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// 7 - Magic Solves Everything 
// Story: Twilight's Pirate Adventures 
// by David Silver 
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Twilight lifted the table in her magic, turning it to more directly face the damage.

"I said get out!" repeated the barkeep, approaching with a furious expression and mace going high, ready to bash in a pretty pony head.

"This isn't too bad." With a flash, the cut vanished from the wood, and she gently set it back where it started. "Sorry for the trouble, we weren't--"

"--Was that a trick?" The bartender's mace dropped, his arm slackening. He put his unhindered hand out and rubbed over the spot that had been cut through. "Huh..." He knocked just to be certain. "Huh... Well... Guess ye can stay afterall... if you can fix a few other things while yer at it."

Celaeno put a hand out in front of Twilight. "She'd be happy to, for a fair price. Fixing the table makes us even for the trouble, and we'll try to avoid any more of it."

Moll looked amused by the whole thing. "Never change. I'm with them, so I ain't leaving just yet."

Spike blinked at Moll. "You a--" Moll had popped a hoof into his mouth before he could finish his question, and he huffed as best he could around it.

Mullet shrugged. "We'll head up to our room and stop making a fuss around here."

Twilight pointed to the door. "Actually, we were just leaving, but we'll be back." She looked over her shoulder at Celaeno, "Where to first?"

Celaeno gestured for the door and led the band of pirates and princesses free into the street ahead of the tavern. "So, why are you still here, Moll?"

Moll shrugged softly. "You can blame me fer being interested, can ye?" She leaned back a little, allowing her green eyes to be more visible beneath her tri-fold hat. "So, looking for Greybeard was it?"

Spike hiked a thumb as he walked along with the others. "That's the name of the Pirate Lord, right? Him. Are they a him?"

"He is." Moll stepped ahead. "And I know exactly where he's hiding."

Celaeno rolled a hand impatiently. "And how much are ye asking for the privilege of learning?"

Moll trotted along nonchalantly. She bounced up onto a railing, moving along it with one hoof directly in front of the other as if it were a natural way for a pony to walk. "I was thinking of heading that way myself anyway. Ye see, have some business with the old blighter."

Twilight glanced at her friends before shrugging and following after Moll. "Thinking is one thing, but how soon are you planning on visiting?"

"Now that's a bright question." She launched free of the rail and spun as she did so, coming down facing Twilight, about ten feet ahead of her. "The way I'm seeing it, lass, ye can make me hurry up, or just follow me around until I get around to it. Either way suits me."

Mullet shrugged. "We don't have a schedule."

Twilight's eyes widened at that. "You might not, but--"

Celaeno tried to silence Twilight, but the damage was done. Moll was grinning mischievously. "Well, guess you should do what you can to get me pointed in the right direction."

Spike threw up his hands before letting them flop down in a mighty shrug. "What do you want?" he asked with a defeated tone.

"Aw, don't be like that." Moll waved a hoof before stepping aside to let a burly sailor get past her, holding a large box. "You're new with a sword, I can tell. You should be full of energy, not--"

"--About that..." Twilight turned to Spike, giving him a pointed and appraising look. "When did you get a real sword?"

Neither Celaeno nor Mullet moved to assist Spike, caught in Twilight's judging gaze. Spike nervously laughed before pointing right at the two birds. "I was carrying it, you know, since I dropped it in the water, and I forgot to give it back. Since we were in a fight, well...?"

Twilight raised a hoof and waved it left and right slowly in front of Spike. "And you just had it before then, out of coincidence. You kept dashing off to work with them on 'pirate stuff' like 'sewing'." She raised her brows. "Do I have that right?"

Spike took a half-step back. "I really did learn how to sew!" he hotly defended before the bluster escaped him with a sigh. "And how to swing this..."

Twilight shook her head. "No #1 assistant of mine is going to hurt somepony like that."

"Twilight... I've..." He clasped his hands together. "I mean, I've already kinda... killed a person before."

Twilight blinked, going numb. "What?"

Moll thrust her head just ahead of Twilight. "As charming as this family squabble is, this hardly seems to be the time or place for it." She gestured with little flicks of her head at other grizzled sorts that were enjoying the show. "How about we retire somewhere a little more... private?"

As the group began to move, Mullet moved beside Spike. "Were you kidding, boy? I didn't figure you for the type."

Spike shrugged softly. "I mean... I didn't mean to, at the time, but a lot of things were going on, and I am a dragon, and fire only does so many things to people."

Mullet winced at the idea. Death by fire was not one of the more pleasant ways to meet one's maker. "And ye never brought it up with Twilight." He looked ahead to the stiff steps Twilight was taking. "I thought you were pretty close."

"I am! I mean, we are! It's just..." He worried his fingers together as he waddled ahead. "It was in the heat of the moment... I just kinda tried to forget about it..."

Mullet lowered a hand to Spike's shoulder, gripping the young reptile firmly. "All the more reason ye shouldn't. It's a big deal, that first time. One never forgets it. Good or bad, one never forgets it."

Spike replied with a shaking nod before hurrying ahead, Mullet's hand slipping free. He rushed up to Twilight's side. "I'm, uh... sorry..."

"What about?" asked Twilight in a quiet voice, walking forward in those oddly stiff steps.

"For not saying anything..." He glanced away and back at Twilight. "It was to save you, both times. You're important, you know, to more than Equestria..."

Twilight cocked a brow. "Mmm?" She didn't look over though, eyes forward, steps awkward.

"I know we have our... fights once in a while, but... you're the most important pony I know. I mean, to me." He put a hand on his chest as he walked. "I love you, Twilight. Uh, not like... that... you know... like family. You're..."

Twilight reached over and pulled him closer, her other three legs walking, still stiff. "I need time, Spike, but... I love you too."

He smiled at that, and went quiet, just walking along with her and giving her time to process things.

Celaeno advanced, leaving the pony and dragon to one another's company. She closed the distance with Moll. "Look, she may be distracted at the moment, but I'm not. If you're thinking you can--"

Moll held up a hoof. "Hold that thought. I'm not trying to foalnap your princess, already said that. She's far too cute, like a foal, really. Just the idea that her little dragon met the world and didn't back down has her in knots." She shook her head a little. "We're going to my ship. We'll find answers there."

"Your ship?!" hissed out the parrot captain in a harsh whisper. "I don't make it a habit to visit other people's ships unless I'm plundering or I know them very well. Which category are you falling under?"

Moll laughed, taking a powerful little hop and clacking her booted hooves together mid-air in an equine skip. "One or the other, I suppose, but the more we're together, my well-seasoned lass, the more ye get to know me. Maybe you'll leave me with my boots when you're done?"

"No promises." Celaeno had a wry smile though, the angry tension seeming to ebb between the two sea-salts. "Just don't mess with our passengers."

"Can't promise that." Moll peeked over her shoulder at Twilight and Spike. "Pretty sure I'll be rocking both their worlds, just a little. They'll be fine though, that I feel confident enough about."

They cut a path through the docks. Moll's ship was not stationed near Celaeno's, taking about half an hour of hiking to reach. No other pirates attempted to make good on their royal cargo, though some eyes followed the two, alicorn and her dragon companion, as the group passed them by.

A loud bark greeted them as they approached the fine-looking vessel. From its deck waved a familiar canine. "Captain! Celly! And you're not tearing each other apart!" The mastiff sounded quite happy for every portion of his statement. "Let me get the plank down." He quickly threw the plank over the side and it slammed down against the dock, ready for use.

Mullet looked slightly suspicious. "Too scared to keep your plank down?" He crossed his arms, but approached regardless.

Celaeno cast a glance aside at her fellow captain. "That doesn't match the bravado I've seen so far." Like Mullet, she boarded despite her words.

Twilight stopped and looked to Spike silently a moment. "Do you still want a ride?"

Spike heard the uncertainty in her voice and became doubtful himself. Was that question a test? "I'll never turn one down," he decided out loud with a smile, a thumb thrusting upwards. He mounted his equine caretaker and gave her a firm hug around the neck.

Twilight smiled gently before starting to ascend the plank. "We'll need to talk... But you're still Spike, Spike."

That confirmation seemed enough for the both of them, and the ascended onto the ship without awkward steps. The deck of the ship had six souls wandering around, but they looked more bored than busy. Only one seemed to be mid-task, hurrying below deck with a tray of something.

Henry slapped Moll's shoulder once she was close enough. "Welcome back, Captain."

Moll threw her head back at the plank as she stepped off of it. "Get that back up. Our guest nice and snug?"

"Demanding, but in one piece." Henry grabbed the plank and hefted it up with a tremendous heave, slowly turning before he let it fall to the deck. "He said to tell you he wanted to talk to you."

"That makes this fast." Moll nodded before looking to the guests on the deck,  Twilight and the other. "You were looking for Greybeard, were you not?"

Twilight lifted an ear, then the other. "You aren't...?"

Celaeno waved at the pony. "She clearly is. How did you end up with Greybeard?!"

Moll folded one leg over the other as she dipped in a formal bow. "By not being a horse's back end and treating the old coot just right. It's amazing what ye can get by just being polite."

Henry laughed at the display. "And people wonder why I like it on this ship. We have him, but it's up to him who he sees or not, we promised him that. We can tell him you want to talk."

Moll nodded towards his crewdog. "Exactly so. Any particular message ye want us to pass towards him?"

Celaeno gestured a hand at Twilight. "Tell him the literal Princess of Friendship is here and would be delighted to shake, er, hooves with him. If that doesn't get him to at least see her, not sure what else would. Not like anyone with that title is likely out for blood."

Twilight took a sudden step forward, Spike wobbling atop her from the abrupt motion. "Be sure to mention I'm here as a friendly envoy, from Equestria."

Spike slid down from Twilight, watching Moll trot towards the stairs heading into the holds. "Do you think he'll want to talk to us?"

Twilight nodded. "I'm not sure what we'll learn, but we'll at least talk."