The halls of the royal treasury shook with a mighty roar from Celestia, her horn glowing in a fast, desperate motion as the being of water continued to grow from its previous state. She fired shot after shot of scorching hot magic at the puddle, only for the water to twist and contort at impossible angles in order to evade the attacks.
“No...no, come on!” She shouted, continuing to fire until her horn fizzled out, small sparks flying in all directions when she tried to charge up another shot. As the horror on her face continued, a small amount of dark, sadistic laughter could be heard from the growing form of water.
“I see your distaste for your failures staring ye in the face is still as strong as ever...Your majesty,” The being spat, his slightly raspy but deep cockneigh accent ringing in the air in a small echo.
“...The only thing I see is a heartless, traitorous monster…” Celestia responded coldly, staring the form of water down with hatred building up in her eyes.
The form began to enlarge again, this time taking on a more equine shape. The water twisted away as if it were molding something out of itself, leaving behind the skeleton of a stallion. As the being grew to nearly the height of Luna herself, the water continued onward, forming the dark brown fabric that made up the skeleton’s jacket, which hung to his slender form.
“I may be a monster to ye, but I have a heart...even if it feels like it be black as soot ...” He stated, standing proud as his mane grew from his head, a mane of colour and texture to that of seaweed, perhaps that was it just was. “But, I know I’d be back, I told ye I’d come back for my vengeance ye damn sea witch!”
As the two ponies stared each other down, pure disdain for the other, Twilight looked on with confusion and fear. She couldn’t think of a single rational way to explain what she was witnessing before her. She could hear the sound of multiple guards rushing towards the room they were in, causing the skeleton to smirk. “Well...looks like the cavalry is arriving. Shame, though...I should be going…” he said, still staring into Celestia’s eyes.
As the guards began to march through the door, their eyes locked on the skeleton pirate, their horns glowing with violent intent, his did too. Before the guards could fire but a single shot of magic, a massive, scalding geyser erupted out of the stallion’s hoof...if he could be called a stallion at all. All the while, Celestia’s horned sparked back to life with anger, Twilight shaking her head as she fired a shot of magic alongside her former mentor.
But before the magic blasts could hit the undead pirate, his form changed to that of the same water from before, quickly rushing towards the window and shattering it with ease, falling down the side of the castle, the side of the mountain as he made his way to the river.
“No!” Celestia shouted, rushing to the broken window, crushing any broken shards in her way with ease before looking down towards the mad pirate.
“Just be sure to ready your sister for when I be getting back, Celly! I’ll be getting the Trident this time!” The falling blob of water shouted upwards, cackling madly at the enraged expression on Celestia’s face.
“You’ll never get close enough to try Jolly, do you hear me!? Never!” Celestia shouted, so much anger coming out of her that spit dribbled out of her teeth baring jaws like a wild animal. She continued to stare down as the small mass of water fell towards the river below, her breathing becoming harder, longer as tears began to slowly descend down her face. “...Never…”
“Um...Celestia?” Twilight asked, regretting it much sooner than later once Celestia snapped her head towards Twilight, grabbing the smaller alicorn in a panic.
“Twilight! I know this may be of inconvenience to you and your friends...but, you must go after him,” she ordered, sounding desperate. Twilight looked at her with concern but also with a stern, curious look.
“Celestia, I will go after that...thing, but I must know what I’m up against.”
“There isn’t time, this is of great importance, if not for the fate of Equestria itself...then for the fate of my sister. Twilight, I know you are told of who you are up against normally, but I can’t bring myself to do it.”
Twilight looked at her friend for a small moment before she nuzzled her gently, after another moment, Celestia nuzzled back, holding back more tears. “I understand, Celestia. If I should be a princess then I don’t need you to things for me.”
“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle...Please, return in a few days with your friends. Use that time to gather whatever belongings you can get, you’ll be gone for a long time.”
“The only thing I ask is the name of this...pony, and also the griffon.”
Celestia looked almost torn up at the request, swallowing a lump in her throat. “...The name of the dead stallion is Jolly Roger, find out as much as you can about him...you will need the knowledge.”
“And the Griffon?”
“That pitiful excuse of a creature is Franz Le Mann...a face I hope to never meet again…” Celestia responded. “You will be going after Le Mann with the help of one of the best Privateers in the business to get the Elements back...good luck, Twilight. Now, go!”
After hearing that, Twilight rushed out of the treasury, a mental checklist forming in her mind.
~A few days later~
Down in Fishnett, a large gallion slowly sailed into the port and dropped its anchor. It’s singular occupant slid out the gang plank and slowly trotted down it. The light purple mare lifted her head and looked out at the town from under her black tri-corner hat and let a smug grin come across her features.
“I’m home if only for a little while.” she stated as an orange unicorn with a tri-colored mane and a cutie mark of an open book in a ring of fire approached her. Her smile grew and she spoke up. “Do it be that mine eyes deceive me or doth the Librarian approach?”
“You could really do with some form of discreteness Miss Sellick” The unicorn said in response as a smile formed on his face.
“That’s Captain Moll “Tall Story” Sellick to you my dear Booksy,” Sellick retorted before throwing a hoof around the stallions shoulders “It’s been so long and you’ve gotten so old my friend.”
“It’s been longer than you think Moll, but that happens when you work for the ponies we work for.”
“I, for one, am glad that we are able to work together once more just like when we were little, right Booksalot? Going off to the ends of the world to look for ancient artifacts and villains of the worst kind?”
Booksalot nodded and opened his mouth to respond when a pegasus in royal guard armor cleared his throat, Too long had he waited for the two to be finished.
“Escuse me, miss, but I must ask you some questions about the ship and you’re the only one I’ve seen come off of it.”
Moll let out a sigh. “Alas I must be off to yond paperwork. We shall talk more upon the Bronze Millennium.” She finished. She turned and left with the guard to fill out the paperwork for pulling her ship into the dock.
Booksalot watched her leave before turning to face the grand ship that sat upon the water. Its three masts went up into the sky seemingly impossibly high while it’s deep purple sails laid curled upon the cross beams. The flag of Equestria flew near the top of the main mast right underneath a purple jolly roger with a small logo in the corner that was hard to see from the shore.
The small port town was bustling with hardy sailors and guards, the small of the sea was in the air as boats, gallions and other sea worthy vessels were being tended to by experienced craftsponies. Small foals of both Pony and Zebra descent played among the small griffon cubs, racing through the streets while singing songs of the future, songs of romanticized adventure. Not knowing the harsh reality of those grand escapades. The large town gates opened slowly, revealing a group of six ponies and a small dragon, a few bags of luggage behind them as they began to make their way to the pier on the other side of town.
“OH! Thisisgonnabesosuperdupermegaexciting! Right Rarity?” the pink, overactive pony asked the white coated fashionista to the left of her, who scoffed at the suggestion.
“Oh, Darling, don’t you think that maybe we could of been in Prance and not on some salty, disgusting harbour with some catcalling roughens?” she moaned in despair, remembering how some of the sailors had whistled at her and “promised her a good time”, the thought made her shudder.
“B-but, Rarity...” questioned the normally silent yellow pegasus with the long pink mane who walked a bit in front of them, turning her head back to face the unicorn. “I t-thought you said you liked it ‘rough’?” she asked, not knowing what she said before she had completed the jest.
Three out of the seven giggled from the newly found information, the white unicorn’s face turning redder than a tomato as the yellow pegasus hid her face behind her mane.” Oh...my”.
“Um...what’s Fluttershy mean by ‘rough’?” the asked, being the last one that wasn’t laughing. The others fell into awkward silence, no one wanting to explain the joke to the young drake.
“We’ll...ah, tell yuh when your older, Spike,” reassured Applejack, the rest of the girls sighing in relief that the awkwardness subsided, Spike, however just huffed and crossed his arms, the mares giggling again.
As the group arrived to the entrance of the port, a single guard marched towards them. His dull gray coat and spiked up blue mane made him stand out from the common guards in the area.
“Good evening your Majesty, fellow Element bearers,” he greeted, his stalliongrad accent softly daincing in the air. Rarity’s eyes widened as the image of the hulking mass of a pirate came back to her, causing her to become silent.
Twilight had been deep in thought as they came to Fishnett, not noticing much as she walked. Once she saw the helmetless guard, she shook her head. “Hello there, sir...I presume that you must be the Akula that Celestia told me about?”
“You would be correct, your highness, I was instructed in helping you take back the Elements of Harmony,” he said before turning to the docks. “I was informed that our ship had arrived in the morning, come, we shall see it,” he added before he began to trot in the direction of the vessel.
As the group began to follow the armored guard to the docks, the many eyes that watched them turning away as they headed towards the large gallion that sat at the end of the dock. The orange unicorn ready to greet them as the guard looked him in the eyes.
“Hello there, are you the captain we are to meet?” Akula asked with a tilted head, trotting up to the older stallion.
The unicorn looked right back at Akula with a raised eyebrow before asking “Do you really think a fifty something year old unicorn that smells of musty books is the captain of a seafaring vessel?”
“Trust me, I have met a few strange fellows at the helm of a ship,” Akula retorted. He looked around the area before meeting the unicorn’s gaze once more, an almost bored look on his face. ”Is the Captain around?”
The unicorn let out a sigh before replying. ”No, she will be back shortly so I recommend that you get yourself aboard before she get’s back,” he finished before trotting up the gangplank.
Akula turned to Twilight and the other Element bearers with a small smile. “You all better get aboard, I’ll wait for the Captain to return and then we can depart,” he instructed, Twilight and her friends nodding in response before, heading up the gangplank, the guard trotting beside the gangplank to wait.
Moll came out of the registration office grumbling to herself as she trotted over to the Bronze Millennium. She noticed the stallion in armor standing outside of her ship and Booksalot on board with presumably the ponies she had been told to pick up. “You can be leaving anytime now.” she dismissed the guard as she headed up the gangplank, changing her frown into a smile because she knew she would be leaving for the sea once more soon enough.
“Actually Miss, I am to be heading with them,” he blurted as he stepped aboard the ship, a stern look on his face. ”Now, apologies for not knowing but would you care to release your name to be heard? I was not informed.” he asked in a joking but still serious manner.
Moll turned on him and glared at him from under her hat before saying “Booksy be a dear and get the ship ready to leave, it shouldn’t be that hard”. She then turned and leapt up next to the wheel. “And all you lovely lasses have found yourselves aboard the Bronze Millennium. Her captain is me, Captain Moll “Tall Story” Sellick, and her crew is you lot of yella-bellied landlubbers,” Moll boasted as the grin grew upon her purple mussel.
Rainbow hovered in the air, her face almost oozing the excitement that was held in her soul. ”This is gonna be so awesome! It’s time to kick some Pirate butt!” she shouted with joy, grinning madly.
Twilight simply sighed at her friend’s Pirate butt kicking fantasy as she quickly flew over to Moll, a confused look on her face. “Miss. Sellick, if you don’t mind answering my question, do you know anything about Franz Le Mann?” she asked, sighing a bit at the limited knowledge she had obtained.
“One, that’s Captain Moll “Tall Story” Sellick, to you Lass. Two, Franz Le Mann is a Griffon that has one to many hideouts that he believes are all secret.” Moll almost growled in response to Twilight’s question, causing the young alicorn to frown and grumble softly to herself with the answer she was given.
Booksalot finally pulled the last rope and the ship started to slowly drift away from the dock, “I would get used to doing what she asks if I was you. Her word is law out on the sea upon this ship and if she wishes to throw you off, she can.” Booksalot warned the group of mares and young drake as he heads down below deck to set up his quarters.
The group nodded in return waiting to hear any instruction that the captain may have. The stallion that had boarded with them also waiting to take any orders from the mare.
“If you waiting for me to tell you to do something get your bunks ready and then be in the galley later tonight for dinner.” Moll shouted to them with a small sigh as she slowly followed them.
As the group of mares and the one stallion began their descent to the numerous bunks down the flight of stairs, the luggage that was being dragged along behind them by Spike hit a small bump. Soft voices could be heard within.
“Is it safe yet?” one voice asked, the other little stowaways quickly turning to shut her up.
“Nah, we’re still moving,” one responded as they checked outside the bag.
“Shut up! They’re gonna hear us!” the last one silently screamed at them, the others silencing themselves as they hid once more. Not knowing that they has been heard.
But, before they could realize it, Moll came over to the bag and gently picked it up in her hooves. She removed it from the stack without Spike realizing, setting it upon the ground before opening it quickly and grinning wildly upon its occupants “Hey there kiddies! Wanna see a dead body!?” she cackled.
The fillies screamed out in surprise as they jumped away from the sudden loud voice of the mare, two of them instinctively running towards their siblings with the last one running to Rainbow Dash as the laughter of Moll Sellick followed them. Shocked faces filled the group with angry ones being seen on Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow.
“Wha- What in tarnation!” Applejack shouted in surprise at the sudden and unexpected pressure of her sister hugging her leg. ”A-APPLE BLOOM!” she shouted, anger rising in her eyes as she looked down at her sister.
“I’m sorry Applejack, we really wanted to help you out this time! Honest!” The young, yellow earth pony apologised with small streams of salty tears running down her face.
“Yeah! We just wanted to help you guys out instead of being stuck in ponyville,” Scootaloo continued as she looked into Rainbow’s eyes, also having tiny rivers in her eyes.
“Please don’t be mad!” Sweetie Belle pleaded as tears began to well up in her eyes.”Please!”.
Rarity sighed as she rubbed her little sister’s head softly, her annoyance subsiding as she spoke. ”We’ll handle you three when we have time but for now, you just don’t get into trouble. Alright?” she asked in an assertive “older sister” tone.
“Oh, Don’t worry about them, I’ll keep them plenty busy as Deck hooves.” Moll hollered as she stopped laughing, walking over, still smiling wickedly.
“That’s fine”, Applejack answered as she turned towards her still cowering sister. ”That’ll be your punishment”, she said with a smug voice.
Twilight then turned to Moll, another question on her lips. “Moll, another question of you don’t mind. Do you know anything about “Jolly Roger?” she asked, hoping that her questions hadn’t annoyed the mare. The name triggered something in the Captain’s mind as the name reached her ears causing her to freeze in place.
“I’m sure that if you know that name then you must know at least the most basic of stories related to it.” Moll Stellick asked slowly as she turned toward Twilight, a slight hint of fear within her eyes.
“The only thing I found out was the fact that he was born on the same day that Nightmare Moon was banished,” she replied with the confusion still on her mind.
“Jolly was the first Pirate King in history. Honestly he was the best, that’s why he got the title.” Moll started before heading toward her quarters closer to the stern of the ship “He is also the reason Piracy has such a bad name.” Moll finished as she then entered her cabin and slammed the door shut behind her.