We now find The Black Pearl floating in a storm near some large rocks, where the wreckage of a ship could be seen, it's hull wrecked and rotted. Shining Armor looked out at the ship with curiosity.
“That’s The Flying Dutchman?” he asked skeptically.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack gave each other a look as they walked up beside Shining Armor.
“Well, she certainly doesn’t look like much,” said Shining Armor.
“Well, you don’t either. Don't underestimate her, or else you’ll be sorry,” said Rainbow, giving Applejack a nudge with her elbow.
“Must’ve had a bit of trouble with the reef,” she said, observing the massive hole in the ships hull.
“So, what’s your plan?” asked Rainbow.
“I row over there and search the ship until I find your stinking key,” said Shining Armor.
“And if there’s crewponies?” asked Rainbow.
Shining Armor thought about it for a moment. “Then I cut down anypony in my path,” he said, before walking off toward the longboat.
“I like that plan. It’s simple and easy to remember,” said Rainbow Dash as she followed behind Shining.
“Your chariot awaits you, sire!” said Diamond Tiara in a high class, dignified voice, before giving out into laughter.
As Shining Armor climbed into the longboat, Rainbow looked down at him. “Hey! If you do happen to get yourself caught, just say that Rainbow Dash sent you to settle her debt! It might just save your bacon,” she yelled over the storm ocean.
“Right… whatever,” said Shining Armor as Diamond gave the longboat a push.
“Douse the lamps,” Rainbow told Applejack.
As Shining Armor rowed towards the shipwreck, he noticed the lamps on The Black Pearl were going out. Why do I get the feeling Rainbow hasn’t told me the whole story… like always, he thought.
Shining Armor soon arrived at the shipwreck, where he found a panic-stricken Unicorn mare. “Sailor,” he said
“Hoist the jib, captain’s orders, hoisting the jib, bring up a round turn,” muttered the mare.
“It’s no good, you’ve run aground,” said Shining Armor.
The mare turned to face Shining Armor, her face pale as a ghost with fear “No… beneath us… terrible breath,” she whimpered.
“What…?” said Shining Armor.
Just then, another pony, an Earth Pony stallion, fell from what was left of the rigging. Drawing his sword, Shining Armor approached the pony, who wasn’t moving. He flipped the body over, and found that the pony’s face had apparently been sucked right off of his face.
At almost the same time, a huge ship rose from the depths, looking more like a huge sea monster than anything. This was the one true Flying Dutchman.
On the ruined ship, pony-lizard hybrids appeared, armed with things varying from chained cannonballs and swords.
“Down on your marrowbonessss and pray!” one of the lizard-ponies.
“Sorry, not familiar with that body part,” said Shining Armor, before striking at one of the creatures. Shining Armor held his own against the creatures for awhile, but they just kept coming in too large a number. Spotting a nearby lantern, Shining Armor struck it with his sword, setting the decking on fire. But it wasn’t enough, as one of the creatures hit him from behind, knocking him out cold…
On board the Dutchman…
Shining Armor, along with four other gravely injured ponies, stood in a line on board the deck of The Flying Dutchman. Coming up from the captain’s cabin was what seemed to be a purple and green dragon that was about a head taller than Shining Armor. He wore a faded light blue overcoat with thin golden brims on the cuffs and around the buttonholes, a light grey one-breasted waistcoat and dark grey breeches, leather boots, a dark red sash and a leather belt with a patinated buckle, and a large tricorn hat with a similar golden brim.
“Five sssstill alive, the rest have moved on,” a crewpony who heavily resembled a komodo dragon told his captain, Spike Jones.
Spike took out a pipe and knelt down in front of one of the surviving ponies, and lit it with a puff of flame before he spoke.
“Tell me something. Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All of you deeds laid bare and all of your sins punished?” he asked the pony, who nodded vigorously. “What if I told you that I can offer you and escape?”
“Don’t listen to him!” said another survivor, an off white pegasus stallion.
Spike got up and walked over to to the pony who had spoken up and grabbed him by the throat. “Do you not fear death?” he asked the pony, before taking a puff on his pipe.
“I’ve led a good life, so I’ll take my chances, sir,” said the stallion.
“Very well then… to the depths,” said Spike.
One of the lizard-ponies quickly slit the stallion’s throat, before tossing his lifeless body overboard like a pile of garbage.
“Cruel blackguard!” said another one of the survivors, a cream earth pony mare.
Spike looked at the mare. “News flash: life is cruel,” he said, pointing at his face. “What makes you think the afterlife should be any different?” As he walked up the row, he continued, “I offer you a choice: join my crew. 100 years before the mast, and postpone the judgement… will ye serve?”
“I… will serve,” said the trembling pony from earlier.
“There you go,” said Spike as his crew laughed. He then saw Shining Armor. “You are neither dead nor are you dying. What is your purpose here?”
Seeing that he was between a rock and a hard place, there was only one thing Shining Armor could say, “Rainbow Dash sent me to settle her debt.”
Spike raised what would have been an eyebrow if he were a pony. “Excuse me, but what is your purpose here?” he asked.
“Rainbow Dash… sent me to settle her debt,” repeated Shining Armor cautiously.
Spike smirked. “Did she, now? I’m sorely tempted to accept that offer."
Back on the Pearl…
Rainbow Dash watched the whole ordeal through her spyglass. Spike turned and looked in her direction… right before he was right in front of her. His crew just as suddenly appearied and held their swords at the throats of Rainbow’s crew.
“Oh, boy,” said Rainbow.
“You have a debt to pay. You’ve been captain of The Black Pearl for 13 years, that was the deal!” snarled Spike.
“Well, technically, I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon,” said Rainbow.
“Then you were a lousy captain, but you were still a captain nonetheless! After all, haven’t you introduced yourself all these years as Captain Rainbow Dash,” said Spike as he strutted around Rainbow.
“Look, you have my payment, one soul to serve on your ship is already over there,” said Rainbow.
“One soul is not equal to another!” snarled Spike.
“Bingo! We’ve established my proposal is sound in principle, now we’re just haggling over the price,” said Rainbow.
Spike cocked his head. “What do you mean, ‘price?’” he said.
“Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?” asked Rainbow.
Spike thought about it for a split-second. “100 souls. Three days,” he said.
“You’re a diamond, Jonesy. Just send me back the stallion and I’ll get started right away,” said Rainbow, walking away before two of Spike’s crewponies cut her off.
“I keep the stallion. A good-faith payment, which leaves you with only 99 more souls to go if my math is right,” said Spike.
Turning back towards Spike, Rainbow said, “Have you not met Shining Armor Sparkle? He’s noble, heroic, a terrific soprano. He’s gotta be worth at least four… maybe three-and-a-half. And did I happen to mention… he’s in love… with a mare.”
Rainbow began to circle around Spike, who started to develop the teary-eyed look of one who had their heart broken, as she continued. “He’s due to be married… betrothed… dividing him from her and her from him would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them to tie the knot, wouldn’t you say?”
Spike shook himself out of his heartache. “I keep the stallion, 99 souls,” he said, before turning to face Rainbow. “But, I have to wonder, Dash. Can you live with this? Can you condemn an innocent pony, a friend no less, to a lifetime of servitude in your name while you roam free?”
Rainbow thought about it for a fraction of a second. “Yep. That’s fine by me. So, shall we seal it in blood, then?” she said.
Spike grabbed Rainbow’s hand, the one with the Black Spot, and squeezed it very tightly. “Three days,” he said, before returning to The Flying Dutchman.
“Three daysssss,” echoed the crewponies, before following their captain back to The Dutchman.
Rainbow Dash looked at her hand just in time to see the Black Spot vanish. “Er, Miss Applejack,” she said.
“Captain,” said Applejack, trotting up beside Rainbow.
“I feel very weird and unusual,” said Rainbow.
“And just how exactly are you going to harvest these 99 souls in three days?” asked Applejack.
“Luckily for me, he didn’t say what condition these souls need to be in,” said Rainbow.
“Ahh… Tortuga,” said Applejack with a grin.
Rainbow returned the grin. “Tortuga,” she said.
Meanwhile, on The Edinburgh Trader…
“It’s an outrage! Port tariffs, berthing fees, wharf handling, and Elysium help us, pilotage! Are we all to work for the East Equestria Trading Company, then?” said the captain.
The two crewponies inside the captain’s cabin, a yellow earth pony mare and a light blue unicorn stallion, looked darkly at each other. “I’m afraid, sir, Tortuga is the only free port left in these waters,” the mare said.
“A pirate’s port is what it is. Well, sorry, but I’m an honest sailor. I make my living fair and I sleep well each night-” said the captain, before quickly being cut off by the unicorn stallion.
“Sir!” he shouted, pointing out the window.
All three ponies looked out the window, just as the supposedly haunted dress flew past again. The three ponies quickly ran out onto the deck, as the dress’s sleeve pointed to something far off of the ship's starboard bow.
“I think she wants us to do something,” whispered the captain.
The dress flew over their heads, knocking over a lantern as it flew by.
“Over there! Look for a sign of some sort!” Ordered the ship’s captain.
As the crew ran over to the side of the ship, Cadence slid down, having had used her magic to manipulate the dress like a marionette. 'Good grief, this crew certainly isn’t the brightest candle on the chandelier', she thought, before saying in a deep voice, “What’s that over there?”
The crew ran over to where Cadence was pointing. The lantern had ignited some oil, and the oil spelled out one word:
Tortuga.