Twilight's Pirate Adventures

by David Silver

11 - Thinking Hard

Twilight and the others caught up with a singed but smiling Spike. He gestured ahead at the open deck ahead of them. "I would have gone ahead," he said as they joined him. "But you said there were traps, and I'm not assuming they're all fire."

Moll nodded appreciatively. "Too right. This next part's protected by another element see. Wind. You don't move in the right pattern, you get blown clear off the deck, into the drink and whatever fishies want a snack."

Celaeno tapped her peg against the floor of the deck, looking out across it towards the door they could see on the other side and the stairs leading up on either end of it towards the higher deck. "We could just fly over it. Twilight's got wings for it. Coulda just skipped the last part."

Mastiff hiked a large thumb ahead. "Don't work so easy. If you don't go through it right, from the start, ye get blown right off."

Twilight reached out a hoof and a wind ruffled at the fur around the hoof, rustling it gently. She drew it back and put it forward at a new angle, more to the right. The wind hastened and she quickly yanked her hoof back. "Fascinating... What do you--"

"--Why do you know this?" cut in Celaeno with a frown. "Any of this." She waved a hand out at the deck. "It's convenient, too convenient. Out with it."

Moll raised a hoof over her mouth. "You doubt me? Me?!" She sidestepped, only to be caught in a sudden severe gust. She skidded along the deck with a laugh as she scrambled, barely getting back into the safe area before she reached the end of things. "Oops."

Twilight released the magic that had helped Moll get back to safety with a little sigh. "Celaeno raises a valid question. How did you come across this knowledge?"

Spike narrowed his eyes, as if that would help him see the invisible bands of wind that made the going tricky. "And how do we get past it?"

"Look, there's a reason ole Greybeard thought to find habor in my dock of all places." Moll glanced aside at Mastiff. "Isn't that right?"

He bobbed his head quickly. "They been friends a long time. He knows Moll good."

"And I know him well," Moll continued. "He's told me about this place before. Moment I knew he had to hide something, it was obvious where he'd hide it. He's told me a lot, when he was too drunk to know better."

Celaeno seemed to relax slightly. "That's just the right combination of straightforward and crooked that I think you're telling it right. So what'd he say about this place?"

"What else? His most valuable treasure's in here, waiting for him to come get it." Moll turned towards the front. "Have to get across here, up to the wheel, then down into the captain's quarters."

Spike frowned. "There are stairs going back down from the top? I didn't see that on either of your ships."

Moll lifted her shoulders emphatically. "Couldn't tell you about that. He was pretty clear about that, down from the wheel. Down from the wheel and ye get what yer after." She rolled a hoof at Twilight. "Now, if you can figure the way forward?"

Twilight's horn began to glow as she conjured sand with a loud pop. With a toss of her head, she threw the sand forward and the wind grabbed it eagerly, sending it flying about in seemingly random patterns. All of them eventually ended with the sand being dropped off the side of the ship, to the dark waters below. "Fascinating..." She conjured a fresh batch and tossed it in a slightly different angle, her eyes tracing the flow while it lasted. "There is... a pattern, mmmm."

Spike looked up into the darkness of the cavern, trying to spy something despite the light fading to nothing not far away from them. "Are there spikes on the ceiling?"

Boyle gestured at Spike. "There's a Spike next to us. That's enough for me."

Spike rolled his eyes. "I meant rocky ones. What if they fall on the ship, or our heads?"

Celeano tapped her crystal hoof. "The way I see it, if there was a big risk of that, there'd already be holes all across this deck. It looks nice and smooth from here."

Boyle's eyes lowered to Twilight. "Any sign of how we push ahead?"

"Mmm," she replied distractedly, hurling out a magic pile of dust to be carried by the wind. "How did Greybeard ever plan to do this? He didn't strike me as nearly agile enough, even if he knew precisely the steps required."

"Well..." Moll cracked a wide smile. "He said that was one of the reasons he didn't come here often. He hated this trap, but he loved that it kept random others from coming in. But! It won't be stopping ye, now will it, royal lass?"

"No matter, I think I understand the pattern. It's refreshingly logical. Did he make it himself?" She reached out with a hoof and set it down beyond the safe zone. Though the wind pushed past her, she wasn't shoved by it. "Follow my steps very precisely."

Celaeno advanced quickly, slipping in behind Twilight, with Spike just behind her. "Is this safe with our differing... heights?" Just to play it safe, she crouched down lower as she went.

Spike lifted his shoulders. "I don't think she's paying attention." Ahead of him, Twilight was watching dust flow before taking another slow step, though her pace was picking up.

Moll skipped into place behind her rival captain. "She's a right clever mare, ain't she? We'll be swimming in gold in no time at all."

The group, their quieter members taking up the rear, progressed. It was no straight line, with Twilight turning entirely around, cutting across the deck, and seemingly turning at random points in an impenetrable zig-zagging. At one point she turned so sharply on herself that she passed within inches of those following her.

Mastiff raised a brow at it, his spittle blowing away on the currents of the wind that surrounded them. "Why don--" He didn't get to finish. When he tried to cut across that precious inch, he was thrown back bodily. Boyle swung an arm and snagged his shirt with his hook, yanking him back into the safe path. "Thanks, matey. I owe ye one!" Boyle gave a thumbs up with his remaining hand.

Celaeno tapped Spike on one of his headfins. "She's pretty smart, isn't she?"

"Yeah, kinda her thing," he replied, pride in his voice. "I hope this is over soon though. I don't like having to walk a tightrope I can't even see."

"Count me in agreement with that."

"Not one of his best ideas, or..." Moll trotted along with a happy smile. "Maybe one of his best? Hard to say exactly, but I think it does the job fairly well."

Twilight reached up and placed a hoof on the stairs leading up towards the wheel. She hurled some dust and it made a mess on the floor in a scattering. "It's safe," she declared with a relieved smile, trotting up easily onto the upper deck. "We've made it!"

The rest hurried up to join her, their clothes, fur, and feathers settling down as the wind lost its grip on them. The steering wheel stood there in silence. The rail that ran along the upper deck was shiny. Boye reached out with a hook and tapped at the shine, causing a metallic 'clink' to echo.

Mastiff nodded with a grin. "Gold. We're already being paid for our efforts."

Celaeno rolled a hand towards the crewdog. "A fine idea, if we can get a whole rail back through that mess. I'd rather find the coins. Now, you said something about 'down from the wheel', wasn't it?"

"Exactly so." Moll sprung forward towards the wheel and began to look it over. "But by the time he got to this part of the story, he was usually too drunk to say much. He'd just go on about 'down from the wheel' like that was saying much." She reared up and put her hooves on the wheel, feeling over its spokes. "Mmm."

Celaeno's beak turned up with building confidence. "I think I understand this one." She advanced on it, brushing Moll aside and taking firm grip of the wheel. "If I was going to do this, I'd have it so..." She turned the wheel to the left in a decisive motion. "I'd spare the ship from shoring up on this here rock as it is." A loud click sounded beneath them.

---

"Squawk!"

Lix Spittle looked up from the pot she was stirring. "What's bothering you today, Squabs? Y'ain't usually so loud."

Squabble raised a hand, pointing outside, then turned and fled. Lix followed with a grumbling, to find that they had company. "What's a nice looking pony like you doing here all of a sudden?"

Derpy saluted sharply. "Delivery, ma'am!" She set down a sizable box on the deck. "Thanks to the assistance of Squabble--"

"How'd you know his name?" Lix arched a brow at the wall-eyed mare. "You two know each other?"

"Squawk." Squabble bobbed his head in easy agreement.

"We met in Ponyville," continued Derpy, tapping at the box. "I wasn't sure where to bring this, but Squabble told me where I had to go, and he was right! The island of the pirates! I've never been here before... But that's where the package said to go, so I'm glad I found it."

She flashed a bright smile at Squabble. "Thanks."

"Squawk." The two seemed to understand one another easily.

Lix shook her head. "I didn't figure anyone outside this crew understood the noises he made. Huh, well, welcome aboard. Who's the package actually addressed to?" She stepped closer, her eyes on the box curiously. "The captain's not here right this moment, ye see."

Derpy started, as if that was a new idea. She climbed up onto the box and pointed at the address. "The Most Worthy Pirate on the Island of Pirates," she read outloud as her eyes wandered haphazardly over the words. "Oh, hmmm, that's not really... a specific pony..."

"Does it have to be a pony at all?" challenged Lix.

"I suppose not..."

"Squawk."

"You're right, I guess I have to decide..." She sank to her haunches, perched on the box. "Hmm... the best pirate... I saw a lot of pirates. They looked very piratey."

"Squawk."

"You have a point. Appearances do not a pirate make." She pointed a hoof at Lix. "What makes you a great pirate?"

"Me?! Well, I can cook a mean pirate's feast for a hungry crew. I know how to swing from a rope and how to rig a sail. I follow my captain's orders and get the job done." She put her hands at her hips. "I think I'm a fine pirate."

"Mmhmm." Derpy bobbed her head, her eyes jostling around before falling back on their usual patterns. "That's a good pirate, but I need the best pirate."

"Squawk."

"Oh yeah, good point." Derpy tapped at her chin with the flat end of her hoof. "Tell me about your captain. If she's in charge, she must be a really good pirate, right?"

"Too right." Lix nodded. "She's a fine captain and a damned good pirate! Best one I know! She really put the fear into people when we were doing that full-time."

"Full time?" She tilted her head. "She isn't a pirate full time?"

"Well... not exactly?" Lix gave a soft shrug. "Y'see, the Storm bloke came along and ruined a good thing. We smashed him up good, so it's back to sailing the high skies for us." She hiked a thumb at herself. "The captain's in fine form."

"Mmm..." Derpy's eyes narrowed thoughtfully a moment. "I should interview a few more pirates, to be sure. Can you keep an eye on this box for now?" She was looking at Squabble.

"Squawk." He put a hand on the box as he nodded, an agreement reached.

Author's Note:

We're treasure hunting, why are we looking at Derpy? Is this a typo? Sorry for not updating this on time, I was at a convention and forgot to bring a keyboard, oops!

Want this story updated faster? Want to get your own story written? Want to support the author in his writing? Join the atreon!

Join my discord to chat!

Comments

[Dimensional Librarian]

Moll skipped into place behind his rival captain.

Should be "... behind her rival..."

[David Silver]

8837446
It's dark and hard to see!

[Dimensional Librarian]

8837450
Perfect for typos to hide in am I right?

[David Silver]

8837458
Too true.

[Booster Spice]

I have this image of Derpy doing the Drunken Sailor right through the wind trap, chameleon through the fire traps, and town hall through the earth trap. Then surfing out on the water trap. Maybe using Spike as a body board, all the hats on her head.

[tsaukpaetra]

Hahaha! What's in the box! Some jokes just won't be refused...
Keep going! ;)

[Crystal Treasure]

The shiny gold distracted them from typos.

while it lasts.

lasted.

"Gold We're already being paid for our efforts."

Gold.

Seems like Captain Celaeno's got a smart brain, too.