//------------------------------// // Chapter V: Hollow Shoals // Story: Across the Shimmering Sea // by Albi //------------------------------// Boredom. For almost the entirety of her two days aboard the Crimson Heart, Twilight had been confined to her quarters and left to her thoughts. Occasionally, she was let above deck for ten minutes of fresh air, then sent back down so she wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. The knot of dread tied around her stomach never loosened, but as Twilight sat on her hammock, nudging the floor with her sandal, it had taken a backseat to the last feeling she thought she’d have while being held hostage by pirates. Sheer and utter boredom. In her solitude, she wondered if Shining had got her message. She hoped her maid Camellia was still alive, though she feared the worst. She thought about the rest of Pony Bay after the pirate attack. Was the book store okay? Had Mr. Novelty made it through? She knew it wasn’t healthy to dwell on it, but she had nothing else to do. Her cabin mates were Lemon Zest and Sugarcoat. Lemon Zest seemed pretty nice… for a pirate. However, when she came down from her chores, she would strum her guitar or bang on her drums for another hour, disrupting any sleep Twilight had been attempting to catch. At least she was willing to talk to Twilight, though they were mostly one-sided and focused on some crazy adventure Lemon had gone on. Sugarcoat, a surly faced, bespectacled girl with long silver pigtails barely said a word to Twilight. On Twilight’s first morning, Sugarcoat had been reading a book in her hammock. When Twilight asked her what it was, she gave Twilight a withering glare. “The Complete Collection of Limerick’s Poetry,” she said flatly. “Really?” Twilight smiled. “I’ve been meaning to read that myself. Is it good?” “Yes.” Sugarcoat then raised the book to block out Twilight’s face. Just like that, Twilight’s hopes of having some semblance of a friend jumped out the porthole. So, Twilight passed the time however she could, counting the knots in the wood, humming an old song to herself, trying to remember verbatim some of her favorite stories. At last, on the third day, her boredom came to an end. She could feel the glide of the ship come to a halt, the wood creaking as the anchor caught onto a reef and held the Crimson Heart in place. Twilight climbed off her hammock, half expecting, half hoping someone would come knock on her door. She began to smooth out her dress, then decided there was a futile effort. Since she had been captured, Twilight had not changed her outfit, nor had a proper bath. She reached up and felt her greasy, tangled mess of hair, but counted herself lucky that she had been made to stay inside so long, otherwise, she’d probably be covered in a layer of sweat and grime. The knock came at last, and Twilight hastily answered it, surprised to find a little boy who couldn’t be older than ten or eleven. He was short and ragged with shaggy brown hair that fell close to his eyes, one of which looked like it had been punched. He wore a red bandanna around his head. “The captain wants you on deck at once, Miss Sparkle!” he said, his voice still high and lined with a Trottingham accent. “Aren’t you a little young to be a pirate?” Twilight asked, looking down at him. He growled, which, instead of being intimidating, Twilight found adorable. “I am not! Captain said I was a real pirate, and what the captain says, goes!” Twilight held her hands up. “Okay, I didn’t mean to upset you. Just lead the way.” He gave Twilight another irritated look, then lead her down the hall to the central ladder. Before Twilight started climbing, she couldn’t help but notice the boy didn’t have any weapons on him. Real pirate indeed. Dusk had settled, turning both the sky and sea shades of orange and pink. The ship had moored on the back half of Hollow Shoals and watched the sun sink into the other side. Despite the dim light, Twilight still had to shield her eyes upon making it above deck where the crew assembled. They gave Twilight a measure of looks, ranging from indifference to annoyance. Twilight stopped and stood next to Lemon Zest, who gave her a hearty slap on the back. “Don’t look so nervous, four-eyes. It’s just a briefing. Then, we get to go into town and loot stuff!” She pumped a fist into the air, eyes sparkling over the idea of pillaging. The little boy pirate ran over and knocked on the aft door, then stood at attention. As soon as it opened, he shouted, “Captain on deck!” Sunset stepped out, looming over the rigid crew. She still sported her cloak and hood, keeping her entire face in shadow. “Today’s mission is simple. A few of you will escort Miss Sparkle to the library so she can retrieve the book that will help her decipher the map. Just like at Pony Bay, you’ll wait until nightfall, then take a longboat to shore. This time, however, you are not to be seen or heard.” The light in Lemon’s eyes died, and she slouched forward, pouting at the deck. “I don’t want to leave a trail for the navy to follow,” Sunset continued. She glided over and stopped in front of Twilight. “Go in, take the book, get out. That’s it.” Twilight’s breath hitched and shiver crawled down her spine. She could see Sunset’s eyes inside the dark cloak. On the first night they had been heavy with exhaustion and what Twilight thought to be sadness. Today, desperate determination and simmering rage filled them. Do not mess this up, they told Twilight. She nodded, unable to say anything else with those eyes staring into her. Sunset backed away, sweeping over her crew one last time. “Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, go with Indigo on the escort mission. You’ll depart in an hour. Dismissed.” Cloak whipping in the breeze, she turned and headed back into her cabin. When she left, a collective breath of relief rose from the crew members. “Oh joy, I get to go ashore with the shut-in,” a cheery voice said. Twilight turned around to find a freckled girl with rose colored hair decorated with an aqua streak. She gave Twilight a warm and inviting smile. When Twilight opened her mouth to introduce herself, the girl’s smile made a 180° flip and a shadow crossed over her purple eyes. “I did not sign up to be a babysitter,” she growled. Twilight took a step back, unsure of what startled her more, the girl’s incredible glower, or how fast her attitude had changed. Twilight took an extra step and bumped into something soft. She whirled around to find Indigo, her eyes already lidded in displeasure. “All right, Sparkle, remember that talk we had?” “Y-yes,” Twilight said, feeling small and boxed in by Indigo and the angry, freckled girl. “Good. Then I don’t want to hear a peep out of you unless I ask you a question, got it? Sour is right, we’ve got better things to do than babysit you.” She jerked a thumb to the cabin door. “Now get back to your room and stay there until we come and get you.” Indigo’s pursed lips and continuing glare told Twilight the conversation was over, whether or not Twilight had anything to say anyway. She looked back at Sour Sweet, who grinned like she had gained a personal victory. Head down and spirits sinking faster than the sun, Twilight returned to her room, where Sugarcoat sat in her hammock, reading. Where does she keep her books? Twilight thought. She made to say hello when she remembered how their previous conversations went and decided against it. Sugarcoat glanced up from her book, eyes narrowed behind her glasses. “You look really pathetic when you’re sad.” Her voice was quick and flat, making her statement sound like a universal truth Twilight had to accept. “I, uhh…” Twilight bowed her head further and dropped down onto her hammock, which lurched forward and spat her onto the floor. She heard a snerk from Sugarcoat and groaned into the floorboards. I want to go home. ****** The longboat glided across the moonlit water; the only sound came from the oars propelling it toward the sleepy town of Hollow Shoals. Twilight sat at one end of the boat, watching the lights drift closer. She focused on them instead of Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet, who had been delegated to row, and glared at Twilight like it was her fault. Indigo sat at the opposite end, arms crossed and eyes toward the overcast sky. Clouds occasionally moved in front of the moon, stealing the light away and leaving the boat to drift across liquid darkness. Twilight kept silent, not wanting to invoke any of the pirates’ wrath. She turned her head down after catching Sour’s eye one too many times. The sea was calm tonight, gently pushing them to shore, yet with every roll, Twilight’s stomach lurched. She was about to steal! She was about to commit piracy! Yes, it was against her will, but she was still going to break the law! What would Shining say? What would her parents have thought? Twilight bit down on her thumb before she squealed in anxiety. Maybe I can run away when they aren’t looking. Hide somewhere until they give up and go away. As soon as she finished the idea, she discarded it as a terrible plan. Maybe I can find a navy officer and ask him for help! Unlike Pony Bay, Hollow Shoals was big enough and far out enough to warrant some naval protection. There were bound to be a few soldiers on duty. Glancing up at her captors, Twilight wondered if the reward outweighed the risk. If she failed… But, I am valuable to them since I know how to translate the map. The burning desire in Sunset’s eyes flashed through Twilight’s mind, and her confidence fell. If push came to shove, Sunset probably wasn’t afraid to get rid of her. Another look up, and Twilight caught Sugarcoat’s eye. While not as angry as Sour, she still held an air of superiority and indifference. Twilight sighed. They’d be watching her like hawks all night; there was no way to escape or get a message out. Shining will find me eventually. He’ll search the whole world if he has to. Of course, if Twilight did make it back home, she could be sure Shining would never, ever let her out of his sight again. The boat brushed up against a cropping of rocks in front of a cliff. Indigo stood and tied to boat to a narrow boulder, then jerked a thumb to the cliff. “Showtime. Let’s get moving.” Sour jumped up, wobbling the boat and nearly knocking Twilight over. She pressed herself against the cliff face, found a solid grip, and began to climb. It was a short ways to the top, but from where Twilight sat, the precipice stretched up for miles. Indigo stared down at her. “You’re next. Start climbing.” Twilight scooted to the front of the boat, then imitated what she had seen Sour do. She ran her hands over the rocks, feeling for the easiest one to grip, then hoisted herself up. This proved to be nearly impossible as her long dress prevented her from moving her legs far enough to properly climb. Twilight fell back into the boat, precariously rocking it. If it hadn’t been for Sugarcoat and Indigo’s distributive weight, they would have tipped over. Indigo growled, grabbed Twilight by the arm, and yanked her back to her feet. “Hold her,” she said, handing Twilight to Sugarcoat. Indigo pulled a short dagger from her waist belt and knelt in front of Twilight. “If you scream, my hand will slip.” Before Twilight could ask what she meant, there was a loud shrriiip! Twilight gasped as a cold breeze brushed against her legs, and looked down to find Indigo had turned her sundress into a skirt that ended just above her knees. Indigo tossed the fabric into the water and pointed to the cliff again. “Now, get up there.” Without her dress, Twilight found climbing easier, but still a slow moving process. Her arms trembled the entire time, and it took all her strength not to look down. She also couldn’t help but worry that Indigo and Sugarcoat were staring at her underwear. A rough pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her to the top, dropping her into the grass. “I know it’s your first time and all,” Sour said, her voice laced with honey before it turned bitter, “but could you move any slower?” Twilight pulled herself up and brushed her knees off. Don’t respond; you’ll just make it worse. They stood on the outskirts of the town; a spatter of tall trees separated them from small, fenced-in farms. Indigo and Sugarcoat quickly joined them, and Indigo took point, leading them around the farms. They moved quickly and kept to the deeper shadows whenever the moon came out. Twilight wasn’t sure why; even as they entered town, there was almost no one outside. Still, they kept to the back alleys and ducked behind boxes and fences. Even with their skulking, Twilight felt exposed thanks to her new skirt showing off her legs and knobby knees. The town of Hollow Shoals comprised mostly of one story brick houses with wooden roofs surrounded by towering emerald trees. Torch lamps lit up the cobblestone road, serving as the only sources of light when a cloud swallowed up the moon. The four of them crossed the road, their shadows stretched by the torch lights until they spread across the walls, drawing thin until they faded away as their masters retreated into the gloom. At the mouth of another alley, Indigo raised a hand for them to stop, and motioned for them to press against the wall. Twilight followed instructions, but Indigo pressed an arm against her, locking her in place. A second later, Twilight learned why. Two naval officers marched past dressed in their white uniforms and blue jackets. They both carried a sword at their side and one of them had a musket. Twilight watched them walk off, neither of them turning to look in the alley. Her plan of asking for help had been doomed from the start; Indigo proved far too competent to even give her a chance. When the guards were well out of range, the girls moved down the street in the opposite direction. The library stood at the end, one of the only buildings to have more than one floor. Circular in design, it towered three stories above the other houses, each story smaller than the last, giving it the impression of a grey wedding cake. There were no torches lit around it, basking the library in an eerie darkness. The group slinked around to the back door, almost invisible in the night. Twilight’s stomach squirmed uncontrollably as Sugarcoat picked the lock and swung the door open. They stepped into the back room, transitioning from one shade of darkness to another. The only way Twilight could tell she was inside was the wood creaking beneath her and the absence of the wind. “Sugarcoat, find a lantern,” Indigo said, “Sour, guard the door. Sparkle, follow me until we get some light in here.” With a quiet sigh, Twilight did as she was told and followed Indigo’s outline. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she began to make out the bookshelves and stairs leading to the upper floors. A light burst into existence on the other side of the room, joined a moment later by a second one. Sugarcoat came over and handed one of two lanterns to Twilight. “I hope you’re better at finding books than climbing walls.” Twilight snatched the lantern and quickly turned away, not giving Sugarcoat the satisfaction of seeing her mortified face. “So what’s the name of this book we’re looking for?” Indigo asked. “It’s called Languages of Yesterday: A Complete Study of the Transformations of Languages and Dialects by Rough Accent,” Twilight said, realizing it was the first time she had spoken all night. She started down one of the rows, reading the section headings. If she remembered correctly from the last time she came here, the reference guides were on the second floor. Still, Twilight doubted the pirates knew that, so she decided to take her time and enjoy the brief solace the presence of books gave her. She moved away from the center of the library to the curved shelves that made up its circumference. She traced her fingers over the spines, savoring the touch and resisting the urge to pull one off the shelf to flip through its pages. Reading some of the titles, Twilight found she had entered the fiction section. She stifled a laugh. Here she was, in a library with pirates, helping them decode a map so they could get a legendary treasure. In a few short days, her life had become one of the stories she would read so often as a child. She could still hardly believe it, but knew better than to think it was still a dream. Behind her, Indigo cleared her throat, and Twilight knew her moment of leisure was over. She made her way to the spiral staircase and ascended to the next floor, looking in earnest for the book. “Indigo!” Sour yelled, making Twilight nearly drop her lamp. Indigo inhaled sharply. “Keep looking,” she said to Twilight before running downstairs. A muscle twitched in Twilight’s jaw, but her moment of defiance went as quickly as it came. She sighed and turned back to the bookshelves, pausing when she heard voices downstairs. “So, Indigo,” a light and refined voice said, “what brings you to little Hollow Shoals? Your captain has you running errands?” “It’s none of your business, Rarity,” Indigo snapped. “I suggest you get lost before we have to make you.” Twilight carefully poked her head over the balcony to see what was going on. Just below her, she could see a standoff between Indigo, Sour, Sugarcoat, and three people she didn’t recognize, but judging by their outfits, Twilight guessed them to be pirates as well. The girl on the right had a mass of poofy pink hair to match her pink skirt and blouse. In fact, the only thing not pink on her was the black bandana on her head. On the left was a girl wearing a stetson hat of all things. Her hair was blonde and done up in a thick ponytail. Twilight took the girl in the middle to be the captain based on her expensive looking outfit, and the tricorn over her purple hair. “Now, now, dear,” the girl Twilight took to be Rarity said, “there’s no need to make a scene. We just want the map and the poor girl you kidnapped.” Twilight’s heart somersaulted. There were more pirates looking for her? Were they here to help her, or did they just want her for their own nefarious ends? “Oh, you only want a map and a girl?” Sour asked nicely. “Because that isn’t asking too much or anything!” she finished in her sharp tone. “And what if we said we have no idea what girl you’re talking about?” Sugarcoat asked. “Then Ah’d say you were a terrible liar,” the girl with the stetson said. “Why would you want her anyway?” Indigo asked. “Because her brother is probably super worried about her, and we wanna make sure she gets to him safely! Plus, he’d probably pay a lot to have her back!” the pink one said, bouncing every other word. Wait, so are they going to help me, or hold me for ransom? Twilight leaned away from the railing. Perhaps it was best to keep her presence unknown until she knew which side to pick. She looked back at the bookshelves. Should I keep looking? Will it even matter if those other pirates take me? Wait, what if I use this chance to escape? Her hopes quickly died as she looked at the windows. They were narrow, and too high up for her to reach. Glancing over the rail again, she saw there was no way she could make it to the front entrance without someone spotting her. She bowed her head in defeat. Her safest bet was to find the book and take it with her. If the other pirates caught her, at least she’d have something to read this time. She moved down an aisle, carefully reading the titles. Provided the book is even here. Her eyes widened in horror. What if the book wasn’t here? She couldn’t stand to think what Sunset Shimmer would do to her if she came back empty-handed. Sharp clangs of steel from below interrupted her thoughts. Twilight rushed to the balcony again, finding three duels taking place between the crew of the Crimson Heart and the newcomers. Now that their backs weren’t to Twilight, she could see the face of their captain. Something clicked in Twilight’s brain, and she let out a gasp. “Of course—Captain Rarity,” she whispered excitedly. “The captain of the Good Fortune. They steal from the rich and give it to anyone in need. Maybe they can help me.” Twilight frowned. The pink girl had implied charging Shining for Twilight’s safe return though. Maybe putting her trust in other pirates wasn’t the best idea. On the other hand, she trusted Sunset wouldn’t kill her when she finished translating the map. Or drop her on a deserted island. In the end, Twilight supposed her fate belonged to whichever side won the duel. Once again, she went back to the books. She finally found it in the fifth aisle; spine thicker than she remembered and cover starting to peel off. She tucked it under one arm and headed for the stairs, kneeling down to watch the fight before her. Indigo and Rarity clashed swords right in the center of the library. Indigo was quick and forceful, while Rarity was graceful and delivered each slash with precision. Sugarcoat struggled against her blonde assailant, who smiled confidently the entire time. Likewise, Sour had a hard time against the girl with the poofy hair, who hadn’t even drawn her sword yet. Instead, she merely ducked and dodged Sour’s every move. “Hold still and let me hit you!” Sour yelled, spittle flying from her mouth. “Maybe I’m going home sooner than I thought,” Twilight said to herself. She looked at her book, wondering if she should put it back. It wasn’t too late to stop her act of theft. Maybe a quick peek while I’m waiting. She set the book on her lap and opened it up to a random page, her elbow knocking into something in the process. The lamp she had set down fell off from between the railings, and Twilight watched it in slow motion as it tumbled over and over before crashing against the wood, setting it ablaze while stray sparks jumped onto several of the books. Twilight let out a shriek of mortified terror, her heart burning along with the books. What had she done? She had committed the vilest of sins! She had damned her own book-loving soul! The others stopped their fighting as the fire spread across the floor. Indigo looked up at Twilight and shouted, “Get down here, now!” Twilight stared at the flames a moment longer, tears welling in her eyes, then quickly ran down the stairs, keeping Languages of Yesterday clutched tightly to her chest. Sour kicked the front door down and ran out, Sugarcoat following close behind. Indigo grabbed Twilight’s wrist the second she got to the bottom stair and dragged her out. Behind them, the other pirates desperately worked to put out the blaze. Half running, half being dragged, Twilight followed Indigo back the way they came. They paused in one of the alleys to catch their breath, just in time for a group of guards to run past them toward the library. Indigo let go of Twilight and, to her shock, gave a small grin. “Nice job with that distraction. I didn’t think you had something like that in you.” “Eh heh… yeah.” A sharp jolt went through Twilight’s cheek when she forced herself to smile. She prayed Rarity and her crew could put out the fire before the whole library burned down. They continued back across town, with Twilight checking over her shoulder every other minute. As they reached the outskirts of the city, she still couldn’t see any smoke, leading her to believe the fire had been contained. Once they reached the cliff where the longboat was moored, Twilight realized she had a new problem to deal with. Sour climbed down first, then Indigo gestured for Twilight to go. She was nice enough to hold the book, but Twilight still had little idea how to manage herself while clambering down the rockface. The best method, she decided, was trying to remember the pattern she had used to climb up, and go in reverse. While her plan had been sound, the execution left a lot to be desired. She couldn’t remember verbatim which footholds she had used, and had to guess the distance between rocks. By the time she dropped unceremoniously into the boat, she had raw palms and scraped knees. Indigo added insult to injury when she climbed down the cliff with one hand around Twilight’s book. She caught Twilight’s open mouth and gave her a smug grin. They shoved off the second Sugarcoat dropped in. Above them, they could hear the toll of the city bell, disturbing the once quiet night. “The captain isn’t going to be happy Rarity found us again,” Sugarcoat said. Indigo leaned back and stretched her arms behind her head. “Hey, we got the book, we got the map. There ain’t much Rarity and her crew can do to us now. She knows starting a direct fight with us is a bad idea.” Twilight remained silent and hugged her book. She had her insurance. Sunset wouldn’t kill her since she had retrieved the book. But would she have been even safer if she had run away with Rarity? She shook her head. She was dealing with pirates; there was no safe choice. Twilight hugged her book tighter. In one night, she had destroyed her dress, stolen a book, and nearly burned down a library. As the Crimson Heart drew closer, she couldn’t help but sigh in relief. At least the night was over.