//------------------------------// // The Epic of Tempest Shadows // Story: Flash Sentry, Defender of the Peace S8 // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Klugetown, a less than great place that is located between Equestria and Mount Aris. You could once consider it to be one of the most wretched hive of scum and villainy. But in the last few months, ever since the defeat of the Storm King, the place had improved...slightly. The streets were still full of odd looking creatures, such as land sharks, humanoid turtles and even a creature whose head was an octopus with the tentacles acting like a beard. But where there was once cages full of poorly treated and too big for their holdings birds, now there were properly sized habitats one would usually see in a pet shop. A bunch of market stalls filled the streets that were full of fresh food, unlike the stale and rotting stuff that had once been for sale. And a couple of houses had even been painted bright colors, which gave the place a more vibrant feel. However, the most surprising thing about the place were the large number of creatures that had once been feared throughout the town, which were now being walked past without a care in the world. The Storm Guards, which were actually a combination of wolf and ape, were walking around, no longer dressed in the armor that had once been the bane of many. Now the most these creatures were wearing were shorts or maybe a vest, as they were carrying a large number of crates around the place while others were running stalls. After the loss of their king, all they could do was find a way to make ends meet. And as the storm creatures were working their butts off, two new figures had just arrived in the town. They were both wearing brown cloaks with their hoods up, one being a pony-shaped figure while the other stood at around two or three feet in height. They walked through the town, doing their best to keep from drawing attention to themselves. And as they reached the middle of the city, they came to a stop before spotting a food cart that had a bird lady making some kind of stew. The bigger one gestured to their companion to follow and they moved over to the booth, sitting at it and placing some bits on the table. Ever since the Storm King's downfall, the currency he had installed in many of the places he had conquered had gone out of style. Now the town ran on bits, same as Equestria, Griffonstone and even Mount Aris. The bird lady placed two bowls in front of them, the pair reaching up and removing their hoods. "Finally," Spike sighed as he pulled the bowl towards him, "I'm glad we didn't have to slog through that entire desert to get here again. But that last mile is still really hot." "Can't be helped," Flash Sentry added as he grabbed a spoon. "Imagine what might have happened if someone here saw the Rune Gate spit us out here? They'd probably try and take it for themselves." He ate a spoonful of the stew, but flinched at the bitter taste while thinking about what led them here. A few hours ago... It was another brilliant day at the School of Friendship, Flash now walking through the halls since he didn't have a class to teach at the moment. The pegasus smirked as he made his walked passed past Pinkie Pie's class, hearing the pink pony speak up, "And ever since I ate that odd tasting fruit, I've been able to do all kinds of fun and interesting things!" He kept walking with a smirk on his face, the pegasus being in a really good mood at that moment. And as he passed by the courtyard, he felt something on his flank, making him look back and seeing a certain light from his cutie mark. "The map." He took to the air and flew up through the courtyard, then headed straight for the castle and into an open window. And as he flew in, he found he wasn't the only one who was being called. "Flash!" Twilight waved to him as he landed inside, now seeing her and Spike standing next to the map. Spike's head spines were currently glowing, like how they had during the time Thorax and Ember first met. Flash turned to the map and saw his cutie mark, circling a place alongside Spike's holographic head. "So, where we heading too? Hope it's somewhere warm and sunny." "Well it's warm," Twilight replied, "But...not exactly sunny." Flash raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the place, only to frown. "Oh, great." "I don't get why the map would send us here," Spike moaned after being unable to stomach the stew he had just tried to eat. "Doesn't there have to be a friendship in order to have a friendship problem?" He stared all the town's occupants, who were barely saying two words to one another, only for Flash to shake his head, "The map sent us here for a reason." And as he said this, when the bird lady was looking away, he quickly poured the rest of his stew into a nearby plant. "We've just gotta look around and find it." As the plant began to die, the pair got up and started glancing around. "Just be careful. This place isn't exactly the friendliest area in the world." "And they might still be upset with us about what happened last time." As they walked through the town, they spotted the remains of the windmill they had destroyed in their escape of the Storm King's minions. And as they did this, a figure stood in the shadows of a building, watching the pair. Flash and Spike were both making their way through the town, wondering if maybe Capper was still around. "Still not seeing anything that would qualify as a Friendship Problem," Spike sighed, "Maybe the map thinks the whole town is the problem. Clearly, this place needs an overhaul." "I doubt the map would send just the two of us to do something that big," Flash replied, "Don't worry, we'll find the problem." But as he said that, a lanky humanoid lizard bumped into him. "Whoops! Sorry!" "Whatever," the lizard hissed before walking off. Flash grumbled at the sight, only to turn and see a stand that had fresh fruit, the pegasus licking his lips and reached for his bit purse. But when he did, he found it wasn't there. "Huh?" He looked all around himself, but couldn't find anything, only to glance back up and see the lizard still walking away, "Hey! Get back here, you thief!" He cut into a sprint at this, Spike following after him as the lizard jumped down onto all fours. The chase began, the lizard quickly zipping through the streets before ducking into a back alleyway, vanishing by the time Flash and Spike got there. "We lost him!" Spike cried, Flash growling at the loss of his money. But before he could let his frustrations get to him, a sudden explosion of light flew out from around another corner followed by a scream. The lizard was then thrown out from around the corner and crashed into the ground, a small brown sack falling out of his hand, coins jingling inside. "What was that?" Spike asked, only for them to see somepony step out from around the corner, the sight making them go wide-eyed. "Tempest..." Flash whispered as they saw the purple unicorn walk up to them. She was different, no longer wearing the armor that signified her as a member of the Storm King's army. Instead, she had a black hoodless cloak that went down to only her knees and a long gray scarf wrapped around her neck. The broken horned unicorn stepped up to the lizard and placed a hoof on his chest, preventing him from getting up before staring at Flash, "You should be more wary of those around you in this town. I won't always be around to save you." Flash kept his eye on her as he moved to pick up his bag, looking inside to see that none of the coins were missing. "What are you doing here?" "Aside from making sure you don't get robbed?" She asked, as the lizard started to come around. "I had business in this town." She looked down at the lizard, her broken horn sparking as his brain started to focus. "What do you wish to do with this one? There's no police or law enforcement in this town. So whatever you want to do with him is perfectly legal." "That's a bit intense," Flash responded as the lizard heard those words and began to shake in panic, only for Flash to say, "Let him go." Tempest raised an eyebrow at this, "We don't execute others for pick pocketing. Release him." He then glared at the lizard, "But you got lucky. The next time you get caught stealing, the perpetrator might not be so generous. Remember that." The lizard nodded and Tempest raised her hoof, allowing him to scurry away. Once he was gone, Tempest turned to them. "You can be too soft for your own good." Flash tensed up at this, giving her a frown back, "Still hate me? I can understand. After what I did, I guess you'd have no choice but to see me as an enemy." "I know you're not my enemy," Flash countered, "But I haven't decided if I can trust you as a friend yet. That trust has to be earned." Tempest shrugged back as Flash then turned to Spike. "We need to keep looking. This friendship mission isn't going to solve itself." "Friendship mission?" Tempest asked. "It's a long story," Spike replied before going wide-eyed, "Hey, maybe Tempest has something to do with the mission. It can't be a coincidence that the map sent us here while she was in town." Flash put a hoof to his chin, humming at Spike's logic. "I guess." He turned to her, "Mind if we tag along with you? It beats just walking around aimlessly, and we do owe you for what you did before, so maybe we can help you out." Tempest stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Fine." She spun around at this, "Just don't slow me down." The pair followed as they made their way through the back alleys of the town. "So what exactly are you doing here?" Spike asked as they arrived at an area of the town with a large building in that had a strange looking symbol painted on it. "Since the Storm King's defeat, I've been travelling the land to make sure all the places he once conquered didn't fall into ruin. With the one ruling them gone, a power vacuum was inevitable. However, those areas have yet to suffer any negative effects. But then there's the situation with the Storm King's army." "Yeah," Flash nodded, "We did notice a couple of his old goons around the place. But it looks like they're not causing any trouble." "True." As they got closer to the building, Flash and Spike saw several Storm Creatures standing guard around the place. They were wearing their Storm King armor, but they had been repainted with the same symbol the building had covering the Storm King's. "But there's one who's taken the Storm King's defeat to lift himself up to a position of power. I need to make sure he doesn't abuse that power." As they approached, the guards seemed to stand to attention when they saw Tempest. She nodded back, one of the guards speaking up. "Two pony visitors in the same day. He's not gonna like that." Tempest looked curious as she stepped passed them, Flash and Spike attempting to do the same, only for them to cross their spears at Flash, making him jump back and reach for his sword. "They're with me," Tempest chimed in, the guards uncrossing their weapons a second later, and the pair continued forward. "Yeah," Spike smirked, "We're with her." But the creatures glared at him, making the dragon flinch and run back to the ponies. They were forced to climb a large circular staircase with many doors located every ten or so feet. Spike quickly used his wings to fly up while Flash and Tempest paced themselves until they arrived at the top. Tempest knocked on the door, "I'm busy." Flash and Spike recognized the voice while Tempest ignored it and pushed the door open. Flash and Spike looked inside and were greeted to a sight they hadn't been expecting. "Didn't you ear me?" It was Grubber, the little hedgehog creature that had been another Storm King underling. He was also wearing repainted armor, which the symbol on it that they now realized was his own face winking with a smile. But it was the pony on the other side of the desk that surprised them more. "Starswirl?" Flash asked, seeing the bearded unicorn who turned to them in surprise. "Tempest?!" Grubber gasped, "Dint know you were in town." "Have to make sure you're not causing any problems," Tempest responded. "Hey!" Grubber yelled, "I'm a respeck-able business owner now! Grubber shipping and handling is only focused on completely legal practises." "Old habits die hard," Tempest replied before turning to Flash. "You know this unicorn?" "We've met," Flash nodded as he stepped over to Starswirl. "Didn't think I'd see you in a place like this." "Yes, I never thought I'd be here either. But necessity breeds opportunity." He turned to Grubber, pulling out a bag of bits that he placed on the table. "So, do we have a deal?" "Of course," Grubber nodded as he jumped off the large swivel chair and moved to the back of the room. A giant portrait of himself could be seen there and when he opened it up, it showed a safe that he quickly unlocked. He took out a scroll and returned to his seat, holding it out to Starswirl, who took it in exchange for the bag. "What's going on?" Spike asked. "A business transaction," Grubber replied as Starswirl unfurled it. Flash and Spike moved over to look over the unicorn's shoulder, seeing what was on the scroll. "Is that what I think it is?" Spike asked, he and Flash seeing a bunch of lines on the scroll with a large X on one area. "It's a map," Starswirl responded, "A map that can lead us to an area that holds a great treasure." Flash and Spike both looked like Hearth's Warming had come early, the pair's eyes going wide as stars appeared within them. "A treasure map?!" They exclaimed, Starswirl chuckling. "Yes, a treasure that was hidden by a pirate many centuries ago." He turned to Flash, "It's good that you're here. I was planning to contact Celestia once I had my hooves on this map to ask for assistance. But you being here makes it all the more easier." "You want me to help find a lost treasure?" Flash asked, Starswirl nodding as the pegasus turned to Spike. "What do you think?" "I still haven't seen anything that would count as a Friendship Mission," Spike replied, "But...maybe the map sent us here because joining with Starswirl will lead us to the mission." "I...guess?" Flash shrugged before turning to back Starswirl and nodding. "Alright, we're in. We'll help you find the treasure...whatever it is." Starswirl nodded as Tempest walked over to Grubber, "Why didn't you try going after the treasure?" "I considered it," Grubber nodded, "But I have a business to run. I can't go gala-vintin off whenever I see somethin' that might be worth something. Be-sighs, there's the curse to worry about." "Curse?" Spike asked, "What curse?" Grubber opened his mouth, only for the sound of a door shattering downstairs caught all their attention. Flash rushed to the door and opened it up, looking down to see a bunch of creatures at the bottom of the stairs. The storm guards that had been protecting the door were laid out on the floor while several lizards, a shark and a mole creature was jumping over their bodies. "Get the map!" He heard, making the pegasus slam the door shut and turn to the others. "Ooookay. We need to leave. Like...right now!" "Why?" Tempest asked, "What's going on?" The commotion from downstairs continued and Tempest began to get the picture as the unicorn turned to Grubber. "Do you have a secret way out of here?" Grubber quickly opened a compartment on his desk and pressed a button. A portrait on the wall opened up to reveal a tube, part of the carpet rolled up to show another flight of stairs, a chest opened to reveal a rope ladder and part of the wall folded into itself to reveal a pole. "Take your pick." Tempest grabbed and threw him down the tube, Spike flying down behind him while Starswirl rolled the map up. "Is fleeing really necessary? Flash, you must have faced stronger opponents than this." "Yeah, but I don't think getting into a fight right now would be the best idea." Flash pushed him toward the tube and the unicorn leapt down it, Tempest going with him while Flash grabbed a trinket off a nearby shelf and threw it at the button. As he leapt down the tube, the snowglobe hit the button, which caused the escape tunnels to close back up seconds before the attackers arrived. "Where are they?" One of the lizards yelled, "I want that treasure!" Outside, a dumpster lid shot open as Grubber was flung out, crying before his head hit the pavement, "Ow!" he moaned as Spike flew out and hovered above him. Starswirl was next and created a sphere of magic around him, which bounced off the ground, right where Grubber was laying, and popped so he could land safely. "Ow!" He cried again, only for Tempest to fly out of the dumpster and land on him as well. "Oh, come on!" Flash was next out, hovering like Spike, "Come on everypony." He gestured, the others following except for Grubber. "You all go. I'll way wow for a wittle while until they're gone." They nodded and ran, right as the attackers jumped out of the building again. "There they are!" One yelled, pointing at the fleeing group. "After them!" "How do they know we have the map?" Spike asked, Flash about to reply, only to glance back before turning to Starswirl. "Starswirl, can you make yourself lighter with a spell?" "Yes," Starswirl nodded, "But the spell only lasts a few minutes." "That's all we'll need. Tempest, light 'em up!" Tempest nodded and they closed their eyes as her broken horn sparked and unleashed a bunch of firework-like blasts of magic, creating some bright explosions. Their pursuers cried out as the bright lights blinded them, not seeing Flash and Spike fly over them, Flash holding Tempest and Spike carrying Starswirl by the tail. "This is highly embarrassing," the unicorn grumbled while glowing gold due to the spell. They flew up high at this, Starswirl then taking out the map, "We'll need to find the area that's designated as the start of the map's trail." On it, the starting point had the image of two dragons staring one another down. But before he could tell them that, Flash said, "Well, we're gonna need to get out of town first. We need to lose them before they try and attack again. Tempest looked up at him. "You really plan to walk your way through the map? Who knows how long that could take!" "I know, but-" "Look out!" Spike yelped as the group just got up to the clouds, only for an airship to appear. The boat was about to smash into them, Flash and Spike quickly pulling up. "Whoa!" Flash gasped, "Where'd that thing come from?" As he said that, he heard Spike begin to groan, glancing over to see Starswirl starting to stop glowing. "Looks like my spell's run out of power," he sighed before teleporting himself onto the deck of the ship. Seeing no other option, they flew down and landed next to him. "Wait," Flash commented, "Something about this ship looks familiar." He looked up at the balloon, now seeing a large bird ornament on it. "I knew it. This ship belongs to-" "Captain Celaeno!" They all turned to the voice, now seeing a certain white and green pirate bird with an emerald pegleg swing down the rafters. "And she doesn't take to kindly to-" She stopped when she saw a certain defender, "Flash?" "Hey Celaeno," Flash replied, "Gotta say, today's just been full of unexpected meetings." "How you doing?" Spike asked next, "Love the new ship." "Aye," she smirked, "Tried to make her look just like the old one. Only way to fix the pain after...somepony destroyed the last one." Her gaze shifted to Tempest, who seemed to be doing everything in her power not to make eye contact with her. "So, what brings you guys to Klugetown?" "Could ask you the same question. After the last time, I figured you'd never wanna step hoof in here again." "We had to make a supply run," Celaeno replied as the rest of her crew stepped out onto the deck. Boyle, Mullet, Lix Spittle and Squabble all smiled at them as they approached, then frowned at Tempest. "So what about you?" "It's a long story. But it does involve a treasure map." The four birds went wide-eyed hearing this, while Starswirl gave him a shocked expression. "What are you doing?" He pulled Flash in close, "They're pirates! Do you know how dangerous they are?!" "Relax," Spike waved his hand, "We're friends with them. Besides, who better to help find buried treasure than pirates?" "And if they doublecross us, you can lecture us as much as you like." Flash grabbed the treasure map from him, "But right now, we need their help." He turned to Celaeno and showed her the map, "Think you can help us find some buried treasure?" "You have to ask?" Celaeno looked at the map and hummed, "Seems simple enough." She poked each of the symbols on the map, "Basic pirate symbolism. Each of these images are landmarks you use to find your way towards the treasure." Spike flew up and stared at the map. "How can a pair of dragons be a landmark? This map must be super old, there's no way they're still there." Celaeno rolled her eyes at hits, "The dragons are just meant to symbolize the actual landmark. There's probably something out there that looks like two dragons staring at one another. Though...I don't know anyplace close that's like that." "I might know what you're looking for." Tempest chimed in, all turning to her as she looked away, "There's...a rock formation in the middle of the desert that looks like that. I saw it when I was...chasing Twilight and her friends." They all stared at her, only for Flash to shine a big grin, "Great! Think you can plot a course?" Tempest glanced back at him with wide eyes as Flash turned to Celaeno. "So...wanna help us track down this treasure?" "Well, it depends," Celaeno shrugged, "What kind of treasure are we searching for?" "The cursed kind," Spike gulped as he remembered what Grubber had told them. "The treasure isn't cursed," Starswirl grumbled, "It's just called that to keep looters away." "You were really interested in it," Flash pointed at the unicorn, "What's so important you come all this way to get your hooves on it?" The others were wondering the same thing, as Starswirl took the map back. "Long ago, around my time, there was a pirate named Looter. He stole many great treasures and artifacts from around the world, leaving no survivors when he did. And he did it using a powerful relic that allowed him to access powers that, at the time, were considered impossible." "What kind of powers?" Spike asked. "Teleportation, invisibility, intangibility and many more," Starswirl replied, "Back then, those kind of powers were only able to be done by a miniscule number of ponies and never all at once. This was what made him so unstoppable. He could teleport into an area and walk through whatever traps had been set before making off with everything of value. Some even say it could heal any wound her was given. And it wasn't just gold and silver he took. Ancient scrolls and textbooks, which could have done great things if ponies had had access to it. Those and the relic are what I wish to reacquire." "Does that mean we can have whatever gold and treasure we find?" Boyle asked, Starswirl rolling his eyes but nodding all the same. "Then you've got yourself a crew!" Celaeno laughed before pointing to the wheel. "Helm, set a course for the desert!" Lix Spittle nodded and rushed to the wheel as the captain turned to Tempest. "You better be right about this. Get us that treasure and I'll forgive you for what you did to us." Tempest nodded and moved to the front of the ship, Starswirl turning to the others. "What did she do?" "She used to work for the Storm King," Flash replied, Starswirl going wide-eyed at this, "She lost her horn when she was younger and he promised to restore it if she helped him. Of course, he was lying, but she was so desperate to have her magic back, even if it meant betraying her own kind." Starswirl turned to the unicorn, glaring at her until Flash added, "In a way, she's a lot like how Stygian was. Her friends turned their backs on her and it made her reach out to something she shouldn't have." "I...see," Starswirl slowly nodded, "So she's been trying to make up for what happened?" "I think so. She's doing what she can to figure it out." He walked up to her at this, leaving Starswirl and Spike to look over the map. As he got closer, he saw Tempest staring out at the desert, "You okay?" "I'm fine," she slowly replied, "Just...keeping an eye out for the rock formation I saw." "Yeah, guess it was a good thing you were chasing after us before, huh?" He chuckled, only to see her give him a deadpan glare, "That was a joke." "I know," she turned back to the desert. "It just wasn't funny." Flash shrugged and both began to stare at the desert, "So is this what that mission you talked about was for? Going after a treasure?" "No idea," Flash shrugged, "These missions never come with detailed instructions. The map just picks those best for the job and sends us to a place. We're supposed to do the rest. I don't know what finding a treasure has to do with a friendship mission. Maybe I'll meet somepony at this place who needs help, or...maybe the one we're supposed to help is right here." Tempest looked back at him before shaking her head, "I doubt I'm the one you're supposed to help. How can I have a Friendship Problem when I don't have any friends?" "You've got Twilight. She sees you as a friend." "I attacked her home, enslaved her friends and family, stole her magic, and almost got her killed. How could she consider me her friend?" "You think you're the first friend she has that's done that?" Tempest raised an eyebrow at this, "Though, I think you might be the first that's done all of those at once. But even so, Twilight forgave you. And if you let her, she'd help you in any way she could." He looked back out at the desert in front of them. "This world can be a harsh place. Without somepony by your side, it's hard to live a comfortable life." "Maybe," Tempest glanced down, "But what if I mess it up? I was willing to do anything to have my horn back. Who knows what I might do if I find another opportunity to do it." She looked up at her horn, seeing a tiny spark, "Twilight helped me see the amazement in the magic I have, but that still doesn't change the fact I can't do real magic like her." "Barely anypony can. You think your run of the mill unicorn could teleport, conjure force-fields and unleash a blast of magic so strong it could blow a city off the face of Equestria? Most of them can't do any more than levitate things." "Still more than what I can do." "The point is, you shouldn't focus on what you don't have. Focus on what you do have. Your magic's awesome and it got us out of that jam back in the city. Plus, it put on quite the show in Canterlot. And yeah, not having real magic can suck. But not having it isn't what defines you. It's what you do despite not having it that defines you. You just need to show the world what you can do, like Twilight said. And if the chance to get your horn back does come around, then don't be afraid to go after it. Just make sure you don't lose those close to you in the process." Tempest remained quiet at this, Flash frowning and turning to walk away. "Thank you...Flash." "No problem Tempest," he glanced back, "Or was it...Fizzlepop Berrytwist?" Tempest turned to give him a smirk. "Seriously, why'd you get rid of such a cool name?" "I didn't think anypony would take me seriously if I kept it. Figured an intimidating name would sell me as somepony not to be messed with. And it worked. The Storm King liked it a lot." "Well, he's not around anymore. And I prefer your old name. Though if we get into trouble, it will be a mouthful to say when time's of the essence. How about I just call you Fizzlepop? Or maybe Fizz, since it's shorter than Tempest." She just shook her head and nodded, "Sure. If that's easier for you." "Thanks Fizz," Flash chuckled before heading up to Celaeno. As this happened, Starswirl was staring at the map. Spike was also there, his eyes noticing the edges of the map had a line running along it that formed a box encircling the actual map. And outside the box were a bunch of symbols. "Hey...I've seen these before." He pointed at the symbols running up one side, Starswirl nodding as he snapped his claws. "This in ancient draconic." "You know ancient dragonic?" Starswirl asked, Spike shaking his head. "I can't read. But I recognized some of these symbols from my dad's book." "Your dad?" Starswirl raised an eyebrow, only to go wide-eyed, "Oh yes. Silverbolt." Spike leaned back at this, "You know I'm Silverbolt's son?" "How could I not? One of the first things I asked Celestia about after we stopped the Pony of Shadows was what happened to your egg. I never thought it would take a thousand years for it to hatch. To think you waited so long for your destiny." "I don't even know what that is yet," Spike sighed as he sat against the side of the boat. "My dad thought it was to help bring the dragons into a new age, but I've done very little to do that." "Yes, Celestia told me about you meeting a spark of your father's soul. But I wouldn't say you've done little if that is your destiny." Spike tilted his head at this, "Didn't you teach the current Dragon Lord about friendship and everything?" He asked, Spike nodding. "And that has opened the way for more dragons to learn about it. I believe Twilight has a dragon attending her school." Spike nodded again. "You'd be surprised how simple it can be to achieve a great destiny sometimes. Many believe it's all about great acts of valor and overcoming unconquerable odds, but many times, a destiny is something that can happen just by being yourself and doing what's right." "So you think my destiny is an easy one?" "Well, you won't know that for a long time. I thought I had achieved my destiny many times in my life. Learning and creating countless spells, defeating the Sirens and other monsters, sealing the Pony of Shadows and helping save the friend I had turned away. Any one of those could be classed as a destiny one can fulfil. But every time it happens and I think I'm finished, something new happens. As long as we live, there's no telling what our destiny could be." "Huh, I never thought of it like that." "Very few do." Spike nodded and looked up at the sky, "You knew my dad the best. Do you think he's be proud of the dragon I've become?" Starswirl nodded back, "I think he would have. When he and Fira had you, they knew you would be something great. Honestly, they probably would have been proud of you if you had just turned out to be a potato farmer. But what you've accomplished in your life is certainly something they would have been proud to see." Spike smiled at this, glad he had gotten this chance to talk to the only pony to have actually known his father. But before he could say anything else, Fizzlepop spoke up. "Over there!" They turned to see Fizz pointing off to the side, then rushed over to her. It was a large rock formation sticking out of the sandy ground. Whether by natural means or not, this rock had been carved to look like a pair of dragons that were staring one another down. Starswirl looked at the map and nodded, "We've found our first marker." "So what's the next one?" Celaeno asked as Fizz stepped over to the bridge. Starswirl stared at the map and saw the image of a large bird that appeared to be west of the dragon formation. "Squabble," Celaeno looked up at the crows nest, "See anything in that direction?" The bird pulled out a telescope and looked to the west, then squawked something Celaeno seemed to understand. "A bunch of rocks." "Probably another rock formation that looks like a bird," Flash pointed out as Celaeno spun the ship around and headed straight toward it. As she did this, she couldn't help but keep her attention on Fizzlepop. "Are you sure you can trust her?" She whispered to Flash, "She was the Storm King's right claw. What if she tries to get revenge for what happened to him?" "Fizz has no loyalty to him anymore," Flash replied, "He betrayed her, so she wouldn't care even if we were the ones that actually took him down." Celaeno frowned at this, "She's trying to start anew. You don't have to trust her, but you should at least give her the chance to actually prove whether or not she's changed." Celaeno was about to reply, only for Squabble to start squawking loudly. "What's going on?" Spike asked, the group looking up at the crows nest as the bird pointed behind them. They all spun around, only to go wide-eyed as they saw another pirate ship appear in the distance. This one had a giant lizard head on the front with a large frill coming out of its neck. "Abas!" Celaeno gasped as she reached for her sword, "Prepare for combat!" "You know him?!" Spike asked as the pirates grabbed their weapons and Flash removed his cloak to take out his sword. "By reputation," Celaeno hissed, "Abas is a pirate well known for plundering ships and destroying anyone who gets in his way." "Isn't that what most pirates do?" Starswirl asked, "Like you lot?" "Hey," Boyle cried, "We've never sunk anyone who didn't try to sink us first!" The other pirates nodded as the ship pulled up behind them, Flash rushing to the back and seeing someone standing atop the front of the boat. It was a humanoid lizard wearing a long red overcoat that was covered in black feathers. He had an eyepatch covering his left eye, a wooden peg leg, a hooked hand and was missing his tail. His face was covered in scars and a large frill on the side of his head, which was currently down, had a triangular section missing. "Give yourself up!" He roared, removing the hook from the holster before thrusting it into a swordless scabbard on his waist. "That map will be mine!" He pulled the arm back and in doing so, drew a blade from the scabbard. "How do all these creatures know we have the map?" Flash asked. "Last warning! Give yourself up!" "No chance!" Celaeno roared as she spun the wheel of her ship, "I don't surrender! And I don't let other pirates take my things or the possessions of my friends!" The two airships were then side to side as Abas yelled, "You asked for it! FIRE!" The sides of the airship opened up and a bunch of cannons folded out, Flash and his friends all going wide-eyed as Celaeno tried to speed the propellers up, only to find they were already at max speed. "Where are your cannons?!" Fizz asked. "At the bottom of the ocean!" Celaeno cried as Abas' ship started firing, Starswirl leaping to that side of the ship and using his magic to create a force-field. The cannonballs bounced off the shield without issue while Flash, Spike and Fizz prepared to counter attack. "Flash Cutter!" He swung his sword around and fired the energy blade, which flew to the ship and hit one of the cannons as it was reloaded. Two more were also preparing to fire again, but Fizz shot several bolts of lightning at them. The rest of the cannons were also reloaded as the two ships flew over the field of rocks, but Spike came next. Breathing into his claws, he thrust them as the cannons fired. And to everyone's amazement, the flames morphed into a giant pair of claws that caught the cannonballs. Spike then held one hand open, the fire hands mimicking this, and flicked his palm with the other. The fire hands smacked the cannonballs back, knocking them into the cannons. "You idiots!" Abas roared, "Do I have to do everything myself?!" Before anyone could reply, a laser shot up and struck the balloon, causing a rip and release the gas that kept the ship aloft. "Oh dang." As the ship began to lose altitude, the pirates began to panic with a bunch of humanoid lizards and fish trying to climb up the balloon and patch the tear. But before they could, Fizzlepop fired several lightning bolts that struck the balloon in multiple locations. The pirates screamed as the airship lost all its air, causing it to fall. "Nice shot," Flash smirked at Fizz as the ship's torn balloon was caught upon a rock and stopped it from crashing into the ground. Celaeno growled at this, "I guess her cutie mark is a sinking airship." Spike heard this and frowned as Boyle called out to them, the group rushing to the side of the boat. "What is it? Did we get hit by cannon fire?" "No, look!" He pointed to the ground and they looked down and saw a large hole in one of the rocks. A hole that was shaped like a large bird. "I think we're on the right track," Flash smirked before running to the front of the boat. "Come on! We'll follow that trail!" "What trail?" Spike asked as Flash reached the front and pointed his sword to the west. "The trail...that we blaze!" "Actually," Starswirl spoke up as he looked over the map. "According to this, the next landmark is to the north." Flash sweatdropped and quickly pointed himself in that direction. "That trail that we blaze!" The others laughed as the ship turned, leaving Abas and his crew behind. Back in the rocks, Abas glared at his destroyed ship. "Those fools will pay." "Captain!" He turned to a shark pirate, "There's no way we can fix this ship in time to catch them. Our only hope is to follow them in the sky sails and hope they don't get too far." "Then get too it!" Abas hissed as his crew rushed below deck, "I'm not gonna let this chance slip between my claws. If the legend about Looter is true, he stole a relic with the power I need." He looked himself over, at his pegleg, hooked hand, lost tail and reached out to touch his eyepatch. "With that relic, I'll be restored to my prime self and then nobody will be able to stop me!" He looked up at the disappearing ship, "Just you wait. Lead us right to the treasure!" Cue the music... As the ship flew toward the next landmark, Flash and Spike stood on the deck while having changed into more piraty attire. They looked at the map and saw the image of a lion's head, which they discovered was actually what an island they found in the middle of a big lake was shaped like. As they checked that marker off to began to search for the next one, Fizzlepop and Starswirl stepped out. When everyone turned to them, they found the pair had also changed into more pirate-like clothing. The pair were both blushing, the rest laughing and telling them they look great. After another checkpoint, Boyle was staring at the map and pointed at one side of the boat. Lix Spittle then looked at it and sighed before turning the map around, Boyle chuckling before pointing in the other direction as the others laughed. The group were now sitting below deck, hungry after a hard day's searching. But before any of them could turn to cannibalism, Spike flew in carrying a large pot full of shepard's pie. They all stared at the meal and licked their lips, excited to have a taste of the master chef's work. When they found another checkpoint, which was a waterfall shaped like a crying mare, they stopped to get some water and Spike happened to dip his tail into it. When he lifted it back out, a large spiral shell could be seen around it and the others turned to see this. The little dragon tilted his head at this, having tucked his wings in and was unknowingly giving them a dopey expression. They couldn't help but laugh at this, even Fizzlepop. Flash and Boyle were up on deck, the two clashing swords while grinning at one another. At the side, Spike, Squabble, Mullet and Fizzlepop were watching, all betting on who would win. As they did this, Celaeno stepped up to them carrying a tray of hot drinks. She gave one to Spike, Squabble and Mullet, only to show she only had one left. Fizz expected Celaeno to keep it for herself, only for the parrot to offer it too her. She went wide-eyed at this, Celaeno then nodding and gesturing her to take it. Fizz smiled and took it, Celaeno sitting beside her to watch the pair. The crew were now trying to find the next landmark, which the map showed as a giant bird's head. But even though they were as far as they could be from the last marker before losing sight of it, they saw nothing that resembled a bird. Had they taken a moment to look down, they would have seen the mountain they had landed on was actually carved out to look like a bird's head. And as they approached the next checkpoint, Starswirl was telling Spike about some of the spells he had once seen Silverbolt use. One was a short range teleport spell, which apparently used the same mental commands as his letter sending spell. For three hours, they watched Spike cover himself in flames in an attempt to teleport himself. Eventually, he managed to morph into a fireball that shot across the deck and apparated him to the other side. Spike cheered as they all applauded, unable to believe he could teleport on his own. Thunder raged around them, everyone on the airship working hard to keep the craft aloft as Flash worked to bust as many clouds as he could. Starswirl was using his magic to shield the ship from lightning strikes, but he couldn't shield against the wind as it rocked the boat back and forth. Eventually, one of the lines connecting the balloon to the boat came off. Celaeno ran forward and grabbed the line, but the wind pulled her all the way to the edge of the ship as she slammed her feet into the side. She probably would have gone over, only for somepony to grab her tail and yank her back. Glancing up, she saw Fizzlepop gripping the limb. The pair smirked at one another and with a great amount of effort, they pulled the rope back down and retied it. As the sun began to set, the ship was now tied to tall tree. At its base was a large flat rock with the image of a shark carved into it. Everyone stared at the rock, then looked at the map which showed a shark printed on it. That image was one of the last ones on the map. By tomorrow, they would have found the treasure trove. The crew all held up mugs of cider and cheered before gulping down, the lot group now preparing to go to sleep. And two miles away behind a rock pillar was a telescope. Abas was behind the lens, a grin on his face as he knew by tomorrow, he would get what he wanted. And those fools would be sorry they ever crossed him. The next day.. The ship hovered over the jungle that should have had Looter's treasure hidden within. Starswirl stared at the map, which showed the X with a large coiled up serpent to its left. "Anyone see anything resembling a serpent?" He asked, the others staring at the giant forest and the mountain within it. "I don't see anything," Celaeno sighed, "Squabble?" The crow's nester squawked a no, making them all grimace. "Don't tell me the trail's run cold!" Spike yelped, Flash crossing his hooves at this with a big frown on his face. "I guess we should have expected this," Fizz added, "This pirate made this hunt a thousand years ago. Of course the land would change in that time. It's a miracle the other landmarks survived this long." Everyone frowned at this as Spike stared out at the mountain in the distance. And as the ship drifted closer, he noticed an opening in the side. The opening had a large stalagmite in one corner of the entrance and another on the other wide that looked like it had broken off a long time ago. And as he stared at it, he gasped, "HEY!" He grabbed the map and held it up, seeing the snake had its mouth open with large fangs. "Fizz's right! The land did change! The jungle spread and covered the landmark!" The others stared at the mountain and all went wide-eyed, "Spike, you genius!" Starswirl exclaimed as he held up the map. "Since the X is to its left, that must mean the treasure is located on its eastern side." "Helm!" Celaeno roared, Lix Spittle aye-ing as she drove the airship toward the mountain. And as they got closer, they saw more details in the rock that confirmed it was a tree covered snake. But as they did this, they didn't see something else in the distance. If they had saw them, they would think they were a bunch of birds. But that was only due to distance, for they were really a squadron of powered hang gliders. At the front of the pack, Abas smirked as he saw the ship heading to the mountain and slowly losing height. "They must have found it," he chuckled as he positioned his tail so that the propeller on it was pointing in another direction. The rest of his crew did the same and they slowly descended down into the trees. As soon as they were low enough, Celaeno fired a bunch of grabbling lines that anchored the boat to the side of the mountain. Starswirl then teleported them down to the ground, the old unicorn staring at the map. "Each side is the same thing written in four different languages. It must be to clue us in on how to find the treasure," he told them while translating the words. "The world is right, when stars align. When not in sync, the danger you'll find." "Stars?" Fizz asked, "Does that mean we have to wait around until after dark? Maybe the constellations make an arrow or something." "Whoa!" They then heard Spike call out, "You gotta see this!" They all walked up to the mountain, only to see a flattish area that was definitely not natural. A large triangular section of the mountain had been cut out with a bunch of stone bricks filling it. "This has to be it," Flash commented, "Why else would anybody build a wall out in the middle of nowhere?" Celaeno and her crew stepped up at this, "There are shapes carved into each of these bricks. There's a sun, a leaf, a heart..." "Are there any that look like stars?" Flash asked, Boyle then spotting one. "Found it!" He exclaimed before pushing it. When it didn't budge, he grabbed it in his talons and pulled, the brick sliding out. But as soon as he did, the entire mountain began to shake, small rocks beginning to fall. "Put it back! Put it back! Put it BACK!" Spike cried, Boyle pushing on the stone, but it wouldn't slide back. Starswirl attempted to use his magic, but it refused to budge. "Everyone move back!" Flash yelped, the others doing so as he glowed. "Armorize!" In a flash of light, he transformed into the Shining Guardian. Calling upon his increased strength, he hit the rock, sliding it back into the wall, causing the shaking to stop. "Okay," Spike gulped, "Let's not do that again." Starswirl looked back at the map and read it over again. "When not in sync, the danger you'll find. There must be another star brick." "There!" Celaeno pointed at one a good way up. Flash stepped back, knowing the only way to get them both out in sync was for one person to do it. "Spike, you mind?" Spike nodded and breathed into his claws, the green fire forming before he reached out. The fire claws extended and each grabbed a brick, the dragon pulling them both out. The mountain began to shake again, Spike about to push them back in. But before he could, the stone wall split down the middle. Some of the bricks began to slide to the left and the others slide to the right, creating an opening. And once the last brick disappeared into the mountain, Flash took out his sword as his armor vanished. Lightbringer lived up to its name and illuminated the entire chamber, revealing a flight of stairs heading down. "Alright, let's do this." They all headed into the tunnel, finding it to be quite deep as Starswirl counted three hundred and twenty two steps that were each about a foot and a half tall. But eventually, they reached the bottom of the stairs, only to find a short tunnel. "Just out of curiosity," Spike gulped, "What exactly was the details of that curse this treasure was supposed to have?" Starswirl sighed, "The curse said that anypony who disturbs the peace of his tomb, shall join him in it." "Tomb?!" Mullet yelped, "I thought this was a treasure trove!" "It's both," Starswirl replied, "He created this tomb to act as his final resting place, so that he could spend eternity with his favorite stolen possessions. His children built this place and made several landmarks in sight of natural ones, so that one day someone would come and find it." "Why?" Fizz asked, "If he wanted to keep his treasure safe, why would he make a map to it with landmarks." "He was a pirate," Celaeno chuckled, "He knew someone would try and find his tomb, so he made the search an elaborate puzzle that only a true pirate would be able to solve. He's saying that we're free to try and take his treasure, but he's not gonna make it easy for us." As she said that, they reached the end of the tunnel. As they did, Flash's sword suddenly stopped glowing. "What's going on?" Mullet asked, "I can't see!" "Flash?" Fizz asked as Flash tapped his sword. "I don't understand. Why isn't it working?" Starswirl tried to light his horn, but it didn't work. Fizz's magic also didn't spark. "It must be a kind of anti-magic barrier," Starswirl commented, "One of the builders must have been a skilled unicorn." "Great," Celaeno sighed, "Now what do we do?" Spike gave them the answer and started breathing fire, the light allowing Flash to see a nearby torch on the wall. Quickly lighting it with Spike's flame, he held it up to see a large door in front of them. "You all ready?" They all nodded and he pushed the door open, soon glancing inside and finding...nothing. It was so dark that they couldn't see a thing, and even the light of the torch wasn't enough. As they continued forward, Boyle almost fell down when the ground stopped, soon realizing they were on a flight of stairs. And when Fizz moved over to the banister, she smelled something and saw in the light of the flames, a bit cut out in the line. It was filled with some kind of liquid, one which Fizz knew quite well. "Flash, give me the torch." He did so and she held it over the banister, "Everyone, step back." She placed the torch into it, causing the liquid to ignite, the flames running along the banister and illuminating the cave. As it did, they all gasped when they saw they were in a large chamber, which had an aqueduct running around the outer edge that was filled with oil. As more of the cave lit up, they saw a massive pile of treasure right in the middle of it, with a giant golden coffin sitting upon it. Lining the wall below the aqueducts were a bunch of outlets that had podiums in them, with large bookshelves between each one. Each podium had an object within them, like a large cloak, a golden goblet, a sword and many more. "Wow," they all gasped in unison. There was enough gold that any of them could buy the whole of Canterlot twice over. And they knew those shelves likely held many great secrets. "We did it!" Celaeno exclaimed, "We found the treasure!" "YEAH!" Boyle cheered as he reached over to grab some of the gold. "WAIT!" Starswirl cried, stopping him before he could touch a single bit. "Remember the curse." "I thought you said there wasn't a curse?" Spike asked. "There isn't. But I'm willing to wager that there is a boobytrap in here. One that likely inspired the curse. If we disturb anything in here, we may set it off and share his tomb." They all gulped at this, Lix Spittle adding, "So we went through all that and we can't touch the treasure?" "We can. We just need to figure out what sets off the trap so we can get rid of it. Then we can take it all." They nodded and as Starswirl began to scan the place over along with others. "What's this?" Spike asked as he saw writing carved into the stone arch surrounding it. "The cloak of shrouding?" "The blade of space?" Celaeno stared at a golden sword with gems in the handle. "The helm of intange," Boyle added as he stared at a helmet that looked like something a Canterlot's Royal Guard would wear. "What are all these things?" "Relics," Flash gasped, "Remember the story? Looter had a relic that gave him a punch of powers. But I guess it wasn't one relic giving him all those abilities." "So if I put this cloak on, I could go invisible?" Spike asked. "And this sword," Celaeno stared at it. "It can teleport. How do you think it works?" Starswirl hummed at this, "If I was to hazard a guess, the user has to think of a place they want to go and then slash the sword through the air. It probably creates a rip in space time which forms a portal." "That could come in handy," Flash added, "When Starswirl's got the boobytrap offline, we can use that to move all this stuff onto your ship." "You said you only wanted the relics, right?" Lix Spittle asked, eyeing the gold like it was the first thing she had been able to eat in a week. "And the documents," Starswirl continued, "The rest is your to keep." "What about him?" Spike pointed at the coffin in the middle, "Are we just gonna leave him here after we've pilfered his treasure?" "Well, none of it was his to begin with. He stole it all." Flash pointed out, "Maybe we can donate him to a museum." The others nodded at this, all except one who had remained rather quiet. Fizzlepop stared at another of the relics, a golden goblet with some certain words above it. "The Cup of Restoration?" She asked, wondering what that was. A part of her had an idea and she was tempted to take the item, but knew it wasn't a good idea until Starswirl had made the place safe. "FREEZE!" They all turned to the doorway and gasped at seeing none other that Abas and his pirate crew, all standing there with weapons drawn. One such weapon was a bunch of metal tubes with fuses on the end of them. "Don't try anything funny." "How'd you get here?" Flash asked. "You followed us somehow," Celaeno growled as he and his crew stepped up, Flash and others seeing they were both outnumbered and outgunned due to their magic not working. "Ah," Abas smiled as he looked around, "You have no idea how long I've waited for this day." He pointed at one corner of the room, "You lot stand over there and no funny business!" They all slowly moved to an area with books behind them, as Abas walked over to all the treasure and relics. "It took years for me to gain the skills I needed to be an unstoppable pirate. This skills came with a cost and now that I've become rich enough to retire, I can't enjoy it to its full extent." He moved over to the cup, "Until now." "No!" Starswirl yelled, but the other pirates pointed their weapons at him. "Don't do it. You'll kill us all!" "Oh please," Abas rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you believe in that curse hokey! There's no such thing." "No!" Flash called out, "This place is-" But Abas grabbed the cup and lifted it up, Flash and his friends flinching at this. The lizard grabbed a water bottle from his side and poured it into the cup, the gems on it beginning to glow. "Haha!" Abas turned to them, "See this? The water is being given the power of regeneration. It will heal any injury, even ones received decades ago!" The gems stopped glowing and he brought the water to his lips. "With this...I am restored." He gulped the water down his throat, everyone watching, one more than others. And once he had completely drunk it, the lizard sighed in refreshment. But then his body went rigid. "Augh!" He dropped the cup and fell onto his hands and knees, his body screaming in agony. Everyone flinched at this, only for Abas' body began to change. The pegleg and hook hand popped off by the limbs extending, while his tail also started growing longer and thinner. Abas cried out as bones began to regrow and the spot behind his eyepatch burned like a molten flame while the scars that covered his body began to fade and the mission part of his frill began to close up. But slowly, the pain began to die down as his body was restored. Within a minute, the formerly crippled pirate stopped withering in pain and everyone around him was able to see his lost leg, hand and tail were all back and looked like they had always been there. The scars covering his body were gone and as he slowly pushed himself up to his feet, he grabbed the eyepatch and pulled it away before opening his new completely restored eye. "YES!" He exclaimed as he looked down at his new hand, then his new leg and tail before closing the previously only eye he had and looked out of the new one. "I'M BACK!" He laughed as everyone else was absolutely amazed. "It really can restore any injury..." Fizzlepop whispered, the others now hearing her say this. "Alright," Abas smirked, "Now that I'm back we can get to work." He pointed to some of his crew, "Start collecting all the treasure to take back up." He smirked at Celaeno, "Our new ship is waiting to be filled to the brim." The bird pirate glared at him, clearly about to blow her top. But before she could, something happened that made made them all go quiet. The chamber began to vibrate. Some had noticed this vibration for a while, but hadn't thought anything of it. But now the motion was increasing, quickly growing more and more rapid until it went from a simple tremor to a full on shake. "What's going on?" A shark pirate asked, as a cracking sound filled the air. "The boobytrap!" Starswirl yelled, looking over at the podium the cup had been on and seeing that part of it had descended into it. "This whole place is going to come down!" Cracks suddenly began to appear on the walls at this while parts of the ceiling began to break off and fall down. "The curse is true!" Spike cried as a rock flew down and hit a pirate on the head. "We disturbed his peace and now we'll share his tomb!" "We need to get out of here!" Flash yelled, quickly slamming into one of the pirates. This knocked the lizard back into the gold pile while the rest of Flash's friends did the same. The group then ran for the exit, only two staying behind. One of them was Celaeno, who had been at the back of the group as they tried to escape. But as she did, part of the ceiling fell and almost crushed her if she hadn't leapt back. As she did this, part of the ground suddenly opened up and her pegleg fell into the opening. She gasped as she fell back, her leg popping out of its socket and falling into the crack, unable to move and the noise of the collapsing room made her friends not hear her. At the same time, Fizz had began to run up to where Abas had dropped the cup. As she tried to get it, she ducked around the many pirates that were trying to grab as much of the treasure as possible. But this proved to be a mistake, as in that moment, more cracks began to appear on the ground. Those cracks swallowed a bunch of the treasure up and even the coffin fell while the pirates continued to grab as much gold as possible. "Hurry!" Abas cried as he began to run for the exit. But as he did this, the ground in front of him opened up, "WHOA!" He cried, almost falling into it, stopping himself inches from going over the edge, only for a bunch of his treasure to fall out of his grasp. "NO!" He tried to grab it, only to lose more. And before he could think of just leaving it, the end of the crack he was standing on broke away. "AHHH!" He fell, barely managing to hold onto the edge. At the same time, Fizz was feet away from the cup that would give her back her horn. But just as she was about to reach it, a large crack opened up between them. She slid to a stop and looked down, unable to see just how deep that crack was. The cup was now on the every edge of the crack, the shaking of the chamber causing it to roll around. She was about to jump for it, only to hear a familiar cry. Spinning around, she saw Celaeno on the ground trying to drag herself to the exit. But before she could reach it, the ground gave way below her. "AUGH!" She fell and barely managed to hold onto the edge, her claws digging into the rock. Flash and the others had managed to reach the exit, the pegasus looking back in time to realize they were missing two of their group. "Where's Celaeno and Fizzlepop?" They stopped and glanced back, quickly spotting the two and what had kept them from going with them. "Hang on!" Flash flared his wings, only for more rocks to fall down in front of him. "Flash, get back!" Starswirl yelled, Flash now forced to fly back into the tunnel as more rocks blocked him. "Guys, you've gotta get out of there!" Spike cried, seeing Celaeno unable to pull herself up. Fizz stared at Celaeno, who was moments away from falling to her doom, then back to the cup that could give her back her magic. And as she did this, she remembered the conversation she had had with Flash back during the first day of their journey, Flash's words echoing through her mind. She had to choose between her magic, or someone she had grown quite fond of. Celaeno continued to fall deeper into the crevice, her claws dragging along the ground. She saw her friends unable to help her, then she saw Fizz trapped by her own decision. She sighed at this and tried to pull herself up on her own, only for the rock she was holding onto to finally gave way. "Ahhh!" She fell, her eyes closing at this. But just as she closed them, she felt something grab her hand. "Huh?" She opened her eyes and saw Fizzlepop, the unicorn leaning over the edge, holding her hand and pulling her with everything she had. "Come on! Climb!" Celaeno did so, using her one remaining foot to claw her way up until she was back over the edge of the crack. The two jumped away, right as the rocks where the two had just been broke off. Tempest then looked over at where the cup was, but it was gone. "Thanks," she heard Celaeno say. "No problem," Tempest replied, "Now let's get out of here!" But when they looked over at their friends, they saw nothing but rocks. "No...we're stuck!" "Come on!" Flash cried as he tried to push the rocks, but more of the ceiling caved in, trying to bury him. "We have to get out of here!" Boyle added. "We can't leave them!" Flash yelled, but more of the tunnel began to collapse, forcing them to run or be killed. At the same time, Abas managed to pull most of himself up. He then looked over at Celaeno and Fizz, who were glancing around. "We can't escape!" Fizz cried, but then Celaeno turned to a certain object. "I have an idea!" She shouted, pointing at something that Fizz began to carry her to. Abas saw this and attempted to go after them. But as he did this, a thunderous sound made him look up and se a large part of the ceiling falling, which was so big there was only one direction he could leap away from it. Backwards. His instincts kicked in and he leapt back, only to land on the edge of a crack as the rock broke away. "No!" He cried as he fell into the darkness, "NOOOOOOOOOO!" Was the last thing anyone would ever hear from the pirate Abas. Flash and his friends continued to escape through the tunnel, the passageway breaking apart faster than they could move. But as they did this, Starswirl felt his horn begin to spark. "The anti-magic barrier's down!" He yelled, "Spike!" Spike nodded and focused on everything he had learned, the dragon breathing into his hands before throwing the flames backwards. Those flames wrapped around him and Flash, while Starswirl's magic surrounded himself and the pirates. Outside the mountain, the doorway had begun to close the moment the boobytrap went off. The closing was very slow, but the door was now inches away from being closed. But just as they were about too, a ball of fire shot up from within the tunnel and squeezed through the doors. It then slammed into the ground and as it did, the flames exploding to reveal Spike and Flash seconds before a burst of light signaled the others' arrival. Spike patted himself over, making sure he hadn't left any part of himself behind. As he did this, the others turned to see the doors shut and likely closed forever. With their friends locked inside. "Fizz..." Flash whispered, "Celaeno....they're gone." The others grimaced at this, all frowning as they saw their mission had failed. "Who you calling gone?" They all gasped at this and spun around, now seeing Fizz and Celaeno. "I've never felt more alive," the humanoid parrot smirked. "H...how?" Starswirl asked, only to then see something in Celaeno's claws. "You were right," she held up the golden gem encrusted sword. "Just think about where you wanna be and slash the air. Made a portal right onto our ship." The others went wide-eyed and silent, Spike then breaking the silence as he began to cheer. The group soon ran up to each other and hugged, all happy to see they were all alive. Celaeno then turned to Fizz, "Thank you. I know you gave up a lot to do it." The others realized what she was talking about, Fizzlepop blushing as she looked away. "Yeah...I guess I did. But...its okay." She looked back at the pirate, "I...I don't regret my decision. I might have lost my horn, but I didn't lose my friend. And that's more important." Celaeno chuckled at this, Flash and Spike grinning at the sight, only for two lights to start shining out. "Whoa!" Spike yelped, reaching up to touch his spines while Flash looked at his Cutie Mark. "What's happening?" "Looks like we've completed our mission," Flash turned to Fizz. "I think the map might have been worried you would fall back into your old habits if you didn't go through this. It must have sent us because it knew we could help you see that you're capable of making friends and putting their needs before you." Fizz blinked at this, only to smile. She had to admit, they were right. Before, she wasn't sure if she could ever made true friends like Twilight believed she could. But now, she knew what it meant to be truly close to someone and give up what you want to help them. It was a good feeling. "Well," Starswirl sighed, "This has certainly been an interesting experience, hasn't it?" They all nodded in agreement, all turning back to the mountain. Boyle groaned and shook his head, "After all that, we only came away with one item that we can't even keep." He turned to the relic, remembering their deal with Starswirl about him taking them into custody. Celaeno smiled and patted his shoulder. "We might not have come away with what we wanted, but we got to have a heck of an adventure. And isn't that the best part about a treasure hunt?" Boyle smirked and nodded, the group turning to the airship still floating above them. Celaeno quickly made another portal with the sword that they used to get back on board, the group looking toward the sunset as they wondered what would happen next. "Celestia will likely wish to take possession of this," Starswirl pointed at the sword. "At least all those relics didn't fall into the wrong hooves. Who knows what Abas would have done with them." Flash turned to Fizzlepop, "So what's the plan after this?" "I don't know," Fizz sighed, "But...maybe I'll go back to Ponyville with you two. I'm sure Twilight will be interested in seeing me again." Flash nodded, believing that's exactly what Twilight would want. He also invited the rest of them too Ponyville, knowing Rainbow and maybe a few students would want to hear about the adventures they had had as pirates. They all accepted and Celaeno threw Flash the sword, the pegasus flying in front of the ship and cutting open a portal big enough for the ship to fly through. "Pirate crew!" Flash cheered as he pointed the sword at the portal, "Set sail!" "ARRRRR!" They all cheered before the ship flew into the portal, quickly leaving no proof it was ever there. The end of a great adventure, which would hopefully lead to many more.