//------------------------------// // Chapter II: Plunder and Pillage // Story: Across the Shimmering Sea // by Albi //------------------------------// The bookstore was quiet; a dull, lethargic quiet complemented by the dim lighting and dark furniture. It was like the little store on the corner existed in its own pocket of space, the numerous books muffling the sounds of the outside world. There was only Twilight turning pages, and every few hours, the jingle of the bell over the door. Every other day, the ring of the cash register would break the monotony. Twilight turned a page and sighed. She kept her elbows propped up on the counter and her cheeks rested against her upturned palms. With the amount of reading people did on this island, she was surprised Golden Oak Books had stayed in business so long. What never surprised her were the wages she earned. At most, she’d bring home a few silver pieces at the end of the week. Wednesday was drawing to a close, with nary a buyer for three days straight. At this rate, Twilight would live with her brother forever. It wasn’t bad by any means. Shining took good care of her when he was home. Twilight knew better than to complain about her lot in life when there were younger children wondering where their next meal would come from. She adjusted her glasses and yawned. I’ve been reading too many adventure stories, she thought. Ideas of faraway places had made her a little stir crazy, nothing more. The last time she had been away from Pony Bay was to go to the library in Hollow Shoals with Shining for her eighteenth birthday. Maybe I’ve just been around too many books in general, she mused facetiously. Her eyes returned to the page she had left off on. Her fascination with pirates had begun to wane, declining with the disappearance of the Crimson Heart. She knew there were no books in the little shop that would give her anymore leads on the ship or its mysterious captain, so she occupied herself with a copy of the store ledger, looking over books people had bought over the years. It was nothing to gawk at. Most people bought books on agriculture or fishing. A few romance books were bought here and there, and one history book. Still, it killed the time, something Twilight had too much of. Her heart skipped two beats when she turned the page and stared down at her mother’s name. It had been written in untidy ink, but it was there. Twilight Velvet. Next to her name was the book she had bought, Sky Chart’s Guide to the Stars.  Twilight knew that book. It was on her personal bookshelf in her room. She had first found it on her mother’s nightstand when Twilight had miraculously come back from the storm that claimed Velvet’s life. Twilight had taken the book back to bed and curled against it until she fell asleep, face damp with tears. So she bought it from this store. Small world. Twilight felt a lump in her throat, but pushed it down. What was in the past was in the past. She had done all her crying for her mother. Still, she got a fond feeling from finding out small things about her even all these years later. The door to the back room opened, and out shuffled Mr. Novelty, the owner of Golden Oak Books. He was a thin, pale man with a reedy voice and a hunch in his back. Shining had joked to Twilight once that she would end up like him if she didn’t go outside more. Mr. Novelty gave a quick sweep of the shop and sighed. “Still no customers, Miss Sparkle?” “No, sir,” Twilight said, closing the ledger. “People today,” Mr. Novelty huffed, “no respect for literature.” He walked over to the curtains and peeked at the setting sun beyond them. “Well, Miss Sparkle, you’re free to go.” He reached into his pocket and handed Twilight three silver coins as she walked out. “Sorry I can’t pay you more.” “That’s fine, Mr. Novelty. Thank you.” Twilight smiled and inclined her head, then made her way out the door and into the fresh air. She looked at the coins in her hand and frowned. She would never live on her own like this. Others were closing up their shops and stalls as well. Golden Harvest loaded up her mule with a box of unsold carrots, waving to Twilight as she walked by. Roseluck offered flowers, which Twilight politely declined. She never bought anything with her own money that she didn’t need. Out of the town square, up main street and two blocks from the lookout tower was Twilight’s home. It was two stories of brick with a wooden roof and a chimney. Nothing lavish, but a far cry from poor. She pushed the door open and stepped into the sitting room, decorated with a large rug that had been shaved from a manticore according to Shining. A tea table sat in front of the lit fireplace, above which hung a family portrait. Her father Night Light had an arm around her mother’s waist, while a young Shining Armor held the hand of his baby sister, sitting on the floor. Twilight walked past it, ignoring the outdated information it gave any newcomer to the house. “Hello?” Twilight called into the kitchen. “Camellia?” A rose colored face popped around the corner. “Good evening, Miss Twilight!” Camellia said brightly. “How was your day?” “It was fine,” Twilight said, fighting back a discontented sigh. Camellia was nice, but she was only here to clean the house and cook meals. At least, that’s what Shining told Twilight. She knew Camellia was here to keep an eye on her, making Camellia a babysitter more than a maid. While Twilight knew it was no fault of Camellia’s, it didn’t make her eager to make friends with the hired help. “So good to hear, Miss! The laundry is all done, and I’ll start dinner right away!” “Thank you.” Twilight forced a smile before slipping upstairs and into her room. She sat on her bed and reached for her coin jar underneath. It was getting heavier. She slipped her three silver coins in, then picked up the notepad sitting on her desk. Adding three to the total amount of money she had written down and running some quick calculations in her head, Twilight reasoned she could afford a house in fifteen years if she got paid every single day. “Uuugh!” She flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, counting the stars painted onto it. She loved counting them as she fell asleep, but tonight, seeing them just made her more restless. Rolling onto her side, she faced her bookshelf, stuffed with books she had bought and been given over the years. They ranged from adventure, to history, to science, to her favorites, oceanography and cartography. Twilight stood up and pulled Sky Chart’s Guide to the Stars from its spot and flipped it open. The Cassiopeia constellation greeted her, telling her the story of a vain queen that had been punished by having her daughter almost sacrificed to a monster. Twilight snapped the book shut, her restless mood made only worse. Walking along the beach and looking at the ocean would only deepen her agitation. Instead, she curled up on her bed, keeping the book against her stomach as she stared at the sun setting behind the other houses. Her stomach rumbled, but her bout of melancholy confined her to her bed. Is it wrong to have a comfortable life and still want something more? Her father had always said she was a miniature version of her mother. Maybe she was never meant to sit at home and work in a bookstore. She closed her eyes and got comfortable against her pillow. There you go with those fantasies again. ****** “Miss Twilight! Miss Twilight, wake up!” Twilight hadn’t been aware she had fallen asleep until Camellia shook her awake. “Huh, what?” She sat up, her glasses askew, rendering the world blurry in one eye and clear in the other. There was a loud ringing in her ears, until she realized that was the city bell tolling. “We have to go!” Camellia cried. “Pirates!” “Pirates?” As soon as she said it, Twilight heard the screams of the townsfolk outside. Night had fallen, yet several orange glows came from between the buildings. Cannon fire jolted Twilight up from her bed, and she hastily followed Camellia into the hall, tripping several times as she regained her footing. They tromped down the stairs, the wood creaking under their combined weight. Twilight let Camellia lead her by the hand through the sitting room. Her brain was still trying to catch up with her current situation. Pirates? Pony Bay? Now? Why? “We’ll sneak out the back door and run to the woods,” Camellia said as they entered the kitchen. “Uh, okay,” was all Twilight could think to say. Wait a minute. She grinned goofily. This is just a dream. I was reading about pirates earlier, and now I’m having a dream about them. Completely logical. Twilight watched Camellia grab a knife and open the back door to the tiny garden they owned. Guess I’ll just let the dream play out. Outside, the air carried a faint odor of smoke and gunpowder. Odd, I’m pretty hyper aware in this dream, Twilight thought. She helped Camellia over the garden fence before clambering over herself, feeling the unvarnished wood against her fingers. The first tendrils of doubt began to creep across Twilight’s mind as she landed on the other side, feeling the impact in her joints. Still, all of this was too much of a coincidence to be anything other than a dream. Pirates hadn’t attacked Pony Bay in almost fifty years—they had no reason. Pony Bay was a small town on a small island that exported fruits and, of course, ponies. Not only that, the island was a stone’s throw away from Canterlot and the naval fleet it housed. See? All of this can be explained with rational thought. Twilight followed behind Camellia as they hurried down the little street behind their house. Now, all I have to do is wake up. It proved easier said than done. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, but was still not in her bed, and she could hear cries of distress from the other side of town. A knot grew in her stomach. She resorted to the tried and true method of waking from a dream: pinching her arm. She dug her nails into her skin until they left a mark, but nothing about her cognitive perception changed. Cannon fire still boomed in the night. Twilight and Camellia burst onto main street where, fifty feet from them, were two young men jumping out of a broken window. One of them was short and pudgy with orange hair sticking out from under his red bandanna, and a very bad overbite. The other was tall and lanky with a rather dimwitted expression. They were both dressed in white shirts with thin leather vests and short pants.Both of them locked eyes with Twilight. I’m starting to think this isn’t a dream. “Hey, I think that’s her!” the short one yelled. “Really?” The tall one squinted his eyes, making himself look even more dimwitted. “Yeah, she looks like the picture.” “Quick, get her!” Camellia grabbed Twilight by the wrist and ran as the two pirates drew their daggers and gave chase. Twilight realized she was being partly dragged and picked up her feet. “Th-they’re chasing me? Why are they chasing me?” Twilight said between breaths. “I don’t know, Miss Sparkle, but we can lose them in the forest,” Camellia said. “They won’t hurt you, I promise.” The path sloped upwards, and the pirates were hot on their heels, ignoring the other civilians fleeing about or boarding their doors. Twilight didn’t dare look over her shoulder, knowing it would only slow her down. She could see the chase played out in the shadows cast by the full moon. The two pirates were almost in arm’s reach. The forest was in sight, but blocking the path were two women dressed in similar attire to Twilight’s assailants. The first had green hair with varying tones, and yellow eyes filled with excitement. The other had purple hair with raspberry streaks, and magenta eyes. She looked a little bored, but perked up when she saw Twilight running toward her. “Lemon Zest, it’s Twilight,” the purple-haired girl said. The one named Lemon Zest drew her cutlass and grinned. “And I thought tonight couldn’t get any more exciting!” Twilight and Camellia skidded to a stop, before Camellia pushed Twilight to the right and pointed with a finger. “Run! I’ll hold them off!” Before she could find a voice to protest, Twilight’s legs carried her off down a smaller street. They know my name! But this isn’t a dream! What’s going on? She heard quick footsteps behind her and doubled her pace, developing a stitch in her side. She slid into a narrow alley and knocked over a wooden crate, hoping it would slow her pursuers down. What do I do? Should I try to go to the forest? Should I go back for Camellia? She reached the end of the alley and found herself only a block from the aviary. The aviary! I’ll send a message to Shining! Then, I’ll hide in the forest until the navy comes! Twilight tightened her focus and pushed ahead, ignoring the clatter of wood behind her. Out of the alley, she turned down the road leading out of town. It was a clear shot to the small wooden building. A thousand questions buzzed in Twilight’s mind, but she focused on the task at hand. She could ponder the cosmic forces of the universe if she survived the night. In the gap between the town and the Unicorn’s Horn, Twilight saw it, anchored just off the coast: a large ship with blood red sails sitting hauntingly on the black water. She almost stopped running to stare in awe. The Crimson Heart. Sunset Shimmer’s legendary ship was moored less than a mile from Twilight’s position. Did that mean it’s cursed captain was lurking somewhere around as well? Twilight shook her head clear, and reached for the aviary door. Someone shouted behind her, and she threw the door opened and hurried inside. She pulled the wooden bolt down and pushed a barrel in front for extra measure before taking a breath of relief. Her breath turned into a gag at the smell of bird droppings and dead mice. Twilight turned around, examining the hay covered floor and the rows of makeshift nests reaching up to the open roof. Messenger birds of all kinds roosted above her: falcons, pigeons, and even a few owls. To her left was a small desk with parchment and an inkwell. Twilight snatched up the worn quill next to the ink and hastily began to scribble a message. Bam! “Twilight, we know you’re in there!” one of the male pirates shouted from across the door. They pounded against it again, this time making the barrel wobble. A fine layer of sweat coated Twilight’s forehead. She bit her lip and continued writing. Maybe this was a bad idea! What if they get in before Shining gets here? But why are they after me?  Bam! Twilight blew lightly against the ink, urging it to dry faster. She was wasting precious seconds waiting on this damnable ink! Bam! “Come on, Velvet, just open the door! We won’t hurt you!” “Velvet?” Twilight whispered. Did they know her mother? Did they think she was her mother? Twilight pushed it aside; she had more pressing issues to deal with. The ink was dry enough, she decided, and she rolled the parchment up and wrapped a seal around it. She moved to the middle of the room, searching for a roused bird. She spotted a plump brown owl staring down at her from the second shelf. “You! Could you come here, please?” Twilight hoped the chubby bird could make the trip. The owl tilted its head to one side and blinked, considering Twilight’s request. After the pirates slammed on the door again, it quickly fluttered down and landed on Twilight’s shoulder. “Here,” Twilight handed it the letter. “Take this to Shining Armor, or any officer in Canterlot really. Just make sure you get help!” “Who,” it hooted. “You.” “Who.” “Get help.” “Who.” “From anyone!” “Who.” Bam! The owl snatched the letter and took off, scattering feathers all over Twilight. She watched it vanish into the stars before bringing her attention back to her situation on the ground. The door bolt was severely cracked, and the barrel had tipped over with the last impact. Twilight ran back and set it upright, just as the pirates knocked again, fully splitting the bolt. She threw herself back as the door came apart with the next blow, and the barrel rolled off to the side. The two boy pirates and the one named Lemon Zest looked down at her, all of them wearing triumphant smiles. “Well, Twilight, thanks for making this night so much fun!” Lemon Zest said. “I was worried capturing you was gonna be too easy!” Twilight scooted back until she hit the other wall. “What do you want with me?” Lemon walked forward, her boots crunching against the matted hay. She pulled a cloth from her back pocket. “Nothing personally. I’m just here for the adventure.” She grabbed both of Twilight’s arms with one hand and lifted the cloth. “But the captain has special plans for you.” She stuffed it into Twilight’s mouth, making her gag. Lemon looked back to the other pirates. “Come on, help me tie her up! We don’t want to keep the captain waiting!” Twilight’s eyes widened as they approached with lengths of rope. Her heart hammered in her chest, threatening to break free. As another cloth fell around her glasses, she could only hope the owl would reach Shining Armor.