• Published 24th Apr 2017
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Ultimate Equestria - Leo Pachino



What happens when Twilight Sparkle and her friends are pushed to their limits? How does their friendship and strength hold against a series of evil none like ever before?

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Chapter 033: Alicorn Island

“The ‘Remove-the-Grapple’ thing… Where is it?” Rainbow Dash murmured to herself as she stared at the wheel.

Overwhelmed by the number of controls before her, Dash quickly realized that she has no idea what she was doing.

“Uh… Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!”

Without hesitation, Dash randomly grabbed onto a lever near the back and pulled it down. The Perfection instantly came to a sudden halt, sending its new pilot headfirst into the wheel. Lightning Rod was flung up into the air by its momentum and the grappling cable. The grapple snapped from the violent take off, leaving Lightning Rod to fly over Alicorn Island to the other side.

The Perfection violently buckled from the stop, sending everypony and everything every which way. The crew were all on the floor by the end, holding back or releasing their innards onto the recently polished deck.

“That’s it!” Korsan road from below.

He burst out onto the bent deck alongside Rarity and an unnerved ice phoenix.

“What’s the meaning of this?!” He asked.

Furiously, he climbed up to the wheel, discovering Rainbow’s and Yu’s unconscious bodies. The sight surprised him.

“What the hay,” He uttered.

“No mommy,” Dash muttered in her dream-like state. “I wanna ride the pretty cloud…”

“Captain!” One of the lookouts above hollered. “We reached-”

“Hold it! Before you finish that, tell me what happened down here?! The entire deck looks like the slums!” Korsan yelled.

“Well, it’s a bit complicated beyond what you’re seeing.” The lookout explained. “But at least Twilight’s ship’s gone and-”

“Define ‘gone’.”

“It was, it was flung over the island, sir. We have reached Alicorn Island, Captain.”

“Wait, what?”

“We did it. We reached Alicorn Island.”

Slowly, Korsan turned and looked behind him to the bow of his boat. He was immediately overcome with joy at what he saw. Just a few kilometres short of his ship was the island of his dream, Alicorn Island. He frantically dashed down the main deck to get a better look of the island he’s been searching for throughout his entire career. With a solid pale shoreline of fine sand, exotic brush, massive ancient ruins made of carved mountains of granite, and a towering volcano in the center of the perfectly circular isle, Alicorn Island peacefully stood strong and colossal on the still seas that surrounded it, right in front of Korsan.

“Yes. I did it. I finally did it. I have reached Alicorn Island! Yeah!”


A grey haze formed in Rainbow Dash’s vision as the mare came to her senses. After spending an unknown amount of time knocked out into darkness, this was an immediate relief. However, that relief was cut short by a sharp pain running through her forehead and a tight sensation around her barrel and legs. The only sound she could make out as her senses returned were small moans with her dry and tense throat. As she continued to float in the hazy black, several voices begun to echo around her.

She’s coming to.” One of them said.

What should we do about it?” Another voice asked.

A stallion’s voice answered faintly, “Let her come to. Just keep her secure.

Dash’s eyelids slowly opened. She saw what appeared to be ancient ruins. Though, it was hard to tell, as she was swinging upside down. She tried to make sense of her surroundings, but had no memory or senses to depend on.

“Wait, w-what? Where am I?” She stammered, hoping somepony was nearby.

Vous détendre. Don’t work yourself up. You’re on Alicorn Island.” The stallion’s voice, now turning familiar, said to her.

Looking to her left towards the voice, her sight was immediately met by two pirates. Between them stood Korsan and Rarity, examining a tall stone pillar, covered in engravings.

“Korsan! Rarity?! What’s going on?!”

As Dash attempted to move herself towards the pair, she found that her legs had been tied to a hovering log. Thick rope bounded her torso and wings as well, very tightly to add.

“Shush, I’m reading.” Korsan blankly replied to Dash.

“You better let me go, or else I-”

“Or else what?” Korsan asked his threatening prisoner.

“…”

“…”

“…Something really bad will happen.” Dash finally said.

“Sure it will, to you at least.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity replied, turning to Dash. “Please, just stay calm,”

“Stay calm? What are you doing with him?” Rainbow Dash interrogated Rarity.

“We’re searching for something,” Rarity answered.

“Searching for the thing that’s going to cause a lot of innocent ponies to die? Is that it?”

“Well…”

“Please,” Korsan interrupted, growing irritated of Dash’s voice. “Rarity, if you’re going to continue to talk to our captive, at least keep it close and quiet. I’m about to crack this code.”

“Oh, sorry.” Rarity meekly replied.

Quietly, she darted across the cracked stone floor to her friend.

She whispered to her, “I’m trying to convince him to avoid the whole genocide plot and just continue being a simple pirate at the most. He’s been working hard towards this and I’d hate to see his dreams crushed.”

“His dreams are to crush us,” Dash retorted. “Cut me down from here. You’re probably not going to make any progress persuading this guy.”

“I have made a little progress. At least you’re not starving in the brig or shot. Just stick tight, I’ll get you down when the time is right.”

Réjouir!” Korsan cheered aloud. “Follow me!”

Closing a large book in his claws, he placed the book down against the foot of the stone tower. Korsan fluffed his cape to the side and walked past the tall pillar into a large area of shrubbery. The rest of the crew members, a fair seventy of them from what Dash saw, follow after their leader and into the verdant thick. Being carried across the vast area with the pirates, Dash looked at her surroundings alongside Rarity. They saw massive dilapidated stone structures at their sides.

It looked to be some sort of a village that had been abandoned ages ago. Mushrooms, vines, and other plant life grew from their enormous cracks and engraved grooves of the buildings. Whatever artifacts and tools remained were simple things, like shovels, hoes, and ceramic pottery. There weren’t many weapons lying around, only a few swords and shields.

The wood and stone buildings towered over the traveling crew, staring them down.

“Where did these buildings come from?” Rarity asked Korsan.

“I don’t know. An ancient civilization, it seems.” Korsan said.

“The ancient ponies of Trihearth?” Rarity proposed.

“No, no, it’s much older than that. Especially with the abnormal conditions of the Second Pulse, this place may be thousands of years old. Overpopulation and hyper-isolation may be the root causes of why this place has been deserted for so long.”

The crew then passed by what would’ve been the town hall or a sacred chapel. Despite its large size, plants had managed to completely overrun the structure. A river ran through the foundation of the building, creating a large pond formed in the center of the floor.

“Look at this. Pity,” Korsan said, feeling almost sorry for the once great building. “This could only be possible with a significant amount of erosion and water damage. Perhaps flooding was also a cause of the island’s abandonment, now that I think about it,”

The massive party traversed the low jungle beyond the village, eventually stoping at a cliff edge. From there, everypony stared in awe of what’s below. There, at the bottom of the cliff, was massive valley of ruins. What they saw before were only the outskirts of an entire kingdom at the bottom of the valley. Towers and castles were dotted across the new land reaching as high as the crew were on the cliff, piercing the high mist. On the opposite side of the valley was a tall volcano, with a massive rock temple built from the side of the volcano.

“Incredible,” The crew members gasped to themselves.

“How many ponies lived here?” Rarity asked.

“I-I don’t know.” Korsan replied. “Hundreds of thousands, at least, maybe millions, it’s amazing!”

As the crew looked over the kingdom, a grim realization slowly came to thought.

“So many lives, practically forgotten, vanished without a second thought...” Rarity said.

“It’s a scary thought to say the least.” Korsan replied.

“Alright, sea artists!” Korsan then announced to the crew. “Our best bet to finding what we’re looking for is probably in that volcano temple on the far side of the valley. The volcano looks like it’s extinct, so that shouldn’t be a problem to worry about.”

“Captain!” A stallion’s voice called out from far behind the group.

“Grevious?” Korsan asked, immediately recognizing the voice.

Soon, a grey stallion in a fancy brown coat appeared from the thick bushes behind the large group.

“What’s going on?” Korsan asked.

“We found these stowaways hiding in the brig.” The stallion, Grevious, replied.

Using his magic, the pirate summoned Applejack and Applebloom from behind the jungle growth, trapped in his iron magic grip.

“If I were to recall sir, as well as what Sweetie Belle claimed, these mares are part of the ‘peace’ compact you made with Princess Twilight.” He said.

“It appears so.”

“Applejack, Applebloom,” Rarity and Rainbow Dash worryingly called out to them. “What are you two doing here?”

“I have the exact same question, plus a few more. How did yous sneak on board?” Korsan asked.

“Hear us out, please,” Applejack frantically answered. “We just snuck into the cargo bay and stayed there ‘till we could find the right time to talk to you or somethin’.”

“Talk to me about what?” Korsan asked.

“Joinin’ you.”

“Wait, what?! You have to be joking.”

“I’m not joking. I mean it! I want to protect my family and make sure nothing happens to them. And the only way I can see myself doing such is by joining you and also gainin’ some magic powers.”

Korsan remained silent for a moment. Applejack had the same resolve as he did, to rise above her non-magical roots and become a unicorn. With such love for her family and an understanding in Korsan’s ideaology, Korsan found himself unable to say “no” to Applejack.

“…I see.” He plainly said.

“Please, I mean no harm to y’all.” Applejack pleaded.

“AJ,” Dash yelled out, trying to force herself to laugh and ease the tension. “You don’t really mean it right?”

“I so mean it! Unicorns and alicorns clearly got some upper hoof.”

Both Rainbow Dash and Rarity gasped upon hearing their friend’s confession. Even Applebloom appeared shocked by this.

“Indeed,” Korsan replied, clapping his claws in pride. “I understand where you’re coming from. However, I must warn you, sometimes family isn’t always as, loyal, as you intend for them to be, especially after a turn like this.”

“Please, let me join you. I’ll help if needed.” Applejack said.

“…” Korsan thought for a moment, silently.

“Please.”

“…Very well then. Alexander Grevious, release them.”

With the flick of a horn, Applejack and Applebloom were freed and dropped onto the ground.

Korsan continued, “Before we press onwards, I want to establish two things. One, when we reach our goal, I will be first to undergo transformation into an alicorn. Get it?”

“Yes.”

“Second, if you show one speck of a scheme against me, I’ll dice you into a million pieces and hold your sister for ransom. Get the picture?”

“…Understood, Captain.”

“Very well then, onwards my crew, to the heart of Alicorn Island,”


Meanwhile, on the other side of Alicorn Island, Lightning Rod was flipped over on the sandy shoreline. The ship was heavily destroyed after a brutal landing in the previous chase, practically unusable for water travel. A grassy plain was just beyond the beach. It was decorated with plant-overrun ruins. Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Spike, and Scootaloo, were gathered around a small fire in the middle of these ruins. The fireplace providing them with heat and light amongst the eternal darkness of the mysterious area.

“So, it’s only us five remaining?” Pinkie asked.

“Against a hundred pirates and Korsan,” Spike noted. “How are we going to stop them now?”

“Spike?” Fluttershy troublingly asked.

“Not that I’m saying that we have no chance, just curious if there is a plan. Twilight?” Spike asked.

“I have no idea.” Twilight answered in a defeated tone.

“Come on, you always find a way.” Pinkie cheered.

“We have no boat, we have no weapons or defenses, we have no magic, half of our team is gone, and Korsan’s about to become the most powerful pony in existence.” Twilight replied.

“…Yeah, we got this.” Pinkie said.

“Is that it, we’re just giving up?” Spike asked.

“…” Twilight remained quiet for a moment.

“Twilight?”

“…No. We still have Applejack and Applebloom hiding on The Perfection. They can hijack the ship and we could probably fly out of here, leaving Korsan and the others trapped here.” Twilight said.

“What about Rarity and Sweetie Belle? And are you sure that Korsan won’t escape?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know about those two, I’m still sorting them out. As for Korsan, at least it’ll hopefully keep him here long enough for us to warn Celestia.” Twilight replied.

“Are you sure AJ will find us?” Fluttershy asked. “If , dare I say, she even wants to?”

“What does that mean?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You and her have been arguing a lot recently, and, don’t think too harshly, but what if she, you know,”

“That’s not possible. Applejack would never betray us. She would die if she ever joined Korsan’s side. At least I hope she doesn’t join him.

“What was that-?” Spike asked.

“Nothing! We may need to stall Korsan for a while so Applejack can take over The Perfection.”

“I’m coming with you,” Scootaloo declared.

“No!” Twilight snapped.

“Aww, cmon,” Scootaloo moaned.

“We don’t want you to get hurt. Just stick around Lightning Rod until we get back.”

“…Fine.”

“Good.”

“Take care of yourself,” Spike said.

“Hey, Spike, you need to go to. Somepony needs to supervise her.” Twilight said.

“What?! Why me?” Spike exclaimed.

“Would you rather fight Korsan?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy spoke out, “I don’t want to fight Korsan.”

“You’re coming to help out with injuries and act innocent so they’ll try to avoid you, Fluttershy.” Twilight said.

“Now that I think about it,” Spike then anxiously replied. “Scootaloo will need a guardian against crabs or something like that.”

“Good. Pinkie, Fluttershy, onward,” Twilight commanded.

Promptly, the three mares entered the verdant forest and ancient ruins, leaving behind Spike and Scootaloo by the beach.

An hour of silence followed between the two at the fire until Scootaloo finally spoke.

“Spike, let’s follow them. We can help them out. Rainbow Dash might need me to save her and help her beat up Korsan.” Scootaloo said.

“Nope,” Spike retorted. “Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Twilight said for you to stay.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Come on, please?”

“No.”

“Please?!”

Finally, Scootaloo resorted to her cheap tactics. The orange filly walked up to Spike and stared into his eyes. Her purple eyes slowly grew, her mouth slowly forms into a whimper, and the blacks of her pupils eventually consumed the baby dragon’s sight. A growing guilt started to consume Spike’s inside.

“Oh, no,” Spike groaned.

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