just dealt with dragons and a few other things he's not even begin to think too hard about.]

Impressive. [And Smoker is not a man to say that easily.] I must express my surprise however. It sounds like you fought against chaos, what do you do now in this place?

[And she didn't even mentioned the 'personally responsible for day' thing.]

It's embarrassing to admit, but I am actually enjoy the break. I cannot say I truly have these moments to myself, since I am still on a boat seeking shards of a jewel, but for the first time since we defeated Discord, I do not have the pressures of rule lurking over my shoulder.

That's not too embarrassing. Even I enjoyed the break at first. When it seemed to be less backstabbing politics and fighting.

That didn't last though.

[He is a ray of sunshine. Quick use that responsible for Day thing!]

Harmony never does, unless a united front meets to preserve it. And our fellows here cannot be described as united.

I'm not entirely sure that pirates uniting for a common cause would be a good thing in any case.

We are pirates not by choice, but because that is what we must be, no matter our intention. The label does not reflect our motivations.

I'm not a pirate.

No label can ever make me one.

As much as I wish to agree, I am afraid the residents of this world beg to differ.

It does not matter. No what they declare or label someone, it is still their own actions that decide who and what they are. Not a name.

Even if all the world considers me a criminal, I'll never break my justice.

That is why I would argue that the name does not matter. If you are a pirate on this world, and the actions you do in keeping faith with your justice are piracy to the law of the land, then even in the face of that, you know who and what you are and what matters most to you.

Then why declare yourself a pirate?

By this world's standards, that is what I am. It bothers me that I am judged simply for not being born of this world, but I cannot help that. But I am proud of my history, my heritage, and my home... and, obviously, I can make no pretense of being a normal human. So I do not see any point in denying or arguing the term.

No one has to decide who you are for you. If they call you a tree, it doesn't make it so. If you want to act like a tree however, that's your choice.

The actions, labels, and treatments of others will always have some effect. Ponies, and I am certain humans too, do not live in isolation, apart from everypony else. We are influenced and shaped by our communities, and the roles we are assigned affect our actions, either as we seek to fulfill them, or determine to defy them.

After all, if the label 'pirate' was completely meaningless, you would not have to worry about the Navy's actions towards pirates here.

You can't stop what they'll do yet, but you can still prove yourself stronger than them.

Nor can you ignore them, but what they say certainly will not dictate what you do or how you do it.

So if you are only a pirate because someone else called you one, you don't need to do anything pirates do.

Except possibly sail without proper governmental registration and license.

Paperwork was never my strong point anyway.

I mean thievery or harming civilians or the people that already exist here.

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