//------------------------------// // Sparkle // Story: Pirates of Equestria: Dead Stallion's Chest // by The Phantom Joker //------------------------------// In a pub on the lawless island of Tortuga, Applejack sat recruiting new crew members to ultimately end up serving on Spike’s ship, while Rainbow Dash sat in the corner fiddling with her compass. “So, what makes you think you’re worthy to crew The Black Pearl?” Applejack asked an elderly Earth Pony mare. “Well, truth be told, I’ve never sailed a day in my life, so I figured I’d might as well get out and see the world while I’m still young,” said the mare. “You’ll do. Next!” said Applejack. “I know what I want, I know what I want, I know what I want,” muttered Rainbow as she opened her compass once again. “My wife ran off with my dog and I’ve been drunk for a month, and I don’t give an ass rat’s if I live or die,” a filthy unicorn stallion told Applejack. “Make your mark. Next!” said Applejack. Another pony, this one a staggering Earth Pony stallion, approached Applejack. “Me have two bum legs,” he said. “Well, then it’ll be the crow’s nest for you. Next!” said Applejack. As the Earth Pony moved on, a pegasus stallion walked up. “Ever since I was a little colt, I’ve wanted to sail the seas… forever,” he told Applejack. “Sooner than you think. Sign the roster,” said Applejack. “So, how are we doing?” asked Rainbow, looking up briefly from her compass. “Counting those four, that gives us exactly… four,” said Applejack, before she turned her attention to a pegasus mare with a light turquoise coat, a filthy amber mane and tail, both of which had yellow stripes in it, and was wearing a ragged dark blue overcoat, dark blue pants, black boots, a filthy white shirt, and a belt with a sword and pistol on it. “So, what’s your story?” asked Applejack. “My story…it's exactly the same as yours, just one chapter behind. I chased a pony across the Seven Seas. The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, and my life," said the mare, before taking a swig from the bottle of cider that was on the table. Uh-oh, thought Rainbow Dash as she grabbed a nearby palm tree leaf. "Commodore?" said Applejack, recognizing the mare. "No, not anymore, weren't you listening?!” snarled Lightning Dust. She then got into Applejack’s face. “ I nearly had you all of Tripony… and I would’ve, too… if not for the hurricane.” “Holy Faust. You didn’t try to sail through it, did you?” said Applejack. “So, do I make your crew, or not?” said Lightning. Applejack moved the sign-up sheet in front of Lightning Dust. “Hold on, you haven’t said anything about where you’re going. Somewhere nice?!” said Lightning, flipping the table over in a fit of rage. “So, am I worthy to serve under Captain Rainbow Dash? Or should I just kill you now?” continued Lightning, drawing her pistol and aiming it Rainbow Dash, who had been sneaking away behind the palm tree leaf. “You’re hired,” said Rainbow. “Sorry. Old habits die hard and all of that,” said Lightning, cocking her pistol. Two of Rainbow’s crewponies tackled Lightning Dust. Her pistol went off, the bullet bouncing off the chandelier and shattering the mug of a random pony, who then punched a nearby pony, thus prompting a full scale bar room brawl while the band played  a merry jig. “Time to go,” said Rainbow Dash. “Aye,” said Applejack. As Rainbow Dash and Applejack made their way out of the pub, Rainbow tried on the hats of several of the fighting patrons, while down below, Lightning Dust sword fought several angry patrons while drinking cider, and was soon joined by the disguised Cadence Mi Amore. “Come on! Who wants some?! Form a nice and orderly line and I’ll have you all one by one!” said Lightning. Cadence used her magic to take the bottle of cider from Lightning and hit her over the head with it, rendering the drunk mare unconscious. Everyone present looked at her. “I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself,” she said. The patrons cheered as they put their swords away. They then proceeded to toss Lightning Dust into a peg pen before departing. Save for Cadence, who woke Lightning up. “Lightning Dust, my old friend… what has the world done to you?” asked Cadence. “Nothing I didn’t deserve, my old friend… nothing I didn’t deserve,” said Lightning Dust. Meanwhile, aboard The Flying Dutchman… Spike Jones was in his cabin, playing his organ with vigorous fevor while outside a storm raged on as the crew, including Shining Armor, lifted what looked like a cannon. “Sparkle! Secure the mast tackle!” yelled the bosun, a unicorn stallion named Jimmy Legs. “Get to it!” Shining Armor and a unicorn mare, this one being a pony-lizard cross with a lavender coat, a dark blue mane and tail with a pink stripe in both, wearing dark blue pants, a black leather overcoat, and black boots, ran to secure the mast tackle and began struggling over it. “Hey! Step aside!” said Shining Armor. “Let go!” said the mare, before looking at Shining Armor. “No…” she whispered, before letting go of the rope, sending the cannon crashing through the deck. Jimmy, whip held in his flickering magic, walked up to the two of them. “Haul that weevil to his hooves!” he said. The two crewponies with Jimmy pulled Shining Armor, none too gently, to his feet and held him so that his back was unblocked. “Five lashes oughta remind you to stay on ‘em!” said Jimmy, raising his whip. The unicorn mare stopped him. “No,” she said. “Impeding me in my duties, are we? You’ll share the punishment, then,” said Jimmy. “I’ll take it all,” said the mare. “Oh, will you, now?” said Spike, coming up onto the deck. “And what, may I ask, would prompt such an act of charity?” “My big brother…” said Twilight Sparkle, turning to look at Shining Armor. “He’s my big brother.” Shining Armor turned his head to look at Twilight. Twilight?! he thought. Spike stood between Twilight and Shining Armor, looking back and forth between them until he saw the resemblence. “Ha ha! What fortuitous circumstance be this?! Five lashes are owed, correct?” he said, taking the whip from Jimmy and holding it out to Twilight. “No… no, I won’t do it!” said Twilight. “The cat’s out of the bag in more ways than one, Miss Sparkle! Your sibling will feel its sting be it by the bosun's hoof, or yours,” said Spike. “No,” said Twilight. “Bosun!” said Spike, holding the whip out to Jimmy. “No!” said Twilight, taking the whip in her own flickering magic. The two crewponies tore the back of Shining Armor’s shirt as Twilight, tears running down her face, whipped him five times while Spike watched, smiling his devilish smile. Shining Armor was then tossed down to the lower deck, his back severely lashed from the whipping. “You had it easy, boy!” said Jimmy Legs. Twilight climbed down to the lower deck. “Shining Armor, are you okay?” she asked. “I don’t need your help!” said Shining Armor, getting up and staggering away. “Look, the bosun prides himself and cleaving flesh from bone with every swing,” said Twilight. “So, I’m to understand what you did was an act of compassion?” said Shining Armor. “Yes… come on, BBBFF, we’ve got some catching up to do,” said Twilight. Shining Armor couldn’t help but smile at the old nickname his sister had given him over a decade ago… Later… “And that’s what I’ve been up to,” said Shining Armor. He and his sister walked beneath decks as Shining Armor told Twilight what had happen since their parting 11 years ago. “So, you’re getting married, huh? Congratulations,” said Twilight. “So, what’s the deal with this ship? Why is everypony all… lizardy?” asked Shining Armor. “A hundred years before the mast is why. Over that century, you’ll start to lose who you were, bit by bit, until you end up like poor Wyvern here… or worse,” said Twilight, indicating a stallion who was now part of the wall. “Fact is, once you’ve sworn an oath to The Dutchman, there’s no leaving it. Not until your debt is paid, and most likely not even then.” “Lucky for me that I haven’t sworn any oath, then,” said Shining Armor. Twilight looked her brother in the eye with deadly seriousness. “Then, you must get away before it’s too late,” she said. “Not until I find this,” said Shining Armor, pulling the drawing of the key out of his pocket. “The key.” Wyvern gasped as he tried to pull himself away from the wall. “The Dead Stallion’s Chest,” he wheezed. “What do you know of this?” demanded Shining Armor. “Open the chest with the key… and stab the heart… no, don’t stab the heart… The Dutchman needs a living heart… or else there’ll be no captain… and if there’s no captain… there’s nopony to have the key…” wheezed Wyvern. “So, the captain has the key. Where exactly is the key?” asked Shining Armor. “Hidden,” said Wyvern, who was starting to rejoin the wall. “Where is the chest?” asked Shining Armor. “Hidden,” said Wyvern, who clamped his eyes shut as he finished rejoinning the wall.