Twilight's Pirate Adventures

by David Silver

12 - Elemental Gauntlet

The entire deck began to sink down into the ship. A click similar to the first announced a sudden blade swinging out just shy of Spike's short stature. "Woah!"

A pillar of stone burst free just as Twilight jumped aside, narrowly avoiding being smashed.

Celaeno was on guard, but none of the hazards that sprung out at them quite reached her. Moll jumped on her back, getting a squawk of dismay, but was forced free almost as quickly as a rotating blade thrust out with just enough room for Celaeno and no other.

A sharp spear thrust out and shattered as it hit a projected field of force, sparing Twilight from what could have been a terrible wound. "I hope we get where we're going soon."

Mastiff caught a swinging weight, but it carried him despite his effort, slamming him against the opposing wall. "Damn it all..." Moll bounced up and kicked the weight away from her friend. "Thanks, Captain."

With a sharp shudder, the platform stopped, leaving the group intact, if breathing hard. Celaeno still stood where she started. "Huh, guess this is made for captains."

Moll broke into a laugh. "It's a tough path, following a captain. Sometimes they go gettin' people hurt."

Spike counted on his fingers. "Well, pretty sure that was earth."

Twilight nodded at him as she looked around. "That leaves just one, unless just getting here was the test of water. Those fish were an appreciable threat." She pointed at a door in the wooden and round wall. "Only one way to find out."

Moll squinted as she walked towards the door. "Huh, that puts it in a new light. 'Got the elements to protect me booty!' he used to say, proud as can be. Makes sense..."

Through the door was a small empty room with a single chest. The chest was made of polished wood with a big metal keyhole.

Twilight glanced at Moll. "Did he say anything about this?"

"Um... no?" Moll trotted forward towards the box and circled it, eyeing it carefully. The others came in, crowding around the room rather than loitering where dangerous things could still theoretically spring from the walls. "Well, may as well see if it's locked or not..." Moll reached out a hoof.

Celaeno grabbed the outreached hoof just shy of its target. "That's quite far enough. You know that thing's probably trapped."

Moll wobbled her other forehoof. "Of course it is, but if we don't get past it, we aren't getting the treasure, are we?"

"Boyle." Celaeno gestured with her free hand. "Check it."

Boyle saluted with his metal hook before crouching down beside the chest. He peered into the darkness. "Mmm." He tapped at the metal with his hook, then along the wood. "Mmm."

Spike raised a brow. "I didn't know Boyle could pick a lock."

Celaeno released Moll's hoof and crossed her arms. "Being a pirate is a good excuse to learn a lot of useful skills at times."

"Aye." Boyle tapped softly before slipping the hook into the darkness, feeling around slowly and carefully. "Here we are..." He trailed out from whatever he found to around the chest, then tilted it just faintly. "Mechanism, looks like it holds something in the room."

Celaeno nodded softly. "Alright. Can you stop it from going off?"

"Already on it, Captain." He tied off the tiny string so it couldn't go through the tunnel it was meant to. "Safe."

Spike rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Now I almost want to know what it did."

Twilight shook her head as her magic took hold of the top of the chest. "I prefer not being in danger, in this case. Thank you, Boyle. Can I open it now?"

Boyle looked to Celaeno, who nodded. He gave a thumbs up. "Go ahead."

Twilight pulled the chest open, revealing what was inside. They all leaned forward, gazing with wonder.

---

Derpy fluttered along the crowded lanes of sailors, looking from one to the next frantically. "Excuse me," she called out to a stalking cat with a box on his head. "Do you have a moment?"

"No."

"Oh... okay..." Derpy landed on a wooden post, frowning a little. She spied a little ferret, a young thing. She hopped down in front of the little pirate. "Hello! Can I ask a few questions?"

The ferret tilted his head one way and the other. "Captain says I shouldn't talk to strangers."

Derpy perked an ear, realizing the ferret was younger than she had originally thought. "I'm not a stranger," she said in a cheerful tone. "I'm Derpy Whooves, a mailmare."

"Oh..." The ferret squinted at Derpy. "Do you have a letter for me?"

"Maybe! Can you tell me what makes you a great pirate?" She smiled as brightly as she could, hoping against hope.

"I eat my greens," reported the young pirate proudly. "When I'm an adult, I'll get to swing from the rigging!"

"I bet you'll be really good at it," agreed Derpy. "I'd better keep looking, thanks."

She departed with a shared wave and came down on a new fence. "Excuse me."

A huge bison of a pirate turned to her. "Yeah? Whattaya want, pony?"

Derpy smiled and held out a hoof. "Can you tell me what makes you the best pirate?"

"Are you saying I'm not the best pirate?" He loomed over her, growling with every fetid breath he took.

"I'm trying to find the best pirate," explained Derpy. "If you could tell me what makes you the best?"

He thumped his massive chest. "I'll tear a person in half if they look at me wrong. When they see my ship coming, they just throw their valuables overboard just to avoid facing me! I've looted entire galleons without firing a single shot. What makes a better pirate than that?!"

Derpy nodded softly with thoughtful 'hmm's. "I see, I see. Very convincing. What if someone did stay and fight?"

"Well, then..." He frowned a little. "I'd..."

A smaller fox bumped him lightly. "You'd die of confusion is what ye'd do, ain't it?"

The bison shook a fist at the foxy pirate. "Ain't no one that didn't turn tail when I showed up!"

The fox grinned at Derpy. "He has one trick. It's a good one, mind, but that's the trick he's got."

"Mmhmm. And how are you the best pirate?" She leaned forward towards the fox. Now she was getting some intel!

"Oh, that's easy, little lady." He twirled his long moustache lightly. "When I'm done with people, they've given up their valuables, by hook or crook. Half the time they'll thank me for the privilege. It's one thing to shout and fume, but he'll find a bigger fish even--"

The bison lost his patience and slugged the fox across the face with a deafening roar.

Derpy decided to lift into the air, leaving the two to settle their differences in a tangle of limbs on the ground. The hunt would have to continue.

---

Spike reached for a piece of the treasure, only to have Twilight slap his hand with a hoof.

Celaeno had much more success grabbing a piece, holding up the magazine. "What in the name of all that is sacred in the sea is this?!"

Moll stepped up and peered at the cover of one. "If I'm not mistaken, and I rarely am... this is Greybeard's collection of literature."

Celaeno threw the magazine back onto the pile of the others of its ilk. "This isn't treasure! We couldn't even get a handful of bits for the entire lot. Where's the hat?!"

Mastiff crossed his arms. "Where's the gold? Wasn't there supposed to be a 'pile of gold'?"

Moll rolled a hoof. "The pile of gold is supposed to be under the hat. No hat, no gold." She sat down with a huff. "Guess we were wrong."

Spike blinked at Moll, looking perplexed. "Just like that? You're not, you know, angry?"

Moll laughed as she swatted a magazine off the pile. "Why should I be mad? I found the dirty captain's dirty magazines, isn't that enough for a day?"

Twilight shot out a wing, keeping Spike's eyes from examining the magazines. "Let's just... leave..."

Boyle shook his head. "The great treasure of a pirate lord... pah."

Spike turned back towards the elevator they had ridden down. "Well, if the hat isn't here, where is it?"

They grumbled with uncertainty as no one was sure. They left the trapped ship, victorious, and yet, defeated.

When they emerged into the light of day, Moll turned to face Celaeno. "Hey, we didn't get the treasure, but it was a good time, eh? Glad we got a chance to do it."

Celaeno looked confused at that, but Twilight approached with an extended hoof. "If nothing else, perhaps we found a new friend."

"Too right." Their hooves met with a soft clop. "If ye ever do find that hat, do let us know. At least, we have a new story to share, and this'll get more than a few laughs from the gents down at the bar. Mastiff? Let's head out."

"Right, Captain." And off they went, side-by-side.

Celaeno let out a slow sigh, but a little smile touched her lips. "She has a point. It was a fine little adventure, and nocreature got too banged up in the attempt. It coulda been far worse than that." She led the way towards her ship. "I hear you fought a giant fish?"

Boyle put his arms out, hand and hook stretching. "Its mouth was wider than my arms, each tooth just as long. It wanted us for dinner alright, and it wasn't taking no fer an answer."

Spike jumped forward with remembered excitement. "Boyle sliced it even while he was floating in the air. Kchow, Swoosh! He was amazing."

Celaeno smiled at her large crewmember. "I'm only sorry I missed you in action, Boyle."

Boyle gestured to Twilight. "If not for her magic and flying ability, it would have been for nothing. It was a team effort that saw us through those challenges, and, however it ended, I'm glad we were together for it."

"Ye can say that again." Celaeno nodded firmly, glancing aside at Twilight. "Are you upset?"

"I'm a little disappointed," she confessed, but she was smiling. "Still... it's not like the effort's done. It just means this particular avenue was a dead end."

Spike shrugged softly. "I can say I bested a pirate's gauntlet and laid claim to their booty. Huh, that makes two gauntlets I've done."

Twilight paused a moment. "You're not wrong... Is this going be your specialization? What would that cutie mark even look like?"

Spike looked skywards as they went through the street of the busy pirate town. "I mean, not that I'm getting a cutie mark..."

Twilight bumped into him as she walked. "I know that, well, you can't say it's impossible, just unlikely."

"Like I need more things to make me a weird dragon?" Spike rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he walked. "Hey, isn't that...?" He pointed ahead. The others looked to see where he was pointing to see Derpy perched on the railing of the ship.

Celaeno snorted softly. "It's the pegasus that was distracting Squabbles before we left Ponyville. What's she want?"

They hurried to find out, cutting a path through the crowd to reach Celaeno's vessel and perhaps a few questions to cap out their fruitless adventure.

Author's Note:

A little shy of 2k today, but I feel this is the proper moment for it. How am I doing? Are there typos in this plot? I'm trying to make for better and more cohesive narratives.

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Comments

[badninja]

8848875

If she doesn't some how do that I would beyond disappointed as she is fast becoming the beast part of the story!

[Twilight_Shimmer]

I for one welcome our wall eyed Pirate Queen!

[SudokuBrony]

A click similar to the first announced a sudden blade swinging out just shy of Spike's short stature. "Woah!"

[Anon E Moose]

Spike's cutie mark is... a gauntlet.

[tsaukpaetra]

Haha the old coot is a funny one!
Keep going! ;)

[Booster Spice]

Wouldnt a raised clenched fist inside a spiked gauntlet be what you would expect to represent a dragon? You know, like a iron fist inside a velvet glove, but for dragons?

Also, Derpy finally manages to deliver the hat thats been mailed to Celano?

[David Silver]

8850473
The hat isn't addressed to Celaeno.

[Crystal Treasure]

Hah, that was awesome. Pirate booty indeed, wink wink.

Celaeno till stood

still

"It's that the pegasus

Delete that or the.