//------------------------------//
// A Game of Deception 
// Story: Pirates of Equestria: Dead Stallion's Chest 
// by The Phantom Joker 
//------------------------------//

On board The Flying Dutchman, three lizard-ponies slammed barnacle-encrusted cups, each holding five dice, onto the deck of the ship as Shining Armor watched.

“I wager… ten yearssss,” said one of the lizard-ponies, who resembled a Komodo Dragon.

“I’ll match ten yearssss,” said Jimmy Legs.

“Agreed,” said the third.

“Wondering how it’s played?” asked Twilight, walking up beside Shining Armor.

“No, I get it,” said Shining Armor asthe lizard-ponies continued playing. “It’s a game of deception, but the bids include all the dice, not just yours. What are they wagering?”

“Pretty much the only thing we have: years of service,” said Twilight as the Komodo Dragon-like pony lost the game.

“So, any crew member can be challenged?” asked Shining Armor.

“Aye, anyone,” said Twilight.

“Well, then… I challenge Spike Jones,” said Shining Armor.

Everyone turned to look at him. As Twilight was about to say something, a loud thumping came from overhead as Spike came down the wooden steps to where they were at.

“I accept, mate,” said Spike.

Two crewponies brought a small table and two cups, complete with two sets of five dice, to the deck.

“The stakes?” asked Spike.

“My soul. An eternity of servitude,” said Shining Armor, causing the crew to snicker.

“No!” said Twilight, realizing there was only one thing she could do.

“Against?” asked Spike.

Shining Armor pulled the old cloth out of his pocket. “I want this,” he said, putting the cloth on the table.

Spike picked up the cloth and stared at the drawing of the key in horror, his purple scales turning slightly paler. “How do you know of the key?” asked Spike.

“That’s not part of the game, is it?” said Shining Armor as he sat down. “You can still walk away.”

“Never,” said Spike, who then pulled out an old key that was hidden behind his shirt and was hanging from a necklace, before putting it back and sitting down.

Both Spike and Shining Armor grabbed their cups and slammed them to the table, only to be join by a third player.

“What’s this?!” snarled Spike.

“I’m in, too, matching his wager,” said Twilight as she sat down.

“No! Don’t do this,” said Shining Armor.

“It’s too late, BBBFF. The die’s been cast. I bid three twos. It’s your bid, Captain,” said Twilight.

“Four fours,” said Spike, causing the crew to snicker again.

“Four fives,” said Shining Armor.

“Six threes,” said Twilight.

Spike looked under his cup to find that he had four fives. “Seven fives,” he said as the crew snickered once again.

Shining Armor looked under his cup and found that he had three fives as Twilight looked under her cup to find that she had no fives at all.

“Eight fives,” said Shining Armor.

Spike chuckled. “Welcome to the crew, buddy boy-” he said.

“Twelve fives,” said Twilight.

Spike and Shining Armor looked at Twilight in shock.

“You heard me. Twelve fives. Call me a liar, or up the bid,” said Twilight.

“And be called a liar myself for my trouble?!” said Spike, before he yanked the cup off of Twilight’s dice.

 “Twilight Sparkle, you’re a liar, and you will spend an eternity on this ship!” Spike snarled before he turned to Shining Armor. “Young Master Sparkle, feel free to go ashore… the very next time we make port!” Spike said, before he walked off with the crew, leaving Twilight and Shining Armor behind.

“You fool! Why did you do that?” said Shining Armor.

“I couldn’t let you lose,” said Twilight.

“Twilie, it was never about winning or losing,” said Shining Armor.

A look of dawning realization crossed Twilight’s face. “The key… you only wanted to know where it was,” she said.

That night…
Twilight made her way to the helm and approached the lizard-pony steering the ship. “Captain says I’m to relieve you,” she said.

When the lizard-pony gave her a puzzled look, Twilight simply repeated, “Captain’s orders.”

In Spike’s Cabin…

Shining Armor silently opened the door and found Spike asleep. Very cautiously, Shining Armor crept over to Spike.

Now, how am I going to get the key? thought Shining Armor. He then saw a pair of quills in a ink jar on the organ. Using his magic, Shining Armor levitated the quills out of the jar, but knocked over the jar, which fell on an organ key.

“Huh? Whasat?” muttered Spike, before a music box locket made from a fire ruby started to play. “Oh… mmm… Calypso,” muttered Spike before falling back asleep.

After a few heart-pounding minutes, Shining Armor snagged the key by using the quills as chop-sticks. He then slipped the drawing of the key in its place.

On deck…

Twilight got a longboat ready as Shining Armor walked up to her, slinging the key’s necklace around his neck.

“Here, take this too,” said Twilight, giving Shining Armor a knife.

As Shining Armor looked at the knife, he saw that one side of the hilt was black, and the other was white.

“Now, get to land and stay there. To be honest, it was always in the blood of me and Mom to die at sea… but, neither of us wanted that fate for you or Dad,” said Twilight.

Shining Armor nodded. SilverSpoon had told him that he and Twilight’s mom had been killed in a skirmish with the Equestrian Navy about a month before Gilda’s mutiny. “You know, it wasn’t a fate you had to choose for yourself either,” he told Twilight.

“Aye, I could say that me and Mom did what we had to when we left to go pirating… but, it’d be a lie to say it was what I wanted,” said Twilight.

Shining Armor looked firmly into Twilight’s purple eyes. “I take this knife with a promise. I’ll find a way to break Spike’s hold on you and I will not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you. I promise,” he told Twilight before he got in the longboat, which Twilight lowered into the sea.