At that moment, the Sea Raiders were in a tough situation. As they crossed the Sea of Beru, they tried to run away from the Demoniac, which kept firing at them. Fortunately, Chaos was able to dodge them all.
“Dusk!” Clover called at the prow, where he was with Mallet. “Looks like Bones is extra mad today.”
“Don’t sweat it, Clov” Dusk replied, while steering the helm of the prow. “Chaos, our fine ship, is about to give me all he has got.”
He pulled the level to increase Chaos’ speed to his fullest. While the Chaos dodged the Demoniac’s fire, Bones looked into them with his telescope, while saying:
“That vermin Storm think he can just steal my planetarium?”
He turned to a skeleton next to him and ordered:
“Teach him the consequences!”
The skeleton saluted to him and went to obey his general’s orders. It was then that the Demoniac opened fire with missiles that were to hit the Chaos directly. Noticing that, Dusk had an idea and spun the helm, causing the Chaos to make a sharp turn and evade the missiles. After that, Dusk returned Chaos to his full speed and continued their way. After that, Opal contacted him through the communicator and told him, while trying to deal with the alert warnings she was getting:
“Dusk, the engine is running out of maximum power already. If you continue this way, it will go boom!”
However, the fact the Demoniac continued to fire on them was really troubling. Calabrass, looking around, told Dusk:
“Port! Now!”
Dusk looked port and saw nothing but rifts.
“Into the rifts?” he asked. “That’s crazy! Besides, the Dezer vortex is starboard.”
“I’ve scoured this sea from end to end when I was a pirate” Calabrass replied. “Bones will never be able to follow us while smashing his ribs into those rifts.”
But it was then that Star told Dusk, while using his sextant and pointing starboard:
“Dusk, the vortex is two northern miles that way.”
Dusk pondered on the options he had and decided to follow the one he knew it was best.
“Sorry, Calabrass, but Star is our navigator” he replied, starting to turn starboard. “Set a course to Dezer!”
“Sure…” Calabrass grunted. “Don’t listen to the advice of the greatest pirate of the Seven Seas.”
Noticing the Chaos changing course, heading towards the vortex, the Demoniac also followed them.
“Fire!” Golden Bones ordered.
And they launched from the bow a missile that went underwater while heading towards the Chaos. It hit the ship, causing the crew on it to lose their balance for a moment. After that, Opal told Dusk:
“Captain, the Chaos is completely out! Another hit and there’s a sixty-seven per cent chance of sinking!”
“Which means there’s still a twenty-three per cent chance we’ll make it” Dusk replied with a smile. “I like those odds.”
Dusk pulled the level to make the Chaos goes as fast as he could having in count the damages he got, right when the Demoniac made an attack. The explosion caused by it caused Chaos to make a big jump that was intensified by the power of the engines, allowing the ship to pass through the vortex which closed before the Demoniac could cross.
Infuriated by their failure, Golden Bones punched the nearest skeletons, causing him to break apart.
“One day, Dusk Storm, you’re luck will fail and I swear I will be there to see it.”
Chaos arrived to Dezer, but he crashed into its sands, completely out. The crew got all up, while recovering their senses from the crash. Opal got out from the engine room, from where smoke came out, and said to Dusk:
“Captain, the husk has only thirty-seven percent of resistence and the engine is only at twent-six point zero four percent. We have to stop to do repairs now.”
“See, if you have followed my advice, the Chaos would be fine” Calabrass told Dusk.
“And we would be nowhere near Dezer” Star replied to him. “It’s a good thing you’re not steering the ship.”
“Before getting trap on this sword, I was the greatest pirate in all world, wingy!” Calabrass exclaimed.
“Untill ye were cursed and now ye’re just key” Clover replied, doing his pirate voice, appearing in front of Calabrass. “Yeah, yeah, we all know the story.”
That little remark of Clover really upset Calabrass, who grunted and said, while looking to the helm in front of him:
“If only I could hold the helm once again, I…”
“Come on, Cal, quit your bellyaching” Dusk told his talking sword, while taking him. “You’re my right-hoof dude. One day, you’ll totally save us from this crazy Triangle.”
“Aey, perhaps…” he replied. “But what about me? Who’ll save me?”
That question really confused Dusk. In fact he had not thought about that. What would be of Calabrass when all the waypoints had been unlocked?
Later, inside of the captain’s cabin, all the crew was looking into the planetarium they had stole from Golden Bones. It was made of many golden rings, with two exterior ones having measuring scales and the ones inside possessing pyramids. At the center there was six-pointed star.
“That’s the thing we stole from Bones?” Clover asked. “It looks like a puzzle. I hate puzzles!”
“It’s a diagram, Clover” Star replied. “A diagram of Dezer. These are the flying pyramids.”
“By Rockhoof’s shovel!” Mallet shouted, while looking the rings with the pyramids moving. “They’re moving!”
“Thanks to this planetarium, we’ll be able to discover the exact location of the Dezer Waypoint” Dusk said, while seating on his chair.
“And open it” Calabrass added.
“If the Chaos doesn’t go kaput completely” Opal told. “Not to mention if Bones doesn’t completely annihilate us and…”
“Bones shouldn’t be your biggest worry on this waters, lassie” Calabrass answered.
Opal didn’t understand what he meant, but Star did.
“Anpu…” he said, remembering the jackal Guardian that almost turned him into a mummy and was the main reason why they couldn’t unlock the Dezer Waypoint at the first time they located it. “He still guards the Waypoint and last time he nearly crushed us.”
Suddenly, Clover interrupted his thoughts by shouting:
“The pyramids, there! They’re lining up! Oh, I like this puzzle… It’s easy.”
And they saw the pyramids of each ring forming a perfect line and Opal said:
“Those are the exact coordinates for the Dezer Waypoint.”
She hasted to take her device and place the coordinates there, resulting in the location they were needing.
“There…” Star said, pointing to the screen of the device where there was a big pyramid located where the coordinates were, with it being guarded by two lines of three other smaller pyramids. “This pyramid…”
“And those pyramids are moving” Dusk said, while looking to the planetarium. “This means the Waypoint won’t stay there for long. Okay, guys, set a course for the Dezer Waypoint!”
They all went to their stations and Dusk started conducting the Chaos, who was now using his metallic legs, to head towards the Dezer Waypoint. While they were climbing a big dune where they would find the Waypoint, the ship started to have signs of tireness, all due to the damages he had.
“Come on, Chaos, get a move on” Dusk told him. “The Waypoint is close. Now is not the time to give up.”
But then the Chaos just stopped, all while struggling. It was then he lost his strength and fall from the dune, hitting the ground and falling over his left side, all while tossing out his crew who was at the deck. Recovering from that, Dusk turned to the engine room and asked:
“Opal, what’s wrong?!”
She came out, a little disoriented, and replied:
“The Chaos blocked completely.”
“You should have listened to me, lad, but no…” Calabrass said. “Your airhead navigator brother has more credibility than me.”
“Call me airhead once again and my hoof will be navigated towards your mouth” Star threatened the talking sword, while approaching him.
“That’s enough, you two!” Dusk told them, while getting up and turning to Opal. “Opal, hand over the repairs and we’ll secure the Waypoint.”
She nodded to him and then took a communicator from her bag and handed it to Dusk, saying:
“Take this. That way I can keep you posted if the planetarium changes.”
“Excellent” Dusk replied, while receiving the communicator and guarding it, turning then to Star and Mallet. “Let’s move out!”
They then started walking through the sand of Dezer. The blazing sun was really making them uncomfortable, specially Mallet, who was not very used to very hot temperatures. Even Star had to avoid flying in order to not waste too much energy. It was then they arrived to the location of the seven pyramids. While they were advancing, Dusk told his companions:
“Hurry up, guys. The Waypoint won’t wait for slowpokes.”
As they continued to walk, Star said:
“The Waypoint is not very far… There!”
It was then they saw it. The Waypoint was not very distant from them, looking exactly like the last time they found it.
“I can’t believe it…” Dusk said, while Mallet took his sword and he and Star prepared for anything that could come to them. “The Dezer Waypoint!”
They run to it and, once they reached it, Mallet and Star positioned themselves to cover Dusk who said:
“Mission accomplished!”
“No monsters to bash, mission easy!” Mallet said, while hoof bumping Dusk.
“Too easy…” Star commented, not liking how they had found the Waypoint without facing any of Anpu’s forces, knowing how protective he was of it. “And still… no Guardian in sight.”
“What’s to complain about?” Dusk asked. “Relax, Star. After all, it’s thanks to you we got here so fast.”
Hearing Dusk telling that made Calabrass really get saddened, as it was like his own experience as a pirate captain was getting insignificant to their mission of finding the Waypoints. He was only a sword and a key, nothing more.
“One more Waypoint on the way back home” Mallet replied, happily.
“You said it, Mallet” Dusk said.
He approached the lock of the Waypoint and asked his trusty sword:
“Ready, Calabrass?”
“Great key at your command” he sighed, without any enthusiasm.
Dusk took Calabrass, but, at moment, suddenly, there was a big yellow light and Anpu appeared right in the middle of the Dusk, Star and Mallet.
“Anpu?!” the Sea Raiders called.
He then proceeded to grab Dusk and raise him in the air, while trying to crush him. Star and Mallet tried to attack him, but one of his tentacles swept them away, causing the latter to fall over one of former’s wings. Hearing Star scream of pain, Mallet told:
“Oh Mallet is very sorry” he said to Star, while hasting to get out of his wing. “Is Star okay?”
“Yes, a little rest and my wing will be fine…” he replied.
With another tentacle, Anpu took Calabrass from Dusk who called:
“Calabrass!”
After that, he threw Dusk away and laughed, while making the tentacle give Calabrass to him. With a yellow light, he teleported away.
“Calabrass!” Dusk called again.
At the Chaos, Clover was at the captain’s cabin looking to the planetarium. He then noticed the pyramids starting to drove away from each other. Knowing what that meant, he teleported away to where Opal was repairing the Chaos and told her:
“Opal, I think we have a problem. The puzzle is getting hard again.”
Before that information, she took her communicator and contacted Dusk.
Near the Waypoint, Mallet said:
“Without Calabrass, we’re stranded.
Feeling the communicator activating, Dusk took it and he heard Opal saying:
“Chaos here. You better hurry. The pyramids are leaving the alignment.”
“Roger, Opal” he replied, while turning down the call.
“We need to find Anpu and rescue Calabrass” Star said. “The Waypoint is going to disappear again.”
They looked around, trying to find the pyramid that could belong to Anpu.
“This is useless” Dusk said. “There’s many pyramids in Dezer. Just here we have seven. It will take forever to search through them all.”
Using all he had experienced the last time he encountered Anpu, Star was able to determinate which one was.
“That one!” he said, pointing to the big one that was nearby. “That’s Anpu’s.”
“Are you sure of it?” Dusk asked.
“Trust me” Star replied. “Once you’ve been there, you never forget.”
Inside the pyramid, Anpu was in what appeared to be the throne room. It was a decorated room with what appeared to be a manufacturing system. There was also two sets of stairs, one at each side, that were leading to a upper level where there was a big throne at the middle sided between two big snake statues that were a little ahead. Anpu was sitting on the throne, while he had a guard made of eight pony mummies, four on each side.
“I had suspected that Dusk Storm could try to open the Waypoint” Anpu told Calabrass who was being held by one of the tentacles. “So I just had to wait.”
“Ah, you’ve made a fatal mistake, dog” Calabrass replied. “You shouldn’t have wasted your trap on picking me. Dusk Storm and his Sea Raiders don’t let themselves be caught twice.”
“Perhaps…” Anpu replied. “No doubt they will come for you. But when they do, are they coming to save their friend or reclaim their possession?”
That question really caught Calabrass off-guard, as that was the exact same doubt he was having.
“What if I offered you a new chance, Calabrass?” Anpu asked. “I wonder if you would still think I made a fatal mistake.”
Dusk, Star and Mallet went to Anpu’s pyramid and got in. Once there, they started to move quietly and attentive. But then they found themselves surrounded by an army of mummies. Star and Mallet didn’t hesitate to start battle, but Dusk found himself trying to reach Calabrass, only to remember he had been taken.
“Without Call, I’ll have to improvise” he said.
He then started fighting the mummies, but, despite being able to knock down some of them, he soon was pinned down by one. He tried to get the mummy off him, but it was a very hard task to do. Mallet and Star noticed that and the former hit the mummy with his sword, while saying:
“No touch Captain Dusk!”
“Thanks, Mallet” Dusk said, while getting up. “I can do just fine by myself now, you know. I’m still…”
“An easy prey without Calabrass” Star replied, approaching. “I really need to teach you some magic moves.”
“Wait a minute…” Dusk said, remembering what his brother said about him being an easy prey. “That’s it, Star! You’re a genius! Follow me!”
And he started to move away, much to the confusion of Star and Mallet who followed him.
At Anpu’s throne room, he started to make Calabrass a proposition:
“What would you say if I offered you a prime position in my army?”
“You mean your team of walking papyruses?” Calabrass asked, referring to the mummies. “Hardly a prime position.”
“Think about it” Anpu told. “You wouldn’t be just a tool anymore. In exchange for you brilliant counselor, I’ll give you a new body.”
That offer really shocked Calabrass, as that was everything he always wanted ever since he was cursed to be the Great Key.
“A new body?” he repeated.
“Do you doubt my powers?” Anpu asked, while putting Calabrass on one of the vases that existed at each point around the throne.
Using a tentacle, he pulled a level and a set of coffin-like rail wagons with mummies inside came from beneath the upper level and headed towards the center of the room, where a machine came down and involved the wagon at the front, coming up and allowing it to proceed, doing the same with the next one. When the wagons reached the end of the rail, they went up and released the mummy that was fully functional.
“So, what would you say?” Anpu asked Calabrass. “Do you want another chance to live?”
“Sounds tempting” he replied. “Except in my prime life I didn’t look like an old dried bandage.”
It was then that a mummy approached Anpu and whispered something to him. After that, he got up and said:
“I must go away. So I will leave you here in this room so that you think better.”
Having said that, he moved away, while Calabrass turned to the machine that was giving life to Anpu’s mummies.
Meanwhile, Dusk was walking casually, while whistling, through the halls of the pyramid. It was then that a bunch of mummies appeared right in front of him. He started to run away, while calling:
“Help! Giant bandages!”
But the truth was that was a ruse to lure the mummies to a crossroad, where Star and Mallet were waiting. Star made a sign to Mallet when the mummies were close and he then hit them with his sword, sending them to the floor, allowing Star to then shoot them with his magic and pulverize them.
“Nice” Star said to Dusk, who approached them. “Good call for a disarmed captain.”
“I’ve learned a few tricks in the Triangle” he replied, as he and the others continued their way. “Cal would have loved that one.”
The three of them reached the room where Calabrass was and Dusk saw him, calling, happily:
“Calabrass!”
He started running towards him, as Calabrass noticed him:
“Dusk?
“What are you doing just laying around and make us all do the hard work?” Dusk asked, as he, Star and Mallet approached the stairs to the upper level.
“No!” Calabrass exclaimed. “Don’t! It’s a…”
But before he could finish, a trap door opened before them and they fall, with the trap door starting to close, causing the walls to start to close as well. Anpu appeared laughing beside Calabrass and said:
“Your friends aren’t as clever as you claimed. Perhaps I misjudged your intelligence.”
“You dog-headed vulture…” Calabrass replied. “If I could, I would make ye eat that headdress of yours.”
“Perhaps if you have hooves” Anpu taunted.
Suddenly, a great shake happened in the pyramid, as if something big had gone against it.
“Who would dare?” Anpu asked, before he teleported away.
“Keep barking dog!” Calabrass shouted, as a pair of mummies approached. “I may be a sword, but I’m also Calabrass, the most feared pirate that ever lived!”
The mummies arrived to his side, as Calabrass sighed, as neither he believed on that anymore. He looked again to the machine that was awakening the mummies and that gave him an idea, one that would give him what he wanted and help his friends.
“I will live again.”
Outside, the Demoniac was approaching Anpu’s pyramid, firing at it. Anpu appeared on top of his pyramid and, seeing the Demoniac, he said:
“Golden Bones… More flies to swap.”
Inside the pyramid, Dusk and Mallet were trying to slow down the moving walls, while Star was trying to climb up, but the surface was to smooth for that.
“The walls are too smooth and I don’t think I have the magic to lift us” he said. “We have to find another solution.”
“Solve it fast” Mallet said, while using his sword to keep the walls from moving. “Mallet cannot hold long.”
Noticing how their friends were getting out of time, Calabrass knew he had to act fast. Turning to a mummy, he said:
“Hey, bandage! Yes, you! Bring your legs over here to see me. I want to talk with your dog boss now.”
The mummy approached him and replied:
“He’s busy destroying.”
“Oh, well, then bring me to him” Calabrass said, while turning around to direct the handle. “Come on, pick me up. I won’t bite.”
The mummy extended his hoof to pick up Calabrass when suddenly he turned around and bit it. The mummy reacted by trying to shake off Calabrass, but when he did it, he threw Calabrass into one of the coffins and it didn’t take long for him to arrive to the machine that awakened the mummies.
After he passed by it and the coffin elevated to make the mummy stand up, Calabrass was on the command, with his skull and handler at the place of the head. When he recovered from the headache of passing through the machine, he saw that he could control the body he was on.
“It’s not how I wanted to make my big comeback, but somepony has to do the thinking in this crew” Calabrass said, while turning to the mummies that were there.
He then gave a big jump to where they were, near the trap where his friends were. It was then that they got blades, but that didn’t intimidate Calabrass who advanced, while knocking down the mummies that appeared on his way. Arriving to the top of the stairs, he turned to the last mummy while holder the last one he knocked down and said:
“I wanted to do that for centuries!”
Calabrass then advanced towards the last mummy and knocked him down. After that, he pulled the level that was there and stopped the production of mummies and deactivated the trap where Dusk, Star and Mallet were just in time. They got confused with what happened but then a rope appeared to let them climb up. They looked up and saw Calabrass’ head appearing and saying to Dusk:
“Hey there, lad. Need a hoof?”
And he extended his mummy hoof, what completely let his friends astonished.
“Cal?!” Dusk asked, not knowing what to say.
Outside, Anpu teleported to ahead of his pyramid, as the Demoniac reached him. It stopped and the bow opened, while Golden Bones appeared.
“Surrender yourself, fool” Anpu demanded. “Or die like the rest.”
However, Golden Bones just laughed and replied:
“Don’t threat me, Guardian. You’re going to find very quickly there’s a third option.”
Turning to his army, he ordered:
“Send this dog back to his home!”
And the skeletons started running towards Anpu, ready to attack. Using his connection with the sands of Dezer, Anpu made his army of mummies immerge, all armed with swords, and they engaged in battle with the skeletons.
Inside, Dusk, Star and Mallet all got out of the trap and, after they did that, Calabrass said to Dusk, while making a bow to him:
“Behold new Calabrass, reporting for duty, captain.”
It was then that the mummies that Calabrass had knocked down started to stand up, what really worried Dusk, Star and Mallet. The former then said to Calabrass:
“Well, thanks for getting us out of there, Cal. But, can you go back to be a sword, because I have to fight.”
After punching and kicking two skeletons that were sneaking behind him without any effort and even look, he replied:
“I just got myself a body and that’s all you got to say? Okay, I admit it, it’s not the best body, but still!”
“No, I’m totally glad for you” Dusk told, as Star and Mallet dealt with the mummies. “But, you see, we’re surrounded by mummies and… I don’t have a weapon, so…”
Calabrass sighed and then said:
“You should open your pupils wide and I’ll show you how a real pirate fights.”
When a group of four mummies approached, Calabrass used a wall to make a big back jump and then, with amazing acrobatics, he was able to knock down all the mummies.
“Even wrapped in old bandages” he added, while blinking his eye.
“Wow!” Dusk exclaimed, impressed, but this distraction caused two mummies to prepare to attack him.
Fortunately, Star was able to shoot them down and then said:
“We have to get out of here! Now! The Waypoint won’t not wait.”
He and Mallet started running to the exit, with the latter opening the way through the mummies with his sword, while saying:
“Mallet cleans the way to the exit.”
Dusk turned to Calabrass, who was still fighting, and said, seriously:
“Calabrass, come on!”
While holding a mummy’s neck, he said, disappointed:
“Oh, I was just starting to have fun.”
“Great, now we have two Mallets…” Dusk grunted.
Calabrass made the mummy spin while holding his bandage and then threw him against the others that were coming from the upper level, knocking them all down. After that, he advanced to the exit, passing by Dusk and asking:
“What are we waiting for? Let’s get going. There’s no rest for the awesome.”
And the two of them started running away, as more mummies appeared.
Outside, the battle between skeletons and mummies continued. As Dusk, Star, Mallet and Calabrass got out of the pyramid, they noticed that. Golden Bones noticed them and said:
“Storm?”
Turning to the skeletons that were inside the Demoniac, he told:
“Exterminate those cockroaches!”
The Demoniac pointed his cannons at the Sea Raiders and fired. Seeing that, Dusk asked:
“Seriously?! Everypony…”
“Take cover!” Calabrass shouted, as he threw himself to Dusk and Star and pulled them to a rock nearby for safety, with Mallet joining them.
The missils hit nearby, but didn’t hit them. Calabrass and the others put their heads out of the hideout and saw the broken skeletons nearby assembling and they, once they did it, noticed them as well. Hiding, Dusk said:
“We’re trapped!”
“We need reinforcements” Star said. “I’ll call…”
But before he could say anything more, Calabrass got out of the hideout.
“Calabrass!” Dusk called.
“And… he’s gone” Star said.
Calabrass advanced towards the fight, happily, all while breaking skeletons that approached him. With the situation only getting worse, Dusk said to Star and Mallet:
“We have to get out of this trap.”
Two skeletons then appeared before them, with four more appearing from behind.
Calabrass passed through the fight and then advanced towards to where the Chaos was being repaired. Opal was making repairs at the prow with Clover sitting nearby, bored. It was then he saw Calabrass approaching. But thinking he was a real mummy, he shouted:
“A mummy! Run for the hills!”
He teleported away, while Opal retreated, with fear, as Calabrass jumped to the rail, saying, while getting on board:
“Now that’s a look of fear I can get used to. Opal, how’s our ship?!”
After recovering from the shock, Opal noticed that was Calabrass and Clover put his head out of the deck, both openmouthed for what they were seeing.
“Calabrass?” they both asked.
“How do ye like me new look?” he asked.
The two of them traded a look and Opal said:
“Calabrass, Dusk got you back? Wonderful!”
“How’re the repairs coming?” Calabrass asked Opal. “And don’t give me any of your excuses.”
“Engineering is a very complex art” she replied. “You have to see that…”
“Listen, girl, we don’t need explanations!” Calabrass interrupted. “WE NEED THE CHAOS NOW!!”
Opal got so intimidated by Calabrass now that he possessed a body that she immediately accessed to his order, replying:
“Aye, aye… If I relink the coupler to…”
“No time” Calabrass said, while turning to the helm. “Get the beast running.”
“But… but… I still didn’t replace the lateral turbine…” Opal started.
“Do as I say, it’s urgent!” Calabrass exclaimed, while grabbing the helm. “Dusk and the others need some of our saving! Chaos, ready? Calabrass is on the control.”
He pulled the level and Chaos reinitiated and started walking in direction of Anpu’s pyramid. As he was running, Calabrass said:
“Quick in your horseshoes, you sand vermins. Calabrass the pirate, the scourge of the Triangle, is back and he’s looking for a dog to bite.”
The Chaos reached the pyramids, enduring the shots of the skeletons who shot at him once they saw him approaching and knocking them down.
“Ah, for my gritting teeth!” Calabrass exclaimed. “This is better than I remember!”
The Chaos jumped, passing over Golden Bones and Anpu, reaching where his friends were and knocking down most of the enemies. The entrance plank was extended to them who were dealing with the enemies they were fighting.
“Let’s go!” Dusk said to Star and Mallet, once they got rid of them.
They returned to the ship who recollected the plank and restarted running.
“Welcome aboard, sailors!” Calabrass told the three new-arrivals.
“Where are you going?!” Dusk asked, while heading towards him. “The Waypoint is that way!”
“Ar, we’re out of time” Calabrass replied, as Dusk arrived to his side. “It’s over. We’ll come back another day.”
“We’re not giving up when we have the smallest chance!” Dusk told, taking back the helm from Calabrass. “Steer for the Waypoint. The mission comes first!”
And he made Chaos change direction. Calabrass, who didn’t like how Dusk took the helm from him, told him:
“I’m not a prop, boy. I’m Calabrass and I say…”
“Hey, Cal!” Clover told Calabrass, putting himself in front of him. “Hum… Love the bandages, but the hospital doesn’t scream I’m in charge.”
“So, a mutiny, hein…” Calabrass said.
“A mutiny?!” Dusk repeated, with the others beside him. “What are you talking about?! We’re your friends, Cal. We’re just trying to keep you real. Look at yourself.”
“Yeah, I know, I’m hideous and I crack and I’m squeezed tight by these bandages…” he said. “But I like this body. Haven’t you seen what I can do with it?”
“Calabrass… I’m sorry” Star said. “For everything. But we need to open the Waypoint.”
“The fate of every creature in the Triangle depends on you” Opal added.
“As a sword” Dusk told.
Getting to remember all of his responsibilities he had as a sword, how many creatures depend on him to open all the Gateways, made Calabrass fell to reality. Sustaining himself over the rail, he said:
“I know… But it’s just that I… I don’t want to be left behind.”
“Never going to happen, budy” Dusk said, putting a hoof over Calabrass’ shoulder. “We’ll find a way to turn you back into pony. We can even have a talk with Heartbeat once we get out of here. But it has to be the right way. We’re a team. We’re the Sea Raiders! And that means we never leave anyone behind. We never give up and we always find a way… together.”
Understanding Dusk’s words, Calabrass nodded, while making a smile. It was then they all saw Anpu appearing in front of them. He grabbed the Chaos with two tentacles and then tossed him and everyone on him away. The ones inside were tossed out, while the Chaos continued, heading against Golden Bones and the skeletons that were with him.
“NOOO!!” the general skeleton shouted, as he and the others were hit by him.
Anpu approached the scene, heading towards Dusk, something that Calabrass noticed.
“I am the Guardian of the gate!” he shouted at him. “And you belong to me!”
He made his mechanical scorpion tail prepare to attack. Fortunately, Dusk was able to dodge the attack, while getting up, and continued to dodge the Guardian’s attacks, until he was cornered by Anpu’s tentacles. The latter laughed, as he prepared to the last attack.
“NO!” Calabrass shouted, running towards his friend.
Calabrass pushed Dusk out of the way, while his mummy body was pierced by the scorpion tail. Dusk couldn’t help but get shocked for such sighed. But then Calabrass told him:
“Take me, Dusk!” Calabrass exclaimed, while directing the handle to Dusk.
His mummy body disintegrated, with only bandages remaining. Dusk then got Calabrass with his magic and got up, saying almost immediately:
“Calabrass, give me the Eye of Sino!”
They transformed, getting the ice power of Sino. After that, Dusk provoked Anpu to come to him and the jackal started attacking with his tentacles. Dusk was able to freeze one of them with a blow with Calabrass. After that, he found an opening and advanced, making a blow that was able to freeze Anpu’s body completely. Dusk then turned to Calabrass and told him:
“Calabrass, I know how much you had to give up…”
“All right, all right, kid, enough of your mushy talk” Calabrass replied. “Open this blasted Waypoint.”
“Thanks, Calabrass” Dusk said, with a smile.
Dusk then started running towards the Waypoint. As he did that, the ice covering Anpu started to crack. The young captain, arrived to the Waypoint and prepared to insert Calabrass. But before he could do it, he noticed Anpu had released himself from the ice and he prepared to attack him with his scorpion tail. However, Dusk didn’t let himself be intimidated and hasted to insert Calabrass’ blade in the lock.
Calabrass’ eyes and the Eyes of the Seven Seas all shone with a yellow light, creating a shock wave that revolved all the sand around them, strong enough to blast away the skeletons and mummies that were still fighting, all while a pillar of yellow light went into the sky.
“Ah ah, ye see lad?” Calabrass asked Dusk. “I’ve said it a thousand times. Ye talk too much. A real pirate blast first and talk later.”
Smiling on what he said, Dusk took Calabrass and placed him on his scabbard. Turning over he saw Anpu groaning in pain and then disappear, with his body dissolving into sand. Star, Mallet and Opal all came up and Star, seeing his brother, said:
“Dusk? Dusk!”
He went to hug his little brother, relieved to see he was right.
“Mallet has a headache” Mallet said, taking his hoof to the head.
The Chaos approached and Clover asked, from the bow:
“What was that?!”
“An angry ex-Guardian” Star replied.
“Whose bark is now worse than his bite” Dusk added.
That caused Clover to drop a laugh.
Getting on board of the Chaos, the Sea Riders started to move away. While the crew was at the prow seeing the pillar of light of the Waypoint, Calabrass said:
“I’m sorry. That body made me lose me head. It felt good be a real pirate again.”
“In the future, I’ll hear more carefully to your advice… you old sea dog” Star promised.
“And he taught me some awesome moves” Dusk said, trying to imitate the moves Calabrass made during their battle against the mummies, only to end up falling on the deck.
“I know, but ye still need more learning, because it’s painfully obvious you can’t manage without me.”
That remark caused Calabrass and the others to laugh. Dusk took a few seconds, but he ended up joining the laugh.