> Pirates of the Alicorn
>  by Moheart7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Moonlight Docking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Princess Luna’s full moon shone brightly over the murky darkness of the docks near the boarders of Equestria, a large, dark ship made its way through the mist and made port right at the edge of the nearest dock. The shadowy figure of the Unicorn Captain at once stood upon the main deck, a gleeful glare in his emerald-green eyes as he used his magic to levitate a medium sized spyglass to one of them, he scanned the horizon to the west of his ship, a certain mountain catching his gaze. With a sinister smile he put the spyglass back into his coat pocket and turned to his crew of not only ponies, but also an assortment of mismatched creatures including Diamond Dogs, Zebras, a small purple Dragon and a skinny looking Changeling. 

"We have arrived, my friends!" he called to them in a gruff booming voice. "Now I shouldn't have to tell you how this works… but what the hay, I enjoy saying it so much I'm going to anyway."

The crew couldn't help but snicker as their Captain continued.

"You all have your assignments," he said. "While half of you go stay here and guard the ship, a large shore party shall invade that small town to the west and load up on all their precious loot!"

At those words cheered, until the small, purple dragon spoke up.

"And what of the locals?" he asked in a small, squeaky voice.

Hearing this, the Captain only chuckled.

"Scare them, break a few bones if you have to but I don't want any pony killed, the bounty on our heads is high enough as it is."

The crew snickered again only this time even louder.

"All right lads!" the Captain shouted. "Let's get this wagon rolling! Shimmer, take the shore party and get looting!"

At those words a teal earth pony with a mossy green mane then spoke up from the crowd.

"Aye-aye Captain!" She called. "Alright boys you heard him, all ashore, we have booty to steal!"

At that point, at least half the crew, led by the teal earth pony, cheered and began to run down the gangplank off the ship, onto the docks and onto dry land. As the Captain gazed at the crew members heading westward towards the town with an evil smile on his face, another pony stepped forward from the crowd left behind and stood next to his Captain, he was a black unicorn with blood-red eyes, purple mane, a broken horn and a spyglass Cutie Mark, as he stood next to his Captain, a look of concern appeared in his eye.

"And what is that you'll be doing Captain?" he asked with a deep, sinister voice. "It is not like you to just sit back while you let a simple shore party do all the work."

"My dear Blackhorn," the Captain chuckled as he raised his spyglass to his eye again. "You DO know me all too well. Yes it's true, I don't usually stand around the ship doing nothing while the shore party gets to have all the fun, and this occasion shall be no different."

"And?" Blackhorn asked. “What is it you have going on in your head this time?”

"Well Blackhorn, while the shore party is looting that small town to the west," the Captain explained. "I shall be turning my attention to that glamorous city on the mountain, as I understand it, within the vaults of that castle lays a great treasure that will dwarf any that we've stolen in our entire lifetime."

Seizing his own spyglass from his vest pocket, Blackhorn put it to his eye, as he gazed into it he saw what his Captain was talking about. Built into the side of the mountain east of a small town was indeed a large white city, a city that easily reflected the shining full moon, thus sticking out amongst the darkness of the night.

"And what may I ask is this treasure you speak of?" Blackhorn asked as he lowered his telescope. 

"I’m afraid THAT is where I leave you in suspense my dear quartermaster" the Captain chuckled as he once again lowered his spyglass. "I want it to be a surprise for when I bring the little beauties on board ship. But I can tell you this my friend, by this time tomorrow the city of Canterlot will have seen a day that they will NEVER forget."

> Chapter 1: Attack from the Sea
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the skies over the small town of Ponyville, the cyan Pegasus known as Rainbow Dash continued to practice her flying, zooming back and forth amongst the clouds, performing tremendous stunts.  Suddenly from down below, she spotted Spike waving to her, and swooped down to greet him.  

"Hey Spike!" She said. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be helping Twilight with her report on transformation magic or something?" 

"Not today," Spike smirked. "Twilight had to go to Canterlot to help Princess Luna with the latest star alignments as part of her new Princess training, so I had to stay behind to take care of the Library while she was gone."

"So why are you out here?" Rainbow Dash asked with a smile. "Are you slacking off to help Rarity again?"

"Uh… maybe."

At those words Rainbow Dash couldn't help but giggle, Spike may have tried to hide it in the past but it was quite obvious that he had a crush on the white Unicorn, known as Rarity who lived and owned the Carousel Boutique. Every time he looked at her, he would go as giddy as a drunken horse.

"Listen, if Twilight asks could you tell her I've been in the Library all day?" Spike asked nervously.

"Hey don't sweat it dude," Rainbow Dash chuckled. "If Twilight comes back early, I'll cover for ya"

"Thanks Rainbow," Spike sighed in relief as he turned to leave. "Hey, have you ever seen those ponies before?"

Rainbow Dash hovered by Spike to see what he was talking about, gazing in the direction of where he was pointing. Entering the east side of town were two earth ponies pulling what looked like an unusually large wooden cart  covered in a dusty old sheet. One of the ponies pulling the cart  was at least  three times the size of any other pony in sight, he was even bigger than Big Macintosh was, he was dark red with dark tattoos along his front legs and neck, he had a shaggy brown mane, wore a light blue vest and his cutie mark resembled a barrel. The pony next to him was a very skinny, pale green pony with a murky green mane and had no visible cutie mark; out of the two ponies that had arrived he looked the sickliest. As Rainbow Dash gazed at the strange ponies entering the town, she couldn't help but feel that something was a little strange about them. As a crowd of assorted ponies began to gather around the new arrivals to the town, naturally the pink earth Pony known as Pinkie Pie was the first to greet them… in her own hyperactive way.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully. "I'm Pinkie Pie, it's so nice to see new faces here in Ponyville. Are you travellers? You look like travellers, are you brothers? What's in the cart? Is it treasure? Is it something pretty? Why's the cart all covered up? Are you…"

"Enough!" the smaller pony snapped, clearly annoyed by Pinkie Pie's hyperactive chatter.

Suddenly Pinkie Pie found herself being silenced and taking it as an insult.

"Well you don't have to be rude," she said. "I was going to throw you a "welcome to Ponyville" party but now I'm not so keen because of that remark,"

Suddenly the larger pony's face lit up and a large, goofy grin spread across his chubby face

"A party?" he asked cheerfully. "Will there be cake and ice-cream?"

But before Pinkie Pie could respond with a cheerful answer, the smaller pony whacked his twig-like hoof across the back of the larger one's head.

"Ow!"

"We are not here for a party." The smaller pony snapped.

Suddenly an orange earth pony by the name of Applejack spoke up from the crowd.

"Well if you don't mind us asking Sugarcube, then why have ya come to Ponyville," she asked. "Are y'all merchants cause that cart's giving the vibe that yer trying to sell something, oh sorry, where are my manners? The name's Applejack, what's yer's stranger?"

Suddenly an evil grin spread across the smaller pony's face.

"The big fella's name is Big Rummy," he said as he gestured towards the larger pony next to him. "You may call me Dripfang, and no, we are not selling anything, oh no, we prefer to gain our fortune the old fashioned way…"

Suddenly a magical green flame engulfed the pony known as Dripfang and in his place was a black skinned, single horned creature with blue eyes, insect-like wings, holed legs and wearing a red and white striped vest and bandanna, a creature every pony recognised as a Changeling.

"…BRUTALLY!" 


#


In the city of Canterlot, in the colossal library of the castle, the Purple Alicorn known as Twilight Sparkle was studying new star charts that the dark blue Alicorn next to her, Princess Luna was drafting for the new star alignments, a new phase of new her training due to her recent change from Unicorn to Princess. 

"We appreciate you coming here for this Twilight Sparkle," Princess Luna said in her calmest voice. "Tis better to get a better understanding of what our subjects want from us by doing this."

"Are you kidding?" Twilight Sparkle said with a large grin across her face. "It is an honour to do this with you. Never in a thousand years would I have thought that I'd be helping you with new star alignments."

At those words, Princess Luna simply smiled.

"Well we haven't quite finished yet," she said looking back at the charts. "There is still one more consolation we need to create… perhaps something we haven't done in a while…"

Suddenly Twilight Sparkles face lit up, she had an idea. Using her magic to take a scrap piece of paper and quill, she began to draw a new consolation, when she had finished the stars she drew resembled and image of a galloping stallion. Twilight looked at Luna for approval, who gazed at it with a look of interest across her face.

"Interesting," she said with a smile. "It's simple, yet beautiful. Well done Twilight Sparkle, we shall call it Equilease, AKA The Little Horse, our sister will be most pleased with this."

Twilight couldn't help but giggle to herself, while Princess Luna copied her design onto the new star charts, she felt like cheering but knowing she was in a library she tried to restrain herself. Suddenly her glee was cut short by one of the Unicorn guards bursting into the Library.

"Your Highnesses," he said as he gasped for air. "Someone has broken into the castle, and he's attempting to reach the vault."

Hearing this, both Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle gasped.

"Who is this intruder?" Princess Luna demanded. 

"We don't know your grace," the guard answered. "But he seems to be a Unicorn and he's already used some kind of spell to immobilise most of the royal guard."

"Make haste and send word to our sister!" Princess Luna ordered the guard. "She must be informed of this at once!"

Without hesitation the guard did what he was told and ran off towards the main throne room, leaving Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna alone in the library.

"What do we do?" Twilight asked.

"We must make haste to the vault immediately," Princess Luna replied. ""You know all too well what we keep within it."

"The Elements of Harmony," Twilight gasped.

Without hesitation, both Twilight and Princess Luna quickly rushed out of the library and towards the vault, along the way the spotted numerous members of the royal guard, each of them frozen in place where they stood, unable to move at all, all they could do was scream unintelligible shrieks from the gaps in their frozen mouths. It was at that moment, a concerned look spread across Luna's face.

"Whoever did this must be very powerful if he was able to immobilise so many guards like this," she said. "We must make haste!"

Not needing to be told twice, Twilight run after Princess Luna towards the vault. However when they both finally arrived, they found more immobilised guards and some pony else already there. Standing in front of the large doors of the vault was a dark blue Unicorn with a red and silver mane, beard, and tail, wearing a dirty brown coat and hat topped with a red Phoenix feather. At first he had his back turned towards Princess Luna and Twilight but suddenly turned with cat-like reflexes and with a blinding blue light from his horn, blasted the two with a powerful amount of magic, freezing them in place.

"Well, well, well," he chuckled. "It would seem that I have company," 

As Twilight stood there, frozen next to Princess Luna all she could do at that moment was stare in fear as their captor continued to use his magic to break into the vault. However while neither Twilight nor Luna was able to speak through their frozen mouths, that didn't stop their captor from doing so.

"Oh don't worry about your current situation your highnesses," he said with a slight chuckle. "It's just a simple immobilisation spell of me own design, you'll regain the function of your body in about an hour or two."

But those words only aggravated the immobilised ponies, causing them to shriek through the gaps in their gritted teeth.

"Oh don't be like that my dears," the Unicorn continued. "You wouldn't be stuck like this if you didn't sneak up on me like that. By the way, it is an honour to meet you at last Princess Luna, you too Princess Twilight.

At those words he tipped his hat toward the frozen Alicorns and then turned back towards the vault.

“Don’t worry your nibs,” he said as he focused his horn for one final blast. “I'll just get what I came here for and I'll be on my way, so don't get your tail in a twist."

Suddenly with one more blast from his horn the Unicorn shattered the lock on the vault and the doors swung open, revealing all that was inside. Among the many things that were in that vault, only a select few managed to capture the unicorn's emerald-green gaze.

"I never thought I'd see it with me own eyes," he said as he began to levitate five jewelled necklaces into his satchel, the thief had found the Elements of Harmony.


#


Back in Ponyville, there was chaos. As it turns out, the cart that the large earth pony and Changeling were pulling was in fact loaded with dozens of vicious looking ponies and Diamond Dogs that were now raiding the whole of Ponyville, tearing it up piece by piece looking for any of value. 

"Grab all the loot you can find!" screamed the teal coloured earth pony that seemed to be the leader. "I want this entire town flushed out!"

And thus every building was getting broken into by ponies and Diamond Dogs alike and being raided for all its valuable contents, gold, gems, even assorted foods were taken from each one and loaded into the wooden cart. While the half of the town that was bound together in ropes could only watch as their town was being destroyed, the other half that still remained free were still fighting for their town or fleeing. During the chaos, the large Earth pony, Big Rummy and his small dragon friend, Slash began their reign of destruction in the Carousel Boutique, facing Rarity in the process.

"Alright beautiful," Slash smirked as he stood up on Big Rummy's head. "Just hand over the gems and we'll leave you alone, and don't say that there isn't any cause I can smell them from a mile way.”

"How dare you!" Rarity snapped. "You may have broken into my shop, but that doesn't give you the right to talk to me in such a way! I am a lady and expect to be treated as one even from mongrels like you."

"Oh really?" Slash smirked as he jumped off Rummy's back. "Well missy we're just going to have to treat you with as much respect as possible aren't we? Rummy, give this place a few ventilation holes while I give our mouthy friend a little haircut."

"Aye-Aye Slash," Big Rummy said inanely as he trotted towards the stain glass window.

However, before Rummy could even ready himself for the smashing, the door of Rarity's shop suddenly burst open, and Spike stomped into the boutique.

"You get away from that window!" he snapped, leaving Big Rummy a little baffled. "Rarity paid good money to have that installed!" 

"Hey Slash, I didn't know you had a brother?" he said with a goofy giggle. 

Although both Slash and Spike were disgusted by the very thought of it, it was true that both of them were in fact similar in appearance, however there were a few major differences as well, while Spike was light purple with green ridges, Slash was slightly taller, was dark purple with yellow, sharper ridges and was wearing a patch over what was left of his right eye.

"We are not brothers Rummy!"  Slash snapped in an annoyed tone. "Although I am intrigued to see a fellow dragon in this part of the world. Tell me shorty, why do you care about some window?"

"It's not the window I'm looking out for," Spike growled in anger. "Now are you going to get out of this shop or am I going to have to throw you out?"

"Spikey-Wikey, don't!" Rarity gasped. "You don't know what he's capable of."

It was as that point that Slash couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Spikey-Wikey?" he said trying to catch his breath. "Hahaha, oh man that's rich!"

"Stop laughing at me!" Spike snapped.

"Oh look Rummy, Spikey-Wikey's having a little tantrum," Slash said though still laughing his head off.

Big Rummy then all at once began laughing along with his friend, but that was suddenly cut short as Slash found himself being tackled by a furious Spike who was now pinning him to the ground.

"Now I'm only going to say this one more time… get out of this shop!" he growled.

"Looks like little Spikey-Wikey's got some fight in him Rummy," Slash smirked. "But guess what shorty, a REAL dragon doesn't fight with his claws, he fights with his FIIIIRRREEEE!!!!"

Suddenly a huge blast of Sapphire-blue flames burst out of Slash's mouth and sent Spike flying across the room and right in front of Big Rummy, as Slash walked up towards Spike who was now pinned down underneath Rummy’s gigantic hoof, he grinned with a disturbing amount of visible fangs.

"Pretend he's a roach Rummy," he said with an evil grin. "And crush him."

"But Captain said…" Big Rummy began.

"Don't you touch him!" rarity snapped before Rummy could even finish his sentence. "I'll tell you where all my gems are, just don't hurt my little Spikey-Wikey."

It was at that point that Slash's grin grew even wider.

"Now that is more like it," he smirked.

Rarity then reluctantly directed them to a large wooden chest, and surely enough it was full to the brim with gems of all kinds.

"Alright you got what you want, now let Spike go," Rarity pleaded as Slash drooled a little and carried the heavy towards the door.

"A deal's a deal," Slash smirked. "Rummy, give Spikey-Wikey here the 'Flying Ahh!' and make it good."

Suddenly a large goofy smile spread across Big Rummy's face as he let Spike go from under his hoof and took a few steps back, leaving both Spike and Rarity confused.

"What the heck is the Flying AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

But spikes question was answered all too easily as Big Rummy suddenly slammed his foot into the floor causing one of the floorboards to seesaw and like a catapult shoot Spike, who was on the other end, straight through the roof and out of sight.

"SPIKE!!!!" Rarity shrieked as she ran outside, trying to find him.


#


Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres Applejack was having her own conflict with the invaders, while the rest of her family hid in the barn, she and her brother Big Macintosh her facing the Changeling, Dripfang, and an albino Pegasus who had a wooden cog for his cutie mark, work a dirty brown vest and had two limbs missing that were replaced with a rusty looking hook and a peg leg. 

"Alright ya varmints! Y'all better stay back or we're just goin' to have ta throw ya off our property!"

But that only made the attackers laugh.

"HA! You might as well tell T-Cog here to regrow his limbs!" Dripfang smirked. "Besides I want a little payback for what you did to me, remember that little wedding in Canterlot? You gave me quick buck to the chops.”

"HA! I knew it!" Applejack snapped. "I knew Chrysalis had something to do with this, I knew it the second you revealed yer true form."

"Dream on cowgirl," Dripfang said with an evil grin. "My old queen may have been good, but now Dripfang's got a better crowd to hang around. Do your thing Cog!"

"Aye-aye partner!" T-Cog said as he raised his hook. "It's time to let ol' Betsy have some fun!"

"FIRE!!!"

Instantly like a powerful grappling gun, T-Cog's hook shoot out of its base directly towards Applejack and Big Macintosh, luckily they managed to jump out of the way before it hit them.

"Missed us," Applejack said smugly

But Dripfang's smile only grew wider.

"Did he?" he said

At first, Applejack and Big Macintosh had no idea what Dripfang was talking about, suddenly they noticed something odd. Even though the hook was missing from the wooden based that replaced T-Cog's front right hoof, it was still attached by a long metal cable while the actual hook was now impaled through the top of the barn door behind Applejack and Big Macintosh

"It is all for one and one for all," T-Cog comically sung "Sorry young lass but it’s time for us to bring on the wall!"

Suddenly without warning, both T-Cog and Dripfang yanked on the cable with all their strength and in a matter of moments, the large barn doors was ripped off its hinges and came crashing down and before they could even move, fell atop Applejack and Big Macintosh.

"You think they're alright?" Dripfang asked T-Cog.

But the T-Cog didn't even have to respond as both of them could clearly hear the muffled groans from underneath the door. Retracting his hook, T-Cog led the way into the barn, although the rest of Applejack's family was nowhere to be seen, it was quite clear that they were still in there to the invaders. Suddenly they're attention was directed towards a small stack of barrels in the corner of the barn.

"Could it be?" Dripfang said as he pried open one of the lids.

"Yes it is!" T-Cog gasped as he inhaled the sweet aroma of the golden liquid inside. "Cider!!!"

"Come on, let's grab a few barrels," Dripfang said as he began to roll one towards the door. "I know a few shipmates that will be quite pleased with what we're bringing back."


#


Meanwhile back in Canterlot the Unicorn thief was finishing up his work, as Twilight and Princess Luna stood there frozen on the spot, watching as he counted the Elements of Harmony floating into his satchel, a large toothy smile spread across his face.

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment," he said to them as he placed the fifth element into his satchel. "All the years I have spent researching these relics, every painting, every manuscript, all of them pointed here. Oh fear not, I only wish to keep them for a short while, I know how important they are to the you all here in Equestria. Oh and before I forget…”

Suddenly the magic in the thief's horn began to pulsate and glow and Twilight’s crown and sixth Element of Harmony levitated off her head and towards the inside of the thief’s satchel.

“Can’t forget this one.” He chuckled.

As an angry Twilight screamed in rage through her closed teeth, the thief only chuckled and once again his horn began to glow, suddenly a small portal appeared in front of him.

"Well ladies I got to go, it's been fun though right?" he said as he listened to the unintelligible shrieks from his frozen captives. "Of course I can't say for you since I can't understand a word your saying. Either way I certainly had a good time. Do tell Princess Celestia I said hello… oh silly me, I'm so well known throughout the rest of the world I always forget to introduce myself… Ladies, you shall always remember this as the day that you met the great…Captain…Jack…Silver!"

And with a sinister laugh, he jumped into the portal which then closed behind him, leaving Twilight and Luna alone in the vault.
> Chapter 2: Setting Sail
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Ponyville the devastation had finally seemed to reach its end, the invaders’ cart had been loaded up to the brim with a sorts of valuables and almost every single Ponyville citizen was now either bound together in ropes or injured by the invaders, only Rainbow Dash seemed to be left as she faced Dripfang and T-cog in an aerial fight in the sky.

"Alright you punks!" she snapped as the slowly edged their way closer to her. "This is how it’s going to go down, you are going to let those ponies go and give all that stuff back or am I going to have to bust some heads?"

But that statement only made the two laugh.

"Oh this just keeps getting better and better," Dripfang snickered.

"If you're going to threaten us lass, then you have to do a lot better than that." T-Cog added. "The Pegasus with the pink hair was more intimidating than you and I managed to stuff her in a toffee barrel and roll her down a hill."

Knowing that T-Cog was in fact talking about her friend Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash flew into a fit of rage. She then lunged at T-Cog with full force and began to deliver a few tremendous aerial punches and kicks before Dripfang intervened.

"Oh I don't think so missy," He said as he pulled Rainbow dash off his comrade and threw her straight down.

One massive impact to the ground later, and Rainbow Dash couldn't even move due to being unconscious. It looked as though T-Cog and Dripfang would have continued to beat her to a pulp but were stopped by the leader of the invaders.

"Alright that's enough!" She said. "You boys had your fun, now we got to get going! So get your skinny hindquarters to the cart now!"

"Aye-Aye Shimmer," they both said simultaneously as they flew off towards the cart.

Shimmer stood there for a moment looking down at the unconscious Pegasus before her, gazing at her bruised body she couldn't help but sigh.

"Such a shame," she said. "This one certainly had courage."

Before long, almost every single one of the invaders were gathered in the town square with their cart full of stolen goods, as the captive ponies stared at them in fear they noticed that they weren't doing anything, it was almost as if they were waiting for something.

"Thank you all for your hospitality dear citizens!" Shimmer called out as she stood on top of the cart. "Don't worry about any injuries my comrades have inflicted upon you, they will all heal in time. I am just so glad that we were able to spend some time to get acquainted but sadly all things must come to an end, rest assured your valuables will be put to good use, in fact you could say that they are all going to a better place…”

“Yeah, like our wallets!" one Diamond Dog chirped in.

At those words every one of the invaders, including Shimmer burst out laughing.

"We would certainly love to stay and chat but I'm afraid the time has come for all of us to take our leave, and don't bother trying to follow us, our method of traveling is going to be a little different than the usual escape route and speaking of which...."

Just as Shimmer finished speaking, the clock tower began to strike noon, by the last chime rang a portal of magical blue light opened up behind the invaders.

"Farewell my friends!" Shimmer called out as Big Rummy and Dripfang pulled the heavy cart with ease through the portal, the rest of the invaders following. "I hope we meet again soon! In fact if you're ever on the high seas, do send us a letter…oh and before I forget, Captain Silver sends his regards, cheerio!"

And this that final word, the portal closed and the invaders were gone.


#


It had been an hour since the Unicorn named Jack Silver had cast his spell, finally Twilight and every pony else were able to move again. As Twilight looked in terror at the now empty vault.

"I…I can't believe it," she said. "How is this even possible?"

"The Elements of Harmony are mysterious things Twilight Sparkle" Luna replied. "Nether our sister or we even know of their full power. As such they have been known to draw the attention of the most sinister of rouges. But don't despair Twilight, we WILL get the Elements back. The first thing we must do is to send word to Celestia about this immediately."

"There will be no need," said a majestic voice from behind the two Alicorns. "I am already here."

Turning their heads, Twilight and Luna gazed at the one whose voice they heard, a tall shining white Alicorn wearing golden royal garments. This was Princess Celestia.

"Sister!" Luna gasped. "You've returned."  

"Indeed," Celestia answered. "Neigh Orlands can handle its own celebrations for now, when I received word from one of the messengers saying that the vault had been broken into I came back straight away."

"Princess Celestia, the Elements of Harmony… their gone." Twilight explained.

At those words, Celestia gave Luna and Twilight a stern look. 

"Tell me everything." She said.

"It was a Unicorn sister," Luna explained. "Somehow he was able to use powerful magic to immobilise the guards and us, so we were unable to move, are they alright sister? Did you see them when you came in?"

"They are fine," Celestia reassured them. "They regained the use of their bodies just as I arrived, please continue Luna."

"Well…" Luna continued. "After he immobilised Twilight Sparkle and I he somehow managed to break into the chamber where we keep the Elements of Harmony using some kind of magic and stole them, he then used some kind of Portal Magic and disappeared."

"Portal Magic?" Celestia said with a puzzled look. "No pony has used Portal Magic in years, every pony felt it was too complicated and preferred to use teleportation spells. Did he say anything before he left, did he perhaps mention anything we can use to identify him."

"Well…he did say to tell you hello," Twilight said nervously as she scratched her head. "And he also said that his name was Captain Jack Silver, does that mean anything?"

But the look on Princess Celestia's face showed that the name was familiar to her and it wasn't something she liked.

"Sister?" Luna asked.

"Luna, Twilight, come with me." Celestia answered.

After leading them back to the library, Princess Celestia began to rummage through the stacks of books, particularly in the historical section. Suddenly she found what she was looking for, an old leather bound book that looked at least a few years old, after scrolling through several pages, Celestia found the page she was after.

"Is this the Unicorn you met?" she asked.

As Luna and Twilight gazed at the page that Celestia was referring to, there painted in oil colours was a wanted poster with a displayed sketch of a dark blue Unicorn with a silver and red beard and wearing a dirty brown hat.

"Yes! That's him!" Twilight Sparkle said as she continued to read the page. "Jack Silver: The most feared pirate on the high seas, after many years this Pirate Captain has sunk and robbed many ships and towns and has been rumoured to have slain innocent ponies in cold blood. Sailors are usually wary whenever they sail the ocean as they fear that Jack Silver may attack their ship from his own vessel known as the 'Golden Alicorn'. Nothing is known about Jack Silver's past, only that he is rumoured to have been so evil that the underworld spat him back out…"

From that point Twilight couldn't read another word for she was too mortified to even speak.

"Sister, why would a pirate go through so much trouble as to steal the Elements of Harmony?" Luna asked. "Surely he knows that they would be too important to be sold on some black market and I seriously doubt he would know how to use them should he decide to keep them."

"I don’t know but there must be a reason," Celestia answered. "I had hoped he would never return after what happened last time."

"Last time?" Twilight asked.

At those words, Celestia sighed.

"It happened 50 years ago," she explained. "The Golden Alicorn made port a mile off the coast of Equestria, at first ponies thought it was a simple merchant ship who wanted to trade with the citizens but it was only until they saw the colours that were flying on the banner did they realise the truth. At first Jack Silver made no effort to fight, in fact he came ashore and proclaimed 'Parley', it was at that point that he requested that I give him the Elements of Harmony and promised that he would return them. Of course I couldn't allow that plus I didn't have them at the time, needless to say that only made him angry. Once he returned to his ship he ordered his crew to fire their canons at Canterlot, luckily no pony was hurt, but none the less I did what I could to protect my subjects. Using powerful magic I attempted to imprison him in crystal, but somehow he escaped and fled back to his ship, after that the Golden Alicorn never returned to these shores. As for Jack Silver, I assumed that he had died of old age some time ago, clearly I was mistaken and he has been learning new magic in order to break into Canterlot and steal the Elements of Harmony."

"And now he has them," Luna said. "What shall we do now?"

"Did he say anything else to you?" Celestia asked. "Anything that will help us?"

But Before Twilight could even answer, another member of the royal guard burst into the library.

"Your highness!" he said as he gasped for air. "There's been an attack on Ponyville, the Wonderbolts were dispatched but… but they arrived too late. The entire town has been raided."

Hearing this, Twilight gasped in shock as so many questions filled her head, who attacked Ponyville? Did Jack Silver have something to do with it? And most importantly… were her friends okay?


#


It had been a few hours since the invaders escaped through a magic portal and Ponyville was still feeling the sting. As Twilight departed the from the arriving train, she was horrified to see the devastation before her, buildings  stood there broken and filthy, every pony was battered and bruised and those who were fortunate enough to avoid the invaders' wrath were coming out of hiding. Twilight stood in shock as she gazed upon the horror and humiliation in every ponies eyes, how could any pony be so cruel? Suddenly a familiar face caught her attention.

"Rainbow Dash!" she called as she flew to her friend. 

Trying her best to keep her feet, Rainbow Dash smiled as she saw the Purple Alicorn running towards her.

"Twilight!" she said clutching her head. "You're back!"

"Rainbow what happened to you?" Twilight asked as she gazed at the now bruised Pegasus. "I heard about the attack back in Canterlot, I can't believe some pony would do such a thing."

"You and me both," Rainbow Dash said, still groaning in pain. "They took everything! Rarity's gems, Applejack's Cider stores, they even robbed Sugarcube Corner just for the cakes! I tried my best to stop two of them but they sent me plummeting to the ground like a rock!"

"Where are the others Rainbow?" Twilight asked. "There's something important I have to tell you all and I think it might have something to do with this attack."

"Well…" Rainbow Dash began, still rubbing her head. "Rarity's fishing Spike out of the pond, Pinkie Pie is trying to get Fluttershy out of a barrel she’s tuck in and Applejack is still being treated for her injuries."

"Rainbow, we all need to talk straight away," Twilight explained. "Tell everyone to meet me in the library in one hour, it's majorly important."

"I'm on it, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said as managed to lift herself off the ground and fly off to find the rest of the Mane Six.


#


Soon enough, the Mane six had gathered at the library, as Twilight stared in terror at the condition each of her friends were in, she was mortified. Like Rainbow Dash. Applejack was all battered and bruised, only injuries included a fair few splinters sticking out in several places, Spike was bruised too, only he was more concerned with the fact that he had to be dragged out of the pond after landing in it when he was given the 'Flying Ahh!' Fluttershy seemed fine but there was huge blotches of toffee in her coat and mane. As for Rarity and Pinkie Pie, they're biggest bruises they had were to their dignity, they may not have received any physical injuries but none the less the experience as a whole was humiliating. As they all sat there listening to Twilight in horror, each wanted her to get to the point so that they could make sense of everything.

"…So that's it," Twilight said as she finished explaining what happened in Canterlot. "Not only was Ponyville attacked, but at the same time someone broke into the vault and stole the Elements of Harmony including my crown, it can't be a coincidence that they happened on the exact same day. The ones that raided Ponyville had to be Captain Silver's crew."

"Wait, so you're saying Ponyville was ransacked by Pirates?" Rarity gasped. "Oh this so degrading,"

"Not exactly the big issue here," Applejack said as she plucked a few splinters from her check "Ow! That smarts."

"Indeed," Twilight continued. "The big issue now is what we are going to do about it."

"W…what are we going to do Twilight?" Fluttershy asked nervously.

With a smile on her face, Twilight took a large book out of her bag and started going through each page. 

"This is an atlas of the world and all its seas," she explained. "It details key areas of the world where Captain Silver's ship, the Golden Alicorn has been spotted the most. If we can track him down, we might just be able to steal the Elements of Harmony back."

But the reaction Twilight got was not exactly what she had in mind.

"WHAT!?!" everyone said in unison.

"Y…you want to chase after a group of vicious pirates?" Fluttershy said with a panicked look across her face. "With their sharp swords, their giant canons and that wild-eyed pony with a hook? Are you Insane!?!"

"I may not agree with Fluttershy on most things but this time she has a point," Rainbow Dash added. "These ponies are nothing like we've ever faced before, Nightmare Moon, Discord, even Chrysalis was less of a threat than these guys. It only took that Changeling one throw to the ground to knock me out, not even a Manticore wasn't able to do that!"

"Hey Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie Pie said. "You got something weird sticking out of your plot.”

At first everyone stared at Pinkie for a moment thinking she was just being her usual, inattentive self, however since Twilight was more or less a curious pony, she checked to see what she was talking about.

"Hey she's right!" she said as she used her magic to pull something out of Rainbow dash's hind quarters, causing her to give a slight yelp from the sting. "Dash, I don't think that you were knocked out by mere strength, I think you were drugged!"

"I was what!?!" Rainbow Dash snapped. "Let me see that!"

She then snatched the small feathered dart from Twilight and stared at in anger.

"That weasel must have shot this at me while I was fighting that Changeling!" she said through gritted teeth. "So that's how he took me down so fast. Oh when I get my hooves on that little red-eyed freak I'm gonna… Twilight count me in, no pony cheats in a fight with me and gets away with it!"

"Rainbow Dash, are you crazy!?!" Rarity said in shock. "If those pirates beat you by cheating once, then don’t you think there's probably a good chance they'll do the same thing again?"

"Rarity's right," Spike added. "Granted I want to get at those two for sending me flying into through a roof and into a lake but that doesn't mean I've lost my senses, if we go after those pirates then we'll probably get ourselves killed."

And soon enough, every single pony in the room began to argue amongst themselves, while some wanted to go after the pirates, most of them didn't want to because they were either terrified or stubborn. It was only until Twilight raised her voice that she finally managed to quiet everyone down.

"STOP!!!" she screamed. "All of you, look I know most of you don't want to do this because these pirates are dangerous, but this is the Elements of Harmony we're talking about, the very relics that brought us together in the first place, if we don't get them back then not only will Equestria's greatest defence be lost but so will the very objects that started our friendship, do you really want them to be gone forever?"

But Twilight didn't even need a response, because the second she finished speaking each and every one of her friends shared the same facial expression, they knew Twilight was right, they knew they had to get the Elements of Harmony back.

"Twilight's right y'all." Applejack said. "We have to go after them, if we don't then what was the point in finding those Elements in the first place."

"I agree," Rarity added. "Nobody makes a mockery of my shop and shoot my little Spikey-Wikey though my roof, count me in Twilight."

"Me too Twilight," Applejack said.

"And me!" Pinkie Pie added.

At those words, Twilight only smiled.

"Spike? Fluttershy? What about you?" she asked.

"Yeah, you guys are a part of this too." Rainbow added.

"Oh…I don't know Twilight, that other dragon was vicious," Spike said. "I don't know if I'll be able to face him again."

"Please Spikey-Wikey," Rarity said fluttering her eyelashes. "I really wish you would come with us, you don't even have to fight anyone, you can just carry the luggage if you want. Please… for me?"

Spike tried to resist but he knew he could never say no to Rarity, it wouldn't be too long before the flutter of her eyes would eventually win him over.

"Alright!" he said. "But I'm not happy about it."

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. "Are you coming?"

But before Fluttershy could give her answer, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Now who could that be," Spike said as he opened the door.

Standing just outside were two Unicorns with a deep look of sorrow and fear across their faces, these ponies Rarity recognised straight away.

"Mother, Father, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Rarity, have you seen your sister?" Rarity's mother asked. "We've looked everywhere, Sugarcube Corner, Miss Zecora's place but no pony has seen her."

"What!?!" Rarity gasped. "Well, where was she last?"

"Well the last time we saw her was when she was playing with those friends of hers over at Sweet Apple Acres," Rarity's Father explained." But we haven't seen her since, we've asked Applejack's family but they haven't seen her and Apple bloom seems to be missing too."

"Say what!?!" Applejack snapped. "I thought they were staying at your place. Granny told me that the girls ran there after those pirates attacked."

"You don't think…?" Spike said with a look of fear across his face.

But what Spike was thinking was clear on everyone's mind, if nobody could find Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle or even their friend Scootaloo, then there could only be one possible place they could be at this point, suddenly Fluttershy's face changed from panicked to vengeful.

"Let's get those pirates!" she said angrily.


#


It was a massive outburst of joy 30 miles of the coast of Equestria, as the Golden Alicorn sailed towards the east every last pony, Zebra and Diamond Dog was laughing and celebrating their latest triumph.

"Did you see that mare's face when I sent her plummeting down?" Dripfang chuckled. "Man, I can't believe that sleep dart of yours actually worked."

"Just another one of my own special recipes lad," T-Cog smirked as he chugged down a flagon of cider. "Machinery isn't the only thing I'm good at ya know, I'm just still surprised that raid was over with so easily, I actually thought that earth pony would have put much more of a fight."

"Well you can't win them all Cog," Slash said as he and Big Rummy sat themselves down on a pile of stolen gems. "Heck, I actually thought that dragon would actually use his flames but he never did, although I did like how he stood up for that Unicorn, at that showed he had guts."

"I liked that Unicorn," Big Rummy added. "She smelt nice."

"Not a bad looker either," Slash smirked. "Heck, if I were a pony I'd want some of that, although I might have to make sure she doesn't call me 'Slashy Washy' first."

Hearing this all four of them began to laugh their heads off, suddenly every crew member was interrupted in their celebration by Shimmer and Blackhorn.

"Everyone!" Blackhorn called out. "I know you want to get back to celebrating but there's something the First Mate wants to say to you all!"

"Thank you Blackhorn!" Shimmer said. "Friends! I have just had a word with the Captain and he says that he is quite proud of you for our latest victory, in fact he is ecstatic! But don't take my word from it, I think you should hear for yourselves. Ponies and gentle dogs… I give you the King of Cut-throats and master of the seas… Captain…Jack…Silver!!!"

The second Shimmer finished speaking there was a massive uproar of applause, as their beloved Captain walked onto the deck from his cabin, every last crew member began to chant his name. It was only until he raised his hoof that they became silent again,

"Thank you, thank you," he said with a smile across his face. "It does give me great warmth in my heart to see such fine devotion amongst my crew, and with our latest raid it only makes me even more proud to call you shipmates, well done everyone!"

At those words the crew once again cheered and became silent. 

"But that is not the only reason I came out here to speak," Jack continued. "As you all know when the shore party raided Ponyville I was elsewhere, in fact I was in Canterlot breaking into a high security vault, granted there were many guards and the spirit of chaos himself standing in my way but none the less they were no match for my spells, my spells are so powerful not even spirits and Alicorns can use their own magic while under my influence."

"So what was in the vault Captain?" T-Cog asked.

"I'm so glad you asked that T-Cog," Jack chuckled. "Ponies and gentle dogs, what I have stolen are the greatest sources of magic ever created, the very objects that will make us the most powerful pirates on the high seas. My Friends, I have stolen the Elements of Harmony themselves!"

With those words Jack uses his magic and levitated Twilight's crown in front of the crew causing them to cheer louder than ever, but once again Jack Silver raised his hoof to silence them and placed the crown back in his satchel.

"Yes, yes, I know this is big but this accomplishment is only a small part of a bigger plan." He explained. "My dear shipmates, with these Elements of Harmony we can now find the grandest treasure in existence, these relics shall be our map to our greatest triumph! But before I go into details, crack open another barrel cause this Captain has got a hankering for some of that Sweet Apple Cider, party on lads!!!"

At those words the celebration continued, as every other crew member continued drinking and dancing on the deck. During the celebration Big Rummy made his way towards the large stack of stolen barrels of Cider. However after accidentally backing into one of them and knocking it over, Big rummy and the rest of the crew were caught with a huge surprise. Spilling out of one of the barrels, instead of Cider were three pony fillies, one yellow earth pony with a red mane tied in a pink bow named Apple Bloom, one white Unicorn with a curly mane and tail named Sweetie Belle and an orange Pegasus with a messy purple mane and tail named Scootaloo. Clearly they have been hiding in the barrel when the pirates attacked Ponyville and not realising they were in there, the pirates took them by mistake. Instantly reacting, every pirate who was within grabbing distance lunged at the fillies and managed to either pin them down or pick them up by the tail.

"Hey get yer filthy paws off me!" snapped Apple Bloom as she struggled to break free of one of the Diamond Dog’s grasp.

"Yeah, leave us alone!" Scootaloo shouted from underneath Big Rummy's giant hoof.

"What's going on down there!?!" Jack shouted from the upper deck.

"It would seem that we got ourselves a few stowaways sir!" Slash answered him as she pinned Sweetie Belle down by her horn. "What do you want us to do with them?"

As Jack Silver gazed down at the frightened fillies being held captive, he scratched his chin with thought. Finally he spoke.

"Bring them to my cabin!" he shouted. "I shall handle these three personally!"

Doing what they were told, Big Rummy, Slash and the Diamond Dog took the terrified ponies and followed Jack Silver into his cabin, as they all made their way into the darkness, sweat began to drip down their foreheads out of fear, what possible fate has Jack Silver planned for them?


#


The sea breeze was cold, but Twilight welcomed it as she stepped out onto the docks with her friends. While some of Princess Celestia's finest sailors prepared the ship for departure each pony said their goodbyes to their families and friends.

"Now don't worry," Rarity said as she hugged her parents. "We will get Sweetie Belle back if it's the last thing we do, I can promise you that."

"Just bring her back safely Rarity," her mother said. "That's all I ask." 

Finally everything was ready, while Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash  walked up the gangplank onto the navy ship, the White Pearl, with a look of determination of their faces, Twilight and Spike stayed on the dock talking to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"Are you sure you’re ready for this?" Luna asked.

"I’m positive." Twilight said with a smile.  “I've been doing some last minute research and that spell Silver used is nothing more than a mere trick, if I can do a bit more research along the way, I should be able to find a way to repel it."

"I have no doubt that you will do fine Twilight," Princess Celestia said with a smile. "You and your friends are more than capable of facing these rogues.”

"Thanks Princess Celestia," Twilight said with a smile. "Don't worry, we won't let you down."

"Good luck Twilight," Princess Luna said as Twilight turned to leave.

After saying her goodbyes, Twilight boarded the White Pearl. As the ship raised anchor and left port, the Mane six looked back and waved to their loved ones until they were no longer in sight. Now that they were out to sea, it was time to get to business.

"Alright Twilight," Applejack said. "Where are we going first?"

"Yeah, what's our first stop?" Pinkie Pie added.

At those words, Twilight took the atlas out of her satchel and began flipping through it, finally she found the page she was looking for, the image on it showed a small circular island a fair few miles east of where they were.

"Right here!" Twilight said slamming her hoof against it. "Trottuga, one of the most run-down islands on the Eastern seaboard, rumour has it that in recent years, Jack Silver has turned it into one of his usual caches for his loot. This might be a good place to start."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Rainbow Dash said taking to the sky and pointing to the horizon. "Captain! Set sail for Trottuga!" 
> Chapter 3:Hook Line and Sinker
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two weeks past and there was still no sign of land, with every breath of wind that blew, each of the Mane Six was desperate to step onto solid land. While Twilight kept her mind on studying up on Jack Silver as possible, Rainbow Dash and Rarity paced along the deck with worry, as for Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, they were tending to Applejack after what seemed to be the thirteenth time she's thrown up over the side of the ship.

"Ugh…are we there yet?" she said as her face turning a deeper shade of green. "I don't think I can take much more of this y’all."

"Agreed," Pinkie Pie added. "I'm starting to feel sick myself,  taking care of barf-girl over here."

"We should be reaching Trottuga within the next day or so," Twilight explained as she looked through her books. "Hopefully Silver will still be there by the time we arrive."

"How do we tell which ship is Jack Silver's?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I mean, what does it look like?"

"Well the obvious thing the look for is a marking of skull and crossbones on its flag," Twilight answered. "Although another major thing about the Golden Alicorn is that it's supposed to have deep red sails, rumour has it that they look like that because captain Jack Silver used to paint them with the blood of his victims to set a warning to any other ship."

Hearing this, Fluttershy cringed with fear.

"Are…are you sure this is a good idea?" she said nervously.

"Hey don't worry Fluttershy," Pinkie Pie said with a reassuring smile on her face. "We'll be alright, and so will the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

"I certainly hope so," Rarity said. "Who knows what those filthy pirates are doing to my sister, or if she’s even…"

"Now don't think like that Sugarcube!" Applejack said, struggling to turn away from the side of the ship. "If there's one thing I know about my sister, it's that she's tougher than she looks and I know for a fact that yer sister is no different."

"But I still can't help worrying!" Rarity exclaimed. "For all we know those pirates have looked the girls up in the brig or tied them to the back of the ship oh Celestia knows what!”

"We’ll find them!" Twilight reassured her as she put down her book. "This I can promise you, we will find the Cutie Mark Crusaders and get the Elements of Harmony back. Nothing is going to stop us…"

Suddenly Twilight was interrupted by a hyperactive Spike running towards her from the Captain's quarters.

"Twilight!" he said as he gasped for air. "I…I just spoken to the Captain… he said that there's a storm coming in from the north."

At those words, Twilight's eyes widened with shock. 

"A storm?" she said. "But there isn't supposed to be any…Oh no."

"What is it Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh how can I be so stupid?" Twilight said as she began to pace. "Of all the things I could have prepared for, the weather wasn't one of them."

"What are talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The weather out here isn't controlled by Pegasus like it is back home," Twilight explained. "It’s like the Everfree Forest, the weather out here is so unpredictable that we could be hit with a massive storm at any moment."

Hearing this every pony gasped.

"Are ya saying that a storm is coming and we have no idea when it could happen?" Applejack asked in fear as she pulled herself away from the side.

"And a big one by the way the Captain described it." Spike answered.

"We better head below deck girls," Twilight said with a serious look on her face. "If that storm's coming then we better make sure we're out of way when it does."

And sure enough it did, within the hour the White Pearl was being pelted with gigantic amounts of pouring rain with the added power of fierce winds that rocked the ship so much it was unbearable, especially for a sea-sick earth pony.

"I…I don't think I'm gonna make it y’all." She said as she tried to avoid spilling up over her friends.

"Please don't Applejack!" Rarity said as she moved a bucket towards her friend. "In the bucket! For Celestia's sake, in the bucket!"

But Applejack didn't even look at the bucket, instead she just kicked to the side and quickly made her way towards the door.

"Not gonna be big enough!" she said, covering her mouth. "I gotta go out on deck!"

With that she ran through the doors and headed out towards the side of the ship.

"I better go check on her," Rainbow Dash sighed as she made her way towards the door and followed Applejack out on deck.

Five minutes passed and neither one of them returned, at first everyone thought Applejack just needed some more time but it was only when they heard one of the crew members scream something that they realised something was wrong.

"MARE OVERBOARD!!!" they heard.

Swiftly responding to the scream, every pony ran out on deck only to find Rainbow Dash and a two of the crew members trying desperately to hang onto something that was hanging off the side of the ship.

"Hang on Applejack!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she gripped something in her teeth.

Realising what was going on everyone instantly reacted and ran towards Rainbow Dash, apparently the water was so choppy that the ship rocked so far, Applejack lost her footing on the wet wood of the deck and slid off over the edge, luckily Rainbow Dash was with her when it happened and was hanging onto a rope that was tied to the mast so that she wouldn't fall off. Now Applejack was hanging onto dear life as she struggled to pull herself up as Rainbow Dash and the crew members were hanging onto her tail. As Twilight used her magic to levitate Applejack back onto the ship, no pony was aware of what was coming next.

"Whoa, thanks guys," Applejack said as she tried to catch her breath. "For a second there, I thought I was a goner."

"You were just lucky Rainbow caught you when she did," Twilight said.

"Although it would seem that you lost your hat darling," Rarity said pointing her hoof at Applejack's soaking, hatless head.

"Hey easy come, easy go," Applejack said, still keeping her smile. "Now if y'all don't mind, I'd like to get back below deck before anything else happens."

But before they could even take one step the ship suddenly rocked again, luckily no pony went over the side this time, however the way the ship moved gave Twilight Sparkle a cause for concern.

"What the hay…?" she said as she tilted her head over the side to look ahead of the ship.

What she saw caused her to scream with fear, just a good few goods away from the ship was what looked like a deep, dark whirlpool and the ship was heading straight for it.

"MAELSTROM!!!" 

That was the word every crew member was screaming when they saw what was coming through the pouring rain. 

"All hands on deck!" the Captain yelled as he took the helm. "This Captain isn't going down without a fight!"

The Mane six would have helped the crew if any of them knew how to do anything on a ship but since they couldn't all they could do was stand out of the way while the crew did their job. As the  ship moved closer and closer towards the whirlpool, Twilight knew she had to do something, using all the magic she had in her, she tried her best to either turn the ship around or close up the whirlpool, however neither worked when she tried.

""That whirlpool must be enchanted somehow!" Twilight shouted to her friends. "Silver must have set up defences around Trottuga! I don't think I can break them!" 

The Captain tried to steer the ship away from the swirling abyss but no matter how much he tried, the force of the water was pulling them further and further towards it. Finally the Captain had no choice but to give the word.

"Abandon Ship!" he screamed. "Every pony to the longboats! If we stay here we're done for!" 

Not wanting to be on the ship when it reached the whirlpool, everybody didn't need to be told twice as they were literally clambering all over themselves to get to the longboats. As Twilight and her friends jumped into the nearest one they could find, all they could think about at that moment was escaping this watery fate. Suddenly something happened that nobody expected, before the longboat was even halfway down, something huge, unseen under the cover of the rain burst from the depths of the whirlpool and lunged at the side of the ship, causing the crewmember that was in the long boat with the mane six to fall out into the sea and the ropes that was holding the longboat to the ship to snap. As the boat plummeted into the water below, those who were lucky enough to stay in it were hanging onto dear life.

"What in tarnation was that!?!" Applejack yelled.

"That whirlpool must have a second enchantment!" Twilight shouted back. "Whatever Silver did to create that whirlpool, he must have wanted to make sure no pony survived!"

"What do we do!?!" Rarity screamed as she hung onto Spike as tight as she could.

"We have to stay on the boat!" Twilight continued. "I don't think flying is an option in these winds so we all have to row as far away from the whirlpool as we can!"

"No arguments here!" Fluttershy screamed as she cowered under the front of the boat.

"Grab an oar y'all!" Applejack instructed. "We have to get this boat moving now!"

Acting on Twilight and Applejack's instruction, each of the Mane Six grabbed one of the oars and began to row with all their might. As they pulled on the oars against the powerful water, every single one of their minds was focused on surviving. Suddenly Spike noticed something in the distance.

"Hey guys look!" he yelled.

Turning their heads towards the direction Spike was pointing, the Mane Six gasped as they were suddenly mortified at what they saw.  While the boat the Mane Six were in was able to get further away from the whirlpool, the other longboats that went into the water were not so lucky as they were being pulled into it, one by one the Mane Six watched in horror as they heard the crew members scream and watched their longboats and eventually the White Pearl disappear into the swirling abyss.

"ROW!!!" Twilight screamed as she couldn't bear to look anymore, "For Celestia's sake row for your lives!!!"


#


What a night, as the Mane Six slept in the drifting longboat they had escaped in, the memories of the previous night still rushed through their minds. As they rowed further away from the whirlpool, the rain poured over them in huge quantities, and the fact that the water was so choppy, Spike and Pinkie Pie had to empty out as much water as they could out of the boat before it overwhelmed them. Finally after all that, the water had finally calmed and the storm passed, now the Mane Six simply lied there in the longboat, exhausted and discouraged but none the less alive. As the thick fog surrounded them the following morning, none of the sleeping ponies were aware of what was happening right next to them, it was only until Pinkie Pie opened her eyes that someone finally spotted it.

"Guys!" she yelled in happiness as she suddenly stood up and began bouncing in the boat. "Guys wake up! It's a ship we're saved!"

As every pony sat up and rubbed their eyes, they turned their heads towards the side of the longboat and saw what Pinkie was talking about. Sure enough it was a ship, it may have been surround by so much fog but never the less everyone could make out the basic outline of a large ship, one that was close enough to spot them drifting right next to it.

"Ahoy down zere!" they heard some pony call from its deck.

The voice came from what sounded like and extremely posh mare, and by the shape of the outline that they could make out through the fog, a unicorn with what sounded like a foreign accent.

"Are you are all right?" she called.

"Only just!" Twilight called back. "Our ship was sucked into a whirlpool last night, I think we might be the only survivors!"

"Zen it is lucky zat we found you!" the unicorn answered. "As I understand it, zees waters are infested with pirates!"

"We know!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she hovered slightly above the longboat.

"Is it possible we can board your ship?" Rarity called out. "It's just that we need to make for the nearest land as soon as possible!"

At first there was silence, finally the unicorn spoke again.

"Of course you can board ze ship!" she said. "We were just about to make to ze nearest port to resupply anyway!"

At those words everyone in the longboats smiled, finally they were saved from the sea. However, as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy pulled the longboat closer to the ship, Twilight couldn't help but have a strange feeling about this new vessel, when the boat was close enough to the ship it was only then she realised the horrible truth. There, right in front of their eyes was the very thing they were looking for during the last two weeks, with its deep red sails hanging from the mast and the mark of the skull and crossbones hoisted on its flag, the Mane Six had found the Golden Alicorn.

"It's the Pirates!" Twilight screamed.

Suddenly everyone heard another voice, only this one was a stallion and sounded much older.

"SEIZE THEM!!!" he yelled.

In a matter of moments, the longboat was surrounded by half a dozen Pegasus and couple of familiar faces.

"It's show time boys !" T-Cog said with a smile on his face and his hook raised above his head.

"I call dibs on the pink one!" Dripfang added.

"You'll have to go through me first!" Rainbow Dash snapped as she hovered between Dripfang and Pinkie Pie.

"Well, well, looks who's here Cog," Dripfang smirked. "It's that feisty mare who we met in Equestria. Ready for round 2 sweet-cheeks?"

"Bring it on!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she lunged at Dripfang with all her might.

All at once a fight between the pirates and the Mane Six ensued, while Rainbow Dash struggled with T-Cog and Dripfang the rest of the Mane Six and Spike tried to keep the rest of the Pegasus at bay. Twilight blasted each of them one at a time with beams of her magic, Applejack bucked them every time one of them got too close to the boat as for Pinkie Pie, she shot them down with her party canon, although it was completely baffling to both the Mane Six and the pirates as to where she got it from, even Fluttershy found a slight bit of courage when she saw the way the pirates were going at her friends.

"How dare you?" she snapped as one of them met her eye. "You raid our town! You attack my Friends! AND you kidnap Fillies! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Uh…guys!" the Pegasus said nervously. "This one's looking at me weird! It's starting to REALLY creep me out!"

And undoubtedly the Pegasus was right, as Fluttershy was giving him that famous 'Stare' of hers and the pirates was beginning to feel uneasy about it. Suddenly something hit Fluttershy in her hind quarters that caused her to break her vision and collapse, everyone turned their head and saw that it another sleep dart. They all looked up and saw T-Cog holding what looked like a built-in miniature crossbow in the wooden base of his hook, it was as though the entire thing was mechanised.

"Bull's-eye!" he laughed. "What a lovely Lass, shame I had to put a dart in your ass!"

But T-Cog's laughter was short lived as Rainbow Dash came zooming straight for him.

"Hey Peg-leg! Nobody shoots my friend and gets away with it!" she yelled as she swung a huge kick right between T-Cog's legs.

"OW! That smarts!" he squealed in a high pitched voice as he plummeted into the water.

After that Rainbow Dash turned her attention back towards Dripfang while everyone else in the longboat continued to keep the pirates at bay. However while this was going on, no pony was aware what was going on in the water, after T-Cog managed to resurface after plummeting from the sky he was now eyeing the side of the longboat.

"Alright mares," he growled under his breath. "You sink me, then ol' Betsy sinks you!"

Suddenly as though it were acting on T-Cog's very word, the hook once again shot out of its wooden base like and impaled itself into the side of the longboat, causing everyone it to scream. With one quick hank on the cable, T-Cog ripped out a large chuck of the side causing the longboat to sink into the water.

"Guys!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she threw Dripfang into the water. "Hold on!"

But Rainbow Dash could move even an inch towards her friends, she felt a sting in her side, she looked and saw that she had in fact been shot once again by one of T-Cog's sleep darts.

"Oh nnnnnooooo," she said drowsily, "Nnnnot Again."

And with that she fell into the water, unable to stay awake luckily, Twilight and Applejack managed to keep hold of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy before they sunk. Bobbing in the water the Mane Six and Spike floated helplessly while the pirates surrounded them from the sky, it seemed hopeless.

"Well boys, it looks as though we're about to have some guests," Dripfang smirked. "Fish em out and bring them aboard!"


#


When Rainbow Dash woke up from her forced period of sleep her vision was blurred, at first all she could make out was fuzzy shapes and hear faint noises, suddenly she heard a familiar sound.

"Rainbow, you awake?" Fluttershy’s voice said.

Rainbow Dash suddenly turned her head and all at once her vision cleared and she was met with a baffling sight, bound together in rope, she, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were tied to the mast of the ship while Rarity, Spike and Twilight were hanging in what looked like a large metal birdcage hanging from a small wooden crane. Almost every single pirate on deck surrounded the captive ponies, their eyes glistening with horrific pleasure.

"Look who finally decided to join the living," T-Cog smirked as he put his hook to Rainbow Dash's chin. "So sorry about that shot with the dart lass, but you did kick me in the knackers."

"And I'll gladly do it again!" Rainbow Dash snapped.

"What have y'all done with my sister you peg-legged freak!" Applejack added.

"Such anger in zis little one's heart," said an all too familiar voice. "Zey are most upset with us, no?"

Stepping out from the crowd of pirates came the one who the voice belonged to, sure enough it was the same Unicorn who lured the Mane six onto the ship in the first place, they all recognised the unique accent. Now that the fog had cleared and that they were face to face with her, the Mane six could now see the Unicorn in full detail, she was tall and slender like Princess Luna but unlike Luna she was dark purple, wore a deep green vest and had a gem heart cutie mark, but her most distinctive feature was her black mane and tail with a purplish white streak that made it resemble the markings of a skunk.

"Has ze Captain gave ze order yet?" she continued. "Shall we proceed?"

"Nay Gem," Shimmer said as she stepped out from the crowd. "I've just spoken to the Captain and he wants to handle these new ones personally."

At those words the Unicorn smiled.

"Tis such a delight to hear zis Shimmer," she said, turning her head towards the prisoners. "And rest assured, Gem La Stone shall be sure to have a front row seat."

Hearing this Spike and the Mane Six couldn't help but shiver in fear, what has Jack Silver planned for them?

"We have to get out of here," Rarity whispered to Twilight. "I have to find Sweetie Belle, can't you break us out?"

"I can't, I already tried," Twilight whispered back. "The cage is enchanted with some powerful spell, I can't even bend the bars."

"Another spell?" Spike moaned. "How many can this guy cast!?!"

However that question was the last thing on Twilight's mind, especially now since Shimmer had made her way up to the upper deck and began to speak to the pirates.

"Ponies and Gentle-dogs!" she called out. "As First Mate I am proud to say that it is a pleasure to work with all of you, especially now that we have our latest catch!"

She then gestured towards the prisoners and every pony and Diamond Dog roared with laughter, only to be silenced when Shimmer raised her hoof.

"But let us not forget who we should be cheering for!" Shimmer continued. "For if it weren't for him, we would not all be here today WITH our latest catch! My friends, I give you… Captain… Jack… Silver!!!"

As the crew cheered and chanted his name, Jack Silver himself then stepped out from his cabin and walked out onto the deck, he stood there for a moment praising his loyal shipmates. Suddenly he raised his hoof and silenced them.

"You are too kind my friends!" he called out. "And thank you Shimmer for that marvelous introduction!"

"It is always my pleasure father," Shimmer said with a smile.

"FATHER!?!" Spike squealed.

Unfortunately everyone heard Spike's squeal and was now staring at him, even the Mane Six looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, I had almost forgotten you lot were here," Jack Silver smirked as he made his way to the lower deck towards the prisoners. "Well what do we have here? Two earth ponies, two Pegasus, a Unicorns, a baby dragon, and an Alicorn, my this is quite a haul isn't it lads? But do my eyes deceive me? No they do not, it's the very same Alicorn who tried to stop me from stealing the Elements of Harmony back in Canterlot! My friends, we are in the presence of royalty!"

As the crew mockingly bowed towards the cage, Twilight coulnd’t help but express her anger.

"And I wish I did stop you Silver!" she snapped. "Those relics are too powerful for you to even understand!"

"Where is my sister you monster!" Rarity added.

"This lot certainly have a temper don't they?" Jack chuckled. "Well, we can't have a decent conversation like this can we? So, let me be the bigger pony and be the first to extent a hoof of friendship."

Jack Silver then thrust his hoof towards Applejack, who only spat at it.

"I rather shake hooves with a viper!" she snapped.

"What do you want Silver?" Twilight asked angrily as Jack wiped his hoof against the sleeve of his coat. "What possible use could the Elements of Harmony be to you?"

At those words Jack Silver's smile widened.

"But of course I shall be happy to tell you what I have mind," he smirked. "But first… I'll bet some of you are feeling lost, scared, possibly confused, so allow me to explain… help me out boys!"

All of a sudden some of the pirates began to play numerous instruments and the whole ship filled with jolly music.

"Ooh!" Big Rummy giggled. "Captain's gonna sing a shanty!"

And sure enough, Jack did indeed begin to sing…

"Here you are on a boat, you're adrift, you're afloat, one might even say you're stuck. 
Well, I don't wanna gloat but I would like to note that you're in luck,
You've been saved by the one that rules this ocean, so forget all about your devotions,
First Mate, introduce me to them PLEEEEASE!!" 

"Aye-Aye, Captain Jack!" Shimmer said as she and the rest of the crew began to sing with their Captain.

Shimmer: "He's the big and scary," 
Dripang: "Elegant and hairy," 
Slash: "Feared, inspiring," 
T-Cog: "Years-till-retiring" 
Gem La Stone: "Looting, stealing," 
Big Rummy: "Oh so appealing"
All: "Undisputed master of the SEEEAS!!!" 

"Oh, geez," Spike Squealed 

Jack Silver: "That's me!" 
All: "Tis he!"
Jack Silver: "That's me!" 
All: "Tis he!"
Jack Silver: "That's me!"
All: "Tis he!"

Jack Silver: "Ok, ok... 
I'm a valiant pirate pioneer and these are my brave buccaneers 
All of whom were once lost souls like you" 

All: "It's true!" 

Dripfang: "He rescued us!" 
Slash: "He had our backs!" 
Gem La Stone: "For zat we owe our lives to Jack,
And assuming he doesn't kill you..." 
All: You will owe him too! 

Suddenly Jack raised his hoof in shock and silenced the music. "Kill them?" he chuckled. "Me? No...No....well at least not the ones who are willing to co-operate… anyway…" Suddenly music started up again.

Jack Silver: "Here we are on a ship, moving at quite a clip 
through the ever-shifting ice." 

Gem La Stone: "Come along on ze trip," 
Big Rummy: "That's a hint!" 
Slash: "That's a tip!" 
T-Cog: "That's good advice!" 

Jack Silver and Shimmer: "In a world that's going under, to survive you must learn to plunder," 
Jack Silver: "Luckily, that's my field of expertise..." 

Shimmer: "He's the best!" 

While the song irritated every one of the Mane Six the tune was so catchy, some of them found themselves singing along to the tune.

Big Rummy and Slash: "He's a robbing, thieving," 
Twilight: "We really should be leaving,"
T-Cog: "Weapon-throwing," 
Applejack: "We gotta get going," 
Dripfang: "Pony-slaying,"
Pinkie Pie: "Really wish we could be staying,"
All: "Undisputed, uncontested, monkey-suited," 
Jack Silver: "Yeah, you guessed it!" 
All: "Master of …the…SEEEAS!!"

“Oh Please” Twilight moaned.

Jack Silver: "That's me!" 
All: "Tis he!"
Jack Silver: "That's me!" 
All: "Tis he!"
Jack Silver: "It’s who?"
All: "It’s you!"
Jack Silver: "Just testing I knew,
It’s MEEEEEEEEEE!!"


Finally the music stopped and the Shanty was over, leaving the Mane Six slightly baffled.

"So what do you say my dears?" Jack Silver said as he straightened his hat. "We could use some tough ponies like you on board ship."

"You want us to JOIN you!?!" Rainbow Dash snapped. "Who do you think we are?"

"As much as we'd like to join a psychopath, an albino and a fat tub of goo, I'm afraid we're going to have to decline." Rarity said.

But at those words, a clear sound of gasping came from the crowd of pirates especially from Big Rummy and T-Cog. 

"W…what did she call me?" Big Rummy said with his lip quivering.

"Hey, pay no attention to her buddy," Slash said as he sat on his friend's head and glared at Rarity with an angry look in his only eye.

"I can't help being albino!" T-Cog snapped. "It's a medical condition."

But the angriest look of all came from the Captain, who was now showing clear signs of a temper lost.

"Oh big mistake little girl," he growled as he used his magic to lower the cage to ground level. "You may attack me or my crew with brute force because that I can tolerate, they can easily shake that off but insult them…that is way too low for my liking. Bring them to my cabin!!!"

And upon the Captain's word a small group of Unicorns and Diamond Dogs began to untie the ropes and unlock the cage, once they carried the Mane Six and Spike out of their bonds they followed Captain Jack to his cabin. As they entered the darkness of the room where Captain Silver worked and slept they were met with nothing but pitch black with only but the light of the doorway illuminating them.

"Wait outside," Jack said as he walked into the darkness. "I shall have no need for assistance."

Following Jack Silver's command the pirates dropped the prisoners onto the hard wooden floor and left the cabin, shutting the door behind them and putting every pony in total darkness.

"Now then…" Jack voice spoke through the blackness. "What am I going to do with you?"
> Chapter 4: Revelation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the Mane Six sat there in the total darkness of Captain Silver's cabin, they couldn’t help but feel terrified, what has the despicable Captain got planned for them? Suddenly the room became illuminated by several torches posted all over the walls everyone was able to see where there were, Jack Silver's cabin looked as Twilight would have expected, dimly lit and spooky, although what she didn't expect to see was how many books there were, almost every single wall was covered in fully stocked bookshelves save for a couple of areas where there was an old wooden work desk, the hammock where Jack Silver slept and what seemed to be a strange looking piano built into the wooden floor in the corner, in way it reminded Twilight of her own library back in Ponyville, only this one certainly had a darker atmosphere. As Jack Silver paced over towards his work desk, he eyed the Mane six with a deep look of anger in his emerald eyes.

"Don't bother trying to use any spells," he growled as Twilight tried to ready her horn. "This entire ship is enchanted, not even an Alicorn may use they're magic unless I permit it. You know Rarity I would have expected the one who controlled the Element of Generosity to be a little less insulting, even if the ones she was insulting were pirates."

"Wait, how could you possibly know who controlled the Elements of Harmony?" Twilight said with a confused look.  "And more to the point, how do you know who we even are?"

"Oh please, I knew it was only a matter of time before the Harmony Bearers came after the Elements of Harmony," Jack explained. "In fact I was counting on it."

At those words, a frightened look spread across Twilight's face.

"You…you knew we were coming?" she stuttered in disbelief.

"Indeed I did," Jack said with a smile. "I knew that you would study up on me once you found out who I was and I also knew that you would follow me in order to find your precious relics, so I set a course for Trottuga. If you had studied me well enough then you would have known that I have many caches all over the world and that Trottuga was the closest one, and sure enough after two weeks you came."

As Twilight and the rest of her friends listened to Jack Silver's story, each felt sick to the stomach for they felt like pawns that were in a losing game.

"Now you're probably wondering how I was planning on getting the Harmony Bearers on board my vessel," Jack continued. "Well as I'm sure you know by now that little maelstrom you encountered was no ordinary action of the sea, while the Golden Alicorn his amongst the blackness of the storm my magic created a trap that would eventually swallow your entire ship and being one of the few highest level Unicorns, I was able to cast such a spell. As soon as I was sure that you six were clear of the abyss, my magic took the rest of the crew and pulled them into it. I'm sure you can figure out what happens after that."

The Mane Six hung their heads with horror, they were being pulled into a trap from the very start, from the moment they left Equestria they were puppets who were being controlled by Jack Silver's every command. However that didn't stop Twilight from asking another question.

"That still doesn't explain how you knew who we were," she said angrily. "The Harmony Bearers could have been any pony and more to the point, how did you know Rarity's name?"

But that only made Jack Silver chuckle.

"Do really think pirates as stupid?" he said as he levitated a few books of the shelves. "You ponies are famous even to us pirates, even Spike's triumph in the Crystal Empire has been in our historical records for months. I have been studying the Elements of Harmony for years, right up to recent events and the fact that your image was on a stained glass window in Canterlot only helped me know what you all looked like."

Twilight then glared at Jack with a fierce gaze, knowing that he was not only a psychopath but also a devious plotter who is able to hold all the cards.

"So what are you planning to do with us?" she asked. "We won't join your crew and it's quite clear that you need us for some reason. What is it you're going to do?"

Hearing this Jack Silver's smile spread even wider and he began to lean in towards Twilight until he was eye to eye with her.

"First I must ask you one thing…" he said. “…tea?"

This wasn't exactly the answer Twilight was expecting, as Jack Silver began to conjure up a large china Teapot and eight cups with his magic a huge assortment of questions began to fill everyone's mind.

"Did he just offer us tea?" Spike said scratching his head.

"What kind of notorious pirate offers his prisoners tea?" Rainbow Dash added.

"Prisoners?" Jack Silver laughed as he poured some tea into one of the cups. "My dear, where on earth did you get that idea?"

"Maybe it was due to the fact that we were locked up in a cage and tied to the mast a few minutes ago!" Applejack snapped.

"Oh that," Jack said as he dropped in a few sugar cubes. "I do apologise but I do have to keep appearances you know."

But that only made every pony even more confused than they already were, seeing the empty looks in everyone's face, Jack smiled and made his way towards one of the bookshelves.

"Perhaps I'm not the best one to explain all this by myself" as he slammed one of his hooves into one of the books, pressing it into the wall. "Perhaps it would be best if I had some help from some pony you know…Oh girls!"

But before anyone else could speak the bookshelf swung open to reveal a small passageway and running down it towards them were three familiar faces.

"Applejack!" the young filly screamed as she ran into her big sister for a hug.

"Apple Bloom?" Applejack gasped as she happily squeezed her sister tight. "I can't believe it, you're Okay!"

"Thank heavens" Rarity said as she hugged Sweetie Belle. "We thought those brutes had done something terrible to you,"

"Us hurt them? Ha!" Jack Silver smirked as he closed the shelf. "We may be pirates Rarity but we certainly aren't monsters. How could we harm such precious gems?"

But the whole situation was getting far too much for anyone to bear.

"Ok my head is really starting to hurt," Spike said as he tried to put the pieces together. "First a vicious pirate offers us tea, now he says that he wouldn't hurt the Cutie Mark Crusaders, could some pony tell me what the hay is going on!?!"

"Allow me to explain," Jack said with a smile. "Now as I'm sure you know, my reputation portrays me as a tyrannical cold-blooded killer but the truth of the matter is that not all of it is true."

"WHAT!?!" the Mane Six said simultaneously.

"While it is true that I have pillaged and plundered," Jack continued. "The truth is that I have never hurt any pony in my life. That story of how my sails are painted with the blood of my victims, that's nothing more than a rumour I spread in a tavern when I was in my thirties, the sails are red because it’s actually my favourite colour, that whole incident with my ship attacking Canterlot, nothing more than the result of one of my crew members accidently setting off one of the canons. Add those rumours with a few smoke and mirrors along with some very convincing method acting and before you know it, a monstrous reputation without spilling a single drop of blood."

"The whole crew is in on it," Apple Bloom added. 

"But what about you three?" Fluttershy asked. "If every pony here isn't a killer then why did they kidnap you?"

"Leverage no doubt" Applejack grumbled.

"We weren't kidnapped," Sweetie Belle explained. "When the pirates invaded Ponyville, we hid in one of the Cider barrels in Applejack's barn and we were brought on board by mistake. After we were discovered, Captain Jack brought us to his cabin explained the whole thing to us."

"Yeah," Scootaloo added "And he said that after he was done with his latest adventure he would take us all home, all we had to do is wait for you guys to show up." 

"And you believe him?" Rainbow Dash snapped. "This is the guy who stole the Elements of Harmony! Plus he's a Pirate!"

"True, but as I told Princess Celestia long ago I only needed them for a short while," Jack explained. "Just long enough for the Harmony Bearers to come and claim them, as well as rescue their 'captive' young friends."

"But why did you want us out here so bad?" Twilight asked. "And if the whole reputation is nothing but that then what happened to those sailors who were with us on the White Pearl?"

"We killed them and ate their livers," Jack answered with an evil grin, as expected a look of horror spread across every pony's face. "Ha gotcha! Relax sweetheart those sailors are fine, that maelstrom was just another one of my portal spells, by now they're all on a slow current to Neighsia."

Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing, nor could any pony else in that room. Was Jack Silver telling the truth or was this just a ruse in order for them to do what he wants? Not wanting to risk it Twilight decided to play along and ask another question.

"So what exactly is it that you want from us Silver?" she asked.

"Yeah, why did you want us out here is you weren't gonna hurt us?" Pinkie Pie added.

At those words, Jack's smile grew and he levitated a large leather bound book off one of the shelves and onto his work desk. 

"Tell me Miss Sparkle, how much do you know of the Elements of Harmony?" he asked as he began to flip through the pages.

"Only that they are arguably the most powerful relics in Equestria," Twilight answered. "Although the extent of their power is largely unspecified."

"And what do you know of their origin?" Jack asked. "Where do the Elements of Harmony come from?"

This question Twilight had to give a bit of thought on, of all the books she's ever read not one of them indicated any reference to the origin of the Elements of Harmony and Jack Silver seemed to know it.

"I thought as much," he said with a smile. "Perhaps I can share some light on the subject…"

Suddenly, Jack Silver's horn began to pulsate with magic and the book on his Work desk began to shake and like some kind of weird a hologram projector, shine numerous images from its pages and with every word Jack Silver spoke, it displayed a different image.

"This one of the many books that I have 'borrowed' for my research," he explained. "It details the very origins of the Elements of Harmony. You see, many a millennium ago the world was nothing like it is today, everywhere you looked there was chaos, liars, thieves and murderers roamed the entire globe. But one day everything changed, sick of the world they were forced to grow up in, a family of earth ponies decided that enough was enough and devised a plan to bring peace to the world and end the chaos. Led by their eldest brother, they traveled the world in pursuit of mystical stones that could only be found when in desperate need of them. One by one those ponies found the stones and fueled their magic with the very essence that each felt would make the world better, for example, sick of all the lies in the world, the youngest of the ponies devoted her entire life to telling nothing but the truth, thus the Element of Honesty was created. Overtime the power of the Elements filled the entire globe and the magic they possessed changed the family forever, even down to their very bodies, thus they become the very first Unicorns and Pegasus, the eldest brother even became the first Alicorn."

As Jack told this story, the book displayed numerous images of silhouettes of the first Harmony Bearers, and with each word he spoke, every pony became more and more entranced.

"However there is more to the story," Jack continued. "Even though they had brought harmony to the world, the Bearers  knew that there were still those who lived in evil and chaos and that the Elements of Harmony would always be needed, this was troubling to them because while the Elements of Harmony gave them great power it didn't stop them from aging and eventually dying, even the Alicorn couldn't live forever despite having an extended life, so it was decided that a great spell would be placed on the Elements of Harmony so that the Elements' magic may be passed down to those who are most worthy of them, and that is where you six come in."

"B…but what has this got to do with any of us?" Fluttershy asked nervously. 

"If you'll let me finish I'll get to that," Jack replied. "In the last years of their lives, the original Harmony Bearers scattered their Elements all across one of the countries they found most dear, the country we now know as Equestria, however one of the Bearers, the Alicorn, decided it would be best to hide his Element in a more difficult area as it was the most powerful of them, to this day it was never found."

"What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash snapped. "Of course it was found, we have all six Elements!"

At those Jack Silver began to laugh

"My dear who ever said that were only six?" he asked.

As Jack gazed at the confused faces of everyone in the room, only Twilight seemed to be the only one who realised what he meant for she was wide-eyed with shock.

"That's right my dear," Jack said as he slammed the book shut. "There is a SEVENTH Element of Harmony."

"A s… seventh Element of Harmony?"

No matter how many times Twilight repeated it she couldn't absorb what Jack Silver had just told every pony, the whole revelation had left everyone speechless, only the Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to break the silence.

"That is wicked cool!!" Scootaloo said as she tried to contain her excitement.

"What Element is it?" Apple Bloom asked.

"No pony knows," Jack answered. "But I intend to find out."

"But what possible use could the Seventh Element of Harmony be to a pirate…if it even exists!" Rainbow Dash asked. 

"My dear I'm old, I'm tired and things are beginning to get too much for me on board this ship," Jack explained. "I'm almost in my eighties and it won't be too long before I pass down the mantle and retire. But before I do I want one last great adventure, the biggest treasure hunt that any pony could even imagine, I want to find the seventh Element of Harmony and have my name placed in the history books forever. After that I can retire with a smile on my face, knowing that I have made my place in history as the pirate who discovered the greatest treasure in the entire world."

"And what are you planning to do with it once you've found it?" Twilight asked with a glare in her eyes.

"As I've said before, I only wanted the Elements of Harmony for a short while," Jack said. "And the seventh Element is going to be no different, as soon as I find it I plan to return the seventh Element along with the rest of them back to Equestria because to me the fact that I found it will be enough."

The Mane Six couldn't believe what they were hearing, with every word Jack spoke, more and more of their beliefs of him were getting twisted. Finally Twilight spoke again.

"So what do you need us for?" she asked. "And why did you steal the other six Elements if you're only going to return the seventh once you've found it."

At those words, Jack once again smiled.

"Because Twilight, the only way to find the Seventh Element is with the other six." He explained. "According to my findings the seventh Element is actually the first one that was ever made, that fact being obvious since it belonged to the eldest brother, as such it bound the other six Elements together thus making them even more powerful than they were. As I understand it, the only way to find the seventh Element of Harmony was to bring all the other Elements together so that their magic can point the way to it. After countless years of research, I discovered that a thousand years ago the ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia, had already used the Elements of Harmony to banish her corrupted sister to the moon so naturally I set a course for that heading. I suppose the dear princess told you of my last visit?"

"Indeed," Twilight answered. "She said that when she told you that she didn't have the Elements of Harmony, you attacked Canterlot."

"And like I told you before, that was an accident," Jack snapped. "After Celestia told me that she didn't have the Elements of Harmony, there was an accident on the deck of my ship and one of my deckhands accidentally set off one of the canons with the resulting blast hitting one of the walls of Canterlot. Not wanting to destroy my fearsome reputation I told Celestia that was a warning shot and I had to escape as quickly as I could, true she tried trapping me in crystal, but luckily for me I had few Diamond Dogs standing by to dig me out when Celestia turned her back. Naturally the deckhand who set off the canon never went near them again. After that I decided to wait for the new Harmony Bearers to claim the relics, granted it took 50 years but it was worth the wait. After learning what I can about you, I set a trap so that you can find your way onto my ship…"

"…because the Harmony bearers are the only ones who can use the Elements of Harmony properly." Twilight said, finishing Jack's sentence.

"Exactly!" Jack said. "True, some ponies can attempt to use the elements for their magic but the only way to truly use them is to have the ones the Elements of Harmony chose do it. So what do you say? You help me find the seventh Element and after that I shall take you all home and you can take it with you back to Canterlot, sound fair?"

"And why should we trust you?" Applejack asked.

"Because you will have my word as a Captain and a gentleman," Jack answered, tipping his hat and giving a slight bow. "And of course I shall be the first to sign this…"

At those words, Jack used his magic to conjure up a scrolled up pierce of parchment, a bottle of golden ink and a quill that instantly began to write...

"…a contract specifying my promise," Jack continued. "I shall return you all home with the spoils of the treasure hunt once the adventure is over and in exchange you will provide me with the means to find the seventh Element of Harmony and of course serve as crewmembers on board my ship until such time when I do return you home. You keep your end of the bargain and I shall keep mine, all you need do is sign. Be warned though the ink is for magical purposes so therefore the contract is binding."

Jack Silver's then quill scribbled down the last words of the contract and finished by marking the bottom with his signature, after that the contract and quill floated towards the Mane Six. As Twilight's eyes examined each word of the contract and the contents of the ink bottle she had to accept that the ink was indeed magic and that the terms on the parchment were airtight, no matter how closely she looked, there was no loophole to get out of it. However the contract also gave many details on Jack’s side of the bargain, it would seem that not even Jack would be able to get out of it. However that didn't stop Twilight from speaking up.

"Do you mind if we talk it over?" she asked with a look of defeat.

"Take all the time you need," Jack said as he took a sip of his tea.

As the Mane Six, Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders grouped into a huddle, Jack couldn't help but overhear the conversation they were having, he may have been old but his hearing was as sharp as ever.

"So what do you think?" Twilight asked.

"What do you mean what do we think?" Rainbow Dash snapped. "There's no way I'm signing that thing!"

"Dash what choice do we have?" Applejack argued. "I don't know about you but I don't see another way off this ship."

"Hello! I can travel at the speed of sound," Rainbow Dash said. "If I can do a Sonic Rainboom I can make it back to the nearest land in a day at the max and get help."

"Rainbow if he can put a spell on the ship that cancels out magic, don't you thinks there's another that would stop a Pegasus from flying away?" Twilight asked. "Besides I read the contract and every detail seems to be in order."

"You're not seriously suggesting we trust this brute?" Rarity asked. 

"Trust? Never," Twilight said. "But if he is telling the truth and there IS a seventh Element of Harmony out there then we can't just ignore it."

"Twilight's right y’all," Applejack added. "Granted I'm not a big fan of these pirates but we can’t ignore the fact that a seventh Element might be out there."

"B…but we would be stuck here on a ship full of pirates," Fluttershy said as she bit her hoof in fear. "If we sign that contract, who knows how long we'd be on this ship." 

"Be that as it may we have no choice," Twilight explained. "If we don't sign the contract then who knows what might happen, at least this way we'll have a sure way of knowing, besides if they didn't hurt the Cutie Mark Crusaders then there's a good possibility that the pirates won't hurt us."

"Exactly!" Apple Bloom added. "Besides the Captain's quite nice once you get to know him."

"Yer sure Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked.

"I'm positive," Apple Bloom replied. "Ever since we came on board, he's treated us with as much respect as he does his crew."

"And he treats them with a LOT of respect." Sweetie Belle added.

"Well that's good enough for me," Pinkie Pie said with a smile.

"Me too," Spike added.

"Then we're all agreed?" Twilight asked. "Are we all willing to sign the contract?"

"Yep" Applejack said.

"Yes" Rarity added.

"I'll sign but I'm not happy about it." Rainbow Dash pouted.

As everyone looked towards Fluttershy she shivered in fear but deep down she knew she had no choice.

"Oh…okay," she sighed.

As everyone turned back towards Jack Silver, who was now reading another one of his books, Twilight held up the contract and levitated the quill with her magic.

"Captain Silver…" she said as he turned towards her. "…we accept your terms!"

And with that Twilight wrote her signature on the contract, followed by Applejack, Rarity, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and finally Fluttershy. When Jack took the contract and read all the signatures at the bottom, the smile on his face grew even wider.

"Welcome aboard… shipmates." He smirked. "Now we set sail for the Burmuleda Triangle!!!"


#


It had been almost a week since the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had signed Jack Silver's contract and became bound to the Golden Alicorn. Due to the terms of the contract everyone had to work as part of Jack Silver's crew, while the Cutie Mark Crusaders were given the easier job of being Cabin-girls, doing such chores like swabbing the deck and helping to prepare dinner. Spike, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were set to work as deckhands under the watchful eyes of Shimmer and Blackhorn.  Twilight and Rarity however were given a different job below deck due to their skills in magic, under the direction of Gem La Stone they became assistant gem inspectors, assisting Gem La Stone with her examinations of all the stolen loot in her office, needless to say Rarity was a little relieved by this due to her feeling a little uneasy with the Diamond Dogs above deck. Meanwhile Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were set to work in the galley where they would assist Big Rummy who was in fact the ship's cook, it may have been a bit of trouble since Rummy kept licking all the deserts Pinkie Pie would make but they managed to prepare good meals for the crew. As the sixth day came to a close and every pony went below deck to turn in for the night, Jack Silver stayed on deck to observe the area through his spyglass. As the sun set below the horizon he couldn't help but sigh, it was only until Shimmer and Blackhorn joined him on deck that the silence was broken.

"Is there something the matter Captain?" Shimmer asked.

"Nothing at all my child," Jack said with a smile, lowering his spyglass. "How are our guests doing?"

"They are reluctant but none the less they perform well on board ship," Shimmer said. "And Gem and Rummy tell me that the ones working below deck are no different."

"But why do we not just lock them in the brig?" Blackhorn asked. "What's the point of letting these newcomers roam free? They might try to overthrow us."

"Because Blackhorn we need them to use the Elements of Harmony of their own free will," Jack explained. "If we had locked them in the brig then they wouldn't even think of helping us, it's by binding them in a magical contract that we can be sure that they will hold up their part of the bargain."

"But why give them the seventh Element once we found it?" Blackhorn asked. 

"Because something that precious is too important to be sold on the black market and far too valuable to be kept on board the ship," Jack answered. "After we find the seventh Element it shall return back to Equestria where it belongs and I want no arguments about it."

Blackhorn would have said something more, but one stern look from Jack Silver's gaze silenced him.

"So why not just use the Elements of Harmony now?" Shimmer asked. "Why sail all the way to the Burmuleda Triangle?"

"According to my findings, Burmuleda is the one of the most mystical islands in the world," Jack explained. "It is rumoured that the first Alicorn hid his Element of Harmony somewhere along its coastline, once we reach the mystical veil of fog that surrounds the Triangle, then and only then shall we use the other Elements to light the way."

"But sir you know what is rumoured to reside in the Burmuleda Triangle," Blackhorn argued. "Not to mention we would have to travel through the Miser Brothers' territory in order to get there. You could easily be leading us on a suicide mission."

But Jack only smiled.

"My dear Blackhorn," he said. "Have I EVER led you astray before?"
> Chapter 5: The Challenge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a rough day on board the Golden Alicorn for the Mane Six, leaving each and every one of them feeling sore throughout their entire body, as they all made their way below deck where the crew members slept and laid down in their hammocks to rest, every muscle in their body ached. Once they were sure that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were asleep in their hammocks and making sure they spoke quietly so that they weren't heard by the rest of the crew, the Mane Six tried to have a decent conversation without being interrupted by one of the pirates.

"I don't know how much of this I can take guys," Applejack said as she hung her head over a bucket. "Working on a farm is one thing but these pirates have given us work that even Big Macintosh would find difficult."

"AJ's right guys," Rainbow Dash added.  "If I have to lift that anchor one more time I'm gonna pull something plus the fact that I had look after her while she kept heaving over the side of the ship doesn't exactly help."

"Still got that seasickness huh?" Spike asked.

"Don't worry guys we'll figure something out," Twilight reassured her friends. "We just have to keep it together until we reach the seventh Element."

"That's easy for you to say," Spike snapped. "You and Rarity have the easier job of inspecting gems while we're stuck doing all the tough work out on deck… I'm Sorry Twilight, I didn't mean to snap."

"That's okay Spike, this whole experience is tough on all of us." Twilight said with a smile. "Although if it makes you feel any better, gem inspecting isn't exactly a piece of cake either."

"That the biggest understatement of the year," Rarity said as she cleaned herself up. "I may have had experience with gem inspection but Gem La Stone has to be one of the most up-tight ponies I've ever met."

“What about you guys?" Twilight asked looking towards Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. “How are things down in the galley?"

"Not as bad as it could have been," Pinkie Pie answered. "We mostly help the big pony with recipes for stews and stuff."

"And half the time we're just trying to pull him off the deserts," Fluttershy added. “He may be big, but he’s not exactly that scary if I’m being honest.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Spike grumbled. “He didn’t send YOU flying through a roof.”

Suddenly the Mane Six were interrupted by a loud assortment of banging as Big Rummy fell down the stairs that led below deck, landing flat of his face. He groaned in pain just as Slash came sliding down the banister behind them and landed right next to him.

"I told you to watch your step!" he snapped as he helped Big Rummy up. "Honestly I don't know how many times we have to go through this!"

"Sorry Slash," Big Rummy said as he picked himself up.

As Big Rummy staggered towards his reinforced hammock, Slash turned towards the Mane Six with a sinister glare in his only eye.

"What are you mares staring at?" he snapped as he made his way to his own hammock, catching Spike in his gaze in the process. "What's up pipsqueak?"

Spike would have retaliated but one look from Twilight made him keep his mouth shut. Smirking to himself Slash slumped down into his hammock, pulled a small wooden guitar out from underneath his pillow and began to pluck at its strings. Listening to the mysterious tune Slash played to himself the Mane Six couldn't help but wonder what could have possessed a dragon to join a pirate's crew, even a baby dragon, in fact what possessed any pony on board this ship to join.

"What is that guy's problem?" Spike grumbled. "Just because he's a little taller than me doesn't mean he has the right to call me names, I get enough of that on deck when I’m tying down the canons."

"Just ignore him Spike," Twilight said reassuring her scaly friend. 

"Yeah you're twice as charming as that grimy, single-eyed excuse for a dragon." Rarity added.

Suddenly the clear sound of a snapped guitar string and scratches against wood echoed in their ears, it would seem that Slash's hearing was a lot sharper than every pony first thought.

"What did you just call me?" Slash growled as he jumped out of his hammock and stomped towards the Mane Six. "First you make smart remarks about Big Rummy's weight and now you insult ME by making remarks about me eye! You're digging yourself a shallow grave missy and I'm just about ready to organise your funeral!"

At those words Slash cranked his knuckles and slowly edged his way towards Rarity, claws ready to take a gash out of her cheek, however Spike instantly stepped forward and stood between them, his eyes burning with anger, nobody is going to hurt the mare his heart belonged to.

"Don't you touch her!" he snapped.

"Oh yeah? And what is Spikey-Wikey gonna do about it?" Slash smirked. "Need I remind you that our last fight didn't go so well for you last time?"

"Last time it was two against one and you had that large friend of yours send me crashing through a roof!" Spike growled. "I may be small but I'm just as good as you are if it came to a FAIR fight."

"Then you wouldn't mind proving it would you?"

"Anytime, anywhere!"

"Spike what are you doing?" Twilight gasped in shock.

"Out on deck tomorrow at high noon," Slash said with an evil smile. "You and me, one on one, winner gets to keep the loser's hammock for a week. That is of course if the loser is lucky enough to survive the fight."

At any other time Spike would have backed down by now, however since Slash was threatening Rarity, his mind became clouded with anger and three words emanated from his mouth…

"…see …you …there."

Naturally the Mane Six protested but it was too late, Spike had already accepted Slash's challenge, this of course put a smile on Slash's face.

"Sweet dreams Pipsqueak," Slash smirked as he made his way back to his hammock.

As Spike stood there on the spot, he couldn't help but feel an urge of regret about everything that had happened within the last few minutes, how could he have been so stupid as to agree to something like this?

"By Celestia, what have I done!?!" he said biting his claws in fear.


#


When the next morning came and every pony was rested, the news about Spike's fight with Slash spread throughout the ship like wildfire, everywhere Spike went there was some pony either rooting for him or making jokes.

"Try not to cry when Slash skins ya alive!" a Diamond Dog laughed.

Naturally it wasn't too long before the news reached the ears of Shimmer and eventually the Captain, Twilight would have assumed that he would put a stop to it but obviously she didn't have to get her hopes up because he gave her the answer she would have expected when she went into his cabin that morning.

"I'm sorry Twilight, there's nothing I can do," he said taking a book from one of the shelves. "Slash has challenged Spike to a duel and according to pirate law no pony is allowed to interfere, not even the Captain."

"Law?"  Twilight snapped. "You're pirates, you don't obey any laws!"

"We do obey pirate laws." Jack said as he levitated the book towards her and dropped it at her hooves. "I probably should have given you this thing when you first arrived, because it looks like you might need it now."

"Pirate's law 1-0-1?" Twilight said with a raised eyebrow as she read the title aloud.

"It's chock block full of what you will need to know in order to understand how things work on this ship," Jack explained. "While you and your friends may have gotten an idea of how to sail the ship itself you will need this book to better understand how the crew thinks, turn to page 26."

Doing what she was told Twilight levitated the book and began flipping through the pages, when she reached page 26 she began to read aloud.

"…and thus if a pirate should challenge another crewmember(s) to any method of combat, those who are challenged must participate in said event or face a punishment of the challengers choosing… is this some kind of a joke!?!"

"I'm afraid not Miss Sparkle," Jack said. "That book is an official manual given to any Captain who has performed an act of piracy, I've had that thing for over sixty years."

"And who may I ask did you get it from?" Twilight asked.

"I'm afraid that is none of your concern," Jack replied as he opened the door. "Look I may not be able to stop the fight but I can assure you that no major harm will come to him, the most he'll probably get is a few bruises and gashes at the most."

Seeing this as a clear request that she should leave, Twilight walked out the Captain's cabin with the book and Jack shut the door behind her.


#


As the sun began to reach the centre of the sky, every pony and Diamond Dog began to clear an area of the deck so that there would be room for the fight, when it was only ten minutes until noon, Both Slash and Spike walked out on deck. While Slash had a clear of glee in his evil little face, Spike was sweating pints of water out of sheer fear and the fact that Slash decided to boast didn't exactly help.

"You nervous Pipsqueak?" he smirked. "You should be, I may have only one eye but that doesn't stop me from knowing an easy win when I see it."

Slash then walked over to Big Rummy who was holding a drink and towel for him, As Spike made his way towards the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders who were also holding drinks and towels, he noticed Twilight had a bigger look of fear on her face than he did.

"Twilight, are you sure he has to go through with this?" Rarity said with a terrified look. "I can't stand the thought of Spikey-Wikey getting hurt."

"I've read that book on pirate law from cover to cover, there's no way around it." Twilight explained. "If Spike refuses then Slash gets to decide how to punish him and I don't want that gecko deciding anything for Spike!"

"Here, here!" Apple Bloom added.

"But do you really think I can beat him?" Spike asked nervously.

"Even if you don't then the worst ya'll get is a few bruises and no hammock for a week," Applejack said as she hung her head over the side of the ship. "If it comes to that then…oh no, not again…"

As the clear sound of Applejack’s regurgitation echoed in their ears, the Mane Six suddenly noticed Shimmer and T-Cog walking right towards her.

"You alright sweetie?" T-Cog asked holding back a smile.

"Nothing that's any of yer concern!" Applejack snapped as she pulled herself back in.

"Here drink this," Shimmer said as she pulled a small bottle out of her vest. "We can't have you feeling sick every time you walk out on deck."

"What is it?" Applejack said taking the bottle.

"Just a simple tonic T-Cog made," Shimmer explained. "One swig will clear that seasickness right up…don't worry it's not poisoned, I take that stuff myself whenever I feel a little queasy."

Not wanting to go through anymore vomiting, Applejack took a swig from the bottle without question and drank a small gulp full of spicy hot liquid, the second it touched her throat Applejack could feel the sickness disappearing.

"That…that's incredible," she exclaimed.

"One of my more brilliant recipes lass," T-Cog smirked. 

But Applejack couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and neither could the rest of the Mane Six.

"Why'd you do that?" Applejack asked. "Why would any mare's well-being matter to ya?"

"You see its comments like those that got your scaly friend in trouble," Shimmer said with a scowl. "If Miss Rarity hadn't insulted Slash in the first place then he wouldn't be in this mess. Oh by the way T-Cog, did you make our bet with Blackhorn?"

"Indeed I did," T-Cog smirked. "Thirty Gems on Spike to win, if he pulls it off then we double our loot."

At those words, the Mane Six were instantly confused.

"You bet that I would win?" Spike said scratching his head. "Why?"

"Yeah, I thought you would bet on Slash, I mean he is one of yer own." Applejack added.

"He may be our shipmate but that doesn't mean he's popular with the crew," Shimmer explained as she sat down next to Fluttershy. "Have you ever seen anyone else talking to him besides Big Rummy? Of course you didn't, that's because Big Rummy is the only one who actually likes him."

"But why would the others not like him?" Fluttershy asked.

"Why?" T-Cog said as he sat down next to Applejack. "It's because he's freaking crazy! Every time someone insults the lad he challenges them to a fight and to make things worse he fights dirty, last time I got into a fight with him he bit a chunk out of me leg!"

As T-Cog lifted up his leg to reveal several scars that resembled teeth marks just above his peg leg, the fear in Spike began to expand to gigantic proportions. Suddenly the pirates began to gather around Spike and Slash, it was time to fight.

"Say you're prayers Pipsqueak," Slash smirked.

"Let's get ready to rumble!!!" Jack Silver called out as he stepped out on deck to oversee the fight. 

Those were the words echoed through Spikes ears as Slash readied himself to give him a bashing.

"Alright I want a nice clean fight," Jack explained. "There shall be no assistance from anyone outside the two participants, nor will there be any deceitful moves such as biting and especially NO fire… Slash?"

"Hey what are you looking at me for?" Slash snapped.  

"Bring forth the sword!" Jack called out.

Upon his word, Dripfang stepped out from the crowd carrying a long slender box, which the captain opened up to reveal a razor sharp cutlass with a jewel encrusted handle. As Jack used his horn to levitate the blade out of its box, the Mane Six couldn't help but awe at its beauty, although Twilight was more interested in the name that was carved into the handle.

"That's the cutlass of Captain Storm Rider," she uttered "But I thought that blade was just a myth, where did Jack Silver manage to get it?"

"You'd be surprised of how many legends become realities when my father searches for them," Shimmer explained. "That cutlass was the first real treasure he ever found and now he keeps it on board as a reminder of his youth, also to use it as a formal token to begin events such as this one." 

"They say it's so sharp you can cut yourself just by looking at it." T-Cog added.

While Twilight was fascinated that such a relic existed, that didn't stop her from worrying about Spike who was now standing face to face with Slash, the fight was about to start.

"Fighters!" Jack announced as he raised the cutlass. "Please shake claws, take five steps back and let's have a good fight!"

While hesitant at first, Spike shook Slash's outstretched claw and stepped five paces backward, still keeping his eyes fixed on Slash. 

"Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnndddddd…… BEGIN!!!!" Jack shouted.

Jack then swung the cutlass downward between the two dragons, symbolising that the fight had now began.

"It's SHOWTIME!!!" Slash shouted as he dived towards Spike with full speed.

Naturally Spike tried to dodge but was a little too slow since Slash had managed to tackle into him and send him rolling across the deck.

"SPIKE!!!" Twilight and Rarity cried simultaneously. 

As Spike picked himself up he felt a slight pain in his side, it would have seemed that Slash was indeed stronger than he looked. However that didn't stop Spike from coming up with a small attack of his own, when Slash turned his back to show off to the crowd he managed to pick up some running speed and landed a quick punch to the left side of Slash's face, causing him to fall back. 

"Nice shot Pipsqueak," Slash smirked as he picked himself up. "But you're not as good as me when it comes to using your claws!"

At those words Slash rushed towards Spike with full speed and took one huge swipe at him with his razor sharp claws, sending Spike plummeting into the mast with three shiny red slits across his cheek.

"Oh, I can't watch!" Fluttershy shrieked as she crouched down and covered her face in her hooves.

However Spike wasn't through yet, he may not have had much experience with fighting but he wasn't going to let Slash push him around like he was his inferior. Seeing his chance to pin Spike down, Slash built up his running speed and readied his claws again for another swipe only this time Spike was ready for him, just as Slash was about to pierce his claws into his other cheek, Spike managed to duck out of the way and Slash ended up impaling his claws through the side of the mast, leaving him trapped where he stood being laughed at by some of his fellow pirates.

"Damn it!" Slash snapped as he struggled to pull his claws out of the mast. "Oh that's it twinkle-toes, your dead! Nobody makes ME look a fool and gets away with it!"

"Oh really?" Spike smirked. "Because where I'm standing you can't even touch me now."

"Alright Spike!" Rainbow Dash cheered from the crowd.

"You show that gecko who the REAL dragon is!" Pinkie Pie added.

Spike couldn't believe it, out of sheer luck the odds were now in his favour, as the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders cheered him on he felt an urge of confidence, he was even surprised to see some of the pirates cheering him on.

"Go ya crazy little lad!" T-Cog shouted.

"Show Slash what you are made of!" Gem La Stone added.

"Whose side are you guys on!?!" Slash snapped.

But the fight was far from over yet, while Slash may have been immobilised for the moment that didn't stop him from seizing an opportunity when he saw it. Noticing that the impact of throwing Spike across the deck has left a few of the floorboards loose, Slash suddenly had an evil looking grin spread across his face and he put his plan into action.

"Hey Rummy!" he shouted to his friend. "There's a rat right by your hoof!"

"A rat!?!" Big Rummy shrieked with a terrified look on his face. "Where is it? Get it away from me!"

Smirking at what he knew would happen, Slash watched in glee as Big Rummy jumped in fear out of the crowd and landed on one of the loose boards, unfortunately for Spike he was right on the other end of it. Just as he did back in Ponyville Spike was sent flying high into the sky and just as he was about to drop again, managed to land in the crow's nest before he fell to his death on the deck below.

"Hey what gives?" Rainbow Dash angrily. "That should be a violation!"

"Yeah you said no help from anyone else!" Twilight added.

"Slash didn't directly ask Big Rummy for help, I can't count it as a violation," Jack explained as he looked through his spyglass to the crow's nest. "But don't worry I think he's fine."

"Not for long," Slash smirked as he finally managed to pull his claws out of the mast. "It's time to take this up a notch."

And like a lizard on a wall, Slash all of a sudden scaled the mast and made his way towards Spike in the crow's nest, leaving everyone else to watch from below. While some pirates took out their spyglasses, most of the Pegasus including T-Cog and Rainbow Dash flew up to watch the fight from above.

"That little slime-ball shouldn't be able to get away with that!" Rainbow Dash snapped as she reached the appropriate height. 

"I told you he fights dirty," T-Cog said, joining her. "Even if he's playing by the rules that little punk finds a way to play rough. I just hope your friend can take it."

And sure enough that was what everyone was hoping, as Slash finally reached the crow's nest he found Spike staying as far away from the edge as possible.

"What's the matter Pipsqueak?" Slash asked. "Is Spikey-Wikey afraid of heights?"

"Why are you doing this Slash?" Spike asked bravely. "Why go through all this just because of one little insult?"

"What can I say?" Slash smirked. "I have… issues."

Slash then lunged at Spike with full force, as the two rolled across the crow's nest in harsh tussle to overpower each other however little did they know at the time, the spaces between the poles of the Crow's nest weren't exactly narrow enough to keep in two small dragons. This turned out to be disastrous because only a few inches away from the edge, Spike in his struggle against Slash ended up accidently throwing him over the side.

"Aw Crud!" he screamed in fear. "I killed him!"

"Dragon overboard!" screamed T-Cog.

Instantly reacting Spike leaned over the edge and looked down, there he saw Slash thrashing about in the water below, as it turns out Slash managed to grab hold of a piece of rope that was attached to the sail on the way down and somehow swung himself into the sea.

"Help!" Slash screamed as he desperately tried to stay afloat. "I can't bloody swim!" 

Knowing that this was his fault Spike knew he had to do something, even if Slash was a psycho he didn't deserve to drown. 

"Drop the anchor! Dowse canvas!" Captain Jack screamed. "Stop this ship right now and get that dragon back on board!"

Hearing the urgency in their Captain's voice almost every pirate on board ran and flew at full speed to stop the ship, however while they did manage to drop the anchor and get the sails tied down they were unaware of another purple dragon diving into the sea. Plucking up the courage to do so and because he knew it was the right thing, Spike actually jumped into the sea after Slash. As he struggled against the rushing waves, Spike kicked with all his might towards the now tired Slash as he began to sink. Just as his face was about to go under, Spike managed to grab Slash by the tail. Seeing this from on deck Jack Silver made the call.

"Cast a line!" he shouted.

Following the order, Big Rummy and Gem La Stone grabbed some rope, tied it to the mast and threw the other end out to Spike who managed to grab it with ease.

"Pull them in!!!" Jack shouted.

Acting upon Jack's word, Big Rummy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Twilight yanked on the rope and pulled Spike and Slash back onto the ship. As Spike and Slash sat there on the deck dripping wet and gasping for breath, it wasn't even a few seconds before they were surrounded by the Mane Six, Cutie Mark Crusaders and the pirates.

"Spike are you okay?" Twilight said fearfully.

"Speak to us!" Rarity added.

"I'm…I'm okay," Spike gasped as he laid there on his back. "Remind me never to do that again."

"That I can certainly promise," Twilight said as she happily pulled Spike into a hug.

However that moment was short lived when Slash suddenly came to.

"Slash?" Big Rummy said. "Are you alright?"

"Where's that little squirt?" Slash groaned as he picked himself up.

"Seriously?" Applejack snapped. "After all that ya still want to fight?"

But Slash simply ignored Applejack and stomped towards Spike who walked towards him with a determined look in his eye, at first he thought Slash was going to throw another punch but it never came, instead he asked a question.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "After everything that happened, why'd you save me?"

"Well I couldn't let you drown could I?" Spike said shrugging his shoulders. "But I think the better question is what kind of pirate doesn't know how to swim? You send almost everyday on a ship at sea for crying out loud."

"I never got round to learning alright!" Slash snapped. "But let's not change the subject shall we?"

All of a sudden Slash quickly grabbed Spike's wrist, at first Spike though he was going to hit him again but instead he raised Spike's arm into a victory pose.

"Winner!!!" he shouted.

This was a word Spike never would have expected, he had actually won the fight and Slash actually declared it. As most of the crowd began to cheer for Spike, others seemed a little less thrilled since they lost big on bets against him. However everyone still seemed confused and while every pony else was thinking it, only Spike actually said it.

"B…but why?" he asked as Slash released his arm. "You were winning…"

"Because kid you actually dived in after me," Slash explained. "Not only does that show ya have a good heart, but it also shows you have guts. That only increases my respect for you in my book so… truce?"

Slash then outstretched his claw, and seeing the truthful look in Slash's face, with a smile he took it and they shook.

"Welcome to the crew." Slash smirked.
> Chapter 6: New Friendships
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn't too long before Spike's victory against Slash began to earn him a good reputation among the crew. Those who actually bet on him during the fight were happy that they managed to double their loot and those who lost their bets weren't even that bothered due to the new respect they had for him, even the Diamond Dogs seemed to warm up to the little dragon despite them being the least sociable of species. Before long almost every pirate on board was giving either shaking his claw or giving him some kind of compliment. In Jack Silver's cabin however the atmosphere was very different, after Spike was declared the winner of the fight Jack called Slash to his cabin to have serious talk about the recent fight.

"Slash this has got to stop," Jack said sternly. "You can't go around fighting other crewmembers just because you get insulted with what they say, for crying out loud this fight almost got you killed!"

"I know, I know!" Slash snapped. "But Captain you know I can't help myself, I'm very sensitive about that sort of thing."

"Be that as it may you can't just start up fights just because some pony insults you," Jack continued. "It’s things like this that have isolated you from the rest of the crew. The only reason some of them even talk to you is because they have to work with you."

"Don't you think I know that!?!" Slash said, getting slightly aggravated. "Sorry Captain I didn't mean to snap."

But Jack only smiled.

"It's alright Slash," he said. "Now if only you can show the same respect to the rest of the crew as you show me."

"Well that's easier said than done," Slash said. "The only reason that I show Big Rummy respect is because he's the only one dumb enough to be my friend on this ship and I show YOU respect because you're both my Captain and the closest thing to a father I ever had."

At those words Jack's smile grew even wider, even more sympathetic towards the young dragon.

"Still dwelling on the past eh?" he asked.

"How could I not?" Slash asked with a slight smile. "If it weren't for you Captain, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now."

"Be that as it may Slash, I shouldn't be the only one you turn to when you're in trouble and neither should Rummy," Jack said. "I know you have problems trusting anyone else but you can't let that isolate you from the rest of the crew. Look, I won't be around forever and when I'm gone I won't be able to help when you most need it and Rummy certainly isn't the best choice whenever you need some serious advice, the only way you're going to survive on this ship after that is by allying yourself with the rest of the crew."

"But what am I supposed to do?" Slash asked. "After the way I've acted over the years I doubt that anyone's gonna want to make nice with me, the Diamond Dogs certainly aren't gonna forgive me after I had that little spat with them last month."

"Well you can start by making peace with the newcomers," Jack explained. "Start with them and soon the whole crew will…"

"The mares!?!" Slash interrupted. "Captain you can't be serious!"

"I've never been more serious in my life." Jack said sternly. "We have to show our new arrivals that we are not the monsters they believe us to be, T-Cog and Shimmer have already made an effort and I expect you to do the same."

"But…"

"Slash I won't hear of it, you are to go below deck and make peace, understood?"

Slash was reluctant at first but he knew he couldn't disobey his Captain.

"Aye-Aye sir," he muttered as he reluctantly saluted. 


#


Below deck the atmosphere seemed a little more jolly than usual, as everyone finished their work for the day and settled down for dinner, the Mane Six and Cutie Mark were raising their drinks in celebration for their victorious friend.

"To Spike!" Twilight announced. 

"Hopefully he won't have to do that ever again," Rarity added.

"Here, here" Sweetie Belle finished off.

"Thanks guys," Spike said slightly blushing. "I never thought I would actually beat Slash in that fight."

"Well just try not to get yerself in any more trouble kay?" Applejack smirked.

As they all laughed amongst each other in their little group, they felt that nothing could have been better at that moment. As Shimmer watched them from her own group of ponies consisting of herself, T-Cog, Big Rummy, Gem La Stone and Dripfang, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"You know guys, we have been a little tough on the newbies," she said the group. "What do you say we cut them some slack?"

"How have we been tough on zem?" Gem asked. "We've treated zem exactly as we would our own comrades."

"Yeah, but they aren't exactly used to the pirate’s life as we are," Shimmer explained. “Don’t you think we should at least try to make it easier for them, maybe even befriend them?”

"What does it matter?" Dripfang scoffed. "They'll be gone in a matter of months so who cares if we don't 'mingle' with them?"

"Because then we wouldn't be any different than what they think of us already," T-Cog answered him. "As far as they're concerned we're nothing but criminals, you especially."

At those words Dripfang only peered down at his food with a look of guilt on his face.

"Granted that in the past I've done things I ain't proud of," he said. "But the fact that I gave up my entire species to be on this ship should be enough to convince everyone that I'm not the same as them." 

"Then why not convince these newcomers of that?" Shimmer asked with a smile. "So how about it? Shall we invite them to join us?"

It didn't even take them a few seconds before they all came up with the same answer.

"Why not?" Gem La Stone said.

"Yeah," T-Cog added.

"Okay," Big Rummy giggled. 

"Alright fine," Dripfang muttered.

At those words, Shimmer stood up and walked towards the Mane Six who looked at her with slight confusion.

"Hey guys," she said. "Listen, me and the guys were talking and we were wondering whether you'd like to join us."

At first no pony answered her, fact that she was even asking the question shocked them a little bit.

"Look I know you guys don't exactly trust us," Shimmer continued. "But since we're going to be spending some time working together we just thought it would be better that we got to know each other better, maybe we even have a few things in common."

While the Cutie Mark Crusaders were happy to accept, the Mane Six however were a little reluctant. It was only until Spike spoke up that the silence broke.

"I guess I can handle a chat with you guys," he said. "Heck, you pirates have been giving me compliments all afternoon so I think having a talk with you guys won't hurt."

"Yeah," Applejack added. "Besides I never got a chance to thank ya for the tonic."

Before long, while some were reluctant to do so, the Mane Six, Spike and Cutie Mark Crusaders walked over to the group of pirates and sat down, while names weren't exactly necessary Shimmer though she'd break the ice by introducing everyone to each other, as soon as that bit of awkwardness was done, she tried to get a conversation going.

"So…" she said. "How are you guys doing on board ship?"

"It's alright I suppose," Applejack said, shrugging her shoulders. "It's not the same as working on a farm but I think we got the hang of it."

"Although it would be appreciated that a few of the crew members spoke to us with a little respect," Rarity added. "No offence Gem but I don't think you should be shouting at us every five minutes."

"Rarity!" Twilight snapped.

"No, no don't worry about it," Gem reassured her. "In fact I believe she is right, I have been a little strict since you all came here but after today I believe we should be treating our friends with a little more respect. Zere should be no conflict between us."

Hearing this, Twilight felt a little bit more comfortable, so comfortable she felt a bit braver asking the next question.

"So Gem why did you join Jack Silver's crew?" she asked. "That is if you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all," she said with a slight smile. "Well I guess it all started when I was born with zis unusual mane, after many years of getting teased in my home country of Prance because of it, I suppose it was only natural zat I joined the only pony who didn't."

"W…what do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

Gem's smile then spread a little wider, it was though she was a little flattered by the question.

"It all happened in zis tavern one day," she answered. "After another afternoon of being called 'Skunk Mane' I wanted to drown my sorrows in cider, it was only until Captain Jack walked in zat zings began to change. While the other drunkards ridiculed my mane, ze dear Captain actually stood up for me, said that it was no way to treat such a beautiful lady."

"Yeah, Father always was such a flatterer," Shimmer smirked.

"After zat we spent ze afternoon talking," Gem continued. "He told me zat he was a pirate but zat didn't bother me, I was just glad I found someone who didn't ridicule me and I didn't care who he was. When it was time for him to leave he asked zat if I would like to join his crew, at first I zought he was joking but after all ze years of ridicule I didn't want to take it as such. Next zing I know I'm ze main Gem inspector for ze Golden Alicorn."

"But what about your family?" Apple Bloom asked. "Did you even say goodbye to em?"

"Zey wouldn't have cared," Gem answered. "In fact zey were happy to see me go, you see ponies from Prance believe zeir manes to be the most beautiful in ze world but after I was born with my unusual colouring my parents and sister believed zat I would bring shame to ze entire family. It was only natural zat zey were ecstatic to see me out of Zeir lives."

"My word, that's horrible," Rarity said, now feeling a little guilty about her last comment about her. 

"Well it was the same thing for all of us," T-Cog explained. "Well maybe, not the whole mane thing but the fact that we were all pretty much alone when we came on board this ship.  After growing up in my home country of Trottland I became a sailor for merchant ships. Back then I didn't have much of a family, I mean me mam had died and me dad went and left us when I was but a wee lad, anyway most of my life was spent working on merchant ships after that. But after falling overboard the last ship I was on about forty years ago I washed up on some island beach, after a few months I was lucky enough to get picked up by the Golden Alicorn. Being the good ol’ sport that he was Jack Silver gave me the run of the ship, he even let me use my talent in machinery to give it a few upgrades, hence the Cutie Mark.

"Even Big Rummy here didn't have much when he came on board," Shimmer added. "Although it is hard to tell considering…"

"Considering what?" Twilight asked.

"Well…" Shimmer said trying hard not to insult the large pony sitting next to her. "As far as we can tell, Rummy used to work on a cargo ship before it sank, we don't know whether he was like that before or the shock of the whole ordeal caused it to happen but when my Father fished him out of the ocean…well let's just say he was a sandwich or two short of the picnic."

"Ooh, are we having a picnic?" Big Rummy said with a goofy grin on his face.

"See what I mean?" Shimmer said rolling her eyes.

"Alright then, what about you?" Twilight asked looking towards Dripfang. "How did you end up on this ship? I would have thought you would have stayed with your own species."

"Well if you must know I was abandoned by them," Dripfang snapped angrily. "After the whole ordeal with that wedding in Canterlot, the queen and the rest of my hive fled back the Bad lands in the far north, leaving me behind. Weak and vulnerable I sought refuge towards the nearby docks, there I found a ship where hid below deck so I could recuperate, however little did I know that the ship set sail the very next day. After a week of hiding in the lower decks the ship was eventually plundered by the Alicorn. I would have walked the plank but Jack Silver took an instant liking to me, so while the rest of the crewmembers rowed away in their longboats as their ship sank to the depths, I stayed on board the Alicorn and Jack took me under his wing. After a bit of time I found that my life was better on this ship, instead of the harsh treatment we Changelings are used to from our queen, now I have good food for every meal, a bundle of loot every time we go treasure hunting and the best group of friends a shipmate could ask for, and of that is more than enough to satisfy my hunger for love cause this entire ship is bristling with it."

"I'll drink to that," T-Cog said as he raised his flagon of rum.

"Here, here," Gem La Stone added as she raised her own.

The Mane Six couldn't believe what they were hearing, while on the outside the pirates looked nothing more than mere criminals looking for trouble, each and every one of them had gone through some kind of ordeal that made them suffer in their past, and here they were drinking and laughing as though committing themselves to piracy was the best choice they ever made. Could the Mane Six have been wrong about these pirates? They would have asked what Shimmer's story was but they were suddenly interrupted by an unexpected appearance by their captain escorting Slash below deck.

"Good evening my friends," he said. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything but Slash here has something to say… Alright you know what to do,"

"Aw c'mon do I really have to do this? I mean it's in front of the crew," Slash moaned.

But one stern look from his Captain answered Slash’s question completely.

"Oh alright!” he moaned. “Look, I know I've been a little aggressive towards you all and I know I've been a snappy little idiot towards my shipmates and after today I've realised that it has to stop… I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry...or…something," 

That last part barley escaping Slash’s mouth in a mumble. While his shipmates knew from the look in his face that Slash was being sincere, that didn't stop them from having a little fun with him.

"I… don't think they heard you in the back," Scootaloo smirked, seeing the frustration in Slash's face.

"I said I'm sorry." Slash grumbled, slightly louder than last time.

"Pardon?" Gem said trying to hold back her laughter.

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"  Slash screamed, now really starting to get agitated as he jumped up and down in a small temper tantrum. “For crying out loud!!!”

After everyone below deck laughed at Slash's frustration, Captain Jack smiled in delight as the group invited Slash to join them. Looking at the smiling faces of every pony in that group, Jack knew at that moment the voyage to the seventh Element of Harmony is going to go much smoother, especially since harmony itself was amongst his crew.


#


It had now been a month since the Mane Six had joined Jack Silver's crew and things were really beginning to make a turn for the better. Now that they had made peace with a few of the key crewmembers the Mane Six had an easier time adjusting to life on the ship, Spike for example was getting along a lot better with Slash since he won the fight with him, Slash even went as far as to show Spike how to swing off of the mast to the slower deck like some kind of monkey. Down in Gem La Stone's office Twilight and Rarity were also having a better time with their jobs, with Gem being less strict with them they were able to examine each gem with a bit more accuracy, Gem was even kind enough to show them certain treasures that contained numerous pieces of magic, such as old amulets and cutlasses. Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders were having the time of their life since some of the crewmembers treated them like they were their own fillies. However Blackhorn, being the strict quartermaster that he is seemed to be the only one not happy about this new turn of events.

"Captain we have to do something about these newcomers!" he growled when he barged into Jack Silver's cabin one morning.

"Oh really?" Jack said as he continued to drink his tea. "And what my dear Blackhorn is the problem with the newcomers?"

"What's the problem!?!" Blackhorn snapped. "Captain they are making a mockery of this crew! Instead of focusing on the mission at hoof they are spending most of their days playing about with the newbies. At this point, they'll probably be completely unaware of the danger that lies ahead."

"Oh don't be so dramatic Blackhorn," Jack said calmly helping himself to a biscuit. "I'm quite sure the crew knows the seriousness of the voyage, but if you really believe that the newcomers are trouble for us then I'm afraid you are quite mistaken. Ever since they came on board not only has Slash been acting better towards the rest of his shipmates but I feel like the crew has now got a better perspective on how we can become better than what we are."

"Better?" Blackhorn said raising an eyebrow. "Sir we're pirates why should we try to be better?"

"Because Blackhorn while at first I was proud of my monstrous reputation, I am tired of having other ponies run away from me as soon as step on land," Jack answered. "Even the Griffins become uneasy whenever I approach them. Once I retire I don't want to have to spend my days running from the law and worrying about you all on board this ship. You've been my friend for over twenty years now and you know I grow more and more tired every day."

"Yes sir I know," Blackhorn answered.

"As soon as this adventure is over and I take the newcomers home I shall be leaving with them," Jack explained. "When we reach Equestria I plan to turn myself in to Princess Celestia in exchange for a pardon for the rest of the crew, including you.

"You going to do what!?!" Blackhorn gasped.

"You heard me,"

"But sir what about you? If you turn yourself in, you’ll end up hanged at execution dock and even if you don't then who knows what's going to happen to your reputation."

At those words, Jack simply sighed.

"Like I said, I care not for it anymore." he said. "Once the seventh Element is returned, I want an absolute guarantee that my crew won't be hunted down after I'm gone, a plea to Princess Celestia is the only way I can make sure of it."

"I take it your daughter doesn't know about this?" Blackhorn asked.

Hearing this Jack sighed again.

"No she does not," he answered. "And I would appreciate you keeping this between us, I rather no pony else know about this until I feel it’s the right time to tell them."

Blackhorn looked at his Captain with a concerned look in his eye, after all the years he's known him he never would have expected anything like this.

"You have my word sir," he answered giving a salute. "Both as your quartermaster and as your friend."

"So tell me Blackhorn," Jack said trying to change the subject. "What was it that the newcomers were doing with the crew that was so bad that you had to burst into my cabin to tell me?"

At that moment Blackhorn's face changed back from concerned to angry.

"Allow me to show you sir," he growled.

As Blackhorn led Jack Silver out on deck, he pointed out towards the lower deck to show what he was talking about. There on deck instead of a typical working environment Blackhorn was used to, the two Unicorns were instead greeted with what seemed like a jollier crew. Though they were still doing their jobs, certain Ponies and Diamond Dogs were finding new ways on doing them, some even singing while doing it. Jack was so intrigued by the happy tone in every one’s voice he felt a sense of pride, he has not seen the crew this cheerful in a very long time. Suddenly something else caught his attention. Instead swabbing the deck like they were supposed to, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and certain pony crewmembers were using the scrubbing water and the bushes strapped to their hooves so that they can shoot along the deck like an ice-skating ring. At first Blackhorn though Jack was going to be angry with his crew for slacking off but to his surprise, Jack seemed to be laughing at it.

"And what may I ask is so funny?" he said angrily.

"This is what you were making such a big deal about?" Jack laughed. "Blackhorn, not only is the work getting done but the whole crew's having fun while doing it."

Furious at the lack of discipline his Captain is showing Blackhorn then stomped off and went below deck, leaving Jack to be entranced by the ponies on deck. Two of the ponies who were skating on the deck were Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash who seemed to be challenging each other over something, luckily T-Cog was also there so he could announce it, so Jack could hear what was going on.

"Alright lassies, you know the rules," he said as he watched from the side-lines "Whoever comes up with the most creative stunt shall be declared the winner of this challenge, remember since Scoot is only a filly she won't be able to use her wings so that means I want no flying from you Miss Dash."

"No sweat," Rainbow Dash said with a smile. "If there's one thing I know it's how to play fair,"

"Alright then," T-Cog continued. "Since Rainbow Dash won the coin toss she will be going first."

As Rainbow Dash slowly moved her way into position, she couldn't help but feel nervous, while she was normally fearless when it came too flying she never in her life was she able to skate. In fact the only reason she was doing this was to show off to Scootaloo who for many years was and still is her biggest fan.

"Good luck Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cheered from the side-lines.

As Rainbow Dash eyed the slippery path of water before her eyes, she felt a slight bit of sweat run down her brow.

"Alright then," T-Cog announced "On the count of three…1… 2… 3… Go!!!"

Instantly Rainbow Dash skidded across the deck, while she was used to flying and the Sonic Rainboom she did however have another stunt planned for this little challenge. When she got enough speed built up she leapt with full force into the air whilst there she was able to perform three backflips and a corkscrew before she hit the deck again. The crowd then cheered for her as she made her way back to the side-lines. 

"Well it's not a Sonic Rainboom that I think that was pretty impressive," she said with a victorious look across her face.

"Next up is Scootaloo," T-Cog announced.

Gulping in fear Scootaloo moved to position, however even though she saw Rainbow Dash do one, she couldn't think of a great enough stunt to match it. While she was glad that she was able to spend some time with her idol who at this point was now more like an older sister to her, she didn't want to look a fool in front of her and get laughed at by the other crewmembers. Seeing the fear in her eyes Jack walked towards her and whispered something in her ear. Listening to the words Jack spoke a small smile spread across Scootaloo's face.

"You think I can do that?" she asked.

"Go for it sweetheart," Jack chuckled.

With a sudden urge of confidence, Scootaloo was ready and T-Cog began the announcement.  

"Alright then…1… 2… 3… Go!!!"

Bursting at full speed Scootaloo skidded across the deck, after reaching the appropriate speed she suddenly began to spin like the Tasmanian devil. At first everyone thought she was just losing control however after spinning for a few seconds, Scootaloo jumped with full force into the air and performed two cartwheels and three forward flips. Finally landing again Scootaloo was met by a roar of applause from the crewmembers and Rainbow Dash, this was a clear sign that she had won.

"Well shiver me timbers," T-Cog smirked. "That had to be one of the best stunts I've seen in years, the only other time I ever seen one like that was when…"

Suddenly T-Cog stopped in the middle at his sentence and looked at his Captain with a smile on his face.

"Is that what you whispered to her?" he asked. "Did you just pass down your great knowledge?"

At those words, Jack merely chuckled.

"I may be an old seadog but I can still teach my legendary tricks," he smirked.

"YOU perform stunts?" Rainbow Dash asked trying to hold back a bit of laughter.

"Well not anymore," Jack answered. "But back in my younger days I did perform a little bit of trapeze in order to escape from the law, that piece Scootaloo just did was the one I tried out when I was robbing Polar Diamonds from the Penguin Kingdom in the south. You should be proud of her Rainbow Dash, talent like that deserves a lot of praise."

"You bet it does!" Rainbow Dash smirked as she picked up Scootaloo and gave her a playful noogy. "It's one of the many reasons I took her under my wing, of course it's not the only reason."

Scootaloo then noticed Rainbow Dash giving her a little wink, at that point she couldn't help but blush.

"You really think I have talent Mr Silver?" she asked. 

"I certainly do," Jack said with a comforting smile. "In fact I think it shows."

At first neither Scootaloo nor Rainbow Dash knew what Jack meant, suddenly they realised that he was nodding towards Scootaloo's flank. Turning their heads towards it they were met with a wonderful surprise, there on Scootaloo's flank was an image of a ramp, coloured red and orange. At first Scootaloo stared at it with a look of shock on her face the suddenly it lit up with pure delight.

"My Cutie Mark!!!" she screamed happily. "I got my Cutie Mark! This is the happiest Day of my life!!!"

As Jack laughed in delight at the joy in Scootaloo's face, he couldn't help but wonder how the Mane Six the other Cutie Mark Crusaders are going to react when they see this. However Jack was going to get his answer sooner than he though because Scootaloo's cheerful scream echoed throughout the entire ship, causing everyone to wonder what was going on.

"Hey what's all this screaming about?" Slash asked as he climbed down the mast to investigate.

"Well it turns out our young friend here has finally obtained her Cutie Mark," Jack explained. "I think this calls for a celebration don't you?"

"Does that mean we're in for…" Shimmer began.

"…A PARTY!?!" Pinkie Pie screamed, finishing Shimmer's sentence.

"I suppose it does," Jack laughed. "Slash get your guitar, we're gonna need some music."

But Slash only looked down at the deck with a fearful look on his face.

"Um actually Captain… there's a slight problem with my guitar," he explained. "You see the night before I challenged Spike I was playing it and…"

But before Slash could finish his sentence, he was tapped on the shoulder, he then turned to see a smiling Apple Bloom who presented him with his guitar, mended and freshly polished.

"But…but how?" Slash asked with a confused look on his face.

"After you broke yer guitar, I thought you'd like to have it fixed." Apple Bloom explained. "I saw how much ya’ll loved playin it."

It was at that moment tears of joy began to fill Slash's only eye, never in his life had anyone been so nice to him.

"I…I don't know what to say," he said trying to hold back the tears. "You certainly have some skills in carpentry kid."

"Well T-Cog helped me out quite a bit." Apple Bloom said blushing.

"No way young lass, all the credit belongs to you," T-Cog smirked. "I only lent you me tools."

"Well I believe this calls for a double celebration," Jack Silver smirked.

Again nobody knew what Jack was talking about however realising what Jack was doing again everyone turned to look at Apple Bloom's flank, there instead of a blank patch of yellow was an image of a crossed hammer and saw. Naturally the reaction from Apple Bloom was the same as Scootaloo's.

"My Cutie Mark!!!" she yelled in delight. "I've finally got my Cutie Mark!!!"

"Way to go sis!" Applejack said as she pulled Apple Bloom into a hug.

As the crowd chuckled in delight at the news, the only one who didn't seem to be smiling was Sweetie Belle.

"Whatever is the matter Sweetie?" Rarity asked looking at the sad look in her sister's eyes.

"It's just not fair Rarity," Sweetie Belle said. "I know they’re my friends but I can't help but feel a little jealous."

"Oh don't worry little sister, you'll get your Cutie Mark soon enough,"

"You're sister's right kid," Slash said, overhearing their conversation. "I may not be a pony but I know for a fact that when you get your Cutie Mark it'll be epic."

Hearing these words and seeing the looks in Scootaloo and Applebloom's face did cheer Sweetie Belle up a bit, in fact she was even able to pull off a smile.

"You know, I hear that you are quite the singer," Slash smirked.

"What me?" Sweetie Belle said nervously. "Well…I may have…written a couple of things." 

At those words Slash's small smile turned into a wide toothy grin.

"Then perhaps you'd like to help me out with this number," he said. "It's a little Shanty we pirates like to sing when we're feeling a little down."

Suddenly Slash began to pluck at a few strings on his guitar and music echoed throughout the entire deck, before anyone knew it Slash was singing.

"First I thought my life was so great on the land,
Every single day I’d step out onto nice, warm sand,
But then I found out what life was like on the sea,
Soon met a Captain with a grand plan for meeeeeeee!!!!."

All at once Slash began to dance a small jig and every pirate on deck joined in with the chorus. 

"Yo ho, Yo ho, It's a pirate's life for me,
Yo ho, Yo ho, Nothing but adventure for me,
Yo ho, Yo ho, It's a grand life to hold,
Yo ho, Yo ho, The only thing better is the Jewels and Gold." 

Suddenly the whole ship was filled with music, not just from Slash's guitar but from every pirate who was able to play an instrument. Suddenly Shimmer decided to take the next verse.

"Now they say we pirates should be always feared and hated,
But I say to you right now that it's that is all exaggerated,
We all hoist the colours and we all man the guns,
Hang on, I see another ship, it's time to have some fun."

Suddenly every pirate began to sing the chorus again.

"Yo ho, Yo ho, It's a pirate's life for me,
Yo ho, Yo ho, Nothing but adventure for me,
Yo ho, Yo ho, It's a grand life to hold,
Yo ho, Yo ho, The only thing better is the Jewels and Gold."

As everyone on deck began to dance and sing to this astounding Shanty, Sweetie Belle couldn't hold it in anymore, as the music changed from jolly and upbeat to slow and mysterious, she opened up her powerful vocal cords and took the next verse.

"With the wind on my face and the spray of the ocean blue,
I always look forward to go sailing on the sea with you,
The bounties are always high and the law’s always on our tail,
But our dear Captain always has a plan that never ever faaaaaaiiiiils!!!".

After that beautiful high note from Sweetie Belle and the crowd cheered for her the music suddenly picked up the pace again and everyone was singing the jolly tune. Even the Mane Six and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders were joining in. 

"Yo ho, Yo ho, It's a pirate's life for me,
Yo ho, Yo ho, Nothing but adventure for me,
Yo ho, Yo ho, It's a grand life to hold,
Yo ho, Yo ho, The only thing better is the Jewels and Gold,
Yo ho, Yo ho, I can feel the spray of the sea,
Yo ho, Yo ho, It's a pirate's… life… for… meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!"

Finally the music stopped and the whole deck was filled with applause, every pony on deck was screaming for more, especially from Sweetie Belle who couldn't believe what she did. Never in her life did she feel such power in her voice, but the best surprise of all came when she turned and saw her flank where instead of a canvas of white was an image of a pink heart with a dark purple music note. Things had never been better for the Cutie Mark Crusaders that day because not only did they receive their Cutie Marks, they all received them together. 
> Chapter 7: Trouble below Deck
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a cause for celebration on the Golden Alicorn that evening, not only because the Cutie Mark Crusaders finally got their Cutie marks, but also because news from the ship’s navigator indicated that they were only one week away from their destination give or take a day or two. Hearing this, the whole crew decided to throw a small party that night which easily turned into a huge bash thanks to Pinkie Pie. In a matter of hours every pony and Diamond Dog was dancing to jolly music and downing huge quantities of Cider and Rum, they knew that they would get a massive hangover the following morning but they didn't care, they were just so happy that the real fun will soon be beginning. Even Blackhorn seemed to be enjoying himself, however he preferred to sit by himself in his quarters while the rest of the crew partied on deck. As the celebrations continued, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sat right by the door to the gun deck watching Spike attempt to do the tango with Rarity with comedic results, however Pinkie Pie also noticed that Fluttershy seemed to be nervous about something.  

"What's the matter Shaky?" Pinkie Pie giggled. "It's a party, we should be having fun."

"I know," Fluttershy said quietly "I just don't feel like celebrating at the moment because…well I just have a bad feeling about some of the crewmembers here, that's all."

"What are you talking about? These pirates are a hoot." Pinkie Pie laughed. "Sure a couple are Diamond Dogs but even they are super-duper fun. You should have seen T-Cog when he tried to use his hook to ski off the back of the ship, he ended up falling off at the first try and had to fly over to catch up with us."

"Granted half of these pirates do seem to be quite nice," Fluttershy said. "But there are a few of them I just don't feel right about."

"Hey who's the one with the Pinkie-sense here?" Pinkie Pie asked. "If any one of these pirates was going to do something to us I would know about it in a second."

"Well I still feel a little strange about some members of this crew, I… I feel like their always watching us, just waiting to pounce."

"Oh that's just a figment of your imagination."

But before Fluttershy could come up with an answer for that, she was met with a terrifying surprise. Before she could even open her mouth both she and Pinkie Pie were suddenly snuck up from behind, gagged and put into dirty brown sacks by three unseen figures and rushed into the gun deck before anyone saw them.


#


"THIS is a figment of my imagination!?!" Fluttershy snapped with teary eyes.

As it turns out, three of the crewmembers managed to sneak away from the festivities on deck and rush Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie below deck into what looked like an unused torture chamber but in reality it was T-Cog's workshop where he would make most of the gadgets in his hook. While Fluttershy laid helplessly tied to a filthy wooden table, Pinkie Pie was bound to what looked like a rusty old rack. Their captors were three skinny looking earth ponies all murky blue in colour and baring the same cutie mark of a jagged knife, judging by their appearance it was obvious that they were in fact triplets, two of which were stallions and one of them a mare which happened to be the leader of the three. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had already met these three before but only on rare occasions when they gave them their food. Normally these three were crewmembers who worked as deckhands with Rainbow Dash and Applejack, however now they were being as threatening as possible to their captives. As the leader of the Triplets edged her way towards Pinkie Pie on the rack, she gazed at her with her blood-red eyes, she then licked her lips in delight as she begin to imagine what she was about to do.

"Okay ladies, I suppose you are wondering why you have been brought down here," she said in a cold slithery voice. "Well as it turns out you two have information that me and my brothers require. So either you tell us where the dear old Captain has hidden the Elements of Harmony…. OR WE'LL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!!!"

But Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy couldn't answer her even if they wanted too, for they didn't know where Jack Silver has kept the Elements of Harmony either, not once while they were on board did he even bother to share that information with them. Clearly these three triplets were wrong in their knowledge of the matter. However both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy knew that if they told them the truth, there was no way they would simply let them go. So naturally Pinkie Pie decided to play along.

"Never!" she pronounced. "Fluttershy and I will never tell!"

"Whoa, whoa wait!" Fluttershy shrieked in a panicked tone. "Maybe we can compromise…m…maybe you'd like a hug instead?"

"HA! In your dreams!" one of the stallions spat.

"Do it Razor!" screamed the mare. "Do it!"

Acting upon his sister's word the other stallion laughed manically and began to turn the crank on the rack, as the machine stretched Pinkie Pie's legs like rubber, she found herself getting longer and longer with every turn, but to everyone's surprise, she didn't seem to be in pain in fact she  seemed to be enjoying the whole experience.

"Wow!" she giggled. "Look at this! I'm taller! Now I don't have to use my stilts anymore!"

As they all listened to Pinkie Pie's cheerful laughter in shock, the leader of the triplets suddenly flew into a terrible rage.

"What the heck are you!?!" she screamed in anger. “Cleaver! Burn the Pegasus's wings off!"

"WHAT!?!" Fluttershy tearfully squealed in fear as the stallion took a sword from the nearby furnace where T-Cog and Dripfang forged new cutlasses. "NO! NO! Please don't!" 

But Fluttershy's tearful pleas only made the triplets laugh even louder, even Pinkie Pie began to fear for her friends life at this point.

"Hey!" she screamed. "You get away from her!!!"

"Oh I don't think so giggles," the mare said with an evil grin on her face. "I'm afraid this shall be the last day that this Pegasus will ever to fly again."

At those words Fluttershy screamed even louder, the fear alone would have been enough to drive even the bravest ponies insane however while they didn’t know it yet, there was shimmer of hope for the captive ponies running towards the screams. The white-hot blade had barely touched the joint where her wing was attached to the side of her body and the pain was unbelievable, just being able to describe it would have been challenge enough without having to go through it. Luckily the stallion didn't even get a chance to dig the blade into Fluttershy's flesh since he was interrupted by a thunderous bang coming from behind him. Instantly reacting to the noise the stallion removed the blade from Fluttershy's wing and turned his head towards the noise along with everyone else and saw Big Rummy standing in the knocked down doorway, only he didn't look as giddy as he normally did, in fact he looked like he was about to explode with fury.

"Rummy," the mare said nervously. "Listen… this is not what it looks like."

But Big Rummy didn't even hear her, he was too horrified and angry at the sight of Fluttershy's bleeding wing and the burning hot sword in the stallion's mouth. Eyes burning with fury, Rummy slammed his hoof against the floor like a bull and like a locomotive he ploughed into the triplets with full force and began to use his gigantic hooves to beat them to a pulp, by the time he was done, their painful screams were still echoing in his ears. Luckily for them, Big Rummy never intended to kill them.

"I think he shattered my ribs," one of the Stallions groaned, although it was hard to tell since he sound like he had a collapsed lung.

"I think my legs are broken," the other stallion added.

Ignoring the painful groans of the triplets laying in a bloody heap on the floor, Big Rummy quickly made his way towards Fluttershy and untied her bonds, luckily the blade of the sword only made a slight gash in her wing, but that didn't stop her from shaking and crying her eyes out.

"Are…are…you alright?" Big Rummy asked her nervously.

But Fluttershy didn't even answer him, instead she just wrapped herself around him in a tearful hug, never in her life had she been so scared.


#


It wasn't too long before the news of Fluttershy and Pinkie's capture reached the ears of those who were on deck partying, in a matter of moments the party ended and a small group of pirates rushed below deck to apprehend the triplets, thanks to Big Rummy's beating it was an easy job. Now bound and gagged, the triplets sat there on deck in front of every pony while Big Rummy and Pinkie Pie explained what happened to Jack Silver, as it turns out Big Rummy spotted Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie's capture and was able to follow the triplets below deck. After they finished their story, Jack's face changed from concerned to furious, almost vengeful, he was so angry his horn was beginning to pulsate with magic. Knowing what was going to happen, Shimmer looked to the crew.

"Hit the deck!!!" she screamed.

Instantly reacting to the order, every Pony and Diamond Dog ducked as low as they could while Jack in a fit of rage screamed in fury as lightning literally erupted from his horn into the night sky. Never before had any crew member seen Jack this upset, as he edged his way towards the leader of the triplets and put his horn to her throat, the clear sign of fear filled her eyes.

"You have no idea how hard it is not to drive this into your air pipe," he growled. "I may be a merciful pony but I can never forgive anything like this and I'm quite sure no pony else can either. SLASH! DRIPFANG! T-COG! Lock these three pieces off filth in the brig!"

"With pleasure," Slash growled, cracking his knuckles in anger.

"On your hooves scum!" Dripfang added.

The three then shoved the triplets to make them stand and rushed them below deck to the brig, leaving Jack alone with the rest of the crew. 

"What are you all staring at!?!" Jack snapped, seeing the fearful look in everyone's face. "Get below deck now, all of you! Come on, the party's over let's go!!!"

Not wanting to push Jack even further over the edge than he already was, everyone fearfully scuffled across the deck and tried to make their way below. However one pony was chosen to stay behind.

"Miss Sparkle!" Jack called. "Could I see you in my cabin please!?!"

Not knowing what to expect, Twilight did what she was told and followed the Captain into his cabin, however when she closed the door she was met with a bizarre sight, Jack Silver slumped on the floor trying to hold back tears.

"I… am… so… sorry," he chocked. "To think what those three almost did to your friend, something like that shouldn't have to happen to such a nice pony, why… why did I let scum like that on board my ship!?!"

"Captain…" Twilight began, trying to find the right words to say. "…please…I… oh boy, look…"

"No Twilight this is MY fault," Jack interrupted her. "I promised that you all wouldn't be harmed and THIS is what happened, you must be furious…"

"Jack! I'm furious with them, not you!" Twilight snapped. "Judging from that little outburst you had out on deck I'd say you had nothing to do with it!"

"Be that as it may your friends had come to harm by three of my crewmembers," Jack said with a stern face. "Now I don't know who to trust anymore, any one of them could be plotting to do the same thing."

At those words Twilight sighed heavily and walked to Jack with a stern look on her face. 

"Look Jack…" she said in a serious tone. “I may not have known you or your crew for very long, but I know a good heart when I see it and you certainly have one and so does a good few members of your crew, Big Rummy for instance, if it weren't for him Fluttershy would have… I… I can't even say it."

But that sentence alone was enough to get Jack's face light up a little bit.

"You're…you're right Miss Sparkle," he said. "It’s no wonder you were chosen to be royalty back home. You can rest assured, I WILL get to the bottom of this, I promise you that." 

But before Twilight could come up with an answer for that, the door of the Captains' cabin swung open to reveal Blackhorn standing in the doorway.

"Captain!" he said gasping for air. "I just heard what happened, what's going on?"

"I'll tell you in a minute Blackhorn," Jack answered him. "You better get below deck with the others Miss Sparkle, Shimmer probably has the ship's doctor looking at Fluttershy right now."

While Twilight wanted to continue speaking with Jack about what he planned to do, she knew that she couldn't ignore her friend so doing what she's told she saluted the captain and exited the cabin, leaving Jack and Blackhorn alone.

"So what is going on?" Black asked angrily.

"Apparently the Blade Triplets were under the impression that Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie knew where I hid the Elements of Harmony" Jack explained. "I don't know why but for some reason they took it upon themselves to torture them into revealing that information."

"But the only pony who knows where they are hidden is you," Blackhorn said. "You said that if any pony else knew then every pony on board would be trying to get them."

"Of course they didn't know," Jack snapped. "And like an old fool I was stupid enough to believe that I could trust every pony on this ship that they would leave the newcomers alone knowing that, now there are only a few ponies on board that I certainly CAN trust, one of which is you old friend."

"So what do you plan on doing with the triplets?" Blackhorn asked.

"Rummy has already given them a bloody good beating," Jack answered. "But tomorrow morning I plan to go down to the brig and interrogate each and every one of them."

"They would most likely feed you nothing but lies sir, there would be no point." Blackhorn said. "Besides, you and I both know that this is the result of what I was telling you in the first place… the lack of discipline on board this ship."

"Well what do you suggest Blackhorn?" Jack snapped.

"Well sir…" Blackhorn said with a smile on his face. "...I do have a few ideas…"


#


While the Cutie Mark Crusaders slept in their hammocks later that night, the Mane Six stayed up with Fluttershy who was being tend to by the ship's doctor, he was an old, scruffy looking Diamond Dog who wore think circular glasses and carried a satchel of medical equipment and a small red parrot on his shoulder.

"You are one lucky pony," he said in high pitched, raspy voice as he finished off sowing the stitches in Fluttershy's wound. "Luckily for you the blade didn't hit anything vital, only managed to take a deep gash out of the skin. Don't worry you'll fly again in a week or two."

"Thanks doc," Applejack said.

Needless to say, the way this Diamond Dog spoke indicated that he was a lot smarter than the ones Rarity encountered a while back, some would even say he sounded more like a shaman than anything else. 

"Now the stitches are dissolvable so I won't have to take them out again but you're going to have to make sure she puts this on the wound every evening to stop any infection and to ease the pain." The doctor said as he took a small tub full of green paste out of his bag and passed it to Twilight. "Rub this on the wound before going to sleep and there should be nothing to worry about."

The doctor then put all of his equipment back in his satchel and stood up to leave, but not before his parrot gave the Mane Six a small remark.

"Dead mares tell no tales," it squawked.

Needless to say, that remark made every pony uneasy

"W…what did the bird say?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Never mind the bird spike,” Twilight said trying to keep the attention focused on Fluttershy

"Plus I think the better question is what are we going to do now?" Rainbow Dash snapped. "Because I don't know about the rest of you but I’m not going to just stand by and let those pirates get away with this!"

"Rainbow Dash keep it down, you'll wake the girls." Rarity said trying to shush her.

"So what?" Rainbow Dash barked. "I don't care if the whole ship hears me because not only has Fluttershy been tortured but this is also a violation of our trust, how do we know the whole crew isn’t on this!"

"The whole crew isn't in on it Dash!" Twilight growled.

"And how could you possibly know that?" Rarity asked.

"Because if they were then Big Rummy wouldn't have saved Fluttershy!" Twilight replied. "I think that proves that he isn't a monster like those triplets."

"And Slash may be a little psychotic but he's no killer," Spike added.

"Even Dripfang doesn't seem the type." Applejack said. "I know y'all are upset Dash, heck we all are but Twilight's right, I don't think all the pirates are like those triplets."

"Glad to hear you zink zat" said an unseen voice.

Everyone suddenly turned their heads to see Gem La Stone coming down the stairs, followed by Slash, Big Rummy, Shimmer, Dripfang and T-Cog.

"It's nice to know that recent events haven't changed your opinion about us," Shimmer said as she sat down next to Twilight. "How's she doing?"

"She had to have a few stitches but the doctor said that she'll be fine," Twilight explained. 

"Has she said anything?" T-Cog asked.

"Poor girl hasn't spoken a word since Rummy brought her above deck," Rarity answered. "The whole ordeal was too much for her."

"The poor mare," Slash said rubbing his head in frustration. "To think something like this happening on board this ship, it's just not right."

"Who were those three anyway?" Spike asked. "And why would such horrible ponies be on this ship?"

At those words Shimmer couldn't help but sigh.

"They are the Blade Triplets," she explained. "The two stallions are Razor Blade and Cleaver Blade and the mare's Pocket Blade, and to be honest they didn't seem to be much of a threat when they first came on board. As far as we know they were just a small family of knife throwers from some circus in Brayzil, after the circus was closed down they took to the sea where my father took them in after their ship went down. Clearly there was some kind of evil in their hearts that they managed to hide from everyone else."

"Well that's an understatement if I ever heard one." Rainbow Dash growled. "You guys may not be like those triplets but now I feel that any one of the other crewmembers is going to kill us when our backs are turned."

"Trust me we know what you mean," Dripfang said turning his head to look behind to make sure no pony was listening. "As a matter of fact I have a few suspicions about a few members myself, Blackhorn being one of them."

"Blackhorn?" Twilight asked. "The quartermaster?"

"Not this again Dripfang." Shimmer moaned.

"Come on Shimmer you know I'm right about this," Dripfang snapped. "Why don't you tell them his backstory, after all they already know most of ours."

Seeing the curious look on everyone's faces, Shimmer knew she had to tell them, even Fluttershy seemed to be edging closer so she could hear.

"Alright, alright, I suppose there no harm in telling you, though I don't feel right about doing it behind some pony else’s back." Shimmer said as she edged in closer so everyone could hear her without attracting any attention. "It was twenty years ago and as far as I know, at the time Blackhorn was one of the most powerful Unicorns that ever sailed the seas, only he wasn't a pirate but a Navy officer."

"Blackhorn was a Navy officer?" Twilight asked.

"Admiral from what I heard," T-Cog answered.

"He had it all," Shimmer continued. "A position of great power, a family that loved him, even his own ship but that all changed when his ship was attacked. As you probably guessed not all pirates are as nice as we are, however these pirates were far worse, that reputation father has… the pirates that attacked Blackhorn's ship had the same one, only they focused their lives on making it a reality."

"What do you mean?" Applejack asked.

"It all started on what Blackhorn considered a wonderful day," Shimmer said. "He was on his way to meet with some royal family who lived in the north on behalf of his queen, he and his wife and foal were half way there when the ship was attacked by another, a monstrous vessel known as the Black Death. The pirates killed every crewmember in sight leaving Blackhorn and his family for last, it was at that moment his life made a turn for the worst. The Captain of the Black Death, a griffin from what I heard, fought against Blackhorn, though his magic was powerful, the griffin played dirty and held his wife and foal hostage."

"But zat was only ze least of it," Gem added.

"Indeed," Shimmer continued. "Because after Blackhorn stood down from the fight to try and save his family, the griffin did the worst possible thing you could do to a Unicorn, have you ever wondered why his horn is broken? That's because the griffin sliced it off with his talons and worst of all to add a final blow, the griffin took the horn and plunged it into the throats of his wife and foal."

Hearing this, the Mane Six gasped in horror.

"That…that's the most horrible thing I ever heard," Rarity said.

"Agreed," Shimmer said. "While most of the crewmembers on board this ship had suffered greatly in their past Blackhorn seemed to be the one that has suffered the most, not only did he loose his most powerful weapon that day but the griffin used it to take away everything else he held dear. Needless the say the griffin took great pleasure in seeing Blackhorn squirm in his misery and wanted to make it last, so instead of killing him there and then he took him prisoner on board his ship, though eventually he grew bored of him. After that the pirates marooned Blackhorn on an island and left him to die, but not before he went mad with the heat and heartbreak. By the time the Golden Alicorn sailed by the island Blackhorn had already gone insane, at the time I was still very young and had only just became First Mate, when father found him lying on that beach he took pity on him, tried to bring back some of his sanity. Overtime Blackhorn got better but he never forgot that terrible event, every day he would get angrier and angrier until one day he finally snapped and jumped ship when we were sailing off the coast of Neighsia."

"We didn't see the guy for a whole year after that," Slash said.

"So what happened to him?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"About a month after I was recruited into the crew, Blackhorn came back." Dripfang answered.

"Found us while we were unloading loot in Trottuga," Gem added. "He told us zat he was finally at peace."

"Which meant either the lad finally decided to move on with his life…" T-Cog explained. "Or worse…" 

"…he found and killed the griffin who murdered his family." Shimmer finished.

At those words, every pony felt even more uneasy, knowing what they know now only made them more terrified than ever.

"Needless to say, Father decided to keep a close eye on Blackhorn after that," Shimmer continued. "After giving him the position of quartermaster he had Blackhorn stay as close to him as he would me, so far he hasn't shown any signs of cracking and he's as close to the Captain as the rest of us, so I don't want any more accusations about him Dripfang."

"Look all I'm saying is that we should just keep an eye on him," Dripfang explained. "I may not be the best one to say it given my own past but if Blackhorn has killed before who's to say he won't do it again?"

"The Captain trusts him and that's good enough for me!" Shimmer snapped. "Now I don't want to hear any more of this understood?"

While he still didn't want to say he was wrong, Dripfang reluctantly nodded his head.

"Good," Shimmer said with a stern look. "Look guys, I know tonight has been terrible for you, especially you Fluttershy, but we all just came back from the Captain's cabin and he told us that we were to stay close to you all so that this doesn't happen again, and you can rest assured because we don't intend to fail."

Shimmer meant well but even that bit of news wasn't exactly comforting given the circumstances. 

"Granted it's a nice gesture but I'm not so sure about it," Rainbow Dash said.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice lass," T-Cog said. "The Captain's given us these orders because we're some of the only few crewmembers he trusts at this point and he expects us to carry these orders out. Besides you're going to need our protection after tomorrow morning."

"What do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Well I'm afraid it's going to get a little stricter up on deck until we reach our destination and no doubt the crew is going to blame you guys for it." Shimmer explained. "Father is now under the impression that the lack of discipline on deck is what kept us blind to the triplet's attack."

"What? That's just silly" Pinkie Pie scoffed.

"Silly or not that's the Captain's orders." Slash explained. "Look we better hit the sack, gotta be up early tomorrow morning."

"No arguments zere," Gem said as she made her way to her hammock.

As everyone scuffled into their hammocks for the night, Fluttershy suddenly tapped Rummy on the shoulder before he could leave.

"Um…Rummy?" she whimpered. "Could you…um…help me with this, the doctor said I need to put it on my wing before I go to sleep."

Big Rummy looked down at the tub of green paste in Fluttershy's hooves then back to her face, he has slightly taken aback by her request.

"I…I…don't think I should," he said nervously. "…might make it worse…I…I…sometimes…break things."

"Oh please Rummy?" Fluttershy pleaded. "My wing really hurts and the doctor said that this paste will make the pain go away. Help me please."

Big Rummy may not have been the brightest bulb on the chandelier, but he knew he couldn't just refuse Fluttershy's plea. Tipping a small amount of paste in his hoof, Big Rummy gently dabbed it onto Fluttershy's stitches, or at least as gentle as he could, given the size of his hooves.

"By the way…" Fluttershy said as the pain began to fade. "…thank you for saving my life, it was so brave of you." 

"You're…um…you're welcome," Big Rummy said. "But I'm not brave, I'm just a stupid earth pony who can't even cook."

"Don't say that Rummy you're a wonderful cook," Fluttershy said. "And you are most definitely not stupid."

"You…you really think so?" Rummy asked with a smile on his face.

"Absolutely," Fluttershy replied.

At those words, Big Rummy couldn't help but giggle as he finished applying the paste.

"So kind," he chuckled to himself. "So beautiful and kind."

However suddenly realising what he had just said and knowing that Fluttershy could hear him, Big Rummy suddenly felt embarrassed.

"You…you think I'm beautiful?" Fluttershy asked turning her head towards him.

"Uh…well…um," Big Rummy stuttered, trying difficultly to find the right words. "You do have uh…a pretty mane and lovely eyes…oh boy…well it's just that um…"

But Before Big Rummy could even finish his sentence he was met with a surprise as Fluttershy suddenly gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight Rummy," she whispered as she turned and made her way to her hammock.

As Fluttershy blew out the lantern and the room was covered in darkness, Big Rummy couldn't help but smile, never in his life had he been so happy. Clambering into his reinforced hammock Big Rummy couldn't get what happened out of his mind, in fact he didn't even want to. As Slash looked down at the happy smile on Big Rummy's face from his own hammock, he felt a tinge of joy for his friend and whispered.

"Way to go big guy,"
> Chapter 8: Disaster above Deck
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a rough morning for everyone on board the Golden Alicorn the following day, not only did most of the crew have terrible headaches from the hangovers they were having, but also because he event s of the previous night had shocked them terribly. The sun had barely risen when Twilight found herself being suddenly knocked out of hammock the next morning, looking up she saw the panicked faces of T-Cog and Dripfang.

"W…what's going on?" Twilight yawned.

"Well the fun continues" Dripfang said with a panicked look on his face. "They're gone."

"Who?" Twilight asked rubbing her eyes.

"The Blade Triplets," T-Cog answered fearfully. "They escaped the brig."

"WHAT!?!" Twilight yelled, now suddenly wide awake.

Not wanting to wake anyone else but who they wanted to know, T-Cog and Dripfang woke the rest of the Mane Six and their comrades, explaining what happened as they went above deck.

"They must have broken out last night while we were all asleep," T-Cog explained. "We noticed something was wrong when we found one of the longboats missing when we came out for our morning jobs, we even found a smal blood trail leading from here all the way down to the brig, no doubt they were still bleeding from that beating Rummy gave them last night."

"But how did they even escape?" Twilight asked. "I thought this entire ship was enchanted."

"It was," Dripfang said. "But that outburst the Captain had last night must have weakened his spells."

"But wasn't there even a guard?" Rainbow Dash snapped.

"Of course there was," T-Cog retaliated. "But the idiot was so hyped up on rum from last night's party that he fell asleep after the first ten minutes. Look, it doesn't matter now, what matters is that the triplets broke out of their cell, stole one of the longboats and took off. When the Captain finds out about this he's gonna be pissed, he was supposed to interrogate them this morning."

"Well I'm not gonna tell him." Slash said nervously.

"Me neizer," Gem La Stone added. "I don't want to be in ze crossfire when he explodes again."

"Aw come on, how bad could it be?" Applejack asked.

But that question was quickly answered when the furious voice of Jack Silver erupted from his cabin.

"THEY HAVE WHAT!?!" it screamed.

Suddenly a loud explosion erupted from the Captain's cabin and Jack stomped out onto the deck, eyes blazing with fury.

"Something tells me he already knows," Twilight said nervously.

"Oh you think?" Slash said sarcastically.

"SHIMMER!" Jack shouted.

"Y…yes father?" Shimmer answered him.

"Gather the crew!" Jack replied. "I want to see every pony up on deck NOW!!!"

Not wanting to anger her father any further, Shimmer did what she was told.

"You heard him!" she yelled. "Get every pony up here now!" 

In a matter of minutes, every single pirate on board the Golden Alicorn was on deck, shaking nervously they awaited for what their Captain had to say.

"What the heck is going on Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked as the Cutie Mark Crusaders stepped onto the deck.

"I don't know sis," Applejack answered. "But it can't be good."

Suddenly everyone went quiet and Jack Silver spoke from the upper deck.

"My Friends," he said coldly. "I find myself in a bewilderment, there I were in my cabin resting when all of a sudden I was awoken by terrible news from my quartermaster… an escape from the ship was it not Blackhorn?"

"Indeed it was sir," Blackhorn replied.

"An escape from the ship," Jack continued. "And by a trio of murderous earth ponies of all things, now tell me my friends how do you think that makes me feel eh? HOW DOES THAT MAKE ME FEEL!?! I'll tell you how it makes me feel… LIVID!!! Three traitorous ponies violate my trust, torture guests on board my ship and were cowardly enough to escape during the night rather than face my integration! While I do not blame any of you for this travesty, all crewmembers should now know that until we reach the Burmuleda Triangle there is going to be some changes aboard this vessel."

Hearing this every Pony and Diamond Dog on deck felt uneasy, what was Jack planning to do?

"First off…" he began. "Because the pony who was supposed to be guarding the brig was too drunk to do his job, it is decided that EVERY barrel of Rum, Cider and any other beverage other than water shall be taken out of the galley and thrown overboard!"

Needless to say none of the pirates were happy about this, at first the crowd began to talk back but one powerful stomp of Jack's hoof silenced them all instantly.

"SECONDLY!!!" he yelled. "There shall be no more parties, no more shenanigans on deck, any pony caught fooling around when they should be working shall be thrown in the brig! Are we clear!?!"

"Aye-Aye Sir!" everyone said simultaneously, though clearly they weren't happy about it, especially Pinkie Pie.

"And thirdly…" Jack continued. "Since we are about to enter Miser territory, we're going to be experiencing some rough weather so I want two shifts of ponies on deck 24/7 one shift for the day another for the night and to make sure no pony slacks off, Blackhorn shall be in charge of the shifts. Get ready for a rough few days my friends, fun time is over." 

And with that Jack Silver turned away and walked back into his cabin, leaving the distraught crew under the watchful eyes of Blackhorn.

"Alright boys!" he yelled. "You heard the Captain, everyone to your stations! Rummy, take your assistants and the Cabin girls and get dumping those barrels!"

"Y…yes sir!" Big Rummy said nervously as he saluted and ran down to the galley, followed by Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

"Go on girls," Rarity said, seeing the nervous look on Sweetie Belle's face. "It'll be okay."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then followed Big Rummy down to the galley to help Big Rummy with the barrels. As expected, that day was one of the worst that everyone on board had ever experienced. Since Jack never came out of his cabin after his announcement, the work on deck was overseen by Blackhorn and Shimmer and while Shimmer was more sympathetic with every pony's struggle Blackhorn was far crueller and couldn't care less whether someone was caught in rope or if they threw their back out. After about an hour Big Rummy, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had rolled the last of the bulking barrels of the pirates' favourite drinks across the deck and flung them over the side of the ship, of course there were no surprises that there were some tears from a few crewmembers.

"Bye-bye baby," Slash sobbed as Big Rummy launched the last barrel of Cider over the side. "I'll never forget your sweet nectar."

"Where did we get that Cider from again?" Dripfang asked as he finished tying down a loose rope on one of the canons.

"I do believe that's the Cider we took from Applejack's farm," T-Cog smirked. "Now that was some fine stuff."

"Such a waste too," Applejack added. "My family spent months growing those apples to perfection."

"And now it's gone!" Slash blubbered.

But the lack of good drink wasn't the only thing to put a damper on everyone's mood, since Blackhorn was in charge of the new shifts, those he chosen for the night shift had to stay on deck while the day shift went below deck to get some sleep, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were two of those few.

"Don't worry about us Twilight," Applejack reassured her friend. "I don't think a few hours of extra work is gonna kill us,"

"Easy for you to say," Rainbow Dash moaned. "Blackhorn supposed to be overseeing the night shift while Shimmer gets the day one."

"Just don't do anything to rile him up and you'll be fine," Twilight said sternly. "Look, I'm going to try and get some answers below deck, see if I can figure out a few things about these new arrangements."

Seeing the serious look in Twilight's eyes, Rainbow Dash and Applejack didn't think to argue and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Good luck Twilight," Applejack said.

"You too," Twilight replied. 

As Twilight made her way below deck she knew who she had to speak to first, After bumping into Rarity in the corridor, she couldn't help but notice the worried look on her face.

"Rarity what's the matter?" she asked.

"Oh Twilight, Shimmer was right about us needing protection." Rarity explained. "I only just managed to get away from a couple of shifty looking Diamond Dogs, they were under the impression that I convinced the Captain to have all the rum thrown overboard."

"What!?!" Twilight snapped. "That's ridiculous,"

"That's what I kept trying to tell them," Rarity replied. "But they wouldn't listen to me, I was only lucky Shimmer stepped in before anything happened. Honestly I never would have thought I would be dealing with those brutes again."

"Oh for the love of Celestia,” Twilight said as she facehoofed. “Where is Shimmer now?"

"I think she's in T-Cog's workshop, why?"

"We have to speak to her," Twilight said as she rushed passed her. "Come on!"

After leading Rarity through the lower decks of the ship and into T-Cog's workshop Twilight suddenly stopped in her tracks due to seeing T-Cog and Shimmer talking to Blackhorn.

"Oh…I'm…um…I'm sorry we didn't mean to interrupt," Twilight said nervously.

"No worries young mares," Blackhorn answered with a piercing gaze. "But I must ask, what was so important that you had to burst in here?"

"Well…it's just that…um…" Twilight began.

"You see what I mean?" Blackhorn interrupted as he turned his head to Shimmer and T-Cog, only when he spoke that time his voice sounded completely talking about. "Now do you see what I'm talking about?"

"Alright Dripfang you proved your point, now would you PLEASE change back?" Shimmer snapped.

Suddenly green flames engulfed Blackhorn and he changed back into his true Changeling form, leaving Rarity and Twilight confused at what they had just witnessed.

"What the heck was that all about Dripfang?" Twilight asked.

"I was proving a point," Dripfang explained. "I was trying to show these two that Blackhorn couldn't be trusted and the fact that you two were scared to even be in his presence proves that."

"That doesn't prove anything Dripfang," Shimmer moaned rolling her eyes. "Shouldn't you be on the night shift?"

"Alright fine but don't say I didn't warn you." Dripfang snapped as he shoved past Rarity and Twilight, leaving the room.

"Sorry about that," Shimmer said. "Dripfang has been on edge ever since the Captain gave the new orders this morning."

"That's what we came here to talk to you about Shimmer," Twilight explained. "I know Jack wants the ship to be safer for us after the whole incident with Pinkie and Fluttershy but this is going a little bit too far don’t you think? 

"Indeed," Rarity added. "When we first came on board this ship he tried to create a positive atmosphere but now it's like he sees every pony as an enemy, I don't think any of our friends will be able take it, especially my little sister and her friends."

At those words Shimmer simply sighed, she knew Twilight’s concern for her friends was her best quality and therefore she did have the right to an explanation.

"To be honest girls, this new arrangement on deck is concerning for me too," she explained. "My father may have gotten mad in the past but when Fluttershy was hurt... well… let's just say I've never seen my father that angry before,"

"I have," T-Cog said as he unscrewed his peg leg to reveal a hidden rum bottle inside it and took a swig. "But that was a long time ago when Shimmer's Mam…"

Suddenly T-Cog stopped in the middle of his sentence realising what he was saying.

"I'm sorry Shimmer I shouldn't bring up such painful…" he began.

"No it's okay T-Cog," Shimmer said, interrupting him. "Everyone else has revealed their tragic past…I believe it's my turn now."

T-Cog then sighed and took another swig from the rum in his peg-leg.

"It was a while back," he explained. "I had only been a crewmember on board ship for a few years and back then I still had all me limbs, anyway after falling overboard after attempting to tie down one of the sails one of my fore legs was bitten off by a shark, hence ol' Betsy here. Since we didn't have a physician on board at the time and Jack wasn't as magically powerful as he is now, he sailed the ship to the nearest land where he could find some pony who would be able to help. As I recuperated in the hospital Jack took it upon himself to make sure no pony knew we were pirates, we put on disguises and changed our names so no pony could recognise us from any wanted posters. After about two weeks I was strong enough to travel again, but something made us stay in that country a little longer that we should have, something that bewilders even the most brilliant of ponies."

"What?" Twilight asked. "What was it?"

"Love," T-Cog said with a smile.

Shimmer then pulled something out of her vest pocket and showed it to Rarity and Twilight, it was a small photograph of two ponies, one who Rarity and Twilight recognised instantly as a young Jack Silver, only in the picture his mane didn't have any traces of silver and his beard was barely visible. The second pony however they did not recognise, it was a beautiful yellow earth pony mare with a green mane and tail, sparkling purple eyes and an image of a magic wand for a cutie mark, while they didn't recognise her, Twilight and Rarity did see something familiar about her appearance.

"Who is this?" Rarity asked. 

"That's my mother," Shimmer said with a slight smile.

"She's beautiful," Twilight said looking at the striking resemblance Shimmer had to her mother. "You look just like her."

"Thanks," Shimmer said, blushing.

"Jack met Magic Star while she was attending my wounds, she was working as a nurse at the time." T-Cog continued. "She always was such an admirer of charms and magic, that's how Jack managed to catch her eye in the first place. However the truth soon came out when some pony recognised Jack from a wanted poster while he and Miss Star were walking on the beach, but surprisingly she didn't care who Jack was, she just wanted to be with him. So she boarded the Golden Alicorn with us, after a while the two were married on the very deck and were blessed with a beautiful little foal…Shimmer. Unfortunately it was after that things made a turn for the worst, after the birth Magic Star was too weak, Jack tried his best to help her but…well…let's just say the world felt a little less bright after that terrible night."

Twilight and Shimmer couldn't help but cry a little, of all the backstories they've heard for far this was indeed one of the saddest.

"I…I'm so sorry Shimmer," Twilight said.

"Don't be," Shimmer replied. "At least not for me, I never really knew her…"

"But Jack certainly did," T-Cog added as he screwed his Peg-leg back on. "And needless to say devastated was only the kindest way to put it, he might have been blessed with a daughter but on the same day he lost the only mare he ever truly loved, the only thing that kept him going after that was Shimmer here. From that day on things on board the Alicorn were never the same, he swore that no other pony nor Diamond Dog would die under his care again and up until now he's stayed true to his word. That's why he was so distraught when Fluttershy was almost… well you get the idea."

"But why go to such extremes?" Twilight asked. "I know he wants to protect us but I think dumping the Rum and banning fun might have put us into even more danger."

"That what I kept trying to tell him last night," Shimmer explained. "But somehow father is convinced that such measures needed to be taken."

"Now why on earth would he think such a thing?" Rarity asked angrily.

"Well Dripfang is under the impression that Blackhorn put him up to it," T-Cog said. "And frankly I'm starting to think he's right."

"Not you too," Shimmer moaned. "Look I know my father can get a little out of his mind when he's upset but we can't just accuse any pony of this kind of thing without any proof."

Suddenly Twilight's face suddenly lit up with anticipation, something was going on in her head that she most certainly liked.

"Well then I guess we're just going to have to find some." she said deviously.


#


"You want to do what!?!" Pinkie Pie squealed.

"You heard me Pinkie," Twilight said sternly. "Tonight, while Blackhorn is up on deck overseeing the night shift, we have to sneak into his quarters and see if we could find anything suspicious."

Twilight has been going over this plan in her head ever since the previous night, if Blackhorn has been doing something traitorous on board the Alicorn then the Captain needed to know. Naturally Dripfang was all too happy to be part of the plan due his own suspicions, T-Cog didn't need much convincing and Gem La Stone was as eager to see justice done as any other pony. Big Rummy and Slash however were too exhausted and depressed to stay awake after spending all night cooking and swabbing the deck. Shimmer on the other hand didn't want to anger her father any further and chose to stay out of it for that reason, however that didn't stop her from dropping a few hints when Twilight met up with her friends that morning below deck.

"Look Twilight," she said. "I may not like what your planning, but if there is an off-chance Blackhorn might have had something to do with what's been going on lately then you're going to have to wait at least two hours after Blackhorn begins his shift, by then he would have already have gotten so into his job that he's oblivious to anything else."

"Thanks Shimmer," Twilight said. "I know you can't help us completely due to your own reasons but I appreciate the advice. By the way, how is it that Blackhorn gets his own quarters and you are sleeping down here with us, shouldn't you have your own cabin since you're First Mate?"

"Cabins on board a ship are symbols of power," Shimmer explained. "I prefer to think of myself as an equal to the crew rather than their superior, the only reason my father sleeps in one is because he's the Captain otherwise he'd do the same. Look, I'd better get up on deck to begin my shift, don't take too long down here."

And with that Shimmer left and made her way above deck, leaving Twilight and her friends alone to speak.

"So what….what ye planning to do Twi?" Applejack yawned. "Sorry it's been a long night."

"Don't worry Applejack, I'll try to make this quick." Twilight began. "Now as everyone knows, the Captain has made a few drastic changes aboard this ship, changes that might risk our lives if we're not careful."

"So what's the plan?" Rainbow Dash asked whilst trying to keep her eyes open.

"Tonight while you and Applejack are working the night shift, you two and Dripfang will keep Blackhorn distracted above deck no matter what it takes while T-Cog and I search Blackhorn's quarters." Twilight explained. "During which time Spike, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Gem will patrol the corridors keeping watch."

"B…but what about the other pirates?" Fluttershy stuttered fearfully.

"Yeah, we're not exactly popular amongst the crew anymore." Spike added.

"Don't worry guys," Twilight reassured them. "All the pirates will either be above deck working or trying to catch some sleep during that time, besides the whole thing should take no more than twenty minutes tops, we'll be straight in and out. Besides it'll be worth the risk if we can find something that'll help us."

"But what if you don't Twilight?" Applejack asked. "What if you go bursting into Blackhorn's quarters and there's nothing there to find?"

"Applejack's right Twilight." Rarity added. "If there is nothing there to find then what would be the point of even doing this?"

"The point is that everyone on this ship is suffering and Blackhorn might have something to do with it," Twilight said sternly. "Look I know being part of this crew hasn't exactly been one of our lifelong dreams but we signed a contract and until the seventh Element of Harmony is found then we have a duty to this ship and if some pony is threatening to destroy the very spirit of every pony on board, then we have to act. So are you with me?"

"Always Twilight" Applejack said holding out her hoof.

"Count me in," Rainbow Dash added as she held out her own.

"I never missed an adventure so far have I?" Spike said with a smile.

"If Spike's in then I'm in," Rarity declared.

"Me too! I'm in!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Oh…I don't know… oh okay," Fluttershy said nervously. "But what if something happens? I don't want to get hurt again."

"Don't worry Fluttershy," Twilight said with a smile. "Nothing is going to go wrong."


#


Later that night Twilight's plan came into action, as soon as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were fast asleep Twilight rushed every pony out of their hammocks, well informed of the scheme, T-Cog met up with them just outside the door.

"How's it looking above deck?" Twilight asked.

"We might be in for some rough weather but I'm sure we'll be fine," T-Cog answered. "As for Applejack, Rainbow and Dripfang, they're keeping Blackhorn well distracted, we won't be seeing him for hours."

"Good," Twilight said with a smile. "So where are Blackhorn's quarters?"

"Zey on ze front of ze ship," Gem explained. "But ze only way over zere is across ze deck. Blackhorn will see us in a blink of an eye."

"Don't be so sure," T-Cog smirked. "Follow me,"

T-Cog then led every pony down the corridor and into the nearby room where every pirate stored their weapons. He then tapped one of the wooden walls with his hook three times and all of a sudden a small keyhole appeared in it, T-Cog then inserted his hook into the keyhole and turned. The result was a small doorway opening up in the wall to reveal a narrow corridor just wide enough to fit one pony at a time.

"One of the many upgrades I gave this ship over the years," T-Cog explained. "This corridor leads directly under the main deck and towards the front of the ship."

"When did you even find ze time to build zis?" Gem asked with a confused look on her face.

"You'd be surprised of what a pony can do in his spare time lass," T-Cog replied. "We must hurry Twilight."

"What do we do if some pony comes by?" Rarity asked as T-Cog entered the corridor.

"Just lock the door and wait for us," Twilight explained. "If some pony tries to get in just make sure that they don't find the corridor, in fact close it behind us if you can, good luck guys."

And with that Twilight followed T-Cog into the corridor, leaving Gem and Pinkie Pie to close up the wall behind them. It was quite damp inside the corridor, one would think that sea water must have been leaking through the ceiling from the deck but that wasn't the big issue for Twilight, the only thing she didn't like was the fact that it was pitch black, she would have used her horn to light her way but T-Cog advised against it. 

"I wouldn't Miss Sparkle," he said. "The light might seep through the boards above us, if that happens Blackhorn will know something's wrong, it'll best if we stayed invisible."

"Agreed," Twilight said, though she was still a little uneasy about the darkness.

"We'll have to walk slowly to avoid any detection," T-Cog explained. "It may be noisy up there but some pony might still hear our hooves if we gallop, come on."

It may have been pitch black but Twilight was able to follow T-Cog easily given the size of the corridor, however in order to avoid losing herself in that darkness she decided to keep up conversation while they walked.

"So T-Cog…" she said. "This has been playing on my mind for a while now, what exactly is Miser territory, I mean I heard the Captain say it and some of the Crewmembers say it but I never quite figured out what it meant."

"Miser territory is the area of the world we're in right now," T-Cog explained. "It's named after the two Alicorns that are supposed to reside here. You see while come from where those princesses of yours are able to control the day and the night, over here it's something similar but instead it's in seasons, hot and cold and it's two brothers, Heat Miser and Snow Miser, in this region of the world they live on two separate islands and they control the weather of their own individual realms. The eldest, Heat Miser resides in a tropical paradise to the east while his younger sibling, Snow Miser lives in an arctic kingdom to the west, their job is to create snow storms and heat waves throughout a hundred mile radius. However in recent years the weather over here has been a little…choppy."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Well let's just say a few years ago, the two brothers decided that they wouldn't be able to get along." T-Cog continued. "Soon enough they declared war on each other, every now and again the seas in between the islands would get completely overwhelmed in storms as powerful as a dragon's breath. Fortunately Jack managed to study in on the times of year that the fights would be at their most worst, as luck would have it we're sailing during the quiet season so the most we'll get is a little rain. We're here."

T-Cog and Twilight then stopped in their tracks, at first Twilight hadn't the faintest idea about what was going on, however after she then heard the clear sound of T-Cog tapping his hook against a wooden wall, which then opened up to reveal dim lamplight. The two exited the corridor and found themselves in the dimly lit canon deck at the front of the ship, the door to Blackhorn's quarters just in front of them.

"We'll have to be quick," T-Cog explained. "If we get spotted now we're done, are you sure you want to do this?"

"I’m positive," Twilight said sternly. "If it means keeping my friends safe from any more harm then we have to do it."

T-Cog then nodded his head in agreement and began to use his hook to pick the lock, luckily he was quite skills in this sort of thing and managed to get the door opened in seconds. Blackhorn's quarters was just as Twilight would have expected it to be, cold and spooky, while a patched up hammock hung in the corner, the rest of the room was lined with numerous blades and horrific relics, if Fluttershy had been with them at the time she would have screamed in fear after the first three seconds.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" T-Cog asked as he began rummaging underneath Blackhorn's hammock.

"Anything that might suggest that Blackhorn has had a connection to recent events," Twilight explained. "Because I doubt three earth ponies would have escaped the brig if it were enchanted, even if the enchantment were weakened Jack would have sensed their escape. Plus how did Blackhorn even know about the escape if you and Dripfang were supposed to be the first ones on deck? For all we know Blackhorn is using these events to take control of the Alicorn, after all Shimmer did say that he wasn't right in the head."

"Not to question your logic your highness but this might all just be theory," T-Cog replied. "Firstly Jack hasn't been able to sense his own spells breaking ever since he turned sixty, that's what sometimes can happen with age. Secondly Blackhorn might have gotten up earlier than us and decided to tell the Captain before anyone else, plus I doubt there's any magic left in that horn of his ever since that griffin sliced it off. What if this is just a wild goose chase?"

"There has to be something," Twilight said. "I'm not letting my friends suffer while we're on this ship and as one of my friends you should feel the same way."

But those words only made T-Cog stop in his tracks.

"You…you consider me a friend lass?" he asked.

"Of course I do T-Cog, we all do," Twilight said turning her head towards him. "You, Shimmer, Gem, even Slash and Dripfang have grown on all of us, granted when we first came on board we thought you guys were nothing more than vicious monsters but now… well let's just say there's a few seadogs I'd gladly invite over for tea in Canterlot."

Hearing this, a large toothy smile appeared on T-Cog's face, revealing a small golden tooth replacing one of his molars.

"The let us find a way to help our friends shipmate," he said as he continued to rummage through Blackhorn's belongings. "And as long as we're sharing you guys have grown a lot on us too, Fluttershy especially, I do believe Rummy has a thing for her and I think the young mare might feel the same way."

"Big Rummy and Fluttershy?" Twilight giggled with a raised eyebrow.

"The sea is a mysterious place lass," T-Cog laughed. "Some believe that when you travel on it for long enough, you find love in the most unlikely of places."

"Maybe, but I doubt Fluttershy is into the whole romance thing," Twilight said with a smile. "In all the time I've known her I never seen her fall for any stallions."

"There's a first time for everything Miss Sparkle, Big Rummy may be as thick as a brick but he has a good heart, after all he was the first one to befriend Slash in the first place, the big guy tries to see the best in ponies no matter who they are. If Fluttershy was to settle down with someone, Big Rummy would most certainly be one that would treat her the way she deserves."

Suddenly the subject on the whole matter changed when T-Cog felt something beneath his hoof.

"What the hay?" he said as he and Twilight crouched down to see what it was.

It appeared to be a small trapdoor in the floorboards, seizing the chance T-Cog pried it open with his hook. Underneath the trapdoor was a small box lined with what felt like velvet, inside was an assortment of numerous objects such as small diamonds, decayed rose petals and a bottle of liquid that smelt like strange perfume but the object that drew Twilight and T-Cog's attention most of all was the small photograph in the middle of the box. Upon it were three ponies, a stallion who they both instantly recognised as a younger version of Blackhorn and a mare and foal who they could only assume is his deceased wife and child.

"This must be his family," T-Cog said. "Blackhorn must have kept these things with him after that griffin killed them both."

"And now he seems to have built a small shrine for them," Twilight added. "Maybe we WERE wrong about him."

But before T-Cog could even respond, everything suddenly shook and both Twilight and T-Cog felt the ship rock.

"Something’s wrong," T-Cog said in a frightened ton as he quickly put everything back. "We have to get back now!"

Not wanting to argue Twilight nodded and followed T-Cog back out of Blackhorn's quarters and into the hidden corridor again. While they ran they could hear the heavy pounding of rain on the deck above them, what is going on up there?


#


"EVERYONE SECURE YOUR LIFELINES!!!" Jack Silver screamed as he took the helm. "QUICKLY BEFORE THE WAVES GET WORSE!!!"

As it turned out the weather surrounding the ship wasn't as calm as everyone expected, in fact it was unbelievable, rain and hail the size of golf balls pelted down in chucks over the deck, winds as powerful as tornadoes tore through the sails and worst of all, the waves beneath the hull were so choppy, so powerful, they rocked the entire ship. When Twilight and T-Cog made their way back into the canon chamber and saw the terrified looks on every pony's face they knew something was wrong above deck, out of fear for their friends they hurried to see what was happening and upon seeing the terrible weather outside they were horrified.

"I thought you said this was the calm season!!!" Twilight yelled.

"It is!" T-Cog Replied. "Something must have riled the Miser Brothers up! We have to keep this ship afloat! Spike! Fluttershy! Wake the others, we're going to need every pony out on deck!"

"But keep the Cutie Mark Crusaders below!" Twilight added. "This is way too dangerous for them!"

"You got it Twilight!" Spike yelled as he followed Fluttershy below deck.

"Well what do WE do!?!" Rarity asked.

"Get a lifeline and tie yourselves to the mast!" T-Cog ordered. "If any of these waves came over the ship you'll be overboard in seconds!"

Doing what they were told, every pony managed to grab a piece of long rope, tie one end of it to mast and wrapped the other around their waist.

"Secure the sails!!!" Jack yelled.

"SECURE ALL SAILS!!!" Shimmer screamed as she came up from below deck. "TIE THEM DOWN!!!"

Instantly reacting to the orders, every Pegasus on board including Rainbow Dash and T-Cog flew up to the top of the mast and struggled to tie down the sails to avoid any more damage to them. Rainbow dash only just managed to ties a piece down when something bad happened, due to the strong winds and having nothing much to grip on Rainbow Dash lost her balance and the wind threw her right off the mast, luckily because she was still attached to her lifeline Rainbow Dash managed to stay onto the ship. However something was wrong with her rope and just as Rainbow Dash was trying to pull herself back in in it snapped.

"Nooooooooo!!!" she screamed as she was blown away.

She thought it were the end, as Rainbow Dash was violently thrown through the air she really thought it was the end of her, however a flash of hope came to her as something suddenly latched onto her broken lifeline holding her onto the ship. Opening her eyes she saw T-Cog holding onto her lifeline while the line attached to his hook attached to the ship and pulled them both in.

"Thanks Cog," Rainbow Dash gasped as T-Cog reattached her lifeline. "For a second there I thought I wasn't gonna make it."

"You think I was gonna let you get blown away?" T-Cog smirked. "And here I thought Slash was the crazy one."

But the celebration was short lived when the wind suddenly blew even harder and the two almost fell of the mast. Below them Applejack and Twilight were trying their best to tie down the canons to stop them from rolling across the ship.

"Tie that rope tight Twi!" Applejack yelled. "If this thing rolls it'll smash the entire ship apart!"

It was carnage, as the rain pelted down and the winds raged against the ship almost every single crewmember feared the worst. Suddenly rain stopped, the winds died down and the choppy water began to calm, at first it looked like the storm had ended but that was far from the truth.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Applejack asked. "Is the storm over?"

"No…" Shimmer said with a look of terror on her face. "When all seems calm that's when the biggest disaster happens… EVERY PONY DOWN! TIE YOURSELVES TO ANYTHING YOU CAN! IT'S A KILLER WAVE!!!"

While the Mane Six wasn't sure what a Killer Wave was, they certainly had a basic idea, doing as they were told they tied themselves down to anything that wasn't able to shift. As predicted the disaster came, a large forty foot wall of water rose from the distance and came rushing towards the ship.

"HANG ON TO YOUR LIFELINES LADS IT'S GONNA BE A BUMPY RIDE!!!" Jack yelled as he held Shimmer tight.

Everyone on board then either tried to get below deck or huddle themselves together, finally the wave came. The powerful rush of cold water crashed over the ship like a giant slamming his fist against a solid mass, but luckily the ship managed to stay afloat and only rocked for as to swing back upright again after a few seconds, as for everyone on board, thanks to their lifelines they managed to stay on the ship and only acquired minor injuries.

"That…was…AWESOME!!!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "That had to be the most extreme thing I've ever experienced… well… on this ship anyway."

"Well let's just hope we don't get to do it again eh lass?" T-Cog smirked.

"Is everyone alright?" Shimmer asked as she picked herself up.

"A little wet but we'll live," Slash groaned as he and two small Diamond Dogs tried to pull Big Rummy off the mast. "Come on buddy, the storm's over."

"No way!" Rummy said as he gripped the mast even tighter. "I'm never leaving this spot and nothing you say or do is gonna make move!"

"Someone help us out here!" Slash moaned.

As Gem and T-Cog tried to help the three pry Big Rummy off the mast, Jack tried to do a head count of everyone.

"Is every pony accounted for?" Jack asked.

"I think so," Twilight answered as she helped Pinkie Pie out of the ropes she used tied herself to one of the canons. "Fluttershy and Spike are looking after the fillies below deck and I think everyone else was up here."

"Alright then," Jack said "Shimmer I want to see every pony on deck, I want to be absolutely sure…"

"CAPTAIN!!!" Dripfang screamed.

Everyone then turned their heads towards the screaming Changeling, there he stood, a snapped rope in one hoof and a dirty brown hat in the other.

"It… It's Blackhorn's hat and lifeline," Dripfang stuttered. "I…I think he's…"

But Dripfang didn't even have to finish his sentence for every Pony and Diamond Dog knew what he was going to say, Blackhorn had gone overboard.


#


As the storm clouds cleared and the ship sailed into calmer waters, every pony on board the Alicorn mourned the passing of their fallen quartermaster later that night, all crewmembers gathered on the deck wanting to say something about him.

"I knew Blackhorn from the very first day he came on board this ship," T-Cog said when it was his turn to speak. "He may not have been the most sound of mind among us but he was without a doubt one of the best quartermasters this ship has ever had, may he finally find peace at last." 

"Well said T-Cog" Shimmer said. "Father? Do you wish to say anything?"

Jack Silver stood next to Shimmer listening to the words his crew spoke, now it was his turn. As the Mane Six and Cutie Mark Crusaders looked upon his face, they could tell that inside he was broken up.

"Thank you Shimmer," he said through choked back tears. "Well my friends, the sea has claimed another loyal officer and friend. Blackhorn, a stallion who was always devoted to keeping this ship going no matter what it took, granted he has had a terrible past but then again we all have. For twenty years he has been a great friend to me for he and I shared a lot of common attributes and he has been a friend to all of us despite his flaws. Good or bad he was one of us, a true gentlecolt of fortune, may his suffering finally end and may he finally rest in peace, bring forth the lantern please."

Acting upon their Captain's request, Big Rummy and Slash emerged from the crowd carrying what looked like a golden sky lantern.

"What's that for?" Applejack whispered.

"When a pony dies upon ze Golden Alicorn, we send up a lantern into ze sky," Gem explained. "Tis our belief zat ze spirit of our departed comrade would follow the light and find zeir way into paradise."

As Rummy set the lantern down on the stand already set in the centre of the deck, Jack continued to speak.

"My friends," he said. "Blackhorn may not have been the kindest of ponies but we must not forget his devotion to this ship and to his comrades, let us now relieve him of his duty and send him to his rest."

Jack then looked to Slash and nodded his head, knowing what was to be done he exhaled a small breath of air and a small blue flame emerged from his mouth and lit the lantern. As the symbolic light rose from the ship and into the star-lit sky, every Pony and Diamond dog hung their heads in respect. Led by their Captain, suddenly every pirate on board ship began to sing for their fallen quartermaster. 

"Far from the dark gloomy dungeons, cold,
To waters deep and islands old,
What was before, is now no more,
For now we moan our dear friend old.

He's now left the world and took his flight,
Through wondrous seas of mystic night,
The moon's set sail, upon the gale,
And the stars shall lead him to Heaven's light."


That song echoed into the night, filling the hearts of everyone aboard with sorrow, even those who suspected him of betrayal couldn't help but mourn for Blackhorn.

"You know it's ironic," Dripfang said as everyone made their way below deck. "I used to suspect Blackhorn was nothing more than a traitor, but now that he's gone I can't help but feel terrible."

"So do I Dripfang," Twilight answered. "After tonight nothing is going to be the same on this ship and I feel worse because I invaded Blackhorn's privacy thinking he was up to something, by Celestia this is awful."

"What's done is done Twilight," Applejack reassured her friend. "No pony could have prevented this even if they tried."

"Applejack's right Twilight," Dripfang added. "We may not like what happens in our lives but we can't change it, I don't know whether Blackhorn was a traitor or not but it doesn't matter now, what matters is the fact that the time we live in is full of events good or bad and we have to adapt with them."

"I just feel so sorry those who knew him the best," Twilight said. "Especially Jack,"

"Aye, after all it was Jack who was the first one to spot him on that island," Dripfang said. "Since then he has treated him like a brother, Celestia knows how much that stallion's hurting right now." 
> Chapter 9: Into the Fog
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After sending that lantern into the sky for Blackhorn, every Pony and Diamond Dog aboard the Golden Alicorn was in bereavement, while some may not have liked Blackhorn that much it was always a sad day when one of their own is taken by the sea. All through the night, the saddening music from one of the Diamond Dog’s accordion filled the entire lower deck, causing every pirate on board to sigh in sadness with each note that was played. The next morning, when the sun crept over the horizon, all those who were on the day shift came out for their morning work however Twilight had something else on her mind. Walking up to the upper deck she knocked the door of the Captain's cabin, at first there was no answer and all she could hear was a strange tune coming through the wood, suddenly then the tired voice of Jack Silver was heard through the door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's Twilight Captain, is it okay if I come in?" Twilight asked.

"Enter," Jack replied.

Twilight then opened the door and entered the Captain's cabin, it was darker than it usually was, most of the lamps weren't lit and the atmosphere itself was deeply depressing. Jack Silver was sitting at his piano, staring down at Blackhorn's hat and continuing to play heart-breaking music with his magic, his eyes bloodshot from the lack of sleep, clearly Blackhorn's passing hit him hard.

"What is it Miss Sparkle?" he asked.

"I…I just wanted to see how you were doing," Twilight said. "I understand Blackhorn was a close friend of yours,"

"Friend?" Jack said quietly as he stopped playing. "Nay Twilight, he was more like a brother to me, ever since I found him on that beach I saw a little bit of myself in him for we had both lost the ones we loved… I take it Shimmer told you about her mother?"

"She… she did,"

"Then you must know of the pain I feel, of what Blackhorn felt, I can't expect you to understand but when you lose the one you most care for it drives you mad. But the truth is I was the lucky one, I had Shimmer, I had the ship, I had my crew, but Blackhorn had nothing, Blackhorn had no one. After my wife died I swore that no other pony nor Diamond Dog would die under my care unless it was their time, old age Miss Sparkle, that's how it's supposed to be. But now Blackhorn is gone and his pain has ended, however I now carry the pain of many, I'm so old Twilight, I've seen many of my crew fall to old age, their captors, even their own grief, but when my time comes I want to make sure that my family never suffers as I did. Three generations of Ponies, Zebras and Diamond Dogs alike now reside on board and I care for each and every one of them, when we find the seventh Element of Harmony I plan to return to Canterlot to plea for my crew's freedom, for an official pardon for crimes which are my own."

At those words Twilight couldn't help but feel astonished. 

"You…you mean you're going to…" she began.

"Blackhorn was aware of this plan before he died," Jack said, interrupting her. "I plan to offer myself in exchange for my crew's safety, I feel you deserve to know since we are now nearing the end of our journey."

"But what about Shimmer?" Twilight asked. "Doesn't she have a say in this?"

"I rather she didn't know," Jack sighed as he walked away from the Piano and faced one of his bookshelves. "When you spend your whole life running and those around you share your burden because they have no choice but to follow, those you care about the most always get hurt, I learnt that the hard way a long time ago and I don't intend for it to continue anymore. Blackhorn shall be the last one to die upon my ship and intend to make sure of it, you should have seen him twenty years ago, always keeping order amongst the crew, winning every time some pony challenged him to a game of liar's dice."

"You really cared a lot for him didn't you?" Twilight said with a slight smile.

"As much as I do any pony else upon this ship," Jack said smiling back. "I care for them so much that I was present for each major event that happened in their lives, I was around when T-Cog lost his back leg back in the Gallopagos islands, I watched Shimmer grow into happy little filly as she played along the deck with the rest of the crew, I even hatched and raised Slash from his very egg after his mother abandoned him years ago."

Twilight couldn't help but feel so much for this aging stallion, to care so much for every pony on board was almost too much to bear, she only imagine Celestia herself being the only other pony who shares his burden. However something else about Jack's last sentence played on her mind. 

"Wait…you hatched…" she said with a raised eyebrow. "But Dragon hatching is a very rare spell, only those who were students in Princess Celestia's school for…"

But then Twilight stopped in the middle of her sentence due to the sudden realisation.

"You used to LIVE in Canterlot didn't you?" she gasped.

At those words, Jack simply turned to her and smiled.

"Not for a long time now… but yes I did once." he answered her. "I was once a fine student in that magical school of gifted Unicorns, young, spirited, all the qualities parents could be proud of but none of it made me happy. Sick of all the uptight criticism I witnessed against what my parents considered 'lesser' ponies I ran away from home at the age of ten and never looked back, it was then I discovered my true calling, while most ponies loved the land, I loved the sea. At first I sailed on cargo ships but I found that there was no excitement to it, but soon enough I discovered my talent of pirating thus receiving my Cutie Mark in such skills. Using some of the other skills I've learnt I constructed this very ship and set sail. Over the years I took on a crew of the most wonderful of misfits, some of which were frightened, alone, all of whom just wanting a place where they could belong. Unlike my bigoted parents would do, I accepted them no matter who they were or even what they were, in a way Twilight leaving that country was the best decision I ever made… at least until I started losing friends along the way."

Jack then once again turned his back to Twilight trying to hide his misery, Twilight however simply placed her hoof on his shoulder trying give him some comfort.

"Look Jack," she said sternly. "I may not be a pirate but I am part of your crew and I say to you right now that what you’re planning to do has to be the stupidest thing I ever heard."

"I…wait what?" Jack said turning towards her. 

"Jack everyone here looks up to you," Twilight explained. "If they didn't then T-Cog would have left right after that shark bit his leg off, each and every one of these pirates owes you their lives be it literal or otherwise and now your planning to leave them behind?"

"It would be the only way to be sure they're safe!" Jack snapped.

"After seeing these pirates in action, I know for a fact they don't need to be kept safe, they need YOU. It was YOU who gave them a chance of a new life, YOU who gave until it hurt all for their sake, and YOU who tried to keep every pony on this ship together even when times seemed like it's most dire. Look, I understand why you want to do this, but if you turn yourself in your just going to crush them and wouldn't you think they might just try to break you out of prison after you do? They care as much for you as you do for them Jack, I heard it from their own mouths."

At those words Jack looked at Twilight with an expression of pure shock, never in his life had he been spoken to like this. Although he had to admit that there was truth in Twilight's words.

"I… I never thought of it like that," he said. "I knew I had to do something to make sure my crew was safe after I'm gone… but I guess that plan was just the ramblings of an old fool and recent events only helped cloud my mind."

"Glad to see you think so." Twilight said with a smile. "Look, Magic Star and Blackhorn may be gone Jack, but you're still here and through you they'll always be remembered, both by you and your crew, Shimmer especially."

Jack's face then lit up with a gentle smile.

"She does have a lot of her mother in her," he said as his eyes started to tear up. "You're right Twilight, I may be old, I may have lost many friends, but this old seadog still has a few things to do before his time is done. Tell Shimmer to gather the crew on deck, I don't care if they're asleep I wish to see them all."

"Aye-Aye Captain," Twilight said, giving him a salute.

Twilight then made her way towards the door, but before she left Jack had to say something else.

"Hey Twilight," he said as Twilight opened the door. "Thank you. Equestria is certainly lucky to have you as one of their Princesses."

Twilight then simply gave Jack a gentle smile and left the cabin.


#


Acting upon the Captain's word, Shimmer gathered the entire crew out on deck, even those asleep in their hammocks had to be woken up so they could attend.

"This had better be important," Rainbow Dash moaned. "I only got like 20 minutes of sleep."

"I'm sure whatever it is it has to be important," Applejack said rubbing her eyes. "Otherwise the Captain wouldn't gather the WHOLE crew."

Suddenly Jack exited his cabin and stepped onto the upper deck looking down at his crew with woe in his eyes.

"My friends," he said. "I have been an idiotic, stupid old fool, in the past few days I have made your lives terrible and I wish to apologise for it. Making you all suffer was the last thing I intended to do, I let my emotions overcome my judgement of you all, but now I wish to make amends, from this moment on there shall be no more shifts, no more misery,and no more suffering."

At those words, every crewmember's face lit up with joy, their true Captain had returned to them.

"I have lived long enough to know when I was wrong and this here is one of those moments," Jack continued. "From here on out things are going to go back to the way they were, and when we find that seventh Element of Harmony I shall personally make sure that this entire ship will be stocked with rum as high as the deck!"

Hearing this every crewmember cheered so loud the entire ship echoed with their screams.

"However we must not forget our fallen comrade, Blackhorn was indeed a fine quartermaster devoted to keeping this ship on track with our mission and I intend to make sure he didn't die in vain. Gentlemen, ladies, we may be a group of misfits to the rest of the world but here we work as one great force, Blackhorn knew that and I know you do too and so I say to you right now… I am going to find that seventh Element and I am going to do it for Blackhorn and all those we have lost on this ship… because they would have wanted us to find it and they deserve nothing less."

"Here here!!!" T-Cog yelled.

"So what say you my friends?" Jack asked. "Are you willing to fight on for our friends? ARE YOU!?!"

"AYE-AYE SIR!!!" the crowd screamed.

"Then let us go forth and find that Element, for our ship… for our comrades… for our friends!!!"

The crowd then cheered and inspired by Jack's words, they returned to their stations and kept the ship moving, even those who were on the night shift did what they could to help. Seeing the happy looks on everyone, Shimmer turned to Twilight with a smile on her face.

"I don't know what you said to him Twilight," she said. "But thank you."

"You don't have to thank me Shimmer," Twilight said humbly. "I just did what any friend would do." 


#


Needless to say things became a lot better for everyone since Jack made his last announcement, over the next three days the day and night shifts were cancelled and the entire crew went back to just working during the day. The crew also seemed to act a lot more decent a towards the Mane Six again, some even apologised for acting so aggressively around them, particularly the Diamond Dogs who cornered Rarity a few days previously, surprisingly she found it flattering when they literally fell to their knees and practically begged for forgiveness. Finally, at the end of the fourth day the Pegasus in the crow's nest spotted something ahead of the ship.

"FOG!!!" he yelled. "There's a wall of fog ahead!"

Hearing this the entire crew gathered on deck to see it for themselves, just a few yards from the ship was indeed a wall of fog, but unlike any other fog any pony had ever seen. Instead of a pale grey like most fogs were, the mist was a luminous blue that sparkled like diamonds, it may have looked pretty but it was also unnerving.

"Is…is fog supposed to look like that?" Scootaloo asked nervously as she sat on Rainbow Dash's shoulders.

"Not any fog I've ever seen." Rainbow Dash answered.

"It looks weird." Sweetie Belle pointed out.

"Tis the veil that surrounds the Burmuleda Triangle lassie," T-Cog explained. "We've arrived." 

Twilight couldn't believe it, after everything they've been through, the Golden Alicorn had finally made it to the Burmuleda Triangle. Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder, turning her head she saw Jack Silver standing over her.

"It is time Twilight," he said. "Gather your friends and meet me in my cabin in five minutes."


#


As the Mane Six gathered in Jack Silver's cabin, they knew what he was planning to do. Standing in front of one of the bookshelves he began to rummage among the books, finally he found what he was looking for. Seizing a large blue book titled 'Secrets of the Sea Serpents', he pulled it towards him and the entire shelf swung open to reveal a large corridor.

"Come on," Jack said with a smile. "It is time I return what is rightfully yours."

The Mane Six then followed Jack into the hidden corridor which eventually led them to a second door encrusted with several rubies and emeralds and sealed with an unusual lock.

"Not even T-Cog or my own daughter knows about this vault," Jack said as he placed his horn inside the lock. "I would appreciate you six didn't tell a soul what you are about to witness."

Releasing his horn from the lock, Jack watched as the doors began to shudder and dissolve into nothing like dust, inside upon individual pedestals were five shimmering gem-studded necklaces and one gem-studded crown the Mane Six recognised in an instance.

"Behold the Elements of Harmony," Jack announced. "All of which rightfully belong to you… Honesty… Kindness… Laughter… Generosity… Loyalty… and of course the most powerful of the six… Magic."

In the order of which he announced them, Jack levitated each Element to their rightful Bearers, finally they were reunited.

"Come my friends," Jack continued as she once again sealed the vault. "It is time we put these relics to use."

Following Jack out of his cabin and onto the deck, the Mane Six couldn't help feel both excited and terrified, as every pirate and Cutie Mark Crusader surrounded them, each were ready to do their duty.

"Are you ready girls?" Jack asked.

"We are sir," Rainbow Dash said as she saluted the Captain.

"Just say the word Cap!" Applejack added.

"Then do it my friends," Jack said stepping back and showing a smile on his face. "Light the way."

Acting upon Jack's word the Mane Six readied themselves, suddenly before everyone's eyes an aura of magical power surrounded them levitating them from the very deck.

"This is gonna be epic!" Scootaloo squealed happily. 

Suddenly a rainbow-colored blast of power erupted from the magical aura and shot straight into the sky, finally the blast of power shot a beam of light directly towards the wall of fog ahead of ship that continued to stay there even as the aura surrounding the Mane six faded and floated back down to the deck. Everyone watched in awe as the beam of light continued to point directly into the fog, finally Jack spoke up.

"We have our heading lads!" he called gleefully. "All ahead slow!"

Cheering, every crewmember returned to their stations and the ship began to set sail into the shimmering abyss of the blue fog ahead of them.


#


After spending a few hours sailing through the fog, everyone on board the Alicorn was beginning to feel uneasy, never in their lives have they seen so much mist.

"This fog is just creepy," Apple Bloom said as she helped T-Cog light a few of the lanterns. "It doesn't feel natural."

"That's cause there's supposed to be magic in this here fog lass," T-Cog explained. "They say the entire continent of Burmuleda is bristling with it, I guess that's why the original Harmony Bearer hid it there in the first place."

"I wish he chose somewhere a little less spooky," Sweetie Belle said through a series of fearful shivers.

"Yeah this place gives me the willies," Apple Bloom added.

"Fear not my young fillies," T-Cog smirked. "This fog is nothing to be worried about, why don't you two find Scootaloo and pop yourselves down to the galley, I do believe Rummy's cooking up a bit of cake."

"Ooh I hope it's chocolate," Sweetie Belle said happily as she and Apple Bloom ran down to the galley.

"Why'd ya lie to my sister?" Applejack asked as she walked up to T-Cog with Twilight.

"What do you mean?" T-Cog said quickly.

"Don't try to cover up, yer talking to the one who bears the Element of Honesty," Applejack said with a stern face. "I know a lie when I see it, what is it you ain’t telling?"

T-Cog then sighed knowing that he had to speak the truth.

"Well if you must know I didn't want to scare the little fillies," he explained. "Truth be told, I'm a little uneasy about this fog, not the fog itself but what's supposed to be within it."

"What are you talking about?" Twilight asked.

"They say an evil being resides within the mists of Burmuleda," T-Cog continued. "One who has lived for over a thousand years, skulking in caves looking for victims to drag to the depths of the sea… the Kelpie." 

"What the hay is a Kelpie?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a water-based creature," Twilight explained. "A monstrous pony supposedly made entirety out of water, I read about it in my library once."

"And it's supposed to be vicious," T-Cog added. "The Monster of the Sea as she's called, a monster made up entirely of water luring victims to her cave by taking the form of those they love most and dragging them down to the watery depths where they are drowned and eaten."

"Or sometimes… the other way around," Twilight said with a shudder. "Ugh, it's too horrible to even think about… but I thought the Kelpie was just a myth."

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't," T-Cog said shrugging his shoulders. "Either way I don't feel right in this fog, I feel like something is watching us, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."


#


It had been almost five hours since the Golden Alicorn sailed through the fog and still there was no end to it, those aboard who weren't scared of the fog were starting to become restless.

"Ugh this is so boring," Sweetie Belle moaned. 

"Yeah I would have thought we'd reach land by now," Scootaloo added.

"This has got to be the most tiresome thing ever." Apple Bloom said.

"I know how you feel girls but we have to be patient," Rarity said. "It shouldn't be too long now,"

"But that's what you said an hour ago," Sweetie Belle pointed out.

As all four of them continued to argue, Jack and Twilight looked over them from the upper deck.

"So why is it taking so long?" Twilight asked. "How far does this wall of fog go?"

"Hard to say," Jack replied. "Some say that ships never make it out of here at all, but I know for a fact that it won't happen to us, we have your light showing us the way."

"But how are we supposed to get back afterward?" Twilight asked worryingly.

Jack merely chuckled at that.

"Fear not Princess," he said. "Getting into the fog is way different than getting out. As I understand it, the fog is supposed to be a protective barrier for the island itself, it may prevent anyone from approaching from the outside, but it's supposed to be a quick trip when leaving from the inside."

Hearing this Twilight couldn't help but sigh. 

"Well, be that as it may, I'm not sure how long every pony can stand being in here for much longer," Twilight replied, looking back down towards the lower deck.

"Then how about we provide some entertainment until we reach our destination?" Jack said with a smile. "Besides I think Rummy and Fluttershy might need a little something to set the mood."

Hearing this, a look of surprise spread across Twilight's face.

"How did you…?" she began.

"Oh there are few things I don't notice aboard my ship Miss Sparkle," Jack smirked. "And a romantic relationship among my crewmembers isn't one of them, I've seen the way those two look at each other, the only problem is that they're both either too dim or too terrified to do anything about it. So what do you say we do something to help them out?"

At those words a gentle smile spread across twilight's face.

"What exactly did you have in mind? She asked. 


#


It was midnight by the time preparations were done, with Pinkie Pie's help Jack and Twilight managed to turn the deck of the ship into a party area for the crew, when all was done Jack stepped up to the upper deck and made his announcement.

"Alright my friends," he said. "I know I said that we wouldn't have any parties but given the circumstances I felt that you all deserved a little something to keep your mind off recent events, so without further ado I give you the musical talents of…Slash and Sweetie Belle!!!"

The crowd then cheered as Slash and Sweetie Belle stepped up to the upper deck.

"Alright every pony!" Sweetie Belle announced. "This may not be a number you all are used to but we hope you enjoy it all the same… Hit it Slash"

Instantly reacting to her words, Slash began to pluck the strings on his guitar and play while he and Sweetie Belle began to sing to the crew. The song they played was upbeat yet passionate, it was true that the pirates weren't quite used to this type of music but none the less they enjoyed it, picking up on the beat, they danced to their hearts content to that wonderful music they were hearing. At first the party seemed to be going well, at least until Rainbow Dash and T-Cog spotted that Big Rummy and Fluttershy were both sitting by themselves and not taking part. 

"They're not joining the festivities," T-Cog whispered. "Someone has got to get those two moving."

"No sweat," Rainbow Dash said giving him a wink. "I got this."

Rainbow Dash then flew over to Fluttershy to speak to her.

"Hey Fluttershy," she said. "You're not joining the dance?" 

"Well… no I don't think so," She whimpered. "I'm not really that fond of dancing."

"Oh what a shame," Rainbow Dash, "Because Rummy looks like he REALLY wants to go out on that dance floor with you."

"Oh… r… really?" Fluttershy replied, clearly Rainbow Dash knew what would get her going. "Well I suppose one dance couldn't hurt."

And with that Fluttershy walked towards Big Rummy with a gentle smile, seeing her coming towards him the big pony couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Um…do you…uh…want to dance?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

Big Rummy was slightly taken aback by the question but he plucked up his courage and answered,

"Uh…okay," he said nervously.

And with that Fluttershy lead Rummy to the dance floor and attempted to show him how to dance while Slash and Sweetie Belle continued to sing. As Fluttershy and Big Rummy danced to the music, almost every eye feel on them, not only were they enjoying themselves but it turns out that they were actually looked wonderful when they danced, and it continued like that right up to the end of the song. As that last magnificent note echoed into the night neither Fluttershy nor Big Rummy could not stand it any longer, lunging forward she pressed her lips against his and vice versa, breathing in the wonderful scent of her mane as the kiss deepened, Rummy felt more at peace than he ever did in his life and Fluttershy felt too enchanted to even think of any pony witnessing. However that didn't stop them all from cheering on the two lovebirds.

"Way to go Rummy!!!" Slash yelled happily from the upper deck, "That's my boy!!!"

"Go Fluttershy!!!" Rainbow Dash added.

It may have been embarrassing at first, but seeing the look of joy and happiness in everyone’s faces, neither Big Rummy nor Fluttershy cared for their shyness anymore, in fact knowing that they both felt the same way about each other was so wonderful they both felt like neither of them would ever be nervous again. 
> Chapter 10: A Drop of Kindness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Almost every single pirate couldn't even think about sleeping that night, they were too pumped from the music too even consider dropping off. However the two ponies who felt better than anyone else was indeed Big Rummy and Fluttershy, as they continued to dance on the deck every pony couldn't help but feel happy for them.

"Rummy and Fluttershy sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Well its official," Slash smirked. "My pal's finally met his match."

"Zey are very happy, no?" Gem added.

"Indeed they are" Rarity said with a smile. "Makes me wish I had my own special some pony,"

"Well maybe you've met him already," Slash said giving Spike a small wink, needless to say he’s noticed how Spike act around Rarity for quite some time but decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Maybe I have," Rarity replied. "We'll just have to see"

However while every pony else had a smile on their face, Dripfang seemed to be the only one looking slightly depressed.

"What's the matter Sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "You look like you just lost yer best friend or something."

"Well you could see it like that," Dripfang explained. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy for those two but what’s gonna happen to them after this whole adventure's over? In fact what's gonna happen to all of us?"

At those words everyone's faces suddenly changed from happy to concerned, they knew Dripfang had a point.

"Dripfang's right guys," Twilight said. "Once we find the seventh Element of Harmony we'll be going home, contract terminated."

"And we might never see this ship or any of you guys again," Pinkie Pie added now starting to cry a little as her hair deflated.

"Kinda sucks huh?" Scootaloo said now starting to feel glum.

At those words every pony started to feel depressed, the whole time they have spent on board the Golden Alicorn they had all developed close friendships with each other, suddenly Shimmer's face lit up with a brilliant idea.

"Maybe it doesn't have to be that way," she said with a slight smile.

"What do you mean Shimmer?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I mean what if you all join us all on the Golden Alicorn…Full time!" Shimmer explained.  "Think about it, shipmates for the rest of our lives, sailing the seas looking for new places and adventure."

"And we can all stay together," Slash said with a large toothy grin.

"Aye, we kinda gotten used to having you folks around," T-Cog added. "It'll be a shame for you all to up and leave."

"Yeah!" Dripfang exclaimed.

"So what do you say?" Shimmer asked.

Needless to say the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were quite surprised at what Shimmer was asking and seeing the hopeful faces of their new pirate friends only made it feel slightly more awkward, luckily something happened before anyone of the could give an answer.

"LAND YO!!!" screamed the Pegasus in the crow's nest "LAND YO!!!"

Instantly reacting to the screams, every pirate on deck peered over the side of the ship to see it for themselves, with the fog finally clearing and the sun beginning to rise on the horizon every pony could see it. There just only a few hundred yards away was a large island covered in jungle and mountains as far as the eye could see and the beam of light above the ship was pointing right at it.

"This is it my friends!" Jack shouted happily from the upper deck. "We've reached Burmuleda!!!"

At those words every pirate cheered and laughed at their accomplishment and waited for their Captain's next command.

"Okay here's the plan…" Jack continued. "A small shore party consisting of me and the Harmony Bearers along with a few of my chosen shipmates will go ashore and find the seventh Element, the rest of you will stay here and guard the ship, are we clear!?!"

"Aye-Aye sir!!!" everyone said simultaneously, giving a salute. 

Acting upon Jack's orders the Mane Six gathered their Elements, packed their saddle bags with food and got ready to depart the ship and since Jack saw so well they were able to work together, Jack chose Shimmer, Gem La Stone, Slash, Big Rummy, T-Cog and Dripfang come on the shore party with them. As the longboat was lowered into the water and the Mane Six said their goodbyes to Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, each couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with excitement yet they couldn't help but feel nervous as well. Following the beam of light the Elements of Harmony created, they all rowed the longboat right towards Burmuleda, soon enough the beam of light faded and disappeared once they reached the beach.

"Alight my friends," Jack said as he stepped out of the point. "Let's find us an Element!"

"But where do we start?" Twilight asked. "This whole island could spread out for miles and miles, we could easily be here for ages."

"Not if you know what you're looking for," Jack smirked.

"What's on your mind Captain?" Gem asked.

"When I studied the Elements of Harmony I discovered that the Harmony Bearer who hid his Element here was always quite the puzzler, he always left clues and riddles to where he hid his treasures, probably thought it was a laugh watching those who tried to figure them out."

"But how does that help us?" Applejack asked. "Even if we do know what we're looking for we still wouldn't know where to start."

"Oh, I do" Jack said with a smile. "You see that cave over there?"

Curious, everyone looked down the beach where Jack was pointing, what they saw was indeed a large, stone cave hollowed into the nearby mountain and facing the water.

"What about it?" Dripfang asked.

"Let me show you," Jack said as he led every pony towards it.

As they all walked down the beach, each couldn't help but feel enchanted by the scenery, never in their lives have they seen such wondrous plant life, flowers as large as the eyes of a full grown dragon produced a smell just like chocolate and palm trees as tall as buildings blossomed with multi-coloured fruit that smelt just like Sugarcube Corner, in a way it made the Mane six think of home. Finally they all stopped at the cave entrance, the first thing any pony noticed about it was a small river leading right into the darkness and flowing out to the sea behind them, the second of course was the pure darkness within it.

"You see that symbol?" Jack asked pointed towards the top of the entrance. 

Everyone then looked up and noticed a carving in the stone where Jack was pointing, it resembled seven ponies, two earth, two Unicorn, Two Pegasus and One Alicorn.

"That is the symbol of the original Harmony Bearers," Jack continued. "I've seen it turn up in many of my books, this means that the seventh Element of Harmony is right inside this cave."

Needless to say Fluttershy wasn't too happy about the idea, in fact just looking into the wet darkness of the cave  made her shiver in fear, to make matters worse, the gloomy interior of the cave made every pony feel nervous, it almost felt like there was an evil presence inside.

"Y…y…you want us to go in there!?!" Fluttershy said fearfully. "B…but what if something else is already in there? Something scary!"

"The girl's got a point Captain." Slash added, trying but failing to hide his own fear.

"Yeah, this could be the cave where that Kelpie lives." Applejack said as shivers ran down her spine. "I don't know about y'all but I don't want to be turned into fish food."

"Guys we're not gonna…" Twilight began only to be interrupted by Jack.

"So that's it then?" he said. "You're all just going to give up just because you're scared of what might not even exist."

"Need I remind you that a few legends actually came true in our time," T-Cog said. "Jack, I've been feeling uneasy ever since we went into that fog and I'm getting the same feeling about this cave right now."

"Same here," Dripfang added.

But Jack wasn't going to have any of it.

"Okay that's enough," he said sternly. "Look I know you are all scared, to be honest I'm scared too but we've come too far to just give up now, if we don't carry on then everything we've been through would have been for nothing."

"But what about the Kelpie?" Slash asked. "If she does exist then we'll be dead in minutes,"

"What happened to the dragon who always carried on no matter how many eyes he lost?" Jack asked. "The Changeling who wanted to be free from his life of being a mindless drone, or even the pony who did his job well no matter how big or clumsy he was? Because I tell you right now I still see them standing right here in front of me, I also see six of the finest Equestrian mares I ever met, and do you know what else I see?...Brilliance. Each and every one of you has achieved something in your lives that makes you special, T-Cog for example, I never seen such wondrous creations, most of them in your own hook."

"Well I don't want to brag," T-Cog said sheepishly, though still flattered.

"And Twilight," Jack continued. "Such a fantastic mind, an Alicorn who has made me see a lot more sense than I've done in months, the point is that if you can all do such wonderful things in your day to day lives then you can achieve anything! When we can find that seventh Element then all what we have done in the past won't even matter because it will be on this day that we make history… it will be on this day that we make Harmony whole."

With every word Jack spoke every pony couldn't help but feel moved, the passion in his voice was almost exhilarating.

"So…" Jack said straightening his hat. "I'm going treasure hunting, who's with me!?!"

Inspired by Jack's very words, every pony had the same answer.

"I am!" Rainbow Dash announced.

"Me too!" Twilight added.

I'm behind you all the way sir!" T-Cog said giving him a salute.

In a matter of moments, everyone was willing to follow their Captain once again, even Fluttershy was so moved by Jack's speech that she willingly joined every pony as they all followed Jack up the path into the cave. Needless to say it was quite spooky inside the darkness, as the river flowed down its rocky crevice towards the ocean outside, everyone could feel the cave getting darker and darker, eventually Twilight, Rarity, Jack and Gem had to use their horns to light the way. After what felt like an hour of walking, Jack suddenly spotted something on the cave wall.

"Hey look at this," he said as he pointed to the writing engraved on the wall. "Have you ever seen language like this?"

"Not in any book I've I ever read," Twilight said as she examined the strange letters. "I don't know this language at all."

"I do," Dripfang pointed out as he read the writing over Twilight's shoulder. "It's the language of the Changelings, only we can understand it."

"Well then what does it say?" Rarity asked.

"Welcome Treasure Hunters," Dripfang said as he read the writing aloud. 
"If thou is able to read this passage then thou must be Changeling, 
If Changeling is alone then it's a terrible shame, 
For Harmony is only good if thou are together to play the game,
To find what thy seeks then thou must defy 
Six challenges that were made by my siblings and I,
Past all six and thou will discover
That the seventh shall soon be uncovered."

"Well that makes things so much clearer," Slash said sarcastically.

"Yeah, clear as mud on a pig, what the hay is it supposed to mean?" Applejack added.

"It means that what we knew about the Seventh Element was slightly inaccurate." Jack explained. "Judging from this writing, I'd say the seventh Element wasn't just hidden by its own Bearer but all seven of the original Harmony Bearers and either one of them learnt how to speak Changeling or the Harmony in their lifetime was so powerful, they were even at peace with the Changelings."

"Whoa," Twilight gasped as she stared at the writing with wonder in her eyes. "Such history within these letters alone is treasure enough."

"Imagine what it would be like when we find the Element itself," Jack smirked.

"But what does it mean by challenges?" Rainbow dash asked.

"Well obviously the seven siblings thought it would be best to put some security around the seventh Element." Jack explained. "Which of course is only natural since it's supposed to be the most powerful out of all of them, luckily I enjoy a challenge, there's still some skill left in THIS old seadog."

"Lead on Captain," Shimmer said saluting her father.

As Jack led them further into the cave, everyone couldn't help but feel more nervous now that they had an idea what was coming.

"So what do you think those challenges are?" Twilight asked.

"Hard to say," Jack admitted. "It could be anything."

"Well if it's anything to do with booby traps then I'll be able to pass by them without a hitch," Shimmer smirked. "Let's just say a few trapeze moves run in the family"

"Plus I think we'll be able avoid anything dangerous if it's something to do with magic," Twilight added. "After all you are one of the most powerful Unicorns I've ever met."

"Well thank you Twilight," Jack set feeling flattered. “Plus having an Alicorn on the team will be quite  the advantage.”

"And if it's a monster then we'll be able to handle it without a problem," Rainbow Dash said with a confident smile on her face. "It'll be 13 of us and probably one of them."

"M…m…monster?" Fluttershy whimpered as she cowered behind one of Big Rummy's giant legs.

"Ah relax me dear, there's nothing to worry about," T-Cog said. "If any beasts come at us then I'm just gonna have to let ol' Betsy have some fun, in fact I've been developing something new with her if you all want to take a look."

"Yeah go on then," Slash smirked. "I could use a laugh at this point."

"Alright fine, but let's not take too long," Jack said as he sat down to watch. "We still have to keep going you know."

With a large toothy grin T-Cog took off from the stone floor and hovered just above the group who took a seat waiting for his latest achievement.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts," he announced. "You've seen the Grappling Hook…you've seen the Dart Gun… but now the time has come to show you the latest of my inventions, I give you… the Spark Shooter!!!" 

At those words T-Cogs hook suddenly began to change, like his Dart Gun the cogs inside base of the hook turned and switched the hook with what looked like a two pronged fork.

"After using this to absorb the lightning from storms, I developed this device to shoot it back out and give anyone it hits a rather nasty shock. I figured it would come in handy in case we bump into that Kelpie."

"Impressive T-Cog," Jack said with a smile.

"Indeed," Gem added. "It actually quite suits you."

"How does it work?" Twilight asked.

"Well like my Dart Gun I simply aim…" T-Cog explained as he began to demonstrate on the river. "…aaaannnnnddddd FIRE!!!"

And with that a small bolt of lightning literally burst out of the fork and shot straight at the water, at first everyone was amazed by the power of T-Cog's new device however that all changed after they witnessed what happened next. The second the lightning touched the water it writhed and twisted as though it were alive and an ear piercing shriek echoed through the cave as it literally rose up from the crevice, the group then watched in horror as the water shaped itself into something terrifying. In a matter of moments the group was face to face with what looked like a pony made almost entirely out of water, however unlike ponies her mane and tail were made of seaweed, her eyes were completely purple and she had two long sharp fangs coming down from her teeth. Looking upon this horrendous creature, the group knew what it was in an instant.

"Ke…kel…kel…" Fluttershy whimpered.

"KELPIE!!!" Rummy screamed.

"Wet yourselves and RUN!!!" Slash added.

In a matter of moments every pony was running at full speed back towards the cave entrance, fear running down their spines with every step they galloped, however Jack suddenly noticed something and stopped.

"Wait!!!" he screamed.

"What the hell are you doing!?!" Dripfang said in panicked voice. "That thing's gonna get us!"

"If it was going to get us then it would be chasing us," Jack pointed out. "Haven't you noticed that doesn't seem to be happing?"

Everyone then turned around and noticed that Jack was right, they may have ran a fair bit but the Kelpie didn't seem to be following them, in fact it was nowhere to be seen.

"M…maybe it's in the water," Slash said as he fearfully as he looked into the river.

"No I don't think so," Jack said. "If she were in the water then she would have caught us by now since that's her natural element, plus I doubt she would be hiding since we already know she's here. No, something's not right, stay here and wait for my signal."

"Your just gonna leave us here with that thing around!?!" Rainbow Dash snapped as Jack made his way back up the tunnel without them.

"Well she won't bother with you if she's attacking me will she?" Jack called back now disappearing from sight.

As Jack slowly walked up the stone path back to where the Kelpie was he took much caution with every step he made for the Kelpie could easily be lurking anywhere, readying is horn for battle, Jack prepared for the worst. However upon arrival of the site where they encountered the creature he wasn't met with a terrible roar or any violent means of attack but instead the clear sound of…

"Crying?"

No matter how many times he repeated it in his head Jack knew that it was what he was hearing, following the sound he made his way further into the tunnel, suddenly he was met with a most unusual sight. There he found himself at the edge of a shimmering black lake along with a beautiful curtain of water falling from the far corner of the ceiling, filling the lake as it fed the river that flows towards the cave entrance, but what shocked Jack most of all was what was sitting on one of the rocks in the middle of the lake… the Kelpie. Keeping out of sight Jack gazed upon the creature with great curiosity as many questions filled his mind, if he and his shipmates were running away then why go in the opposite direction? Why was she wearing a scarf and hat? And most important of all… why was she crying? Jack continued to look at the Kelpie in hopes that some of the questions could be answered, what he noticed was that she was not only crying but she also looked disgusted at her own reflection in the water, before Jack knew it the Kelpie began to sing.

"I... I hide my light inside a cloak of night,
Beneath a red scarf and a chapeaux,
The pearl of my heart locked within a shell,
And too afraid to let it go, to let it show,
And all the headlines read,
For the whole world to see, 
The Monster of the Sea" 

As Jack continued to listen to that heart-breaking melody, he couldn't help but feel great sympathy for this creature, in fact he has just about ready to burst into tears himself. Yet still he continued to listen to that angelic voice.

"I fall apart, I fall apart, apparently, 
I did appear beneath the light, 
Yes it was me,
The Monster of the Sea

I hide my pain inside a melody,
As if notes I sing will set me free,
I keep all my dreams under a lock and key,
I'm so afraid that they will fly, away from me,
The Monster of the Sea,
The Monster of the Sea,
The Monster of the Sea" 

As the last note of that tear-jerking song echoed within Jack's ears, he couldn't help but feel terrible because he knew that this creature wasn't a monster at all, in fact she was exactly like him, a being with a reputation that makes her appear scarier than she really is. Plucking up his courage, Jack decided to do what was right.

"Um… excuse me?" he said as he came out of hiding.

However the Kelpie only gasped in fear upon seeing him and quickly jumped into the water, disappearing for sight.

"No wait!" Jack called out. "You don't have to be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you!"

But there was no sign of the Kelpie for she was invisible within the depths of the water, in fact she WAS the water, it was the perfect camouflage.

"I know your still here," Jack continued. "Please, I just want to talk, I'm not going to leave until you come out."

Jack waited for a few minutes but nothing happened, suddenly a small gush of water floated out of the lake and shaped itself into the Kelpie who looked at Jack with much fear and confusion.

"Y…you're not scared of me?" she asked in a soft angelic voice.

"Only at first," Jack answered, keeping his calm tone of voice. "Do you have a name?"

"I…I don't remember," the Kelpie answered. "I have been called monster for so long I can't remember anything else."

At those words Jack felt even more sympathy for this creature, not only did she have a terrible reputation but she lost her own identity due it haunting her for so long, however he knew one thing that might make her feel better.

"Monster?" he said gently. "No, you look more like some pony with a better name than that, would you mind if I called you… Marina?"

"Marina?" the Kelpie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Aye," Jack said with a smile. "It means 'from the sea', surely you agree that it's a lot better than monster."

Hearing this the Kelpie couldn't help but smile a little, Marina? That name did sound nice.

"It…it's been so long since anyone been so nice to me," she said gently. "I… I really don't know what to say,"

"Well you can start by answering a few of my questions," Jack said taking a seat on the stone floor. "Firstly, could you tell me what happened to you? Because judging by what I saw just you have suffered greatly for a long time, it's okay you can tell me."

At those words Marina was slightly taken aback, not only is some pony not running away from her but he was also showing concern for her, not wanting it to stop she took a seat next to him and began to speak.

"I… I don't remember much," she began. "I've spent so much time in the darkness I can't even remember what the sun looks like, I can only remember small patches from my past. I do remember I loved to travel but apart from that I can't remember before I became…this. I think I was an earth pony at first but then I came here, I came in a small boat through the fog and I found this cave and this lake, I don't remember what happened to cause it but my body suddenly turned into water and I became what I am now."

Marina suddenly started to cry again.

"It was after that my life became unbearable," she sobbed. "At first I tried traveling to other countries looking for help but everywhere I went they every pony was afraid of me, they would either ran away or try to attack me, they even started calling me the Monster of the Sea. Eventually I gave up and came back here where creatures like me belong... alone in the dark and I've been here ever since.

It was at this moment Jack couldn't bear listening to Marinas heart-breaking tears any longer, he had to say something to comfort the poor girl. 

"Look Marina," he said softly. "I know your pain, I have to suffer with it on a daily basis, I know what it's like to be hated and scorned by those you who don’t even know you. But do you know what keeps ME going? The fact that I have friends who I can trust and I for one think you of all ponies need at least one, I would certainly be happy to be your friend."

At those words Marinas face suddenly lit up, never in her life has any pony been this nice to her.

"You…you really mean it?" she asked, still crying a little.

"I am a stallion of my word my dear." Jack answered. "And I never go back on it."

This was the happiest moment of Marina's life, never had anyone treated her with such decency, such compassion, she couldn't help but embrace Jack in a tight hug, her watery body may have been soaking his clothes but he found it comforting none the less.

"Thank you," she said, more tears swelling in her eyes. "I just hope you're not going to hurt me like that horrible Pegasus earlier."

"Hey I resent that!!!" T-Cog snapped as he came trotting up the tunnel.

Instantly reacting Marina and Jack turns their heads and saw Jack's shore party standing next to them, at first Marina was ready to jump back into the lake out of fear but Jack managed to stop her before she even moved.

"Don't worry it’s okay," he told her. "They are friends, how long have you all been standing there?"

"Long enough Jack," Twilight said, a few tears escaping her eyes. "Long enough to listen to that heart-breaking story, look…um…Marina was it? We're really sorry we ran away from you."

"And I didn't MEAN to blast you with lightning," T-Cog explained nervously. "I didn't even know you were there, look I may be the last pony to admit when I was wrong but in this case I screwed up big time."

"Can you ever forgive us?" Rarity added.

But Marina didn't even say a word, she was too mesmerised by the fact that she wasn't just being treated decently by just one pony but by an entire group of them, the happy smile on her face alone was enough for everyone to see that she did in fact forgive them.

"You know Father, I think she might make a great new crewmember," Shimmer said with a smile. 

"An excellent idea Shimmer," Jack said. "Marina, we would be honoured if you would join us, I have a ship full of creatures of all shapes and sizes, and each every one of them would treat you with the respect and decency you deserve, what do you say?"

It was only a few seconds before Marina reacted in the most excited way possible to give her answer, Even Pinkie Pie was surprised on how hyper she became.

"YES!" she screamed as she squeezed Jack in a tearful hug. "OH YES! YES! YES! Uh…I mean of course."

Realising what she was doing, Marina quickly released Jack feeling slightly embarrassed. Trying to recover from Marina's tightening hug, Jack asked her another question.

"Listen Marina," he said. "We came here looking for something, and you seem to know this cave pretty well, do you happen to know where we can find the seventh Element of Harmony?"

"I… I don't think so," Marina said trying to think. "I don't think I ever even heard of such a thing, even if I did the whole cave ends this chamber… Wait a minute! I think there might be something that could help, follow me."

At first every pony thought Marina was going to lead them around the edge of the lake but instead she started walking ON the lake as though the water were solid ground.

"Um… Marina!" Applejack called. "I know yer used to this kind of thing but none of us can walk on water and one of us can't even swim!"

Looking over her shoulder, Marina noticed that Applejack was indeed right and smacked her head in stupidity.

"Oh sorry!" she called back. "I'm not exactly used to company, maybe this'll help."

Suddenly Marina eyes began to shine a brilliant white and the water beneath her hooves ceased to ripple.

"Try it now!"

While they may have been nervous, every pony took a step onto the water and surprisingly it supported their weight, it was like walking on ice only without the cold. While Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Dripfang and T-Cog preferred to use their wings instead of their legs, everyone else managed to walk easily on the now solid water, as they followed Marina across the gigantic lake, Twilight couldn't help but ask her a few questions.

"So… how long have you been here?" she asked. "That is if you don't mind me asking."

"Well… I think has to be over a thousand years by now," Marina answered. "I lost count after the first few hundred."

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that," Twilight said feeling a little guilty. "I'll stop asking questions if you want."

"Are you joking?" Marina said with a smile. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited just to TALK to another pony? Ask all the questions you like because I really want to hear them."

"Oh… Okay, how is it you're able to make us walk on water?" Twilight asked. "Does being a Kelpie give you magic?"

"Sort of," Marina answered. "But it's only water-based, I can only use my magic on water or ice, otherwise I can't do much else."

That conversation between Twilight and Marina continued the entire walk across the lake and seeing the happy look of Marina's face only made Jack smile.

"Nice to see the old Jack Silver is still in that husk of yours" T-Cog smirked.

"What'd you mean OLD Jack Silver?" Jack asked.

"You're still the same old sentimental stallion who saved me from that island forty years ago," T-Cog explained. "When you give hope to those who need it, that’s always the moment that tells me what makes you a true Captain, so why retire now?"

"You know I can't go on forever," Jack sighed. "And you know I grow more tired every day, once we find that Element I shall be naming someone else Captain, I don't know who it will be yet but…"

"Right here!" Marina called as they reached the centre of the lake.

"What is?" Slash said scratching his head. "I don't see anything but water." 

"That's because you're looking in the wrong place," Marina giggled. "Look down."

Following Marina's instructions, everyone looked to the water beneath them, there just underneath the surface was what looked like a small stone surface with more Changeling writing engraved into it.

"Dripfang," Jack said. "Can you read this?"

"Well it's foggy beneath the water but I think I can make it out," Dripfang said as he began to read the writing aloud. "If thou are reading this then Kindness isn't gone, now simply press down and then press on."

"So… are we supposed to press down on a hidden switch or something?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm not sure," Jack said scratching his beard. "Although I might have an idea… Rummy, would you mind pressing down on this stone please?"

"Aye-Aye sir," Rummy said as he readied his hoof.

Then after one nod from Jack, Rummy slammed his giant hoof down through the surface of the water and into the stone, slightly cracking it as he pushed it down. At first nothing happened but suddenly the waterfall stopped flowing and the clear sound of rushing water began to echo inside the very walls of the cavern. 

"Uh… why do I suddenly feel like I'm in the bathroom?" Pinkie Pie asked.

But her question was shortly answered when all of a sudden every drop of water in the lake began thrash and swirl like a whirlpool, carrying everyone who was on its surface with it. As every pony in the water struggled to stay above the water while it swirled, those who were in the air tried their best to help anyway they could.

"I can't… I can't swim!!!" Slash screamed as he tried to keep his head above the surface. "HELP!!!"

"Hang on Slash!!!" T-Cog said as he dove towards the water, only to get swept away by the current himself.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were too pulled down when they tried to save their friends, Fluttershy when she tried to pull on Big Rummy's tail and Rainbow Dash while she tried to dive straight in an attempt to dive straight back out with Twilight, Even Dripfang fell in when the splashing water dampened his wings too much. Eventually all of them were in the water struggling to stay afloat, even Marina who was made of water couldn't control the vortex, in a matter of moments they all disappeared under the swirling depths. 


#


While anyone who witnessed this from the edge of the lake would have believed these ponies to be dead, that was far from the truth. As Jack opened his eyes to see every pony in front of him, soaking but alive, he couldn't help but feel relieved but also very confused.

"What in tarnation just happened?" Applejack said picking herself up.

"Did we just get flushed down a giant toilet?" Pinkie Pie asked with a slight shudder.

"Whatever it was I DO NOT want to do it again," Slash said fearfully as tightened his grip on Big Rummy's hoof.

"Was that something of yours Marina?" Twilight said as she shook herself off.

"That had nothing to do with me," Marina replied as she tried to put her watery body back into shape. "I'm just as confused as you are."

"Zis is most peculiar, no?" Gem added. "Captain what do you zink? Captain?"

Back Jack was too entranced by what he was looking at to even turn his head, wondering what had him so spellbound every pony gathered to take a look, and what they saw was beautiful. They were now standing at the edge of a cliff overseeing what looked like a tropical paradise growing under the light of a luminous green orb hanging from the ceiling, birds and butterflies of every kind filled the air with their colourful wings and the green light reflected off every shiny surface making the whole area sparkle.

"My friends," Jack said with a smile. "This is going to be one adventure none of us will EVER forget." 
> Chapter 11: An Honest Answer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are the Supplies alright?" Jack asked as everyone checked their packs for any damage. “All the Elements intact?”

"No damage to any of them," Twilight said as she examined her crown. "I don't think that little swim we had did anything more than soak them."

"And my guitar's alright too," Slash added as he pulled it out of his bag.

"You brought your guitar with you Slash?" Big Rummy asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Of course I did big guy," Slash smirked as he plucked a few of the strings. "Can't go long without my tunes can I?"

"Alright let's press on," Jack said. "We need to keep going."

"But where do we go from here?" Marina asked. "I've never been this deep inside the cave before."

"Well judging from what I see I'd say we'll have to go straight through that jungle," Jack explained as he stood upon the cliff edge and looked through his spyglass straight at the trees below. "If we can get down to that jungle we might be able to find a way through it and get to the seventh Element."

"But how are we going to get down there?" Applejack asked as she looked down at the vertical cliff they were standing on. "Not all of us can fly and I don't think walking's gonna be an option."

Jack then scratched his beard in thought for Applejack was indeed right, unless they all sprouted wings there was no possible way they would be able to get down there safely, the cliff face was too steep to climb down and there were no paths. Suddenly Jack spotted a gigantic vine with huge leaves growing next to the cliff face and the wheels in his head started to turn.

"Hey T-Cog," he said as he pulled off a few of the leaves. "How strong would you say these were?"

"Well judging by the stem and the lamina…" T-Cog said as he examined them. "I'd say they would be strong enough to carry 200 small gems a piece, give or take ten."

At those words a large grin spread across Jack's face, one which every pony noticed, and none of them felt comfortable about it. In under an hour Jack and T-Cog managed to construct what looked like a bunch of makeshift parachutes using many of the leaves and a few vines, and anyone who didn't have wings had to wear one.

"Now this is what we're going to do," Jack explained as he tied his own parachute on. "When I count to three those with parachutes will jump and those with wings will follow…"

"If you think I am simply going to jump off a cliff with a parachute made of leaves and vines then you are very much mistaken Mr Silver!" Rarity snapped, both out of fear of the fall and the damage to her pride in wearing such a thing. "I simply refuse."

Jack however smiled at Rarity’s statement, there was no way she was getting off that easy.

"Alright then, I guess this was another one of my stupid ideas,” he said, though not exactly meaning it. “Come over here and I'll help you take the parachute off."

Now if any pony else was told this they would have been suspicious but not Rarity, at this point she was too trusting and naïve to believe Jack's words completely, but the second she stood right next to him at the edge of the cliff all it took was one simple nudge from Jack's hoof to push her off.

"RARITY!!!" every pony screamed.

But Rarity's parachute stopped her from even falling a few feet, as she glided downward towards the jungle Jack couldn't help but laugh and jumped after her, followed by an excited Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Marina and Gem, Slash however wasn't exactly fond of jumping.

"No way! I'm not doing this!" he protested. “Climbing a mast is one thing but there’s no way I’m jumping off a cliff!”

But Twilight simply used her magic and picked Slash up by the tail and threw him off the edge, jumping off herself afterward. As those with parachutes glided down towards the jungle, Rainbow Dash, T-Cog, Fluttershy, Dripfang and finally Twilight followed them using their wings. Twilight may have not had much experience using her wings, but fortunately Rainbow Dash took it upon herself to teach her the basics not long after her coronation and she was able to glide down towards the jungle with ease. However while most of the group felt a surge of adrenaline as they soared through the air, some weren't even the slightest bit happy.

"HELLO JUNGLE!!!" Big Rummy yelled giddily as floated gently towards the ground.

"GOODBYE LIVES!!!" Slash squealed as he tightened his grip on his own parachute.

"I am going to kill you Jack Silver!!!"  Rarity screamed angrily as Jack couldn't help but chuckled at her dismay.

"You'd have to catch me first missy!" Jack laughed. "Alright me hearties, follow me!!!"

Jack then took the lead as his parachute went ahead of everyone else's, following their Captain the entire group soared over the tops of trees until they managed to spot a clearing. Soon enough every pony managed to get their hooves on the ground.

"That… was… incredible!" Applejack said, sill feeling slightly pumped from the drop. "Now I see why ya’ll like flying so much Rainbow."

"Oh trust me that was nothing," Rainbow Dash smirked. "When you wanna fly at high speeds just let me know."

"Ow!" Slash yelped as he struggled to stand up after Big Rummy landed on him. "I think I might of busted my foot."

Seeing the Dragon's distress, Marina quickly rushed towards him.

"Hold on little guy," she said, her eyes once again glowing a brilliant white. "This shouldn't take longer than a few seconds."

At first Slash had no idea what the Kelpie was doing, suddenly the pain in his foot seemed to disappear, almost as though it were literally melting away. Finally the young dragon was comfortable enough to stand again.

"Wha... what did you do?" Big Rummy asked confusingly, trying desperately to understand what was going on.

"It's simple really," Marina explained with a smile. "The living body is mostly made of water, and being a Kelpie I can control any form of water, even down to living blood. What I did was relax Slash's muscles enough to help with the bruising. Oh by the way, you might want to get yourself looked at, I think I might have found a few pieces of shrapnel in there."

Slash couldn't help but wince at that, he had hoped that he got all of that out when he lost his eye.

"Impressive Marina," Shimmer said, causing the Kelpie to blush. "I think we might have found ourselves our newest physician, what do you think Father?"

"Where…is…he!?!" Rarity growled as she finally managed to struggle free from her parachute. "If Jack Silver thinks he's going to get away with pushing me off a cliff then he has got another thing coming!!!"

But Jack didn't seem to be there in fact as every pony looked around them Jack was nowhere to be seen at all.

"Father?" Shimmer called out. "Father where are you?" 

"Excussse me," said a cold, slithery voice from above them. "But are you perhapsss looking for thisss?,"

Instantly reacting, everyone turned their heads upward and what they saw terrified them. There hanging from one of the tress was a gigantic snake, though not like anyone that any pony has ever seen before, it was over thirty feet long, had scales encrusted with gems of all kinds that made him glimmer like a rainbow and had hissing yellow eyes that seemed almost hypnotic to look at, just the verty sight of him made Fluttershy faint. But what shocked every pony most of all was the fact that he had an unconscious Jack Silver wrapped in his coils.

"Let him go you vile Serpent!" Shimmer shouted.

"Ssso rude," the snake hissed. "And asss I wasss jussst about to return him to you, now I don't think I'll bother."

The snake then began to tighten his grip on Jack and ascend back into the foliage of the tree, luckily it stopped when Shimmer spoke up. 

"No wait!" she yelled. "Please just let him go, we'll do anything!"

"Anything?" the snake said with a raised eyebrow.

"Anything," Shimmer repeated.

At those words an evil looking smile spread across the snakes face and he leaned his head closer towards Shimmer.

"Then ssso it shall be," he said. "But firssst I mussst introduce myssself, I am known by many namesss throughout the world, but in the common tongue I am called Truth R. Dare,"

"Wait," Twilight said nervously. "THE Truth R. Dare, the spirit of truth and lies?"

"Who?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I read about him in my library back in Canterlot," Twilight explained. "It is said that he was created out of all the deceit and lies any Pony came up with and thus he always knows whenever some pony lies or not, even if it's a small white lie. But he's supposed to reside in the far north, it can’t be the same spirit."

"Oh I assure you I am the very sssame," the snake smirked. "I know all that'sss in a pony'sss heart and I cccertainly know whenever they lie to me, in order for me to releassse the old one, three questionsss will have to be anssswered truthfully, should a sssingle lie be told then the old one shall become my dinner, are we agreed?"

But no pony even needed to even hesitate to say yes simultaneously.

"Very well then," Truth R. Dare smirked. "The firssst quessstion is for the scaly one, do you Ssslash consider Big Rummy a friend or jussst an idiot who you put up with?" 

But hearing this question only made Slash feel offended.

"What kind of question is that!?!" he snapped. "Of course I consider him a friend, he was the first pony to ever put up with ME even when I was a psychotic little idiot, granted I eel a little sorry for the guy at times but that doesn't mean I think he's an idiot."

Truth R. Dare then looked at Slash with sheer delight in his eyes.

"A very good anssswer ssscaly one," he hissed. "That is correct." 

Hearing this Big Rummy couldn't help but pick up his tiny little friend and give him a squeeze.

"Oh you DO care!!!" he said with a smile.

"Rummy!!!" Slash said as he gasped for air. "Let me go! You're embarrassing me… and I can't breathe."

Realising that Slash was indeed turning blue, Big Rummy released him immediately, after witnessing what seemed to him like a disgusting display, Truth R. Dare moved onto his next question.

"The next question goesss to the white Unicorn," he said.

"M…m…me?" Rarity whimpered.

"You have been admired from afar by someone ssso sssmall and brave for sssome time," Truth R. Dare continued. "If you knew the identity of thisss creature, would you return hisss affectionsss?"

Needless to say Rarity was taken aback by this question, never in her life would she have thought she would have to open up her feelings for someone to a snake, still she knew she had no choice and spoke.

"I suppose it would depend on who it was," She answered nervously. "I know I may seem shallow at times but I would certainly be willing to give him a chance, satisfied?"

"Very," Truth R. Dare laughed. "That is both a truthful and wissse anssswer Misss Rarity, and I am sure he who admiresss you would be too should you dissscover him."

Twilight wasn’t sure, but just as Truth R. Dare finished his sentence she could have sworn he threw her a small wink, he knew about Spike and his crush on Rarity.

"And finally," he sniggered. "The Lassst Quessstion goesss to the Princesss,"

"Bring it on," Twilight said sternly. 

"You have ssspent a great deal on time aboard the Golden Alicorn, yesss?" Truth R. Dare asked. 

"Yes," Twilight said with a raised eyebrow.

"But the whole time you and your friendsss were on board you have doubts, did you not?" Truth R. Dare continued. "Tell me Twilight Sssparkle, have you EVER regretted sssigning that contract?"

"Have… have I ever regretted signing the contract?" Twilight repeated.

"That isss my question young Alicorn," Truth R. Dare said sternly, as he leaned in towards her, stopping only inches from her face. "I await your anssswer."

Twilight was completely terrified at this point, she knew she had to answer truthfully but she also knew that if she did then it might spoil things between the Mane Six and the Pirates, finally she spoke.

"Yes," she said. "I have had regrets, but not anymore. When I first saw that contract I didn't really want to sign it, especially since we were signing it in magical ink, the only reason I did sign was because I believed it was the only option to protect my friends from a group of vicious pirates. Since then I regretted doing so because I feared the worst for them and I didn't want to spend any more time on the sea than I already have. But over time I grew to care for every pony just as much as I would my own friends, every one of them suffered in their lives and it was not my place to judge them based on appearance, I may have learnt that lesson a while ago but sometimes I do need reminding. Do I have regrets about signing that contract? Not anymore."

Every pony then looked at her nervously while Truth R. Dare simply smiled.

"Well sssaid Twilight, " he said. "An anssswer worthy of royalty, congradulationsss, the old one isss yoursss!"

And with that he threw Jack right towards them with a whip like motion, sending him crashing into Big Rummy with full force.

"Ugh…what…what happened?" Jack groaned as he regained consciousness.

"It would appear that you travel with an honessst group Jack Sssilver," Truth R. Dare smirked. "And it isss becaussse of that you all may now move on,"

"Wait, what do you mean we MAY move on?" T-cog asked.

"Was zis one of ze challenges?" Gem added.

But Truth R. Dare only laughed.

"Thossse who lie will sssuffer and fail, but thossse with honesssty will win and with the ssseventh shall be sssetting sssail."

Those were the last words Truth R. Dare spoke before his entire body suddenly began to dissolve and fade into smoke, and in a matter of moments he was gone, leaving nothing but an eerie laugh echoing through the air. It was only then Fluttershy began to regain consciousness too.

"Um… what did I miss?" she asked.

"Something I hope doesn't happen twice," Shimmer said with a shudder. "Are you alright father?"

"A little sore around the ribs but I'll be fine," Jack answered as Shimmer helped him to his hooves. 

"So where do we go from here?" Applejack asked.

But before Jack could say another word Pinkie Pie suddenly pointed something out.

"Hey maybe we should go down those stairs there!" she said in her usuall cheerful tone.

Everyone then turned and saw what Pinkie Pie was talking about, there just only a few feet from them was indeed a set of stairs, stairs that led downward into the ground, stairs that weren't even there a few seconds ago.

"Where the heck did they come from?" Dripfang asked.

"I don't know," Jack said. "But I have a feeling that we're going to have to go down there."

Needless to say every pony moaned at the very suggestion of the idea but since they were all used to Jack's crazy ideas by now, they followed Jack down the spiral staircase. As they all carefully climbed down each stone step away from the green light above and into the darkness, Twilight couldn't help but feel awkward due to the answer she gave Truth R. Dare.

"Did you mean what you said?" Shimmer asked her. "Did you really have regrets about signing that contract?"

"Like I told Truth R. Dare, I don't anymore." Twilight explained. "Look, I hope this doesn't change anything…"

"Twilight, why would it change anything?" Shimmer said with a smile. "Every pony has had those doubts when they first join the crew, heck it took Dripfang a month before he was able to even warm up to my Father, trust me Twilight if I let something like that ruin my friendships then the only friend I would have on that ship would be my Father." 

At those words Twilight couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks Shimmer," she said. "I…I'm glad you understand,"

"What're you girls talking about?" Jack asked from the front of the group.

"Just a little something about what happened with that snake up there," Shimmer explained.

"Yeah, what DID happen anyway?" Jack asked looking back at them. "What happened while I was out cold?"

"He asked us a few questions and we had to answer them truthfully," Rarity explained. 

"We think it might have had something to do with that seventh Element you mentioned earlier," Marina added

Suddenly Jack stopped in his tracks, thus causing everyone else to stop too, he then turned to them with a look of interest of his face.

"Answering questions truthfully?" he asked.

Seeing every pony nod their heads to say yes, Jack suddenly burst out laughing.

"By Celestia I can't believe this," he chuckled. "Jack you old fool… I know exactly what the challenges are!"

"Well what are they Captain?" Slash asked, intrigued by his Captain’s realisation.

But before Jack could say another word the stairs beneath their hooves suddenly tilted down and the group found themselves on a flat surface, in a matter of moments every pony was sliding down downward screaming their heads off, only Pinkie Pie seemed to be enjoying it.

"Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!" She screamed.

Finally the slide came to a stop and the group found themselves being thrown off at the end, luckily they landed on something soft. As the group picked themselves up out of the strange luminous blue plant life they had just landed in, they noticed Jack was STILL laughing.

"And what may I ask is so funny?" Rarity asked sternly.

"The challenges," Jack giggled. "They all have something to do with the Elements of Harmony, think about it… we weren't able to find that rock in the middle of the lake unless we walked on the water and in order to do that we would have to show kindness to something that most ponies were afraid off… Marina! And the stairs didn't appear until you told that snake up there honest answers to his questions… do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Kindness and Honesty," Twilight gasped, for she did indeed know what Jack was going with this. "By Celestia I think you're right."

"So that means we still have four more Elements to beat before we reach the seventh," Jack continued as he picked himself. "Those original Harmony Bearers really thought this protection through didn't they? Alright shipmates now that we have a rough idea of what we're facing, we might be able to stand a chance."

Suddenly Jack noticed the shocked look on Marina's face.

"Oh dear I'm so sorry," he said as he walked up to her, realising his clear ignorance to Marina’s feelings. "I know this news must come as a shock to you, to think those Harmony Bearers would do such a thing to any innocent pony who came into that cave… I swear to you I'm going to make things right. After we find that seventh Element I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you… Marina?"

But Marina was completely unresponsive, she just stood there on the spot with the same shocked expression on her face, suddenly Jack noticed something odd about her watery body, it looked completely... solid. Laying one hoof upon her forehead Jack never in an instant what was wrong, Marina was completely frozen, from head to hoof she was nothing more than a solid block of ice.

"What in the name of the mighty seas happened?" Jack said completely baffled. "Slash, do you think you can thaw her?"

"I can try," Slash said as he positioned himself next to Marina's frozen body.

Aiming his head towards Marina Slash breathed in a huge gulp of air, however while every pony expected a burst blue flames to erupt when he exhaled the only thing that left Slash’s mouth were…

"Bubbles!?!" Slash squealed, quickly covering his mouth to hide his shame.

Much to Slash's embarrassment it was indeed bubbles that came from his mouth, thousands of small, shiny pink bubbles that to Slash tasted like cotton candy. But the worst part of it was the fact that it didn't stop, every time Slash even opened his mouth to speak the bubbles kept creeping out, much to everyone else's humour.

"Hey it's not funny!" he snapped as he saw almost everyone trying to hold back a snigger.

"I…I'm sorry Slash," Twilight giggled. "But that has to be one of the funniest things I ever seen."

"Oh yeah," Slash growled with a slight grin on his face. "Well I don't see any improvement on you Miss Limp Horn."

At first Twilight didn't know what Slash was talking about but then she saw everyone else's faces looking at her, she then realised something was wrong.

"Does any pony have a mirror?" she asked nervously.

Nodding her head, Gem levitated a small hand mirror from her satchel and nervously gave it to Twilight, and what Twilight saw in her reflection terrified her completely.

"Aaaaaaahhhh, my horn!!!" she shrieked. 

Now released what Slash meant, her horn had indeed gone limp and now had blue spots all over it. 

"Twilight what…" Fluttershy began, only to stop mid-sentence at the sound of her own voice.

But what everyone heard didn't sound like Fluttershy at all, instead she sounded like… a deep voiced stallion. Suddenly Twilight realised something, she's seen this type of thing before, looking down at her hooves she saw that they were all standing in what looked like…

"Poison Joke!!!" she screamed. "Of all things to stand in why'd it have to be Poison joke!?!"

"What the heck is Poison Joke?" Shimmer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's similar to poison oak, but instead of a rash, it does something...amusing to you," Twilight explained. "We encountered it once before but I've never seen it take effect this fast."

"Probably because you only encountered a small amount," Jack said. "We seem to be standing in an entire field of the stuff."

Looking over their shoulder's they noticed that Jack was right, they had landed in an entire field of Poison Joke, as far as the eye could see they saw nothing but the strange blue plant, even the few trees that were growing were completely covered in it. And soon enough the jokes were already starting to take effect. Rarity's mane and coat was once again long and ragged, Applejack was once again as small as a mouse, Rainbow Dash's wings were backwards and Pinkie Pie's tongue was swollen up and covered with blue spots. These effects Twilight has seen before, but looking towards the pirates she saw new results to the Poison Joke, Jack Silver's beard was now at least twenty feet long so he kept tripping over it, Big Rummy's voice became all high pitched and squeaky like a chipmunk, Dripfang's entire body was a bubble-gum pink instead of his usual jet black, T-Cog was now made entirely out of wood and looked like a living marionette , Shimmer had become a filly and while Gem usually had a mane that resembled a skunk, thanks to the Poison Joke she had now become one.

"Zis is terrible!" she squeaked as Fluttershy picked her up. "I can't go around looking like zis!"

"Please tell me there's a cure!" Slash begged as more bubbles burst out of his mouth.

"There is but…" Twilight began only to stop mid-sentence. "… wait, who's laughing!?!"

As they all listened to the high pitched laughter echoing in the air every pony looked in all directions trying to find where it was coming from.

"Look!" T-Cog shouted, as he raised a wooden hoof towards one of the trees.

Looking in the direction of where T-Cog was pointing, every pony saw something sitting on one of the lower branches, a small creature laughing its head off. This creature was strange to everyone as they hadn't seen anything like it before, only Twilight seemed to recognise what it was, it was something she and Spike have encounter before when she went through a magical mirror a while back.

"Oh my god!" it laughed. "This is hilarious, you guys are a riot!"

"What are you creature!" Jack snapped through his bushy beard "And why do you take such pleasure in our embarrassment?"

"Oh I am sorry, allow me to introduce myself," the creature giggled wiping a tear from his eye. "Jack O' Lantern's the name and mischief is my game. You haven't seen anything like me before?"

"No," Shimmer said in a much higher pitch of voice than she normally did. "Although you do remind of… hoo-mons was it? I saw pictures of them in one of Father's books."

“Humans,” Twilight corrected her, needless to say she received a few confused looks after that statement.

Indeed this creature did resemble a human. However this one seemed a lot different from the one’s Twilight encountered, he only stood about three feet in height, had green skin and skinning, burning red eyes and wore a strange assortment of clothes, most distinctively being the purple cape that covered the bottom half of his face and the large, purple witches hat that had a small pumpkin shaped buckle strapped onto it.

"But I thought they were supposed to be extinct," Jack added. “Plus Equestria isn’t supposed to have that kind of information in their libraries, how is it you know of them Twilight?”

“Let’s just say I’ve had some experience with these creatures.” Twilight answered. “I once traveled through a mirror in the Crystal Empire to another world with Spike and met a few of them.”

“Blimey and I thought WE saw some strange stuff in our time,” Dripfang whispered in Gems ear, instantly being responded with a nod.

While he wanted to know more of Twilight’s encounter with these creatures, Jack knew that there were more serious matters at hoof and decided to ask her about it later. Of course Jack O’ Lantern instantly kept him on focus with his ramblings.

“Well if you think I’m strange you should see my sister,” he said. “She’s a creature no one should have the displeasure of meeting, a creature so horrible it gives anyone nightmares.”

“W… what’s creature is that?” Applejack squeaked.

“She’s… a lawyer!”

If that was a joke then it wasn’t a very good one, however that didn’t stop Jack O’ Lantern from laughing his head off, much to everyone’s dismay. Even Pinkie Pie was starting to get irritated by this creature’s constant cackling. Finally Twilight tried to be stern with it and ask him a serious question.

“And what exactly are you?” she asked. “You can’t possibly be human, because they are one of the few creatures I know who don’t have magic and if you came from the other world then there is no possible way you can travel here without it.”

Twilight was hoping to get a serious answer, but Jack O’ Lantern’s smile only grew wider.

“Boy you are a smarty pants aren’t ya?” he asked mockingly as he disappeared in a puff of green smoke, only to reappear right next to her. “But yes it’s true I’m not human, in fact I am one of the few fable creatures of magic left in my world that are able to come and go between worlds as I please."

While this information was interesting, Twilight stayed on subject and asked the creature another question

"What do you want?" she said sternly.

"Oh it's not what I want, it's what you want," Jack O' Lantern continued as he disappeared again only to reappear sitting atop of Big Rummy's head. "I did notice that you are all standing in some of my favourite plants, well I have a fresh supply of the cure on me, but if you want it you're going to have to… CATCH ME!!!"

With that Jack O' lantern disappeared in another puff of smoke.

"Where'd he go!?!" Rig Rummy said jumping back.

"ZERE!!!" Gem shrieked.

Every pony then looked and saw Jack O' Lantern taunting them in the distance, only a few yards away and he was blowing raspberries and giving them rude gestures, finally Jack Silver couldn't take this green ball of annoyance anymore.

"GET HIM!!!" 
> Chapter 12: Giggles and Gifts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group spent what felt like an hour chasing down Jack O' Lantern however it was proving to be almost impossible to catch him, with the miniaturized Applejack sitting atop Twilight's head, Fluttershy carrying the small skunk body of Gem La Stone on her back and Big Rummy carrying Marina's frozen body on his, they all began to grow tired of the chase. Every time they managed to close in on him he just disappeared and magically appeared right behind them, every time they think they've cornered him he just disappeared in a puff of smoke, but the worst of all was when Big Rummy and Fluttershy thought they had him in a hoof lock, only him to literally jump inside his hat and blast them with a gush of cold water from it.

"I don't… I don't know how much more I can take of this," Twilight said as she tried to catch her breath. "Every time we get close he just pops up somewhere else."

"And this Poison Joke ain't making things any better!" Applejack squeaked from atop of Twilight's head.

This was indeed true, what made the chase even more difficult than it needed to be was the fact that each of the Poison Joke's effects slowed everyone down, Jack Silver kept tripping up over his beard every time he got close, neither Twilight nor Gem were able to use their magic due to their current situations, Shimmer couldn’t run fast enough due to having smaller legs and Rainbow Dash slamming into T-cog who was unable to fly himself due to the extra weight of his wooden body. 

“This… is getting… ridiculous,” Dripfang gasping for air.

"We have to keep trying," Gem said sternly, trying her best no to fall off Fluttershy’s back. "We can’t let zis little fool make a mockery of us."

“That’s easy for you to say,” Dripfang replied. “You should see what he’s doing to T-Cog.”

Looking over towards T-Cog’s direction, both Fluttershy and Gem saw what Dripfang was talking about. Now starting to get bored with the chase, Jack O’ Lantern took it upon himself to pull a large flute out of his surprising small pocket and started playing the song “Shake your groove thing.” Thus forcing T-Cog to dance as though he were being controlled by a puppeteer, which was sort of ironic since that’s now what he looked like.

“Some pony help me!” he screamed, as he twisted his body into unnatural positions. “Please make it stop!”

It was only until Slash managed to sneak up on Jack O’ Lantern and snap the flute in two that T-Cog was finally able to stop dancing, it was a good thing too because Pinkie Pie and Big Rummy looked as though they were about to join him. Unfortunately Slash wasn’t able to make a grab for the player since he jumped into his hat and disappeared before he could. Finally they all had Jack O' Lantern surrounded, with ponies on all sides it looked like the only way he could escape was through magic but he didn't even budge, instead he just giggled to himself.

"There's nowhere to run now you little punk," Jack growled gasping for air. "You… are going to give us that cure right now... or… we are just gonna have to get nasty."

"Ooh, nasty huh?" Jack O' Lantern smirked. "Well I have just one thing to say to that old timer… HIT IT!!!"

Suddenly the entire field echoed with music and spotlights magically shone from an unseen area illuminating on Jack O' Lantern who was now suddenly dressed in a mariachi outfit, shaking maracas and dancing to the tune.

"What in tarnation is that crazy fool doing!?!" Applejack squeaked from atop Twilight's head.

"I think the better question is where the heck is that music coming from?" Slash added.

But despite every ponys' questions, Jack o' Lantern began to sing.

"They call me Cuban Pete, 
I'm the king of the rumba beat,
When I play the maracas I go chick-chicky-boom, chick-chicky boom,

Yes sir I'm Cuban Pete, 
I'm the craze of my native street,
When I start to dance, everything goes chick-chicky-boom, chick-chicky boom,

The senoritas they sing and they swing with terampero, 
It's very nice, so full of spice,
And when they dance in they bring a happy ring that era keros,
Singing a song, all the day long,

So if you like the beat, take a lesson from Cuban Pete
And I'll teach you to chick-chicky-boom, chick-chicky-boom,"

Suddenly Jack o' Lantern clicked his fingers and before everyone's eyes Pinkie Pie magically appeared next to him, completely cured of her swollen tongue and wearing what looked like a frilly scarlet dress, but what shocked every pony was the fact that she was singing and dancing along with him.

"He's really a modest guy, although he's the hottest guy
In Hayvana! In Hayvana!"

Needless to say every pony was completely baffled at what they were seeing, however somehow they also felt the urge to join in, they even felt like they were enjoying themselves as Jack O' Lantern continued to sing.

Si, senorita I know that you would like to chicky-boom-chick
It's very nice, so full of spice,
I'll place my hand on your hip, and if you will just give me your hoof
Then we shall try - just you and I, I-yi-yi!
So if you like the beat, take a lesson from Cuban Pete
And I'll teach you to chick-chicky-boom, chick-chicky-boom, chick-chicky-boom!!!

Before any pony knew it they were all dancing along with Jack O' Lantern in a roar of laughter and excitement, despite their current ludicrous situation they found themselves literally doing the conga with him. Suddenly Twilight managed to snap back into reality and realised what was going on.

"STOP!!!" she screamed.

Suddenly the music stopped and every pony snapped back into reality, even Jack O' Lantern stopped himself at her very shriek and was suddenly back in his original garments of clothing. 

"What in the name of Celestia are we doing!?!" Twilight continued. "We're supposed to be getting the cure off this guy!"

"Geez who invited the killjoy?" Jack O' Lantern smirked, as a levitated above her head. "I just figured you guys deserved a little break after chasing me for so long, after all you had fun didn't ya?"

While they did feel a little awkward every pony had to admit that they did briefly enjoy themselves especially with the recent dance number, seeing the slight look of defeat and agreement in their faces Jack O' Lantern's smile spread even wider.

"That's all I needed to know," he said snapping his fingers.

With a small click of his gloved hand and in a puff of magical green smoke, the entire field of Poison Joke disappeared and every pony found themselves standing in the middle of a stone floor, completely normal and cured of their joke effects.

"Hey what gives?" Slash asked as he tested his restored fire breath.

"Yeah I thought we had to catch you to get the cure," Marina said now free from her frozen prison and soaking Big Rummy's back.

“Well I changed my mind didn’t I?” Jack O’ Lantern laughed, much to everyone’s annoyance. “Anyway what’s the fun in…”

Suddenly he was interrupted by a ringing from his pocket.

“Uh… excuse, me” he said as pulled a device that only Twilight recognised as a cell phone from his pocket. “Hello? Oh hi boss… no I’m not slacking off again I just… oh come on it wasn’t that bad… alright I’ll finish up here and meet you there… hey you leave my mother out of this! Ok, ok, stop getting your tail in a twist!”

He then hung up the phone leaving every pony confused, needless to say he enjoyed seeing the looks on their faces.

“Sorry kiddies but I gotta go, boss man found my stash of jokes in his fridge again.” he laughed as he put the phone away and began to float above everyone’s heads, suddenly he spoke again.

"Those who are always serious shall always live in strife, so sometimes in order to win the game you must look on the funny side of life!"

And with those final words and with a final, echoed laugh Jack O' Lantern disappeared in a puff of green smoke, leaving a small hole in the cavern wall and the whole group standing in a daze.

"Does any pony want to tell me what just happened?" Rainbow Dash asked confusingly.

“I don’t know, and frankly I don’t want to.” T-Cog said with a shudder. “I just want to get the Element, get out and go back to the comfort of my hammock.”

Jack however had a more positive answer.

"I believe this was another test," he explained. "That creature wouldn't cure us until we started enjoying ourselves, the Poison Joke must have been an obstacle to get in the way of our true goal… looking on the funny side no matter how tough things get… the test of Laughter."

"Another Element of Harmony," Twilight added.

"Exactly," Jack said with a smile. "And now we are only half way to the seventh, come on my friends we're half-way there!"

Deciding to leave all the confusing memories where they were, everyone made their way towards the hole in the wall, only Pinkie Pie remained behind where she stood in a daze.

"Um Pinkie?" Rarity asked looking back at her. "Are you okay?"

"I think…" Pinkie Pie said suddenly going all giddy. "…I'm in love."

At those words she swooned and collapsed to the floor with a goofy large smile on her face, after many failed attempts to snap Pinkie Pie back into reality eventually every pony had to slump her onto Big Rummy's back so her could carry her out of the cavern, climbing into the hole, the group came across another tunnel that was dimly lit with black, metal torches. With every step they took everyone kept up their guard in case anything else popped out of nowhere to might test them. 


#


After walking what seemed like a few yards down the tunnel the group came to a dead end, however they weren't the only ones that were there, sitting at the base of the wall was a another pony. Though they couldn't see any of her features beneath the large dirty cloak she wore, the pony appeared to be a Zebra and a shy one at that since she cringed at the very sight of the group in front of her.

"Fear not my dear," Jack said seeing her fear. "We do not wish to harm you."

Seeing the serious tone in Jack's voice the Zebra felt more relaxed and spoke.

"You are most honest I see," she said. 
"Such a fine quality in a pony."

"Are you ze one who will test us next?" Gem asked.

"Indeed I am," the Zebra answered. 
"And fear not, I do not desire to sham."

Knowing that this would feel exactly like their previous tests Jack spared no hesitation to ask the first question.

"What is our test my dear?" he asked.

At those words the zebra smiled.

"Such determination resides within your soul," she answered. 
"But that is not enough to accomplish your goal,
Listen to the keeper of the gate, 
And soon you shall know the way of your fate,
You may have past half of the tests, 
But now you have mine to best, 
In order to pass me then one of you must part, 
With an object that resides closest to your heart."

Those words scared everyone a little bit, knowing that there were only three Elements of Harmony to go through left they understood that this one had to be Generosity. At first no pony knew what to do, suddenly Slash spoke up.

"I take it you want us to give you something?" he asked.

The Zebra then nodded and Slash instantly knew what he must do, opening his pack he took out his guitar and handed it to the Zebra.

"Slash what are you doing?" Big Rummy asked.

"Aye, you love that thing," T-Cog added.

"True," Slash said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But if it means moving another step closer to what we came for then I have no choice but to give it up."

"An interesting occurrence seems to bloom," the Zebra said stroking the guitar. 
"This instrument means a lot to you I assume?"

"Indeed it does," Slash sighed. "I made that guitar with my own two claws, it's been my favourite instrument since I was a hatchling.

Seeing the look of honesty in Slash's face, the Zebra smiled in approval.

"Then it is agreed," she said. 
"You may pass because of this deed." 

Suddenly the wall behind the Zebra began to dissolve and the Zebra spoke her final words.

"When one searches for a treasure because of greed, then they are doomed to fail for Generosity is the better deed."

And with that the Zebra and Slash's guitar dispersed and disappeared into dust and was gone, leaving a great big hole in the wall where she sat.

"So long old friend," Slash said. "I'll never forget your sweet music."

"I'm so sorry Slash," Jack said placing a hoof on his shoulder.

"It's okay Captain," Slash said shrugging his shoulders and choking back a tear from his eye. "It was only wood and strings, shall we move on?"

Slash then quickly made his way through the hole in the wall, leaving every pony slightly feeling sorry for the poor dragon.

As the group travelled down the dark tunnel towards their next test, Twilight couldn't help but feel a little concerned for Slash, only a few moments ago he had to give up his most cherished possession for the sake of the mission and he's trying to put on a brave face about it.

"Are you okay Slash?" she said as she walked beside him. "I know how much that guitar meant to you."

"Hey don't worry about it," Slash said giving a slight shrug. "I can always make another one, besides the wood was stating to rot anyway."

"But Apple Bloom fixed it up for you," Applejack said. "She knew how much you loved that thing."

"That's just it though, it was just an object," Slash said with a slight smile. "I know the girl did her best with it, heck she even got her Cutie Mark in doing so but it's worth nothing if my friends couldn't get where they were going. I may be a little psychotic but I'm not stupid enough to hang onto an object when I have real friends to look out for."

"Well said Slash," Jack said, listening in. 

"Here, here," Shimmer added with a smile.

The group then continued down the tunnel after what seemed like another hour, finally they came across another dead end only this time there was actually a door in the middle of it, a large stone door in which took almost every pony to push open. Finally everyone had arrived at their next destination, at first no pony could see a thing due to it being pitch black but with one small puff of fiery breath Slash managed to ignite a nearby torch which due to a chain reaction began to light every other torch on the walls, illuminating the entire chamber in a calm blue light. What every pony saw at that moment made them stare in awe, they were standing in what looked like a cavern made entirely out of marble, the walls completely lined with tall white statues of not only ponies but other creatures as well.

"By Celestia," Jack gasped. "I never thought I'd see it with me own eyes… this the Chamber of Wonders, this is where every creature who ever made their mark in history is remembered. Any who have done something wonderful in their life that was worth remembering to the world has their image preserved here, but in all my years of reading about it in books have I ever would have thought it actually existed."

"There's Starswirl the Bearded!" Twilight announced, pointing to one of the statues.

"And King Charlatan!" T-Cog added pointing to another. "The Emperor Penguin who turned a frozen wasteland into a paradise for his subjects in the Southern Penguin Kingdom, I'd love to know how he did that."

"Hey ain’t that the mare who delivers the mail back home?" Applejack asked pointing towards two more statues. "And the one next to her, his name is… Time Turner wasn’t it?"

“I thought it was Clockwork,” Rainbow Dash added.

“I heard he’s some kind of Doctor,” Rarity chirped in. “Maybe he and that mare saved a pony’s life once, someone of Royalty no doubt.”

“Maybe,” Rainbow Dash said, scratching her hair in confusion. “Although you’d think we would have known if Derpy Hooves did something big like that.”

Needless to say, Pinkie Pie also had her own theory and decided to voice it.

“Ooh, ooh, I know why they’re here,” she said excitedly. “That stallion’s from an alternate world and not only that but he comes from another planet in that world and he and Derpy travel in his magic blue box and travel all across time and space and the reason why they in the Chamber is because they travelled back in time, saved the day, and made every pony happy and they all had a big party and then they went back to their blue box and travelled back forward in time and arrived back in Ponyville before anyone knew they were gone.”

She spoke that one sentence so fast it was a wonder that she wasn’t gasping for breath, and needless to say it left every pony baffled.

“Uh… why do you think that Pinkie?” Slash asked nervously, a little scared from Pinkie Pies mind boggling theory.

“Just a hunch,” Pinkie Pie answered with a grin.

That still didn’t make anyone feel any less baffled.

“Is there some sort of medicine she should be on?” T-Cog whispered to Twilight.

Twilight simply shrugged and the rest of the Mane Six just assumed it was Pinkie Pie being her usual self. Suddenly Pinkie wasn’t what was making everyone uneasy anymore as the chamber all at once echoed with an evil laughter.

"Did… did that statue just laugh?" Fluttershy whimpered from behind Big Rummy.

"Don't be ridiculous Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said. "Statues don't laugh,"

"I don't know Rainbow, we've seen a lot of weird things these past couple of months," Applejack pointed out.

As laughter contuse to echo throughout the chamber, every pony suddenly noticed something else. In the centre of the floor, although being pushed upward by a geyser came a burst of spooky grey mist erupting from a crack in the floor, the vapour then twisted and morphed like Marina did when she came out of the water and suddenly another figure stood before the group. It looked like another version of Marina only instead of water she was made entirely out of vapour, had no visible fangs and hey eyes shone a vivid yellow. This terrifying creature paralysed the Mane Six and Marina in fear, the pirates however where less impressed, especially Jack.

"Vapora," he growled in anger. "What in the name of the high seas are you doing here?"

"Wait you KNOW this thing!" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We have had dealings in the past," Jack explained. "Every pony, allow me to introduce you to Vapora, the Siren of the Sea."

"A title I am quite proud of Jackie," Vapora smirked in a cold whispery voice. "I see you still haven't gotten over the last time we met."

"You kidnapped and impersonated my wife and tried to drown me on my wedding day!" Jack snapped. "I was lucky T-Cog here was smart enough to find the REAL Magic Star before I did anything stupid!" 

"Oh don't be so dramatic Jack," Vapora smirked. "Magic Star wasn’t exactly loosing much."

But those words only angered Jack even further, having a go at his crew was one thing but there was no way she was going to get away from mocking his beloved wife.

"What are you doing here Vapora?" he growled.

"My job," Vapora answered coldly. "As you may have noticed the Siren of the Sea is only ONE of my titles, another is one of the testers of any who wishes to claim the seventh Element of Harmony, but only one member of your group can do it so who's it gonna be?"

Needless to say no one was willing to trust anything Vapora said, especially the pirates, but if she was telling the truth then they needed to decide who would be facing the challenge, gathering in a huddle, every pony talked amongst themselves.

"So what do you think?" Twilight asked. "You think she's telling the truth?"

"Doubt it," Jack said sternly. "Knowing Vapora it's probably a trap."

"But if she IS telling the truth then someone has to do the challenge." Twilight pointed out.

"Well I doubt any of us are just going to volunteer," T-Cog said with a serious look. "We pirates know Vapora all too well."

"Yeah she doesn't play fair," Big Rummy added.

“She’s manipulative,” Slash added.

“And she has terrible taste.” Gem chirped in.

"Be that as it may we have no choice," Twilight said sincerely. "One of us has to do the challenge, if not then we're finished."

At those words every pony fell silent, suddenly Dripfang spoke up.

"I'll do it," he said. 

"No," Jack said. "I'll do it, I'm not letting one of my crewmembers risk their…"

"Captain I'm afraid that's an order I'm going to have to refuse." Dripfang said sternly. "I'm your volunteer Vapora!"

Hearing this Vapora’s smile spread even wider.

"Then so be it," she said with an evil smile.

Suddenly upon the slam of it, a veil of fog erupted from Vapora’s hoof and filled the chamber, once it finally cleared Dripfang was met with a horrifying sight, every single one of his comrades had been turned to stone. As the he stared in terror at the newest statues filling the chamber it was needless to say that his anger was beginning to boil over

"What have you done to my friends!?!" he snapped in anger.

"I have had too much experience with interfering ponies to know when to take precautions," Vapora explained. "Rest assured they shall be restored when the task is complete…GOOD LUCK!!!"

All of a sudden a large trapdoor opened beneath Dripfang's feat and he dropped into the dark abyss within it, disappearing into the black. 
> Chapter 13: Friendship is Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Dripfang finally regained consciousness and opened his eyes, his vision was incredibly blurry and all he could make out were a bunch of shapes squirming around him, suddenly he was met with a sound he had hoped never to listen to again. 

"Welcome back my subject," said a distorted, echoed voice that Dripfang instantly recognised.

Quickly pulled himself up Dripfang found his vision coming back into focus, although what he saw next made him wish it was blurry again. He was standing in a dark, damp cavern filled with luminous green cocoons, a cavern he knew all too well. Turning his head towards the voice he heard, Dripfang was met with an even more horrifying sight, standing right beside him with an army of his own kind behind her was a pony with a twisted horn, a pair of tattered insect wings, a pair of fangs and wore a small, black crown atop her tatty green mane, it was Queen Chrysalis.

"Your… your majesty!" Dripfang squealed in fear as he bowed to her.

"Such devotion from my dear underling," Chrysalis smirked. "Even after all this time you still bow before me, you really shouldn't have been left behind, I see that now."

"W…why am I here?" Dripfang asked nervously. "W…where are my friends?"

"Who?" Chrysalis asked with a raised eyebrow. "Oh the pirates… well I'm afraid they are dead, slain by Vapora while still in their stone prison!"

Dripfang was instantly shocked and appalled to hear this.

"W…what?" he said, tears filling his eyes.

"Turns out Vapora thought it better they become nothing but rubble so she shattered them," Chrysalis continued. "She lied to you when she said that she would restore them of course. Forget them my underling, return to us, return to your hive."

As the words "return to us" echoed throughout the entire cavern, Dripfang simply stood there frozen on the spot, memories flooding his mind as he did. He thought back to when he first met his Captain, how he took him under his wing when he was found on that other ship after his fellow Changelings abandoned him, he never would have considered it then but that stallion soon became of the best friends one could ask for. Dripfang then thought of his other friends, his family on board the Golden Alicorn, the ponies who he shared grand adventures with, he remembered his games of Liar's Dice with T-Cog, tasting Big Rummy's food for the first time, he even remembered the moment when Jack Silver gave him the name of Dripfang after hearing that he didn't have one due to him being a drone in his old hive. Suddenly Dripfang snapped back into reality and anger began to flood his heart, all those memories, all those joyous events in his life, all that will not just be forgotten like that, he won’t let it.

"You lie," he growled under his breath.

“Excuse me?” Chrysalis asked curiously.

“YOU LIE!!!” Dripfang repeated, shouting in her face.

"You dare speak to your queen in such a manner?" Chrysalis asked angrily.

"I have NO queen!" Dripfang snapped. "I may have been bred in this hive but I refuse to return and become one of your mindless drones again! Captain Jack Silver and all the other ponies aboard the Golden Alicorn gave me more decency, compassion and affection than you can ever provide me. I may feed on love but those pirates give me something so much more powerful because they have been more of a family than you'll ever be! And I for one refuse to believe that they are dead!"

Needless to say Chrysalis grew angrier with every word Dripfang spoke.

"You would turn your back on your own kind to be with those mangy pirates!?!" she snapped. “You would turn your back on ME!?!”

"I WOULD turn my back on my own species and I would most certainly turn my back on YOU to be with my TRUE family!" Dripfang snapped back.

Suddenly something happened that Dripfang did not expect, Chrysalis and all the other Changelings began to laugh, in a matter of moments they all disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and Dripfang found himself once again losing consciousness.


#


When Dripfang finally awoke, he found himself back in the Chamber of Wonders surrounded by his friends, completely restored.

"What… what just happened?" Dripfang asked with a confused look.

"What happened?" Jack chuckled. "You passed the test that's what happened!"

"I…I passed?" Dripfang said with a slight smile. 

"Indeed you did Master Changeling," Vapora said walking up towards the group. "Your loyalty to your family shows true character, well done."

Dripfang couldn't believe it, the whole time he actually believed that he was with his hive, but now seeing his true friends standing next to him and laughing with only made him realise how foolish he's been, he never felt so relieved. Finally Vapora spoke again.

"When one betrays his kin then he has no heart, it is only through Loyalty that he can truly have a heart."

And with that Vapora dissolved back into mere vapour and oozed back down the crack in the floor, leaving the group once again standing there in a daze as one of the statues opened up to reveal a hidden doorway.

"Alright my friends there is only one more test left to go," Jack said with a smile. "Onward!"

At those words Jack lead the group through the doorway, as he followed his Captain, Dripfang couldn't help but smile, never in his life had he been so glad to be with his friends. 


#


As the last pony finally managed to squeeze through the doorway they found themselves in total darkness, it was so dark that they couldn’t see the path ahead of them. Suddenly the doorway sealed itself behind them, leaving everyone blinded, for it was so dark they couldn’t even see themselves. As they all stood there in the blackness the group couldn't help but feel terrified, they have now past five of the challenges and are most likely closing in on the last, with all the others past all that was left was the test of Magic. Standing there in the dark, Jack, Gem, and Twilight tried their best to provide some light with their horns but to no avail, everything was still pitch black.

"What kind of place is this?" Twilight asked in fear. "No matter how much light my horn produces, I can't see anything,"

"Yeah," Slash added as he puffed a small flame. "Not even my fire can light this darkness."

"I can't even see the floor in this place." Rarity said after tripping over Slash for the second time.

"Look I know it seems bad now but we have to keep moving," Jack reassured them. "We just have to keep moving forward."

"But we can't even see where forward is," Shimmer pointed out. "We could be going backwards for all we know."

"If we keeping moving in a straight line then there shouldn't be any problems," Jack explained. "If there's any more spirits in this place then we'll be ready for them, now to stop us from accidentally separating, every pony should grab hold of someone else’s tail so we could stay together."

Seeing this to be the best option, everyone felt the air in front of them until they some pony else in front of them, it took a while but everyone finally managed to get a straight line going with Jack taking the lead. As they walked aimlessly through the dark, keeping their pace slow as they moved, every pony's faith slowly began to deplete, Jack's especially. Suddenly Jack had an idea, what if the darkness WAS the test? The test of magic? So asking from assistance from Twilight, Rarity and Gem, Jack attempted some old spells he knew, first he tried a simple luminescence spell he learned in his youth then came the reversal spells from Twilight's knowledge of magic, soon came the fire spells which every pony knew had to be dangerous, however Jack found that out too late after getting the tip of his hat burnt off. Finally after what felt like hours of walking and spells they all stopped, too tired to carry on.

"Oh it's hopeless," Jack said with a sigh and sitting down. "We've been walking for hours and attempted so many spells and there's still no end to this darkness."

"Since when have you of all ponies been one to give up?" Shimmer asked.

"Since I've led you all to disappointment," Jack answered. "Let's face it, this is a lost cause."

"Don't say that Jack," Twilight said trying to reassure him. "We've come too close to stop now, there has to be a way…"

"Twilight I don't want to hear it!" Jack snapped. "It's over, we failed! I failed…all of you, all the promises I've made and they've all gone downhill… I failed you all."

As the group looked towards Jack with deep concern as he looked towards the ground in shame, they have come so close and now Jack is calling off the adventure? This wasn't the Jack they all knew. Finally Shimmer spoke up.

"Now you listen to me," she said sternly. "This is not the Jack Silver I was proud to call my Father!"

"Well maybe I'm starting to get too old to be the same Jack Silver!" Jack said in defeat.

But those words only made Shimmer angrier.

"Those are the words of a coward Father," she said. "And I know for a fact that you are no coward, this may not have been the result we were expecting from this adventure but we didn't fail… at least not yet. I know you can do something about this."

"But what can I do?" Jack asked picking himself up. "The only other spell I can do now is a portal spell to get us out of here, if I do that then the seventh Element of Harmony might never be found."

"So what?" T-Cog asked. "Jack we don't care about the seventh Element, personally I was just happy to go on another adventure with the stallion who changed me life."

"Yeah same here," Slash added.

"And me," Big Rummy said with a smile.

"And I for one was simply glad to find a true friend," Marina said. "I never cared for what we might find in here, I just enjoyed the time I spent with the one pony who was truly nice to me in years."

Hearing these words made Jack Silver gasp in awe for he couldn't believe his ears.

"I…I don't know what to say to that," he said.

"Don't say anything Jack," Gem said with a smile. "Shimmer's right we haven't failed yet."

"Yeah we still have some fight left in us," Rainbow Dash added.

Jack couldn't help but shed a tear of joy, even after all that they've been through every pony still believed in him.

"Thank you my friends," he said softly, "Thank you, this means a lot and even if we DO fail then at least we tried right?"

"Right!" every pony said in unison. 

“You know what?” Jack continued. “The seventh Element is nothing compared to you all, you are the true treasure. We WILL make it out of this darkness, I promise you that.”

No pony may have expected it but Jack thought that due to the circumstances it was appropriate, thus he began to sing.

They say in every life, there must come a time,
One must go on faith
We cannot lose hope, we must not let go, 
Take my hoof and we will find our way.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel
Just you wait and see
There’s a place far away from all trouble
There’s a light, beyond the night, shining for you and me.

No pony knew why their Captain was singing but they didn't care, they were just glad to hear the happiness in his voice. Suddenly they noticed something, he could actually SEE Jack while he sang, in fact at that point every pony was able to see each other, the darkness was beginning to fade, Jack had found the solution. Suddenly with a smile Fluttershy took the next verse.

From this moment on, we must all be strong,
Don’t let them know our fear
Don’t need to be afraid, close your eyes and pray
Love will lead us all right out of here

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel
Just you wait and see
There’s a place far away from all trouble
There’s a light, beyond the night, shining for you and me

The chamber all at once began to grow less and less dark, every pony could now see the ground beneath them and the walls behind them, proud to be among such friends, every pony finished the song together.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel
Just you wait and see
There’s a place far away from all trouble
There’s a light, beyond the night, shining for you and me
Shining for you and me.

Finally as the song reached its end, the whole chamber was lit up and the darkness faded completely, leaving the group standing in the middle of a pure white shrine completely made of diamonds, in a way it looked as though it belonged in the Crystal Empire. If any pony would have mistaken a place for heaven then this would be it. Suddenly Jack started laughing.

"What’s so funny?" Twilight asked him.

"It wasn't simple magic tricks we needed to pass the test of Magic.” he answered happily. “It was something far more powerful than that.”

Twilight, being the wisest of ponies knew what Jack meant in an instant and gave him a gentle smile. However the others were still slightly confused so Twilight explained.

"There were clues in the previous trials," she said. "Each and every one of those tests had something in common… they had something to do with friendship. To pass the first test we needed to befriend a Kelpie, the second involved questions about how you felt towards those closest to you, Jack O' Lantern's test involved having fun with your friends, the next involved sacrificing a possession for the sake of your fellow travellers and need I say more about the test of Loyalty?"

At those every pony smiled in awe for he knew what Twilight was trying to say.

"It was the Magic of friendship we needed to use,” she continued. “And what better way to express that than with a song when we’re together?"

Hearing this every pony looked at each other with a tearful smile on their face, Jack especially, what he felt at this moment in time was so wonderful it was impossible to describe, finally he spoke.

"Hey, who ever said we were friends Princess?" he said. "Nay, we're more like a family."

At those words Twilight couldn't help but blush, in fact every pony felt the same way as her, each every one of them looked at each other with a look of pure joy in their faces, Big Rummy and Fluttershy couldn't help but look into each other's eyes despite Slash sitting on Big Rummy's back and feeling a little jealous, T-Cog placed his hooked leg around Applejack in a friendly manner, Jack however simply smiled back at his crew and felt a surge of pride. Finally Pinkie Pie spoke, the suspense getting too much for her to bear.

"GROUP HUG!!!" she shrieked as she pulled every pony in a tight squeeze. 

As they all grouped together in a tight hug, huge surges of emotion filled the air, suddenly Rarity pointed something out.

"Wait a minute," she said. "If that was the test of Magic then… we past all of them, shouldn't the seventh Element be here?"

"Indeed it should," echoed an unseen angelic voice.

Instantly responding the group turned to the direction of the voice, there in front of them they saw another spirit only this one seemed more beautiful than all the others, she was a pure white Unicorn who shone as brightly as the Crystal Ponies themselves, with a flowing white mane that matched Celestia herself.

"Greetings dear ones," she said. "I wish to congratulate you dear travellers for you had passed every test that has been played before you, I am the Lady Amalthea,"

"Wait, THE Lady Amalthea?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow. "The original Bearer of the Element of Magic?"

"But how is that possible?" Twilight added.

"My dearest brother was always the most compassionate of us," Amalthea explained. "With the love our family shared, he sacrificed his own extended life and passed its magic upon the rest of us, from then on we all grew to an age far beyond natural circumstances. In the last years of his life, my brother hid away his Element of Harmony and trusted numerous creatures to guard it, all of whom of which you've most likely met, I however volunteered for the task to provide the test of Magic once my spirit was free from my body. I trust this information is no surprise to you?"

"Only fragments," Jack answered. "But why only you? Why did the rest of your siblings not volunteer as well?"

"By then my siblings had families of their own," Amalthea continued. "After assisting in hiding the final Element of Harmony they all went back to their old lives to be with them, when they died they were already at peace, a feeling I'm sure you are quite familiar with Jack Silver, yes I know who you all are. Your arrival has been expected for quite some time now and I am happy to say that the wait has not been in vain, you have the other Elements of Harmony I presume?"

At those words Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six pulled the Elements of Harmony out of their satchels, causing Amalthea to smile.

"Then let it begin." She whispered as she suddenly began to fade away. 

"Spells and Hexes are simply one way, but it is the magic of friendship that shall bless you all this day".

With those final words Amalthea disappeared completely and a small pedestal emerged from the centre of the floor, six smaller ones attached to its base. Instantly knowing what to do the Mane Six placed their Elements of Harmony on the smaller pedestals, the second the final one touched the surface a shimmering blue aura surrounded the entire structure, illuminating the entire shrine with it blinding light. Finally when the light faded and the group was able to see again they were met with a beautiful sight, there floating in the centre of the larger pedestal was a small stone orb pulsating with a beautiful white aura. 

"Is.. is that what I think it is?" Rarity asked trying to shield her eyes from its brilliance.

"The seventh Element of Harmony," Twilight said with a smile. "We've found it."

"But who's ze Harmony Bearer?"  Gem asked.

Suddenly as though it were reacting to Gem's words, the orb slowly floated away from the pedestal and towards the group, much to his own surprise it stopped in front of Jack and in another flash of light transformed into a Golden gauntlet encrusted with a green gem that matched his skull and cross-bone Cutie mark placed itself upon his hoof, leaving him baffled.

"Me?" he gasped. "But… but why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Shimmer said with a smile. "It is you who represents it the most."

"Because you were the one who made our lives better Jack," T-Cog added. "Those of us who had nothing gained a new life when we joined your crew."

"And it's all because of you." Marina giggled.

"The Element of Hope," Twilight finished with a smile. "The very thing that drove the original Bearers into changing the world, the hope of something better. Congratulations Captain."

Needless to say Jack was taken aback by all of this, as he stood there seeing everyone give him a salute he couldn't help but feel confused, how could HE of all ponies be the Harmony Bearer? Granted it was true that he made certain crew member's lives better and he did give a few speeches that raised their spirits but half the time he would just simply mope around with stupid ideas in his head. Suddenly he realised something, if it was the Element of Hope then maybe it wasn't just the hope he gave his crew but the hope they gave him. All at once he remembered the times that HE was given hope, Twilight giving him the push he needed when Blackhorn fell overboard, Shimmer's words just a few minutes ago and every other time he needed comfort when the crew was happy to give it to him. As Jack looked back at the smiling faces of every pony he felt glad to be standing there with them, not once did they ever doubt him and he was glad to know it. Removing the gauntlet from his hoof and placing it in his pack, he now only had one thing to say.

"Let's go home,"


#


Needless to say there was so much happiness when the day finally came to a close and the sun began to set over the horizon, as Jack Silver's portal spell opened up and the group found themselves back on the beach just outside the entrance to the cave everyone couldn’t help but happily cheer.

"There's gonna be some celebrating tonight!" Slash said with a giddy grin.

"PARTY TIME!!!" Pinkie Pie added.

As they all trotted down the beach towards the longboat in singing “It’s a pirates life for me” Jack  simply stood behind them and looked towards his ship on the ocean, only for his smile to turn into a look of concern, a look Twilight instantly noticed when turned her head.

"Are you okay Jack?" she asked walking back towards him.

"Of course I am," Jack answered. "It's just that… well things have now changed to something I never imagined, I once planned to return the seventh Element of Harmony to Equestria with the others but now that I'm it's Bearer I don't know what to do."

But at those words Twilight only gave him another smile.

"Do what you think is right Jack," she said. "You've always done it that way before."

Jack would have said something had he known what words to speak but Twilight simply walked ahead of him and into the longboat with the others, however he knew Twilight made a clear point he had always done what he thought was right in the past, granted his decisions weren’t always the best choice but he believed them to be right at the time, Twilight certainly did have the qualities of a princess, she always knew what to say.

“Thank you Twilight,” Jack said

Choosing not to press the matter further he followed Twilight back the longboat and clambered into it. As they moved closer towards the Golden Alicorn those on board the longboat talked amongst themselves.

"Do you really think they'll accept me?" Marina asked nervously, "It's that that I'm not sure about this."

"Hey if this crew can accept a Changeling, a dragon and a bunch of Diamond Dogs I think you'll be fine." T-Cog reassured her. "Besides I think they'll be too busy celebrating to even care what you look… why is it so quiet?"

Everyone then stopped rowing and listened, it was too quiet, too quiet for any pony's liking, there were no sounds from any of the crewmembers on board, not even a seagulls call could be heard. When the longboat finally reached the ship Jack was the first to speak.

"Ahoy up there!" he called. "We have returned!"

But there was neither a sight nor sound from anyone on board the ship and Jack didn't like that one bit. Suddenly everyone heard the flapping of wings and quickly turned their heads back up towards the ship to see a large red bird fly off the ship and towards the beach.

“Abandon Ship!” it squawked. “Abandon Ship!” 

“Hey wasn’t that the Doctor’s parrot?” Applejack asked.

"Something's wrong," Jack said with a look of concern. "Stay here, I'm going to check."

Shimmer would have argued but Jack was already climbing up the ladder along the side of the ship and up onto the deck and he disappeared from sight, at first there was only silence but then all of a sudden those inside the longboat saw a flash of purple light and heard and ear-piercing scream.

"FATHER!!!" Shimmer screamed as she began to climb up the ladder.

Instantly reacting every pony followed Shimmer up the ladder and onto the deck towards Jack Silver's scream. 
> Chapter 14: Marooned
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When everyone finally reached the deck of the ship they were met with a horrific sight. Leaning up against the mast they saw Jack, trying to hold a deep bleeding wound in his side, however that wasn’t the worst of it. All over the deck they found the dead bodies of just under half the crew, some of them with their throats slashed, others with multiple stab wounds.

"B…by Celestia," Twilight gasped staring down at the horrific sight before her, tears starting to flow from her eyes.

"Who did this?" Dripfang added.

It was so horrendous no pony could bear to look, while Shimmer tried to tend to her father she tried her best to focus on him alone. Suddenly something else popped into every pony’s mind.

"APPLE BLOOM!!!" Applejack screamed.

"SCOOT!!!" Rainbow Dash added.

But no matter how much the Mane Six called there was not answer from either Spike nor the Cutie Mark Crusaders, for a moment they had feared the worst, suddenly they're hopes were lifted by a small voice above them.

"Twilight!" it called.

"Spike!?!" Twilight said looking up. "Spike is that you!?!"

"Up here!" Spike called from the crow's nest.

Instantly reacting Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Dripfang and T-Cog flew up towards the crow's nest, there they found a sight that gave them all great deal of relief, Spike, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, shaken up and shivering with fright but alive and well.

"Thank Celestia," Rainbow Dash said as she picked Scootaloo up in. "Are you all okay?"

"They… they came out of nowhere," Scootaloo whimpered. "Ponies with burning red eyes, they… they went after everyone..."

Seeing the tears in her eyes Rainbow Dash decided not to ask any more questions and held her tight. They would have taken Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders down to the deck right then but they knew it would probably be best they waited until every pony at least moved the bodies of the fallen crew first. 

“No need to fear lassies,” T-Cog called. “All three fillies and the dragon are fine!”

Though that was a great relief for those down below didn't stop them from being scared of who or what could have done such a thing, or worse still the possibility that they might still be on the ship. As Shimmer stood by her father tending to his wound anger began to fill her heart.

"Did you see who did this to you?" she asked as she tore off a piece of her own vest to wrap around Jack's bleeding side.

"No," Jack said as he groaned in pain. "When I arrived on deck and saw the bodies I was hit by a beam of light from behind, I didn't see who did it."

Suddenly another stir of movement caught everyone’s attention, instantly reacting Twilight rushed towards it and found that one of the bodies was still alive, it was the ship’s doctor.

“Doc,” Twilight gasped as she tried to help the poor Diamond Dog.

The damage to him was quite severe, he had multiple stab wounds in his side, his arm was broken in two places and bruising covered almost his entire body.

“P…princess?” he said, trying to force the words out from his bleeding mouth.

“No don’t speak,” Twilight said trying, to calm the frightened dog down. “We don’t know how bad...”

“It… It’s a trap,” the Diamond Dog interrupted her, trying so hard to warn the unsuspecting Alicorn.

But it was too late, bursting out from below deck dozens upon dozens of ponies swarmed all over the deck and into the sky, this new crowd of monstrous pirates was nothing like any pony has ever seen before, each and every one looked as though they each went through a different method of torture for each indicial personality, the only thing that made them all similar to each other was the fact that they all had blood-red eyes, eyes that looked like they were on fire. Every pony tried to defend themselves but the enemies numbers were too great and within minutes the group found themselves either being pinned down to the deck or held with horns and blades to their throat, even T-cog found himself having both his hook and peg-leg removed, leaving nothing but the bare stumps where his limbs should have been. Before long the entire group had been captured, even Maria was finding it hard to escape the Unicorns’ containment spells.

“What in blazes is this?” Jack asked angry, as he groaned in pain. “What fool dares to kill my crew and take over my ship!?!”

"I'm afraid that would be me," chuckled an unseen figure from the upper deck.

The sound of that voice  made every pony stood freeze with fear, frightened of the horrifying, familiar words the voice spoke, turning their heads they looked towards the upper deck, there standing by the helm they saw a face that they believe that they would never see again, a face belonging to a black Unicorn simply known as…

"B…B…Blackhorn?" T-Cog whimpered.

"AHHH!!! A GHOST!!!" Big Rummy screamed as he pulled Fluttershy and Slash closer to him.

But it was no ghost for it was indeed Blackhorn, the same Blackhorn they once believed dead, the very same Unicorn they recognised as their fallen crewmember and yet there he was standing before them sniggering to himself.

"How is this possible?" Slash gasped. "We thought you were dead."

"Oh did you?" Blackhorn snarled with an evil grin "Good, I had hoped my apparent death would push you forward to the treasure hunt and I'm glad to see that is has and that you had led us here."

"And who exactly is us?" Applejack asked nervously.

Suddenly though it was instantly reacting to Applejack’s question, another vessel emerged from the veil of fog surrounding Burmuleda. This ship was far different than the Alicorn, the sails were jet black and torn in certain places, the wooden hull resembled a giant ribcage and deck shone a hellish red with light reflected from the flames in the torches, evil the whole vessel a look of pure evil. At this point only Jack seemed to have the courage to speak despite the wound in his side.

"What the hell's going on here Blackhorn!?!" He growled as one of the unicorns held his horn closer to Jack’s throat. "I want answers! NOW!!!"

"Dear Jack, you always were so straight forward," Blackhorn chuckled. "Well if you must know…"

"SIR!!!" one of the Unicorns screamed, interrupting his captain as he struggled to keep Marina contained within his spell, who was thrashing all over the place. "This one won't…"

But before the pirates could even finish his sentence, a purple beam of light erupted from the broken stub on Blackhorn's head and shot through the containment spell and directly at Marina, writhing and screaming in pain her body twisted and turned, the others would have tried to help their friend had they not been restrained, instead they could only watch in horror as both the spell and Marina's entire body burst into a gust of steam and disappeared into thin air, she was gone.

"MARINA!!!" the group screamed simultaneously.

But Marina could no longer hear they're words for she was now nothing more than a discarded red scarf and hat along with a few droplets of water that was all that remained of her.

"YOU MONSTER!!!" Gem screamed in anger. "HOW COULD YOU!?!"

"She… she never even made it out to sea," Rarity said as tears began to fill her eyes.

But Blackhorn only laughed, he laughed as though he had just enjoyed what he had done and that made Jack sick to his stomach.

"You find this funny Blackhorn?" he growled in anger. "And here I thought you were a stallion of honour."

"Honour no longer has any place amongst us ponies Jack," Blackhorn said with an evil smile. "I learnt that a long time ago when my wife and foal were taken from me, you wish to know what all this is about? I shall tell you, do you recall that year I decided to disappear from your crew? It was after that you appointed me quartermaster was it not? Well during that year I found my true calling, have you not wondered why the eyes of every pony here are all red? Does it not remind you of a story I once told you when I first came aboard?"

Jack may have been distraught at the time but he did recognise the meaning of Blackhorn's words, when Blackhorn told his tale to Jack all those years ago he mentioned that the pirates who attacked his ship all had one thing in common… blood-red eyes.

"Yes Jack," Blackhorn continued. "That ship there is the 'Black Death,' You may now call me Captain Blackhorn for it is now I who commands it, that year I ventured from YOUR crew was the year I took the ship for my own and took on another crew… that murderous Griffin's crew! Of course any sane pony would have questioned this decision but of course you and I both know that I of all ponies am far from sane."

This was indeed true, in the past no matter how much he tried to help him Jack could never help Blackhorn fully regain his sanity, even now Jack could see the familiar insane twitch in his eye, However that didn't stop him from asking another question.

"So why come back?" he asked angrily. "If you are now Captain of another crew then why come back to us?"

"While granted I now had control of one of the most feared ships on the entire ocean I still had many problems I had to correct," Blackhorn explained. "While I was on board this ship you always went on about finding the seventh Element of Harmony, I knew that you of all ponies would one day find it so I returned to you, with the Black Death only a few miles on your tail I had you followed."

"And why would YOU want the seventh Element?" Jack asked.

"Why?" Blackhorn answered. "Because it is rumoured to bring loved ones back from the dead, it might be the only way to restore my family to me. After what felt like and era of waiting you FINALLY decide to go after it, when these Harmony Bearers arrived I believed the journey would go quickly but all the crew ever wanted to do was party and have fun, at one point I feared that you would decide to abandon the mission all together, I had to do something. While you and the rest of the crew were out on deck getting drunk off rum, I had the Blade Triplets kidnap and torture two of the Harmony Bearer's knowing that it would rile you up enough to tighten your grip on deck, needless to say it worked. However after hearing that you intended to question them in the brig I had to… tie up loose ends, so I killed them in their sleep and dumped their bodies in one of the longboats, your detection spells are quite easy to break I'm afraid."

As Jack listened to Blackhorn's sickening words he felt a surge of anger swelling up inside him, he would have lashed out but the pain in his side was so bad that he couldn't even move.

"And the storm?" he growled.

"An unfortunate joke of circumstance," Blackhorn explained. "After you finally decide to dish out the proper discipline on board ship, I was unlucky enough to receive a faulty lifeline which snapped and had me flying into the ocean when that storm hit, luckily I didn't have to wait long until the Black Death fished me out. Needless to say I was quite relieved when I saw the Golden Alicorn keeping its course towards Burmuleda, my apparent death must have been the push you all needed, when you dropped anchor here and led the shore party to the seventh Element, I took a rowboat from the Black Death and… well I'm sure you can figure out the rest from the little mess I made on the deck."

"Why kill them Blackhorn?" Jack snapped. "What was the point?"

"To tie up loose ends," Blackhorn answered. "I couldn't have an entire crew have an even chance against my own, not to mention the terrible events that could have happened if one of them had escaped and told someone about me being alive… I did what was necessary. But don’t be so disappointed Jack, I did keep SOME insurance.”

At those words, a group of Blackhorn’s crew walked up to them with a just over a dozen Ponies and Diamond Dogs beaten and bound in chains, all of whom Jack instantly recognised as his own crewmembers.

“If I had killed ALL of them I wouldn’t have much of a bargaining chip would I?” Blackhorn said shrewdly. “And of course the fillies and dragon I left in the crow’s nest however did prove to be a useful way to let your guard down while my crew hid below deck."

"And what about Marina!?!" Shimmer shouted in anger. "Was SHE a loose end too? Or are you just that sick!?!"

"She refused to co-operate," Blackhorn said calmly, though forcing back a chuckle. "While I appreciate your love for all creatures you come across Jack, that Kelpie would have simply been too much trouble to keep around, but that doesn't have to happen to any pony else if YOU co-operate Jack, you found the seventh Element I assume?"

At first Jack did not answer, he was just too angered by this sickening act of betrayal to even speak, suddenly a few words emerged from his mouth, words that Blackhorn didn't want to hear.

"I did," he said. "But now it's gone."

As expected Blackhorn was both shocked and angered at these words.

"What do you mean gone?" he growled.

"That blast of energy you hit me with just now went through my pack," Jack answered as he showed the charred pieces of cloth and ash that was once his pack. "It may have left me with a wound in my side but it also burnt my pack to cinders… the seventh Element was inside it."

Neither Blackhorn nor any pony else wanted to believe it but it looked as though Jack was telling the truth, the seventh Element of Harmony was nowhere to be found. Needless to say Blackhorn was furious.

"NOOOOOO!!!" he screamed in anger. "THIS CAN'T BE!!!" 

"I'm afraid it is Blackhorn," Jack said calmly. "You have just destroyed the seventh Element of Harmony, although I doubt it would have brought your family back anyway."

But at those words Blackhorn simply swiped his hoof into Jack's head, cracking Jack's horn in the process.

"You know there was one point I would have gladly followed in your ways Jack," he whispered into Jack’s ear. "You know as much as I do what it feels to lose a loved one but now thanks to recent circumstances I now have only one thing left… vengeance."

"Against whom I may ask," Jack said as spat out a small bit of blood. "I thought you had already defeated the griffin, isn't that why you now control his ship?"

"While I may have defeated that loathsome griffin, I discovered that he has a daughter residing in Equestria," Blackhorn explained. "And if I can’t have my family back then intend to make sure his bloodline never continues… even if it means burning the entire country to the ground." 

"WHAT!!!" The Mane six screamed in fear.

"Bring me the other Elements of Harmony!" Blackhorn shouted.

Acting upon their Captain's words, the monstrous crew rummaged inside every pony's pack until they found the other six Elements, as all six were placed at Blackhorn's hooves, the group could only watch in horror as he levitated them up and threw them over the side of the ship, leaving them to sink into the deep ocean below.

"If I can't have the seventh Element then no pony can have theirs!" Blackhorn shouted. "Bring them all aboard! Every pony accept Jack, I'll handle this one personally!"

Once again following their Captain's instructions, the pirates forced all the hostages including the ship’s doctor into the nearest longboat and rowed away from the Golden Alicorn, leaving Blackhorn alone to beat Jack to a pulp.

"Do you have any idea how this affects me Jack?" Blackhorn snapped as he delivered the final kick to Jack's ribs. "The Seventh Element of Harmony was the only way I could bring my family back!"

"It wouldn't have brought them back," Jack groaned as Blackhorn used his magic to chain him to the mast. "Don't you think that if it could I would have brought my own wife back? No amount of magic can bring back the dead and nothing will ever change that Blackhorn, no matter where the magic comes from."

"Be that as it may, but now the only way I can find peace would be through the spilling of blood," Blackhorn growled. "I have no quarrel with you Jack but I cannot risk you being a loose end, rest assured I shall not harm your daughter nor any pony else but you on the other hand would be too much trouble to keep around. Oh don’t worry, you will be going out with a bang, goodbye Jack."

And with that Blackhorn used a teleportation spell and disappeared, leaving Jack chained to the deck.

Reappearing on board the deck Black Death as it began to sail away, Blackhorn watched in delight as his crew brought the hostages aboard. Suddenly every pony's attention was taken by am]n extremely loud noise and a blast of fiery light. Turning their heads, every pony watched in horror as a huge explosion engulfed the Golden Alicorn.

"FATHER!!!" Shimmer screamed, tears filling streaming down her face as she watched in horror at the Golden Alicorn sinking to the depths in a fiery blaze.


#


It was heart-breaking, it had been two weeks since Blackhorn had destroyed the Golden Alicorn, as it turns out Blackhorn had his crew fill the entire hull with gunpowder only to have them ignite it just a few minutes before he teleported himself of the ship, as a result the explosion engulfed the entire structure and unfortunately Captain Jack Silver went with it, a Captain going down with his ship. Needless to say every pony that was left of Jack silver's crew was heartbroken, even the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Mane Six were shedding tears at his passing, as they all sat in the brig, filthy and exhausted they felt any hope they had left seeping away, all they could do is sit there as the enchanted bars kept them confined while they listened to Dripfang and T-Cog's screams from down the hall. While most of those in the brig mourned Jack's death through silent tears Shimmer on the other hand was completely distraught, every time the guard came in with their food she would lash out at him, it was only until after the fifth time she tried to buck kick one of the other pirates that Blackhorn had her sedated every time the food came to their cells. Suddenly their tears were interrupted when Dripfang and T-Cog were thrown back into their cells with bleeding stumps where they're wings should be.

"By Celestia what have zey done you!?!" Gem cried as she helped Dripfang up. “Oh your poor wings!”

"It would seem Blackhorn thought it was best that we had them removed," T-Cog groaned in pain as Slash helped him limp to an empty seat, his wooden limbs still missing after Blackhorn’s crew took them away from him. "Apparently he's got something big planned for us."

"But… but why only you two?" Rainbow Dash asked fearfully.

"By my reckoning those from Equestria would prove more useful if unharmed," Dripfang explained. "No doubt he wants to use you all as a bargaining chip for when he gets to there."

"L…Leaving the rest of us disposable," Slash added.

“Although that does beck the question as to why he didn’t do the same to the other Pegasi,” T-Cog pointed out, gesturing to the other pirates locked in the cells next to them.

“Maybe it’ cause we were ze one’s closest to Jack towards ze end,” Gem sighed, tears streaming down her eyes. “He probably wants to make examples of us.”

"We… we're all gonna die aren't we?" Spike whimpered as he cried into Twilight's shoulder.

"Undoubtedly," echoed a deep unseen voice.

Instantly reacting to every pony turned their head towards the cell across from them, they had never noticed it until now but there was indeed someone else there with them in the brig, hiding in the shadows of his cell was an old mangled Griffin with deep scars all across his body, he too had his wings removed and had many feathers missing, but it wasn't his physical features that made Shimmer react the way she did next.

"YOU!" she snapped. "I may not have met you before but there's only one reason why Blackhorn would keep a Griffin in here, you're the one who killed his family aren't you? You're the one who started all this in the first place!?!"

But the Griffin merely sighed.

"Unfortunately yes," he answered calmly. "I have been in this cell ever since Blackhorn took over, he's been keeping me alive so that he can watch me suffer for what I have done."

"Not that I'm Blackhorn's biggest fan at this point but I have to say that I can see why he would," Twilight growled in anger. "It was because of your sickening act that he became what he is."

"That's not entirely true," the Griffin said sternly. "While granted it was my doing that had pushed Blackhorn to the brink of insanity it was this ship that made him so evil,"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"  one of the Diamond Dogs snapped from another cell, clearly all that was left of Jack Silver’s crew were listening in.

"The Black Death is the very essence of evil," the Griffin explained. "Legend has it that is was built thousands of years ago by those who worshiped evil and chaos and those who becomes its Captain is corrupted by it's terrible magic so that they would command a crew who become nothing but mindless drones working under his one mind, have you ever not wondered why every pony has blood-red eyes? When I became Captain I was too corrupted by the power and it felt… good."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Rarity scoffed. 

"You actually LIKED what you were doing!?!" Applejack snapped.

"Yes…." The Griffin answered softly. "The ship's dark magic goes into your mind and locates the emotion that drives you… and turns it into pure concentrated evil tenfold, for me it was my blood-lust, for Blackhorn…"

"…it was revenge," Twilight said finishing the Griffin's sentence.

"Exactly," the Griffin said in agreement. "One day he snuck aboard the ship and sliced my wings off, thus ending my reign as Captain, now he keeps me here, watching me every day as my strength wains more and more. What you must understand is that once you become Captain of this ship then there's no leaving it, the only way that one can truly be free from its curse is either death… or if the one who defeats you allows you to live and suffer like Blackhorn did."

As they listened to the words of the mangy old Griffin, all the group could do was sit there in the cell feeling sick at what they were listing too, suddenly Twilight remembered something.

"What did your daughter think of your decision to become Captain?" she asked angrily.

"Wha… what did you say?" the Griffin asked with a wide-eyed expression.

"You heard me," Twilight snapped. "Your daughter? The one living in Equestria? How did she feel when you went to go pirating on a ship that was pure evil? Did you even care?"

"How could you possibly know I have a daughter?" the Griffin asked angrily.

"We overheard Blackhorn mention her," Pinkie Pie explained quickly.

"Said he wanted to make sure your bloodline ended," Slash added, his teeth gritting in anger. “And from you’ve done I can see why.”

At those words the griffin suddenly lept to his feet and started banging at the cell door.

"YOU LIE!!!" he shouted. "Blackhorn doesn't know a thing about my Gilda!"

The Griffin would have expected a different reaction from the other ponies but was instead met with a confused look from Rainbow Dash.

"Wait!" she said. "Gilda? The same Gilda who went to the Junior Speedsters flight camp? The same Flight School I went to?"

"Aye, she went there in her younger years," the griffin explained. "You must be that Pegasus she used to write to me abou…"

But suddenly the Griffin's words were drowned out by the sound of cackling laughter, turning their heads everyone looked towards who was making it, there they saw Blackhorn with a few members of the crew behind him.

"So I FINALLY get a name eh?" he chuckled. "Gilda… it sounds too good for life. Well I'll make sure that you shall have a front row seat at her execution, it shall be an eye for an eye my old friend."

The look of horror on the Griffin's face was too much for any pony to look at, he tried to speak but all that came out of the Griffin's mouth was fearful babble. Turning his head towards the other cell, Blackhorn edged his way towards the group.

"It is time to go shipmates," he snarled with a sneer. "We cannot waste any more time can…"

But Before Blackhorn could even finish his sentence, Shimmer leaned her head in between the bars of the cell and spat in his face, needless to say a look of anger spread across his face.

"BRING THEM ALL!!!" he shouted.


#


After the pirates led all the prisoners out on deck, some limping since the injuries they received from Blackhorn’s attack on the Alicorn hadn’t healed yet, they all gathered round the side of the ship, the plank ready to be walked. As they all stood there bound in rope and chains, each couldn't help but feel terrified, Slash for example knew that he wouldn't be able to keep his head about the water if HE had walked the plank thus reigniting his all too familiar fear of drowning and Fluttershy and Big Rummy found themselves looking at each other for any sign of comfort, though they found none given the situation. Suddenly upon his instructions, Shimmer, Gem, Rummy, Slash, T-cog and Dripfang were taken out of the group and stood in a line before Blackhorn who began to speak.

“Such a pleasant day is it not?” he smirked with and evil grin. “the perfect conditions for a little swim eh?”

At those words Blackhorn’s crew burst out laughing, As everyone looked around them all they could see was ocean, suddenly everyone spotted a small island in the distance, an island T-Cog recognised.

"Do you remember this place T-Cog?" Blackhorn smirked as he pointed towards it. "This be the same island I was marooned on back when the dear old Captain found me."

"Yeah," T-Cog growled. "I noticed."

"While I may have said to our dear departed Jack that no harm would come to you all, I cannot risk any interference from any of you while I do what needs to be done," Blackhorn explained. "Oh don’t worry, most of the dear Captain’s crew will be spared for now but I must make sure the ringleaders of Jack’s little collection of misfits won’t be causing me any grief.  So after I had my crewmembers… remove certain pieces of you, I thought it best that I would, drop you off shall we say, and to add salt in the wound I thought it best that the remains of Jack’s Silver’s legacy be out here to watch. So… who's first?"

"If you think that any of us are…" Slash began.

But one quick kick from Blackhorn to Slash's ribcage silenced him instantly.

"START WITH THE FAT ONE!" Blackhorn shouted.

Acting upon their captain's command a group of pirates swarmed Big Rummy, overwhelming him despite his size, though Fluttershy tried her best to break free of her bonds and stop them from taking her beloved it was too late, in a matter of moments Big Rummy found himself being thrown off the plank and into the water below. However due to being bound in rope, Big Rummy found himself unable to stay above the water since he couldn't move his legs.

"Oops," Blackhorn said sarcastically with an evil grin. "It would appear that we forgot to untie him… oh well."

Needless to say Slash wasn't happy, in fact he was furious, the second he saw his best friend fall into the water he was overcome with rage, so much so that his whole body literally heated up, so much so that his scales were able to melt  the chains that bound him and he ran towards the plank.

"I'm coming buddy!!!" he shouted and he jumped into the water below.

"SLASH!!!" Shimmer and Spike screamed in unison.

The second Slash plunged into the icy cold depths of the ocean he felt every ounce of fear leaving his body, as he kicked down to Big Rummy who was now desperate for air as he sank lower and lower. Finally reaching him Slash used his razor sharp teeth to gnaw through the ropes around Big Rummy's legs, after finally breaking through the final rope, Slash found himself rapidly losing consciousness, he spent too long underwater. Luckily for Slash, now that he was free from his bonds, Big Rummy was able to carry him towards the surface. As Fluttershy saw Big Rummy burst out of the water, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. 

"Two down!!!" Blackhorn laughed. "Whose next!?!"

And thus began the horrid cycle of throwing ponies overboard, next went Dripfang, then Gem, after that went T-Cog after easily being tossed seeing how he no longer had his peg leg or hook to support himself, finally it was Shimmer's turn. As Shimmer stood there on the edge of the plank ready to fall into the water below she turned towards the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, seeing the fearful look in their faces she then turned to Blackhorn.

"I swear to you Blackhorn, you will get what you deserve," she said angrily. "You WON'T get away with what you've…"

"TOO LONG!" Blackhorn snapped as he slammed his hoof on the end of the plank, shaking it.

And before the final words even left her mouth, Shimmer lost her balance and fell into the water below. As the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders watched their friends swim away towards the island in the distance, they found the only hope they had left literally floating away. Suddenly much to their aggravation and loathing, Blackhorn started to sing a small tune to himself.

"Bones will be shattered,
Necks will be rung, 
They'll be beaten and battered,
From the mast they'll be hung,

Then we'll sail out here so they'll never be found,
Down in the deep right after they drown!!!"

That song burned in their ears like a horrifying truth that no pony wanted to hear, listening to the pirates evil laughter they all felt nauseated, depressed and terrified.

"I'm scared," Apple Bloom whimpered as she clutched her big sister with teary eyes. "I don't wanna die."

"It's alright Sugarcube," Applejack said trying to reassure her sister though not entirely convinced herself, "We'll be alright."

Every pony else tried put on a brave face to reassure the fillies but they found it hard to do so, only fate could decide what happens now. 
> Chapter 15: Hope Lives on
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been three days since Blackhorn had marooned them on the island and yet all those Blackhorn threw overboard were still alive, though they have been starving and the only water they had was from the salty sea around them they never faltered, even though all hope seemed lost.

"You know I never thought it would end like this," T-Cog said as he stared out to sea, rubbing his naked stumps. "I never would have thought that I would be left to die on an island beach…again, at least I have you all to keep me company this time."

"Don't say such zings T-Cog," Gem said placing a hoof on his shoulder. "We'll think of something,"

"Like what Gem?" Slash said as he walked up to them. "Let's face it, we've hit rock bottom, we have no food, we have no fresh drinking water, and what's worse is that the Golden Alicorn's gone… along with its Captain."

Those last words almost made Slash break down into tears, it had been almost three weeks since it happened and Jack Silver’s passing still burnt a hole it his heart, as it did with everyone else.

"Aye," T-Cog sighed. "And once again the world feels less bright, but what we must not forget that while we may mourn for Jack, Marina and all our other shipmates, Shimmer is the one who is feeling the most pain."

This was indeed true, as Slash and Gem looked towards the other end of the beach they saw Shimmer who was staring towards the ocean, tears streaming all across her face and staining her vest. Everyone they felt so sorry for her, not only had she lost her mother before she ever got the chance to know but now she had lost both her parents.

"Poor girl," Slash said as he too began to cry. "And Rummy's doing no better, he's been lying down on his back ever since we reached shore, all he ever thinks about is Fluttershy."

"Can ya blame him?" T-Cog asked. "Blackhorn has ruined everything for us, he took away our home, our Captain, and now he's taking all our friends to their doom, he won't stop until he believes he's found vengeance, even then he'll probably kill them after he's done."

"Don't say zat!" Gem said. "Look I may not be as smarter zan any other pony here but I know we can’t just sit here and do nozing, we have to find a way off zis island!"

"To what point Gem!?!" Slash snapped. "Unless you've got a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that mane of yours, I doubt we'll be getting off this island anytime soon!"

"I'm TRYING to be optimistic Slash," Gem growled in anger. "Not zat tiny little of brain of yours would understand zat,"

"Well at least I don't look like skunk!"

"Why you miserable little…"

Before any pony knew it Slash and Gem were fighting each other in massive tussle, while Slash bit and clawed at Gem she retaliated with a few whacks to his face and body. It was only until Shimmer stomped over and clunked their heads together that the fighting finally stopped.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" she screamed. "Fighting isn't going to help any pony!"

"He started it!" Gem said rubbing the gash Slash left on her cheek.

"I don't care who started it!" Shimmer snapped. "For crying out loud, if my father could see us right now then he would be ashamed of all of us!"

It was at those words that made every pony hang their heads in shame, even Dripfang and Big Rummy who were further up the beach felt more terrible than they already did.

"Look, I know everything that's happened has taken its toll on us," Shimmer continued, choking back more tears. "Believe me, I'm devastated for what Blackhorn has done but my Father wouldn't have wanted us to just sit here and wait to die, he'd want us to carry on and make sure that he didn't die in vain."

"But what can we do Shimmer?" Dripfang said as he and Big Rummy walked towards the group.

"I don't know," Shimmer said honestly. "But we can't stay on this island any longer than we already have nor can we give up hope, you all know that that would be an insult to Marina and my Father's memory."

Hearing this every pony knew what Shimmer was saying was true, it was within her they saw why the seventh Element of Harmony chose Jack in the first place and it was because of that reason that they now had a serious look on their faces.

"Your right Shimmer," T-Cog said. "I may not have all me limbs but may the sea take me if I even think of letting my Captain down now."

"Aye," Dripfang added. "It's gonna take more than a clip of my wings to stop me from doing my duty to the Alicorn."

Shimmer was astonished, while hope seemed to have been given up those who stood before her were still willing to fight even to the bitter end, even Slash was moved by Shimmer's speech, so much so that he was the next to speak.

"For Jack," he said holding out his claw.

"For Marina," Gem placing her hoof on it.

"For the Alicorn," T-Cog said holding out his own. 

"For our friends," Big Rummy added.

"For our family," Dripfang corrected him.

Finally it was Shimmer's turn to speak.

"For Hope," she finished as she placed her hoof.

It was a dramatic moment, a moment of which Jack would have been proud to see, as they all proudly looked at each other with a new reassurance each gained some of the hope they had lost, finally Slash spoke up.

"But how are we going to get off this island?" he asked, snapping everyone back into reality. "The only trees here are two palms and that's not even enough to make a raft, plus there's no telling if any ship would… what the heck is that?"

Looking towards where Slash was pointing, there saw something strange washing up amongst the waves, it appeared to be a hat, one that every pony recognised.

"It.. It can't be," Shimmer said as she ran over towards the sea and picked the hat up in her hooves. "This… this was Marina's."

"It must have drifted here on the current from Burmuleda," T-Cog added.

Suddenly it wasn't the hat that took ever pony's interest, in a matter of seconds a red scarf washed up towards Shimmer, a red scarf that was also Marina's. At first seeing these garments only made them think of their fallen friend but all of a sudden they began to do something unexpected, as the waves twisted and turned beneath her, the hat and scarf suddenly jerked out of Shimmer's hooves and splashed down into the water which began to shape itself into something that they thought they would never see again, a pony with gentle, purple eyes, a seaweed mane and a fanged smile that they were all too happy to see.

"MARINA!!!" Shimmer screamed as she pulled her friend into a tight embrace. "YOU’RE ALIVE!!!"

No pony could believe it, only a short while ago they saw Marina get blasted away by Blackhorn's magic, and yet here she stood smiling back at them. As they all gathered around her, the group wanted to know how Marina could possibly be there.

"Oh please," she answered them. "Do you have any idea how many times THAT has happened to me? No matter how many times they try to kill me, as long as there's but a single drop of me left I can always come back."

This explanation was brief but no pony cared, they were just happy to see their Kelpie friend again.

"Oh Marina it's so good to see you," Shimmer said as she gave her another hug.

"Oh it gets better," Marina said with a smile.

Seeing the confused look I every pony's face, Marina turned towards the water and her eyes shone a brilliant white, she was performing another piece of her magic. As every pony looked towards the sea they saw something that made their hearts tremble in fear and yet shake with joy at the same time. In a matter of moments, just a few yards away from the beach, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled from the seabed, suddenly a long wooden pole began slowly rise from the heart of it, then came the rigging, then the deep red sails, to every pony's astonishment the ship attached to those all too familiar sails finally rose up from the water, a ship that they all were happy to see…

"The…the Golden Alicorn?" Slash whimpered in amazement. "Am I going mad or is my good eye playing tricks on me?"

"No Slash its real," Shimmer said as she cried tears of joy. "But I thought Blackhorn blew it up,"

"Oh he did," Marina smirked. "But someone thought it would be best if we made repairs before we arrived."

And before any pony could ask who, the one she was talking about jumped off the side of the ship and waded towards the beach. As the pony walked closer and closer towards them, every pony couldn't believe their eyes for this was a pony they believed lost, a dark blue pony with a silver mane and beard and a skull-and-cross-bone Cutie Mark.

"Hello all," he said suavely. "Did you miss me?" 

"D…daddy?" Shimmer said, still crying.

Indeed it was her father, the same pony who had been their Captain and had kept their family together for years… Jack Silver was alive.

"DADDY!!!" Shimmer screamed as she ran up to him and pulled her father into a tearful embrace, causing them both to fall back into the water.

"Now there's something you haven't called me in years," Jack laughed as he tearfully hugged his daughter.

Needless to say Jack received the same reaction from the rest of his crew, each of them wanting to hug him out of pure happiness.

"But how is this possible?" T-Cog asked. "We saw the explosion ourselves."

"Have you forgotten what my reputation is made of?" Jack asked with a smile, enjoying the looks of confusion in their gaze. "I always make sure there is an illusion for an escape, the trick is to make them watch this hoof…"

Jack then gestured his left hoof and then suddenly switched it with his right to reveal a golden, gem encrusted gauntlet.

"…Instead of this one."

"The Element of Hope!" Slash squealed. "But you said that…"

But one look from Jack's smile stopped Slash in the middle of his sentence.

"You sly son of a seadog!" he said cheerfully. "You hid that thing before we even came on deck didn't you?"

"Indeed I did," Jack smirked. "It takes more than some ball of dark magic to take out an Element of Harmony, especially when it’s coming from a broken horn, after getting hit with that blast I managed to take out the Element and hide it up my sleeve before Blackhorn even spotted my movements. After that little hint that Blackhorn gave me before he left I managed to use a little protection spell before the ship even began to rumble."

"But how did you find us?" T-Cog asked. "And what about your wounds and the ship? Not even you have that kind of magic to repair something so fast."

"That would be because of this," Jack said as he held up the seventh Element of Harmony. "As it turns out some of the many features it DOES have is the power to locate loved ones and of course heal recent injuries, it helped me rebuild the Alicorn in a matter of minutes, heal my ribs and of course it can also do… THIS!"

All of a sudden Jack thrust the Element forward and a blast of white light burst out of it directly towards Dripfang and T-Cog, to their amazement, they felt movement on their backs again, turning their heads they saw their wings had magically grown back.

"By the heavens of the seven seas!" T-Cog said in astonishment, "Me wings!!!"

"And while I may not be able to give you back your other limbs my old friend," Jack continued as he rummaged through his coat. "I can still return THESE to you."

At those words Jack levitated T-Cog's lost peg leg and hook out of his pocket and reattached them to his body, needless to say T-Cog was quite happy to see "ol' Betsy" again.

"Now I believe we've wasted enough time here, don't you?" Jack said as he turned back toward the ship. "We must catch up to Blackhorn's ship before it's too late for our friends… All aboard lads! Shore-leave is over!!!"

Proudly following their Captain's command, every pony followed him into the water and began to climb up the side of the ship and onto the deck, as they gathered, Jack walked up to the upper deck and spoke to them.

"My friends," he said. "We all know Blackhorn intends to travel to Equestria and by Celestia if that is where he's going then that is where we shall go! The Harmony Bearers may not have started out like us but none the less we shall do what it takes to save them and the rest of our friends and by Celestia we will give back what is rightfully theirs in the process!"

Jack then held up a small bag which every pony knew had to be the other Elements of Harmony, apparently Marina had managed to recover from the sea after her apparent death. However while Slash was happy to hear his Captain's voice again he had to point something out.

"But sir," he said. "We're already three days behind and there are only eight of us, even if we reach them in time we'll be seriously outnumbered."

Hearing this Jack took a deep breath and spoke again.

"My friends," he said. "While it is true that we will be outnumbered, outgunned, and our enemies would surely kill us if given the chance, we have something that they will never have… Friendship, Honour and Hope! This Element of Harmony didn't choose me alone, it chose all of us, I only wear it because I lead you! And when our enemies see  our faces they will go running for the hills because it will be at that moment that they will know what we can do! So what are we? Frightened bilge-rats or warriors!?! Warriors of hope! Of freedom! Of true friendship! My friends… Hoist the colours."

Inspired by Jack's valorous words, every pony repeated them out of pure pride, finally T-cog spoke.

"Aye," he said. "We got the wind on our side lads and that all we'll need!"

Suddenly the deck exploded with the sounds of every pony's cheer, as they all raised their glorious banner up above the sails, Jack called out again.

"That’s right, hoist the colours!!!" he screamed. "Hoist the colours and full canvas! We sail for Equestria!!!"


#


The trip may have taken a few weeks but none the less all on board the Golden Alicorn kept their heading, since they knew where Blackhorn was going Jack and his crew worked night and day to keep the ship on course, only catching a few hours of sleep between them, not only since they all knew the importance of reaching their destination but also because they knew the Crew aboard the Black Death would most likely be doing the same thus increasing their speed. The Alicorn passed through the Miser territory with ease since they were lucky enough to pass through without running into another storm, hopefully Blackhorn’s ship wasn’t as lucky, though at the same time everyone hoped the storm didn’t sink the ship but instead just slow them down. Finally after what seemed like an eternity the Golden Alicorn reached the boarders of Equestria, stopping only a few miles off shore to avoid being spotted. However little did they realise, they were already too late.

The town of Ponyville there was utter chaos, making port before the sun even rose, Blackhorn led his entire crew onto shore with the prisoners in the brig, leaving no one on board the ship save its previous Captain. Apparently Blackhorn felt that there was no need to leave anyone else there since he believed the ship’s new magical defences impenetrable. Blackhorn then had his crew take the prisoners and travelled to Ponyville where they ravaged the entire town while every pony was still asleep in their beds, it was only fortunate that Blackhorn ordered his crew not to harm any pony as he believed they would prove more useful as hostages. Binding every pony in ropes and chains Blackhorn’s crew gathered them all in the centre of town. As they all waited fear filled their hearts, not just of the pirates themselves but also the fact that they had no idea what they planned to do with them. Finally Blackhorn spoke.

"Bring the others," he said.

Acting upon their Captains command a group of his crew took the Mane Six, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and what was left of Jack Silver’s crew and threw them into the crowd. Although they were happy to see they're friends and family again, the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders shared everyone else's fear, in fact both they and Jack’s crewmembers feared their captors more than any pony.

"W… what are you gonna do to us?" Spike whimpered.

But those words only made Blackhorn chuckle.

"Well if you must know little dragon, while I find your cutesiness sicking to look at I need to keep all of you here," he said. "One cannot simply walk into another country and demand the life of one of its citizens, so naturally it would only make sense to have some… insurance. After hearing about how defenceless this town was from some of our dear departed friends I found that this place would be perfect to take over, you shall all be our hostages until that Princess of yours gives me Gilda the Griffin, if she doesn't… well let's just say Ponyville shall soon be renamed Gory-Ville. Oh, and in case you were wondering why I brought Jack’s old gaggle of misfits here, well let’s just say I’m under the impression that dear Celestia regards ALL life into account and not just her subjects thus making my threat seem a bit more effective, if she doesn’t… well at least then I’ll something for target practice.”

At those words Jack Silver’s crew then cringed in fear.

“Oh and if any pony tries to escape,” Blackhorn continued. “If I see so much as one wing flap or horn glow that pony shall be killed on sight. By now your Princess would have heard about our little raid and already her armies will be gathering around the town however if she wants to keep any of you alive she will co-operate, if not there shall be one less town to worry about."

At those words every pony shook in fear, some even cried, only Twilight seemed to find the courage to speak again.

"And after you finally get your revenge what then!?!" she snapped in anger. "When you get your vengeance what do you plan to do!?!"

"Ha! What I'm made to do!" Blackhorn said with an evil smile. "Don't you see? I was destined to become Captain of the Black Death, it was fate that I should give into its wondrous evil, when all this is over I shall take to the entire ocean, every sailor I come across will fall victim to my wrath."

Hearing this Twilight couldn't help but feel sick.

"You're insane!" she snapped.

"Of course I am," Blackhorn chuckled. "But that's what tragedy does to ponies."

It was at that moment neither Twilight nor any pony else could listen to Blackhorn's words, they were all too depressed and hopelessly lost to even care anymore. While Blackhorn turned his back to talk to his crew Twilight shed tears of sorrow.

"I'm so sorry guys," she sobbed. "I should have stopped Jack back in Canterlot, if I did then none of this would have happened."

"Don't say that Sugarcube," Applejack said wrapping her hoof around her. "It ain't yer fault."

"It's no pony's fault," Rainbow Dash added. "Even if Jack didn't begin that adventure Blackhorn would have invaded anyway, you can't blame yourself Twilight."

"But look what's happened," Twilight argued. "Our home's been ravaged and our friends are gone, Jack and his crew may not have been lawful ponies but they didn't deserve what happened to them by a long shot, if anything they should have been rewarded for their kindness, in my opinion they were the best friends a pony could ask for."

"Well said Twilight," Rarity said.

"Here-here!" Pinkie Pie added.

It certainly was a moving choice of words on Twilight’s part, if any pony would have given Jack Silver or any member of his crew a eulogy that would have been the perfect thing to say. Listening to Twilight’s speech, each member of Jack Silver’s remaining crew thought back to when they first met their Captain, each of them trying to put on a gentle smile as they did. Suddenly the Mane Six heard a voice from behind them, the Golden Alicorn’s Doctor though still very weak from his injuries had miraculously managed to stay alive long enough to last the trip back, apparently he was just as good as fixing himself up as he is with other creatures, he seemed to be whispering something, however as everyone near him tried to listen more closely they realised he was actually singing.  

"Yo ho, all hands, hoist the colours high,

Realising what he was trying to do, all those who remained of Jack Silver’s slowly joined the poor Diamond Dog in his melody. 

"Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die

As those words echoed throughout the town, every pony found themselves surrounded not by captive pirates, but loyal buccaneers still hanging on to their hope. Apparently Jack Silver’s Element truly did reside not just within himself but also with his crew as well, realising what was keeping the pirates going in this dark hour, the Mane Six and Cutie Mark Crusaders smiled and decided to join them in song.

"Yo ho, haul together, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die!!!"


As all who served under Jack Silver repeated those words over and over again, eventually every Stallion, Mare Foal and Diamond Dog found themselves chanting the pirates’ song, giving them hope with every syllable. Blackhorn turned then towards the hostages, at first with a look of irritation but then after one of his crewmembers whispered something in his ear he suddenly obtained an evil grin.

"SILENCE!!!” He screamed, once again grabbing everyone’s attention. “It would seem that princess of yours is not as grand as they say, I have just been informed by one of my scouts that Celestia has told him that Gilda has not been seen here for quite some time."

"It's true," Rainbow Dash pointed out. "No pony has seen her since she last came to Ponyville, and that was a long time ago."

Needless to say Blackhorn was not happy to hear this, in fact the redness in his eyes literally began to blaze with anger.

"Then we will have to make sure that she is found," he growled. "BRING THE ALICORN!!!"

Instantly reacting three of the pirates rushed over to the hostages and went for Twilight, they then dragged her away from the crowd and threw her before Blackhorn.

"If Celestia doesn't bring me that Griffin I shall have this done to another pony upon every hour I wait!" he announced to the crowd. "TRAMPLE HER!!!" 

"NO!!!" the Mane six screamed in horror.

But it was no use, as all three of the pirates stood up on two legs and readied themselves to trample Twilight to death she looked back at her friends with tear soaked eyes, finally all she could do was close them and wait for the beating, but it never came. To every pony's surprise, the third pirate that was about to trample her instead delivered two huge kicks to the other two, knocking them out.

"That treachery is this!?!" Blackhorn snapped.

"Treachery is what you do Blackhorn…" the pirate said as he turned towards him.

Suddenly a magical green flame engulfed the pirate and in his place was a black skinned, single horned creature whom every pony recognised as the Changeling, Dripfang.

"…WE do not betray our friends!"

It was surprising to both Blackhorn and the other ponies, how could this be possible? Suddenly Dripfang's appearance wasn't the only thing drawing every pony’s attention, in a matter of moments several other ponies snuck up from behind a small group of Blackhorn’s pirates and knocked them out, ponies who the Mane, Cutie Mark Crusaders and Pirates all easily recognised, Shimmer, T-Cog, Gem La Stone, Big Rummy, even Slash made his dramatic appearance to the crowd, no pony could believe their eyes.

"How in blazes did you all get off that island!?!" Blackhorn snapped in anger. "Tis impossible,"

"You should know by now that anything is possible for those who sail upon the Golden Alicorn dear quartermaster," Shimmer smirked. “But I’m afraid it’s not US you need to worry about.”

Blackhorn’s face then twitched with confusion, he would have responded with a question had he not been suddenly tripped up by a massive gush of water erupting from Marina's mouth and slamming him to the ground.

"WHAT!?!" Blackhorn screamed in bewilderment as he stood up, suddenly staring at Marina’s smirking face in fear. "But…but this is…"

But Blackhorn suddenly froze in terror after feeling a small tap on his shoulder, turning to look behind him he was met with a horrifying sight. There before his eyes and the eyes of the astonished hostages was the smiling, bearded face of Captain Jack Silver.

"Hello Blackhorn," Jack said. "Do you miss me?"

"N…no!" Blackhorn stuttered in fear. "I…it’s impossible! Y…your d…dead!"

"I’m afraid that’s where your… wr…wr…WRONG!!!" Jack said mockingly. "You should know by now that I'm not so easily killed Blackhorn. Oh you've had your fun up until now dear quartermaster but now it's time for you pay the price for what you have done."

"NO!" Blackhorn screamed as he ran towards his crew. "KILL THEM!!! KILL THEM ALL!!!"

Seeing the look of determination in Jack's face and in the faces of his own crew, Blackhorn's pirates were at first reluctant to even move due to the dread filling their entire bodies, however they knew they couldn't defy their Captain's command. As Blackhorn’s pirates got closer and closer towards Jack and his group of misfits, Jack simply remained calm and spoke.

"Take up arms my friends," he said calmly as he drew his sword. "And fight…FIGHT!!!"
> Chapter 16: The End of Evil
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As every hostage watched Jack Silver and his crew fight against Blackhorn and his pirates, each couldn't help but feel a conflict between feelings, only three months ago Jack Silver's crew ransacked Ponyville for gems and other valuables and yet here they were, risking their lives to save theirs, only the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to be the only ones cheering for them along with the detained members of Jack’s crew.

"Alright!" Rainbow Dash screamed. 

"Go you crazy son of a Seadog!" one of the Diamond Dogs added.

Although this was confusing for the other hostages, none of those who sailed with Jack Silvered cared what for they thought, they're friends were alive and fighting for their freedom.  While Jack focused his efforts to fighting through the crowd of pirates towards Blackhorn who was cowering behind them, the others main objective was taking out as many of them as they could to even the odds. Suddenly Blackhorn spoke again.

"Kill the hostages!" he screamed, while still cowering behind his bigger crewmembers. "Kill all the hostages!!!"

Instantly reacting to their Captain's command, a small group of Blackhorn's crew ceased to fight and ran towards the hostages who screamed with fear, luckily Big Rummy out of pure rage ran like a locomotive ahead of the them before they could even reach a few feet from Fluttershy.

"You hurt her and I will break you." He growled, eyes burning with anger.

Needless to say  Blackhorn’s pirates were panicky upon seeing the gigantic stallion  before them but none the less they believed that they're numbers would overwhelm him, to was easy to say they were wrong. The second Blackhorn’s crew all tried to jump him Big Rummy simply took one swing from his gigantic hoof and sent them all flying at least twenty feet into the air before landing in a mangled heap. Big Rummy then turned towards Fluttershy who was so teary-eyed with joy.

"You… you came back," she said with a tearful smile.

It was at those words that Big Rummy didn't even need to speak, he simply pulled her towards him and passionately put his lips to hers, needless to say the moment of love turned some heads. Although the moment was short-lived since more of Blackhorn’s pirates snuck up from behind and  pulled Big Rummy away, luckily T-Cog managed to yank them away with his hook while Slash ran towards the hostages and started to free them from their bonds.

"Never a dull moment eh?" he laughed as he clawed away at Rainbow Dash's ropes.

"Not a single one," Rainbow Dash answered with a chuckle.

"But how is this possible?" Rarity added as Slash untied her.

"Escape now! Explain later!" Slash quickly said as he moved to untie Sweetie Belle. "We need to get every pony out of here NOW!"

Instantly reacting to Slash's words, the Mane Six instantly began to untie the other hostages while Big Rummy and T-Cog held off the pirates from attacking.

"Power to power, you've much to learn," T-Cog sang as his hook transformed into his Spark Shooter. "Larger or smaller, we'll make you burn!!!"

Suddenly a blast lightning erupted from T-Cog's Spark Shooter and bombarded the pirates at least ten feet into the air before they came crashing down. As each hostage was freed, those that remained of Jack silver’s crew decided to join the fight with their comrades, although some of them were still too injured to walk, those unlucky few were forced to be escorted away by the Mane Six as they finally managed to get free, led by Twilight the remaining hostages ran away from the battle, leaving Jack and his crew to their fight.

"The hostages are free Captain!" Slash said with a smile.

"Then let us finish this!" Jack called out as he watched his crew once again grow in number. “It’s time to bring Blackhorn’s tyranny to an end! CHARGE!”

And thus the biggest part of the fight began, with that one fierce battle cry Jack and his crew charged at full speed towards the now cowering pirates, swords clanged and magic erupted from every Unicorn's horn but Blackhorn's crew were no much for their opponents, especially Marina who made full use of her water based powers as she washed away many of the pirates before they even reached her, T-Cog blasted many bolts of lightning and Big Rummy ploughed through them as though they were nothing but mere toys, however every time they managed to knock one pirate down, another just comes to take his place and it was that fact that prevented Jack from getting any  to Blackhorn who was simply standing by while is crew fought his battle.


#


Meanwhile at the edge of the Everfree Forest Twilight and the rest of the citizens of Ponyville were finally able to stop running.

"Is every pony okay?" she asked. "No one missing?"

"No we're all here," Applejack answered. "Well, all of us except Jack and the others."

“We… we can’t let them fight alone.” one of Jack Silver’s weaker crewmembers said as he struggled to stand up.

“You are not going anywhere mister,” Rarity sternly said as he forced the unicorn back into a seating position. “And the same goes for the rest of you!”

Rarity was obviously referring to those of Jack Silver’s crew who remained with the other hostages, every pony could easily see that she was right to stop them, for they were most certainly in no condition to fight, though that didn’t stop them from trying despite their injuries. As the rest of the Mane Six forced the pirates back Twilight turned her head back towards Ponyville with a look of determination in her eyes.

“He’s right though,” she said raising her head in confidence. “We can’t let them fight alone.”

"We gotta go back and help them," Rainbow Dash added.

"Agreed," Applejack said with a stern look. 

"Spike, send word to Princess Celestia and tell her what's going on,” Twilight said looking towards him. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, you stand guard here and watch out for any of Blackhorn’s crew."

"You got it Twilight!" Spike said as he took out a parchment and quill.

"Aye-aye!" Apple Bloom added, giving a playful salute.

"Come on girls!" Twilight announced. "We have pirates to save!"

"Lead the way Twilight!" Fluttershy said with a stern face, never feeling braver in her life.

And with that the mane Six ran at full speed back to Ponyville.


#


Back in Ponyville the battle continued, Jack and his crew may have fought valiantly against Blackhorn's pirates however even after taking several of them down, each of Jack’s crewmembers saw no end to their numbers and were now beginning to wain from the fight.

"I don't know how much longer I can take of this!" Dripfang said gasping for breath, as he blasted one of the Pegasus out of the sky.

"Don't give up Dripfang!" Shimmer replied, "We need to win this!"

"Who said anything about giving up?" Dripfang smirked.

It was that hopeful spirit that kept every pony fighting, and was also that spirit that made Blackhorn’s crew loose the stomach to fight, however one of them actually got lucky after managing to trip Gem up after she tried to run him through with her horn. However just before the red-eyed monster could deliver the fatal blow with his sword, the pirate suddenly found himself being shoved to the side by a rainbow coloured impact. Seeing the unconscious pirate Gem looked to the one who saved her.

"Rainbow?" she said out of amazement.

"What?" Rainbow Dash said with a smile. "Shipmates stick together right?"

Gem would have responded but frankly she was too happy to even say a word, plus there was the fact that they were still in the middle a battle. Deciding to catch up on conversations later, the two continued to fight with their friends, soon enough joined by the rest of the Mane Six, as Jack fought and watched his crew and the Mane Six fight together he was overcome with pride, so much so he called out to them with a cheerful smile.

"Fight to the bitter end!!!" he cried. "Let this be a day no pony ever forgets!!!"

And indeed they did fight, using whatever strength they had left in them those who fought with Jack forced their way through the vast numbers of Blackhorn’s crew, even Fluttershy finally found her courage as she fought alongside Big Rummy. While those with wings took their fights into the sky, those who remained on the ground found themselves in a totally different situation than that of their aerial comrades, using the elements around them any able-bodied Diamond Dogs left in Jack Silver’s crew managed to dig their way underground and quickly pull members of Blackhorn’s crew underground to finish them off just as a Bird-eating spider would burst out of the ground to catch its prey. Since Blackhorn’s crew didn’t have any Diamond Dogs this proved to be a serious advantage. Soon enough the battle began take place inside of the buildings. As Twilight and Shimmer fought inside the Golden Oaks Library, they found themselves tipping over bookshelves and throwing heavy hardbacks at the pirates' heads much to Twilight’s regret later on. Meanwhile Slash, Big Rummy, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were standing up to another group of Blackhorn’s pirates inside the Carousel Boutique, suddenly Slash noticed something beneath his feet, a loose floorboard that had not been repaired since the last time they were here and Blackhorn’s goons were standing right on the other end of it.

"Rummy!" Slash said happily. "Flying Ahh!!!"

Big Rummy may not have been the brightest of ponies but he knew instantly what Slash meant and slammed both of his gigantic hooves on the floorboards beneath him and sent the pirates literally flying through the roof.

"Don't forget to write!" Pinkie Pie laughed, as she waved the pirates farewell through the massive hole in the roof.

Meanwhile Jack was still outside now engaging the now enraged Blackhorn in a fierce one-on-one battle, as they both clanged swords and blasted each other with beams of magic neither of them faltered, suddenly Blackhorn managed to aim his magic at Jack's sword and shatter it, leaving Jack seemingly defenseless and thus allowing Blackhorn to trip him up.

"You may be harder to crush than a cockroach Jack but you certainly aren't immortal," Blackhorn gloated as he raised his sword for the final blow. "I told you before that I have no quarrel with you but I'm afraid you've interfered long enough!!!"

But before Blackhorn could plunge his sword into Jack's heart, something blocked its path, before Blackhorn's eyes another blade appeared from Jack's sleeve, a blade that came from the gauntlet on Jack's hoof.

"WHAT!?!" Blackhorn gasped.

"You may now have dark powers Blackhorn," Jack said as he picked himself up and shoved Blackhorn away. "But I have the most powerful thing in the world… I have hope!!!"

At those words Blackhorn flew into a terrible rage and once again lunged at Jack with his sword, but the blade producing from the Element of Hope was so magically powerful, Blackhorn's own sword broke in two at its slightest touch, Blackhorn tried to fire his magic at him but the blade simply flicked them away as though they were nothing but mere tennis balls, shaking with fear Blackhorn's only choice now was to back away, only to be stopped by the wall of the town hall.

"You've lost Blackhorn," Jack said calmly. "Look around you, your crew have been defeated, your plan failed, by now Princess Celestia would have heard about this and will be coming for you… it’s over."

Needless to say Blackhorn didn't believe Jack's words but as he looked around him he found that Jack was indeed telling the truth, everywhere he turned he saw the bodies of his crew, and the Mane Six along with Jack's crew standing over them. At the sight of this Blackhorn grew angrier for now he felt cheated, yet Jack still kept his calm face.

"You now have only one choice Blackhorn," he said. "Give up now and face what's to come."

"NO!!!" Blackhorn screamed in anger. "IT'S NOT OVER!!!"

At those words, the stump on Blackhorn's head pulsated with a purple aura and he disappeared into a blinding light.

"He's gone!!!" Rainbow Dash gasped. "After all that he's gone!!!"

"Calm yourself Rainbow Dash," Jack said raising his hoof. "He didn't go far."

"How can you possibly know that?" Twilight asked.

"Because I know where he's going," Jack answered. "We may have foiled his plan for this place but we haven't stopped him from getting his vengeance, he will go back to the Black Death and finish off that Griffin in the Brig."

Suddenly Jack's face suddenly gained a frown.

"Shimmer told me what the he said while you were being held captive," he continued. "If Blackhorn has been corrupted by dark magic then I have to believe I can save him from it."

"Save him?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know it sounds ridiculous but you must understand why," Jack continued. "I've known Blackhorn for twenty years, he and I share many things, most of which are personal… he was my friend. If the Black Death is the true reason why he has become so evil then I must believe that he can change back to the stallion he was."

"But what can be done?" Shimmer asked. "The Griffin said that only through death or pain and suffering can he be free from the Black Death's curse."

"I know of another way," Jack answered. "But I cannot do it alone, I will need every pony here to help, I know you all can't…"

"We'll help Jack," Twilight said interrupting him.

"We all will," Shimmer added.

Suddenly Jack's face lit up, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You… you will?" he asked.

"We trust you Jack," Twilight explained. "You may have had some crazy decisions but we trust you."

Seeing the look of agreement on every pony's face Jack smiled with pride and levitated something out of his pack.

"Then the Harmony Bearers are going to want these back," he said as he levitated the Elements of Harmony to the Mane Six who took them with a smile on their face. "It’s time to end this."


#


Elsewhere the Black Death was now sailing to open water despite now only having one crewmember. Blackhorn dragged his prisoner out of the Brig and threw him out onto the deck, his face boiling with anger as he stared down at the Griffin before him.

"I take it your plan failed then?" the Griffin asked mockingly as he coughed up a bit of blood, a result of a kick to the stomach Blackhorn dished out to him.

But the words the Griffin spoke only infuriated Blackhorn further and he delivered a powerful kick to the Griffin's face, rendering him unconscious.

"I may not have been able to take your daughter Griffin!" he growled as he pulled out another sword. "But at least I can still deliver you with enough pain to satisfy my needs, I'm going to bleed you like a stuck pig!!!"

But before Blackhorn could even raise his sword, a portal appeared behind the Griffin, and out of that portal came Jack Silver, the Mane Six, Shimmer, T-Cog, Slash Big Rummy, Dripfang and Gem la Stone.

"So…" Blackhorn said calmly with an angered look upon his face.  "It would seem that you have passed my defensive spells, very impressive Captain. So what now?"

"Now we end this once and for all," Jack answered. "This isn't you Blackhorn, this isn't the stallion I came to call my friend."

But Blackhorn simply grinned at him.  

"I don't know if you've heard Jack but the Blackhorn you knew is long gone," he said. "The Black Death has removed all of those weaknesses of compassion, honour and friendship, you have no power over me anymore."

"I never said I did," Jack responded as he gestured to the Element of Hope.  "But if I know that this Element of Harmony can heal any injury on its own, then with all seven can you finally be free from this curse."

"And who ever said I WANTED to be free from it Jack!?!" Blackhorn snapped. "Look at me, I command one of the most powerful ships in the world, oh my crew may be gone but I can still recruit and when I do I shall take my vengeance upon the entire ocean!!!"

"I don't know whether that's the evil talking or your insanity," Jack answered with a sigh. "But I know for a fact that this isn't you… NOW!!!"

And before Blackhorn could even flinch, he found himself being kicked from behind by the bucking hooves of Shimmer and Applejack while Big Rummy held him down, as turned out they were able to sneak behind Blackhorn while Jack managed to distract him with his talking, Blackhorn may have struggled but he was no match for the weight and strength of Big Rummy's hooves.

"I'm sorry Blackhorn but this is the only way," Jack said as he and the Mane Six gathered around him wearing their own Elements of Harmony. "Every pony ready?"

"Ready!" Twilight answered.

"Let's do this!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Then by Celestia, let’s hope this works." Jack said as he took his place ahead of them.

In a matter of moments, much to Blackhorn's horror, the gems on the Elements of Harmony began to glow and the Mane Six were lifted into the air. Suddenly a rainbow coloured aura exploded skywards from the Mane Six's Elements and shot straight into Jack's Element of Hope who pointed it's blade directly towards Blackhorn.

"YO HO!!!" he screamed.

Upon those words a beam of magical white light burst from the tip of the Element of Hope directly towards the screaming Blackhorn, luckily Big Rummy managed to jump out of the way before the magical beam hit him too. Finally at the very second the beam hit Blackhorn right in the chest, the entire deck was engulfed with a blinding white light, when it finally faded and every pony could see again they found Blackhorn lying unconscious in a patch of the deck that seemed less dark, almost purified compared to the rest of it. As the sun finally rose and the beautiful orange light peeked over the horizon, every pony on board the Black Death couldn't help but feel relieved… it was finally over. Jack then walked up to Blackhorn, who was now beginning to stir, as Blackhorn opened his eyes every pony saw that they were no longer blood-red but instead a light blue.

"J… Jack?" he mumbled as he tried to stand up. "Wha… what's going on?"

"Welcome back old friend," Jack said with a slight smile. "Do you remember anything?"

"I…I think so," Blackhorn answered. "But… but that can't have really happened could it?"

But one look from Jack and a quick gaze at his surroundings answered his question instantly.

"No!" he said collapsing to his knees. "By Celestia, what have I done!?! I almost destroyed everything, I almost destroyed you, oh Jack I'm so sorry." 

As Blackhorn sat there crying his eyes out, not only did Jack feel sorry for him, but so did every pony else. Placing a hoof on Blackhorn's shoulder, Jack tried his best to comfort his now restored friend."

"Blackhorn," he said. "None of it matters anymore, all of that is in the past, while it is true that it was your own hate that allowed you to be corrupted in the first place, now you have a chance to redeem yourself."

"How can I possibly redeem myself after what I've done?" Blackhorn said looking up at Jack. "I've destroyed too many lives to even be considered a pony anymore. I… I don't know what to do."

But Jack wouldn't hear any of it, so he spoke again.

"Then allow me to take that journey with you," he said as he held out his hoof.

Blackhorn couldn't believe it, even after all at he's done Jack still considered him a friend, with a slight smile he took Jack hoof and pulled himself up.

"I… I don't understand Jack," he raised with a raised eyebrow. "I try to kill you, I slaughter practically half of your crew, I maroon your daughter on an isolated island and yet you STILL save me from the curse of the Black Death, any other pony would have given up on me but not you, why?"

"Well I guess I'm not just any other pony," Jack answered shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, I knew there was some good in you even while you were corrupted… otherwise you wouldn't have cared so much about finding the seventh Element to get your family back."

"So can it…"

"I'm sorry Blackhorn but it can't," Jack interrupted, knowing what Blackhorn was about to ask. "No amount of magic can change the nature of life and death no matter where it comes from… but I can do this for you."

And before any pony could even ask what Jack was talking about, he aimed the Element of Hope at the sky and blasted a beam of light directly upward, and what happened next made every pony gasp, before their eyes two vaporous lights slowly drifted from the sky and floated towards the deck of the ship, edging their way towards Blackhorn the light's suddenly faded and the shapes of two ponies appeared on the deck, a beautiful mare and a foal that looked no more than a year of age. As a tearful smile appeared across Blackhorn's face, Twilight and Blackhorn suddenly recognised the spiritual ponies they were looking at for they were ponies that they had seen in a photograph in Blackhorn's cabin.

"Blackhorn's family?" Twilight asked in awe. "But you said that…"

"They are not alive Miss Sparkle," T-Cog said with a slight smile. "Jack simply gave their spirits a chance to come to Blackhorn so that he may see them again… one last time."

As Blackhorn gazed upon the smiling face of his wife he couldn't help but cry, as the spirit of his foal jumped happily beneath his feet he knelt down to look at her joyful face. It was a beautiful moment but after what felt like ages of wondrous emotion the spirit of Blackhorn's wife gave his one final kiss before she and her foal suddenly began to change back to vaporous lights and ascended back into the sky, leaving Blackhorn to say one final word to them.

"…Goodbye," he whispered with tear filled eyes.

As the lights faded and the spirits of Blackhorn's family disappeared into the clouds, Jack, his crew and the Mane Six could only look at him with sorrow in their hearts. Finally Blackhorn turned to them and spoke.

"I am ready to pay for I've done Jack," he said. "I shall take whatever punishment awaits me."

"That won't be necessary my friend," Jack said with a slight smile "At least not before we ensure that no pony shall be taken over by this despicable vessel of evil again."

"What are your orders, sir?" T-Cog asked.

Jack then turned towards his crew and gave them their instructions.

"Every pony is to gather every single barrel of gunpowder they can find and put it all at the very bottom of this ship," he said sternly "We're going make an absolute guarantee that this forsaken tub never sees another Captain take command."

"We're gonna blow the ship?" Slash asked with a wicked smile.

"Oh most definitely," Shimmer smirked.

Following their Captain's instructions every pony clambered below deck and started to gather every barrel they could find at the very base of the ship, every barrel from the gun deck, the store room, every ounce of powder was dumped at the very bottom of the accursed vessel. Finally after leading a trail of dry powder from the base of the ship directly towards the deck they were done.

"Are we good down below?" Jack asked.

"There’s enough power down there to blow this mother sky-high," Dripfang smirked as he dusted himself off of any excess gunpowder.

"Then let's get out of here," Jack said sternly as he activated his magic and opened up another portal. "Rummy, bring the Griffin, Slash, light her up."

"With pleasure sir," Slash said giving his Captain a proud salute.

Following Jack's lead every pony walked towards the portal and being the last to start leaving Slash puffed a small breath of blue flames at the end of the trail of gunpowder which ignited instantly, as the sparkling flame slowly edged its way down the trail of powder and below deck every pony was moving as quickly as they can before it reaches the barrels at the bottom, however something happened at that moment no pony had expected, regaining his consciousness from atop Big Rummy's back the Griffin suddenly slashed at his spine and placed his claw to his throat.

"RUMMY!!!" Fluttershy and Slash screamed in unison.

"What in blazes are you doing!?!" Jack snapped.

"This ship cannot be destroyed," the Griffin said tightening his grip on Big Rummy's throat. "I may have been knocked out but I could still hear your plotting, you will not take this ship away from me!!!"

"I thought this guy was free from the curse," Rainbow Dash said with a scared look.

"You fools," the Griffin laughed. "I was never free, I never wanted to be free!!! This ship feeds my blood-lust, it is the very essence of my power and when Blackhorn took it away from me I knew I had to do something."

At first no pony understood what was going on but then Jack said something that set them straight.

"There was never any daughter was there?" he said with an angry glare. "You knew Blackhorn wanted revenge for what you’ve done and that was only the card you had to play, so you made up a story of a daughter living in Equestria so that he would cause chaos in your place."

"And would most likely be killed in the act," the Griffin added. "After his death I would have escaped from the Brig and reclaim what was rightfully mine, who would have thought Gilda was such a common name for a Griffin?"

Jack would have responded but the Griffin's very words made him sick to his stomach, as did it to the other ponies and yet the Griffin continued to speak.

"Now either you stop the gunpowder or I'm gonna tear this son of a…"

But suddenly the Griffin found himself being tackled by an unseen figure, forcing him to release Big Rummy from his grip and fight back, to every pony's surprise it was Blackhorn who was doing the fighting.

"GO!!!" he screamed. "I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!!!"

Not wanting to argue every pony instantly ran through the portal with Twilight and Fluttershy helping Big Rummy to even walk, Jack however just stood where he was watching Blackhorn and the Griffin fight.

"Jack, come on!" Twilight called as she and Fluttershy helped Rummy through the portal.

But Jack simply stayed where he was watching in fear as Blackhorn tussled with the Griffin, he would have joined in the fight but Blackhorn managed to stop him when he managed to push the Griffin away for a few moments.

"I said GO!!!" he snapped.

And with that he delivered an extremely powerful buck kick to Jack's face and sent him flying through the portal which instantly closed behind him. 


#


When Jack managed pick himself up after landing on the docks of Equestria with the others he instantly tried to create another portal, however something happened in the distance that caused him to stop in his tracks, on the horizon where the Black Death once sailed on the sea was now a blazing ball of orange flames, the Black Death had already blown up…with Blackhorn and the Griffin still on it.

"Oh Blackhorn," Jack said shedding a tear.

"Even after all that he saved our lives," Twilight said as she walked up to him.

"He may have been corrupted by darkness Miss Sparkle," Jack said, eyes still dripping with tears. "But he has got to be… one of the finest stallions I ever met."

"Do you wish to say anything for him?" Shimmer asked.

"There's nothing that can be said," Jack answered. "There is only one thing that can be done for a stallion such as he."

At those words Jack simply looked to the ocean and proudly gave a salute and following his example every pony else saluted too.

"Rest in Peace my friend." 
> Epilogue: Goodbye
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three weeks passed since the invasion of Ponyville from Blackhorn and his crew and already the town was beginning to mend quite quickly. With the insistent help of Jack Silver's crew every pony managed to make decent repairs, while they were nervous at first every pony had to admit that Jack Silver and his crew weren't as vicious as they first thought, in fact overtime they came to call them friends, some even idolised them, even going as far as to wear fake eye patches like Slash and dying their manes to resemble the skunk effect Gem La Stone had, even the Diamond Dogs were welcomed into the pony’s lives despite their species. As for whatever remained of Blackhorn's dark crew, as it turns out those who served on the Black Death were so consumed to its darkness that they were reduced to dust the second it was destroyed, thus ending the curse forever. Finally the town was repaired and everything went back to normal, as normal as life in Ponyville could get at least. Spending the nights in the local Ponyville hotel Jack and his crew found themselves quite comfortable there, those who were injured were healed quite rapidly thanks to the efforts at the Ponyville hospital and needless to say felt ten times better than they had in weeks. However while Jack was happy to see his crew finally seen as ponies rather than monsters, he knew that they couldn't stay for long. One day Spike received a letter from Princess Celestia intended for Jack, she was summoning him to Canterlot, while hesitant at first and despite the objections from Shimmer and the rest of his crew Jack agreed to go. Leaving his crew in Ponyville and only taking Twilight with him, Jack boarded the train to Canterlot, upon arriving at the castle he couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Are you okay Jack?" Twilight asked.

"Hmm? Oh yeah I'm fine," Jack answered as they came to the doors of the throne room. "I just hope whatever happens in there doesn't end up with me getting thrown in prison."

"Don't be ridiculous," Twilight said with a slight smile. "You and your crew saved the whole of Ponyville, if anything Celestia will want to thank you. Are you sure you don't want me to go in with you?"

"No it's okay," Jack said. "Just wait outside,"

At those words word pushed forward on the throne room doors and entered, there he saw Princess Celestia standing alone staring out of the now repaired stain glass windows.

"I knew you'd come," she said with a smile, not even turning her head to look at him.

"Almost didn't," Jack answered her nervously.

"It's been a long time Jack Silver," Celestia continued.

"Indeed it has," Jack said in agreement.

"You need not fear me Jack," Celestia explained. "Princess Twilight has already explained everything to me in her report, she told me about your reputation and what you have done in recent times."

"She… she did?" Jack said with a raised eyebrow.

At those words Celestia simply laughed and turned towards him.

"Don't think I've forgotten about the feisty young colt who once studied at my school," he said. "You may have aged quite a bit Jack Silver but I still remember what you looked like, and I never believed those rumours about you for one minute, there was no doubt that you wouldn’t commit such horrible things."

"Oh Really?" Jack said with a raised eyebrow. "Is that why you tried to trap me in crystal fifty years ago?"

"So I had to make a few things look convincing in order for you to escape," Celestia's giggled. "Sue me."

At those words Jack couldn't help but burst out laughing alongside Princess Celestia as she made her way to the throne.

"I must say I've missed you Jack," Celestia said as she took as seat. "You have certainly aged well after all these years.”

“Why thank you your grace,” Jack said as he tipped his hat to her. “And might I say you are looking devilishly beautiful yourself.”

At those words, Celestia couldn’t help but blush, after all these years Jack silver had never lost his charm.

“I take it you found what you were looking for?" she asked.

"Indeed I have," Jack said as he levitated the Element of Hope off his hoof and towards Celestia. "And I believe it is high time I put it where it belongs."

But Celestia simply levitated the Element back towards Jack with a gentle smile on her face.

"It belongs with you Jack," she said. "You are its bearer, thus it shall stay with you."

At those words Jack simply smiled and placed the Element of Hope back on his hoof.

"I still can't believe it though," Celestia continued. "After all this time not only have you finally found the seventh Element of Harmony, but you've also used it to save many ponies' lives, it is a deed that shall always be remembered."

At first Jack was unclear of what Celestia was referring to but once he noticed that she was gesturing towards one of the stain glass windows, he was met with a majestic sight. While most of the windows featured wonderful events featuring the Mane Six and Princess Celestia with her sister Luna, there was one new window that took Jack's fancy the most, a window that featured the Mane Six and… him, him and his crew with the Mane Six discovering the seventh Element of Harmony and using it  to save Blackhorn. As Jack stared at the multi-coloured glass of the window he couldn't help smile in awe, suddenly another thought popped into his mind.

"But what about the other things I've done," he asked nervously. "Me and my crew may have helped rebuild the town after recent events but we also were the one who robbed it, Canterlot too. Plus there's also the other places me and my crew have robbed… the ships we plundered… the list goes on, even if we were heroes in THIS country we'd be arrested for piracy in any other one. If any pony else found out that we were here they'd never trust you Equestrians again."

Hearing this a look of concern spread across Princess Celestia's face for this was indeed true, if any pony from any other country found out that if pirates stayed in Equestria and no pony did a thing about it, there would be mistrust among any neighbouring kingdom.

"So what will you do now?" she asked. 

"The only thing I can do at this point," Jack answered with a slight smile. "When Princess Luna brings the moon to its full and the tide is at its highest, me and my crew shall be setting sail."

While it was clear that Celestia was concerned with this decision but none the less she respected it.

"Then so be it," she said with a gentle smile. "But know that you will always be welcome in Equestria, you will always have friends here."

It was those words that touched Jack's heart, he has not felt this at home in Equestria for a long time.

"Aye," he said. "That be true."


#


As the full moon began to set and the sun began to creep above the horizon three days later, the Mane Six and the Cutie Mark Crusaders gathered at the docks to bid Jack and his crew farewell, even a few citizens of Ponyville, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia came to say their goodbyes, needless to say a few tears were shed that morning.

"Are you sure about this?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Do you all really have to go?"

"I'm afraid so lass," T-Cog answered giving her a hug. "A pirate's life is just too much trouble for us to stay in one place for too long."

"You don't mean that," Sweetie Belle sobbed. "You can't leave."

"I'm sorry but we must," Gem said with tear filled eyes.

"Aye, we have to," Slash added. "Although you can rest assured that we'll be back… I still have to have a rematch with Pipsqueak here,"

"HEY!!!" Spike snapped.

"I'm just kidding!" Slash smirked as he pulled Spike into a small tear filled squeeze. "Boy am I gonna miss you."

And thus the cycle of goodbyes and tears continued, Pinkie Pie literally cried waterfalls of tears, Big Rummy and Fluttershy both shared one final tender moment of loving embraces and one last tear filled kiss, presents were even exchanged as Dripfang took off his bandana, tore it in three and gave it to Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, saying that they would always be shipmates no matter where they were, Slash was even given a new guitar made by Apple Bloom's fine carpentry skills. Even Marina felt sad as a group of ponies begged her not to go. The cycle then continued moving on from the Mane six to other bystanders who wanted to see their heroes one last time, even Princess Luna couldn't help but ask for their autographs. Finally Shimmer turned her attention towards the Mane Six.

"You know the offer is still on the table," she said with a smile. "You can always come with us."

"Sorry Shimmer but our place is here," Twilight answered. "We talked about it and thought it would be best."

"Well needless to say I'm a little disappointed," Shimmer answered, still keeping her smile. "But at least we'll always have that adventure right?"

"Always," Twilight said giving Shimmer another tight hug.

Once every pony said their goodbyes, the crew walked up the gangplank and prepared to set sail, the only pony left standing on the dock now was Jack, who simply looked at every pony with a small smile and choked back tears.

"Well I suppose this is it," Rarity said.

"Aye so it is," Jack answered. "We certainly have had some interesting times haven't we?"

"We sailed the seas," Apple Bloom said with a smile.

"Found adventure," Scootaloo smirked.

"And Romance," Fluttershy added.

"The grand life that any pirate could want," Twilight smirked. "Any ideas where you'll be going?"

"Not yet," Jack said with a smile. "Probably wherever the wind takes us next, oh and before we go there are still a few things left… first off Applejack will be wanting this back,"

Jack then pulled out a brown hat from behind his back, a hat that Applejack lost while she was hanging onto the side of the White Pearl, needless to say she was baffled when he levitated towards her.

"But… but how?" she stuttered.

But Jack simply chuckled and put his hoof to his nose, not deciding to press the matter further, Applejack simply smiled and put her hat on. Finally Jack took something else out of his pocket, the contract every pony signed when they first came aboard the Alicorn.

"The deal is complete," Jack said as the contract suddenly burst into flames and dissolved into dust. "You are all officially relieved of duty."

At those words every pony couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I guess now there is only one thing left to say," Jack continued. "We've had some laughs, we had tragedy but now it's over, so now I say goodbye to all of you and I hope we will all meet again, until then... may you all keep Hope alive."

"We will sir," Rarity said giving a salute.

"Aye-aye," Rainbow Dash added, doing the same.

Seeing every pony gave him a salute Jack now felt the time come, with one final smile he turned and walked up the gangplank onto the Golden Alicorn. As the grand ship sailed away into the sunrise and every pony waved goodbye from both the dock and the ship, every pony couldn't help but feel sorrow in their hearts and yet as the Mane Six watched it disappear on the horizon and the other ponies slowly began to leave, they couldn't help but feel… hopeful, hopeful that they WILL see their friends again.


#


Jack looked back to Equestria with joy as the Golden Alicorn sailed away from it, joy that finally there was a place where he and his crew can stop running for a while, a place where there were ponies that would consider him a friend, suddenly Shimmer walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Do we have a heading?" she asked.

"Just keep going straight," Jack answered. "I just want to keep my on Equestria for as long as I can before it disappears on the horizon."

"Do you think we'll ever see them again?" Shimmer asked.

"Perhaps…" Jack said with a smile. "… one day"

"So what do we do now?" T- Cog asked from the lower deck.

At those words Jack's smile spread even wider, as he looked down from the upper deck at his crew with joy, he felt like he knew the right words to say. 

"What we've always done my friend…" he said happily as he turned to the helm. "We go wherever the wind takes us and we sail for adventure but first... I think we need to do some recruiting don't you? Set sail for Trottuga!!! "

Hearing this everyone couldn't help but smile with their Captain as they proudly set the course, before anyone knew it Jack was singing.

"When I was just a colt looking for my true vocation
My father said 'Now son, this choice deserves deliberation
Though you could be a doctor or perhaps a financier
My boy, why not consider a more challenging career."

Suddenly following their Captain every pirate began to sing.

 All: Hey ho ho, "We'll cruise to foreign shores,
And we'll keep our mind and bodies sound by working out of doors,"
Jack: "True friendship and adventure are what we can't live without,"
All: "And when you're a professional pirate…"
Shimmer: "That's what the job's about!"

Jack: Now take dear Gem La Stone, the Prance girls all despise her,
But in Ponyville she's a hero and they idolize her,
It's how you look at buccaneers that make them bad or good,
And I see us as members of a noble brotherhood,"

All:  "Hey ho ho, We're honorable friends,
And before we lose our tempers we will always count to ten,"
Jack:  "On occasion there are rumours that we will meet our end,"
All:  "But when you're a professional pirate…"  
Marina:  "You can always count on friends!"

T-Cog: "I could have been a surgeon, I like taking things apart,"
Slash: "I could have been a lawyer but I just had too much heart,"
Big Rummy: "I could have been in politics cause I've always been a big spender,"
Dripfang: "And me...I could have been a contender,"

Jack:  "Some say that pirates steal and should be feared and hated,
I say we're victims of bad press, it's all exaggerated,
We'd never stab you in the back, we'd never lie or cheat,
We're just about the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet," 


#


As Twilight and her friends stood there on the dock watching the Golden Alicorn sail into the distance, each and every one of them couldn't help but smile in awe, finally Twilight spoke.

"Spike, take a letter," she said.

Instantly reacting, Spike pulled out a parchment and quill. 

Dear Princess Celestia
While in the past I may have learnt not judge a book by its cover in the past I must admit to overlooking that lesson in recent months. But while I may have forgotten that lesson for a moment, me and my friends were taught perhaps some of the best lessons we ever learnt while we sailed on the sea. While we sailed on the high seas we learned that friends can always come in all shapes and sizes, some even might be a creature you wouldn't even expect to be a friend, we also learnt that while a friend can be tainted by something terrible you shouldn't give up on them despite what they have done. Finally and perhaps the most important of all, we learnt that friendship does not necessarily mean just ponies that you can talk to when you're feeling down because if any friends become close enough they will be more like family than anything.
Your Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Although sometimes friends have to leave and certain memories are forgotten, it will be a guarantee that this will be a memory we never will forget… we will never forget our grand adventure with the Pirates of the Alicorn.


#


And back on the Golden Alicorn their friends were sailing on the horizon, ending this story in their song.

All:  "Hey ho ho, It's one for all for one,
And we'll laugh and sing alike with you cause the adventure's just begun,
We're gentlecolts of fortune and that's what we're proud to be,
And when you're a professional pirate…"

Jack:  "You'll be honest brave and free!
The soul of decency!
You'll be loyal and fair and on the square!
And most importantly…"

All:  "When you're a professional pirate…
You're always in the best of company!!!!!!!!!!"



The End.