Wings of Freedom
Twilight eyed the gem in her hand, an emerald if the color was anything to go by. The texture was the same smooth surface she had felt before; only now it held an extra edge. Some new, primal part of her told her this was a delicious snack, waiting to be gobbled up. Her pony instincts held her back, telling her that the gem was inedible. On a whim, she gave it a quick sniff. She started to salivate, somehow finding a delicious scent coming off the emerald instead of nothing.
Throwing all caution to the wind, Twilight bit down on the gem. Instead of shattering, her newly strengthened teeth crunched down on it and a sweet flavor like a ripe berry filled her mouth. A soft moan of delight passed her lips, barely audible as she crunched on the gem.
“That hurts my teeth just watching,” Wyatt commented, sipping on a waterskin while he watched her eat. “But, good to see that you’re adjusting to the dragon blood after the big change. Even if you turning my lap into your pillow was nice.”
“It’s so good~” Twilight squeed, licking her lips. “Like rock candy!”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Wyatt said, glancing around at the various gems in Smaug’s hoard. “I don’t think that I’m gonna partake myself.” Picking up a ruby, he held it up to his eye. “He’d make a killing if he sold these.”
“Why would I exchange these precious gems for something more common?” Smaug questioned, stepping into the cave chamber with several scrolls in one of his claws. “Besides, dragons don’t have an economy like ponies do.”
“What are those, grandpa?” Sombra asked, crunching into an aquamarine.
“These scrolls detail the most important details regarding the history of the clan,” Smaug answered, opening the oldest looking scroll and spreading it across a stone table. “Including how Bahamut crafted the Bloodstone Scepter and united all dragons to become the first Dragonlord.”
“That’s amazing!” Twilight hopped to her hooves, zipping over. “I want to know all of it!”
Smaug chuckled, letting Twilight climb onto his claw and setting her onto the table. “It is hard to tell if this zeal is the dragon’s greed within you, or just your normal attitude towards knowledge. Either way, I can fulfill that desire.”
Twilight sat down next to the scroll, her eyes roving over the faded parchment. The draconic language was a harsh series of glyphs, each looking like claw marks. “Will you teach me to read this?”
“Of course,” Smaug answered, tapping his claw against the glyphs. “I will even teach you to speak Draconic if you wish. To nondragons it is a harsh, even guttural tongue. But that is because they lack the inner fire that is central to it. Now that you have been made part of the clan, you have inner fire within you. Listen.” A rumble emanated from Smaug’s chest and he started to speak in the same dialect as he had during the bonding ritual.
“That certainly has a certain charm to it.” Cadance flew up to the table, Shining Armor in her grasp. “Just imagine the looks on everypony’s faces when we start speaking like that.”
“We could use it to talk bad about visiting nobles without them knowing,” Shining offered, nudging his wife in the side. “We can get away with it if we keep smiling at them.” Taking on a more thoughtful expression, Shining glanced down at the scroll. “If we can teach the guard how to read it, we can hide sensitive material behind it.”
“I would not mind if you used it as a code,” Smaug conceded, tapping his claws on the table. “Keeping the language alive is more important than keeping it within the claws of dragons.” Snorting out a puff of smoke, Smaug glared down at the scroll. “Dragons have become all but entirely illiterate thanks to Torch’s reign.”
“I can see why you don’t like him,” Spike commented as Sapphira set him and Diamond on the table. “I was this close to knocking his lights out.” Spike jabbed at the air, bouncing on his feet. “What the heck was that rod thing of his? He turned me into a puppet!”
“That was the Bloodstone Scepter,” Smaug answered, opening another scroll and showing a depiction of the staff to the gathered ponies and drake. “Bahamut used dragon alchemy to create it. The exact rituals have been lost to time, perhaps never recorded in fear of what mass producing the scepter would mean. It grants any dragon that holds it absolute authority over other dragons. Of course, that is only its most notable ability; it holds other powers as well.”
“Why would the dragons something like that?” Diamond asked, sitting down next to Spike. “Isn’t having that much power a bad thing?”
Smaug let out a puff of smoke, waiting for Sapphira and Cadance to bring the last remaining ponies onto the table. Clearing his throat, he dimmed the lights with a flap of his wings. “When the world was young, dragons were far more savage than we are now. The fire in our blood burned like the sun; urging us into near mindless blood shed. Many clans and bloodlines were snuffed out before Bahamut’s rise to power.”
“So Bahamut created the scepter to bring order to the chaos?” Twilight guessed, staring at the depiction of the staff. “It must have taken some powerful magic to create an artifact like that.”
“Bahamut was not the strongest dragon, nor was he the smartest. He wasn’t even the biggest. But what he did have, was an iron will; a conviction no one could break.” Smaug moved his hands, conjuring up a draconic figure in his palm. The image bore glittering scales of platinum and rows of purple spines and underbelly. “It was because of this, the great mother Cel’Tres gave him the impossible task of taming the dragons.”
“It’s pretty obvious he succeeded,” Spike commented, regarding the figure in Smaug’s hands with awe. “Otherwise there wouldn’t be a title of Dragonlord.” He gazed at the image, entranced by its noble allure. “Hey, grandpa, what did Torch mean when he said that my family would learn what it means to be a dragon?”
“Now that you all are part of my clan, you are subject to dragon law. This includes eligibility for becoming Dragonlord,” Smaug answered, his eye moving between all the ponies. “You are all now under the sway of the Bloodstone Sceptre, compelled to do whatever the dragonlord wishes. Your actions from this point on will reflect our clan as a whole forever more.”
“I can’t say I like the idea of being ordered around by that brute,” Velvet offered, crossing her arms under her chest. “But how likely do you think it is that he’d try something now?”
“With Torch it is hard to tell,” Smaug replied, letting the image of Bahamut fade from existence. “He may try to humiliate you through orders or refuse to give you any to deny your status among us. I can tell you that he has held disdain for ponies for centuries; ever since Flash Magnus made a fool of him.”
“So Torch is one of the dragons that Flash Magnus led away from his squad?” Twilight squeed, her eyes lighting up. “I’ll have to tell the Equestria Historical Society about this development. To think, one of them became the leader of dragonkind!” Bouncing on her hooves, she looked up at Smaug. “You’ll tell me all about it, right?!?”
A smile wormed its way onto the old dragon’s face. “I would never miss a chance to tell you of that oaf’s greatest failures. But that can wait until after I teach you about our clan.”
Smaug continued to weave stories about famous members of the family. Some were alchemists who had made great strides in knowledge. Others were those who had amassed massive hoards that were the envy of other dragons. And then there were those who had held the title of Dragonlord and strove to follow Bahamut’s example in leading their kind past savagery.
A noticeable shift passed over Smaug’s features, his eagerness draining away. “Our clan was brought low by a coward; to whom any path to victory was acceptable.” Turning away, Smaug lumbered off. “But, that is not the whole story.”
“What is the whole story?” Spike asked, gulping nervously but hanging on his grandfather’s every word.
“A minotaur army sneaking into the dragonlands; no such thing is possible.” Moving aside part of his hoard, Smaug gently plucked something from the pile. “In my sorrow, I threw myself into my work, blinding me to the obvious: we had been betrayed.”
Spike paled, clenching his fists at his sides. Flames licked at the spaces between his teeth as he watched the old drake. “Do you have any evidence who did it?”
“It was long ago, Spike, now is not the time to discuss such things.” Returning to the table, he placed an ornate chest in front of Twilight. “It was you, a pony, whom hatched Spike. Perhaps it is your kind that can solve one of my greatest failures.”
“But I thought you wanted Spike to collect the medals?” Twilight questioned, eyeing the chest curiously.
“I have had many failures, Twilight.” Smaug gestured for them to gather round. “I must apologize, to all of you. I was not truthful when I said we were the last of our clan.” Using a single claw, Smaug opened the chest; revealing a dozen dragon eggs, each sporting it’s own unique color scheme.
The anger instantly faded from Spike’s features and he grabbed the lip of the chest to keep his balance. “There are still eggs?” he muttered, his tone shaky. “Are these supposed to be uncles, aunts or distant relatives?”
“Some are, some are cousins and siblings.” Smaug craned his neck, eyeing the eggs listfully. “Of the eggs I managed to save, only your mother hatched. I know not why the others are dormant; and no magic I have weaved over the centuries has roused them.”
Twilight picked up one of the eggs, hoping to feel something from within it. Instead, all there was was the cool surface of its shell. “I can try, Smaug, but I hatched Spike during a magic outburst.” Holding it close to her chest, she put her hand on his snout. “I’ll do everything in my power.”
“I just had a thought,” Wyatt chimed in, looking at the eggs. “Why not reenact the scenario that led you to hatching Spike? Maybe you can trigger an outburst?”
“That would be more than a little dangerous,” Night Light spoke up, giving Wyatt a stern look. “The first one turned Velvet and I into house plants!”
Wyatt nodded, rubbing the back of his head. “I’d probably be the one getting zapped into a flower knowing my luck. Okay, so that can be a last resort.” Putting a hand on his chin, he stared at the chest. “This is gonna be a tough one.”
“I’ve dealt with tough before,” Twilight assured, staring at the egg in her arms intently. “I’ll just need time to work this out.” After a moment, she placed the egg back in the chest. “Do you want me to stay here?”
“You may return to Equestria with the eggs if you wish,” Smaug answered, bowing his head. “Whatever you feel will help the eggs see life. I beg you, Twilight, defend these eggs with your life. Let no one know of their existence.”
A determined expression crossed Twilight’s muzzle as she put a hand on Smaug’s snout. “You have my word, Smaug. I’ll die before anyone can harm these eggs.”
A small smile crossed Smaug’s features and he nodded at her. The lessons turned to the Draconic language, going over the basic sounds and alphabet that formed its core. Eventually, the Sparkle and Rich family felt that they needed to return home, a sentiment that Smaug and Sapphira agreed to. Sapphira flagged down a vessel again and the families found themselves out on the seas toward home with the precious eggs in tow.
Celaeno adjusted the wheel of her ship, having it hover over a patch of water between the Dragonlands and Equestria. Based on the information Poseidon had given her, their target would be heading to the pony homeland. She didn’t bother questioning what a dragon would want to do with ponies, something told her that the pirate king wouldn’t answer anyway. Being the experienced captain she was, she knew what waterways a ship travelling from the Dragonlands to Equestria would take that time of year. All she and the crew had to do was wait and they could raid whatever boat the drake would be on.
Both Mullet and Boyle had been out of sorts since Poseidon had placed those coins in them. The two had become more than a little obnoxious, with Boyle hoarding all the crackers and Mullet refusing to let anyone look at his cutlass. She’d come to expect some level of greed from her crew, they were pirates after all. But among one another, they had always shared and shared alike. The trio of coins that Poseidon had given her suddenly felt like an iron ball weighing her down. The last thing she wanted was to use them.
Celaeno’s mind drifted towards the drake that Poseidon wanted them to capture. Especially the detail about him having a belt like Poseidon’s. A shudder passed through her unbidden, giving a silent prayer to any god or force in the universe that she wouldn’t have to confront their target in a direct fight.
Fishing out a spyglass, Celaeno put it to her eye to examine the surroundings of the vessel. A growing brown blur on the portside horizon looked promising and she put the glass away to turn the ship towards the blur.
“Ready the harpoon!” Celaeno ordered, turning back to her crew. “Get ready to board! We’re looking for a drake, no one else is important, understood?”
Stuffing his pockets full of crackers, Boyle drew his sword and shouted in affirmation. Mullet saluted and went below deck to take aim with the harpoon. Squinting, he managed to find the growing blur and waited for it to come into range. With a pull of a trigger, the harpoon shot through the air, plunging into the target below. The freighter lurched before coming to a stop as the rope attached to the harpoon pulled taut.
Celaeno moved to the bow, looking to see the activity down below. Small shapes ran frantically about the deck, obviously roused by the harpoon. Several more booms sounded around her, a flurry of metal impaling the ship below. With the freighter suitably secured, she rushed back to her wheel and raised the airship up higher. The ropes connecting the ships went taut, their maximum height reached.
Drawing her cutlass, Celaeno approached the side of the ship. “Alright you mangy birds, are ya ready for a raid?!”
“Aye!” her crew save Squabble replied who cawed with his sword raised high above his head.
“Then follow me!” Grabbing a rope, Celaeno slid down to the snagged freighter. Closing her eyes, she was above forget all of her troubles. The Storm King, Poseidon. Both melted away as the air rushed through her feathers. She imagined that flying must feel like that, but she’d never really know. The deck of the freighter came far too quickly for her liking and she ducked into a roll to avoid breaking both her legs on impact.
Springing to her feet, she brandish her blade in a flurry of movement. “You’ve found yourself prey of Captain Celaeno’s Sky Hunter! Best give us what we want, unless you’d rather we send you to the depths!”
“What do you want?!” One of the crew shouted, throwing his arms up. Celaeno could tell he wasn’t the captain. The panic in his eyes was obviously that of someone that had never been raided before. No captain sailing the seas of the Dragonlands could avoid pirates forever, not even the very best.
As Boyle and Mullet joined her on the deck, Celaeno took a confident step forward. “I know a drake just arrived on your ship. I want him, now.”
The door leading below deck burst open, revealing Wyatt in his armor. Taking stock of the situation, he said, “Seriously, more pirates? Can’t we have one trip back from the Dragonlands that doesn’t include a pirate boarding?”
Narrowing her eyes at the new arrival, Celaeno lifted her sword. “Listen here, we have orders from Poseidon himself; we’re not leaving without that drake!”
Pulling his card case off his side, Wyatt unfolded it into his blaster and leveled it at the parrot woman’s sword. “See, there’s a problem with that thought. In order to get that drake, you’ve gotta go through me. And I gotta tell ya, that won’t happen with those little swords of yours.”
“Whose sword you calling little!?” Mullet shoved past Celaeno, his eyes flashing red. “I’ll make you regret that, you pink aisle reject!”
Yawning, Wyatt fired a few shots and knocked the sword out of the bird’s hand. “I called all your swords little. Now, climb your sorry asses back up those ropes of yours and run along before I roast you chickens.”
Mullet froze in, staring at his empty hand. Rage filled him, the desire to show how magnificent his sword was overtaking his thoughts. A strangled cry passed over his beak; intense pain bringing him to his knees. Cell medals exploded out of his back, taking the form of a humanoid Sawtooth Shark.
“Great, a Yummy,” Wyatt muttered. “Hey OOO!” he called out, looking down the stairs. “You wanna make an entrance?! Things have gotten more complicated than some pirate scrubs!” His inattention was rewarded with a slash to the chest.
Wyatt stumbled back, barely managing to keep his footing as he barely dodged a follow up from the Yummy. Switching his blaster into its sword form, he slashed at the Yummy’s head. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to deal with any of you losers.”
The monster cried out in pain, retaliating with a wild swing of its head, which Wyatt ducked under. “My sword is the greatest! All others are but pale imitations!”
“Wow, sounds like someone has some serious overcompensation issues,” Wyatt muttered. In a series of quick movements, he roundhouse kicked the beast in the chest, folded his sword back to its gun mode and hit it with a hail of shots.
Spike charged onto deck, his armor consisting of deer, unagi and wani. “What’s going on!?” He jumped back, the yummy firing a barrage of teeth at him.
“At least one of them had a Cell Medal implanted in them,” Wyatt explained, firing at the monster’s head. “They’re working for that Pirate King like the last group were.”
The monster stumbled back into Boyle, knocking the larger bird over and turning most of his crackers to crumbs. Boyle’s pupils contracted into pinpricks and he let out an indignant squawk. Cell Medals exploded out of his chest, knocking the Yummy off of him.
A second Yummy formed, taking the shape of a portal killer whale, brandishing an anchor. “Need more! Give me all your crackers!!!”
“Okay, that’s super freaky,” Spike icommented, igniting his whips with a quick crack. “I’ll take the anchor holding one, you can take sharky, Decade.” Striking at the orca, his whips wrapped around the anchor. The beast howled, electricity surging along with rusted metal.
Wyatt wasted no time resuming his attack on the sawtooth, holstering his card case and punching the beast in the chest. “Come on, tooth-nose show me what you got!”
The Yummy roared in response and swung its saw blade down towards Wyatt’s head. He brought his arm up, cringing as the teeth dug into his armor. “I’ll cut you to pieces, another notch on my sword!”
With his free arm, Wyatt grabbed his gun and aimed it up at the saw. “You want a notch? Here, let me help you make it,” he taunted, unloading a series of shots at the appendage. “You could use a nose reduction anyway!”
The sawtooth cried out in agony, grasping his nose as smoke rose up from his namesake weapon. “You’ll pay for that!” Charging, the shark swung its head back and forth, each swing sending a spray of teeth at Wyatt. Unfolding his booker back to its blade form, Wyatt deflected all of the teeth and sent them harmlessly into the sea or floor. The beast brought its head up to catch Wyatt in the side of the chest, clashing in a shower of sparks with the Rider’s blade. Letting the Yummy move forward, Wyatt punched it in the side of the head.
Tearing her eyes away from the fight, Celaeno moved over to Mullet, checking him over for any wounds. Seeing that he wasn’t physically harmed brought some relief to her mind; but the sheer idea that Poseidon would do something like this to her crew lit a fire in Celaeno’s belly. Her thoughts drifted to the medals in her pocket; of what kind of power they could give her.
“Maybe enough to dethrone the pirate king...” she mused, her eyes focusing on Mullet. “Get up you lout. Get Boyle up; then return to the ship, got it?”
“Ugh,” Mullet groaned, sitting up and rubbing the side of his head. “Aye, Captain.” Slowly, he managed to get to his feet and helped Boyle up to his own. It took a while, but the two birds began climbing the rope back to the airship.
Turning back to the battle, Celaeno took a breath. “I’ve got two monsters on my side, do you really want to see what else I have up my sleeves? Just give me the drake and you don’t have to find out what else I might be wielding\.”
“Ooh, is it three multicolored coins?” Wyatt called out, sweeping the legs out from under the sawtooth. “Because that’s exactly what the last pirate captain had too.”
“Guy never had a chance either,” Spike added, countering a swing of the orca’s anchor with a kick. “Personally, I’m hoping you got a grey medal or two. I don’t have any of those!”
Celaeno clicked her beak, irritation mounting at her threat being blown off. “Fine, then we can do this the hard way!” she barked, fishing the medals out of her pocket. Her hand shaking with rage, she stared down the two riders. “I’ll drag that cur’s hide to Poseidon, then I’ll make sure no one ever takes our freedom from us ever again!”
Her eyes flashed red, her desire for freedom dominating her thoughts. Her body pulsed several times before corrupted armor started to overtake her body. Her head was the first to change, grey skin covered her feathers and two horns sprouted from her forehead, the one in front larger than the other. Orange turtle shells grew on her forearms, the armor looking tough at a glance. The last thing to change were her legs; both appendages split into four, giving her the lower half of an octopus.
“Good news, Spike,” Wyatt said, pulling a card from his belt. “She’s got one of the grey medals. I’ll take care of the two Yummies, you focus on the Hentai Monster.” Slotting the card in, he took on his Cassie form. “Just don’t let her get those tentacles on ya.”
“What’s a Hentai Monster?” Spike asked, lashing out with a whip to avoid having a tentacle wrap around his throat. “This one of those Earth things?” Rolling to the side, he sent a rain of antler tips at Celaeno.
“Don’t worry about it,” Wyatt dismissed, not wanting to face the wrath of a newly draconified Twilight and Shining Armor after explaining hentai to their little brother. He had the feeling that Shining wouldn’t hesitate to try out his new fire breath on him.
Taking to the sky, Wyatt called down bolts of lightning on the two Yummies. Dodging out of the way as the Shark replied with a stream of teeth. “You should really see a dentist man, you got a tooth problem.” Watching the teeth fill back in, Wyatt cringed. “Maybe I could help pry them out of your mouth.” Swooping down, he sliced at the shark’s neck with his sword.
The sharktooth rolled out of the way, firing more teeth at Wyatt’s back. Grunting, Wyatt got up close and personal with the boat’s deck before managing to pull himself back towards the sky. The orcas anchor impacted his chest, sending him careening into the ocean.
Electricity arced out into the water, dispersing harmlessly after a few feet. What wasn’t harmless was Wyatt’s sinking. Pulling out two cards, Wyatt slotted one into his belt and donned his Link armor. Before he could think on how long the air trapped in his armor could last, he slotted the second card into his belt.
“Form Ride: Zora!” The muffled voice of his driver called out. The green of his armor was replaced by a light blue, with splashes of yellow along the sides. The helmet had a rebreather on the front, allowing Wyatt to take a breath of fresh air without fear. On the gauntlets were two large, yellow fins that curved out to the side. The legs also ended in flippers; though these were designed to cut through the water and drastically increase his swimming speed.
“Thank god for Link.” Gazing up at the ship, a frown formed under Wyatt’s helmet. “Now, how the hell do I get back on the ship...?” Gazing down at his flippers, Wyatt took a deep breath. “Let’s see if I can channel Free Willy.” Kicking his feet, Wyatt swam down into the inky depths before shooting back up towards the ship. A cone of bubbles took shape around him as he accelerated further and further. “Woo hoo!” Wyatt couldn’t hold back his childish thrill, bursting out of the ocean with an explosion of water. He just managed to crest over the rail, landing on his feet.
The two Yummies had joined Celaeno for an assault on Spike, leaving themselves open from behind. Swinging his arms, Wyatt sent the two yellow fins flying at the back of the Yummie’s heads.
“Hey, water boys! I’m right here! Why don’t I show you just how hard the water temple was, huh?”
The two monsters turned around just as the rotating fins returned to Wyatt and attached themselves to his wrists. The beasts rushed the Rider, the orca hurling his anchor at Wyatt’s chest.
“I feel like I’m reenacting God of War in a novelty costume...” Dropping to his knees, he slid under the achor, hurling his fins again. “Now I just need to scream at the gods and murder everyone that comes near me.”
The fins impacted the monster in the chest, sending a series of of Cell Medals onto the deck. Wyatt rushed toward the Yummy, drop kicking the creature and wrenching his weapons free from its chest.
The Yummy staggered back, cell medals leaking from its wounds. “N-no! I can’t stop! I need more! More crackers! More! More! More! You’ll never keep them from me!”
“So you like crackers?” Reattaching the blades to his wrists, Wyatt dashed forward and plunged one fin deep into the leaking wound. “How do you like this cracker, Polly?” Pushing it harder, the fin buried itself into the orca’s blubber.
Crying out one last time, the Yummy exploded into a pile of cell medals, some flying out into the waters below. Wyatt let out a tired sigh, the medals bouncing off his armor. “That’s one monster down, only two more to go. How you doing, OOO?”
Spike dodged a headbutt from the corrupted captain, lashing with his whip only to be blocked by the shells on her arms. “She’s putting up a real fight! Makes me want to try out these medals!” Distracted by Wyatt’s question, he wasn’t quick enough to avoid the grasping tentacles. Swept off his feet, he could offer no response as Celaeno slashed him with her horn. Kicking forward, Spike activated the alligator jaws and clamped down on three of the captain’s tentacles.
“No one will ever tell us what to do again!” Celaeno raved, brushing off the loss of her tentacles. “We’ll fly free and true, unburdened by the yoke of slavery!” Bringing her shields up, she resisted another lashing from Spike’s whips.
Grunting, Spike pulled at the captain’s tentacles, trying to force her to the floor. “And turning into a monster is gonna help you!?”
“I need power; power to keep the chains of Poseidon and the Storm King off my ship!”
“Attacking this ship just earned you a set of handcuffs from the Royal Guard!” With a surge of strength, Spike sent Celeano toppling to the deck. He released his alligator jaws from her legs and hopped to his feet. “What good is your power then?!”
“You won’t put more chains on me!” the captain boomed, attempting to pull herself up only for Spike to thrust his foot at the back of her head and lodge her horn into the floor. “No one will clip my wings! We’ll soar the skies; making our fortune!”
“Not at the expense of my freedom you won’t,” Spike retorted, wrapping his whips around her chest and sending electricity through them.
Celaeno growled, freeing her head from the deck. “You! You’re the one he wants!” With a flurry of movement, her tentacles ensnared him. “I’ll take Poseidon what is his, and strangle the life from his body!”
“There is nothing of mine that belongs to this Poseidon guy,” Spike retorted, struggling against the tentacles.
Squeezing tighter, Celaeno lifted Spike to eye level. “You! You belong to Poseidon! The reason he turned my crew and I into monsters! You’ll bring our freedom; whether you want to or not.”
Smirking beneath his helmet, Spike looked into the captain’s eyes. “Sorry, never really wanted to be owned by pirates.” Using the Deer Medal, he stabbed the antlers deep into her chest. “I will take those medals from you, no one deserves to be a monster.”
Celeano grabbed as many of the branches as she could, trying to pull them out of her with little success. “You think I’ll give this up? Not until I make sure we’ll never be weighed down again! The life of a slave is no life for a pirate!”
“And I won’t let you do that at my expense!” Spike growled, wrapping his whips around her arms. “I don’t know what Poseidon told you, but I’ve never even met the guy. I don’t belong to him.” Sending Electricity through the whips, the grip around his arms loosened enough to allow him to free one and punch the captain in the face.
Celaeno recoiled, returning the favor with a bash of her shield. “Your freedom for mine; a fair trade if there ever was one!”
Spike’s head rolled back, the antlers embedded in Celeano retracted slightly. “You and I have very different definitions of fair.” The two started to exchange blows, neither one giving an inch. “This the best you can do, pirate?”
“Not on your life, lizard,” Celeano shot back, rearing back and headbutting Spike in the chest. “I’ll make a hat out of your hide, nice wide brim!”
“Speaking of lizards that make nice apparel,” Spike commented, wiggling his leg and letting the alligator jaws chomp down on his bindings. “Give up! You’ve already lost!”
“N-No!” Celeano shouted, though Spike could feel her grip weakening. “I need my freedom!”
Freeing himself with another kick, Spike scrambled to his feet. “I’m done playing pretend with you, Polly.” Grabbing the scanner, he activated his finisher. “Now just relax so I can get you out of that costume.”
Three rings, matching the colors of Spike’s medals formed a line in the air. Grunting, he hoisted Celeano up into the air with his whips in front of the orange ring. Jumping, Spike passed through the first two rings and poised his right leg to kick her in the chest. As soon as he passed through the orange ring, an energy projection of an alligator formed around his leg and bit down on the captain.
Celaeno screamed as the projected jaws bit into her armor, crunching it like candy. In a flash of white light, her corrupted armor faded, leaving her trio of medals resting on her chest and stomach.
Spike turned his head to the side, gently easing Celaeno to the deck. “Oh, that whole naked thing is just the worst.” Being careful not to touch anything inappropriate, he slowly picked up the medals one at a time.
“Those belong to me boy, just the same as you do.”
Turning his head slowly, Spike was greeted with the sight of what appeared to be another rider; wearing armor not much different than his own. The biggest difference was the arrangement of the symbols on his chest. Instead of tiers like his, the rider he presumed to be Poseidon had them in an almost spiral pattern. The belt was different as well, looking identical to a saw blade.
Glaring beneath his helmet, Spike clutched his new medals. “I don’t care if you call yourself a king; these medals belong to my family,” he stated, making his voice as commanding as he possibly could. “And I’m no one’s property.”
Hefting a spear into the air, the rider hurled it into the shark Yummy’s back. “All of them belong to me.” Holding his hands to the sky, all the loose Cell Medals shot towards him; absorbing into his body on contact. “Each and every one, welp.” The yummy howled in pain, its cell medals streaming out of its back.
“Guess you’re not a very good listener,” Spike growled, a primal anger forming in the edges of his thoughts. “It’s my duty to protect these medals. And I’m not about to let some pirate with an ego trip keep me from it. Even with that fancy trick you just pulled.”
The rider turned back to Spike, having finished devouring the Yummy. “You are my greatest treasure, the thing I have been searching for for centuries.” Dismissing and reconjuring his spear, he stepped closer. “Come, boy. Let us be off.”
The centuries comment caught Spike off guard, his anger dissipating slightly, though he kept his whips at the ready. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”
With a blur of motion, the riders harpoon cleaved through Spike’s chestplate, knocking him out of his transformation. “I am Poseidon, king of the seas. All that I desire will be mine, including you.”
Spike gaped, unable to form a sentence from the shock of the display of power. Before Poseidon could step closer, Wyatt kicked the back of the king’s head in his Kuuga form. “Begone.” With a slap, Poseidon sent Wyatt back into the ocean. Returning his attention to Spike, he took in the drake’s true appearance for the first time.
A soft voice spoke in his mind, bringing forth a wave of pain. “I know who I am!” Dropping his spear, Poseidon brought his hand to his helmet. “I am Poseidon!” The sea awoke in a violent flurry, tossing the freighter this way and that. “No one else!”
Spike’s eyes widened in a panic, his thoughts instantly drifting to the dragon eggs in Twilight’s possession. “Stop!” Spike yelled, putting his hands on Poseidon’s shoulders. “Okay, I’ll go with you! Just stop tof the ossing the ship around!”
“I am Poseidon!!!!” Screaming to the heavens, Poseidon exploded in a column of water, throwing Spike back and putting a hole in the ship. His body seemed to dissolve into the liquid, leaving the ship to its fate.
Panic started to overtake Spike, the freighter quickly taking on water. Looking up, he couldn’t help but see that the airship was still attached to the captured vessel. Grabbing his newly acquired green medals out of his case, he slotted them into his belt.
Splitting into a dozen copies, Spike sent them down to get the others. “Come on.” Bending down, he threw Celaeno over his shoulder before leaping up as high as possible. Grabbing onto one of the ropes, he climbed up onto the deck of the airship. “Someone get a blanket, your captain isn’t exactly decent at the moment.
Boyle narrowed his eyes, drawing his sword. “What did you do to the captain?” Pointing at her with his hook, he growled. “If you hurt her, I’ll turn that fancy armor of yours into tin!”
“It was the Core medals’ corruption that destroyed her clothes,” Spike answered, not rising to the threat. “I just removed them from her. Now get her some damn clothes and clear the deck, we’re going to have company”
Before the crew could protest further, the other copies came up to the deck, each carrying a family member. The copies hopped back down, a couple minutes passing before they returned with the crew of the sinking freighter. While the copies had been gone, Boyle had found some clothes he could easily cover his captain with.
“Where’s Wyatt?” Twilight asked, one of the copies putting the chest of eggs down next to her before hopping down the rope to save the freighter’s crew. “He’s okay, right?”
“He got knocked into the water last I saw,” Spike answered, checking on a frazzled looking Diamond and Sombra. “But he’s got a form that lets him breathe underwater. He’s either searching the water for drowning crew, or slowly climbing up the ropes if I had to guess.”
“The tartarus happened?!”Shining demanded, sitting Cadance down against a box. “Sky pirates?! Seriously?!”
“The sky pirates aren’t the ones who sank the boat,” Spike said plainly, turning to face his brother. “Another rider named Poseidon came and shot a pillar of water into it.” Pointing to the pirates, he added. “They were working for him though.”
“We didn’t have much of a choice,” Boyle said, leaning Celeano against a barrel. “You saw what that bastard can do. He tears through the hulls of ships like we can through paper. He is not someone who’s bad side we wanted to be on.”
“It was either do what he wanted, or how our wings clipped permanently,” Mullet added, watching as the clones deposited more of the crew onto the deck. “We don’t have enough room for all these ponies.”
“Should’ve thought of that before attempting to raid a vessel,” Shining said, fishing out his Royal Guard badge. “I’m commandeering this ship in the name of the Equestrian crown. Cooperate, and I might just be willing to not throw you and your pirate friends in the deepest, darkest dungeon that I can find.”
“What would you want us to do!?” Mullet got into Shining’s face, knocking his badge out of his hand. “Kneel down and die like beaten dogs?”
Shining didn’t flinch, meeting Mullet’s harsh glare with one of his own. “You wouldn’t be in this mess if you all hadn’t decided to become pirates in the first place. But,” he started, his expression softening, “the fact that you all were being threatened by this Poseidon is why I’m willing to not charge you.”
“We can deal with this later,” Cadance hauled herself to her hooves, shaking some water from her wings. “We have more important things to worry about, like making sure nopony drowns.”
A wet slap caught everyone’s attention, a blue gauntlet grabbing the airship’s railing. Wyatt’s Zora helmet popped over next, falling into a heap on the deck while he fought to catch his breath. “Good… news. No one got caught beneath the water when the ship got a hole punched in it.” Taking a moment, he steadied his breathing. “I checked as deep into the water as I thought someone might sink, there wasn’t anyone drifting in the sea. Also, I deeply regret forging a doctor’s note on the day they made us climb the ropes in gym class.”
Ignoring his attempt at a joke, Twilight knelt down and wrapped her arms him in a tight hug. Sombra quickly joined her, holding back sniffles.
Trixie wandered into a sleepy hollow of a village, following a lead she had been chasing. She had been humiliated one too many times for her liking. She needed something to boost her magic. And luckily, if her luck bore out then this town had just that. She adjusted her cloak, avoiding contact with the townsponies as much as she could.
Spotting her destination, Trixie made her way over. The door was heavy oak, sporting a rather large window panel. Peering inside, she observed the shopkeeper closing up for the night. Pulling the door open, she got the stallion’s attention.
“Pardon my intrusion,” Trixie began, forcing herself to be polite. “But I have need of something that I believe is at your shop.”
“Ah, a last minute customer, please come in.” Giving her an easy smile, the shopkeeper gestured for her to come forward. “Now, tell me what you’re looking for, young lady.”
Stepping up to the counter, Trixie adjusted the hood around her face. “The Alicorn Amulet,” she stated plainly. “Give it to me.”
The stallion adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his muzzle, his eyes darting to and fro. “I-I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s no such thing as that item. I think you’ve been misled by somepony looking to pull a mean spirited prank.”
Narrowing her eyes, Trixie unclicked her side arm from her belt. “I don’t think I made myself clear.” Raising the weapon, she fired at a pot beside the shopkeeper’s head. “I want that amulet, and you’ll give it to me.”
Gulping, the stallion reached under his counter and fished out a small chest. Opening it, he revealed a black amulet resting on a cushion. “I-I suppose I can’t expect a payment for this, can I?” he inquired with a weak smile.
Lifting the amulet up, Trixie examined it for a few moments. Satisfied she had the real article, she clipped the sidearm back onto her belt. “The Lulamoons are more than happy to reward those who help with our endeavors.” Throwing her arm out, she tossed a bag of coins onto the counter.
“If I might ask, what do you plan on doing with that amulet?” The shopkeeper inquired, hefting the bag of coins and opening his safe. “That item is dangerous in the wrong hands. Very-” he was cut off by Trixie exiting the shop and closing the door behind her. “-corruptive.”
Stepping out into the streets, Trixie took a moment to take in the amulets power, just holding it filled her with awe. “I promise you, Twilight Sparkle, the next time we meet won’t be so pleasant.” Holding up her Knuckle, she glanced between the items. “I’ll make sure it’s the most memorable experience of your life.”
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trixie is wizard?
Oh crap... I know what's coming next. Also, Wyatt in this chapter...
Wise choice man, don't explain Hentai to Spike. ...At least not yet.
I was trying very hard to resist saying this... But, oh what the hell, I'll say it anyways as Captain Celeano and Wyatt missed a perfectly good pop-culture gag here. "Yummies, on my ship? I'll see them all hang!"
9004706
Wrong Unicorn mate.
Oh no... Dammit, Trixie, you’re gonna fuck it all up!
Goddamn it, Ixa too damn headstrong. Just like the original.
Obligatory.
Can't wait
You used Link's medal! ^^
Good that a good portion of the ponies aren't dragons... oh wait!
If he would have just told you beforehand
Realy? Crackers?
Ok, what was wrong with him being greedy and changing his opinion just because of money?
Please don't.