//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: A Drop of Kindness // Story: Pirates of the Alicorn // by Moheart7 //------------------------------// Almost every single pirate couldn't even think about sleeping that night, they were too pumped from the music too even consider dropping off. However the two ponies who felt better than anyone else was indeed Big Rummy and Fluttershy, as they continued to dance on the deck every pony couldn't help but feel happy for them. "Rummy and Fluttershy sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "Well its official," Slash smirked. "My pal's finally met his match." "Zey are very happy, no?" Gem added. "Indeed they are" Rarity said with a smile. "Makes me wish I had my own special some pony," "Well maybe you've met him already," Slash said giving Spike a small wink, needless to say he’s noticed how Spike act around Rarity for quite some time but decided to keep his mouth shut. "Maybe I have," Rarity replied. "We'll just have to see" However while every pony else had a smile on their face, Dripfang seemed to be the only one looking slightly depressed. "What's the matter Sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "You look like you just lost yer best friend or something." "Well you could see it like that," Dripfang explained. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy for those two but what’s gonna happen to them after this whole adventure's over? In fact what's gonna happen to all of us?" At those words everyone's faces suddenly changed from happy to concerned, they knew Dripfang had a point. "Dripfang's right guys," Twilight said. "Once we find the seventh Element of Harmony we'll be going home, contract terminated." "And we might never see this ship or any of you guys again," Pinkie Pie added now starting to cry a little as her hair deflated. "Kinda sucks huh?" Scootaloo said now starting to feel glum. At those words every pony started to feel depressed, the whole time they have spent on board the Golden Alicorn they had all developed close friendships with each other, suddenly Shimmer's face lit up with a brilliant idea. "Maybe it doesn't have to be that way," she said with a slight smile. "What do you mean Shimmer?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I mean what if you all join us all on the Golden Alicorn…Full time!" Shimmer explained. "Think about it, shipmates for the rest of our lives, sailing the seas looking for new places and adventure." "And we can all stay together," Slash said with a large toothy grin. "Aye, we kinda gotten used to having you folks around," T-Cog added. "It'll be a shame for you all to up and leave." "Yeah!" Dripfang exclaimed. "So what do you say?" Shimmer asked. Needless to say the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were quite surprised at what Shimmer was asking and seeing the hopeful faces of their new pirate friends only made it feel slightly more awkward, luckily something happened before anyone of the could give an answer. "LAND YO!!!" screamed the Pegasus in the crow's nest "LAND YO!!!" Instantly reacting to the screams, every pirate on deck peered over the side of the ship to see it for themselves, with the fog finally clearing and the sun beginning to rise on the horizon every pony could see it. There just only a few hundred yards away was a large island covered in jungle and mountains as far as the eye could see and the beam of light above the ship was pointing right at it. "This is it my friends!" Jack shouted happily from the upper deck. "We've reached Burmuleda!!!" At those words every pirate cheered and laughed at their accomplishment and waited for their Captain's next command. "Okay here's the plan…" Jack continued. "A small shore party consisting of me and the Harmony Bearers along with a few of my chosen shipmates will go ashore and find the seventh Element, the rest of you will stay here and guard the ship, are we clear!?!" "Aye-Aye sir!!!" everyone said simultaneously, giving a salute. Acting upon Jack's orders the Mane Six gathered their Elements, packed their saddle bags with food and got ready to depart the ship and since Jack saw so well they were able to work together, Jack chose Shimmer, Gem La Stone, Slash, Big Rummy, T-Cog and Dripfang come on the shore party with them. As the longboat was lowered into the water and the Mane Six said their goodbyes to Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, each couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with excitement yet they couldn't help but feel nervous as well. Following the beam of light the Elements of Harmony created, they all rowed the longboat right towards Burmuleda, soon enough the beam of light faded and disappeared once they reached the beach. "Alight my friends," Jack said as he stepped out of the point. "Let's find us an Element!" "But where do we start?" Twilight asked. "This whole island could spread out for miles and miles, we could easily be here for ages." "Not if you know what you're looking for," Jack smirked. "What's on your mind Captain?" Gem asked. "When I studied the Elements of Harmony I discovered that the Harmony Bearer who hid his Element here was always quite the puzzler, he always left clues and riddles to where he hid his treasures, probably thought it was a laugh watching those who tried to figure them out." "But how does that help us?" Applejack asked. "Even if we do know what we're looking for we still wouldn't know where to start." "Oh, I do" Jack said with a smile. "You see that cave over there?" Curious, everyone looked down the beach where Jack was pointing, what they saw was indeed a large, stone cave hollowed into the nearby mountain and facing the water. "What about it?" Dripfang asked. "Let me show you," Jack said as he led every pony towards it. As they all walked down the beach, each couldn't help but feel enchanted by the scenery, never in their lives have they seen such wondrous plant life, flowers as large as the eyes of a full grown dragon produced a smell just like chocolate and palm trees as tall as buildings blossomed with multi-coloured fruit that smelt just like Sugarcube Corner, in a way it made the Mane six think of home. Finally they all stopped at the cave entrance, the first thing any pony noticed about it was a small river leading right into the darkness and flowing out to the sea behind them, the second of course was the pure darkness within it. "You see that symbol?" Jack asked pointed towards the top of the entrance. Everyone then looked up and noticed a carving in the stone where Jack was pointing, it resembled seven ponies, two earth, two Unicorn, Two Pegasus and One Alicorn. "That is the symbol of the original Harmony Bearers," Jack continued. "I've seen it turn up in many of my books, this means that the seventh Element of Harmony is right inside this cave." Needless to say Fluttershy wasn't too happy about the idea, in fact just looking into the wet darkness of the cave made her shiver in fear, to make matters worse, the gloomy interior of the cave made every pony feel nervous, it almost felt like there was an evil presence inside. "Y…y…you want us to go in there!?!" Fluttershy said fearfully. "B…but what if something else is already in there? Something scary!" "The girl's got a point Captain." Slash added, trying but failing to hide his own fear. "Yeah, this could be the cave where that Kelpie lives." Applejack said as shivers ran down her spine. "I don't know about y'all but I don't want to be turned into fish food." "Guys we're not gonna…" Twilight began only to be interrupted by Jack. "So that's it then?" he said. "You're all just going to give up just because you're scared of what might not even exist." "Need I remind you that a few legends actually came true in our time," T-Cog said. "Jack, I've been feeling uneasy ever since we went into that fog and I'm getting the same feeling about this cave right now." "Same here," Dripfang added. But Jack wasn't going to have any of it. "Okay that's enough," he said sternly. "Look I know you are all scared, to be honest I'm scared too but we've come too far to just give up now, if we don't carry on then everything we've been through would have been for nothing." "But what about the Kelpie?" Slash asked. "If she does exist then we'll be dead in minutes," "What happened to the dragon who always carried on no matter how many eyes he lost?" Jack asked. "The Changeling who wanted to be free from his life of being a mindless drone, or even the pony who did his job well no matter how big or clumsy he was? Because I tell you right now I still see them standing right here in front of me, I also see six of the finest Equestrian mares I ever met, and do you know what else I see?...Brilliance. Each and every one of you has achieved something in your lives that makes you special, T-Cog for example, I never seen such wondrous creations, most of them in your own hook." "Well I don't want to brag," T-Cog said sheepishly, though still flattered. "And Twilight," Jack continued. "Such a fantastic mind, an Alicorn who has made me see a lot more sense than I've done in months, the point is that if you can all do such wonderful things in your day to day lives then you can achieve anything! When we can find that seventh Element then all what we have done in the past won't even matter because it will be on this day that we make history… it will be on this day that we make Harmony whole." With every word Jack spoke every pony couldn't help but feel moved, the passion in his voice was almost exhilarating. "So…" Jack said straightening his hat. "I'm going treasure hunting, who's with me!?!" Inspired by Jack's very words, every pony had the same answer. "I am!" Rainbow Dash announced. "Me too!" Twilight added. I'm behind you all the way sir!" T-Cog said giving him a salute. In a matter of moments, everyone was willing to follow their Captain once again, even Fluttershy was so moved by Jack's speech that she willingly joined every pony as they all followed Jack up the path into the cave. Needless to say it was quite spooky inside the darkness, as the river flowed down its rocky crevice towards the ocean outside, everyone could feel the cave getting darker and darker, eventually Twilight, Rarity, Jack and Gem had to use their horns to light the way. After what felt like an hour of walking, Jack suddenly spotted something on the cave wall. "Hey look at this," he said as he pointed to the writing engraved on the wall. "Have you ever seen language like this?" "Not in any book I've I ever read," Twilight said as she examined the strange letters. "I don't know this language at all." "I do," Dripfang pointed out as he read the writing over Twilight's shoulder. "It's the language of the Changelings, only we can understand it." "Well then what does it say?" Rarity asked. "Welcome Treasure Hunters," Dripfang said as he read the writing aloud. "If thou is able to read this passage then thou must be Changeling, If Changeling is alone then it's a terrible shame, For Harmony is only good if thou are together to play the game, To find what thy seeks then thou must defy Six challenges that were made by my siblings and I, Past all six and thou will discover That the seventh shall soon be uncovered." "Well that makes things so much clearer," Slash said sarcastically. "Yeah, clear as mud on a pig, what the hay is it supposed to mean?" Applejack added. "It means that what we knew about the Seventh Element was slightly inaccurate." Jack explained. "Judging from this writing, I'd say the seventh Element wasn't just hidden by its own Bearer but all seven of the original Harmony Bearers and either one of them learnt how to speak Changeling or the Harmony in their lifetime was so powerful, they were even at peace with the Changelings." "Whoa," Twilight gasped as she stared at the writing with wonder in her eyes. "Such history within these letters alone is treasure enough." "Imagine what it would be like when we find the Element itself," Jack smirked. "But what does it mean by challenges?" Rainbow dash asked. "Well obviously the seven siblings thought it would be best to put some security around the seventh Element." Jack explained. "Which of course is only natural since it's supposed to be the most powerful out of all of them, luckily I enjoy a challenge, there's still some skill left in THIS old seadog." "Lead on Captain," Shimmer said saluting her father. As Jack led them further into the cave, everyone couldn't help but feel more nervous now that they had an idea what was coming. "So what do you think those challenges are?" Twilight asked. "Hard to say," Jack admitted. "It could be anything." "Well if it's anything to do with booby traps then I'll be able to pass by them without a hitch," Shimmer smirked. "Let's just say a few trapeze moves run in the family" "Plus I think we'll be able avoid anything dangerous if it's something to do with magic," Twilight added. "After all you are one of the most powerful Unicorns I've ever met." "Well thank you Twilight," Jack set feeling flattered. “Plus having an Alicorn on the team will be quite the advantage.” "And if it's a monster then we'll be able to handle it without a problem," Rainbow Dash said with a confident smile on her face. "It'll be 13 of us and probably one of them." "M…m…monster?" Fluttershy whimpered as she cowered behind one of Big Rummy's giant legs. "Ah relax me dear, there's nothing to worry about," T-Cog said. "If any beasts come at us then I'm just gonna have to let ol' Betsy have some fun, in fact I've been developing something new with her if you all want to take a look." "Yeah go on then," Slash smirked. "I could use a laugh at this point." "Alright fine, but let's not take too long," Jack said as he sat down to watch. "We still have to keep going you know." With a large toothy grin T-Cog took off from the stone floor and hovered just above the group who took a seat waiting for his latest achievement. "Fillies and Gentlecolts," he announced. "You've seen the Grappling Hook…you've seen the Dart Gun… but now the time has come to show you the latest of my inventions, I give you… the Spark Shooter!!!" At those words T-Cogs hook suddenly began to change, like his Dart Gun the cogs inside base of the hook turned and switched the hook with what looked like a two pronged fork. "After using this to absorb the lightning from storms, I developed this device to shoot it back out and give anyone it hits a rather nasty shock. I figured it would come in handy in case we bump into that Kelpie." "Impressive T-Cog," Jack said with a smile. "Indeed," Gem added. "It actually quite suits you." "How does it work?" Twilight asked. "Well like my Dart Gun I simply aim…" T-Cog explained as he began to demonstrate on the river. "…aaaannnnnddddd FIRE!!!" And with that a small bolt of lightning literally burst out of the fork and shot straight at the water, at first everyone was amazed by the power of T-Cog's new device however that all changed after they witnessed what happened next. The second the lightning touched the water it writhed and twisted as though it were alive and an ear piercing shriek echoed through the cave as it literally rose up from the crevice, the group then watched in horror as the water shaped itself into something terrifying. In a matter of moments the group was face to face with what looked like a pony made almost entirely out of water, however unlike ponies her mane and tail were made of seaweed, her eyes were completely purple and she had two long sharp fangs coming down from her teeth. Looking upon this horrendous creature, the group knew what it was in an instant. "Ke…kel…kel…" Fluttershy whimpered. "KELPIE!!!" Rummy screamed. "Wet yourselves and RUN!!!" Slash added. In a matter of moments every pony was running at full speed back towards the cave entrance, fear running down their spines with every step they galloped, however Jack suddenly noticed something and stopped. "Wait!!!" he screamed. "What the hell are you doing!?!" Dripfang said in panicked voice. "That thing's gonna get us!" "If it was going to get us then it would be chasing us," Jack pointed out. "Haven't you noticed that doesn't seem to be happing?" Everyone then turned around and noticed that Jack was right, they may have ran a fair bit but the Kelpie didn't seem to be following them, in fact it was nowhere to be seen. "M…maybe it's in the water," Slash said as he fearfully as he looked into the river. "No I don't think so," Jack said. "If she were in the water then she would have caught us by now since that's her natural element, plus I doubt she would be hiding since we already know she's here. No, something's not right, stay here and wait for my signal." "Your just gonna leave us here with that thing around!?!" Rainbow Dash snapped as Jack made his way back up the tunnel without them. "Well she won't bother with you if she's attacking me will she?" Jack called back now disappearing from sight. As Jack slowly walked up the stone path back to where the Kelpie was he took much caution with every step he made for the Kelpie could easily be lurking anywhere, readying is horn for battle, Jack prepared for the worst. However upon arrival of the site where they encountered the creature he wasn't met with a terrible roar or any violent means of attack but instead the clear sound of… "Crying?" No matter how many times he repeated it in his head Jack knew that it was what he was hearing, following the sound he made his way further into the tunnel, suddenly he was met with a most unusual sight. There he found himself at the edge of a shimmering black lake along with a beautiful curtain of water falling from the far corner of the ceiling, filling the lake as it fed the river that flows towards the cave entrance, but what shocked Jack most of all was what was sitting on one of the rocks in the middle of the lake… the Kelpie. Keeping out of sight Jack gazed upon the creature with great curiosity as many questions filled his mind, if he and his shipmates were running away then why go in the opposite direction? Why was she wearing a scarf and hat? And most important of all… why was she crying? Jack continued to look at the Kelpie in hopes that some of the questions could be answered, what he noticed was that she was not only crying but she also looked disgusted at her own reflection in the water, before Jack knew it the Kelpie began to sing. "I... I hide my light inside a cloak of night, Beneath a red scarf and a chapeaux, The pearl of my heart locked within a shell, And too afraid to let it go, to let it show, And all the headlines read, For the whole world to see, The Monster of the Sea" As Jack continued to listen to that heart-breaking melody, he couldn't help but feel great sympathy for this creature, in fact he has just about ready to burst into tears himself. Yet still he continued to listen to that angelic voice. "I fall apart, I fall apart, apparently, I did appear beneath the light, Yes it was me, The Monster of the Sea I hide my pain inside a melody, As if notes I sing will set me free, I keep all my dreams under a lock and key, I'm so afraid that they will fly, away from me, The Monster of the Sea, The Monster of the Sea, The Monster of the Sea" As the last note of that tear-jerking song echoed within Jack's ears, he couldn't help but feel terrible because he knew that this creature wasn't a monster at all, in fact she was exactly like him, a being with a reputation that makes her appear scarier than she really is. Plucking up his courage, Jack decided to do what was right. "Um… excuse me?" he said as he came out of hiding. However the Kelpie only gasped in fear upon seeing him and quickly jumped into the water, disappearing for sight. "No wait!" Jack called out. "You don't have to be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you!" But there was no sign of the Kelpie for she was invisible within the depths of the water, in fact she WAS the water, it was the perfect camouflage. "I know your still here," Jack continued. "Please, I just want to talk, I'm not going to leave until you come out." Jack waited for a few minutes but nothing happened, suddenly a small gush of water floated out of the lake and shaped itself into the Kelpie who looked at Jack with much fear and confusion. "Y…you're not scared of me?" she asked in a soft angelic voice. "Only at first," Jack answered, keeping his calm tone of voice. "Do you have a name?" "I…I don't remember," the Kelpie answered. "I have been called monster for so long I can't remember anything else." At those words Jack felt even more sympathy for this creature, not only did she have a terrible reputation but she lost her own identity due it haunting her for so long, however he knew one thing that might make her feel better. "Monster?" he said gently. "No, you look more like some pony with a better name than that, would you mind if I called you… Marina?" "Marina?" the Kelpie asked with a raised eyebrow. "Aye," Jack said with a smile. "It means 'from the sea', surely you agree that it's a lot better than monster." Hearing this the Kelpie couldn't help but smile a little, Marina? That name did sound nice. "It…it's been so long since anyone been so nice to me," she said gently. "I… I really don't know what to say," "Well you can start by answering a few of my questions," Jack said taking a seat on the stone floor. "Firstly, could you tell me what happened to you? Because judging by what I saw just you have suffered greatly for a long time, it's okay you can tell me." At those words Marina was slightly taken aback, not only is some pony not running away from her but he was also showing concern for her, not wanting it to stop she took a seat next to him and began to speak. "I… I don't remember much," she began. "I've spent so much time in the darkness I can't even remember what the sun looks like, I can only remember small patches from my past. I do remember I loved to travel but apart from that I can't remember before I became…this. I think I was an earth pony at first but then I came here, I came in a small boat through the fog and I found this cave and this lake, I don't remember what happened to cause it but my body suddenly turned into water and I became what I am now." Marina suddenly started to cry again. "It was after that my life became unbearable," she sobbed. "At first I tried traveling to other countries looking for help but everywhere I went they every pony was afraid of me, they would either ran away or try to attack me, they even started calling me the Monster of the Sea. Eventually I gave up and came back here where creatures like me belong... alone in the dark and I've been here ever since. It was at this moment Jack couldn't bear listening to Marinas heart-breaking tears any longer, he had to say something to comfort the poor girl. "Look Marina," he said softly. "I know your pain, I have to suffer with it on a daily basis, I know what it's like to be hated and scorned by those you who don’t even know you. But do you know what keeps ME going? The fact that I have friends who I can trust and I for one think you of all ponies need at least one, I would certainly be happy to be your friend." At those words Marinas face suddenly lit up, never in her life has any pony been this nice to her. "You…you really mean it?" she asked, still crying a little. "I am a stallion of my word my dear." Jack answered. "And I never go back on it." This was the happiest moment of Marina's life, never had anyone treated her with such decency, such compassion, she couldn't help but embrace Jack in a tight hug, her watery body may have been soaking his clothes but he found it comforting none the less. "Thank you," she said, more tears swelling in her eyes. "I just hope you're not going to hurt me like that horrible Pegasus earlier." "Hey I resent that!!!" T-Cog snapped as he came trotting up the tunnel. Instantly reacting Marina and Jack turns their heads and saw Jack's shore party standing next to them, at first Marina was ready to jump back into the lake out of fear but Jack managed to stop her before she even moved. "Don't worry it’s okay," he told her. "They are friends, how long have you all been standing there?" "Long enough Jack," Twilight said, a few tears escaping her eyes. "Long enough to listen to that heart-breaking story, look…um…Marina was it? We're really sorry we ran away from you." "And I didn't MEAN to blast you with lightning," T-Cog explained nervously. "I didn't even know you were there, look I may be the last pony to admit when I was wrong but in this case I screwed up big time." "Can you ever forgive us?" Rarity added. But Marina didn't even say a word, she was too mesmerised by the fact that she wasn't just being treated decently by just one pony but by an entire group of them, the happy smile on her face alone was enough for everyone to see that she did in fact forgive them. "You know Father, I think she might make a great new crewmember," Shimmer said with a smile. "An excellent idea Shimmer," Jack said. "Marina, we would be honoured if you would join us, I have a ship full of creatures of all shapes and sizes, and each every one of them would treat you with the respect and decency you deserve, what do you say?" It was only a few seconds before Marina reacted in the most excited way possible to give her answer, Even Pinkie Pie was surprised on how hyper she became. "YES!" she screamed as she squeezed Jack in a tearful hug. "OH YES! YES! YES! Uh…I mean of course." Realising what she was doing, Marina quickly released Jack feeling slightly embarrassed. Trying to recover from Marina's tightening hug, Jack asked her another question. "Listen Marina," he said. "We came here looking for something, and you seem to know this cave pretty well, do you happen to know where we can find the seventh Element of Harmony?" "I… I don't think so," Marina said trying to think. "I don't think I ever even heard of such a thing, even if I did the whole cave ends this chamber… Wait a minute! I think there might be something that could help, follow me." At first every pony thought Marina was going to lead them around the edge of the lake but instead she started walking ON the lake as though the water were solid ground. "Um… Marina!" Applejack called. "I know yer used to this kind of thing but none of us can walk on water and one of us can't even swim!" Looking over her shoulder, Marina noticed that Applejack was indeed right and smacked her head in stupidity. "Oh sorry!" she called back. "I'm not exactly used to company, maybe this'll help." Suddenly Marina eyes began to shine a brilliant white and the water beneath her hooves ceased to ripple. "Try it now!" While they may have been nervous, every pony took a step onto the water and surprisingly it supported their weight, it was like walking on ice only without the cold. While Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Dripfang and T-Cog preferred to use their wings instead of their legs, everyone else managed to walk easily on the now solid water, as they followed Marina across the gigantic lake, Twilight couldn't help but ask her a few questions. "So… how long have you been here?" she asked. "That is if you don't mind me asking." "Well… I think has to be over a thousand years by now," Marina answered. "I lost count after the first few hundred." "Oh…I'm sorry to hear that," Twilight said feeling a little guilty. "I'll stop asking questions if you want." "Are you joking?" Marina said with a smile. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited just to TALK to another pony? Ask all the questions you like because I really want to hear them." "Oh… Okay, how is it you're able to make us walk on water?" Twilight asked. "Does being a Kelpie give you magic?" "Sort of," Marina answered. "But it's only water-based, I can only use my magic on water or ice, otherwise I can't do much else." That conversation between Twilight and Marina continued the entire walk across the lake and seeing the happy look of Marina's face only made Jack smile. "Nice to see the old Jack Silver is still in that husk of yours" T-Cog smirked. "What'd you mean OLD Jack Silver?" Jack asked. "You're still the same old sentimental stallion who saved me from that island forty years ago," T-Cog explained. "When you give hope to those who need it, that’s always the moment that tells me what makes you a true Captain, so why retire now?" "You know I can't go on forever," Jack sighed. "And you know I grow more tired every day, once we find that Element I shall be naming someone else Captain, I don't know who it will be yet but…" "Right here!" Marina called as they reached the centre of the lake. "What is?" Slash said scratching his head. "I don't see anything but water." "That's because you're looking in the wrong place," Marina giggled. "Look down." Following Marina's instructions, everyone looked to the water beneath them, there just underneath the surface was what looked like a small stone surface with more Changeling writing engraved into it. "Dripfang," Jack said. "Can you read this?" "Well it's foggy beneath the water but I think I can make it out," Dripfang said as he began to read the writing aloud. "If thou are reading this then Kindness isn't gone, now simply press down and then press on." "So… are we supposed to press down on a hidden switch or something?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I'm not sure," Jack said scratching his beard. "Although I might have an idea… Rummy, would you mind pressing down on this stone please?" "Aye-Aye sir," Rummy said as he readied his hoof. Then after one nod from Jack, Rummy slammed his giant hoof down through the surface of the water and into the stone, slightly cracking it as he pushed it down. At first nothing happened but suddenly the waterfall stopped flowing and the clear sound of rushing water began to echo inside the very walls of the cavern. "Uh… why do I suddenly feel like I'm in the bathroom?" Pinkie Pie asked. But her question was shortly answered when all of a sudden every drop of water in the lake began thrash and swirl like a whirlpool, carrying everyone who was on its surface with it. As every pony in the water struggled to stay above the water while it swirled, those who were in the air tried their best to help anyway they could. "I can't… I can't swim!!!" Slash screamed as he tried to keep his head above the surface. "HELP!!!" "Hang on Slash!!!" T-Cog said as he dove towards the water, only to get swept away by the current himself. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were too pulled down when they tried to save their friends, Fluttershy when she tried to pull on Big Rummy's tail and Rainbow Dash while she tried to dive straight in an attempt to dive straight back out with Twilight, Even Dripfang fell in when the splashing water dampened his wings too much. Eventually all of them were in the water struggling to stay afloat, even Marina who was made of water couldn't control the vortex, in a matter of moments they all disappeared under the swirling depths. # While anyone who witnessed this from the edge of the lake would have believed these ponies to be dead, that was far from the truth. As Jack opened his eyes to see every pony in front of him, soaking but alive, he couldn't help but feel relieved but also very confused. "What in tarnation just happened?" Applejack said picking herself up. "Did we just get flushed down a giant toilet?" Pinkie Pie asked with a slight shudder. "Whatever it was I DO NOT want to do it again," Slash said fearfully as tightened his grip on Big Rummy's hoof. "Was that something of yours Marina?" Twilight said as she shook herself off. "That had nothing to do with me," Marina replied as she tried to put her watery body back into shape. "I'm just as confused as you are." "Zis is most peculiar, no?" Gem added. "Captain what do you zink? Captain?" Back Jack was too entranced by what he was looking at to even turn his head, wondering what had him so spellbound every pony gathered to take a look, and what they saw was beautiful. They were now standing at the edge of a cliff overseeing what looked like a tropical paradise growing under the light of a luminous green orb hanging from the ceiling, birds and butterflies of every kind filled the air with their colourful wings and the green light reflected off every shiny surface making the whole area sparkle. "My friends," Jack said with a smile. "This is going to be one adventure none of us will EVER forget."