//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Of High Seas and Howling Winds // by InsertCoolUsernameHere //------------------------------// Twilight sat at the desk in her cabin, scrutinizing the spell book that lay across the surface. Her head felt like it was swimming, pushing its way through a haze as she tried to stay focused. With each blink she had to fight off the exhaustion that threatened to keep her eyes closed. Every now and then she found her consciousness in a sudden free fall, only to snap back to attention moments before her head hit the desk. She was running on pure willpower—had been for a while. Twilight forced herself to read the words on the page, despite having done so countless times before. She had no clue what she was looking for in the words she’d etched into her mind long ago. Perhaps a detail missed, a tidbit of information that passed under her scanning eyes; anything that she could latch onto. She held out hope that if she stared hard enough, a sense of understanding might come over her. So far, it was only giving her a massive headache. With a sigh, Twilight snapped the book shut. She pushed herself out of the chair and trotted to the center of the room. Releasing a deep breath, she closed her eyes. “Stay calm,” she thought aloud. “You can do this.” Slowly, Twilight opened her eyes. Magic gathered in her horn, bathing the room in a scarlet light. She started with a small amount at first, then gradually increased the output. Sparks of stray magic bounced from her horn, and she tried harder to contain the spell. The extra exertion caused a sharp pain in her head, and she winced. The brief break in concentration made the magic in her horn fizzle out like a dying candle. “No!” Twilight exclaimed, gritting her teeth. She tried the spell again, but added more force into it. Her legs trembled and the pain in her head returned, but she ignored it. Putting more power into the spell, the light from her horn became almost blinding. Just as she thought she got a handle on it, though, the magic dissipated with a loud pop, and a stack of blank papers on the desk suddenly burst into flame. “Gah!” Twilight screamed. She scrambled to throw the burning papers out the porthole. They caught the wind and blew away, their ashes falling lightly to the surface of the ocean. Cursing herself, Twilight checked to see if she’d caused any more damage. Save for a slight burn mark on the desk, everything seemed fine. “Teleportation spell attempt number forty-nine,” she mumbled to herself, slumping back into the chair, “another failure.” Saying the words aloud hurt, much more than she’d expected. A dull noise rung in Twilight’s ears. She realized almost absently that she was grinding her teeth. The spellbook rested in front of her, taunting her with knowledge that she couldn’t master, and she wanted nothing more than to throw it out the window along with the papers. Instead, she picked up something on the desk next to the book and looked it over. It was a letter from the Princess, which had come in response to hers soon after leaving Baltimare. That had been nearly a week ago. It certainly didn’t feel that long to Twilight. She’d spent most of her time cooped up in the cabin, reading books or practicing spells. The only contact she had with the crew was when Applejack brought her food, or when Pinkie stopped by to talk—Twilight usually drowned her out though, only offering the occasional nod or “Mhmm”. The edges of the letter were well-worn, despite the short time Twilight had it in her possession. Like most other letters she received from the Princess, this one brought comfort to her. Sitting there, bathed in the evening sun pouring in from the porthole, she found herself reading it once again. To my faithful student, it read, I am gladdened that you were able to find a somepony willing to take you to Haven so quickly. Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting to hear good news from you so soon. As for this Rainbow Dash you're hiring, I would advise you to keep your initial judgements of her in check. Recklessness can often be confused with courage, and it certainly takes much of that to brave the unknown. Ponies can be like complicated books: they are never what they seem on the surface and take time to understand. Perhaps your opinion of Rainbow Dash would change if you got to know her better. The same applies to the rest of her crew. There’s no reason why you can’t befriend them, Twilight. You will be spending quite a long time with them, after all. No matter what you decide to do, I look forward to future updates on your journey. Stay safe. I know you’ll make me proud. Yours truly, Princess Celestia Twilight placed the letter back on the desk. Running a hoof through her mane, she shifted her gaze to the spellbook. The Princess’ advice did not fall on deaf ears, but there were more important things to her than making friends. Besides, Spike was being friendly enough for both of them. Every day since arriving on the ship, Twilight hadn’t seen spine or scale of her assistant until he stumbled back into the cabin at night and collapsed into his makeshift bed next to hers. She told him not to bug the crew so much, but he insisted they were okay with him hanging around while they worked. The truth was that she would prefer if he stuck around to help with her spell practice, but she couldn’t force him to. With a sigh, Twilight levitated the spellbook and placed it back in the chest where there was an empty space . She wanted to keep practicing, but exhaustion was taking its toll on her. She contemplated sending a letter to the Princess asking for help. That would require Spike, however, and she didn’t even have the energy to search for him. She played with the idea of sleep and found it enticing, despite having not eaten dinner. Just as she was making her way to the bed, there was a knock on the wall outside her cabin. “Ms. Sparkle?” came Applejack’s muffled voice. “I got yer food here. Can I come in?” “Sure,” Twilight replied with a sigh. The curtain was pulled aside and Applejack walked in, balancing a chipped plate on one hoof. “Here ya are,” she said, setting the plate on the desk. “One sandwich, complete with diced celery, carrots and lettuce.” Twilight narrowed her eyes at the food. “We’ve had sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past two days.” Applejack shrugged. “This ain’t a luxury hotel, sugarcube. It’s either this or nothin’. Besides, it’s my cookin’. There ain’t a pony out there that can get sick of that,” she added with a chuckle. Twilight gave an absent nod of agreement. Trotting over to the desk, she sank into the chair once more and levitated the food towards her mouth. Applejack stood off to the side, kicking the floor with a hoof as Twilight took her first bite. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Applejack said. “What exactly is it yer doin’ in here all day? We never see you ‘round the ship or anything.” “It’s none of your business,” Twilight replied. Applejack recoiled and Twilight instantly regretted what she said. “A might touchy on the subject, I see,” grumbled Applejack. “I’m sorry,” Twilight said, rubbing her temples. “I didn’t sleep last night. I guess I’m a little strung out. I was just about to go to sleep when you came.” Applejack looked Twilight over, taking in the messy mane and bloodshot eyes. She still didn’t seem happy when she spoke, but her voice had softened some. “Yeah, alright. I suppose it’s a good thing I caught you then.” “Why’s that?” “The Captain wanted me to let you know that we’ll be docking at Seaddle in a couple hours. We won’t be headin’ into town til tomorrow, though.” “What?!” shouted Twilight. She leapt to her hooves and stormed over to Applejack, her face inches from the chef’s. “When did this happen?” “That’s been the plan fer a couple days now. And I’d appreciate if ya got outta my face.” Twilight ignored her. “Where is Captain Dash now?” “In the saloon with the others. But—” Twilight was gone before Applejack could finish. She galloped through the hold, barely containing the anger rising in her. What in Tartarus is she doing? she thought. Why is she making us stop? When she reached the saloon, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash sitting at one of the tables with Rarity and Fluttershy. Spike was there as well, and it was only his presence that stopped her from bursting into the room and shouting outright. Sucking in a long breath, Twilight tried to calm down. Her hoofsteps echoed off the walls as she entered the room and the group turned to look at her. “Yo,” said Rainbow Dash with a smirk. “Finally decided to join us for dinn—” “No,” Twilight interrupted so quickly that the group’s eyes widened. “I’m here to talk.” Rainbow Dash pushed herself out of her seat, eyeing Twilight carefully. “About what?” “I heard from Applejack that we’re going to be stopping at an island.” “You heard right. Is there a problem with that?” “Of course it’s a problem!” Twilight yelled. Fluttershy flinched at the outburst. Rarity placed a caring hoof on her back and looked to Twilight. “There’s no need to shout, darling,” she said. “Whatever is going on, I’m certain we can discuss things like professionals.” “This is between me and the Captain!” Twilight snapped at Rarity, her irritation only increasing. She turned her glare back to Rainbow Dash. “I paid you to take us directly to Haven, and I expect you to do so.” “So you’re demanding that we keep on sailing?” “Yes.” “Right. I see. Well, let’s get one thing straight here, Ms. Sparkle,” Rainbow Dash said menacingly. “I’m the captain of this ship, not you. I decide how we get to Haven.” She began walking towards Twilight, her voice growing louder with each step. “You are just a passenger. You don’t have the authority to order me around, and you especially don’t have the right to talk to my crew the way you just did!” Their faces were now inches apart; somewhere in the back of Twilight’s mind she registered that she’d backed into a corner of the room. “Let me ask you something: at any point, did you wonder why we might be stopping?” Twilight shifted her eyes to the ground, but remained silent. “Answer the question,” growled Rainbow Dash. “No,” Twilight croaked out. “No, I didn’t.” “Then let me bring you up to speed. We need food. If you’d bothered to talk with us every now and then, you would know that we’re running low on supplies. More important than that, though, is weapons. As it stands now, we are dangerously underprepared for this voyage. We’ll be fine until reaching the border regions, but after that everything changes. Pirates or griffon raiders will tear us apart if we don’t get the ship outfitted. And let’s not forget that we’ll need a map of the Equestrian Islands if we’re going to navigate the seas properly.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Look, it’s obvious you don’t like me. It’s even more obvious that you don’t think much of me as a captain.” “I never said—” started Twilight. “Save it. If you had any respect for me professionally, we wouldn’t be having this argument. Just because your teacher is the Princess or you happen to be good at magic doesn’t make you better than me.” Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof to the door. “Now, I would suggest that you go cool your head.” Twilight stood in stunned silence, feeling like she’d been punched in the gut. The threat of tears stung at her eyes but she forced them back. Countless apologies came to mind, only to get stuck in her throat. Grasping for any form of help, she shot a pleading look at Spike. The baby dragon held her gaze for just a moment before shaking his head and turning to help Rarity comfort Fluttershy. This sent Twilight’s heart plummeting into the pit of her stomach. With as much dignity as she could muster, she trotted out of the room, feeling Rainbow Dash’s intense stare on her back the entire time. She was only two steps out of the room when she began galloping back to her cabin, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Collapsing onto the bed, she buried her face in the pillow and cursed loudly. Not at Spike, or even Rainbow Dash, but at herself. Deep down, she realized she shouldn’t be as upset as she was. But a lack of sleep coupled with an increasing certainty of her magical ineptitude was weighing heavily on her. The argument with Rainbow Dash had only been the last of a series of pushes towards a metaphorical edge. She struggled to calm herself down, fearing that just one more nudge would send her tumbling into a complete emotional down spiral. The rational part of her brain told her sleep would get bring her back to a stable state-of-mind. Of course, she was so worked up that it was nearly impossible. Minutes passed like hours as she stared silently at the wall. Self-doubt plagued her, despite how hard she tried to bury it in the darkest recesses of her mind. She distracted herself by listening to the hoofsteps of somepony on the deck above her—probably Pinkie. More hoofsteps came from in the hold, getting closer every second. They probably finished eating dinner, Twilight thought. Most of the group soon passed by her cabin and headed up the stairs to the deck, but she heard the rustling of the sheet as someone entered the room. “Twilight?” Spike asked quietly. Her back was facing him. “Are you still awake?” Twilight remained silent. She wanted to respond, but the words eluded her. No apology she had could make up for the way she’d acted; not now, at least. She heard the baby dragon sigh and walk over to the bed, then pulled the covers up to her neck. After a moment’s hesitation, he patted her side. “Night, Twilight,” he said. Just like that, Twilight felt a little better. She smiled faintly to herself, glad once more for Spike’s companionship. The sound of him crawling into his own bed—which was just a small pile of hay—reached her ears, and soon he was snoring loudly. Twilight wondered how it was possible for him to fall asleep so quickly. A quiet chuckle escaped her lips. She lay awake for a while longer, listening to the sounds of the ocean and Spike’s snoring. Exhaustion hit her hard after she managed to calm down, dragging her into a deep sleep. She didn’t fight it; Her body needed the rest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight felt like she had only just closed her eyes when the sound of a bell being rung jarred her back into consciousness. She stirred under the covers, groaning with annoyance. She tried falling back asleep, but Spike started shaking her. “Come on, Twilight,” he grumbled, rubbing his eyes with the other claw. “It’s time to get up.” “Okay, okay.” She threw the blanket off and got up. Stretching her limbs and yawning, she could hear the muffled shouts of somepony on deck. “I feel like I barely got any sleep.” “Yeah, well that’s what happens when you stay up as long as you did. Speaking of which, I wouldn’t recommend doing that again. You get a little, erm, crazy.” The events of the previous day flooded Twilight’s mind. “I’m sorry about that, Spike.” Shaking her head, she sat on her haunches and stared at the floor. “I didn’t mean to act like that.” “Aw, I’m used to it by now.” Spike waved a claw dismissively. “Besides, I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” “You’re right,” agreed Twilight. The bell rang from the deck again. The two stared at each other a moment before the smallest of smiles broke out on Twilight’s face and she nodded in the direction of the stairs. “Come on. Let’s go see what’s up.” Together they exited the cabin and climbed through the hatch. Emerging onto the deck, Twilight had to shield her eyes from the brilliant morning sun. When her vision adjusted, her jaw went completely slack at what she saw. They were in a port that looked similar to that of Baltimare’s, but while Baltimare’s harbor had been on the edge of the city, this one one was in its very heart. Bleach-white stone buildings surrounded them in a circle, carved from the limestone like a ramp leading up from the water. The area had probably once been just sheer cliff, but generations of ponies had cut a sprawling city from the rock face. The ship was docked at a stone walkway extending from the shore. Twilight rushed to the edge of the ship and leaned over. Gazing out across the water behind them, she saw a giant stone arch connecting two tall lighthouses together over a wide channel and, beyond that, the ocean stretching into the horizon. A wide grin broke out on Twilight’s face and she had to hold back bouts of giddy laughter. It was all so picturesque, like somepony had taken a beautiful painting and brought it to life in the most vivid of ways. Suddenly the bell sounded again, snapping her from reverie, and she turned to face the noise. She saw Rainbow Dash standing near the edge of the ship’s stern, ringing the bell with vigor. “Up and at ‘em, everypony!” shouted Capt. Dash. “We’ve got work to do!” The other members of the crew began to emerge one by one from the hatch, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. They stood at attention as Rainbow Dash took to the air and gently descended down to the deck. “Alright, girls, Here’s the plan.” She began to pace back and forth in front of them. “We need to resupply and get this ship outfitted. Fluttershy—you, Applejack and Pinkie will go buy the food. Me and Rarity will worry about getting our hooves on some weapons. Meet back here when you’ve got everything. I don’t expect us to be here very long.” If the way she spoke hadn’t been an obvious dig at Twilight, then the glance Rainbow Dash shot her made things perfectly clear. Twilight hung her head, poking solemnly at a nick in the deck floor. “Any questions?” Rainbow Dash continued. No one said a word. “Good. Applejack, fetch the gangplank.” Applejack gave a salute. “Aye, Cap’n.” “I’ll help,” said Pinkie, bouncing off to follow Applejack below deck. “Stay here for a minute, Spike,” said Twilight, taking the opportunity to approach Rainbow Dash. “Excuse me, Captain.” Her voice cracked, causing her to cringe inwardly. Rainbow Dash’s face was a mask of stone, but her eyes betrayed a quiet anger. “Yeah?” “I was, um, wondering if I could join you. Into town, I mean.” The mask slipped from Rainbow Dash’s face for just a moment, replaced with a look of bemusement. “What for?” “Well, I was hoping to find a bookstore. Maybe I could look for a cartographer too. Like you said, we’re going to need a map...” “Suit yourself,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug, and turned to walk away. “Wait!” Twilight exclaimed, taking a step after her. “There’s something else.” Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the side, eyes narrowed. “What?” “I wanted to apologize for the way I acted last night. I wasn’t thinking straight. And while I do think that you should’ve told me your plans earlier, that didn’t give me the right to shout at you and your crew. So... I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?” Rainbow Dash stood in silent contemplation, gauging Twilight’s words. With a small groan and a shake of her head, Rainbow Dash’s features softened. She rubbed one foreleg with the other. “Whatever. Just... don’t let it happen again, okay?” “Okay.” Awkward silence fell over them as they both searched for the next thing to say. Twilight shifted her weight uncomfortably, while Rainbow Dash busied herself with stretching her stiff limbs. “So, uh...” Rainbow Dash mumbled after cracking one leg with a loud pop, “should we, like, hug or something?” Twilight grimaced. “Let’s not.” “Yeah, good plan. Anyway, if you’re gonna be heading into town with us, you may wanna grab some cash.” Twilight nodded. “I’ll only be a minute. Spike!” she called out. The baby dragon looked over in her direction after hearing his name, and she inclined her head towards the hatch. “Follow me.” “What’s going on, Twilight?” he asked as they headed back down into the hold. “We’re going into town with the others,” she answered, stepping into the cabin. She threw open the chest with magic and levitated her cloak out. After putting it on and clasping it at the neck, she placed her saddlebags around her midsection. Spike watched her with an air of slight disbelief. “You’re not joking, right?” Twilight flashed him an exasperated look. “Would I be doing all this if I was?” Her horn glowed with magic once again as a small pouch of bits—part of her personal funds—floated out of the chest and into one of her saddlebags. A wide grin appeared on Spike’s face, his eyes alight with glee. “This is gonna be awesome,” he said, hopping excitedly from foot to foot. “Yes, yes. Just try to contain yourself,” Twilight said as she brushed past him. In truth, she was nearly as excited as Spike. Her heart raced at the prospect of seeing Seaddle up close, something that she never would’ve expected to happen when first leaving Canterlot. All she’d been able to focus on was practicing her magic. But now, on the verge of exploring a city so beautiful, those thoughts were wiped away, at least for the moment. The deck was clear when Twilight and Spike returned. Looking around, Twilight noticed the gangplank had been set up on the portside of the ship. She trotted over to it, Spike following close behind, and saw that the crew was waiting for her on the dock. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were wearing saddlebags of their own, and seemed to be discussing the details of their supply run. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were also talking to each other, while Applejack was staring in awe at the city around her. Carefully, Twilight stepped onto the thin piece of wood and headed down. “Sorry for making you wait,” she said upon reaching the group. Rainbow Dash glanced at her. “You’re fine. Now that everypony’s here, let’s head out.” She started down the dock at a brisk pace. The rest of the group quickly followed after her, careful to avoid other ponies on the narrow walkway. When they reached the edge of the city, Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie turned right, walking parallel to the water. “Try not to get into trouble,” Applejack called out, waving slightly. “No promises!” Rainbow Dash shouted back. Fluttershy’s eyes went wide, and she whispered quietly, “P-please don’t—” “Don’t fret, Fluttershy,” said Rarity. “I’ll make sure nothing happens.” “Yeah,” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “And even if something does, she’ll be able to take care of it.” The way Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie suddenly relaxed made Twilight raise an eyebrow. As they started walking down the docks, she, Rarity, Spike and Rainbow Dash made their way up a flight of stairs leading to the city’s higher levels. “What was all that about?” she asked. “Whatever do you mean, darling?” Rarity responded. “How exactly will you ‘take care of it’ if we got into trouble?” “You shouldn’t worry yourself with that, dear.” “You’re avoiding the question...” “Oh, for the love of... ” Rainbow Dash cut in. “Look, if something happens, she’ll just—” Rarity shot daggers at Rainbow Dash with her eyes. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard. “—diffuse the situation with her elegance and charm.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s it?” Rarity cleared her throat and smiled pleasantly. “Yes, that’s it. I can be quite diplomatic, if I say so myself.” Why was that so hard to tell me? Twilight thought. She pondered it for a minute, but eventually let it go. Instead, she focused on taking in the sights. The stairwell seemed to stretch up towards the sky, and bleached stone buildings extended on either side of her. Every now and then, the stairs would plateau on what seemed to be a major street. On these roads, Twilight caught glimpses of shops and restaurants with smiling patrons. Unlike Baltimare, the roads weren’t crowded with ponies, and things seemed generally quieter. Looking up, she could see a large bell tower she hadn’t noticed before at the top of the city. “—arkle.” Twilight stopped in her tracks. She blinked twice in confusion and looked around, noticing she’d lost the others. Panic started to set in, but a second later she heard someone call her name again. “Ms. Sparkle.” She turned around to see that Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Spike were several steps below her. They had stopped and turned onto one of the main roads. Her cheeks flushed as she realized that she had been in a daze. She made her way back to them. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “ A little distracted, are we?” asked Rarity as they began walking down the street. “Yeah, I guess so. Being in a whole new city is a lot to take in.” Twilight smiled sheepishly. “I never left the palace in Canterlot much.” “There’s a shocker,” grumbled Rainbow Dash. Rarity slapped Rainbow Dash on her leg, making her cry out in surprise. “Don’t be rude. I’m sure she was doing things vital to her position as the Princess’ student.” “Exactly,” Twilight said, puffing her chest out with pride. “Besides, I think anypony would be mesmerized by this place the first time they came here.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I guess I’m just used to it by now.” “You’ve been here before, Captain?” Spike asked. “Hm?” Rainbow Dash glanced at him for a second before returning her attention to the road. “Oh, definitely. This was my home for a while. In fact, I’m pretty sure I ditched on paying my bill at that restaurant once.” She nodded in the direction of a building that had large windows built in the front, allowing a clear view of the pleasant interior. Twilight’s jaw dropped, aghast. “Why would you do that?” “Because I didn’t have the money, duh,” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “So what? You’re a thief as well as a ship captain?” “That all depends.” “On what?” “The situation.” Twilight narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash. “Is there anything else you’re hiding that you’d like to share?” “Not really,” Rainbow Dash said. “We should be getting close to the store now... Ah, here we go.” Twilight wanted to press the matter, but she doubted she’d get anything from the captain anyway. Instead, she looked at the simple brick building they stopped in front of. Above the wooden door was a sign that said “Buckshot’s Bullets”. There were no windows on the front of the building. With a little too much force, Rainbow Dash opened the door. A small bell chimed when it swung open and the group stepped inside. The strong odor of gunpowder immediately entered Twilight’s nose, overpowering the smell of the sea. A counter extended from one end of the room to another. Behind it, an arsenal of guns were mounted on stands. Twilight’s stomach twisted into an uneasy knot when she saw the weapons. Unlike her brother, who’d proven to be a crack shot even at a young age, she never felt right around guns. The thought that a pony’s life could be ended with just the pull of a trigger unsettled her. Spike must have felt the same way, because he stayed close to her, gripping her cloak, rather than exploring the room. Rainbow Dash and Rarity, on the other hoof, looked totally at ease. Rainbow Dash sauntered up to the counter, tipping her tricorne hat at the pony behind it. The pony, a pegasus with a brown coat and a scar across his left eye, nodded in return and grumbled a “Hello.” “I’m looking to buy some guns,” she said. “Ya don’t say,” the pony replied in a gruff, listless voice. Rainbow Dash glowered at the stallion, but all she got in response was a sigh as he stood up from his wooden chair. “What’re ya lookin’ for?” he asked. “I just told you.” “Okay, but what kind of gun?” “Does it matter?” “You never used one before, have ya?” the stallion asked, almost accusingly. “I’m really itching to right now.”. “Very funny. Get outta here, kid. I don’t got time to deal with you and your prissy friends,” he said with a wave of his hoof, despite the fact that they were the only ones in the shop. “Then make time.” Rainbow Dash took a threatening step toward the counter, but Rarity stopped her with a hoof. Their eyes met, and Rarity shook her head. Rainbow Dash sighed and faced the stallion once more. “Look, we’re paying customers. The least you could do is recommend something.” The stallion tapped his hoof on the floor for a moment, an irritated look on his face. “Fine,” he said finally, and turned his back to them. He rummaged along the wall of flintlock rifles, then took one off its stand and set it on the table. “This here’s a Brown Bessie Mark II. A good gun for beginners; standard issue for new Marine recruits cause the lock is easier to pull back. I’ll give it to you for two hundred bits apiece.” Rainbow Dash stared at the gun for a moment and reached for her saddlebags, but Rarity stopped her. “Wait,” she said, walking up to the counter. “You shouldn’t lie to us, sir.” “What’re you talkin’ about?” the stallion demanded. “You are correct in saying that the Brown Bessie requires less effort to pull back the lock,” Rarity explained, “but that’s only because, being one of the first rifles created, it is made with weaker metal. The frizzen will bend after only a little use, rendering the gun useless. That’s only if the recoil doesn’t dislocate your leg first. It isn’t a gun for beginners, it isn’t standard issue for any Marine, and it certainly isn’t worth two hundred bits.” She smiled, but her gaze was icy. “I’d appreciate it if you took us seriously.” The stallion’s face burned red with embarrassment and anger. He swiped the gun off the table and replaced it quickly with another, cursing the entire time. “There. The Marechester Mark IV. Low recoil and high stopping power. Made with iron and strong wood. That good enough for ya?” Rarity nodded. “Indeed it is.” Rainbow Dash smirked at Rarity, and began discussing prices with the stallion. Meanwhile, Twilight trotted up to Rarity, questions ready to fly off her tongue. Spike got them out first. “Where the heck did you learn all that?” he asked. Rarity smiled softly. “My father is... an enthusiast.” “That still doesn’t answer the question...” Twilight said. Rarity merely shrugged. Twilight blinked. “Rarity... you are like a mystery wrapped in an enigma.” “And that’s how I’d like things to stay, if you don’t mind.” Twilight sighed. “Well then, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find a bookstore. Sir?” The stallion looked at her. “Could you please tell me where the nearest bookstore is?” With a groan, the stallion pointed to the right. “Go back to the stairs and up another level. It should be on the right from there.” “Thank you.” “Whatever.” Ushering Spike to follow, Twilight walked out the door. Just as it was closing, she heard Rainbow Dash say “Now, what do you have in the way of cannons?” She and Spike made their way back to the stairs. “That was intense...” Spike mumbled after a while. “That’s putting it lightly. I thought both of them were about to start swinging,” replied Twilight. “I wonder if the whole trip is gonna be like this.” “By Celestia, I hope not.” “It is kind of exciting, though.” “Excitement is distracting, Spike. We need to focus on getting to Haven, not getting in trouble.” They were at the stairs now, and started walking up. “The sooner we get there the better. Being around this crew is making me nervous.” “Why?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Where do I start? Trouble seems to follow the Captain around, and she doesn’t even care. We don’t know the first thing about Rarity, considering she always dodges questions. Fluttershy gets scared far too easily. Applejack seems like the only sensible one on the ship, but she doesn’t really know anything about sailing. And Pinkie...” She shook her head. “Just being near Pinkie gives me a headache.” “Hey! Pinkie is really fun to be around!” Spike objected. “Let me know when that is, because right now she’s just obnoxious.” Spike’s face fell. “Do you really not like them that much?” Twilight felt her heart soften. “It’s not that... there’s just too much uncertainty with them. Like what Rainbow Dash said earlier about not paying her bill. That’s theft, Spike! What would drive her to do that?” He shrugged half-heartedly. “Maybe she had to.” “Nopony has to do anything they don’t want to,” Twilight stated. “Look, I’m not asking you to stay away from them; it’s obvious that you like them. I’m just saying that I’ll be keeping my distance. This looks like the place,” she added when they reached a building that simply had a carving of a book hanging from a pole above the door. She was about to open the door when she caught the movement of somepony suddenly ducking into a nearby alley. She thought she recognized the iris color of their coat, but couldn’t place it. Narrowing her eyes, she wondered what somepony could be doing down there. It’s probably nothing, she thought, and opened the door. Twilight and Spike stepped inside. Like the gun store, a bell chimed when they entered. The smell of old paper filled her nostrils, expelling any lingering scent of gunpowder. Instantly she felt at home, images of the Canterlot Archives filling her mind. Shelves lined the treated wood walls, and bookcase after bookcase filled the main body of the room. Each section was labeled, and Twilight made her way to the fiction section first. For the next hour or so, she browsed the bookstore, flipping through anything that caught her interest. There was even a section containing maps, much to her luck, and Twilight picked up the largest one they had of the Equestrian Islands. Spike spent his time sitting on the floor, sometimes drifting to sleep before catching himself. He was relieved when Twilight finally made her way to the counter. The unicorn sitting behind it was a stallion around her age. This surprised her; she was expecting someone older. He had a mahogany colored coat and a shaggy, dark-brown mane. He was silently reading a book when she approached, and smiled when she cleared her throat to get his attention. “I thought I heard somepony come in. Did you find everything you needed?” he asked. “Yes,” Twilight answered pleasantly, setting the books and map on the counter. The unicorn checked everything. “Your total is twenty five bits.” As Twilight levitated the bits from her saddlebag, something behind the counter caught her eye. Sitting on a shelf, encased in a locked glass box, was a leather bound book. It had no title. “What’s that?” she asked. The stallion looked at the box, then back to her. “That caught your eye, did it? It’s the oldest book here, actually. Been in the family for a long time, or so I’m told. Can’t seem to sell the damn thing.” He chuckled. “Why’s it locked up?” “Somepony tried stealing it a while ago. Probably thought it was worth something. Heck, maybe it is. I wouldn’t know.” “Why not?” asked Spike. “Can’t read it. It’s written in ancient Equish. It would probably be smarter to sell it to a museum or something, but we just keep it around for some reason.” “Could I see it?” Twilight asked. “Sure, but I’m telling you it’s impossible to read.” He unlocked the box and set the book on the table. “Go right ahead.” Twilight flipped open the cover and began looking it over. Her eyes went wide and her heart rate skyrocketed. “It’s an ancient spell book.” “Wait, you can actually read that?” “Yes. Well, some of it. I’m not completely fluent. But from what I can tell, this book could contain magic that has been lost for centuries,” she exclaimed. “You’re serious?” “One hundred percent.” The unicorn stared at her. “Who are you?” Spike started to answer, but Twilight silenced him with a hoof. She laughed nervously. “Just a pony that likes to study. How much do you want for this?” The unicorn looked at the book for a moment, then at Twilight. “I’ll give it to you for free.” “I couldn’t accept that.” “And I couldn’t charge you for something that makes you this excited. It’s not like the shop was depending on selling that book. Tell you what, when you bring back magic from a time lost to us or whatever, just let everypony know you found the book here. It’ll bring business.” Hesitantly, Twilight placed the twenty five bits on the counter. “Thank you,” she said, putting the books and map in her saddlebags. Bidding goodbye to the shopkeeper, she and Spike walked back onto the street, the bell chiming behind them. Eerily, the street was empty except for them. “What do we do now?” Spike asked. “Head back to the ship, I guess,” Twilight answered, and began trotting in the direction of the stairs. “I wonder if the others are ba—” She was cut off when somepony clamped a hoof over her mouth and began dragging her into an alley. Before Spike could register what had happened, another pony dove at him and scooped him up in a single hoof. They struggled with their attackers, Twilight kicking at them and Spike trying to pry himself from their grip, but to no avail. They were brought deep into the alley, away from anypony that might help them. Twilight and Spike were thrown violently against the wall. Something cold and thin pressed against their necks. “Don’t make a sound,” came a voice. “Or we’ll cut out your throats.” Twilight swallowed hard, looking up the long, curved blade of a scimitar to meet the gaze of a pony with two swollen eyes and a scar on his cheek. There were two other ponies in the alley, a pegasus and a unicorn, both of whom she recognized from the bar in Baltimare. Her heart nearly stopped. “Well, well, well,” the scarred earth pony said. “Today must be my lucky day.” He grinned, revealing his golden teeth. “Who’d have thought I’d run into you here? Doy you like what you did to my eye?” “H-how’d you find us?” Twilight squeaked. “Did you follow us?” “Hardly. We lost you the second you set sail. I wanted to chase you down, but the Captain said it wasn’t worth it over a simple squabble, so we left and headed here. Arrived just this morning. I was just about to let it go when I see you walking through the streets to that bookstore. You took quite a while in there, by the way. Nearly fell asleep waiting. Now, I got a question I want answered, and don’t lie to me. Where’s your rainbow pony friend?” “I-I don’t know. In the city somewhere? And I’m not her friend. I’m just buying passage on her ship, I swear.” “I’m not sure I believe you.” “It’s true,” Spike said. “She’s Princess Celestia’s personal student. We’re on our way to an island in the Forgotten sea.” The earth pony howled with laughter. “Now I know you’re lyin’. That’s the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard.” “Hey, Blitz,” the unicorn said, “we can’t stay here much longer. Somepony’s gonna see.” “I know that, moron.” He glanced at something deeper in the alley. “Come on, help me stuff them in the crates. We can use them as leverage to get the rainbow pony later.” The unicorn looked nervous. “But the weapons are in—” “Do I look like I care? Would you rather drag them through the streets?!” “L-look, I’m telling you that she won’t come. We barely even know each other,” Twilight tried explaining, her mind racing. “Save it,” the scarred stallion said, removing the scimitar from her throat and making a move to grab her. A moment had presented itself to Twilight. And she took it. A flash of light emitted from her horn, blinding the stallions and causing them to stumble back. Twilight galloped as fast as she could down the street, hoping Spike was following. The scratching of his clawed feet on cement assured her that he was. Just as they were about to make it to the street, though, one of the ponies tackled Twilight to the ground. Spike stopped for a moment in shock. “Run!” Twilight shouted at him. “Get help!” He hesitated for a moment, then took off out of sight. “Go catch him!” the scarred earth pony roared. The pegasus took off after Spike. Twilight began screaming as loud as she could when she was dragged back into the alley. “Help!” she cried. “Somepony help!” Something hard hit the back of her head and the world went black before her face hit the ground. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spike ran as fast as his small legs could take him. He could hear the galloping of somepony chasing him, but he didn’t dare turn around. Fear numbed his mind. He had no idea where he was or where he was going. His only thought was to get help. It seemed like he had been running for hours, but still nopony was in sight. That’s when he started to lose himself. He blinked once and he was running down the staircase. Again, and he was in the middle of a street, rushing past ponies. How long ago had he left behind Twilight in the alley? A minute? Ten? An hour? Time was unwinding for him. Was he even being chased anymore? He blinked and found himself standing at the docks, gasping for breath, the small caravel floating in the water before him. Clenching his claws, he ran down the boardwalk and up the gangplank. Another blink and he was surrounded by the crew, sitting on a barrel on the deck. Worry showed in their eyes. Their voices all blended into one, asking him if he was okay and where Twilight was. He felt himself start to slip again, but shook his head vigorously, grounding himself in the moment and bringing the world to a focus. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was raw. He started coughing uncontrollably. “Fluttershy, go get some water,” he heard Capt. Dash say. Soon a wooden mug was handed to him and he drank the cool liquid, coughed, then drank more. When it was all gone, he gave it back to Fluttershy. “It’s Twilight,” he choked out, his voice hoarse from screaming. “She’s been kidnapped.”