Deviation

by Snowy Flanks

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 6250

There are a lot of paths that a pony can take on their journey through life, sometimes a single change can significantly alter the course of events and change the outcome of a quest. A rewrite based on the IDW MLP comics

It has been said that the beating of the Breezie's wings can cause storms to appear in the Everfree. The smallest of changes can cause great effects to occur.

Proofread by FtDlulz

Published 2015-02-07 22:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-03-07 08:04:54 UTC

Nightmare Rarity

Separates in Book 6 page 5

“Using my powers to bring the moon closer to the earth is harder than I imagined!” said Luna as her horn began to glow.

“WAIT!” shouted Twilight “That's your plan?”

“Of course what else do you expect?” said Celestia “Now please be quiet Twilight we have to concentrate.

“Why, why would you want to do that” asked Twilight with a look of utter confusion.

“It's the only way you will be able to walk on the moon” said Luna as she began to pull.

“You want us to walk on the moon? There is no air up there, or pressure, or warmth, OR AIR!” said Twilight getting more exasperated.

“Twilight you have to stop screaming, Luna was up there for a thousand years and she was fine” said Applejack pulling on her lasso.

“Princess Luna is an immortal alicorn moon princess, of course she was able to survive; but we are mortal ponies, we would be dead long before we even get to the moon” said Twilight looking at her friends continue to try and pull the moon.

“I'm sure the princess has a spell that will let us survive, isn't that right?” said Rainbow Dash turning to the princesses.

The princesses looked at each other “Uhhh, yeah we were totally going to cast that on you right after we got the moon down here” said Celesta quickly looking away from the pony group.

Twilight shook her head “Well if that is true you still shouldn't pull the moon closer to us, if you are strong enough to pull the moon, it would be easier just to throw us towards the moon rather then try and pull it down, or you could just use the spell that sent Luna to the moon. There are so many...” started Twilight as she began to lecture.

Celestia quickly cast a spell on Twilight that stop her from talking. “I am sorry Twilight Sparkle but you are distracting us and we need to concentrate in order to finish this task. After we rescue Miss Rarity we are going to have a long discussion about your actions here” said Celestia as her horn began to glow bright.

Very slowly the collected group managed to pull the moon closer and closer to themselves.

“Wow this is really pretty” said Pinkie Pie as she beat her drum and stared up and the slowly growing and bright moon.

“Yes it is” said Princess Luna “We are glad you enjoy it.”

Twilight was trying to get their attention but all of the ponies were focused on pulling the rope so none of them paid attention to her. Twilight jumped up and down, banged her hooves and shot sparks with her horn but it was to no avail.

By the time the moon had been moved twice as close to the ground as it had been, the ponies had had enough of Twilight's antics. Celestia turned to the irate purple ponies and undid the spell.

“What is the problem Twilight Sparkle, we are trying to save your friend, why are you trying to stop us?” said Celestia angrily. Twilight's friends were all staring at her with harsh eyes.

“Don't any of you know what happens when you move a moon closer to a planet?” shouted Twilight.

All of the ponies stared at her “We get to save our friend?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“No, we end up destroying the world. All of the world. Way worse then if the Nightmares take over” said Twilight “Besides we could save Rarity when she come back, there is no reason for us to go up there.”

'What are you talking about?” asked Fluttershy looking at her friend.

Twilight was about to start talking again when a member of the pegasus guard flew down and landed in front of the Princesses handing them a letter.

The Princess opened the letter then dropped their jaws and the letter.

“Manehatten has been completely destroyed” said Celestia in shock.

The ponies fell to the ground and shouted “WHAT? HOW?”

“My guess would be a massive flood started by a tidal wave” said Twilight sadly.

The ponies turned to the purple unicorn “How do you know that?” asked Luna.

“The moon controls the tides, move it closer and you are going to have larger tides, that means all the coastal cities in Equestria are going to be flooded. Then things are going to get bad” said Twilight with a moan.

“What could be worse than that!?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Massive superstorms that make the Everfree look like the Mareiterranean, swiftly shifting temperatures, earthquakes, personality changes, migration fluctuations. It will be a never ending marathon of death and destruction on a global scale” said Twilight “Not even all the pegasi in Equestria could keep one city safe.”

“What are you saying Twi? What can we do?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“There is nothing we can do, we are dealing with a world wide fallout, no pony is going to avoid the effects of this” said Twilight.

“The only thing was can do is to put the moon back where is was and start global recovery effort” said Celestia.

“How are we going to do that?” we can’t pull it back from here and we can’t get up there to push it back” asked Applejack.

“Wait a minute, don't you control to moon Princess Luna, can’t you just move it back to where is was before?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Princess Luna and Celestia look at each other “Ummm, we don’t have enough power right now to put back where it belongs.”

“But you move the moon every night how can you not have the power?” asked Pinkie Pie.

The Princesses began to sweat “Umm, err, you see the thing about that is we, umm don’t know how” said the princess finally.

The ponies were shocked “What do you mean you don't know how?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Does that mean you don't really move the moon?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Oh no we really do move it, we just use the spell that was already created, making a new one will take time” said Celestia quickly.

“Can’t you just grab it with levitation and move it back?” asked Pinkie Pie.

The Princess shook their heads “No it would take a hundreds of times the power in order to move the moon that way, we just don't have enough magic to do it.”

“Well what if you got all of the unicorns to do it together would that be enough magic?” asked Applejack.

The princesses looked at each other again “Maybe that would be enough but I don't think that would be a good idea” said Luna.

“Why not?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well if we did that then ponies would lose faith in us and we wouldn't be able to help them” said Celestia.

Twilight looked up “Don't you think that they might lose faith in you after seeing half of the nation destroyed?”

Applejack stood next to her “and I'm pretty sure they will blame you since you are the ones who move the moon.”

Pinkie was next “Plus civilians always blame the government when a disaster happens so they have already lost faith in you.”

The rest of the mane 6 stood next to Twilight and looked and the Princesses who began to sweat more and more and stutter until, in a bright flash of light, both of the alicorns disappeared.

Applejack turned to Twilight “What are we going to do now Twi?”

Twilight shook her head “I don't know girls we are talking about moving something on a galactic scale, that hasn't been done by ponies in over two millennia. I don't even know where to begin.”

The ponies began to slowly walk back to Ponyville with a look of frustration on their faces.

Twilight looked around “Wait a minute has anypony seen Spike” she asked fearfully.

The girls looked at each other “Not since we stopping pulling on the moon.”

“Do you think he went up without us?” asked Fluttershy softly.

“We will have to deal with that later, right now we have to look through the library, maybe we can find something on something we can do”

Rainbow Dash and Flutter began to fly around the top shelves and pulled books of the shelf scanning the titles. Applejack and Twilight pulled books of the lower shelves. Soon a large pile was formed in the middle of the room. Pinkie Pie just skipped around the room for a little bit before bumping into on the shelves knocking a book on her head.

“I found it, I found it” she sang as she hopped over to the table with the book in her mouth

Twilight came over and scanned the title of the book 'Traversing Selenic Satellites for Unperspicacious.'

Twilight turned to stare at Pinkie Pie “Ok seriously, Pinkie Pie how do you do that?”

“How I do what Twilight?” asked Pinkie Pie as she turned her head sideways to stare at her.

“Never mind, question for later” sighed Twilight as she opened the book.

Twilight’s eyes scanned over the book as quickly as she could, harshly flipping pages.

“I found it” she shouted as the ponies crowded her.

The process of moving the moon

If you are reading this then the princesses have broken the moon again. Don't worry this happens every so often and we have figured out the best way to deal with it. At first we tried time travel but that turned out to release big hairy monsters that eat everything so it wasn't worth it. The we tried blowing up the moon but that just made things worse and we had to rebuild it. So we settle for just pushing the moon away or pulling it closer. The following spell will allow you to gather enough collective energy to move the moon back to where it belongs. In order to move Equestria's moon you need to generate 3.837 X 10^28 joules of magical energy, this will be too much power for any mortal to sustain so make sure you follow all the instructions:

Step One: Using red paint mixed with mud place three concentric circles around a unicorn's horn. The unicorn will start to see creatures glow orange. Make sure you pick the strongest unicorn in the area.
Step Two: Place the green jewel included below, inside your unicorns navel making sure that it is tightly screwed in. Once powered it will begin to glow and the unicorn will smell minty ice cream.
Step Three: Slide the yellow band over the unicorn’s hooves, pushing up until the are tightly held in place. The unicorn will now begin to taste old cheese.
Step Four: The unicorn must now climb to the highest point in the area and press their hoof to their forehead.
Step Five: You will now be able to speak to all of the beings of the earth except for the princesses. Ask them to donate a bit of their life in order to generate enough magical energy to move the moon.
Step Six: The unicorn must now raise their hooves up in the air and pull the magical energy from the entire world. This includes the plants, animals, and sentient beings. You will feel at one.
Step Seven: Now use a simple levitation spell to to move the moon back to its power location.

Just be careful. Or you may destroy the very planet you're trying to protect!

Once you have fixed the moon use the remaining magic to cast a blanket memory wipe spell on every being on the planet. Once this has happened this book and items will disappear until the next time the sisters break everything.

Blue Belle
Star Swirl the Stubbly
Spats Puddinghead

Twilight raised her head from the book “I don't know what is scarier, the princesses breaking the world, or that it happens so often there's actually a procedure for it.”

“I would say the first part, I'm glad somepony has planned how to counter their mistakes” said Pinkie Pie.

Twilight sighed “Pinkie, bring out some red paint, AJ some mud, Rainbow Dash clear a spot on the clock tower, Fluttershy could you please bring the mirror in from the bathroom? I've got some magic to do.”

Pinkie shook her mane and a jar of red #4 fell on to the table along with a paintbrush, Applejack came in with a bucket of mud a few minutes later. Once Fluttershy flew in with her mirror, Twilight began to paint the circles around her glowing horn making sure not to drip any paint on her face. Each circle was precisely the same distance from each other and such a perfect circle that it could have been drawn with a compass. Once she set the paintbrush down, Pinkie Pie walked up to her.

“You look like a bullseye Twily” said Pinkie Pie as Twilight levitated the green gem.

Twilight lifted herself up and tried to green the gem to stick in but it was more difficult than she expected.

Pinkie grasped the gem in her hoof “Here Twilight let me help” she said before she slammed the gem stone into Twilight’s stomach with a twist. Twilight fell over with a cough.

“Thanks Pinkie, but did you have to do it so hard?” asked Twilight.

“Have you seen pony navels? There are so small and tight you really got to cram it in there” said Pinkie.

Twilight stood up and shook her head “If you say so Pinkie” Twilight coughed out as she levitated the yellow bands over to her self and fit them on her hooves. Fluttershy and Pinkie each took one hoof and pushed the bands up until Twilight’s legs began to bulge over them.

“Glowing ponies check. Mint ice cream check. Yucky cheese check” said Twilight while levitating a list.

Rainbow Dash picked up Twilight and carried her up to the to the top of the tower let her down right next to the pointy top.

Twilight Sparkle steadied herself then slowly placed her hoof to her head

“Hello can anypony hear me?”

“What, who is that?”

“Twifly is that you?”

“What's going on?”

“Vem är du?”

“WITCHCRAFT!”

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, you might have noticed that the moon is a little closer than it used to be, as well the wide-scale destruction that came from it.”

“That was you?”

“Stupid ponies.”

“I consider this an act of war.”

“My clanchan is dead because of you.”

“Everypony please, listen to me, it was not I that moved the moon where it was but I am trying to save us all. Please I need your help, I need you to donate a small part of your life force to power a spell that will move the moon back...”

“You want to kill us all”

“CH'ING SHIH!”

“SUCCUBUS!”

“SHTRIGA!”

“BHŪTAPRĒTAKŌ!!”

“No listen to me, this is the only way it will work, we all need to band together in order to save ourselves otherwise the disaster are only going to get worse, the skies will rain fire, plagues will ravage everywhere, everything will die. I don't care what you think of me, I don’t care what you want to do to me, I just need your help in order to save us all, after that you can do whatever you want to me, I beg you have mercy.”

There was silence.

“But you are taking our lives.”

“Its only a small portion of your life, you will just feel tired! If we don’t hurry all of us will die!” begged Twilight as she pressed harder and harder against her skull.

Twilight raised her hooves and waited and she began to feel energy come from all around her. She was the wind brushing through the grass below her, she was a river running against a rock in Avalon, she was a fish swimming below Grouseland, she was a bug crawling in Saddle Arabia, She was an elephant wandering in Zebica, which shocked her since elephants were extinct.

Then she was a griffin hold a child in one claw, she was a dragon guarding her hoard, she was a crane sitting in his garden, she was a diamond dog licking gems, she was a Katar raiding a tomb, she was a Skalk in the thralls of passion with his lovers.

She was Zecora, Gilda, Trixie, Iron Will, Scorpan, Cassie, Spitfire, Garble, Pipsqueak, Mulia, King Aspen, Lyra and Crackle. She was everyone and everything.

Twilight almost feel to her knees “Thank you everyone, this is so beautiful, this is so wonderful, I, I love you all.”

Calling upon the absolute power that now coursed through her body Twilight lifted her head and stared at the sky.

“It is all so simple” she laughed wrapped her magic around the moon like it was a marble “the princesses know nothing of true magic.”

With an almost casual ease she pushed the moon back into the sky, its place as obvious to her was the back of her hoof. As she felt the magic within her begin the disperse she slowly smiled and pulled two small creatures from the moon, bringing them home. She then pushed the world around her. Waves reverse back to the seas, violent storms calmed to gentle breezes, fallen mountains were righted. For one brief moment nothing was impossible. Then it was gone.

Twilight awoke is a state of shock

“What happened, why am I up here?” she called out as she fell to her hooves hoping she would not fall.

Rainbow Dash flew up and took her to the ground “What were you doing up there Twilight?”

“I don't know” responded Twilight “The last thing I remember was Rarity getting abducted by the nightmares.”

As the two ponies looked up at the moon they saw a golden cloud approaching them. In it was two beings: a white unicorn and a small purple dragon.

As the two landed they both rushed toward the startled unicorn.

“THAT WAS AMAZING TWILIGHT!” shouted Spike as he leapt up the hug her.

“I have to agree darling, I thought everything was over, the nightmare had taken me and poor Spikey over when all at once I felt you within me. And not just you Applejack, Fluttershy, Sweetie Belle, Pinkie Pie, it was if all the ponies I had ever meet were inside of me. Then your magic was all around me, such absolute loving magic, the darkness just disappeared in an instant and I felt myself being pulled towards home” said Rarity with a nuzzle.

“What are you talking about Rarity, you were only just taken. We haven't even had a chance to start a rescue. My magic could never reach the moon, let alone draw you back you must have been dreaming.

Rarity and Spike shook their heads “No Twilight you told us that you need to push the moon away so everypony could live, and then you did it was amazing” said Spike.

Rainbow Dash laughed “Come on Spike don't be silly, Twilight might be powerful, but she could never move the moon, only the princesses could do that.

“Come one Rares, we have to tell everyone you are back. Then I have to send a message to Princess Celestia” said Twilight as she walked towards the library.

Rarity and Spike looked at each other with complete confusion.

My Little Pirate: Friendship Ahoy

Deviates in Book 13 Page 9

“My Bandana-loving friend, these are the finest fillies evah! Applejack can cook in the galley, Twilight is a brainiac with maps, Rarity can pirate gear us all right up! Pinkie Pie… has her army of crabs! Spike is a--” bragged Rainbow Dash to the pirate pony.

“Powerful dragon?” asked the pirate.

“Close enough! And Fluttershy... Wait, where's Fluttershy?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy flew by. “What are you mares waiting for, Luna's Eclipse?! Aye-Aye Captain! If that is alright with you.”

“You are sure about this Shy?” asked Rarity.

“Yes, I'm a pirate now. Avast, lets be going on t' ocean and gets lots o' treasure 'n find him right away. If ye don’t mind”

“Good enough for me! Lets go,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, it’s pirate time!” sang Pinkie Pie as she juggled live crabs.

The pirate captain wrapped his hoof around Twilight. “Your friends are ready to go, why don't you join them?”

“Pinkie Pie will do anything, Rainbow Dash never thinks things through and Fluttershy is clearly up to something. Where are you taking them?

“The Gallopinghost Islands” said the pirate captain.

“The Gallopinghost Islands? The lost islands that nopony has ever come back from? The island said to host giant versions on animals?” asked Twilight in amazement.

“Aye, only the smartest, brightest, most beautiful of navigators can find the safe way there. Don't worry I'm sure we will find some worthy stallions in town. You just leave your friends alone with me and a bunch of rough and tumble bilge rats.” said the captain. “Unless you think ye'd be clever enough fer the task...”

Twilight flew onto the ship deck. “Lets get this seacow on the ocean already!”

The rest of the ponies got onto the deck.

“This won't be fun but I guess somepony has to keep that knucklehead pegasus safe,” sighed Applejack.

Spike looked around. “What am I supposed to do?”

“You’re the one who knows all of these mares, and you're a dragon, you're going to be the quartermaster,” said the captain.

Rainbow Dash flew down. “No fair I wanted to be that! What do I do?”

The Captain smiled. “I'm going to give you the most important and dangerous job on the ship, you are the master rigger.”

“What does a quartermaster do?” asked Spike.

The captain smiled. “The quartermaster is in charge of making sure that the captain's orders are carried out and to address any issues that the crew might have.”

The captain turned to address all of the group. “Alright you mates, I am Captain Hoofbeard and our quest is two-fold: You are to find my old crew and retrieve the map that they stole from me, then we be searching for my lost Jewel.”

Fluttershy cried out. “Let’s go you landlubbers! We have an important quest to do as fast as we can!”

The ship was travelling fast through the ocean and everypony had settled into their roles. Captain Hoofbeard had in his room going over his maps and writing letters to stuff into bottles. Once he was finished with one he would toss it over the edge and watch as the currents took it away from the ship. He scanned his deck and smiled when he saw most of his new crew was adapting to their roles. Quartermaster Spike had done a great job assigning roles to the rest of the crew. Now he was next to the main mast monitoring the rest of the crew to ensure they were all working hard. Sailing Master Twilight was at the wheel directing the course of the ship and calculating their position through the use of navigational maps, a sextant and the weather. Boatswain Pinkie Pie had been running around the ship checking the ship's anchors, the cordage, and the deck for any damage that might have occurred. Earlier on she had reported that the ship’s fruit store had been augmented by the Pineapples she had brought aboard but they were low on kumquats and would need to restock at the next port. She was now playing a mandolin that and dancing across the deck. Sailmaker Rarity had somehow managed to sew all the holes in the sails shut while they had been in use and the threading now looked tight enough to survive even the roughest of storms. She had also managed to modify some leftover clothing into pirate outfits for her and her friends. Chief Cook Applejack was handing out the last of the oranges to everypony while Gunner Fluttershy was staring out on to the ocean. Neither of them had much to do since the crew was so small and no ship were in the area but they were keeping themselves busy. The only problem was Master Rigger Rainbow Dash who had spent her time flying around rather than checking the ropes.

Rainbow Dash flew down and landed in front of Hoofbeard. “Come on captain, shouldn't we be raiding a town or plundering a ship or fighting borders?”

Hoofbeard shook his head. “Not if I can help it Rainbow Dash, that's not what we have planned at the moment.”

“Well what are we doing then?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“You will have to ask Twilight or Spike that,” said Hoofbeard.

“But you're the captain, you make all the choices,” complained Rainbow.

Hoofbeard laughed. “Maybe on one of Celestia’s vessels, but on a pirate ship the power is separated in order keep everypony happy. The captain leads the men in battle and motivates everypony. Right now the quartermaster manages the ship while the navigator picks the course.”

Fluttershy flew over to Twilight who was looking over a map. “Do you need something Fluttershy?”

“Uh, Nope, not really, negative, not at all. Just wondering about the currents.”

“What about the currents?” asked Twilight turning and raising an eyebrow.

“Well how fast can a fish swim and can we be faster than it so we can catch them, for piratey stuff,” said Fluttershy as she hid behind the table.

Spike and Hoofbeard came over. “Don't worry lass, the salty sea mare can move faster than any fish, especially with the crew running like this!”

Fluttershy softly spoke. “That's great, we can catch Gil and I can rescue him!”

Twilight sighed. “Fluttershy what is going on here?”

Fluttershy turned to her. “What do you mean Twilight?”

“You've been acting weird ever since Hoofbeard appeared and now you're talking about Gil. What are you planning?” asked Twilight, who was staring at Fluttershy

Fluttershy tried to hide behind her mane and squeaked.

Spike looked down at Fluttershy and held her hoof. “Fluttershy did you set Gil free?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“Are you trying to get him back?”

Fluttershy nodded again.

“Why?”

Fluttershy squeaked and tried to pull away from Twilight and Spike.

Hoofbeard gently placed his hoof on Fluttershy back “Dear let me tell you a story. Back when I was a swabby my captain had a found a parrot floating among some derbies. He loved it very much, he took it everywhere with him and fed it from his own plate. One day the parrot was strong enough to fly away but he couldn't let go, the bird kept flying harder and harder and he held it tighter and tighter until it finally collapsed. When he went to check it he found that the parrot had died from the struggle. We all learned that day an important lesson, if you love something, truly love something, you have to be willing to let it go. I know you care for him but if you keep him confined he is never going to be happy.”

Fluttershy began to cry. “You don't understand, I need him.”

Twilight and Spike hugged her. “Fish can find their way home from an amazing distance, going all the way from the wide ocean and a little individual tributary, he will come back one day.”

Fluttershy smiled.

After he and Twilight let go Spike smiled. “Fluttershy I want you to go rest down below”

“LAND AHOY!” shouted out Rainbow Dash.

Hoofbeard addressed his crew. “Spike you take half the crew and retrieve my map.”

Spike nodded and left with his team.

Spike and his group entered into the tavern to see it full of pirates, trading, gambling, drinking, fighting and comparing tattoos. Twilight tried to get their attention but nopony paid her any attention.

“Allow me Twi,” said Spike before shooting a large flame over all of the pirate’s heads getting their attention. “Avast, I be looking for Hoofbeard's crew, we need the map of the wandering X!”

A scarred grey pony stepped up “Ye be wanting the map Aye? Only trouble can come from that!”

“We come from Ponyville, trouble is our normal day. Between us we have a princess powerful enough to lift an Ursa Major, a pegasus that can break the colour barrier, a pony who can see the future and a fire breathing dragon,”

The pirates in the tavern were eager after hearing princess, but Spike's speech combined with the looks on the mares behind him stopped them from trying anything.

“Alright, I will take you to the map,” said the grey pirate

The group walked through the jungle until they came to a large hole in the ground.

The grey pony pointed. “The map be in there, but ye should forget it. That map is cursed and Hoofbeard is crazy. We spent months following it but every time we were near the X moved. When we left, we took the map, hoping he would give up. Clearly he has found a group dumb enough to follow him. Best of luck.”

The grey pony ran away just as a ghostly glowing crab sprung from the hole. Twilight began to call out orders to her friends, Twilight and Pinkie danced around the crab while Spike and Rarity threw near by coconuts at it. Slowly the crab was drawn further and further out of his hole until it was standing on the ground.

When she saw her chance Rainbow Dash swiftly flew by it and dropped down into the cavern. She looked around and saw a small golden statue of a dragon holding a fire ruby, a pony skull with silver teeth and a pile of cannon balls among other treasures. She dug through the pile until she found the map and flew up to find the crab had grabbed the rest of her friends. Rainbow Dash tried to free her friends but neither physical nor Twilight’s magical attacks seemed to make him want to let go.

A light bulb appeared over Pinkie's head “Girls and Spike I have an idea!” she whistled as hard as she could until a large grow of little crabs began to crawl down the hole and carry things away.

“So. Mr glowly crab, do you want us and this wittle map, or all of your other shiny trinket things?”

When the crab sighed and let go of the ponies Pinkie called the crabs back to return the goods.

Twilight gently took a bottle with a letter from one of the crabs. “Wait a moment girls, this is one of those letters that Hoofbeard has been throwing into the ocean, I want to read it.”

Rainbow Dash tried to stop her. “You can't do that Twi, he is the captain!”

Twilight shook her head. “He has been acting odd, it is our duty as his crew to make sure he is fit for command.”

Rainbow Dash huffed but didn't try to stop Twilight from reading the letter. She muttered to herself as her eyes scanned over the page with a lot of confusion.

“I don't get it, this makes no sense, let’s see if I can translate this. Show your face or I will find you! My jewel be mine or all of your family will face my poisonous truth.” said Twilight.

Rarity shuttered. “That sounds horrible!”

Twilight shrugged. “What do you think it means?”

Spike came over and looked at the paper carefully ”As odd as the wording might me he is trying to express his love. I want to meet you, You will with me no matter what your family says. Very Romareo and Juliet. I've seen these kinds of letters before, sometimes it can be very hard to write down the right words in order to show your emotions. I imagine being a pirate makes it ever harder.”

Twilight sealed the letter back into the bottle and slipped it into her bag. “We have to get back to the ship before Hoofbeard gets suspicious, for the moment let’s keep an eye on him and see what he does. If these are really love letters we should be able to help him. If not we might need this as evidence.”

When both groups were back on the ship, Rainbow Dash gave the map back to Hoofbeard.

“Thank ye lass, when me crew left with me map I didn't think I'd ever get it back. I suppose those landlubbers told you me tale?”

Twilight stared at Hoofbeard. “Yes, they did.”

“So ye know that we be following meandering X to find me jewel?”

“They called you a mad pony that would doom us all,” said Rarity.

“You are of course free to leave the ship at anytime, we will be tracking the X until we find it. It could take a while,” said Hoofbeard pointing to the gangplank with his hoof.

None of the ponies wanted to leave the ship, so Twilight and Rarity let the sails free and the ship was quickly back on the open ocean. Hoofbeard was at the wheel following Twilight’s directions as she charted a course with the map. Spike ordered Pinkie and Applejack to load the fresh food supplies in the galley and to prepare dinner. Rarity and Fluttershy were on the deck scanning the watery horizon for any signs of the treasure.

It had been three days since they had last seen the shore and the crew was getting antsy. Applejack was tired of cooking seaweed and pickled vegetables for every meal, Pinkie had played her mandolin so much the strings had been worn straight through and Twilight was having a minor breakdown from following an X that kept going in circles.

Rainbow Dash was taken to the boredom the worst, shouting out pirate words at everything she saw. When she landed by the wheel and heard they they were once again travelling back they way they had come she screamed mutiny and swung a sword at Hoofbeard.

'So ye be mutinying eh?”

“Yep,” said Rainbow Dash with the sword in her mouth.

“Why?” asked the captain as Twilight come up to them.

“We want to go home,” said Rainbow Dash while Twilight nodded.

“I gave you a chance to go home, I even told you we would be wandering for weeks, why are you surprised?” questioned Hoofbeard.

“I thought this would be swashbuckling fun!” complained Dash.

Hoofbeard put his hoof to his head. “Piracy is not a game, it is a hard life of monotony and loneliness. Mutiny is crime punishable by death.”

“Big talk come from a pirate like you,” said Twilight Sparkle

“Technically I am a privateer, and what laws have I broken?”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other. “Umm...”

“If you want to change course all you must do it have the crew vote on it, the quartermaster will then decide where we go. Then it is up to you navigator Twilight to take us there.”

“You'd really let us go just like that?”

“This is a pirate ship, not a slave ship. If the crew wants to go someplace they are free to ask. Of course that doesn't mean you get to take my ship, but I would be happy to take you to the nearest port.” said Hoofbeard.

“Why are you so obsessed with finding this treasure anyway?” asked Twilight.

“I must find my Jewel!” said Hoofbeard as he steered the ship closer to the X on the map.

“You are doing all of this, risking for life for a jewel?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Not a jewel, my Jewel, my beautiful, lovely Jewel,” cried out Hoofbeard gaining the attention of the rest of the ponies.

Twilight was about to say something but the ship was suddenly stopped in the middle of the ocean. The ponies rushed to the side of the boat to see a miracle of mermares pushing waves against the hull.

Hoofbeard leaned out, “Jewel I've missed you so much I've been searching for you for months!”

A mermare leaned towards the captain. “Hoofy, I am so sorry they made me go!”

While Rainbow Dash moaned about not going after plunder and adventures, Hoofbeard and the queen mermare argued over what was best for Jewel. Finally Spike blew a fireball over the crowd stunning everypony.

“Both of you have got to stop it! This is not how love works. You can't destroy it, you can't sever it. Love is a tireless force. Love will always find a way to bring you back together. Hoofbeard risked everything and everybody in order to get here; he sacrificed his crew and his health in order to find Jewel, you can keep putting up barriers but I assure you, Love will find a way to get through them!”

The mermares and ponies were stunned until the queen mermare nodded. “Well spoken young dragon, I had forgotten to power of love.” she turned to Jewel and Hoofbeard “You are both free to love who you wish,”

The ponies and mermares cheered and Twilight quickly cast a spell to give Hoofbeard gills and fins. In return Hoofbeard blew on a conch in his satchel summoning a giant mantahawk.

Twilight and her friends boarded their new ride and waved goodbye to their new friends as the pirate and mermares disappeared into the sunset, then the group began the long trip back home.