//------------------------------//
// Burning sea  
// Story: The Crystal Secret 
// by Daring_Do 
//------------------------------//

Burning sea 

It were such places that were always full of ponies yet the tables were dirty as could be, the smell of booze hung in the air for ages and the constant fights made them unique. And at was the particular pub that was noisy as all could be. The music was playing and glasses crashed on the floor as well as the heads of brawlers. 
Daring Do had been coming to such places for a long time and had picked up some experience over the course of time. But her and Twilight had drawn a lot of attention to themselves because it was rare to find any actual mare in a pub. Yet where Daring had been there for multiple times, it was the first time for Twilight. “Oh…Daring… This place...umm...what are we doing here?” 
“It’s Baltimare’s port and finest pub, my friend! Relax, Twily! We are here for one of my friends. Let’s take that table.” the famous explorer replied as she pointed to a specific one. “So, when I’ll find him, we’ll can keep moving. But tell me again..What information did you find about the temple?” The both of them walked up to the table and sat down behind it. 
“Well… The temple is located in desert, after the Great Sea. The book doesn’t has that much information about it, but I read something about a temple guard. Even I don't know what it means. But it did spoke about a great treasure. The pegasus Crystal.” Twilight spoke up in a whisper as she looked Daring ever so serious in the eyes. 
“Huh? I’m a pegasus and I have never heard about it! Well…be quiet so no one will get suspicious. I'll try to find it as fast as I can!” And before Twilight could even react, Daring ran to the back door and gave a passing nod to the bartender. The mulberry unicorn couldn't believe it that she was left alone. Without much thought she pulled out a book and frowned from the loud sounds that originated all over the bar, while she tried to read. 

Meanwhile, at another table there sat two dark cloaked ponies. They gave each other a look went off. Off through into the secret door that was to be found behind a great picture. Despite the rather obvious placing, most of the visitors were either too blind or drunk to notice their disappearance. 
Behind the doorway there was a room which was colored in shades of pink. The tapestries that hung on the walls and on the floor appeared to be made from a rather soft material. The two dark cloaked ponies noticed bags of stolen gold that just stood in the corner. Standing against the far wall there was a chair. Or more precisely, a throne. And upon that throne sat a pony.
A pony who had a large cuts on the eye. Several mares sat around stallion body typed pony and all of them in obscene poses. They caressed his hooves and chest. 
With his eyes he just looked at the newcomers and one of the strangers pulled a bag of coins from underneath the cloak. But also a letter. A letter that on closer examination could be seen with the print of a black skull on it.  One of the mares came up to him and she took the items. She even went so far to give a peck upon the lips, but the cloaked pony didn’t return the kiss while the other was rather confused.
The pony who sat on the throne received the letter and read through it. As the paper removed itself from his face, he gave the both of them a nod. 

Twilight looked up from the book and around herself, it was absolutely impossible to read through it for it. Throughout all this noise, my thoughts are bunched up! And from the alcoholic vapors tickle in the throat! the mare thought to herself and stood up from her table. She got up and went to the bar in the hope that there was something that could wet her throat. The bartender noticed her and immediately responded in his low voice. “Want a drink, sweet mare?” 
“Ummhh… And what do you have?” 
“We have the best drink in town! Name it all!” 
“Well...then maybe...warm milk?” 
Somewhere there was a cup that broke and almost everypony stopped screaming and fighting and looked at the mare near the bar. Twilight’s could feel her heart sinking down to her very hind hooves. “What did I said wrong?” she managed to get out as she spun in her head. 
“Hey! What a pretty cute mare? What’s your name, dear?” a dirty pirate spoke up and approached her very closely. Out of his mouth came the smell of beer and other moldy stuff. But someone had to respond. 
“T-T-Twilight...Sparkle.” she said before a deafening laughter rang out in the bar. 
“Hey, SeaWoof! This is a great mare! Modest. With a royal name! We must bow to her!” another pirate spoke as he winked to his friend, the one who spoke first. 
“Ahhh… I think we will find common ground with her. True, dear?” said a third one and he slapped her on her flank. Twilight shrieked and her eyes filled themselves up with tears almost right away. 
“Hey. What is it?” the first speaker asked and he took her book. 
“Please..no..its...” Twilight pleaded, but it was too late. 
“Like reading, huh?” And then a deafening laughter took over again for a short period of time. “Maybe we should go up in a more private place and I'll show you what we read, right guys!?” The laughter returned and some even shouted of approval. “Right guys!? What do we read?” 
“The ship's journal!” was spoken by a stern voice that made everyone in the room fell silent. In the doorway stood a stallion with a beard and an eyepatch. Instead of the front left leg there was a wooden stick as substitute. He looked sternly at the pirate who took her book and he immediately put it on the bar. After the old pirate came Daring Do herself and she ran to Twilight. 
“Go away, landlubber!” Daring hissed at the stallion who had slapped the unicorn. 
“Disperse to your desks! Drink, have fun! Do not you have enough of port mares?” the old pirate ordered and all dispersed. Music started again, the talks continued and rivers of beer being poured. The stallion himself came to the table of the mares and leaned against it. Twilight was scared and embarrassed with every right to be but kept her composure. “No reason to stay here! Come, I'll show you my ship!” 

Three ponies under the clip-clop sound sticks that replaced the pirate leg slowly walked along the port. Fresh salt air gave strength and was filled of dreams about distant seas and treasures. Through small talk it turned out that the pirate was named captain Barkossa or just Barko for short. And he had a big ship with around sixty to sixty five ponies on board. “Climb aboard” he spoke up. The stallion nudged Twilight with a smirk to get her full attention.  “It’s my ship! My treasure! Thank Daring for it! Do you remember the time we were pressed to the rocks? And you...well...you remember...so... We won the battle, and seized their ship. They lost because they were struck your fancy and we raised for a surprise attack! By the way, you did not hurt yourself? There has been a hi-
Before the captain could continue he was interrupted by the adventurer herself. “No, it was not worth the bother! I’m a pegasus!” The mustard coated mare shook her wings but moaned and grabbed the right wing. “At least half.” she added with a sour look on her face. 
“Wow, look! Guys, I knew that you'd show up! Everything is ready to sail.” the captain spoke as the smirk turned into a smile. But then his attention fell back on Daring herself with a serious look on his face. “But to start, Daring, look into my eyes, again a dangerous chase?” He kept himself rather quiet during the words, almost as if nopony else may have heard them. 
“Umm…heh.” was all Daring let out before she tucked back her wing. 
The captain knew more than enough and he shouted the commands from the docks. “Oi! You scurfy cockroaches, pull out used spare cannons on the deck! Try to hold on the bow and between the third pair! And cast off! We have a great traveler on board! The last time she was with us, she gave us a boat! Let's see what we’ll get this time!” 
The crew shouted in a loud ‘hurrah’ and their job onboard began. Everywhere the mares looked when they came onboard, sailors just ran. However there were a couple of ponies who accompanied Twilight and Daring to their cabins. 
The ship as a whole was incredibly beautiful to say the least. A seventeenth century triple masted vessel that looked like it could make some serious speed despite being heavily armed.  The mares were guided over to the stern of the vessel which held the equally impressive officers and captain’s bedroom. Almost everywhere hung pictures and furniture that was made of mahogany. Daring’s cabin was filled with charting cards and in the corner stood a soft bed. In one swift observation she made out that it was the rather luxurious navigation room. Something she was rather happy with. 
In Twilight's cabin there was a simple desk and a lamp that stood on it. It was a room she could live with but when the sailor told her about the library that was next doors, Twilight almost couldn’t hold her joy.
The more time progressed, the more orders were shouted by the captain before the ship finally set sail for the rough seas ahead. With the wind caught in the sails, they left the port safely and without any incident. 

A couple days had passed and Twilight was on the deck with the sailors. She told them about magic, the princesses and even Canterlot. Each of them remained quiet and listened with great attention. This royal world was just so unfamiliar to them that they almost couldn’t believe it. 
They could sit well all day, but rain began to drip and Twilight finished a story. Something that evoked general sorrow. In the meantime, Daring Do had joined the captain by the helm of the vessel. “I have a bad feeling about this, captain.”
“Well, the rain was never liked by anyone.” the stallion chuckled up.
“What? No, I did not mean it. It seemed to me that I was a serious pursuit but so far I don’t see anyone.” Daring commented to his words as she looked to him with a shady look in her eyes. 
“Do not draw us trouble. Be thankful that no one!” the captain spoke up with a chuckle. Twilight on the other end took the telescope over and began to look through it. Everything she saw was just calm water from the bow to the hull. Which exctually left her curious about one more thing.
She went over to the stern to see into the distance that laid behind them, there where the clouds of the sky they just had sailed below. Though something in the clouds didn’t seem to be right for one bit. “Any of you know just what that is in the distance?” 
The captain himself released a soft ‘hm’ before he took the telescope of the mare. Daring almost automatically took the helm to keep the ship straight and the praying could begin for all of them. “Where?” the stallion asked as he was looking for the points Twilight saw. With the help of the mulberry mare, he then finally managed to get a visual upon the sight.
In the far distance and hidden among the clouds were two points. One was up in the sky, and the other on the water. They were moving parallel to each other and seemed to be approaching the vessel of the mares quickly. “Heaven’s almighty… Incoming airship!” he yelled over the deck. All of them, except Twilight, knew it was only a matter of time before they would be caught up with them all.

After a few minutes it was the airship that would be reaching them first and both Daring and Twilight looked at the mighty blimp with huge propellers stuck on either side. Though the two of them noticed the rope that was going from the stern, over to the bow of the vessel in the waters. It seemed like that the airship took the sailing vessel in tow, it it left the questions of how and why clearly open. Daring looked over over to the stern of the airship and noticed the black flag with the skull and crossbones upon it. “Oh no.” she whispered to herself before she pointed to it. The captain of their ship followed the hoof going up and almost got the scare of his life.
“Prepare the cannons on both sides you landlubbers! Jolly Rogers’ on the ship!” the captain yelled to his crew which came into action almost immediately.  What followed was a huge, but also organized commotion upon each of the decks of the vessel to prepare themselves for the war to wage.
Yet on board of the airship, the massive rope got unhooked fell down from a great height into the water. It was after the splash that it was hauled into by the other ship, which then could move independently. Twilight followed the actions closely and noticed that it was smaller than their ship, but it meant it was also a lot faster. 
From the looks of it, the vessel still laid a long distance away but from the bow, Twilight could see two hatches opening. Almost instantly she turned herself around and pushed both Daring and the captain to the deck. Any unfortunate sailor who would be looking at the second vessel behind them, noticed how the bow suddenly was covered in the white smoke of gunpowder.
The pounding thum of the cannons then shocked through the three ponies and they prayed on the fact they would miss. And just for once, their prayers were heard as they head both cannonballs hit the water instead of their ship.
While the sailors were sitting behind the cannons that stood on both sides of the haul, the tension could be cut. They were ready below decks, but on the top deck, everything was still a chaos. At least it seemed that way. But everything was on schedule and worked out many times. “Miss Sparkle, thanks for that.” the captain spoke up before he rose back on his legs and looked over the entire top deck with a smirk. “Come on! Move you half-dead cockroaches! Show them what we have! Release the stern cannons!”
And that was the thing that surprised both Twilight and Daring the most, the two of them quickly hung overboard and looked at the stern of their ship, only to see four hatches opening all along the same floor and out of those hatches, came four of the heaviest cannons both had ever seen in their lives.
“Fire!” 

A sound of thunder roared over the ocean as all four guns were being released. The sheer recoil given and the smoke created was enough to give it a boost and shroud it within it. When the smoke did finally cleared up, it turned out that they just missed all of their shots and only in the enemy sail gaping hole inside of it.
Yet as they were reloading, the enemy vessel shot back and both Twilight and Daring lowered themselves once again. Protecting themselves from the incoming fire, the shot knocked at the stern rail, damaging the beautiful artwork it had. “I have had enough of these guys, let’s process them completely!” the captain shouted before he turned the rudder a couple dozen times.
The ship began to turn sideways and seemed to be heading towards the enemy ship. Who on its own turn continued to blaze the two cannons on the bow before it was too late. The time that the ships circled around one another was there and the deadly dance could begin.
They came close enough to see the ponies on the enemy ship clearly and they are back for another shot, as the enemy turned first. A smaller ship meant that a full broadside salvo of their vessel, could miss everything. They needed the time to find the right moment, a moment that didn’t seem to be coming at all to their despair. Not to mention the fact they were still out of range to shoot. Twilight picked up the telescope again and looked towards the many gunports, only to do a shocking discovery. “They’re rolling in small balls in the cannons with chains!”
“Good find Twilight, now down and prepare yourself cause we got incoming!” The captain shouted his last words over the top deck and every last sailor fell down to it. Only a few agonizing seconds later, the entire broadside cannon salvo of the smaller vessel could be heard and over their heads it sounded like a flock of supersonic mosquitoes flew over. 

Seconds went by as the other ship was reloading their guns while the vessel of Twilight and Daring just wanted to get closer. With their heavier guns they could inflict a lot more damage, but they needed to be up close and literally personal with the enemy. “They’re in range!” was suddenly shouted from below decks and caused the captain to smirk to himself”
“Excellent!” he whispered before the tone turned into a yell. “Drown them!” And with those words spoken, the command of ‘fire’ swept itself throughout the ship. One by one did the massive cannons release their dangerous cargo. Pound after pound and whistle after whistle could be heard and felt before the smoke covered their view.
“Come on, come on, come on.” the captain mumbled as Twilight and Daring were hunkered down on the opposing side of the stern, wanting to stay out of it, or at least remain unharmed. Yet when the smoke did finally clear itself, it became apparent that the enemy had been damaged. One problem might have been solved, but it still left another.
“Captain! The airship, it doesn’t take part in the battle! Daring yelled as she had kept her eyes upon the vessel at all times. She crawled out of her hiding place and jumped up on the stern itself. She coiled her hoof around one of the lanterns and simply looked over the thing. The very airship had caught up with the two of them but just continued sailing as if they weren’t even there. The mustard coated pegasus dropped herself off of the stern and back to the deck as she watched just where they were going to. “They want to first get to the temple! You must stop them!”
“Do not panic!” the captain shouted at her before he gained a grin and turned the rudder again. “With the rain rose a strong wind! We can easily catch up with them!” The vessel had kept itself turning around the smaller enemy ship and actually laid perfectly in line to sail straight again, which was the thing they did.
Even Twilight dared to come out of her hiding and looked through the telescope once more, only to do yet another shocking discovery. “They’re doing it again!”
“Oh you have to be kidding me!” the captain hissed before he assumed a more zigzagging course. All of the crew pressed themselves against the deck. All of them heard the shots coming and soon enough they flew above them. One managed to hit the mast where it swayed  around and fell, destroying one of the sails on the second mast. 
“Damn it! We have another one, but we will never catch up!” the stallion spoke before he let the stern cannons fire again.
“There is another way.” Daring Do said as she looked over to the captain. He then just paused his entire body and started to think in the few precious seconds that he had.
“Do you suggest...are you sure?” It was the last exit that they would be having. Like at that time in the rocks. The ears have become accustomed to the fighting. Ships firing without orders, the salvo’s were flying like rain that was falling from the sky. The captain looked at the broken wing Daring. “You can’t even fly... Guys, let's give her our invention! I have something for you. We'll use our Plan X again. And they will struck an unexpected blow.”

Sailors then dragged a box to the top deck and began to get something else. They brought one to Daring who on her turn opened it with a gleeful smile clearly visible upon her face. For the content inside the box was a set of mechanical wings, which were aimed only to glide through the air. It was a technology invented by the earth ponies thousands of years ago and worn on their backs. The things acted like the wings of a pegasus but it was painful to actually get into the harness and even to wear it.
But when everything had been in place, it worked like a charm. “Ok, I’m ready. Have to say goodbye to Twilight though.” Daring spoke up after she managed to get herself into the harness and folded the wings up against her body. Something that sent a stone cold shiver through her body.
Yet Twilight was excited about something. She had gained a small scratch on her neck and tied it with a small piece of cloth. In her eyes she looked like a real pirate by then. The eager little mare had taken the command of her own and stood on the railing by the helm. Her mouth spoke the orders simultaneously reporting impending volley. Each of the sailors unquestioningly obeyed her though for one reason or the other. 
Perhaps that was because she helped preparing the magical cannons that would be giving them the definitive blow. “No time for that, the airship goes with the wind. We're done here Daring!” 
One of the guns was pointed upwards and towards the airship while the sailors poured the gunpowder in it. Then they pushed the cap is tightly closed the cannons hole. And much to Twilight’s surprise, Daring actually jumped in and nodded towards the captain. Who on his own turn lit the fuse. 

With Daring sweating inside of the thing, she was starting to think it was a bad idea. But it was just about the only thing they could think of to do. But there was no more turning for her. She would be launched from the thing like it was nothing.
And under a massive thumb of the gun, the powder exploded and thrust Daring into the air, sending her flying out of the barrel. “...That’s something else.” Twilight spoke up as she never had expected to be seeing something like it in her life.  

But Daring on the other end, she was momentarily deaf because of the bang. Plug sharply pushed her back hooves and she departed from the hole like an arrow. Her heading, was nothing else but the airship itself. The battle between the two ships ceased as the main target was just, gone.
The captain then turned the ship the other way around to actually finish the fight with the other vessel, only to receive a full on broadside cannon salvo. The unexpected move wasn’t something entirely unexpected, but left their vessel pretty wrecked. The old sailor was having more then enough of the tricks played upon him and would continue to pound the little ship with everything he got, fight until the last stallion or get the thing to sink.
It was a plan that Daring Do wouldn’t be a part of, as she rushed through the skies in order to reach the dreaded airship. At the very peak of her flight, the wings spread themselves and with the help of the winds she managed to glide over to vessel in silence. Closer and closer it became until she soared in between the balloon and the roof of the cabin of the captain. 
After a landing outside of the textbook, she stood upon the roof and took off the wings with a moan and a groan. Just the sheer pain she got from removing the things, made her think she was bleeding somewhere, but not a single drop was found. What was found though, were the marks the construction gave her and her hearing. 
The mustard coated pegasus looked down to the waters and saw how the two vessels had engaged themselves into a powerful battle between one another. Her only hope was both the captain and Twilight would have been alright. She could only pray for the two of them, before she started to look for a door or a hatch through which she could squeeze herself and thus, gain access to the place.