Twilight's Pirate Adventures

by David Silver

10 - Always a Bigger

Twilight lowered her head and hastened her wings, powering over the water towards the underground beach she could see. The waters churned violently as the great behemoth of a fish lifted free of the dark surface. With a piercing screech, it opened its mouth wide, revealing more rows of teeth than seemed strictly required.

Boyle drew his sword and swung it in a powerful two-handed arc, his voice raised in a reply as if to match the beast's shriek. His sword cleaved through a tooth and chipped a second, but it was not much of an injury, all things considered.

Spike was also doing his best to match the volume, though he was screaming more than giving a war cry.

Twilight's voice rose to join the chorus as she veered sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding the leaping swallow of the overgrown fish. "Hold on!"

There was nothing to hold onto for Boyle, though Spike was clinging to Twilight firmly. The bird's sword wobbled dangerously along with the rest of him, but his eyes were on the fish's passing as it crashed back into the black depths. "Yar har, that was some mighty fine flying, but can we get t'ground already?"

Spike let out a little nervous laugh. "You've got pirates wishing to be on dry land."

"Ha ha," said Twilight, dry wryness clinging to each noise. "Did it give up?" She glanced over her shoulder just in time for the water beneath her to burst free. The fish was attacking from a new angle. "Nope!" She had to veer away from the precious land to avoid being swallowed whole by it, its foul breath wafting over them from how close it was.

Boyle brought down his blade as it soared past him. He barely cut through its tough scales, but he grunted with pride at the sign of his work. A faint line spread through the water after the fish crashed back into it. It was bleeding. He doubted it would be the end of the creature, but at least he had struck it hard enough to feel.

Twilight twisted around, aligning herself with the shore. "We're almost there, if it doesn't--" She didn't get to finish her words, the fish suddenly emerging from ahead of her, jumping at her with it many teeth. "How do you move so fast!?" she shouted at the beast angrily. Its teeth closed as Twilight yanked Boyle close and all three vanished, teleporting away just a short distance, but it was enough to avoid its snapping jaws.

Boyle pulled himself up onto Twilight, just ahead of Spike. "Can we make it?"

"I'll try, just hold on!"

Spike shuffled back to make room, but there wasn't a lot of space to do that with. Twilight was ill-built to support a bird of Boyle's impressive physique. "Um, well you'd better do it fast."

Twilight cringed away from where the water went white, but no fish surged free. She blinked, confused. "Is it... feinting?"

Boyle slid his blade away with a sudden laugh. "Our problem's solved, Princess."

"It... is?" She descended gently to the beach and half-collapsed. "Off, please."

Spike hopped free, Boyle stepping off a moment later. Spike's eyes were on the water. "Woah..." The fish that had chased them was being swallowed up by an even larger fish, gone in one more bite that put its to shame. "Huh, well, that works... I wonder if the bigger one's gonna be a problem?"

Twilight climbed back to her hooves, shaking herself. "We'll have to hope it won't. I have to get Celaeno." She stretched her wings wide, still huffing. "That was quite a trip."

Spike gave an emphatic double thumbs up. "You were great. And you, Boyle. You saved us!"

"He did?" Twilight turned to Boyle. "What did you do?"

Spike hiked a thumb at Boyle's blade. "He cut it, even while he was just floating there."

Boyle crossed his arms. "I think the blood drew the bigger fish. Princess, please get the captain."

"Yes, yes, right..." She lifted into the air gently. "I'll be right back, you two stay here."

Spike waved as she vanished back into the dark, becoming little more than a mote of light rising rapidly. "Huh, that was some fight. You weren't even scared."

"Don't be so hasty." Boyle waved his hook at Spike lightly. "I was scared for me life."

Spike blinked. "What? You didn't even hesitate."

"A brave person is a scared person that acts anyway." He cracked a little smile. "Or a fool, they're easy to confuse. I assure ye, I was plenty scared of that fish."

Spike put a hand behind his head. "Huh, guess... that makes sense. I've, uh, you know, done things when I was scared before."

The larger pat the shoulder of the smaller. "You're brave enough, Spike. Don't try to forget what fear is, it's important; keeps you alive."

The sound of wings had them looking to see Twilight descending with Celaeno held firmly in her magic. "We're back," cheerfully called the princess as she set the captain down on her feet. "From here we can walk to the boat without any issues."

Celaeno took the first step. "Looks like the hole's right where we can reach it. Sooner we go, sooner the island is ours." She swatted Boyle on the way past him. "What has your feathers on edge?"

Spike peered at him as they began their hike. Boyle didn't look any different in his eyes. Had he been startled?

They advanced as a group, the ripped hole of the ship coming into better view. Seated at the edge, where rock met old wood, was a familiar pony. Moll was seated on her haunches, watching them with a leisurely expression. She had no weapon drawn.

Celaeno huffed under her breath as she hastened her step. "Here to make sure there's no competition?!"

"Actually, no." Moll glanced into the darkness of the ship. "Just weighing the odds."

Twilight waved a hoof up and down at Moll. "Why aren't you grabbing the hat?"

"Love to, really, I would lass." She stood up. "This boat's full of more traps and other things than I care to wrestle with, especially alone. Now... if ye wish to go together, I might be seeing the value in that."

Spike hiked a brow. "Dude, uh, you tried to trap us on your ship."

"Poorly," added Celaeno. "Your crew's no good at a proper abduction. Tell us why we shouldn't kick you into the water and let the fish have you?"

"Don't be too hasty." She smiled easily. "I know what's ahead, I just need a few helping hands. I mean, I have two, but a couple extra would be nice."

Spike squinted at Moll. "You don't have hands."

"I do." Mastiff reached out from behind a rock, grabbing Spike's shoulder and getting a squeak of surprise from him. "Worry not, I not be here to fight with ye, if'n you'll listen to the good captain."

Moll nodded. "Too right. We all want what's in there. Treasure, prestige, mostly treasure." She turned for the boat. "As it turns, coins and baubles are easy enough to split among helping hands."

Celaeno raised a finger to point at the top of her head. "There's precisely one hat."

"Keep it." Moll waved the thought away. "If you want to run this island, good luck to ye. Not the life I'm aiming for. Now, see, a few piles of coin? I can make a pretty little way with that, me and my crew." She looked at Celaeno evenly. "I bet you want much the same. Way I see it, we kept the old blighter safe and sound, and Twilight here, darling lass she is, got him to spill the goods. We're in this, together."

Celaeno glanced back at her companions. "Easy to say, Moll, but there's only so much honor between pirates when there's loot to be had, isn't there?"

Moll rolled a hoof in the air. "Let's not be silly about this. We're both reasonable adults. Twilight has been the key to this, her and her little dragon friend. We'll need them both, and I already know they won't go anywhere without you, so let's go, together." She turned away to the ship. "The way I see it, yer hardly a pirate anyway." Celaeno tensed. "Don't take that the wrong way, just mean yer a bit more trustworthy than some random other captain. Besies..."

Moll looked over her shoulder at Twilight specifically. "I imagine a promise from ye is binding."

Twilight huffed as she stepped forward. "If I have a reason to. We're here to help all the people of this island. They very clearly want to have a new lord, and if I can help address that, I will."

Moll snorted softly. "Oh, will ye be their lord? That would be quite a sight. I'd love to see it, pony princess of friendship, also Pirate Lord? We're wasting time, we have a new lord to crown!"She began to trot into the ship, swallowed up in the darkness of it. Mastiff was a few steps behind, hurrying to catch up.

Celaeno turned to Twilight. "Does she sound trustworthy to you?"

Spike frowned softly. "Kinda wish Applejack was here, but, uh... I don't think she's lying?"

Twilight nodded in agreement as she plucked Spike and put him on her back. "I agree. She wouldn't have waited if she thought she could get it on her own, so she won't be a problem until we get the hat."

Boyle shrugged his broad shoulders. "And then?"

Celaeno took a step forward, crystal peg leg tapping on the stone. "Then we deal with it, good or bad."

As one, they pushed into the old ship. The ground inside was slightly slick and listed dangerously to the side. The way ahead was at a sharp angle that they had to fight for balance and purchase to ascend towards. Moll had, somehow, gotten to the top already and threw a rope down across the water-slick wood towards them. "No traps in this room, we already checked."

Twilight cheated, hovering up towards them as the two people that had hands to make the best of the rope took advantage of that. The ship had broken, split in half. At the top of the incline, it evened out, allowing for easier walking. Twilight took a few steps forward and her hoof came down on a nigh-invisible button with a soft 'click' "What?"

She squealed as she dove out of the way of a jet of flame. Spike fell to the ground, slightly blackened and coughing. He wiped his scales clean of the soot. "Uh, found one." He stood up carefully and held up a hand. "If they're all fire traps, I got this!"

Moll watched Spike stomp forward, finding each button and marking the spot. The plumes of fire did not slow or hurt him as he made quick progress. "I knew I'd picked the right helpers for the task. Princess, ye really should wait until we give the go-ahead. There be many more pitfalls, and we don't want your pretty head removed from the rest of ye before its proper time."

Henry raised a hand to his mouth, shouting to Spike, "Don't go past that door!"

"Alri--" his words were cut off by three jets of fire that struck him at once. The force of the flames knocked him aside, but he was soon back on his feet, dazed, but unharmed. "Woah, that's a big one..."

Twilight shook her head. "I don't even want to know what trap you've found that requires my specific skills."

"Oh, that be easy." Moll smiled brightly at Twilight as she began to advance, following the trail Spike had left behind while avoiding the buttons. "It involves a puzzle that only the smartest of ponies could even have a hope of completing."

Celaeno rolled her eyes. "If you think she'll fall--"

"--Puzzle you say?!" Twilight hopped forward, looking suddenly more interested. "Is it a linguistic cipher of some kind? Maybe..."

Boyle chuckled softly. "Tis a lost cause, Captain."

Author's Note:

Two heads are better than one, right? Twilight will be very cross if there is a typo in this riddle.

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Comments

[Booster Spice]

All they have to do now is reverse trick Moll into wearing the hat.

[Anon E Moose]

Twilight, Princess of Pirates. Has a ring to it.

[Emtu]

8816984
Princess of Friendship, Magic, and Pirates.

[Dimensional Librarian]

8816858
As long as Moll is having fun she's quite open to various things.

[tsaukpaetra]

Ah, Moll is still cunning, challenging a scholar's intellect in just the right way.
Now how do they know the traps ahead if they couldn't get past the first one? Interesting loophole in that particular logic...
Keep going! ;)

[Crystal Treasure]

Found some typos hiding in the darkness.

wary cry.

war cry

there lord

their lord

Moll seems very straightforward and trustworthy, yep yep.