Pirates of the Alicorn: Legend of the Silver Spirit

As he watched his friends float away on T-Cog’s newest creation from the top deck, Slash couldn’t help but feel disheartened, he had been looking forward to this adventure and now he was missing out because of one little mistake. He knew he deserved it but that didn’t stop him from complaining to himself as he laid back in his hammock.

“Dammit, it’s not fair!” he moaned. “All I did was play one lousy joke and here I am stuck on the ship like some child. Shimmer may be the captain now but that doesn’t mean she has the right to treat me like I’m barley hatched. For crying out loud, I get enough of that from Jack!”

Slash then jumped off his hammock and started stopping across the room in a big huff.

“Oh yeah, Shimmer is the big-shot now isn’t she?” he continued. “Can’t do one little thing without getting some kind of big lecture! Seriously, what is that mare’s problem!?!”

He then kicked one of Rarity’s suitcases in a fit of childish anger, causing a small yelp of pain, however this yelp didn’t come from Slash, despite his now throbbing foot.

“What the hell?” Slash said with a raised eyebrow.

Was someone inside Rarity's suitcase? There was only one way to find out, Slash then slowly edged his way towards the lid and undid the latch, when Slash peaked inside the suitcase wih his one good eye, a large toothy grin appeared on his face.

“Well, well, look who’s here.” He said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, the shore party had finally made their way into Prance, as they travelled up the river to their destination, each couldn’t help but feel a little excited, Gem however looked more nervous than excited, something seemed to be troubling her.

“Is something wrong Gem?” Fluttershy asked.

“Hmm? Oh no I’m fine,” Gem answered. “It is just that zis area seems incredibly familiar.”

“Well sort of makes sense doesn’t it?” Twilight asked. “After all weren’t you born in Prance?”

“Oui” Gem said with a small smile. “I suppose coming back here is bringing back a few memories.”

“How long has it been since you left?” Rarity asked.

“Fifteen years,” Jack said, answering her question. “Fifteen years to this day in fact, and I’m sorry to tell you this Gem, but according to the map we’re going to be getting into even more familiar territory.”

“What do you mean Jack?” Gem asked.

“The coordinates Rocky’s following is leading to the centre of Prance’s Capital, your hometown.”

At those words, gem’s eyes widened in shock and her stomach turned, they were heading for her hometown? She hasn’t even set hoof on those shores ever since she left, and now she was going back? She began to turn pale just from the very thought of it.

“You okay Lass?” T-Cog asked.

“Oui,” Gem answered trying to regain her composure. “I’ll be fine.”

But everyone in that boat could tell that was a lie, the truth was that Gem was not looking forward to once again seeing the ponies you ridiculed her about her mane, thus causing her run away to the sea in the first place. However despite this fact, Gem kept trying to re assure everyone that she was fine. Finally after about an hour of traveling up river, T-Cog told Big Rummy to stop peddling and steered the boat towards the nearest dock. Everyone them climbed out of the boat and proceed to walk down the dock towards the town, however this didn’t go unnoticed by a gruff looking, Unicorn stallion with a dull grey coat, white mane and wearing wireframe glasses and holding up a clipboard by his face.

“Excuse’ moi,” he said sternly. “I’m afraid it is five bits to tie you boat to ze dock, and I shall need to know your names.”

While Luna, Octavia, Vinyl  and the Mane Six looked a little nervous, the pirates however kept their composure, knowing that their former captain has been in this situation before.

“What will you say to twenty bits,” he said, giving him a small bag of cash. “And we forget the names.”

This Unicorn was obviously an official member of the law but Jack knew a crooked pony when he saw one and this pony was no different.

“Welcome to Prance, Messieurs et Madames” he said with a slight smile, putting the bag of cash in his saddlebag.

“Thank you very much,” Jack said tipping his bowler hat.

Jack and Shimmer then lead everyone towards the town, but not before giving Rocky a small, unnoticed nod telling him to pick the Unicorns pocket for their money back. When they reached the town square, everyone gathered around the golden fountain right in the centre and said goodbye to Octavia and Vinyl.

“It has been a pleasure knowing you Miss Octavia.” Jack said kissing her hoof. “And you Miss Vinyl.”

“Same here, Mr Silver.” Octavia said with a smile. “And thank you again for the lift.”

“I just wish we could have spent more time on the ship,” Vinyl added. “A pirate’s life must be epic!”

“Keep it down Vinyl!” Octavia said shoving a hoof into Vinyl’s mouth. “You don’t want them to be caught do you?”

“Sorry,” Vinyl said, though slightly muffled.

Finally, the two walked away from the fountain, leaving the shore party to do their business.

“Alright, roll call,” Twilight said taking out a clipboard from her saddlebag.

“Roll-what-now?” Pinkie Pie said with a raised eyebrow.

“Well since we’re probably going to be searching for a while,” Twilight explained. “I thought it would be a good idea to make a check list of every pony her in case we get separated.”

“Oh no, she’s going egg-head on us again.” Rainbow Dash moaned.

“No, wait, that’s an excellent idea,” Shimmer pointed out. “Starswirl may have given us coordinates but they may not necessarily lead us to the key… but rather another clue to its whereabouts. This checklist might be a good way to keep track of everyone.”

“Spoken like a true Captain, Shimmer,” Jack said with a smile, “Alright, Twilight who’s here altogether?”

“Well in alphabetical order…” Twilight began much to the annoyance of some of the group. “Applejack, Big Rummy, Dripfang, Fluttershy, Gem, Jack, Princess Luna, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Rocky, Captain Shimmer, T-Cog and finally me so that’s 14 members of the group altogether all ready to go on an adventure.”

“Good to know,” Dripfang said, though clearly irritated. “Now can we please get back to the search? I’m beginning to get bored.”

“Very well,” Shimmer said with a nod. “Rocky, how far into down do the… Rocky!!!”

Rocky then snapped back into attention after losing focus and chewing his own tail for the third time.

“Yes Captain Shimmer?” he said spitting out his tail and letting drool dribble onto the suit Rarity made for him.

“Rocky, how far are we from where the coordinates point?” Shimmer said sternly.

“Well about three inches Captain Shimmer,” Rocky giggled in his usual goofy tone, before taking a small jump to his right. “Now I’m there!”

Though slightly irritated by Rocky’s goofy attitude, everyone then turned towards the fountain with a puzzled look upon their face.

“The coordinates lead here?” Rarity asked. “Are you sure?”

“Rocky may not have been with us long but, he’s never wrong.” Shimmer said confidently. “There must be something about this fountain that Starswirl the Bearded had been involved in.”

“Well zis town is centuries old, perhaps Starswirl was here when it was founded.” Gem pondered.

“Perhaps,” Jack said scratching his beard. “Let’s just take a look at this plack here.”

Everyone then gathered around the small golden plack placed at the edge of the fountain, upon it were the words…

“Dedicated to ze marvellous efforts by Starswirl the Bearded,” Gem read aloud. “Who gave the citizens of Prance the strength and will to create our shining capital.”

“So this fountain was built in honour of Starswirl the Bearded?” Twilight said with a smile. “Ooh, this is so exciting!”

“Easy there Twilight,” Jack said with a slight chuckle. “I doubt this fountain is just a mere dedication to a great Unicorn, judging from experience there is more to this fountain than meets the eye.”

“T-Cog?” Shimmer said.

Nodding in response to his captain, T-Cog then quickly and quietly removed his prosthetic limb to reveal his hook, with the added help of the group to crowd him from any ponies passing by. He then jammed his hook under the plack and tried to pry it off, after a few small heaves the plack came off with a slight crack to reveal a small crevice in the stone, inside was another scroll, small enough to fit inside a vest pocket. After quickly pulling out the scroll and putting the plack back in place, T-Cog gave the scroll to Shimmer and put his prosthetic lib back on.

“More Changeling language,” Shimmer said reading the scroll, “It’s your call Dripfang.”

Shimmer then passed the scroll to Dripfang who then moaned upon reading the contents.

“Oh I don’t believe this,” he said.

“What?” Big Rummy asked.

“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy added.

“It’s only another bloody riddle!” Dripfang moaned. “Honestly, why do these treasure-hunts never have maps with X’s on them!?!”

“Never mind all that, what does it say?” Applejack snapped

Dripfang then sighed and began to read the scroll aloud so that everyone could hear.

“Now you’ve navigated to the place, walk to the bell of the south pier,

Then follow these set instructions and you will find the key here,

Keep pacing East in an unbroken line,

Count a hundred thrice, and then add 29.”

“Starswirl certainly has a knack for poems doesn’t he?” T-Cog said.

“Probably wanted to make it more difficult to find the key,” Jack added. “This ship must be something massive if he needed to take such measures to hide it.”

“Then let us not waste any more time and journey to the south pier,” Luna stated making her way towards the piers. “We must make haste immediately.”

“She’s certainly determined to find that ship isn’t she?” Jack said, following Luna with Twilight at his side. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so serious before.”

“I have,” Twilight said with a sigh. “It was she saw her first Nightmare Night in Ponyville, she got so upset she almost cancelled the holiday altogether.”

“Blimey, what happened?” jack asked.

As Twilight proceeded to tell the story to Jack, the rest of the group followed as they made their way to the pier, all the while having a conversation to try and pass the time.

“Ooh, I’m so nervoucited!” Pinkie Pie said in her usual cheery manner.

“For the last time Pinkie, that’s not a real word!” Applejack said, getting slightly annoyed.

“Okay, so the Mini Ally is a bad name for a boat,” T-Cog said. “So how about the Silver Unicorn”

“No that won’t do,” Dripfang argued. “That sounds more like a battleship rather than a small transport.”

“Alright, how about the Little Filly?”

“No,” Gem moaned. “Zat doesn’t sound right at all, far too cute for a pirate ship.”

“The Wave Smasher?”

“Absolutely not!” Rarity snapped.

“The Nyx!?!”

“That doesn’t even make any sense!” Applejack pointed out.

“You know, for such a brilliant shipwright, your certainly aren’t much of an egg-head when it comes to naming things.” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“Um, may I suggest something?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Go ahead Lass,” T-Cog sighed, “Can’t be any worse than any of MY suggestions.”

“Um… how about the Little Gold?” Fluttershy asked. “It’s appropriate for the size and it sounds more like the name of a ship.”

Hearing this, everyone looked at Fluttershy with a surprised, look especially T-Cog.

“Oh my, it’s a terrible suggestion isn’t it?” Fluttershy said turning away.

“Terrible?” T-Cog said keeping his surprised tone. “It’s perfect, so perfect I think I’ll carve it into the side as soon as we get back to the ship, the Little Gold, it does have a lovely ring to it.”

“It’s… it’s really that good?” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“Oh absolutely Fluttershy,” Rarity said, complementing her, “It is without a doubt the… is everything okay Gem?”

Of course Gem had her mind on other things, it had been fifteen years and with every step she took old memories began to flood her mind, every childhood dream, every ounce of pain she felt from her ridicule, however there were happier times to remember as well. She remembered getting her favourite flavour of ice-cream when she was seven years old, as they walked by her once favourite restaurant, of course this back when her parents still believed that she would grow out of her skunk-coloured mane. Finally she snapped back into reality long enough to answer Rarity’s question.

“Hmm? Oh pardon me Rarity, my mind is on other zings,” she said. “It’s just that being back here brings back a lot of memories, ze place had not changed a bit since I left.”

“Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it Lass?” T-Cog said placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“Don’t be silly T-Cog, of course I will,” Gem said with a smile. “After all I am Gem La Stone, part of one of ze strongest crews on ze entire ocean, if I can’t handle some nostalgic memories then there is no point in being who I am meant to be.”

It may have been a moving speech but anyone who heard would most definitely see that Gem was being a bit of a Drama Queen, however that thought was short lived when they heard Luna’s voice.

“Okay we’re at the pier,” she said.

Indeed they were, when the group finally stopped they found themselves standing on the edge of a stone pier, one that was completely surrounded by sailors of all kinds. After surveying the area for a few minutes, the group fund a small bell tower which they could only guess was what Starswirl’s riddle was referring to, instantly running towards it, Rocky took out his compass from his pocket and proceeded to look for the direction the group need to go.

“Now we head…” he said, with another goofy grin. “…East! Huh?”

However when the group looked towards where  Rocky was pointing, they were met with a sight that they did not want to see, something that the pirates considered to be far more annoying than bounty hunters… a building belonging to the local government and a punch of Police Officers, all wearing blue and white unfirms and waiting outside the building, blocking the road the group needed to travel up.

“Oh great,” Dripfang moaned. “The Prance Police, how the hell are we supposed to get past them?”

“They’ll catch us as soon as they see us,” Rummy whimpered, trying but failing to hide behind Fluttershy. “I don’t want to go to jail!”

Needless to say the feeling was mutual for all of the pirates, even Luna and the Mane Six felt a little nervous, luckily Rarity was able to say something that put them at ease.

“Oh relax all of you,” rarity said, trying to calm the group down. “As long as we’re dressed for the occasion they won’t bother us will they? Now, follow my lead and allow me to show you the true charms of an Equestrian lady.”

Rarity then gracefully took lead of the group and in a lady-like fashion proceeded to walk up towards the group of Police Officers and talk to them as if she had nothing to hide.

“Oh pardon me my fine fellows,” she said in her most lad-like tone. “Could all be a dear and let me and my friends pass, it’s just that we are in a bit of a hurry.”

Needless to say before all those love-struck stallions quickly obeyed Rarity’s request and moved aside allowing the group to move by them, much to the amusement of certain members.

“If looks could kill, zen zey would not be feeling so well eh?” Gem giggled.

“Hook, Line and Sinker!” T-Cog whispered back, trying to old back a few chuckles.

As the group walked by the Police Officers, everyone tried their best to look as calm and quite as possible to avoid any suspicion, however none of them were expecting what happened next. As Dripfang walked by the Police Officer, he suddenly noticed something, while many of the officers were different from each other there was one in particular that caught Dripfang’s eye, he was a somewhat large, muscular Unicorn with a long black mane tied up into a ponytail and for some reason, feeding breadcrumbs to the large crow on his shoulder, which everyone could only assume was the officer’s personal pet.

“Oh no,” He whispered, desperately trying to hold his nose “Not that!”

But it was too late, Dripfang had already caught the smell, and a few ponies noticed his behaviour when he finally made it passed the Police.

“Dripfang?” Twilight said with a look  of concern. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m… I’m allergic to crows.” Dripfang answered, his eyes now starting to water.

At those words, every pirate’s eyes widened in shock.

“Uh oh.” Big Rummy said.

“Not good.”

“What’s wrong?” Luna asked, now beginning to feel nervous as well.

“It’s his allergies,” Jack explained. “Whenever a Changeling sneezes due to an allergy he loses…”

“ACHOO!!!”

“…control of his changing abilities” Jack finished, face-hoofing.

The jig was up, and what Jack said was indeed true, all it took was one sneeze and Dripfang began engulfed in his green flames and changed back from a gangly green Pegasus to a Changeling wearing a striped shirt and spotted bandana, and to make it worse, the force of the sneeze caused Gem to stumble backwards and let her wig slip off revealing her skunk-coloured mane. Needless to say the Police officers were shocked at what they had just witnessed, however their leader, who now revealed to be the Unicorn with the crow remained calm and pointed towards the group.

“Zose two are members of Jack Silver’s Crew!” he shouted. “I recognise zem from zeir wanted posters! Well don’t just stand zere, seize zem! Arrest all of zem!!!”

“RUN!!!” Shimmer screamed.

And so the chase was on, they may not have been dressed for it but now the group was running for their lives due to being chased by many members of the Prance Police, and more of them were coming by the minute. No matter how much they tried, the group couldn’t shake the Police off.

“Father!” Shimmer called out. “I think it’s time for a Portal spell!”

“Agreed!” Jack called back as he ran ahead of the group and readied his horn.

Suddenly Rainbow Dash spotted something from up above the group.

“Jack look out!” she cried.

“Huh?” Jack said looking behind him.

What happened next did indeed gave Jack a shock, in both meanings of the word, as it turns out, the Leader of the Police had trained he crow to attack any ponies trying to run away from his master and was now diving towards Jack’s head, the bird may not have pecked anything but none the less Jack was caught by the blow and it caused his portal spell to open too soon. However this didn’t stop the group from running straight through it, with Jack still being disoriented from the blow. Finally with every member of the group inside, the portal closed and the Police were left in a confused state as they stood in an empty ally.

“Well don’t just stand zere you fools!” their leader shouted. “Do your duty to Prance and find zem!!!”

Meanwhile, in another part of the town, far off from where the Police were, Jack was finally regaining consciousness, it would seem that he knock he took did more damage than he first thought.

“Father?” Shimmer said nudging him awake. “Are you okay?”

“Barely,” Jack moaned rubbing his head. “Since when do crows get trained in falconry? I’m I really not that up to date on certain things?”

“I’m afraid we got more bigger problems than that Father,” Shimmer said with a worried expression.

“What do you mean?” Jack asked.

“Half the group is gone!” Shimmer said in now panicked tone.

“What!?!”

Jack then quickly stood up and looked at his surroundings, they appeared to be in another ally on the other side of the town, surrounding him were Twilight, Luna, Shimmer, Fluttershy, Applejack and T-Cog, however the others were nowhere to be seen.

“What the hay happened Jack?” Applejack asked. “Where are the others?”

“We saw them go into the portal, but half of us didn’t come back out with us.” Twilight added.

Jack pondered for a moment but then he suddenly realised something.

“That knock I took from that stupid crow must have messed up my portal spell,” he said, now beginning to get angry. “It must have been aiming for my horn so I couldn’t use magic, that Police certain knows how to give chase, I’ll give them that.”

“So if half of us ended up here…?” Twilight began.

“…then the others must be in other part of the town.” Jack finished.

At those words, surge of panic began to escalated through the remaining members of the Mane six

“W… what are going to do?” Fluttershy whimpered.

“I don’t know,” Shimmer admitted. “But I do know for a fact that the others aren’t in any danger.”

“How can ya be so sure?” Applejack asked.

“Because the portal spell we used is something of my own design,” Jack explained. “It may have messed up but it’s guaranteed to take whoever uses it out of danger. Wherever they are, the Police are nowhere near them.”

“Well that’s good news anyway.” Twilight said, sighing in relief

“But the bad news is that WE don’t know where they are either.” Luna pointed out.

“Luna has a point Captain,” T-Cog said. “And if we don’t find them soon then the Police will search the entire town until THEY do.”

“Now that they’ve seen us, they’re probably searching right now.” Shimmer added.

“So does any of us have a plan?” Luna asked.

“Well it just so happens that I have a contact here in Prance,” Jack said, with a look of determination.  “If we can get to her then we might have a chance of finding the others.”

“But do you really think they’ll be alright until then,” Fluttershy asked, her mind racing with wonder where her friends and her darling Rummy was now.

“Oh don’t you worry lass,” T-Cog said trying to calm her down. “That lot can look after themselves, plus Gem knows this town like the back of her hoof, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“Maybe, but Gem hasn’t stepped hoof in her hometown since she left it,” Shimmer pointed out. “I doubt it’s the same sort of place it was when she was last here.”

“So where is this contact of yours?” Luna asked, looking at Jack.

“The club she hangs out in is not too far from here,” he said point in a westward direction. “It’s as good as any place to start.”

“Well then let’s get going,” Twilight said leading the way. “The sooner we find our friends the better”

“Aye,” Jack sighed “That be true.