//------------------------------//
// Allies? 
// Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Storm of Friendship 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

The remaining stallions sat on the beach, just moping around with no real plan as to what to do next. They still couldn't believe that after all that they'd been through, their journey had turned into a dead end.

Then all of a sudden, Spike running up to the group! He panted, clearly out of breath. "Shining's been captured!" He cried with disdain.

"Oh, you mean he decided to surrender himself to the likes of Tempest? Why am I not surprised." Fancy Pants coldly retorted, still very much bitter from the argument he'd had earlier with his friend.

"Please, I know you're upset about the pearl stealing thing, but Shining doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from you guys!" Spike pleaded. "If you don't help him, you're as bad as he is."

Braeburn simply replied. "But he betrayed our trust and used us for his own goals. How can we ever consider him a friend again after all he's done?"

Spike only shook his head and continued to plead. "Shining's never turned his back on you guys because of an argument or misunderstanding, has he?" All the stallions replied with a "No". "So why should you be any different?" The dragon went on to say. "Think of this as your chance to prove him wrong, prove that your friendship means something. If you don't help him now, then you'll never be able to forgive yourselves if something bad happens to him because of it."

"Let's say you're right, Spike, and Shining still has a need for us," Soarin glumly replied to the dragon. "What are we supposed to do? Queen Novo was our only option, and now we've been banned from her kingdom, probably for life. Face it, we have no army, no plan, and no hope."

But just then the silence was broken as a familiar crafty voice called out. "Well I don't know about that. I've seen you ponies get out of far tougher scrapes than this." And then who should appear before the group but Capper himself, looking none the worse for wear since last they'd seen him.

Fancy Pants was hardly pleased to see the cat, he narrowed his eyes at him. "Well look what the cat dragged in, himself." He coldly declared.

Capper winced only slightly at the accusation. "I know you're still mad at me for the whole slavery thing, I realize now that it was wrong of me to treat you guys like property to be sold."

"It's a bit late for that, Capper!" Fancy Pants hissed.

"Would you just listen?" Capper advised as he threw up a paw. "I'm here to help. If not for you ponies I wouldn't be standing here, talking to you. So now it's my turn to owe all of you a favor. Together, we'll rescue your pal and defeat the Storm King and any other baddies that get in our way."

"Hey, don't forget about us, Capper!" Captain Celeano declared as she and her crew swooped down and landed next to him. "You're gonna need our help if you wanna be the hero."

Soarin (as well as the rest of the group, minus Capper who knew) was incredibly shocked to see the pirates again. "Where were you guys?! I thought for sure Tempest had gotten to you."

"Had to lay low for a while and tie up some loose ends with Capper," Gus explained. "But we're ready to help you now. After all, you got our argh back. And for that we are mighty grateful."

"We're onboard with you guys all the way," Jack added. "We even managed to put together a small ship out of what was left of the old one."

"Yeah, sorry about the mess. We certainly didn't mean to get your ship blown out of the sky like that." Thunderlane apologized.

Celeano just shook her head. "It's alright, that vessel was getting up there in miles to begin with. We were thinking of trading it in soon. As for our new ship, she ain't exactly winning any beauty contests, but she sure came in handy when we were helping Capper depose Verto."

Capper laughed and rubbed his paws together. "I don't think he'll be causing me or anyone else in Klugetown anymore trouble."





Just then there came a steadily growing glow from just beneath the surface of the water. Everyone turned to watch, and from the water who should emerge but Princess Skystar herself? But she looked considerably different, her fins and tail had been replaced by talons and she now had wings and a beak. She perched on a rock and declared. "I wanna help too! If Mom finds out she'll so ground me, but I don't care! Just because she doesn't want to fight back doesn't mean I can't! I'm tired of hiding underwater, I think it's time to take the fight to the Storm King and make him rue the day he ever missed with the Hippogriffs.

"So this is what you looked like long ago," Braeburn observed. "I'm startin' to get the feelin' there are a ton of creatures out there that do exist, despite ponies sayin' they're just urban legends."

Princess Skystar just beamed. "Maybe after this is all over, the Hippogriffs won't have to hide and we can go back to Mount Aris. Though I have to admit being a seapony isn't all bad."

Spike, meanwhile, looked out at the assembled group. "And that's it?" He seemed to question. "We didn't make any other allies at any point along the way?"

"Hey, we've got a cat, a hippogriff who's also a seapony, and an entire crew of pirates. I'd say we're doin' a lot better than we should considerin' our situation," Big Mac commented to Spike. "What, were you expectin' a cavalry or somethin'?"

"Now's not the time for arguments, guys!" Thunderlane protested. "After all the times Shining Armor has come through for us, it's our turn to return the favor! So instead of pointing hooves or other extremities, let's discuss what we're going to do and how we're going to do it."

The group members all huddled together on the beach and began to brainstorm. Spike, meanwhile, was just thinking to himself. "Hang in there, Shining Armor. We will find a way to rescue you! The good guys always win in the end!"