//------------------------------// // Chapter VII: A Secret to Everyone // Story: Across the Shimmering Sea // by Albi //------------------------------// Shining stood at the helm of his ship, both of them awashed in silent melancholy. The flotsam was minimal, but enough to tell a story. A singed barrel drifted by, a tattered piece of sail caught in the wood. More crates and wooden planks sat among the waves, the only remains of a battle no older than a day. To his left was Hollow Shoals, no bigger than his thumbnail. It basked in the cloudless afternoon sky, enjoying the sun’s glowing warmth. Shining looked from it to the calm turquoise waters filled with debris. Knowing that a naval vessel had come out here, fought, and lost against a pirate ship, and was now sitting somewhere beneath him on this bright day painted a sharp contrast in his mind. He could only presume this had been the work of whoever had taken his sister. Civilian reports from Pony Bay informed him the pirates had been seen leaving north, and a passenger ship they had passed by told Shining a ship with red sails was headed in the direction of sleepy little Hollow Shoals. He had last stepped foot into the hamlet a little under a year ago to celebrate Twilight’s eighteenth birthday. What would pirates want here? He placed the question on his ever-growing list, still topped by, why would pirates take my sister? “Captain, I think I found someone!” Rainbow shouted from across the deck. Shining ran to her side and took out his spyglass, following Rainbow’s finger to a piece of driftwood. A naval officer clung to it, clothes torn and face covered in soot. No… Shining looked harder. He’s not clinging. The man’s eyes were open, his pupils empty and lifeless. His body had held onto the wood, but his soul was long gone. Shining lowered his spyglass and shook his head. “Forget it, Rainbow,” he said, resigned. “He’s gone. I doubt there are any survivors out here.” Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but another look at the officer’s still body made her close her mouth. She scanned the sea again, then huffed in resentment. While Shining kept a calmer mask than her, he shared her frustration. Fairy tale or not, whoever was at the helm of the Crimson Heart was merciless. If it really is the Crimson Heart we’re chasing after and not some lookalike. Shining didn’t know why he was denying the idea of Sunset Shimmer and her ship having survived a century. He had heard tales of Sirens and Tatzelwurms from reliable sailors and naval captains. Sure, but an immortal demon captain? He had to draw the line somewhere. In the long run, it was all irrelevant. All the mattered was getting Twilight back. Unfortunately, the trail had gone cold. He turned his gaze to Hollow Shoals again. “Take us into port!” he called, then signaled for their accompanying ship to follow. Hopefully someone in town could give them breadcrumbs to chase after. ****** The Crimson Heart laid on its side, looking like a sad, wooden beached whale. All of the cannons and crates sat on the beach next to it, while the crew gathered in front of Sunset, who had positioned herself under a large palm tree. Twilight stood in the back, map in one hand, book in the other. “Some of you might be wondering why we’re careening in one of the bays on the back half of Haven,” Sunset said from under her hood. “Well, I want our presence here to be as discreet as possible.” Her voice grew harder. “You can also consider the walk to town and back as punishment for your screwups! Now, get into town, grab all the supplies we need to fix the holes in my ship, and get back here as soon as possible. The less pirates who know what we have, the better.” The crew let out mutters of disgruntled agreement and ‘aye-ayes’, and shuffled off, save for the little boy Twilight had come to know as Pipsqueak. He gave a hearty salute and shouted, “Yes, Captain!” before running along after Sunny Flare. It was almost enough to get Twilight to smile. A whole day of sailing had brought them to a lush green island surrounded by numerous rocks. When Twilight had been ordered up on deck, interrupting her translation of the treasure map, she saw the island of Haven was decorated by several small coves. As they circled to the back of the island, Twilight saw another pirate ship had docked on its side with its crew patching a large hole just above the water line. Twilight ignored the tropical scenery and trudged up the beach to find a large enough rock to sit upon. Here she was, the pirate capital of the Equestrian Sea. She had read about Haven in some of her books. Smugglers and traders always stopped here to swap goods, fix their ships, or gather information. Honest, innocent people lived here too, making it hard to distinguish sometimes who was morally grey and white. A day ago, Twilight might have found her circumstances fascinating. Now, she just wanted to do her forced labor and go home in one piece. She would stick to reading her fantasy stories, not being a part of them. She found a comfortable boulder near the cliffs lining the beach and clambered on, then opened her book and spread the map out on top. In the day she had spent confined to her room, Twilight had refreshed her memory on Modern Sea Script (‘modern’ being the version used just before the first settlers moved out onto the ocean and introduced Old Equestrian), and started to learn the runes and pronunciations for Old Sea Script, sometimes called the Language of the Gods. Reading her book brought calm to her turbulent soul. She almost forgot about the cannon blast that had nearly killed her, and the two ships that were now at the bottom of the ocean. She fought against another shiver down her spine and continued to read. The map had many scribbles written in tiny handwriting, mixing between Old and Modern Sea Script. Everything being backwards only added to the confusion. Twilight found treating it like a puzzle kept her from losing her patience. She traced a finger over one of the treasure markers on the map. It sat upon a cluster of islands with a short line of script floating in the water above it. The archipelago actually wasn’t too far from where they were now. Twilight mouthed out some of the runes, the ancient language tickling her tongue. Boots crunching into the sand interrupted her study, and she lifted her head to give a sharp look to Sunset. For once, Twilight got to look down at her instead of up. “Are you making progress?” Sunset asked in monotone. “Yes,” Twilight answered, equally flat. They stared at each other in silence. At least, Twilight assumed Sunset was staring at her. Sunset turned to face the ocean, but didn’t move. Without her eyes assumedly on her, Twilight went back to work. “You’re just in shock,” Sunset said. Twilight looked up again. “Excuse me?” Sunset folded her sleeves behind her back. “You saw death for the first time. It takes a while to process. You’ll get over it soon. That’s how the world works; people die everyday.” “And that makes it okay?” Twilight jumped off her rock, letting the book and map fall. “You go around shooting and burning people and it’s fine because ‘people die everyday’?” Twilight wasn’t sure where this outburst had come from, but the adrenaline rushing through her veins told her not to stop. “I guess that explains why you love to threaten your own subordinates so much! They’re all expendable as long as your stupid ship is fine!” Twilight gestured wildly to the Crimson Heart. “Remember your place, Miss Sparkle,” Sunset said lazily. “My place is a slave on your ship! The only reason I’m not expendable at the moment is because you need me to find your stupid treasure! Lucky me! I get to live to see tomorrow, provided a cannonball doesn’t hit me!” She stood in the sand, fists clenched, cheeks red, huffing and puffing while Sunset just stood there, arms still crossed behind her. After a full minute, Sunset asked, “Feeling better?” Twilight picked up her materials and climbed back onto her rock. “Minimally.” Sunset made a tiny nod and started toward her ship. “Death is part of life, Twilight Sparkle. Get used to it.” Twilight huffed and stuck her nose back into her book. Her outburst had dispelled the dark cloud sitting over her, but a sour taste now lingered on her tongue. Death may be a part of life, but killing isn’t. She engrossed herself in her work, allowing the ancient runes and dead dialects to drown out Sunset’s philosophy. She managed to block the entire world out until something fluttered onto her ear. She jumped a mile high, dropping her book into the sand once again. Swinging her head around, she saw a small blue butterfly lingering around her head. She took a moment to examine it, trying to identify its genus, when another one came over and they both retreated into the jungle. Twilight lifted her eyes to the line of trees on the cliff above her. Vines and flowers hung on the edge and left a strong, verdurous smell that mixed with the ocean breeze. It reminded Twilight of the lusher parts of Pony Bay. She spun around and stared at the ocean, sparkling under the sun. Twilight inhaled softly as she reached down to retrieve her book and dust the sand off. “I’m still alive. I can still enjoy this,” she said softly. She continued her work at a more relaxed pace, taking time to look up at the sea. ****** Lemon Zest had tread through the jungle path before, ducked under large leafy fans and been smacked by branches Indigo had pushed out the way and let snap back into Lemon’s face. But breaking through the trees and seeing the town of Haven still brought a grin to her face. It sloped down along a hill dotted with large green bushes and shaded by tall trees. Sturdy wooden houses were sprinkled along the hill, placed at uneven intervals, but looking perfectly natural. The town continued down to the water, where a long network of docks had been built. What started as solid construction turned into ramshackle and hastily built walkways that shook when the wind blew. Similar looking shacks had been built alongside the docks. A few ships sat not too far off, anchors down and sails rolled up. Lemon hurried in Indigo’s wake, grinning at the picturesque image of potential pirate adventures. Last time she had been here, she had gotten into a bar fight! She crossed her fingers hoping it would happen again. Indigo looked over her shoulder. “No.” “What?” Lemon frowned. “You don’t even know what I’m thinking.” “You’re thinking of going to the bar, getting in trouble on purpose to start a fight, and then winning said fight like last time,” Sunny Flare said from behind, words running a mile a minute. Lemon shrugged innocently, happy Sunny couldn’t see her impish grin. “I just wanted a drink.” Indigo stopped on the hillside, halting the two girls and Pipsqueak who brought up the rear. “Lemon, I know bar fights fit your ‘pirate image’, but we don’t have time for your flights of fancy. We fix the ship, then shove out.” Lemon put her hands behind her head. “Sometimes I wonder who’s wound more tight, you or the captain.” Indigo balled her fists and resumed her march. “I’m doing my best not to get burned alive. That includes doing what the captain says. Even if she’s a complete bitch about it,” she mumbled. “Well, you would know,” Lemon said at equal volume. “Hey!” Pipsqueak shouted from the back. “Sunset’s the captain and what she says goes! That’s how being captain works!” “Unsinkable logic right there,” Sunny said. Lemon could hear the smirk in her voice. “Listen, if you want my opinion—” “Not really,” Lemon and Indigo said simultaneously. “—avoiding the bar is the best option,” Sunny continued like they had said nothing. “Just in case one of us says something she shouldn’t about you-know-what.” Indigo looked past Lemon and locked eyes with Sunny. “Please tell me you see the irony in that statement,” she said, eyes lidded. “Hey, just because I’m a conversationalist, doesn’t mean I’m a blabber-mouth. I know perfectly well how to keep a secret. The very idea that I of all people would let the details of our entire operation out to the public is—” “Completely possible,” Lemon finished. “It’s not that you have a loose tongue, it’s that you have a motor mouth. They keep you talking long enough, you’ll say something stupid eventually.” Sunny huffed and stuck her nose into the air. The path zigzagged down the hill, taking them through the town. The more honest workers, farmers and fishermen, gave them wary looks, quick reminders not to cause too much trouble, even if Haven was mostly run by pirates. Lemon and Sunny had to take long strides to keep up with Indigo’s quick gait, leaving poor Pipsqueak to half run, half stumble down the hill after them. The town leveled out at the base of the hill, and the pungent smell of fish overrode the floral and fragrant smells of the jungle. Lemon inhaled eagerly, catching the scent of rum and body odor. She exhaled and slumped her shoulders. “So, what are we doing here, anyway? The rest of the crew is perfectly capable of doing all the hard stuff.” Indigo didn’t say anything as they walked onto the docks and stopped in front of a larger wooden shack with a decrepit sign in front reading, “Haven’s Heaven.” Jovial shouts and clinging cups could be heard from inside. Sunny looked from Indigo’s neutral face to Lemon’s starry-eyed stare. “I thought you said we weren’t going to the bar?” “I never said that. I said we’re not going to indulge Lemon’s stupid bar fantasy.” “So why are we here?” Indigo grit her teeth. “I need to see a man about some misinformation we got.” Sunny’s eyes widened and she nodded in understanding, then scowled and jerked a thumb at Lemon. “But why did we bring her?” “Because, if something happens and we do get in a fight…” Indigo cracked her neck and her knuckles. “I want to make sure we win.” She pushed the door open and walked inside. Lemon followed close behind, sticking her tongue out at Sunny. Sunny scowled again and tagged along, keeping a hand on Pipsqueak’s shoulder. The floorboards gave an unhealthy squeak beneath Lemon as she stepped inside. She paid it little mind as she sized up the bar’s patrons, various rouges and tough looking sea-goers. She spotted a few obvious pirates as well, boasting stories up at the front. Lemon kept a finger near her right flintlock pistol strapped to her waist as she followed Indigo through the dim room. They stopped at a table in the back corner, where a man with shaggy seaweed green hair was already facedown, snoring into the wood with a drink in his hand. Indigo snatched it and turned what little remained over on his head. He snorted a few times and rolled his head onto his arm. “Whaaaat?” he mumbled. Indigo slammed her hands on the table, and he bolted right up. “Oi! Can’t a man get some sleep?” He squinted his bleary eyes. “That you, Indigo?” Indigo grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him out of his seat. “Murky, we need to have a talk.” Murky rolled his head back and groaned. “Can’t even have a drink without being accosted. All right, what’s got your breeches in a twist?” Indigo threw him back into his seat, then sat down on the opposite side of the table. She jerked her head to Lemon and Sunny. Lemon nodded in returned and turned her back to the table, blocking the two from sight. If she turned her head, she could see Indigo from the corner of her eyes. “Murky,” Indigo began, clenching her fists under the table. “You gave me an old picture of Twilight Velvet and told me she was in Pony Bay.” “Yeah, I remember something like that. What’s the problem?” “You forgot to mention she was dead,” Indigo said, hissing between her teeth. “She is?” Murky paused for a while. “Huh, would explain a few things. Okay, okay, don’t give me that look! I didn’t know when I sold you that information! I got it from Berry Punch! Blame her! ‘Course, she was drunk at the time…” “She’s always drunk!” “Fair point. Well, how’d you find out she was dead?” Indigo eased back in her chair and crossed her arms. “We sailed to Pony Bay and kidnapped her brat of a daughter. Lucky for you, she takes after her mom.” Murky started chuckling. “So that was you lot! Word across the sea is that some pirates up and raided pretty Pony Bay and made out with a hostage.” Indigo swore. “News traveled all the way here that fast?” “‘Course it did. From what I’m hearing, that girl you stole wasn’t just Velvet’s daughter. Apparently, she has a brother who’s pretty high up in naval command, and he’s huntin’ for the pirates who took his sister.” While Indigo swore again, Lemon shivered with excitement. Pirate hunters, ancient treasures, life or death battles! Being a pirate was better than she could have hoped! Running from home was still the best decision she had ever made. “The captain’s gonna love to hear about that,” Sunny said under her breath. “Should we be worried?” Pipsqueak asked, looking up at Lemon with a pout on his adorable face. Lemon reached over and ruffled his bandanna. “Nah, you’ve seen what the captain can do. We’re fine.” Indigo drummed her fingers on the table. “Terrific. We’ve got Rarity and the Royal Navy chasing us. Picked a great time to patch up the ship.” She stood up, her chair screeching across the wooden floor. “I ought to gut you like a fish, Murky, but since we got what we wanted in the end, I’ll let you go this time.” Murky didn’t appear phased in the slightest. “You know, you never did tell me why you needed a cartographer so bad—” Indigo whipped out her sword and leveled the point to his throat. Beads of sweat instantly welled up on his forehead. She pushed the tip against his adam’s apple. “The less questions you ask about that, the better.” Indigo held her sword there until Murky began trembling, then sheathed it and turned to leave. They were close to the door when three figures crossed their path. They were all burly, and had unkempt hair that fell over their eyes. The one in the middle stood a head shorter than his two companions. He brushed his white hair aside to look at Indigo, a smug grin on his face. “I recognize your pretty faces,” he said. “You’re working for the fabled demon captain, aren’t you?” He tried to sound gentlemanly, but the slight slur of his words and the stink of alcohol just made Lemon want to punch him even harder. “Sorry.” Indigo put a hand just over his head then pulled it across, leveling it to her chin before raising it to the top of her head. “You must be this tall to ride this pony, let alone ask her questions.” His smug grin started to falter. “Not a very friendly answer.” Lemon saw his hand drop down near the hilt of his sword, and her own hand tensed. “I don’t suppose we can talk this out over a drink?” Indigo snorted. “You wish.” The man’s smile returned. “Funny you should mention that,” he said in a lower voice. “I was hoping you might know where I could find one.” Lemon’s gut relayed a signal to her hand, and it whipped her right pistol out almost of its own accord. A shot rang out through the tavern, and the small lead ball whizzed right past Indigo’s arm, and embedded itself into the short man’s shoulder. He gripped the wound and staggered into his thicker brown haired companion. Sunny took the opportunity to shoulder tackle the remaining opponent into a nearby table, spilling the drinks of its occupants. The two older, gruff looking sailors stood up and drew out their swords, and in a matter of seconds, the entire room was in an uproar. Sunny grabbed Pipsqueak by the hand, drawing her sword with her other, and dove through the opening she and Lemon had made. Indigo kicked the brown one back into a wooden pillar, giving the building a violent shake, enough to get everyone to freeze for a moment. Another shot rang out, and the fighting quickly resumed. “Now this is what I’m talking about!” Lemon yelled as she ducked under someone’s fist. She swiped a bottle of rum off the nearest table and smashed it over her current assaulter's head, spilling alcohol everywhere. Lemon then brought her empty weapon around and whipped it across another girl’s face before jumping onto a nearby table to avoid getting lunged at. The table groaned in agony, threatening to give under her weight. Lemon used it as a launchpad and jumped off, landing on someone else’s shoulders and taking them to the ground. She pulled her cutlass out and parried a quick jab from another pirate. She pushed to the inside of his guard and thrust, only scratching the front of his shirt thanks to his quick reflexes. Lemon sidestepped his riposte and slashed his side, sending him to the floor with a spurt of blood. She jumped over him, inching closer to the exit while fights continued on both sides of her. A bullet flew past her ear, the windtrail brushing against her. She considered pulling out her second pistol and returning fire, but Indigo appeared and yanked her by the arm, jabbing another pirate with her rapier to clear the space to the door. The two girls ran out, finding Sunny and Pipsqueak near the shore. Lemon put her sword and gun away, and let out a loud mirthful laugh. “Now that’s how you have a good time!” Pipsqueak crossed his arms and stuck his lower lip out. “How come I couldn't be part of the fight?” “Because if something happens to you, captain will probably kill all of us,” Sunny said. She dipped her head toward Indigo. “Guess you were right about having Lemon in a fight.” Indigo forcefully stowed her sword, the hilt clanging against the sheath. “We shouldn’t have had a fight in the first place. How the hell did that nobody know about—” “Nice fight you started in there, girls,” a raspy voice called from near the bar’s entrance. “Bet half of them don’t even know what they’re fighting about.” Indigo placed a palm against her face. “Dammit, why today?” Lemon looked back at the new pirate strutting toward them. She had a longcoat draped lazily over her shoulders, and a small shirt that showed off her midriff. A feathered hat sat on her hair, spiked bangs with purple tips. She had tanned skin, and was both well toned and nearly a foot taller than Indigo. “How are you, Zappy?” she said with a feral grin. “Not now, Gilda, we’ve got places to be,” Indigo snapped. Gilda put a hand on her hip and leaned forward. “Oh yeah? Like hunting for a treasure of legend, eh?” The four pirates tensed. Lemon’s hand gravitated toward her left pistol, trigger finger still itching and ready to go. Indigo tilted her head back toward her crew members and dropped her voice to her accusatory growl. “Seriously, who blabbed?” “Oh, none of your little crew told me anything.” Gilda tapped her temple. “Some things, you just know, savvy? Don’t worry though, your secret’s safe with me. Don’t want too many pirates all trying to claim the same prize.” “That ‘prize’ is ours!” Pipsqueak said, pushing in front of Indigo. “Captain found the map first!” Gilda stared down at him, biting her lip to stop from laughing. “Where’d you find this guppy?” Indigo pushed him back. “He stowed away. Captain finds him endearing.” She locked eyes with Gilda. “And I know you’re not dumb enough to cross Sunset Shimmer.” “I dunno.” Gilda took a step back and examined each of them. “If she’s got whelps like you onboard, maybe she’s not as tough as the legends say.” “Captain Sunset is the best captain ever!” Pipsqueak shouted. Sunny clapped a hand over his mouth. “Your enthusiasm is appreciated, Pip, but now might not be the best time to talk.” Lemon tapped the handle of her gun, keeping her eyes locked with Gilda. She’s right. Actions speak louder than words. Indigo’s heel slammed into her shin, and Lemon teetered over in pain. Gilda grinned at the spectacle. “Good call, Zappy. Your captain might be big and bad, but I can take you all on.” She turned on her heel and headed back down the docks. “Better keep an eye over your shoulder, because I’ll be right behind you guys until I find a way to take that map.” Indigo watched her for a moment before abruptly turning and heading up the hill, leaving Lemon with the strong temptation to just shoot Gilda in the back of the head. Sunny, however, nudged her hard and gestured for them to follow. “Why didn’t you let me shoot her? Now we have Rarity, the Royal Navy, and Gilda to worry about.” “Because, she would have outdrawn you. You may be a good shot, but Gilda is better.” Indigo huffed and headed back for the jungle. “And I’m not in the mood to lose anymore crew members.” Sunny beamed. “See, she does like us.” “Marginally.” “What do we do now?” Pipsqueak asked, running to catch up with Indigo. “What do we tell Captain Sunset?” Indigo looked back at all of them. “We tell her that Mr. big brother is after us and nothing else.” “What about—” “Nothing else,” she repeated, giving Pipsqueak a hard stare. “No matter how we spin this, she’s going to think someone said something, and someone is going to die. Do you want someone to die?” “No,” Pipsqueak said, a tremble in his voice. “Neither do I. So, everyone keep your mouths shut. Aye?” “Aye!” they chorused. As they walked back up the hill, Lemon stretched her arms over her head and took one last look at the bar, a familiar grin on her face. I’d say today was a good day!