Twilight watched as the Bloodhound was skillfully guided into a small cave barely large enough to fit the sailing vessel. Seconds after the ship was admitted, a screen was dropped over the entrance, blocking out the evening sun.
Lanterns were lit around the ship that illuminated the cave for a short distance until the roof rose up into the darkness. Crew from the Bloodhound took the mooring lines and flew them to a beach on the far side of the cave. Within minutes, the ship was secured and a gangplank lowered to the sand, allowing the non winged members of the crew to disembark without having to go swimming.
“Alright Princess, let's move!” A griffon hissed as he approached her.
Obediently, Twilight got up and allowed the griffon to lead her down the gangplank. Longhorn wasn't taking any chances with her and placed each of her friends on different parts of the ship in plain sight. All of them were gagged and bound and had at least two pirates holding various weapons to their throats.
The griffon led her to a rusty iron cage that had been placed on the beach and locked her inside. The smell of animal hair tickled her nose and Twilight wondered just what else had been held in this cage. The alicorn could only watch as her friends were placed in a much larger cage that had just been placed near one of the walls.
“Watch closely.” The griffon taunted.
A pair of pegasi flew down with a heavy rope and attached it to the top of her friends' cage. They called out to figures unseen above and the cage slowly and jerkily rose into the air, becoming darker with each tug of the rope.
“A little somethin' Captain Longhorn thought of to keep you out of trouble.” He said while pointing at the cage suspended seventy feet up.
“All it will take is one wrong move from you, and your friends will all but bury themselves.” The griffon chuckled. “So, I suggest that whatever you do, you think about it long and hard before you make a decision.”
Twilight slowly nodded. “I won't do anything.”
“Good.” The griffon hissed. “You may just survive after all.”
Twilight sat down and began to think. Over the years, she'd been in a lot of dangerous situations before, but she'd always had her friends to back her up. Now, Longhorn had in essence turned her friends against her, using them as leverage to hold Twilight prisoner.
She could try to force the inhibitor ring off, but that would take hours and the second her two guards noticed anything, her friends would be dropped seven stories into solid rock, so that was out. She could try to talk with Longhorn and convince him to let her free, but after what he did to Silent Hooves, Twilight doubted Longhorn would do such a thing.
Her only remaining option would be to wait it out and hope that the pirates made a mistake, or maybe somepony would find them.
Twilight shivered, reminded of the fact that by the cruel trick of an evil minotaur, her dear friend and teacher had just attacked and most likely destroyed the Marblehead. She hoped that nopony had been hurt in the battle, but after witnessing the massive explosion, Twilight doubted that even the Marblehead could withstand such power.
Celestia wasn't to blame for the catastrophe any more than Captain Trade Breaker, it had been Longhorn's deception that caused the fight. Twilight grit her teeth, she would make that minotaur pay dearly, and she might even enjoy it.
Four Eyes approached the familiar shape of the Marblehead, racing through the water at a speed that would make a barracuda jealous. With a simple adjustment of his fins, he dove downwards before shooting for the surface. Spray leapt up from around the seapony as he breached the surface before landing with a wet splat on the rear deck.
“For Celestia's sake, Four Eyes, you scared the livin' daylights out of me!” Night Watch said as he approached.
The seapony collapsed on the deck, his breath coming in gasps as he looked over at the thestral. Night Watch hurried to his side and looked him over.
“What's wrong, are you hurt?” He asked.
Four Eyes shook his head. “Just tired, I've been swimming all day. Tell the captain I've found the Bloodhound.”
Night Watch helped the seapony up and began carrying him to the rear structure.
“Four Eyes is back!” He called. “Somepony get the captain!”
With a feral scream, Big Sail charged at Storm Stalker lobbing fireballs at the pegasus. The mare dodged each of them with ease before flipping the large unicorn on his back. A pegasus from her crew dropped down with dagger outstretched to dig into the mare's spine, but she used Big Sail as a lever to flipped herself up and bring her rear hooves into the crewmember's belly. He flew off to one side as yet another one of her crew tried to bring a large club into contact with her head.
The unfortunate earth pony was soon the recipient of his own club as Storm Stalker brought her hoof into contact with another unicorn trying to grab her in his magic. As they fell, the mare whirled to deal a devastating strike to the pony standing behind her, only to stop herself inches from Trade Breaker's smiling face.
“Wha?” She started.
A blob of green goo spat from his mouth and promptly stuck Storm's hoof to the deck. In a flash of green fire, Drip revealed himself to the thoroughly enraged mare.
“I win!” He laughed, turning to the watching Water Rose.
The changeling made bow to his young audience shortly before a hoof smashed into the side of his face. He was knocked onto his back with the dark blue mare on top of him, holding a hoof to his throat.
“Don'. Evah. Do. That. Agin'.” She growled.
Drip nodded rapidly.
“Okay! Okay! I won't!”
Trade Breaker walked by, barely giving the two a glance.
“Storm, don't be killin' the bug just yet, we're gonna need him tonight.” He said.
The mare got off of Drip and jogged up to walk alongside her captain. Trade Breaker looked around the deck at the groaning crew.
“Ye've done quite a job on yer crew.” He remarked. “We be needin' every able hoof we have, so don't be puttin' 'em out o' commission with yer training.”
Storm spat through a porthole before answering. “They need a reminder o' the pain. Been far too long since they've seen combat.”
Trade Breaker shrugged. “Yer the expert, so I'll leave ye to it, but don't go killin' none o' yer own ponies.”
Storm smirked. “Aye Cap'n. Ah won' kill 'em, but they'll be wishin' they was dead in an hour.”
Breaker looked over at one of Storm's crew who was just now starting to recover.
“I think they be wishin' that already.” He said.
Dusk Maiden burst through the door.
“Four Eyes is back!” She said. “He found them!”
Breaker and Storm raced off behind the mare as she led them to the room where Four Eyes was resting. He tried to get up when the entered, but Trade Breaker pushed him back down.
“Don't get up.” He ordered. “Just tell us what ye found out.”
Four Eyes nodded. “It took a bit of doing, but I managed to catch up to the Bloodhound just as she was dropping anchor. Longhorn took her to an island about twenty miles west of here, an old volcano. There's a bay on the inside, but the entrance has been camouflaged. Fortunately, some seaponies had seen Longhorn sail in and told me.”
“Ye done a fine job. Did ye see what he be up to?” Breaker asked.
“Aye sir, I saw everything.” Four Eyes said. “Longhorn had almost all of his crew ashore, and they had the prisoners with them in iron cages. It looks as if he's bunkering down and setting up for a long wait.”
Trade Breaker cursed. “That's what I was afraid of.”
Storm decided to offer her opinion. “We may 'ave the advantage yet. Yew said that Longhorn's in a volcano?”
Four Eyes nodded.
“What if'n we take the Marblehead in an' use the cannons tae take out most o' his crew?”
The seapony shook his head. “No chance, the entrance is far too shallow and it curves around so we couldn't even aim at them.”
Storm sent a few choice words at whatever being had made the volcano.
“So what if'n we anchor outside o' the volcano an' force Longhorn tae hoof over the mares?” She suggested.
Trade Breaker shook his head. “Ye really think he'll let them go that easy?”
Storm lowered her eyes. “Nae, he'll kill them a'fore he lets them go.”
“Well, what about the Equestrian fleet?” Dusk Maiden asked. “What if we get them to help?”
Trade Breaker rolled his eyes. “First off, we just ran over one of their ships an' shot the Princess, so good luck convincin' them we be the good guys, second off, it presents the same problem as before, Longhorn can just hold those mares hostage and keep Celestia at bay with the threat of killing them. Speakin' o' Celestia, did sunset tonight seem a might off?”
Storm nodded. “As much as Ah hate tae admit it, Cap'n's right. If'n we stan' any chance o' takin' Longhorn by surprise, it has tae be tonight when he's jus' gettin' setup.”
“Aye.” Tradde Breaker affirmed. “Storm, ye be in charge o' this operation, I want to see what ye plan before we make the assault.”
“Not we Cap'n, yew will be stayin' on the ship.” Storm said.
Trade Breaker was stunned at first, but recovered quickly.
“Storm, I realize I may not be a real pirate, but I can still hold my own wit' a blade!” He said.
“Cap'n, yew're stayin' on the ship!” Storm yelled. “An' that's final!”
“No it ain't!” Breaker yelled back. “I'll not be standin' idle on me ship while ye are riskin' yer lives on that island!”
“Cap'n! If'n Ah have tae tie yew up an' lock yew away, Ah will!” Storm said, stomping her hoof. “But tha' islan' is off limits tae yew!”
“Storm! Ye need every hoof ye can get, now why can't ye understan' that?” Breaker asked accusingly.
“Cap'n yew put me in charge o' the lan' team!” Storm all but screamed. “So get off of mah back!”
“Storm! I-” Breaker began.
“For Celestia's sake!” Sun Flowers yelled, yanking aside a curtain.
On a bed behind the curtain lay Silent Hooves with most of his limbs in casts. Sun Flowers advanced on the captain and first mate.
“Will you two stop bickering like and old married couple and get out of here!” She barked. “This is the infirmary, not Parliament!”
Both pegasi backed away from the raging mare.
“Yes ma'am.” Breaker said before turning to Storm. “We'll discuss this later.”
Storm tried to ignore the feeling of blood rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment and simply turned tail and ran. Did she and the captain really sound like a married couple?
Dusk Maiden watched them go before returning to the side of the bed that Four Eyes was resting on.
“So, Four Eyes, you said that you saw other seaponies?” She asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, good thing too, or I might not have found the Bloodhound.”
Dusk nodded. “Yeah, that was pretty lucky. But weren't you like, you know. . . Didn't you want to stay with them?”
Four Eyes lowered his gaze and he frowned.
“Why?” He asked.
“Because aren't they your people?” Dusk said, trying to explain it. “I mean, aren't you more inclined to be with other seaponies than with us?”
“Dusk, my own family abandoned me and left me to die.” Four Eyes said. “As far as I'm concerned, the creatures aboard this ship are my family, and that includes Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. When Miss Stalker hits that island, I'm going with her.”
Dusk Maiden nodded, stunned at the shy seapony's conviction and the fact that he had learned all of the Element's names.
“Well, I guess I'll see you there.” She said before turning around walking through the doorway.
Night Watch met her outside the door. “You alright?”
“Yeah!” Dusk said a little too quickly. “I mean, yeah, I'm fine.”
Her brother placed his leathery wing over her. “Listen, if you want me to, I'll tell Storm that you should stay on board. There's no shame in being scared.”
“No!” Dusk said before she realized just how loud she had said it. “No, I'll be fine. I want to help.”
Night Watch looked at his sister closely.
“Alright.” He finally said. “But you stay close to me when we're there.”
“Okay.” Dusk nodded, trying to not think of what the next few hours could hold.