Chapters Even through the confusion and concern the group had, and Rainbow's insistence to test the jail door's strength for hours, they did manage to get a good night's rest. By mid-morning the next day more guards had arrived and bound all eight to one another by their ankles again, before promptly leading them to the courthouse.
Ever since the explanation from Azure and Rose, bits and pieces of what they considered to be 'memory' started to return to them, which backed up their earlier explanation. Through the whole morning, up until they arrived at the courthouse, Twilight had preoccupied herself making sure her assumption really was true, that they were in a book. While she never fully completed the book, preferring a more scholarly book at the time, what she could remember did seem to match perfectly with what was currently happening to them. Plus, the seemingly 'regained' memory of specific island locations she had never known in Equestria and events backed this theory.
Right now, they were all seated in front of a semi-circular podium that was elevated slightly above the height of their heads, and had an open doorway behind it. Behind them sat a few ponies that looked to be very important, probably other government officials that have decided to watch the trial, and on either side of the courthouse were several guards that were posted in case they tried anything.
"Twilight, um..., I know you already told us this, and I'm so sorry for asking..., but are you sure we're in the book Discord was reading?" Fluttershy whispered to her as they waited for the hearing.
"It's okay Fluttershy. I'm not completely sure, but I am quite certain we must be in that book." Twilight whispered back, "It's the only logical explanation I can think of right now. While I've never fully finished reading the book, I do recall something about a trial at the start of it, as well as it containing pirates."
"Not to mention it was probably the only pirate book that you didn't have shelved at the time." Rainbow whispered in a dull tone.
"It'll take some time, but maybe I can try to cast the spell again later, see if that'll remove us from the story. For the time being, we better just follow along with the story."
"So much for not having another adventure, eh Twilight?" Rainbow remarked with a smirk.
"Silence. You now stand trial for the severe crime you have committed to our fair city and its citizens. Proceeding over your trial will be the Grand Council of Sapphire Port." The guard nearest to them quieted them before turning to the courtroom. "Everypony rise."
Everypony did as they were told and got up, as the guard who had told them to do so hit the ground with the blunt end of his staff.
"Presenting the Grand Council. Lady Crystal Wings, Councilmare Gleaming Star, Councilmare Aurora Light, Grand Counselor Accordant Conduct, and Lady Amethyst." he announced, each member of the council coming out as their names were announced before taking their respective seats at the podium.
Pinkie, Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy couldn't believe their eyes as each of the members came out and took their seats. In order of arrival, each looked to be Chrysalis, Luna, Celestia, Discord, and Cadence to an amazing degree, minus their usual accessories. Instead, each wore an outfit that was befitting of the supposed time period as each, except Accordant, wore a dress that complimented their coat and mane colors and were clearly on par with some of the best dressmakers in Canterlot. Acordant was wearing a regal looking coat complete with monocle and lace jabot.
Accordant was the most interesting to the group as the others seemed almost to be expected, but his was completely the opposite of what they were use to. The outfit made him look very prim and proper, a truly upstanding citizen of society, and chaos being the last thing on his mind.
Everyone remained silent for a brief moment as council got comfortable, as well go back to sitting as well, then Counselor Accordant spoke as he adjusted his monocle, "The judgement of Captain Pinkie and her crew of seafaring pirates has now begun."
"You eight stand before us, the Grand Council of Sapphire Port, to answer to the crime of stealing one of our city's most prized artifact, the Stone of Peace." Aurora Light stated in a firm and serious voice, "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"This is ridiculous! We didn't steal anything from you, much less some rock!" Rainbow exclaimed
"LIES!" a stallion behind them shouted in anger, "Who else other than a pirate would have the audacity to steal such an artifact?!"
"Settle down, both of you." Aurora stated as she stomped her hoof a few times just loud enough for them to hear, "This is to be a fair trial, they are allowed an attempt to prove themselves innocent."
"Honorable councilmare, surely you jest?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, "What about the evidence that two of them had been seen near the central tower the previous night?"
"Calm yourself and be allowed to stay, or leave and continue you're incessant ranting. Make your choice." Gleaming Star warned the stallion, who begrudgingly complied and seated himself again.
"Members of the Grand Council, I ask what is this so called 'evidence' he stated?" Azure asked, "We were nowhere near the city's center at all the previous night."
"The evidence is that many of our citizens had claimed to have spotted your crew mates, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, at the tower. The assailed guards whom Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash incapacitated at the tower also confirmed this."
"That's not possible." Twilight rang in, "I was on board our ship taking inventory of our supplies, and Rainbow was on board as well."
"I was?" Rainbow whispered with a curious glance.
"It's what this character remembers. Just go with it." she whispered back, before looking back at the council, "As Azure pointed, neither one of us were near the center of the city, much less near the towers."
Rainbow actually thought about what she just heard, focusing hard to remember if that was actually true; and, to her surprise she actually did vaguely remember something. She recalled several barrels of apples, something about a telescope, and...cider, she definitely remembered something regarding apple cider.
"The evidence states otherwise." Gleaming Star remarked, as Aurora gestured for a guard to project an image to them. The image being what he had seen two nights ago.
It was somewhat fuzzy, probably an effect of not having enough magical energy, but it showed a relatively dark scene, the only thing bright enough to see was the light of the moon shining off something gold, presumably the tops of the towers. Dead center in the image was a silhouette that did actually appear to look like Twilight.
"This is what the guard had seen two nights ago. He was one of the guards present during the attack."
"W-well, what about Rainbow Dash? That image only shows it could possibly be me, it doesn't prove Rainbow of anything."
"The evidence that stacks upon her was obtained by asking any of the ponies that were able to see the incident from the ground." Crystal Wings replied.
"Each pony we've asked, noted, other than faint purple flashes of light, a pegasus was seen flying around at high speeds was also fighting off the guards." Aurora further explained, "Some had described this pegasus to appear to be merely a blur. A pegasus flying so fast it could only match Rainbow Dash."
"That doesn't seem very viable. I mean who's to say it's her?"
"Uh, I do." Rainbow replied, "Like there's a pegasus alive who's fa-Oof!"
Twilight interrupted her by elbowing the pegasus hard enough to cause pain. Twilight, Rose, Azure, and Pinkie then shot the pegasus a look saying not to argue.
Rainbow was gonna complain about being elbowed in the gut, but then quickly realized what she was gonna say and looked up at the council members, who seemed to be deliberating.
"If I may argue, the evidence seems to be rather weak. A fuzzy image from the mind of a guard who was probably hit hard enough to damage his brain, and the assumption that a fast flying pegasus is Rainbow doesn't seem to be a very strong argument." Azure reasoned
"You're right, it isn't much of a strong argument." Aurora agreed
"But, it does appear far more than a mere coincidence that we would get such an incident within hours of you pirates porting in our docks." Accordant stated, "I'm certain even you can agree that it does appear rather suspicious that a matter like this would occur."
They remained silent as they had to admit Accordant's statement did make some sense, it was rather difficult to say it won't at least look strange the moment a band of pirates are allowed to port, a potentially priceless artifact get's stolen.
After a long moment of silence, Fluttershy seemingly started mouthing something as she looked up at them.
"Hm...? I'm sorry my dear, did you mean to say something?" Accordant asked as he cupped one of his ears with his pawed hand, "We can't quite hear you."
Fluttershy's ear nervously twitched as she hesitated, before looking back up to the council members, "It's just...I know that...." she started, but quickly started to trail off into silence.
"A little louder if you will." Crystal Wings said as she raised a brow.
"Speak up pegasus!" a pony, this time a mare, behind them shouted loudly, causing Fluttershy to give off an 'eep' before ducking her head in her forehooves.
Pinkie gave a shocked look before looking back at the pony who had yelled and glared at her, growling under her breath.
"You're not helping matters with your outbursts." Gleaming Star, "I've already mentioned before, either you stay calm or leave." this time adding a slight glow to her eyes, before looking back towards Fluttershy, "Please, speak loud and clear, we can not take anything into consideration if we can't hear your testimony."
Fluttershy timidly nodded, "I,um...I know that it really does look like we did it. We are pirates afterall, and...that's what pirates do; but, we really are telling the truth. We didn't steal anything. We stayed near the port all night."
All five members looked at one another as the contemplated the matter in silence for a brief moment.
"Do you know if there were any ponies who could back up that statement?" Crystal Wings asked her fellow council members.
"The barkeep of Sleepy Horseshoe could. I had been told that three of the members were present during that night till sun's rise." Aurora replied
"In respects to Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, were they present? While all eight are accused, it is those two who are blamed particularly to the theft of our city's artifact." Accordant remarked
"We would have to ask."
"I think...I think I might be willing to give them the benefit of doubt." Amethyst stated as she brought a hoof to her chin, earning quite a lot of stares of disbelief and murmurs from the crowd.
"And what leads you to this belief?" Gleaming Star asked
"Yes, please elaborate what you are thinking, Lady Amethyst." Aurora agreed
She nodded, "I do agree that the evidence against them is rather weak. It seems unjustified that claims where we can not directly say they are truly the ones responsible prove they are indeed guilty. Also, for what is supposedly an experienced crew, I believe it would've been a poor decision to have waited till daybreak, when the city's cannons and our navy ships could easily spot and sink their vessel."
"Yes, that is indeed true." Aurora said under her breath as she nodded.
"I'll second the notion." Accordant stated firmly as he raised his arm after a moment of silence in the courthouse.
"You do?"
"It holds to logic that if they were the thieves, then staying until daybreak would be unwise. Only a fool would stay that long after accomplishing such a feat." he replied before looking down at the accused once more, "That is why I believe I may have a solution to this problem." he added as he stood up.
"Really...?" Crystal Wings asked, "Well, speak then. Let us hear it."
"I propose we allow Captain Pinkie and her crew to prove themselves innocent by returning the stone."
This statement shocked everyone in the courthouse, even the stoic guards looked surprised.
"Is that a joke Grand Counselor...?! You propose we hire a band of pirates that we don't even know if they are lying, to return the artifact?" Crystal Wings asked.
"I do not see why not. Whether they are lying or not, is merely our speculation. Their word versus ours effectively. However, the stone must be returned to its pedestal."
"Agreed." Aurora nodded before looking to the others, who agreed as well, before standing to address the accused, "We have come to an agreement, if you are to return the Stone of Peace to us, we will drop the charge against thee."
"What?! But we didn't take it!" Twilight shouted
"That is why we will allow you to prove yourselves innocent, and find the true thieves for us."
"And how are we to find something we have never stolen?" Rose asked
"Why not ask Twilight Sparkle? If her reputation perceives her, I'm certain she'll find some way."
At that statement, Twilight suddenly felt all the eyes in the courthouse fall on her. It was true though, both the character she is and herself personally were thinkers, ponies with a mind for calculations and well-planned actions. She'd have to look into a few things first though.
"So what says you, Twilight Sparkle?" Accordant asked, "Are you willing to help prove your innocence?"
Twilight looked up at the council, and gave a firm nod, "I am, but I will require access to the crime scene."
"Granted." Aurora stated
"They will also require a ship as well." Accordant remarked, "Unless I am mistaken, our navy added their ship to the ocean's bottom the previous morning."
"Agreed. I will allow them to travel on board a navy ship, along with a hoof-ful of navy ponies to keep an eye as well as aid them on the search." Aurora declared then looked at her fellow members, who seemed to agree as well, "I find it fit to give them ten days for this search. What says the rest of you?"
"I think ten days is a suitable time enough." Accordant replied
"As do I." Gleaming Star agreed
"I agree as well." Crystal Wings agreed
"I will follow suit with it as well." Amethyst remarked
"It is decided, you will have but ten days to find the artifact and return to us. If you fail to do so, you will be punished to the full extent of our laws." Aurora declared
"If I may ask, what is the punishment we will have to face?" Twilight asked, "And what if we do succeed, but face problems returning?"
"If that does occur, then...I will put my trust in the navy ponies we send with you. If they agree that there were several issues returning, I will make an exception. As for the punishment....While all eight of you stand accused, it will be both Rainbow Dash and yourself, Twilight Sparkle, whom shall face the executioner's blade upon the gallows."
At that Twilight and Rainbow brought a hoof to their necks, Rainbow in particular felt her blood run cold.
"Do you all eight of you understand?"
They nodded in agreement.
"Very well. Guards, lead them out to the central courtyard." she commanded, "Councilmare Gleaming Star and Lady Amethyst will you both see charge of them till morning tomorrow? Bring them somewhere they may be able to stay for the night."
"I believe an inn near the lower district will be able to house them for the night. I'll see to it they get there." Gleaming Star stated, which Amethyst nodded in agreement.
"Twilight Sparkle, once you have been brought to the inn, I'll be expecting your audience in the courtyard in front of this building. From there, I and a few guards will escort you to the tower."
"I'll come along as well." Crystal Wings rang in, "I'd like to see what damage was possibly done to the tower myself." she added, which Aurora merely gave a nod to.
"This trial is now over." Gleaming Star announced before pounding her hoof loudly a few times against the podium.
With Gleaming Star and Amethyst leading, the group was allowed to stay at the nearby inn free of charge. It wasn't exactly the best place to stay in the city, but more than certainly beat sleeping in jail cells. The walk there was also less than pleasant as more than enough of the townsfolk made it known in how much they were displeased by the outcome of the trial; but, they did keep their distance though. With both councilmares leading them, along with, a couple of guards, the crowd didn't dare do anything, especially since Gleaming Star made it a point to give each of the citizens a look that silently threatened anypony who dares try anything is going to regret it.
After getting properly situated at the inn, Twilight followed Gleaming Star and Amethyst back to the courthouse, where Aurora and Crystal Wings were already patiently waiting for her. Accordant seemed to have disappeared for the time being, probably trying to take care of a few things in regards to the grand council's decision.
"So this is the tower the artifact is usually placed?" Twilight asked as they arrived at the top of the center tower, and approached the pedestal.
"Yes, this is where the Stone of Peace is usually placed." Aurora replied
"It doesn't seem very well protected up here if it's just sitting on this pedestal."
"All three towers are usually protected by a magical barrier that disallows pegasi to immediately enter. It's the reason why we had to go the long way rather than simply flying up here." Crystal Wings explained, "Other than that, there are typically several guards posted along all three towers."
"I see..." Twilight remarked as she looked around for anything, plant matter that could've gotten stuck on the perpetrator's hooves, sand, or maybe even a mane strand or tuff of fur of the perpetrator, any evidence that could give her a hint where to look and/or the real thieves.
After almost a minute of empty searching, something managed to catch her eye. Caught on some vines that grew along the pillars that held the tower's roof in place, was a lone petal that went from blue to white. Since the vines didn't seem to have any other flower, it seemed almost out of place.
"What's this?" she asked out to no one in particular as she picked the petal up with her magic.
"It looks to be a petal from a seaflower that grows on the Triangle Islands." Aurora replied
"Triangle Islands...?"
"The Triangle Islands are three islands that obtained the name from the shape all three islands form when connected by lines."
"Yes, I'm quite familiar with the location." Twilight stated, "It use to be one giant island that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption several centuries ago, correct?"
"Yes, that would be correct." Crystal Wings replied
"And you're sure that this flower only grows there?"
Both Aurora and Crystal Wings nodded.
"The flower is a particular delicacy in several towns and cities, as well as a very nice decorative piece in several noble's homes." Aurora explained, "We'd devote time to grow it ourselves, but it's particularly sensitive about where it grows."
"Then this is good clue as to where to look." Twilight declared.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." she replied confidently with a nod, "It also proves we weren't the ones who stole the artifact."
"In what way?" Crystal Wings asked
"I don't recall us ever going to the islands." Twilight replied as she closed her eyes to focus, forcing herself to be absolutely sure that the character she was really doesn't remember ever going there, "Yes, we've never been there. If I'm remembering correctly, the waters there are quite dangerous. Far more trouble than we would've considered worth our time to visit in the past."
"Well, if you're sure, I do hope you are willing to make this an exception to visit the islands." Aurora stated
"I'd have to talk it over with Pi-...Er, Captain Pinkie Pie first. Also, you wouldn't happen to have any maps of that area would you?"
"We have one or two in the library. I'll be happy to show it to you." Aurora stated before turning around to lead Twilight, who of course nodded and quickly followed suit.
Crystal Wings turned to follow as well, but stopped for a brief moment to look back at the empty pedestal where the Stone of Peace would've been sitting. She gave an exasperated sigh, before pressing on to follow Aurora and Twilight to the library.
Author's Note
I actually would've published this far sooner, but my editor was really slow with his job on this, and I was fairly adamant about publishing this story once both chapters one and two were done.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this new story, I'll try to finish this up as soon as I can.
Author's Note
The way I'm picturing the floor-plan of the ship is roughly similar to those from Pirates of the Caribbean, at least externally, as well as positions of the captain's quarters. I think the term for it is a galleon, but I'm not completely sure. Internally though, I'm gonna be picturing it somewhat similarly to some of the ships from Skyrim, just cause I think it makes more sense for a navy ship to have that look internally, design-wise, vs. the interiors I see from Pirates of Caribbean (Granted of course most of the interiors you see in the movies were inside pirate ships) where each level below deck was one giant room for cannons and supplies.
So yeah, um, how I'm gonna picture it is the first level below below deck will mostly be rooms and dining area. Second, will be for cannons, and maybe some supplies. The third, and final level is gonna be for supplies.
Chapter 3
At the crack of dawn, Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and the rest of the crew were already situated at the docks preparing for their journey. Most of the heavy lifting were primarily done by Bronze, Silver, and a few of the navy ponies that were coming along, as the others were going through a list of supplies that Twilight had stated they needed for this trip. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight were the only exceptions.
Apparently Fluttershy had found herself extremely frightened by the idea of partaking in what would most likely be a dangerous trip, and was frozen where she sat and was shaking like a leaf in hurricane-level winds. As such, Pinkie was right there trying to calm her down with calming words and pats on her back, and was probably why the yellow pegasus wasn't even worse for wear.
Twilight on the otherhoof was mostly preoccupied at a small table that they had kindly set up for her just behind where the helmspony would be so she could have a specific area to do her job as navigator. She was currently plotting the safest and quickest route to the Triangle Islands. Occasionally though she did look up to see what the others were bringing on board, and checked the item off on a copy of the checklist she had made.
Over the course of the last 24-hours, the memories of the characters they were essentially replacing in the story slowly started to return, which became quite useful to Twilight as she continued planning what they would do as soon as they reached the Triangle Islands. Though it was seemingly a double-edged sword, coupled with the known maps of the area, the more Twilight remembered and learned about those islands, the more she knew how to prepare and learned just how dangerous the waters around them truly were.
Only the first 100 yards around the islands had been mapped, that was at least 1/3 of the way before they could drop anchor safely. Problem was though that 1/3 contained a somewhat strong outward current, large jagged boulders, and random sandbars, and the last 2/3 was unknown, and that's what Twilight hated. Twilight did trust that if she fails to pull them out of the book, that it would run it's course and they could leave without a single problem; but, she still felt uncertain about it all. They were about to go on a journey not knowing exactly what to expect.
"Twilight. Hey, Twilight." Rainbow called out as she landed right next to the alicorn, "Mind telling me why you just had us bring almost 100 pounds of probably the nastiest, and stinkiest, fruit in existence onto the ship?"
"Um, which one are you referring to Rainbow?"
"Like there's any other rank-smelling fruit on that list of yours." Rainbow replied with a glare, "Those stupid, ugly, yellow fruit. Kinda looks like a yellow porcupine about the size of our heads."
Twilight looked down at the ground as she thought about the description, her mouth silently moving as she repeated exactly what Rainbow had said, before she looked up again, "Wait..., do you mean the durian fruit?"
"How should I know. Is it?"
"Well, the description you're giving me seems to match it." Twilight replied looked away wondering if there was another fruit on board that had a similar description, "The durians we brought on board are by special request from Accordant. Seems he's coming along as well."
"Wait, really?!"
"Apparently." Twilight replied with a shrug, "I don't understand why he would want to, but I think he might be keeping an eye on us. Considering how important the Stone of Peace is, he might also be making sure we go through with the retrieval mission."
At that moment Fluttershy and Pinkie, who was helping Fluttershy, approached them.
"Are you feeling better Fluttershy?" Twilight asked in a concerned voice.
Fluttershy nodded, though it was clear she still wasn't completely relaxed.
"She's feeling better now, but she's still nervous about going on our super-important adventure." Pinkie stated
"I don't blame her. Assuming the memories of the characters you're all representing in this hasn't fully returned, similarly to mine, this is one adventure we're not all prepared for."
"Speaking of that Twilight, do you...you know...remember anything about this stupid rock we're going to be risking our tails for?" Rainbow asked.
"Mostly. There's still a few pieces of memory I don't quite recall. What I can remember though is that the artifact we're going after does hold a great deal of importance. Not just for Sapphire Port, but for several islands within quite a few miles of this location." Twilight explained, "According to the texts I was able to look at yesterday, the Stone of Peace is one of three stones located here at this port, the others being the Stone of Understanding and the Stone of Knowledge."
"Each of these stones are housed in one of the three towers," she then pointed out toward the towers, "And supposedly, represent three factors to exist in perfect harmony. It is due to this, that this island and those around it are protected from any negative forces, such as war."
"So that's how it is, huh?"
"I'm not entirely sure whether each actually contains some magical properties that helps enforce this protection, or if it's more of a psychological matter. I'd love to study it more, but we don't exactly have a lot of time to waste."
"I-If you don't mind me asking...how are we going to do this?" Fluttershy asked, "I mean, we're not soldiers, and we're not really pirates, how are we going to get the stone back?"
"In theory, we should be taking the places of the characters we're representing, so that should fix itself soon enough. For now though, I'm more concerned about removing us from this story."
"Aw!" Pinkie exclaimed in disappointment.
"I'm sorry Pinkie, but I really don't want to be running off on another adventure right now." Twilight apologized.
"I agree with Twilight," Rainbow rang in, "I have better things to do than being stuck on some boat."
Pinkie pouted before hanging her head down low, as Fluttershy patted the party pony's back.
"Maybe next time, okay Pinkie?" she asked, "We can do another adventure another time. Hopefully a much safer adventure." that last sentence she said to herself quietly.
"We probably still need to do at least a third of the story though. I didn't find a lot of time last night to practice. With half the guards watching me while I was at the library, I didn't find much time to see if I can cast the spell."
"You four, what are you talking about?" a guard demanded as he approached them, "You better not be planning a mutiny."
"If they don't want be food for the sharks, they better not be." they heard another voice ring out.
The five looked to see white unicorn mare with a deep-blue mane and tail approach them. She was wearing a blue captain's coat that was adorned with several metals and badges, and was well groomed. She also had two other guards with her, both wearing silver-colored armor.
"Captain Sparkling Seas," the guard greeted with a salute, "I wasn't aware you'd be arriving so early."
"With pirates on board my ship, I felt it would be appropriate to come early." she replied before fixing her gaze onto Pinkie, "I take it that you are Captain Pinkie Diana Pie?"
"Yep!" Pinkie nodded with a smile, and extended a hoof, "Nice to meet you."
Capt. Sparkling Seas accepted the hoofshake, but before Pinkie could let go, the unicorn mare pulled Pinkie closer to herself, "Now, so we don't have any problems while at sea, I want you to understand, that you are on MY ship. While you are on my ship, I am the captain here and you are to follow my orders. If I even sense your going to do anything to question my authority, I will personally throw you off this ship. Is that clear?" she stated in a very serious voice and with a venomous glare.
Pinkie gulped as she gave a nervous grin, "O-o-okie-dokie, I understand."
"Good...," and with that she let go, "And that goes the same for the rest of your crew." she added as she casted her gaze at Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rainbow before turning around and headed below deck to check to see if all the important supplies have been brought onboard, the three guards following closely behind.
"What's her problem?" Rainbow asked
"She probably doesn't like pirates much. We better make this clear with Azure, Rose, Bronze, and Silver as well. Make sure we don't give her a reason to throw us off this boat." Twilight replied.
"Twilight, I did want to ask you a quick question."
"Oh?"
"Why do some of the characters here look like ponies we know? I mean it's obvious Azure and Rose look like Colgate and Roseluck, and the grand council...they all look like-"
"I'm well aware of that Rainbow." Twilight interrupted, understanding the question, "I'm just guessing, so I might be wrong, but I think the story might be trying to help us feel comfortable, if that makes any sense."
"How does making a few characters look familiar supposed to make us feel comfortable?"
"It brings familiarity, a sense of still being 'home' if you will," Twilight replied, "By having certain individuals look like others that we know, it makes this feel less foreign and less nerve-wrecking."
"And the book is doing this?" Rainbow asked, somewhat amazed by the idea.
"It's more likely that it's an effect of the spell than the book, Rainbow."
After a couple more hours, the entire crew was already onboard and ready to set sail. The rest of the crew consisted of about 16 naval ponies, each one usually a guard and wearing only a light silver collar to mark their status, this was excluding the captain and her first officer. The first officer was a burly looking yellow stallion with a dark orange mane and tail coloration, and his name, Arrow Point.
The group were all ready to go, but they unfortunately were still stuck at port sitting around and picking the dirt out from under their hooves. They would've left a short while ago, but it seems Counselor Accordant's arrival had been delayed.
Eventually they saw two carriages arrive at the port before each of the navy crew members got off their lazy flanks and got into a formation they could properly welcome the high-ranking draconquus. Though there were confused as to why there were two carriages rather than one.
As both doors of the carriages opened, Accordant and Aurora came out of one and Crystal Wings the other. The three elites took a brief moment to quickly have a word with one another before Crystal Wings started walking toward the other end of the pier toward another waiting boat, and Accordant and Aurora began approaching the navy's boat.
The captain decided to meet them at the bottom of the ramp to properly greet them and welcome Accordant onto her ship. Along side, her first officer.
"It's an honor to have you traveling with us Grand Counselor." she greeted as she gave a slight bow
"It's my pleasure. I hope everything is prepared for our departure."
"Yes, sir. Everything you had asked for has been brought on board."
"Very good." he remarked and grinned.
"Are you coming along as well, your honor?" Sparkling Seas asked as she looked at Aurora.
"No, I will not be traveling with you. There's much that needs to be done here in the city, lest we run the risk of more disorder from the citizens," she respectfully replied, "Which is why I find it rather discomforting to know Counselor Accordant will be traveling along with you." she then turned her attention to him, "I do hope you know what you are doing."
"I'm quite certain that I do." he replied as he momentarily took his monocle off and began cleaning it off with his sleeve, "I do trust that Captain Sparkling Seas will be able to keep the ship orderly and will be able to successfully complete her duty, but one simply can't be too careful. I wish to come along to help keep a sense of order on board the ship, as well as make sure the crew truly makes progress on this journey of theirs." he explained as he placed his monocle back over his eye.
"I'm still uneasy on the matter, but I will push it aside. If you really are sure," Aurora remarked with a sigh before looking back at Sparkling Seas, "I bid thee and your crew safe travels Captain, I hope you return back to us safely."
Captain Sparkling Seas merely gave a firm nod and a salute as Aurora turned to return to the carriages. Accordant started up the ramp to board the ship, behind him was the captain and the first officer.
"If everything is in order, shall we set sail Captain?" Accordant stated as soon as he was onboard the ship.
The captain merely nodded to him, before turning to look at her first officer, "Mr. Arrow if you please."
"Of course Captain. All hooves to your stations!" he shouted out loudly.
Everypony quickly running about as they all prepared to leave port and go out to the open seas. Most of the pegasi crew members, including Rainbow, flew up to untie the sails, while a few unicorns and earth pony members got to work untying the ship from the dock and pulling the anchor up.
"Miss Twilight Sparkle, if you will, what is our heading?" the captain asked, as she and Arrow took their position near the helmspony.
"We're heading towards the Triangle Islands, which is...." she paused for a moment to look back at the maps and a compass for accuracy, "About 23 degrees northwest from here."
Sparkling Seas gave a quick nod then looked turning her attention to the helmspony, "You heard her, our heading is 23 degrees northwest."
The pony at the helm merely gave an acknowledging grunt as the ship started moving away from the port.
"You, Rainbow Dash, are the spotter for your crew. I want you up on that mainmast," she commanded loudly as she pointed up at the mainmast, where a platform that was probably the crow's nest was, "Until we hit deep water, I want you up there and keeping an eye out for other ships and outcrops."
Rainbow groaned, but saluted as she said, "Aye aye Captain." and quickly took her spot up at the platform.
Soon they were all out on the open ocean, and were well on their way toward the Triangle Islands, where hopefully they'd find the real criminals and clear their names. Once she was sure the ship was well on its way, the captain and her first officer went below deck to check on the rest of the crew. Captain Sparkling Seas was also interested in seeing the condition of the room she will be sleeping while at sea, which she was sharing with her first officer, Arrow Point, since she had to relinquish the captain's quarters to Accordant.
Twilight spent a moment to look over at the ocean, and back at Sapphire Port which was gradually decreasing in size as they sailed further and further away from the city, before turning her attention back to her maps and charts. Twilight wanted to be absolutely certain they were headed in the right direction. Despite knowing that if they were to fail this quest, she and the others wouldn't really die per say, the idea of being beheaded still felt gravely concerning. Besides, making sure you were right on the dot about something never hurt.
There were a couple of obstacles along the way, but Twilight had naturally already done the proper calculations to estimate how each would affect their travel. With some luck, the trip should only take a couple of days.
Just as Twilight was about to begin recalculating her calculations for the third time that morning, a sudden loud thud was heard as Rainbow groggily, and very roughly, landed behind her.
"Rainbow...?" Twilight asked in a curious tone as she turned to look at the pegasus, whose looking a bit dazed for some reason.
Rainbow didn't reply, but quickly staggered herself onto her hooves and shakily galloped over to the railing before emptying her stomach over the side.
Twilight winced as Rainbow emptied her stomach of what she had eaten that morning before walking over to her.
Rainbow groaned loudly, as Twilight began patting her back. Rainbow did feel inclined to push Twilight's hoof away, or at least voice her discontent about the action, but couldn't before feeling more of her breakfast rush up her throat.
"Miss Twilight, I wish to have a-" they heard Accordant state as the draconquus walked up to where they were before pausing, "My word, what's the matter with her?"
"Um, I think she might be a little bit seasick." Twilight replied in a concerned voice, "She was up near the crow's nest since we left, and the rocking can be far more pronounced up there."
"A pirate...suffering from seasickness?!" he exclaimed in amusement, before he started laughing, "Now I truly have heard it all."
Rainbow groaned at the indignity of it all as she dry heaved once, still feeling much like something the cat dragged in.
Accordant gave one last chuckle before saying, "Well, I do hope she feels better soon. When you can, I would like to have a word with you, Twilight, in regards to our intended path. Must ensure that you do intend to return the Stone of Peace and all that." before turning around and returning to the captain's cabin.
Rainbow's bout of seasickness eventually passed, though she still felt pretty bad, and just as quickly retreated down below deck for the time being. Twilight did still have some concerns, but put it aside for now as she grabbed one of the maps she had in her magic and started toward the captain's cabin to talk to Accordant.
The rest of the day until nightfall was rather uneventful, during that time they had settled who was staying in which room. Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy had all chosen to stick together in one of the rooms, while the rest of their crew, Azure, Rose, Bronze, and Silver, were in another on the other side of the ship. The individual rooms weren't really all that different, just a simple space with a door for the sake of privacy, window, and four hammocks to sleep in.
It's now after dinner, and while the food was less than satisfactory, it was at least filling. Twilight was currently back at her station behind the helmspony, who still hasn't said a single word to her despite Twilight having tried a couple of times to introduce herself to the pony, and was using a handheld telescope to look at the stars in the sky. She had tried casting the spell again a few times when nopony was looking, but to no avail.
"Okay, so the Star of Gaia is over there. That's....about 20 degree's over the horizon. So the charts are fairly accurate, though it could use some improvement." she remarked.
"You're looking at the stars again Twilight?" she heard Rainbow remark.
Twilight tore her gaze from the telescope to see Rainbow approaching her, "Of course, you know me. Besides, it's a beautiful night to do some stargazing."
Rainbow scoffed before saying, "If you say so." and rolled her eyes, "Also, how are you doing with that spell?" she quickly whispered to her.
"No good, I can't seem to cast it right now. I'm not sure if it's this character, or if there's some other underlying reason." Twilight whispered back.
"Great...So, hope you don't mind me keeping you company. Pinkie's doing the dishes down below -Boooring, Fluttershy already went to bed, and I'd talk to the others, but they seem either busy, or they don't want to talk to me."
"No, not at all. It's nice to have somepony other than the pony behind the helm here." and gestured towards the helmspony, "She's good company, but she doesn't seem to want to talk to me. Every time I've tried to introduce myself she makes some kind of grunt in response."
"Eh, she's probably not the talk-y type anyway." Rainbow scoffed
"I suppose." Twilight sighed, "By the way, I think you owe me 20 bits, or it's equivalent in gold pieces, Rainbow."
"What?!" Rainbow jaw dropped
"I found this in the market after I left the library yesterday." Twilight explained as she looked at the telescope she had been using, "I'm pretty sure it belongs you." and levitated it over to Rainbow.
"Come on Twilight, what makes you think that's mine?" and tried pushing it away.
"Well..., outside the engraved initials on it of 'RD', I did notice that the impression of what looks like your cutie mark is also engraved onto it."
"Are you serious?!" and quickly grabbed the telescope, and turned it till she found the exact engraving that Twilight was talking about, "Whoa...this really is mine. Or...at least the character I am's, right?"
"Mm-hm." Twilight nodded, "And as such, it's technically yours."
Rainbow remained silent as she looked down at the telescope now in her fore-hooves, her expression one of confusion and clear internal conflict about the object she was holding.
Twilight clearly noticed it, "Is something wrong Rainbow?"
"What...? Oh, it's just...It's not really me to be caught with something like this. I mean, seriously, this is like one of your egghead things."
"Isn't that what you used to call my books?" Twilight asked with an amused tone and expression.
"Hey! It was just 'Daring Do' that isn't egghead-y, the others are still pretty boring." Rainbow stated, as Twilight rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you don't want the telescope, can I have it? I know I'll make good use of its capabilities."
"No way."
"Wha-huh?! But, I thought-"
"It's still mine, and that makes it cool. I just feel really weird about it." Rainbow remarked before pointing the instrument up at the sky and looked through it.
Twilight smirked in response, "You should look at those stars right there." she then pointed a line of three stars, before Rainbow started looking in that direction, "It's a fairly identifiable constellation, it's-"
"Orion." Rainbow interrupted, "That's Orion's Belt isn't it?"
"Uh, um...Yes, that's Orion's Belt....If you look a little bit in this direction, you'll be able to see another-"
"Canis Major." she interrupted again, "And the one north of that in the sky is Gemini." Rainbow then looked at Twilight.
Rainbow was slightly taken back by Twilight's expression, which was one of complete and utter shock.
"What?"
"H-how did...?! But I thought..."
"Hey, I know I'm not exactly smart like you Twilight, but I'm not that dumb!" Rainbow stated with a glare.
"I wasn't going to say that. It's just...It's just you're the last one I expected to know anything about the stars. Ever since I became your friend, you never quite showed much interest in something like this, knowing the names of constellations." Twilight explained, "If anything, I always figured you didn't care for astronomy."
"Okay, I guess you got me there." Rainbow stated as she gave a nervous grin, "It's really more of a pegasus thing. You see, since pegasus ponies are in charge of retrieving the birds during Winter Wrap Up, we need to know where we're fly, especially at night, and the stars is one way to get our bearings."
"But I thought none of the pegasi from the Weather Team ever needed to fly during the dark to get any of the migratory birds."
"Ponyville's doesn't, but some other areas do. Some areas, the birds like to REALLY fly south for the winter, and requires a flight nearly 24-hours to and from to get them back."
"Wow, that's good to know. So what other constellations do you know?"
"Just the important ones really. Like you said, I don't care much for these kinds of stuff, so I just remember the big ones that'll help me find which way I'm flying at night."
"Well, do you know what that star is? And what makes it so special?" Twilight asked as she pointed to a particularly bright star south of them.
"Hey, I don't want to be lectured about stars."
"I promise, I'm not going to lecture you about them. Unless you ask of course, I'd be more than happy to if you asked. I just want to see if you know what's so special about it."
Rainbow sighed before using the telescope to look where Twilight was pointing, "Do you mean the Southern Star?" to which Twilight simply nodded, "Isn't that just so you know which way is south?"
"Navigationally speaking, yes, but there is more to it. The star is also known as the Star of Gaia."
"Flashy name, but what's so cool about that?"
"Well, were you aware that the supposed name for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's mother happens to be Gaia?"
Rainbow's eyes shot open to the size of saucers at that answer, "Are you serious?!"
Twilight didn't respond, but looked toward the star in question, "According to some unicorn texts, the South Star was one of the first stars that shined in the night sky when Princess Luna took up responsibility for the night. Supposedly it was in dedication to their mom, at least that's what I remember from those old texts."
"..."
"So..., is that 'cool' enough in your opinion?"
"Are you kidding, it's suppose to be in dedication to their mom, Twilight. Of course that's cool! It's beyond cool!"
Twilight giggled in response, "I thought you might say that."
"Is there any other cool stuff about the stars you could tell me?" Rainbow asked excitedly
"I thought you didn't like astronomy." she remarked amusingly
"Only the boring stuff, cool stuff I don't mind hearing."
"Supposedly all the stars and constellations have some story behind them. Maybe not as impressive as saying it was dedicated to somepony's mother, but each are quite unique."
"If I stayed around, could you tell me?"
"I'd be more than glad to Rainbow."
"Just tell me the cool stuff, I don't want to know the boring details."
"Well, why don't we start with Gemini? Would you like me to tell you?" to which Rainbow nodded
For the next couple of hours, Twilight tried to briefly explain what she knew about Luna's stars. Most of it were relatively boring, and Rainbow certainly let Twilight know when it did, but Rainbow did listen with interest. It just never occurred to her that the stars had something more to them than just letting her know which way was north or south.
Eventually, both friends started to feel drowsy so Twilight decided to end their night time lessons on the constellations at that point, and head down to bunk for the night.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. "Remind me again, why is HE here?" Rainbow asked in a hushed tone to Twilight, as she pointed a hoof toward Discord, who was currently laying down on the ceiling of the library's main room reading a book.
"Princess Celestia suggested Discord get into reading as a way for him to relieve any chaotic tendencies he may have." Twilight whispered back, looking away from what she was working on the briefest of moments
"How does books keep him from causing chaos?"
"The same reason why ponies like you read Daring Do. It allows you a window, granted a small one, to forgo reality and, in a way, 'live' the adventure."
"I can hear you two you know." Discord rang in, not tearing his eyes off the book that he was reading, "I may be over a thousand years old like your precious princesses, Tia and Lulu, but that doesn't mean I'm deaf." he added with a slight smirk.
"Hey! No butting into our conversation. Didn't Fluttershy drill it into your skull that that's rude?" Rainbow shouted.
"Quite the contrary Rainbow Dash. When you talk about someone behind their backs and expect them to not know, then you're the rude one." Discord remarked as he laid back to a more comfortable looking position the roof and pushed the book he was reading aside for the time being, and shot the pegasus a toothy smirk.
Rainbow replied with an angry snort and went back to reading her book.
Twilight remained silent for a moment before looking back up at Discord, "Are you done with that book? Because if you are, I'd certainly appreciate it if you'd get off my ceiling."
"Oh please, Twilight Sparkle. Is that how you treat the ponies that visit the library? If so, I can see why it's so empty most of the time."
"No, of course not, but I would've preferred that you weren't up there. The wood up there easily can capture bits of your fur. It's going to be more than just a chore to make sure it's perfectly clean up there." Twilight replied, "Besides, why do you think I set aside those pillows over there?" she pointed to pillows in the corner of the main room. "They were suppose to be for you to use."
"That's the boring way of doing things. Besides, why bother with dusty old pillows like that when the ceiling can be just as comfy?" He claimed as he placed his hands behind his head. "You really should give it a try one of these days."
"Uh, no thanks, I think I'll stay on the ground." Twilight dully stated just as there was a knock at the door, followed by both Pinkie and Fluttershy walking in.
"Hiya!" Pinkie greeted.
"Hey Shy, Hey Pinkie." Rainbow greeted from behind her book.
"Do you girls need anything?" Twilight asked.
"Oh,um..., not really....I was just following Pinkie actually." Fluttershy stated
Pinkie remained silent for a brief moment, until she heard Fluttershy mentioned her name, "Huh...? Oh, yeah! I wanted to invite you and Dashie to my next party." she announced.
"Oh, right, it has been a while since your last party Pinkie Pie. Let's see... when was the last party you threw?" Twilight asked, faking a curious tone.
"What time is it?" Pinkie asked as she brought a hoof to her face and started tapping her chin.
"It's....about 4:15 in the afternoon." Twilight replied while glancing at a clock.
"My last party was exactly one week, four days, three hours, and 27 minutes ago." Pinkie replied, "Far too long."
"I'd wager." Rainbow voiced in with a chuckle.
"My party is on Friday." Pinkie happily declared. "Ooh, and don't forget, you promised to have Spike bring his super-ultra scruptious Triple-decker, vanilla-nut, chocolate chip cookies."
"Of course. Don't worry Pinkie Pie, I already have it written on my to-do list: Remember to have Spike make his special Triple-decker, v-"
"Am I invited?" Discord voiced in.
They all looked up at him, Discord still laying comfortably against the ceiling, though he was now only half his usual size. Seems he decided to shrink himself to further 'hide' and simply eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Ooh, I didn't know you were here." Pinkie stated as she looked up, "Of course you are, but you better bring something to the party."
"I thought you were just going to check-out a book." Fluttershy softly rang in.
"I was, but then I realized I don't have a library card." He explained as he shrugged.
"Didn't Twilight give you one?"
"He never bothered to ask for one." Twilight replied in her defense.
"Not like it makes any difference anyway, this book gets read by me either way." Discord stated, as he picked the book back up and pressed on with his reading.
"What are you reading anyway?" Rainbow asked as she looked up at the draconquus.
"Not sure really, I didn't bother to read the title." he dull replied and with a shrug.
"You didn't read the title...?" Twilight asked with a raised brow.
"I'm just here to read a book, and that's exactly what I'm doing, reading a book. Besides, reading the title of a story...?" he asked with a smirk, "That's far too predictable, and I don't do predictable."
"So what are you reading?"
"If you must know, it's just some pirate story. I'll admit, I think the antagonist in this is a mare after my own heart." He replied as he brought his clawed hand to his chest, an almost dreamy look on his face, "Steal one measly, boring artifact that turns out to be very important, and she manages to cause more chaos and disharmony than I can with a snap of my claw.” He chuckled at the thought.
"Well, I'm glad you like it. I think..." Twilight remarked before scratching her head.
"What are you working on Twilight?" Pinkie asked as she immediately invaded Twilight's personal space as she placed her head right next to Twilight's in an attempt to see what Twilight was working on.
"Well..." she started as she politely gestured with her hoof for Pinkie to cease invading her personal space, "I was studying the latent magic within the comic book we got sucked into some time ago."
"Oh yeah, that was fun!" Pinkie exclaimed followed by a giggle.
"Anyway, it's a form of magic that I've never heard of, so naturally it would be a subject that peaks my interest." Twilight continued to explain, "The book I'm reading right now makes references to a kind of spell that is somewhat similar, but not completely."
"Hm?"
"Aside from a little history on enchanted items, it mentions a kind of spell created by Star-Swirled the Bearded that allows the caster to view the actual strength and base frequency of certain spells, including enchantments. Well, really disenchanting is actually very tricky, so really it would just make it more dormant than it was last time, but I digress. Seems to be primarily used for dispelling, but it can be used to also replicate certain spells as well, as long as the caster herself has the proper amount of energy and experience to cast it." she continued, "I wonder why I've never heard of it before?"
"Why don't you ask your dear brother, Prince Shining Armor." Discord voiced in, "I know of that spell you're talking about. A fun spell, but it's only taught to Lulu's special night-guard."
"..."
"Oh please, since I can't cause chaos anymore, being reformed and all, I have lots of boring time to myself. You'd be surprised what you learn when you're trying to take a nap in the Canterlot Armory."
"Well, I'd like to learn it. I just want to understand the enchantment that was on the comic book. Since I can't seem to locate the exact one we were sucked into anymore for some reason, I managed to find a shop that was willing to sell me a comic that had an enchantment." Twilight explained as she pulled out the comic book in question with her magic, "This one cost me quite a few bits, so if this one disappears, I'm going to have a word with the shopkeeper who sold this to me. Anyway, maybe I can learn to increase it's dormancy so we don't get sucked into it like the last one."
"Aw! But that was so much fun!" Pinkie exclaimed
"Don't worry, I really see no harm in doing another adventure like that one. I just want a few days of normal life here in Ponyville." Twilight explained with a smile, "If the others feel like doing so though, I suppose I could try reversing the spell on this one, and we could give it a try."
"What kind of comic?" Rainbow curiously asked
"I'm not sure actually." Twilight replied as she flipped through a few pages, "Something similar to Daring Do I think."
"Oh...? Can I read it?"
"Later, after I've casted the spell to increase the dormancy of the enchantment on it."
"Sounds boring." Discord rang in before giving a yawn, "Speaking of 'normal' though, I really must be going. I must get back to work."
This caught their attention, as Rainbow, Pinkie, and Twilight looked toward him. Fluttershy seemed to be the only exception.
"Work...?" Twilight asked, checking to see if her ears weren't deceiving her.
"You have a job?" Rainbow followed suit with her own question.
"Of course. I'm sure Fluttershy can fill you all in, I'm already on the clock. Ciao." With a snap of his fingers, Discord immediately vanished. The book he read fell promptly to the floor, earning an annoyed groan from Twilight. She levitated the book towards her and checked for any potential damages.
"So, what was Discord going on about, Shy?" Rainbow asked
"Oh, um..., I think he means the special request I asked him to do for me." She timidly replied and averted her eyes from the others, "I asked him if he could help me catalog some of the fauna in the Everfree Forest. As Ponyville's animal expert, I thought knowing more about the animals there would be good, and that...maybe...Discord could do it without getting hurt. He isn't gonna get hurt, right...?" She added just before looking at Twilight, her expression showing great concern that she may have just sent him into a dangerous situation.
"I'm sure Discord will be fine Fluttershy. We've all experienced what Discord can do, and how he can easily affect the mental state of individuals. Just because he's reformed now, doesn't mean he doesn't have those powers anymore. What's the worse that could happen?" Twilight asked as she set the book Discord was reading onto the center table, next to a pile of books that she was reading.
"Well, an angry manticore might get him." Rainbow voiced out.
"Rainbow!" Twilight glared at her friend.
"Or maybe that hydra we saw a while ago." Pinkie voiced in, "It tried to eat us, didn't it?"
"Naw, he might just fall in some poison joke and end up having magical issues like Twilight did."
Pinkie was about to say another thing when she suddenly felt something wrap around her muzzle and keep it shut, and apparently Rainbow had the same.
"You two are not helping." Twilight firmly stated, before looking back at Fluttershy, who was now shaking violently out of fright that she had made a horrible mistake. "I'm sure he'll be fine Fluttershy. If it makes you feel better, Princess Celestia had actually informed that Discord had picked up a new habit to entertain himself as of late."
"..."
"Discord apparently has been practicing a variant of teleportation called 'Flash Teleportation'."
"Flash teleportation...?"
Twilight nodded, "It's a kind of teleportation that allows the caster to teleport in rapid succession. Essentially they would teleport to a location, then in about a second or less, already have enough energy to teleport to another location, and they can do this for as long as their magical reserves can allow. There is a trade off though, the caster would only be able to teleport in relatively short distances. At the most, the maximum distance a trained individual would be able to teleport, is about a fraction of the Grand Ballroom's width."
"Discord can do that?"
"That's what I've heard from Princess Celestia." Twilight replied as she began charging a spell, "Apparently he been using it after he angers Princess Luna in some way, to dodge most of her attacks."
"Oh...my.... Maybe I should talk to Discord about that. It can't be good for Discord and Princess Luna to always be fighting like that." Fluttershy stated outloud to no one in particular.
"Don't waste your time Fluttershy." Rainbow stated as she put her book aside, "If Discord wants to pick fights with Princess Luna, let him. It's not our problem if he decides to pick a fight with either of the Princesses."
"But..." Fluttershy was saying before she trailed off.
"Rainbow is right.... kind of. It's really none of our business. The only real exception is if their arguments got out of hoof." Twilight explained, "Now, can you all remain silent? I need silence if I'm going to cast this spell correctly."
All three simply did as they were told and remained silent, as Twilight's horn started to glow and give a low hum and she shut her eyes and started casting the spell. After few moments, Twilight started lessening the amount of magic she was outputting, the glow and hum started to lessen until it was completely gone and Twilight opened eyes again.
"Di-did it work?" Fluttershy asked after a brief moment of silence.
Twilight didn't answer, at least not yet, as she carefully flipped through the pages of the comic book with a hoof. Every couple of pages, Twilight could feel some miniscule amount of magic jump from the page and onto her hoof. "I... can't tell. I can still feel a residual amount of magical energy coming from the comic, but it's certainly a smaller amount compared to earlier. Hm..., maybe I didn't do it right." Twilight went back to the spell book she was reading to see if she had missed anything.
"Well, it isn't the first time that's happened. You casted a spell that didn't work the first time before." Pinkie stated cheerfully, "Maybe next time it'll work."
"You're probably right. It's probably just a small miscalculation on my part." Twilight agreed just before her stomach growled
Pinkie giggled, "Sounds like somepony didn't eat today."
"I did eat today." Twilight stated defensively, "I just missed lunch is all."
"I dunno if an apple and a couple of honey-crackers count Twi." Rainbow stated amusingly.
"Well that's a boring meal." Pinkie declared in a somewhat sympathizing tone, "Ooo, I know, we just made a fresh batch of lemon meringue pie at Sugar Cube Corner. How about I serve my friends up a mid-afternoon treat. My treat!"
"Well, that does sound quite good." Twilight remarked, the idea of food making her hungrier.
Fluttershy showed her approval by nodding.
"Count me in. Food is always good after reading." Rainbow stated as she put her book aside for now.
"Woo-hoo!" Pinkie cheered, "Hey, we should get Rarity and Applejack to come too."
"We'll have to check with them first, see if they can afford the time to just hang out with us." Twilight stated as they headed for the door.
Before another word could be said, all four heard a squishing sound as Pinkie put her hoof on the doorknob.
Pinkie looked at her hoof. "Huh...?"
"What's the hold up Pinkie?" Rainbow asked impatiently. "Open the door and let's get going already."
"I think somepony just painted your doorknob Twilight." Pinkie stated as she raised a hoof with yellow paint smeared on it to show them.
"What are you talking about?" Twilight asked as used her magic to get a grasp on the doorknob. As she attempted to open the door, the knob pulled right off with only a thin rope of it keeping it attached to the door. "What the...?"
A low but sudden groan echoed above them.
"That d-doesn't sound good." Fluttershy nervously stated as her eyes started to dart about the room and the yellow pegasus started backing away toward the center of the room.
They remained silent as the building groaned a couple more times, until a chunk of the ceiling came falling down, ominously splattering upon contact. Fluttershy freaked out and hid behind Twilight as the group stared at the jello-y mass that was colored like the ceiling.
As if on cue, three books suddenly flew off their positions from the shelves, one almost hitting Rainbow Dash in the head, another almost striking Pinkie on her ribs. A gush of multi-colored goop started to flow out of the gaps that the books had left in vast quantities. Luckily most of it seemed to be draining into the basement of the building.
"Augh! What is this stuff?!" Rainbow asked loudly as she took the air, her hooves painted a shade of black and yellow.
"It smells like paint." Pinkie remarked as she brought one of hooves, which was also covered in the stuff, up to her snout to pinch her nose. The paint that she now got on her face seemingly not bothering her in the least bit.
"Paint...?!"
"This isn't good." Twilight stated as she tried using some magic to shield the books in the library from the paint, "We better get out of here. We can figure out what's going on once we're somewhere safe." She added once she noticed that the level of the paint was now gradually rising in the room.
The others promptly nodded in agreement and started toward the door, which Twilight was already trying to open it with her magic. Twilight wrapped her magic completely around the door and started trying to pull it open only to find her efforts in vain as the door refused to open. The door bent and bulged as Twilight pulled at it as if it were fused to the wall.
"Come on Twilight, quit joking around." Rainbow stated, a slight tone of growing concern in her voice, as more pieces of the ceiling came crashing down, each looking more like paint globules than the last.
"I'm not joking around. The door is stuck!" she exclaimed, now trying with enough force to practically tear the door off it's hinges.
"The windows won't open either." Fluttershy stated in a panicky voice, as she tried escaping through that route.
"Then move! I'll bust us through." Rainbow commanded as she flew over to the farthest point in the room from the door and prepared herself for impact.
Before anypony could possibly say a word to convince Rainbow otherwise, the cyan pegasus sped up as fast as she could, and twisted her body just before contact to effectively kick the door. As soon as she made contact though, the door merely started to contort at the contact point till Rainbow came to a stop and the door pushed back, shooting Rainbow back into the room and into the center table. Rainbow crashing into the center table caused all the books that were once on it to fall into the paint goop, one being the book Discord had been reading, and which unbeknownst them had been giving off a dull glow.
"Oh my...! Are you okay Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked
Rainbow gave a loud groan before shakily replying, "Yeah...."
They heard something else give as a loud bang could be heard, as more of the roof gave way and paint flooding out of the cracks. As if to add to the urgency of the matter, paint also started to flow from the upper floor in vast quantities.
"This just doesn't make any sense! Where is all this coming from?" Twilight asked outloud to no one in particular as the level was now up to her stomach and chest
"Forget making sense. I just want to know what the hay is going on!" Rainbow yelled.
Just as the level reached their necks, Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy started to back up toward the middle of the room, and away from the sources of the paint entering. At that moment, Twilight instinctively casted a spell that created a bubble around them, sealing all four of them into an area with some of the paint, but at least one where it wouldn't rise any further. Within a matter of seconds, the only source of light was now the boundaries of the magical bubble, as the paint outside of the bubble's boundaries continued rising till the whole library's main room was completely filled.
After a moment to catch her breath from almost drowning in paint, Rainbow shot Twilight a pissed off look. “You couldn't have done this earlier?"
"Well, I didn't expect we needed it." Twilight replied defensively.
"Tssk! Didn't need it...We almost drowned in this gunk!"
"Um..., can we stop arguing please...?" Fluttershy begged.
"Flutters is right." Pinkie declared in a serious tone, "Stop acting like grumpy-grumpersons."
"Right, I'm sorry." Twilight sighed, "Hm..., well, we're still in the library. I can still feel the library floor below me." she added as she stomped her hoof a few times against the wooden surface below her, "This is still interesting. Where did all of this come from?"
"Betcha it's Discord." Rainbow quickly accused, "This is probably just one of his lame-o pranks again. Bet he's hanging out on the balcony laughing his tail off right now."
"I dunno...I mean, maybe it isn't him." Fluttershy timidly said as her ears flattened against her head.
"As much as I'd like to blame Discord too, I think Fluttershy might be right on this one." Twilight remarked as she brought a hoof to her chin, "This is chaotic, yes; but, this is complete destruction of property, something I doubt is Discord's usual style of mischief. He only causes partial damage from past experiences, something like this is much farther than I believe he would do."
"Well, who else would it be?" Rainbow asked as a small cracking sound started to be heard, making all four ponies look toward the top of the bubble as it started to crack.
"Uh-oh." Twilight stated with wide-eyes
"Uh-oh?" Rainbow repeated, "'Uh-oh' what?!"
"The magical shield is starting to crack." she replied as her horn started to glow brighter to increase the magic and fix the crack, which didn't seem to be working, "and I can't fix it! Something outside is either weakening my magic, or there some amount of pressure that's now acting on the shield."
"So, what does that mean?" Rainbow asked as she and the others gave very nervous expressions, already guessing what that could've possibly meant.
"Hold your breath!" Twilight yelled before the shield shattered, casting the four into absolute darkness.
As they felt the paint fully cover them, they started blindly looking for a place to escape or someplace a bit of air could've gotten trapped before they were forced to inhale the paint. Soon though, the feeling of the fluid seemed to ease as it became a lot less viscous, and quite cold.
Against her better judgement, Twilight opened an eye and found herself under water. Looking in all directions she eventually found which way was up, as she noticed what she could only guess was the light of sun shining down from the surface, and three distinguishable dots, that based on the color of yellow, pink, and rainbow, was the others and started swimming up towards that.
Upon reaching the surface, Twilight quickly felt a hoof grab her's and pull her closer. It was Rainbow. Rainbow had grabbed hold of Twilight and helped the alicorn onto a bit of wooden debris that all of them were now hanging onto. Where they were right now seemed to be in the ocean, not very far from land though as the sight of a large city could clearly be seen. If anything they could probably swim, or fly, to the location.
"You okay there Twi?" Rainbow asked
"Y-yeah...I think so. Thanks for the help."
"Don't mention it."
"So, where are we now?" Twilight asked before noting that Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy seemed to be wearing something, "For that matter, what are we wearing?" She asked as she looked down at herself, noting that she also now wearing some form of clothing.
Twilight seemed to be donning a white shirt with a tight black vest, of which both cut-off just above her flank. Rainbow was wearing black vest as well, though it was fairly loose compared to the one Twilight was wearing, and she was also wearing a red bandana. Fluttershy was wearing a green bandana with a decorative white butterfly insignia just in front of her right ear and, while currently unseeable to the others, also a belt and cutlass. Pinkie was the most clothed out of the four as she wore dark-pink frock coat, boots, and had a tricorn hat upon her head. The hat itself was the same color as the coat and had a balloon with cross-bones on it.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Rainbow replied.
"Ooo, we look like pirates." Pinkie said as she adjusted her hat and gave a devious smile.
"We'll wonder about that later. For now let's worry about reaching that city over there." Twilight stated, "Rainbow and I can probably carry Pinkie over there. I can only imagine that the coat she's wearing must be quite heavy since it's wet."
"It's not that bad actually." Pinkie rang in with a grin.
"Besides, there's a problem you're forgetting about Twilight. We can't fly very well with wet wings. We'd need to dry off our feathers before we could fly." Rainbow stated as a matter-of-factly. "We probably won't need to worry about that anyway. Look, a boat's heading our way." she added before pointing at a large boat quickly approaching them.
As the boat neared them, it started to slow down so as not to hit them, but also so those on board can look down at them. They were only able to make out what looked to be golden armor, Princess Celestia's guard maybe, before they felt a magical aura pick them up and bring them onto the deck.
"Thank you sirs." Twilight thanked them, "We are very much-" she was saying before she felt one of them force her down onto her stomach, along side the others, and all the guards pointed a spear at their heads.
"Silence! How dare you speak a word to us!" one of the armor-cladded ponies shouted, "After what you've done, you should be glad that you need to stand trial for you crimes! Although leaving you out here to drown would've been far more befitting of thieves such as yourselves."
"What?! But we haven't-"
"We didn't do anything!" Rainbow shouted, interrupting Twilight, as she started to struggle against the pony who was holding her down.
"Save your breath for the grand council. It may be your last."
At this point Pinkie remained stunned, not quite sure if saying anything would at least lighten the mood. Fluttershy nervously remained quiet, of which Twilight followed suit. Rainbow was going to argue further, but remained quiet as she noticed that three blimp-boats had flown over, each one donning three cannons each and every single one pointed at them.
Once it became clear that they were going to be compliant, the guards that were holding them down let them stand back up again before placing an anti-magic ring on Twilight's horn to keep her from casting anything, and tightly tied Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy's wings to their sides with rope. Once the leading guard was satisfied that they couldn't in anyway retaliate he signaled for one of the guards to tell the ship's captain to head back to the city, and for two of the guards to lead the others down below deck.
The trip back to the city that Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie had seen earlier didn't take very long. During the trip they could only guess at what the charges against them were. While she may have been cooperative earlier and kept her mouth shut, once below deck Rainbow was more than happy to voice her protests. One of the guards had actually whacked her once in the head with his spear to simply shut the pegasus up.
Once properly docked, they were given over to three new unicorn guards. One of the guards used magic to summon something that clamped onto their ankles and kept them chained together so they wouldn't run off while they walked through town. The walk through town probably should've been quite embarrassing to say the least, chained together, being lead by city guard through the busy streets, and every pony they came across stopped to watch; but, it seemed to be the last thing on their minds as they were taken back by the architecture of the city. When they were still at sea, holding onto that bit of debris earlier, they could only tell it was a large coastal city, but now actually being there, it was breath-taking. The lower areas, the area closest to the piers, were mostly made of wood, while the closer to the heart of the city, structures made of neatly carved stone and marble started to become more frequent including beautiful statues and fountains. What really caught their attention though in the center-most area of the city, was the presence of three tall towers that stretched out toward the sky. The center most was taller than the other two, but all three seemed to have gold plating at their very tops.
Eventually they arrived at a stone building that had four guards stationed at the front, and were lead down one level before the restraints on their ankles and wings were removed and all four were promptly thrown into a jail cell.
"Your trial is tomorrow, so you better get comfy. This might be the last time you scum get a place so nice to sleep." one of the unicorn guards stated before slamming the cell doors shut.
"What a big fat meanie grumpy-pants." Pinkie stated in a pissed off tone as she rubbed her flank, since she had landed hard on her rump when she was thrown in.
Fluttershy seemed to agree with that sentiment as she silently rubbed one of her wings.
Rainbow snorted before giving the jail cell door a swift kick to see how secure it was, and show her discontent of what had just happened to them, "What the hay is going on here?! First we almost drown in paint, then almost drown in water, get pony-handled like trash, then thrown into the dungeon?!"
"Relax Rainbow, we're just as confused as you are." Twilight tried to calm the pegasus down.
"I'll relax as soon as we finally get some answers!" Rainbow stated firmly then gave the door another hard kick.
At that moment, another set of three guards came in escorting two familiar ponies and two diamond dogs. One of the ponies was a light blue unicorn mare with periwinkle and blue mane and tail, the other was pale yellow earth pony mare with raspberry mane and tail with a light raspberry streak. The two diamond dogs were both quite tall, and one was colored a light brown color and the other a very light grey color.
"Oh dear..., is that...?" Fluttershy started in a surprised tone
"Roseluck...? Dr. Colgate...?" Twilight tried addressing them as she approached the front of the cage to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.
Both diamond dogs were both wearing just a vest and belt each. Rose seemed to be wearing the same as Fluttershy, a bandana and belt, her cutlass having been taken from her. The bandana she was wearing was a deep red color and, similar to Fluttershy, a white silhouette of her cutie mark embroidered onto it. Colgate seemed to be wearing a nice coat, one that made her look like she possibly came from a fairly rich background.
Before they could reply, the guard ponies did the same to them as they had with Twilight and the others, unbound them before promptly tossing them into a jail cell.
"Captain Pinkie, Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy." Colgate stated, though the bit of accent in her speech seemed to suggest otherwise, "Thank the stars you four are alive."
"Huh...? 'Captain'...?" Rainbow asked as all three of them looked at Pinkie, who looked just as puzzled as they are.
"Dr. Colgate, are you-?" Twilight started before being cut off.
"Colgate? That's not my name." she said as she looked at her curiously, "The name I was given by my parents is Azure Coral. Though I am a mare of medicine."
"Do you still recall my name...? It's Golden Rose." the one that looked like Roseluck stated, then paused for a moment to see if their faces indicated anything, "Did you four get wounded during the battle?"
"..."
"What about us?" the light grey diamond dog asked, "Do you remember-?"
"Well, duh! Of course I'd remember my boys." Pinkie stated almost on instinct as she crossed her hooves, "Bronze and Silver." she added, before giving a shocked look as her eyes went wide at how she could've possibly known that.
Twilight cleared her throat for a moment, "Perhaps that, er...the battle left us a little worst for wear mentally. I can vaguely recall certain details myself. Perhaps you can help us fill in the details."
Azure, Golden, Bronze, and Silver looked at each other in confusion, wondering how they could possibly forget, but shrugged it off and helped fill them in what had happened to them in the last 24 hours, which was more than a shocker to Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy to say the least.
According to the light-blue unicorn, as well as Silver, the debris they had been on was one of several pieces that use to be their ship. Apparently they were a pirate crew that was fairly known throughout the Equestrian Seas and were lead by Captain Pinkie Diana Pie, a particular pony captain known for her spontaneity and unpredictability.
Though they were a relatively small crew, they had strength through their skills alone which was why they were fairly recognized. Fluttershy was Pinkie's second in command, occasionally also doubled as the ship's cook as well, and she apparently had a fairly strong reputation that seemed to be almost just as confusing as Pinkie. Rainbow was the spotter and the scouting pony, a matter that seemed to only be supported by her agile flying. Twilight was the ship's navigator, as well as the organizer in the group. Her advanced knowledge of the stars, maps, and trained calculations helped give the crew an edge in all they did, which is why it's somewhat debated whether she was the third-in-command or not.
Azure was the ship's doctor, and while not much of a fighter, she gained some infamy for her knowledge in medicine. Rose was another fighter on board, and was supposedly the best out of the eight. Her tried-and-true fighting techniques granting her a strong edge against even against multiple enemies. Bronze and Silver were the ship's muscle, as well as twin brothers, and while they possessed little skill with a sword, they were an effective duo when it came to brute strength.
While they were an incredibly effective crew, especially for a small one, the particular reason as to why they haven't been added to the "Most Wanted" list in every coastal city was due to a unique approach that Pinkie and Fluttershy seemed to have adopted. Despite their pillaging and ransacking, they were known to aiding ponies who had lost their ships out at sea, even if they were the ones they were just fighting. While they were still tied up and bound, they were usually well taken care of till they could be left at a nearby port; and, were known to even help official navy ships whenever they had a common enemy, which is why many government officials were willing to turn a blind eye to their activities.
Anyway, apparently they had decided to port for the night at the city they were currently being held at the night before, which was known as Sapphire Port, a large coastal capital city. While quite cautious, the locals allowed them to dock under the conditions they wouldn't do anything against the law and were merely there for rest and trade as they had stated, mostly to restock on much needed supplies like food.
The next morning, having taken time for some R&R and resupplied, they undocked and were headed back out to sea, that is until two navy ship started firing at them just a few hundred yards out from the port. The ensuing fight was filled with cannon's going off and sword clashing as both sides fought to their fullest. The fight eventually ended when a portion of their ship was hit where they had stocks of gunpowder, causing an explosion that sealed their ship's fate, but they were able to at least sink one of the navy ships. The rest, they already knew.
Twilight raised a brow as she brought a hoof to her chin and closed her eyes in thought, "That sounds awfully familiar...Why though? Why does it sound familiar?" she quietly muttered to herself as she thought. True, this was all relatively new to her, but in combination of what has recently happened to them and Azure and Silver's explanation just rings a bell. After a couple of minutes had passed, Twilight's eyes shot open as she came to stunning conclusion, while she's never fully completed the book, the events that's happened sounded similar to the ones in the book Discord had been reading.