Past Troubles (Part Two)
Twilight jolted and nearly lost her grip on the book she had been reading when the carriage came to a stop. Beside her, her mother let out a small chuckle before the door beside them opened, a lean young stallion with a mottled brown mane and pale tan coat awaiting for them to exit.
“We’re here,” he said, before glancing at them both. “Do you, ah, need any help getting down?”
“No thank you, it’s far from my first carriage ride,” Velvet replied lightly as she stepped down effortlessly.
Twilight scrambled to follow, the earth pony stallion stepping back with wide eyes as she exited with a score of levitating books following in her wake. Stacking them up neatly, Twilight used her magic to snatch her single bag from the top of the carriage before surveying the area.
The very first thing she picked up on was the strong smell of salt in the air, a warm ocean breeze ruffling her mane ever so slightly. The source was quickly evident, Twilight’s eyes lighting up when she saw just how close they were to the sea.
Clear blue waves lapped at the golden sands of a beach no more than a five-minute’s trot away to the east, the stretch of coastline completely vacant of activity save for a few sea birds. It was then that Twilight realised just how isolated they were, and when she looked back down the dirt path they had travelled she could only see the city of Manehattan in the very distance.
The next thing that immediately stood out to her was the massive house that stood alone on the hill. It was truly gigantic, and dwarfed the already sizable home in Canterlot. Not even her own treehouse could compare in scale, the mansion more like a country estate than a simple home. It looked like a short trot away, a massive iron gate blocking the cobbled path that connected the road to the house, and silently Twilight wondered why they hadn’t just taken the carriage up.
“Thank you all, we’ll be fine from here on.”
Twilight turned back around in time to see her mother hoof over a sizable coin bag to the carriage puller, the other earth pony stallion still strapped in tilting his head.
“You ladies don’t need a hoof with your bags? That house is mighty far up that hill.”
“We’ll be fine, but thank you for the offer,” Velvet reassured with a smile, while levitating her bag up upon her back. “Not all of us ponies from Canterlot are that precious.”
The comment earned a pair of smiles from the two earth ponies, the one that had been untethering their bags hitching himself back up. “Well, if you say so. Take care.”
With that, the carriage was off and away again, leaving Twilight and Velvet standing alone with their bags.
“Well, come along dear.”
Twilight followed her mother as Velvet headed for the gate, inquisitive eyes taking in every aspect of the family home. Stopping at the iron barrier, Twilight glanced at the heavy lock that kept the gates chained shut.
“We do have a key, right?”
“We’ve got something better,” Velvet smiled, before she reached out with a hoof and pulled a small lever on the side of the gate post.
Nothing happened, save for the faint chime of a bell hidden somewhere behind the house.
“Uh…” Twilight stopped when she saw the smile that her mother had, Velvet sitting down gently on a patch of grass.
“Patience dear, Clodsworth should be down in only a few moments.”
‘Clodsworth?’
Twilight’s silent thought was answered in a few minutes, both her and Velvet glancing up towards the house as the sound of hooves on cobblestone grew louder.
A yellow earth-pony stallion with a greying mane approached the gate from the path, a noticeable limp in his step. Atop of his head was a straw wide-brimmed hat, and across his back was a harness with an assortment of gardening prongs, spades, and even a small watering can hanging off a strap. Faded blue eyes peered out at them, the owner staring at Velvet for a few moments before the stallion’s mouth widened with a toothy grin.
“Why, Miss Velvet!”
Twilight resisted the urge to wince at the croaking voice that uttered the greeting, the owner sounding like he was about to knell over with age.
“Clodsworth,” Velvet smiled back. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
“Can’t argue with that,” the stallion nodded, rummaging around in the bags of the harness before withdrawing a large iron keyring with a hoof. “It’s been a long time, Miss Velvet. I believe you last came round these parts… hmm, would have had to have been Mable’s funeral a few years back.” The largest iron key on the ring was selected, and inserted into the gate lock on Clodworth’s side.
“I believe so. Unfortunately I’ve been rather caught up in Canterlot so I’ve been unable to visit. It’s been a rather unusual two years.”
The gate creaked open, Clodsworth standing aside to allow them entry.
“So I’ve heard. Must admit, not much goes on around these parts nowadays.” He shut the gate behind them, the key locking it with a loud clang. Smiling and putting the key away, he turned his attention to Twilight. “Speaking of which, my, is this beautiful young mare the famous Twilight Sparkle that I’ve heard so much about?”
“Oh no, no,” Twilight quickly said with a shake of her head and a nervous laugh. “I’m not famous at all, really.”
“Nonsense Lass,” Clodsworth grinned. “You’re a Sparkle, and a very gifted one to boot. We in the know just won’t stop talking ‘bout you, let me tell you.” He glanced down at his dirty hooves, Twilight following his eyes. “I’d ask to shake your hoof in greeting, but I’ve been working in the back gardens all morning and would hate to soil you so.” He raised his head and looked towards the midday sun. “Although it was good timing on your parts, it’s nearly time for lunch. You both should join me, I ain’t as good a cook as Ol’ Mable was but I sure learned a thing or two.”
Thankfully for Twilight, who for the one of the few times in her life felt like she was just not getting what was going on, Velvet stepped in.
“Oh, thank you for the offer, but I’m afraid that we’re not just here for a social visit.”
Clodsworth nodded with a knowing look in his eye. “Ah, I see Miss Velvet.” Twilight once again found herself to be his focus. “Well Lass, I can only wish you luck with whatever it is you Sparkles come out her for. After yer done, you should swing round for a spot of tea.” He showed his teeth in the same ‘old stallion’ grin as before. “I sure do remember that your own mother certainly needed a drink after she came outta that house with a shake in her legs, left me tell you. That must have been… why, thirty or so years ago now.”
Twilight glanced to Velvet, her mother indeed looking as if she was remembering those earlier times. “Ah, that’s right,” Velvet smiled. “When I look back on it, that was rather silly of me.”
“Nonsense,” Clodsworth gestured with a hoof. “Now come on, I’ll let you into the house before I have me lunch.”
He began to trot up the path, Velvet and Twilight following close behind. Tearing her eyes away from the large shuttered windows and the creeper-vine covered walls of the house, she found herself drawn to the limp that Clodsworth possessed. Every time the left foreleg came down he stumbled, Twilight glancing over towards Velvet who didn’t seem to pay no mind at all.
Unable to take it any longer, Twilight cleared her throat. “Are… are you sure you want to come all the way up? We could just take the key ourselves.”
“Ha!” Clodsworth didn’t even slow while he chuckled, nor when he looked back. “Trust me, I’m fitter than I look. The sea air is good for the bones, pay no mind to my limp. I was resting on it a bit too much during the garden work, and at my age it takes a while for these old bones to wake up.” He returned his attention to the front, Twilight going quiet now that her question had been answered.
They entered the start of a beautiful garden, roses and tulips in full bloom all around. Twilight smiled when she heard the tweets of numerous songbirds nesting in the surrounding fruit trees, and her mind briefly wandered away from the stressful situation and rested instead on thoughts of what her friends could be doing at the time.
It was snapped back to the present, however, when she noticed that what she had thought were decorative stone sculptures weren’t just sculptures for decoration alone.
They were markers.
A number of headstones sat in two neat rows next to each other, Twilight quickly counting at least twenty of them. All were obviously kept in good order regularly, with the surrounding vegetation given no purchase on the polished white marble. One in particular stood out, a fresh bouquet of flowers resting before it on the carefully kept grass.
“That’s were all the groundskeeper staff are buried,” Velvet whispered to her after evidently taking notice of where her attention was. “It’s been a tradition since the very first. Rather beautiful, isn’t it?”
Twilight shuddered, the fact that her mother could find such a morbid place to be beautiful was slightly unsettling.
“Oh Twilight,” Velvet giggled, having noticed her discomfort. “You haven’t even seen the family mausoleum yet.”
'Maus- mausoleum?’
They rounded a corner and passed through a gap in the thick hedge that surrounded it all, Twilight nearly tripping over herself at what sat to the right of the path.
Surrounded by a polished iron gate, the small stone building was quite lavishly decorated. A heavy iron door sat between two white-marble pillars, the crypt bearing the family coat of arms at its topmost peak. Thankfully a heavy chain along with a large padlock was sealing the doors shut, Twilight never actually having seen a real life tomb before, but from what she had read they tended to be stepped in dark and foreboding superstitions.
But she wasn’t really worried; after all, she was a pony of science.
It still didn’t stop her from quickening her past when they trotted past it.
Twilight didn’t miss the amused smile that her mother had, but she didn’t bring it up. Instead she focused on the cobbled stones of the path they were treading, until at last they exited the hedged-in garden and entered a much less cluttered space.
Looking up, Twilight saw that they were in a well-kept courtyard. A separate and wider road, likely intended for chariots, snaked around a working water fountain that rivalled in size the one present in the centre of Ponyville. One such chariot was even sitting to the side, although the rusting iron fixtures and faded red wood suggested that it wasn’t as diligently attended to as the rest of the estate.
A little ways away to the left, she spotted a smaller house constructed from unpainted wood sitting by itself in a field of grass. Short and squat with a small line of smoke wafting up from the chimney, she guessed that it was where the Caretaker stayed while on the estate.
It was, however, the mansion before her that held her attention.
Seeming to be even larger up close, it was far grander than even the most ornate structures she had seen in Canterlot, save for the royal castle of course. Even though it must have been many centuries old, none of its surface showed any signs of decay. It towered over her, and silently she wondered at just how ponies could live in the massive space without feeling so… small.
The jingling of keys broke her out of thoughts, Clodsworth stepping up to the main doors and unlocking them. He swung the thick doors open with visible effort, before turning back to them.
“There you go. The first three bedrooms on the second floor are all made and ready as always, and you’ll find the kitchen stocked with cans if you feel peckish.” He gave another toothy grin. “But as I said, I’m more than happy to rustle up somethin’ if you want a decent meal.”
“You’re not coming in with us?” Twilight asked, a nervous laugh escaping along with the question. She glanced into the large hallway that had been revealed, her spine tingling at the sheer unnatural quiet within the house.
“Oh, no Lass,” Clodsworth chuckled in reply. “Whenever a Sparkle comes to this house with their parent, no Groundskeeper is to step hoof inside unless it’s an emergency. That there same rule has been around since before my father, and his father before him.” He looked into the hallway, his grin widening. “Have no fear of that house, about the most dangerous thing lurking within it is probably the occasional spider sitting in a web.”
“Thank you, Clodsworth,” Velvet stepped in. “We won’t keep you any longer.”
“Not at all ma’am,” the old stallion chuckled while turning to head to his house. “Always a pleasure.” With that, he trotted off with a noticeable lack of a limp I his step. Still wary of entering the house, Twilight jumped when her mother patted her on the back.
“Come on, Twilight. Clodsworth is right, there’s nothing scary at all within the house. Trust me, when I first came her with your Grandmother I felt exactly the same.” Trotting into the house, Velvet sighed happily. “Ah, this place does bring back memories.”
Hesitantly putting a hoof past the door, Twilight stepped into the hallway after her mother.
The sound of her hoof steps echoed around the entrance lobby, Twilight’s hesitation giving way to a growing sense of wonder. Framed portraits of ponies dotted the walls, some she recognised and some she didn’t, all of them covered under a slight layer of dust. It was a set of portraits that sat next to the huge stone staircase at the back of the room, however, that instantly set her inquisitive nature to overdrive.
“Is that…!?”
Rushing past her mother, Twilight stood in front of two portraits in particular, her hoof brushing the dust from their surfaces. Studying the two pictures with wide eyes, she didn’t even look back when Velvet chuckled from behind her.
“Ah, I’d knew that you’d take a liking to here. Yes Twilight, those are indeed who you think they are.”
Turning her head away from the green mare and grey stallion, Twilight tilted her head at Velvet. “How can you be so calm about it? We have portraits of Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever in the family house… and the backgrounds of the portrait are of the house itself! That means that they were in the very same house that I’m in right now!” Twilight looked down at her hooves in awe, wondering if the great Starswirl himself had been standing in the exact same place.
“They were the ponies that helped found the Equestria that we know today, along with the other leaders of the tribes.” Twilight felt a hunger within her, and she gazed right at her mother with burning intent. “Is this family secret something to do with that? Are we related to…” she took a deep breath. “Starswirl the Bearded?”
“Well,” Velvet began while raising a hoof in preparation. “You’re half right-“
“I’m related to Starswirl the Bearded!” Twilight leapt into the air with joy, before beginning to prance around repeat the phrase. “I’m related to Starswirl the Bearded! I’m related to Starswirl the Bearded!”
“Twilight!”
She stopped mid-prance at her mother’s voice, Velvet shaking her head. “We’re not related to Starswirl.”
Twilight deflated, her smile dropping when her dream of being related to her idol was crushed. “Oh.”
“He was very well known to our family though,” Velvet continued to explain before gesturing to Clover. “Clover the Clever as well, although back in those days she was just known as Clover. You are indeed right that they played a key part in the formation of Equestria, but not in the way that you know.”
Twilight tilted her head.
“What do you mean?”
Velvet walked past her, and instead of the staircase she was heading to a wide hallway to the left. “Come along, it’s easier if I explain on the way.”
Following, Twilight made to levitate a notebook out of her bags.
“No writing this down, dear,” Velvet told her. “And it also goes to say that you are to not repeat this information to anypony, not even your brother or father.”
That gave her pause, Twilight furrowing her brow. “They don’t know already?”
“No dear, Princess Celestia herself ordered that the least amount of ponies to know, the better.” They passed numerous rooms while they trotted, mainly appearing to be small studies or servants’ quarters. “It’s a shame to admit it, but the Hearthswarming story is… less than accurate.”
Twilight frowned. “It’s a lie?”
“Yes. Soon you will understand why it needs to be that way, however.” Velvet’s pace slowed, and they rounded a corner. “The three tribes did unite, and ushered in a new period of peace. Old prejudices die hard, though, and it was only a few years later that they started to war again.” Twilight frowned, but didn’t say anything more as Velvet went to continue. “The Earth ponies were under the hoof of the Unicorns, while the Pegasi launched raids from the clouds.”
Twilight couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like to have lived back then. Not being friends with Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash, and treating Applejack and Pinkie so terribly just because they weren’t unicorns? “That sounds horrible.”
“It was about to get worse,” Velvet nodded as they continued to trot, the older mare seeming to have no need for a map. “From out of nowhere, a tyrant rose from the shadows in an attempt to rule the entire world. He started with Equestria, seizing a port city and capturing or killing any pony that went near.”
A shudder ran down Twilight’s back.
“He had many minions at his beck and call, coerced either through the threat of violence or by their own greed and lust for power. Pirates, thugs, and thieves. There was even a creature that was described as a shapeshifter, with dark armour instead of fur. Of course we now know that it was a changeling, like the ones that attacked your brother’s wedding.”
Velvet paused, and Twilight furrowed her brow.
‘A changeling?’
“Wait,” Twilight stopped trotting, her mother pausing as well. “There’s something odd about this timing. You mentioned a creature that’s evil, and also that it was known to be working with a changeling.” She frowned. “This has something to do with that ‘human’, doesn’t it? The one who’s causing trouble with that evil changeling queen?”
Velvet resumed her trotting with a nod.
“That makes a lot of sense,” Twilight snorted. “Anything that consorts with those… those wedding-crashers must be at least as evil as Chrysalis was.”
She failed to notice the small smile that Velvet had.
They were nearing the end of the corridor, and Twilight slowed when she realised that they were heading right for a solid wall.
“Uh, Mom?”
Velvet didn’t answer at first, and Twilight watched on while a purple glow went from Velvet’s horn to the wall. A plain door shimmered into sight almost immediately, Velvet reaching back into her bag and withdrawing a small silver key.
‘I have a bad feeling about this,’ Twilight thought while her mother used the key to unlock the door. Velvet pushed it open and trotted through without a word, Twilight hesitantly following afterwards.
At first glance, the room they entered hardly seemed like it warranted magic to magically keep it hidden. A large poster bed sat against a cream-coloured wall, the red sheets coated with a fine layer of dust. A reading desk covered with rolls of old, unused parchment sat in the corner while a bookshelf contained an assortment of corked ink pots and pegasi-feather quills.
It wasn’t until she examined the wall opposite the bed that she started to get some idea as to why the room had such security measures.
A large portrait dominated the wall, the oak frame etched with gold. It was a painting of several ponies all sitting around a table in what seemed to be a tavern, Twilight instantly recognising most of them.
Clover the Clever was nursing a small glass of what seemed to be a deep red wine, the smile she wore oddly out of place for historically stoic unicorn. Starswill the Bearded had a small glass before him filled with a golden liquid that Twilight knew to be his favourite drink of choice, Griffon fire-ale. Her idol was in the process of showing off a magical spell, his horn aglow while a line of golden coins appeared to be moving in sync upon the grog-stained table.
The yellow unicorn mare to the left of Starswirl watched the coins dance with warm crimson eyes, Twilight identifying her as a mare named Radiant Sunflare. She knew little about her, save that she was credited with forming a number of magical combat disciplines that were still used by the Royal Guard. Twilight recalled seeing a picture of the mare in Celestia’s throne room, and that she had started quite a prolific bloodline out in the more eastern parts of the world.
She didn’t even recognise the hooded stallion that had a grey foreleg around Sunflare, save for the fact that he was a unicorn. Still, considering his attire, she doubted that he was a pony that sought out the spotlight all too often.
The last member of the group was by far the oddest. Immediately noticeable was the large tricorn hat with a pony skull and crossbones that sat upon the mare’s head. Like Sunflare, the pirate possessed a golden-yellow coat and a pair of crimson eyes, but it wasn’t the similarity that was the strange thing.
Despite the calibre of famous historical figures seated at the table, it was obvious that the artist had paid the final mare the lion’s share of the effort. Her eyes were piercing, her forelegs crossed on the table while she watched the coins along with her fellows. Despite the focus of attention being the coins, Twilight couldn’t help but feel unease. It seemed as if the pirate mare was staring at her out of the corner of her eye, and while examining closer Twilight realised that she had seen the mare somewhere before.
“The Canterlot throne room,” she muttered to herself. “But why is a portrait of a pirate both here and in there?”
“You won’t find any mention of her in the history books.” Twilight glanced back, Velvet speaking up from where she was standing at the side. “That mare was one of the most notorious pirates to sale the seas, yet she has been edited out of history so well that almost none know of her in modern times.”
Twilight didn’t interrupt, Velvet continuing on.
“With a ship that was said to be able to navigate below the oceans as well as above, she plagued Equestria for over a decade. Every navy sent against her was defeated with many lives lost, towns were plundered of everything of value, entire ships would desert just to join her ever growing fleet. It was one of the darkest times for the newly-formed Equestria, and it only ended when she mysteriously disappeared without a trace.”
Twilight gulped, now aware that the mare she was looking at was a prolific murderer.
“Why? Did she just do it for profit?”
“Perhaps,” Velvet shrugged. “She certainly amassed a great fortune, and was one of the richest beings alive in that time.” There was a slight hesitation. “However, it was noted that she treated crews of Royal vessels particularly cruelly, and many believed it was because of the fate of her original Captain.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Ah, she was one of those ponies working for that human, wasn’t she?”
“That’s right,” Velvet nodded. “After the Princess arrived in Equestria and turned him to stone, they attempted to do the same to the closest of his allies. However, a massive explosion levelled the town that used to lie where Manehattan is today, and they escaped via unknown means. Eventually the princesses deemed them to no longer be a threat, save for the pirate, and many of them went on to build Equestria in one way or another. Clover the Clever and Radiant Sunflare, for example.”
“They were working with the human?”
“They helped create the Equestria we know today.” Velvet sighed, focusing on the pirate once more. “The human caused destruction and woe, but it was through his defeat and the future actions of his previous advisors that Equestria was turned into the great nation it is today. Alas, out of all the figures, the most infamous one is also our family secret.”
Twilight did not like where the explanation was heading.
“It is recorded that our family line started when a noble, by the name of Wanderlust, adopted an abandoned unicorn filly that was barely a month old.” Velvet turned her gaze onto Twilight. “What wasn’t recorded, was the fact that it wasn’t an abandoned foal, but rather an illegitimate child. That filly, Twilight, grew up to be the noblemare known as Moonshine Sparkle.”
“The very first Royal Alchemist.”
“Correct.” Velvet returned her attention to the painting. “Now, back in those days it wasn’t uncommon for the nobility to have affairs, but great lengths were taken to prevent any offspring.” Velvet waved a hoof. “Preserving bloodlines, and all of that. But, Wanderlust was actually an oddity in that he had no known mistresses, and he only married later on in life. So where did the filly come from?”
Twilight looked to the portrait again. “The Pirate?”
“Well dear, he never explicitly said so. Being quite the explorer, he kept quite a detailed set of dairies detailing his daily musings. In the two years before he ‘adopted’ Nightshine, he wrote extensively about a lowborn unicorn that had captured his affections.” Velvet actually seemed to brighten a tad.
“I’ve read the particular diary, and it currently lives in my study back home. It goes on about his tryst with a mare of most ill-repute, an enemy of the state who’s bold manner and unkempt ways swayed him more than any of the noblemares that he had associated with. In particular, he often mentions her deep red eyes that somehow managed to capture the soul. Very poetic and sweet.”
“But that still isn’t enough proof,” Twilight said with a tilt of her head. “That could have been anypony.”
“Ah,” Velvet replied with a raised hoof. “If it weren’t for two additional details that may be the case. It was known that, during an adventure to the Zebrican plains, Wanderlust was captured by a pirate fleet after they had sunken the trade ship he was hitching a ride on. The unusual thing is that he was released a few months later, with no record of a ransom paid at all. The second, and most important detail, was the name of the mare that had apparently held him prisoner.”
Twilight waited with baited breath.
“Her name was Morning Sparkle.”
Twilight one again looked at the picture, this time eyeing her apparent ancestor with a mix of awe and dread.
“We’re…. related to the most bloodthirsty pirate that ever sailed the seas?”
“That’s right,” Velvet nodded. “The mare who terrorised Equestria for more than a decade after her dark master was defeated by the Princesses themselves is your Ancestor, and the very first pony of our family line to bare the Sparkle name.”
Twilight sat down, staring at her hooves while processing the information.
“But… why have we kept that name? If we’re trying to keep it a family secret…”
Velvet placed a hoof upon her shoulder. “Twilight, I know that it isn’t easy coming to terms with the fact that we’re related to such a villain, but the Sparkle name exists because of her. Sparkles throughout history have been inventors, diplomates, leaders, and innovators that have shaped Equestria for the better. The Sparkle name commands incredible respect, Twilight, but it also carries the risk that of our secret being found out. Princess Celestia is aware of everything about our line, and she understands the importance of what needs to be done.”
The silver key was levitated into view, Twilight reaching out a hoof and allowing Velvet to pass it over. “This key opens up a chest hidden in a compartment behind the bookshelf,” her mother informed. “Inside, you’ll find every copy of Wanderlust’s dairies bar the one I have in my study. Princess Celestia wanted me to pass this key on, and ask you to help me read through them all in case we manage to find something we can use against the human.”
Twilight shifted, as a cool breeze ticked the back of her rump.
“It’s a very slim chance,” Velvet continued. “But any bit will help.”
Another chill caused her to shiver, Twilight sniffing the air.
“Dear?”
“Can you smell that?” she sniffed again. “It smells like the sea.”
“You know I can’t that well, but we are by the sea.”
Twilight frowned and turned her head, glancing down at her rump as another chill ran across it. A flutter of movement caught her eye, and she looked over to the bed behind her. A corner of a sheet was twitching slightly, and Twilight got to her hooves to investigate. The silver key was placed in her bag, forgotten for the time being, and while focusing on te bed she powered up her horn.
“Twilight?”
“One… second.”
With a thump, the bed was moved to the side of the wall, revealing a mass of spare sheets laying upon the wooden floor. With a glance towards her mother, Twilight once again used her horn and shifted the pile of dusty linin to the side.
Both mares stared at the locked trapdoor that sat waiting, the glittering silver lock that held it in place completely free of dust.
“Is this another dark and mysterious family secret?” Twilight asked with a unusually dry tone.
“If it is, it’s certainly not one I know of,” Velvet admitted.
Staring at the lock, Twilight felt equal parts of foreboding and curiosity. Her inherent nature quickly won out, and she prodded the lock with her hoof. “Do you have another key?”
“No, that one I gave you is the only one.”
The mentioned key was quickly retrieved and brought into closer view for study. It was certainly five sizes too small to work in the lock, but the way it tingled in her magical hold…
“A pretty cool trick,” Twilight muttered to herself as she moved the key to the lock while Velvet watched on. “But a simple one to work out if you’ve read all of Starswirl’s books.”
AS soon as the key entered the hole of the lock, there was a click and the latch opened. Grinning to herself with success, Twilight returned the key to her bag and nudged the trapdoor with a hoof. It sprung open to reveal a cold stone staircase leading down into pitch black darkness, Twilight glancing back at her mother.
“You said that the Princess wanted us to find something out? I’d bet that down there would be a great place to find… something.” She gulped, glancing back at the staircase. “So… who’s going first?”
Twilight winced when a cold drop of water splashed across her back, the drips of similar drops echoing through the small stone tunnel that they were moving through. The glow from her horn was doing a decent job of lighting up the area, but she still had to pay the utmost attention to her hoofing on the treacherous floor.
The slimy, moss-covered stairs had been a complete nightmare.
“Do you see anything?”
“Not yet,” Twilight replied to Velvet with a wince at how her voice echoed. “Just the same as before.”
They pressed forwards, the smell of salt growing stronger as they did, and it was with a small amount of relief that Twilight finally laid eyes upon something different.
An old wooden door, ravaged by rot, blocked the way forwards. Hesitating only slightly at the thoughts of what could be lurking behind it, Twilight ignored the rusted iron lock and simply gave it a small push with her hoof.
The door fell backwards at her touch, splatting down onto the stone with a few bits slagging off as it did so.
“It obviously hasn’t seen much use in a while,” Velvet said from behind. “I wonder what we’ll find down here?”
Twilight didn’t reply, and instead trotted forwards over the door. Emerging into a new corridor carved out of solid rock, she found with some relief that at least it was now wide enough for two ponies. Velvet didn’t hesitate, and Twilight glanced to the side when her Mother joined her.
Surprisingly, Velvet had so far been holding up rather well considering the circumstances. Twilight had always seen her as a refined and, while infinitely more caring than all of the other Canterlot nobles she had known, sophisticated mare. Such refinement and grace only made her mother’s attitude to exploring the dank tunnel more extraordinary.
They both pressed on without needing any encouragement from the other, Twilight’s horn lighting the way all the while. They travelled for another minute or so, before they emerged into a cave that posed more secrets than it answered.
“Wow…”
Twilight stared at the absolute hoard of valuables that filled the space all around, her eyes darting around while she tried to take stock of all that lay before them.
Chests overflowing with glittering gold and silver coins sat next to piles of jewels heaped on the floor. Crowns rested up against golden statues of creatures that even Twilight didn’t know of, and there were even boxes upon boxes of what appeared to be fine wine. All in all, it was a stash that must have rivalled the Royal Treasury, if not surpassed it.
“So this must be her fortune,” Velvet muttered, trotting around to examine a statue of a griffon king. “But why store it here under the house? Did she come back often to visit him?”
“It’s certainly… odd,” Twilight agreed, far too engrossed in the riches to really put too much thought into it. She bent down, her reflections staring back from a sparkling diamond that was close to the side of her hoof. “Why did she remain a pirate, exactly?”
“No-pony knows,” Velvet answered. “As I said before, she disappeared from all of the dairy entries with the last mention being Wanderlust lamenting her choice to ‘pursue her folly with the past’ over remaining with him to raise her daughter. There was never any mention of either Morning Sparkle nor her magical ship again.”
Twilight glanced around the room, her eyes settling upon a plain door built into the other wall of the cave. Trotting towards it, she took note of its impeccable condition compared to the last, and deduced that It contained a magical enchantment.
The silver key was withdrawn from her bag once more, and this time it fitted right into the lock. It turned without issue and with a glance back towards Velvet, who was currently trying on one of the crowns, Twilight pushed open the door and set eyes upon what lay on the other side.
The first thing she noticed was the underground lake, the large body of water sitting in a cave that was at least five times the size of the one they were standing in. No waves lapped at the sandy shore, but there was the occasional ripple from what Twilight could only assume was fish swimming under the surface.
The second thing that she noticed caused her to stop dead in the door.
“Uh… Mom?” she called out.
“Yes Twilight? Have you found something?”
Twilight continued to stare at the metal beast that sat idle in the water, three heavy ropes securing it to a flimsy wooden dock. A circular dome with what looked like a massive cannon sat on the bow, and the ship itself would have been dwarfed only by the largest of Equestria’s steam liners.
“Actually, do you remember that ‘magical ship’ that you were talking about before…?”
Luna’s silver-clad hooves touched down upon the dirt, the silver engravings etched into her lacquered purple armour glinting in the moonlight. Beside her, Sergeant-Major Beams and the other members of the bat-pony squad landed before folding up their wings. She would have brought more of her loyal soldiers, but Luna knew that against the foe she remembered it would have been a waste.
‘I must hit him hard and fast, and allow him no time to recover,’ she thought while staring ahead at the cave entrance. The guards that had been on watch noticed her, and immediately started to rush over. ‘I am no longer afflicted with the folly of youth, and he will find that my magical prowess has magnified by the thousands.’
With that, she thought about the news of the Council members, and the explosives that lurked inside of them.
‘Still, if it means the salvation of the city and their fellow nocturnes…’
She was no stranger to making tough decisions, and secretly considered herself more capable than her sister when it came to matters of death and war. After all, where’s Celestia would reject any plan that would endanger her subjects, Luna was confident that her bat-ponies would be confident in making the ultimate sacrifice if it stopped the Human’s rampage.
The guards reached her and immediately bowed, Luna striding forwards with no time to waste.
“Cease your bowing. Where is the human?”
One guardsmare bowed her head. “The biped is no longer here, my Princess. It took its changelings and departed in the morning without warning.” The soldier raised her head. “Excuse me for saying so, my Princess, but that’s probably a good thing.”
Luna knew that it certainly wasn’t good at all, a small niggle at the back of her mind turning into full blown concern. ‘Celestia mentioned the return of King Sombra. Given the events of the past…’
“Did you observe the direction in which they departed?”
An armoured stallion, looking to be just older than what one would consider a colt, shakily raised a hoof.
‘It is likely his first time being in my presence.’
“I… I know the answer, Princess.” Luna ushered him along with a gesture of her wing. The guardsmare from before gave him a sharp nudge in the ribs with a foreleg, straightening his speech. “The biped and the big changeling were talking… well, the big changeling was yelling, but I heard them mentioning going towards north somewhere. The changelings didn’t seem very keen on the idea but the human kept on talking about meeting back up with an ‘old friend’. Then his back caught on fire and they all flew off north.”
Luna didn’t even bother to supress the visible wince.
“So, Guard,” she replied through clenched teeth. “The human, and the changeling queen of all creatures, are heading to the north. You overheard this and witnessed them leave in that direction?”
The young stallion nodded. “Yes Princess.” He hesitantly continued. “Is… is there something wrong?”
‘Oh, more than you can ever imagine.’
“No, nothing that you should concern yourself about.” She glanced over all of the guards. “I thank you for your help. Return to your posts, dismissed.”
They all scrambled to follow her order, Luna turning around and beginning to prepare for flight.
“Princess?” the Sergeant-Major inquired while adjusting her purple helm. “Are we pursuing the human and changelings?”
“Nay,” Luna answered while spreading her wings. “While I would like nothing better than to defeat that monster immediately, this new information is troubling to the extreme. I believe that it would be wise to persuade my sister to assist before we seek to engage in combat.”
“The changeling queen?”
“Nay again,” Luna narrowed her eyes. “Queen Chrysalis is a minor charlatan compared to the evil that they are both unknowingly seeking out.”
With that she took flight, no more questions asked while she brooded over the disturbing news.
“Just look at this, how the metal hasn’t even rusted after all of these years! There’s no sail or paddlewheel, so how did it even move? And that cannon! The Griffons didn’t even have cannons until four hundred years ago, and that dwarfs even their biggest! The number of enchantments on this thing must be astronomical!”
Twilight continued to run her hoof over the ship’s metal hull, while she used her magic to levitate a metal boarding ramp into place.
“Twilight, dear,” her mother spoke up from behind her. “I don’t think this is the best idea, if I may say so. This is much more than a few references in dairies, perhaps letting Princess Celestia and the Royal Guard know about this…”
Twilight had already stopped listening and was halfway up the ramp. Any sense of fear or foreboding had been blown away by a rampaging sense of curiosity, and there was even a tiny bounce in her step at the prospect of getting to explore the relic. Such was her excitement that she failed to hear her mother’s sigh, or the hoofsteps that then began to follow.
Stepping hoof onto the deck, she examined the material carefully. It was some kind of really hard plastic, the original creators of the ship likely avoiding metal due to the chance of it heating up in the sun. Still, it was something far more advanced than she expected from a ship of such age.
Glancing around, she set her eyes on the most likely location to find answers.
The bridge.
Settled roughly in the centre of the ship, the rectangular prism of metal had rounded edges and sloped sides. There were no windows to break up the cold grey metal, a single door with a handle recessed into the metal the only irregularity in the smooth surface. With a glance behind her to confirm that Velvet was still following, Twilight’s horn lit up and she grasped the handle with her magical grip.
Upon the handle being pulled down, a loud ku-thunk sounded as whatever latch that had been holding the door shut was withdrawn. Swinging it inwards, Twilight paused before entering the room.
She could have sworn that there had been a brief glow of golden light.
Furrowing her brow but continuing on undaunted, she entered the bridge with Velvet following close behind.
The sight within was certainly a shock.
Rectangles were suspended from the ceiling by metal arms. A chest at the rear of the room contained numerous deadly-looking swords and knives, while a box beside it held a number of what Twilight understood to be Zebrican black-powder weapons. And. a stone statue of a gem-riddled hourglass sat on the floor before the most unsettling item.
A unicorn with a golden coat and a tricorn hat sat slumped over in a large metal chair, not a single twitch of movement. Twilight recoiled, before her amazement as to the preservation of the body overrode her queasiness.
“Oh no,” Velvet murmured, trotting into the bridge to join her. “I suppose this is where she disappeared to.” Twilight watched as her mother turned a noticeable shade paler. “Isn’t there… supposed to be some sort of… decay?”
Now this was a topic Twilight could get into. After all, despite the morbid nature, the breakdown of organic matter as discussed in medical books was a fascinating subject.
“After all these years, it should be just a skeleton,” she answered with the logic helping to keep her voice steady. “I can’t smell any rot, the mane and tail are still in impeccable condition…” Twilight looked around the room. “Perhaps it was sealed in such a way that it kept the body in peak condition. Magically perhaps? After all, if the ship apparently travelled underwater then you’d need some sort of seal to stop-“
“Eek!” Twilight jolted out of her musing when Velvet jumped back with the yell. “Twilight, I saw a hoof move!”
Focusing again on the dead body, Twilight felt a chill run down her spine.
“Do- don’t be silly, Mom,” she stammered while taking a step back. “It was probably just a gust of wind from the door…”
Another leg twitched, causing her to wince.
“A… a trick of the eyes?”
The chest of the unicorn began to move, as if the corpse was breathing. Twilight’s tone grew more pleading.
“Uh… it’s just an aftereffect of the lunar cycle?”
A pair of crimson eyes opened, the orbs focusing on them both as the mare looked up. The mouth twitched into a frown, and the horn atop the unicorn’s head began to glow.
Twilight gulped, while Velvet huddled up next to her.
“I don’t suppose… group hallucination from fungal spoors?”
In a flash, Twilight felt cold steel press against her throat. Wincing, her eyes darted left to see that Velvet also had a wickedly-sharp cutlass a hairs-breadth away from her throat. Both of them were frozen, Twilight not even game enough to ask what was going on for fear of moving her own throat onto the sword.
They could only watch as the pirate mare left her seat, the joints of her limps popping while she moved. All throughout, the swords were held steadily in an unwavering golden glow. Taking her time, the unicorn glanced before glaring at them.
“You’re not the Captain. Where is he?”
Neither of them answered, not out of stubbornness, but rather due to the risk of harming themselves. The Pirate, however, did not see it that way.
“Answer me, or I’ll slit your throats and toss you overboard!”
“Wedon’tknowaboutanyCaptainwejustfoundthisshipandthoughtyouweredeadandsowehadalookandithinkimaybeyourdescendentsopleasedon’tkillus!” Twilight blurted out with teary eyes. The pirate stared at her for a few moments, before withdrawing the cutlass slightly.
“Again. Slower this time.”
Twilight took a few deep breaths, before answering once more.
“We don’t know about this ‘Captain’. This cave is under the family house and we found this ship. You looked like you were dead. We decided to have a look. Also, I think we’re related to you.” Twilight gulped again. “But… but you should be dead…”
“Family house?” The pirate repeated. “Descendent?” She thought for a second, before her frown lessened. “Oh!” The attention was turned to Velvet and the second cutlass was also lowered a notch. “Are you Moonshine’s daughter?”
“N-no,” Velvet stammered.
“Moonshine’s granddaughter?”
“No.”
“Moonshine’s… great-granddaughter?”
“No ma’am.”
The pirate glanced between them, eyes narrowed. “What year is this?”
“Year one, LR,” Twilight stated, before figuring out that ‘Luna’s Return’ would likely mean nothing to the mare. “I mean… it’s about a thousand or so years after you were said to have… died.” She pursed her lips. “If you are Morning Sparkle, that is.”
The pirate didn’t seem to take notice of the last sentence, her gaze looking down at her own hooves. “One-thousand years…?”
Twilight and Velvet shared a glance, before Velvet cleared her throat.
“My name is Velvet, and this here is my daughter, Twilight Sparkle. We’re both members of the Sparkle family line, and If you are the pony known as Morning Sparkle, then that makes you a direct ancestor.” Velvet hesitated. “I hate to sound blunt, but you standing alive before us is probably just as much as a shock to us as it is to you.”
Morning looked back up at them, her frown returning. “A shock to you? I’ve waited in this chair all this time for my Captain to return from wherever it was that those Alicorns imprisoned him, and instead I get two unicorns boarding my ship and claiming to be my descendants?”
The cutlasses were returned to their previous, too close for comfort, positions. “How do I know that you’re not spies from Celestia and Luna?”
Deciding that mentioning her title of ‘Student of Princess Celestia’ in addition to explaining the Sparkle family’s close ties to the obviously distrusted Royal Court would be a bad idea, Twilight instead tried to defuse the situation.
“Captain?” she repeated through a forced smile. “Oh, do you mean the Human?”
Morning Sparkles’ ears picked up while she leaned in closer. “Yes. Tall, black armour, melodramatic?”
“…Yes?”
The pirate’s frown turned into a grin. “He’s alive, even after all this time?”
Velvet nodded. “The spell keeping him as a statue broke a couple of weeks ago and he escaped from the Canterlot gardens.”
“Ah ha!” Morning cheered. “I knew there was something up with that statue Sunflare told me about!” Then, the frown returned. “Blasted Princesses! If they hadn’t moved their accursed castle inland, then I’d have freed him without the need for all the waiting!” Morning glanced down to the hourglass statue, before looking back towards them. “You’re lucky that you brought me good news, and that you’re possibly related to me, otherwise I’d have thrown you in the brig.”
Morning returned to her chair, and sat down upon it. “Instead you’re going to sit down, shut up, and answer my questions. Got it?” They didn’t have a chance to reply, Morning tapping a panel on her chair with a hoof.
At once, the bridge of the boat lit up with a soft light. The door closed of its own accord with a clang, and the lock engaged. A loud hum started up from beneath them, steadily growing louder as it did. Twilight and Velvet both jolted when the walls of the bridge flashed white, before the surrounding cave became visible as though the metal walls no longer existed.
“Greetings, Captain Sparkle.” Twilight glanced around, trying to pinpoint the origin of the soft female voice. “Hibernation complete. Commencing maintenance assessment.”
Twilight looked over the Morning, the mare wearing a wide smile.
“While you are doing that, Sea Biscuit, scan for the Captain’s location. You know, the Human.”
“Scanning.” A screen changed to show what seemed to be a map of Equestria, a red flashing dot appearing up towards the northern snow fields. “Command Unit located. Do you wish to plot a course?”
“Yes I do,” Morning looked at the two of them, Velvet silent in the corner while Twilight was too busy catching flies in her mouth and trying to process all of the amazing things that were happening. “Don’t you two dare try to stop me, or I’ll show you what Sea Biscuit’s propeller looks like up close.”
Twilight merely nodded, eyes fixed on the front while a metal dome started to slide over the top of the bridge and deck of the ship from the rear.
“Good girls,” Morning praised, settling back into her chair with a content sigh. “We’re going to go on a little voyage.”
“And I don’t care, cause I don’t know, and I don’t care, cause watch duty blows…”
Nigel sighed, continuing to poke the fire with a stick. Even he had to admit that his little watch-duty song was pretty terrible, and he regretted not having anyone to talk to so he could pass the time.
He glanced over towards his left, the ten firstborn all sleeping soundly in a huddle on the grass. They’d been quiet happy to get some rest after the long day of flying, and there had been no complaints about roughing it in the small clearing either.
‘It’d be a shame to wake them up,’ he decided, focusing on the fire once more. A loud snore caused him to snort with amusement. ‘Speaking of a high chance of waking someone up…’
Chalmers looked down, his hand patting Chrysalis on the head while she let out another snore. The Queen’s front half was resting across his crossed legs in a pretty uncomfortable position, but he assumed that her chitin allowed her to ignore the cold and hard metal that was serving as her bed.
“I don’t know what you’re so worried about, Chrissy,” he whispered to himself while he continued to stroke her mane. “This whole North trip will be a complete walk in the park, I can feel it in my bones.”
Chrysalis let out a loud snort in her sleep, almost as if she had subconsciously heard him.
Nigel paid it no mind, and just went back to poking the crackling fire with the stick.
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Oh my. Two updates, within a single three month period? Are you feeling well, Dropbear? You didn't get replaced by a pod person, did you?
Morning Sparkle's back!
7043305
It's actually just one update. If you read the first author's note (on part one), it's just a long chapter I split into two.
If you're talking about the update to... whichever fic I updated last (I can't remember), then I guess I just managed to get a lot of writing done.
This chapter was pretty quick, to be honest, as I quite enjoyed writing Twilight and Velvet's scenes.
Could it be? Does the ship still exist?
Later confirmation says yes! Oh, I can't wait until Twilight get's the other side of the story!
Morning Sparkle's awake and back with Sea Biscuit?!
Celestia and Luna's "You're fucked" gauge is damn near broken now.
7043361
Any chance that the future chapters will be pretty quick, too?
Sail
Spores
Holy shit, what a twist.
Holy shit she's back after 1000 years.
This will send Chrysalis and Nigel into the deepest of shocks, i'm sure....
Well, maybe not Nigel, but definitely Chrysalis.
I can't help but feel Sea Biscuit is blasting this when the set sail.
Came for the Nigel antics, stayed for the pirate shenanigans. Waiting for the next chapter is going to be horrible
Sea Biscuit is back in action. Oh and also Morning Sparkle is back, but you know, whatever. =P
How the hell did Morning survive?
Is Nigel just that good at building things?
7043500
She was friends with Starswirl, a golden light was in the room that vanished when Twilight opened the door, and there's a jewel-encrusted hourglass statue on the floor.
Trust me, it's the last thing Nigel is going to be expecting.
and then the realization that ALL of your past friends are nothing but dust settles in....
begin the feels
7043402 Near broken? That thing is going so wild Luna's using it as a desk fan.
Moonlight is going to be furious when she finds out that her descendants have been working for the princesses
I fear disowning may be in the future
A lot of it on Shining and Cadance for being royal guard and the other for being, "another one"
Aww yeah, two in a row baby.
7043506 congrats you made the front page.
Any one have any advice for when you want to read but also don't want too.
5454358
63 weeks, and 12 hours.
Hell yeah the boat's back!!
7043722
If the story isn't at least plausibly canon, it generally should be marked "alternate universe", so people know it's going to deviate from the show.
(This is a fan fiction site, but we still want accurate tags to tell us what it is before we start reading.)
There are some seriously hilarious typos in this one.
Apparently his taste in drinks was not that good after all.
If they could sell shit to the ocean, they must have been one hell of a bunch of corporate pirates indeed.
If I saw a trail made by mushrooms, I'd certainly think I was hallucinating, too.
Of course... of course they have the ship now.
WAIT, NEVERMIND. That glorious pirate cunt is still alive, fantastic. I mean that with the utmost sincerity.
Dropbear you dirty slut! How could you tickle our fancies with all this revenge plotting and not give us more?
You're worse than Chalmers.
Also, I'm going to have to go back through and re-read all of this. I've forgotten so much that it hurts. I might proof for you while I'm at it, too, but don't hold me to that. I'm a terribly lazy and unmotivated proofer.
7043647 Yeah, you just fucking read, because we all know you want to more than you don't. :D
...
Are you kidding me? They didnt see it nor smell it? The trapdoor I mean. Eh I can understand. Kind of.
7044130
Uh, you mean the sealed trapdoor that was hidden under the bed?
7043618
Well if Nigel doesnt kill Sombra for becoming a filthy slaver there could be an insteresting conversation in the future...
Cadance: I am the legitimate heir to this empire, I demand it back.
Sombra: I am the legitimate ruler of equestria, want to trade kingdoms?
ow the wait begins again...
Oh, yes. So very worth it.
HE lIVES!!!
What a wonderful twist we got this chapter. I'm actually super happy to know another person he interacted with in the first story is going to drop back in his life. I really hope they meet up next chapter. You'll probably make it so he calls out her name in shock and then end the chapter. Whatever you do I'm looking forward to it.
Morning Sparkle! Yay! Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
7044195 Ya. Confuses me that nobody found it before unless they had not found that room before.
7045435
Well, the unicorn noble who owned the house originally knew about it (hence the diary entries), but other than that there was no-one. It was under a bed in a magically hidden room, not the easiest thing to find.
7045887 The room must have more recently been found? If not then I don't really know. But who doesn't check under the bed :P
7043361 Really liked the interaction with Morning Sparkle
And in this moment i have a new favourite chapter for this story. and not only because mornings back but also because of the history of the sparkle family. you nailed the back story i'm interested in with what happened after morning.
7047305
You've read the next chapter, right?
i.giphy.com/qq7loULu8RCDu.gif
god i love this stpry
*Taps foot* Well.... damn. Another cliff, don't slow down! I need more! Also;
Nope, not happening, I refuse, how about:
who didn't seem to be paying it any attention at all.
I enjoyed this immensely!
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MFW after reading this...
Who was wanderlust again??
You are my second favourite author on this site (aside from Borsuq for his Rebirth fic). Absolutely love Nigel and this story is getting epic! BRING BACK THE OLD CREW!
Yes! Yes! (cries with happy tears)
Aw yeaaah! Ye ol' flyin' landlubbers are mighty boned now!
Yes, all of my yes, you now have it.
7045887
This has me so excited I could pee...
Morning's back!!!! Oh I love that beautiful mare and her red pretty eyes!
OmgO I'm fangasming! I want to be on that ship so she can notice me!!!