The Inheritors of Friendship

by NgKQ

Chapter 49

“How did you know us?” asked Sweetie Belle, surprised that the stallion recognized them.

“I… I suddenly had some memories back. You err… remember me as that one little clumsy colt in Ponyville?”

“Pipsqueak!” Apple Bloom cried hastily. “Was that you?”

The stallion was stunned. Then he spoke.

“You… you remembered me!” he said with tears in his eyes. As he wiped them away, he ordered the pirates. “Release them now!”

The pirates looked at each other, puzzled.

“They’re my childhood friends, so they mean no harm. Understand what I’m saying?”

“Aye-aye, Captain Pips!” they complied and immediately released the group. As soon as they did that, the Cutie Mark Crusaders rushed and gave him a group hug.

“I didn’t think it was you!” cried Scootaloo.

“Me, too,” replied Pipsqueak. “Pretty glad you all turned up.”

As the others tried to recover from their shock, a puzzled Melody, surprised by their sudden reunion approached them.

“Who is he, really?”

Apple Bloom turned to her. “Oh, Melody, meet Pipsqueak. He’s one of our former classmates. Pips, meet Princess Melody Aurora, daughter of Princess Twilight.”

“Oh hey, nice to meet you, Princess Melody,” said Pipsqueak, shaking hooves with her. “I know your mom, too when I was their ages.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, and in fact, I was the one who sent the letter to her.”

“What? You did?” exclaimed Scootaloo, stunned.

“No wonder you know our names!” said Sweetie Belle. “Why didn’t you sign your whole name in that letter?”

“Just to surprise you,” he replied cheekily. “See if you guys remember me or not. By the way, Princess Melody, they are your friends?”

“Yes, they are,” she replied, and called them. “Guys, don’t worry, he’s just an old friend of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

“Whoo, really?” asked Pepper Flake, and they all introduced themselves.

“You guys really are your mothers’ aces,” remarked Pipsqueak once they finished introducing. “I can say, you really are their potential successors.”

“It’s a pleasure,” said Platinum.

“Not to mention it,” replied Greenie.

“And, who was that foal just now?” asked Beryl.

“Him? He’s just my seven-year old son, Ticky Shanks,” he introduced. “He happens to accompany me on voyages, you know.”

Scootaloo glared at Ticky, who did the same way as her.

“In your face, brat!” jeered Scootaloo.

“And you, too!” argued Ticky as they exchanged faces.

“Now then, chill down,” calmed Pipsqueak. “You see, they’re my guests, so please be nice to them.” He turned to Scootaloo. “Just tolerate him a bit. He’s a bit aggressive when he meets strangers.”

“But you just saw what he did when they caught us, you know that?”

“I can deal with him later,” said Pipsqueak. “Now then, why don’t you all come into the cabin and settle yourselves?”

“You want us to spend the night in there?” asked Pepper.

“But we’re looking for an inn somewhere in Trottingham!” said Raisin.

“It would take you a long time for you to get from the inn to there. Just stay in my ship, since we’re beginning our voyage tomorrow!”

“If that’s the case,” said Apple Bloom. “Then it would be convenient.”

“I agree with that,” added Chaos. “We could start early without having to wait for anypony.”

“Then just hop in!” offered Pipsqueak. “I can tell you all my tales in Ponyville tonight.”

“Sweet!” beamed Greenie.

As everyone boarded the ship, Melody whispered to Chaos.

“I still can’t believe that he’s connected to the Cutie Mark Crusaders! My mind was really blown!”

“The world is too small to even know their connections,” he replied.

That night, after dinner, everypony gathered on the deck to listen to Pipsqueak’s story of his past in Ponyville.

“Back in my childhood days, Nightmare Night was my favorite night. I would love to dress up as a pirate and do trick-or-treating with the other foal,” he recalls.

“I think my mom remembers you, from her past stories,” said Melody.

“Yes, I went to her old library house before. In fact, I even met my favorite Princess Luna. She’s the best princess I can ever respect. How I’d wish I’d meet her again…”

“You will, maybe someday,” said Apple Bloom.

“She’ll be surprised by how strong you’ve grown!” added Sweetie Belle.

“Hey Pips, remember that ‘Twilight Time’ moment?” reminded Scootaloo.

“Oh, yeah! I do remember. You Cutie Mark Crusaders really are an attraction from our old school!” he chuckled.

“Yeah, those great old times!” said Apple Bloom.

“So uh, how was your life after moving out of Ponyville back to Trottingham?” asked Beryl.

“Well basically, I furthered my studies there. That’s when I met my love and a few years later, we got married and then we had Ticky Shanks!”

“Mom and Dad are my best ponies!” beamed Ticky proudly.

“Then where’s your wife?” asked Raisin.

“Oh, she’s at my house in the town. She just had a baby filly…”

“Aww,” cried Pepper. “I really wanna see them someday.”

“You can at any time, if you’re free and up for it!”

“Mind if you would tell us about your sailing experiences?” asked Platinum.

“Well, after I graduated here, I began to indulge myself in sailing. To start with, I joined my dad with his comrades in voyages across. I can say, we’ve been through many adventures, be it good, bad or horrible, I really enjoyed it.”

“Looks like you’ve gone fearless after all!” remarked Bloodthirst.

“Yep. But really, I want to go back to Ponyville again. I would like to meet my old friends back, even Miss Cheerilee…” he said, looking at the stars in the sky.

“Cheer up!” consoled Apple Bloom. “I’m sure you will someday. You’re welcome anytime!”

“Thanks, Apple Bloom.”

“Uh, that was nice,” yawned Greenie. “I really feel tired…”

“Oh, yeah, it’s getting late,” said Pipsqueak. “I think we should go to bed early. We can work well tomorrow.”

“Yeah, good night,” said Scootaloo, returning to her cabin. “Good night to everypony, too.”

As everypony returned, Sweetie Belle noticed an uneasy Melody.

“What’s wrong, Melody?”

“I don’t know… I have a bad feeling on the site where we’re going… like anything wrong’s gonna happen…”

“Don’t worry,” comforted Sweetie Belle. “We’re together as a team. If there’s really anything wrong we can cope that together.”

“Okay then.”

“Go to bed now. I think Chaos must be waiting for you.”

“Alright then. Good night.”

“Sweet dreams to you! Let’s get ready tomorrow!”

The next day…

Melody was sleeping well in her cabin when she eventually woke up, feeling the slight rocks of the ship.

“I wonder what’s going on…” she thought to herself. Her answer was replied when she opened her cabin door and everything in front of her was sea.

“Good morning, you’re awake!” greeted Pipsqueak, seeing her.

“Oh, Captain Pips,” she replied. “Have we started already?”

“Yup, fifteen minutes ago!”

“How about my breakfast?”

“You’re friends are having it now at the lower deck. We’ve got them from the town right before we started. And hey, Scootaloo will tell you where we’re going.”

“Really? Then I’d better find them now!”

She found them right at the dining room.

“Good, you’re awake, Melody!” called Scootaloo.

“Captain Pips told me about that place we’re going, where is it?”

“Sit down and I’ll tell you,” said Scootaloo.

As Melody settled herself down, Scootaloo produced her a map.

“So what’s this?”

“The place where we’re going. You see, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and I have been discussing with him last night. Our destination is to this little island right here,” she said, pointing to the location marked “X”. “This will take us another day to get there.”

“Have you told the others yet?”

“Well, some of them. He told me to pass the word to you all once you’ve gotten up.”

“And is there a map for the island?”

“Here,” she said, showing another one. “In this island has a vast cave nested within the island jungle. There’s a lot of treasure in there. Pips was tasked by the Trottingham Mayor to gather the rare treasures and had them kept in the town to prevent other bad traders from stealing them.”

“That sounds like a daring mission.”

“Which is no wonder why he called us here,” spoke Beryl. “This mission requires a lot of ponypower.”

“He and his pirate mates may have retrieved many rare treasures on this planet, but for this mission, that’s way extraordinary for him,” asserted Chaos.

“Uh, give me a break. I feel quite stressed up,” said Melody as she tried to start her breakfast.

For the rest of the day, the group spent their time accompanying the pirate crew, assisting them whenever they needed. Scootaloo and Ticky were still at loggerheads with each other, and it always took Pipsqueak to settle the situation.

At night, it was a great time for Melody to be with Chaos.

“So,” began Chaos, looking out to the sea. “Are you still feeling nervous?”

“Honestly, a bit,” she admitted. “But with you all guys with me, you all somehow lifted a bit of my burdens…” She leaned over to Chaos.

“That’s my Melly,” he finished, cuddling her.

The next afternoon, there was some breakthrough.

“Ahoy, captain! Land spotted!” a pirate called.

“Is that the island?” asked Scootaloo, looking at the map.

“Definitely is. We’re almost there. Tell everypony else to get ready,” instructed Pipsqueak.