The Sound of Thunder: Gathering Storm
The salty breeze carried scents of fresh produce over the wharf, mixed with the usual smells of hard-working dockponies and the constant caws of opportunistic gulls circling around the pier. Wide purple eyes, belonging to a violet unicorn in a waistcoat and skirt, took in the sight as she guided her ship into an empty berth. The wooden boards creaked slightly under her hooves as she stepped out of the smooth white boat, their rough surface in stark contrast to the immaculate black shoes she wore. A rope ensconced in violet twisted slowly through the air, tying the elegant schooner to a post with a precise knot before it lost its glow.
Her gaze wandered over the seaside structures, noting the two large wooden warehouses that brushed the border of sandy beach and grassy shore. Their doors, slid open for the moment, revealed large stacks of crates organized in some unidentifiable way; a pair of wide paths was kept clear of any obstacle, striking through the center of the buildings and right into the town proper. Nestled between the two larger buildings was a stout, stone barracks; cannons were visible through the tiny windows, but for the moment the wooden gate was open and the Equestrian Remnant flags fluttered at full mast on the metal poles at each corner of the rooftop crenelation. And from beyond she could hear the inviting sounds of a small island already awake and ready for visitors.
"Well... here we are." The unicorn turned to her traveling companion with a smile, holding out a hoof as he clambered over the gem-encrusted edge of their vessel. "Need any help getting out of there?"
"I'm fine! I'm fine." The young boy held up a scaly purple claw, turning back to grab a satchel. "Honestly, you don't need to mother me all the time."
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile flitted across her lips as she levitated a small set of saddlebags out of the boat. "Whatever you say."
"Honestly," the lad continued as he slung the bag behind his back, "I am a dragon. You know, big, scaly, firebreathing lords of all they see? If anything, I should be protecting you!"
"But you might get your cute blue jacket torn up!" the unicorn teased, adjusting the saddlebags. "Or worse, dirty!"
The dragon scowled, shooting her a look. "Well then it's a good thing I know how to do laundry." He adjusted his satchel, walking toward the town. "...also, it's not cute. It's awesome. Big difference."
The unicorn giggled, following after him. "Alright, alright. Thanks for coming with me, though, you really didn't have to--"
"Oh no, I really did. What kind of mare forgets to pack food for a sea voyage?"
She blushed. "I didn't forget! I just left it at the university--"
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
A blue feathered wing snapped out and brought her to a halt. She blinked for a moment, her gaze following it up its length, over the cobalt uniform with golden highlights, and to the slightly irritated expression on the attached face. For a brief moment, the unicorn assumed that the pegasus had dyed her mane and tail in some ridiculous way, but a brief recollection of the military dress code forced her to realize that the multi-spectral hair had to be natural.
"You can't just wander off into town without telling anybody you docked! You need to register your ship!" The pegasus shook her head and sighed. "Honestly, some ponies..."
The unicorn cringed, rubbing the back of her head. "Right! Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Twilight Sparkle, this is Spike." She tilted her head, looking behind the pegasus. "Where do we sign in, exactly?"
With a sigh, the pegasus pulled a small pad and pen from her coat pocket. "For the moment, that's my job, Sub-Lieutenant Rainbow Dash, currently serving as dock-register." She began to scribble something down. "I'll need your cargo manifest, the purpose of your visit, and the model of... hold on. Is that a Kohaku-class schooner?"
"Yeeeeep," Spike replied with a proud nod. "Twi's bro pulled some strings and got us that beauty."
"Holy Flood that is awesome!" The dour look on Rainbow's face was suddenly replaced with one of sheer glee, her wings forcing her into an excited hover. "I mean, it's a tiny ship sure, but the engine on that thing is top notch and with the gem-enchantment array you could make a bubble of dry air in a storm or, or pull off some incredible turns or--"
"I read the manual," Twilight quipped with a small grin. "I know the specs."
"...Are you a noble?"
That actually got a laugh out of the unicorn. "What?! Me?! Nonono. No. Just a university student, doing some research for my doctoral thesis. My brother is a Captain, and a wee bit overprotective, so..." Twilight gestured behind her with a light blush. "Yeah. A little much, in my opinion, I could have taken a barge..."
"Huh." The pegasus tilted her head. "Well, this is the second most notable ship I've had to sign in today."
Spike rose an eyecrest. "Only the second?"
"Yeah." Rainbow pointed at the nearby berth. "Some crazy hobo arrived in that thing."
Spike and Twilight followed her gaze. What appeared to be a large oaken washtub, of all things, floated in the gentle current of the shore. A crude sail was attached to the rough, crooked mast jammed into the center of the bottom boards, and a very basic rope and knot tied the whole thing to the dock. The only professional-looking aspect was the dual headed paddle resting in what was, essentially, a pony-sized wooden bucket with a stick in the middle.
"...You actually registered that thing?" Spike asked, his disbelief clearly evident.
Rainbow shrugged helplessly. "She followed the procedure. Apparently it's a oak-class bucket lifeship."
"Well, yes." Twilight flicked an ear. "I can see that..." After a moment, she forced her gaze away and levitated something out of her saddlebags. "Anyway, here's our cargo manifest. I hope everything is in order?"
"Hmm. Looks that way." The pegasus tore off the front page of her notepad, clipping it to the manifest. "Well, I'm going to go file this. Welcome to Pony Island, miss Sparkle. Enjoy your stay!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ponies, changelings, and many other races meandered through the wide thoroughfares, conversing with each other in small groups as they glanced through store windows. The sound of chatter mixed with the rickety creaks of wooden cart wheels on the dirt roads, the soft pomfs of hooves trotting calmly along, and the occasional laugh or shriek of delight from some of the foals that ran about. Spike neatly sidestepped a giggling unicorn filly, ducking to avoid the odd-eyed pegasus mare that swooped after her with a grin on her face.
"Good grief," he grumbled, patting his green spines as he rose back up. "What is with the ponies here?"
Twilight smiled and shrugged. "Well, they're certainly more open than the ponies in New Canterlot. It's invigorating, isn't it?"
"That's one word for it," Spike replied, glancing behind him. "Whatever. Where's that antique shop we're looking for?"
"The sub-lieutenant said it would be next to the pet shop," the unicorn reminded him. "Just keep an ear out for the barks and meows--Ah! I think it's this way." She turned and walked down a road with measured confidence, the young dragon barely keeping up with her.
There was, indeed, what could be called a pet shop down the road. However, the pets were not carefully organized into different sections of mammals, birds, and reptiles; the whole menagerie was clearly visible through the large windows, cats and dogs both tending to their young together while a flight of parrots worked in concert to arrange the shelves of food pellets and simple toys. A python resting in the sunlight gave Twilight a lazy glance, flicking its forked tongue out for a second before returning to its slumber.
The unicorn shuddered at the sight. "Right. Okay, this is the pet shop, so this must be the, uh, antique store!" She moved quickly past the windows of one shop to peer into the windows of the other. This shop was far more familiar in structure to the Canterlot native, with aisles of wooden shelves holding row upon row of ornate knicknacks. As she confidently pushed open the ornate wooden door, Twilight noted that the front of the store was left clear of obstruction to provide a wide space for the expensive-looking green rug on the floor. Right behind the rug, and presumably at the shop's center, was a well-crafted desk; a cash register perched on one corner, a porcelain feline sitting opposite it.
Behind the desk were two ponies, and judging from the half-eaten meals on the plates in front of them, Twilight and Spike had interrupted their lunch.
"Oh!" Twilight glanced back at the door. "I'm terribly sorry, I can come back later if you're busy."
"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all!" The ivory unicorn stepped out from behind the counter, flipping her purple mane as her light gown swept over the rug. "Welcome to Carousel Antiques, home to the chique, the unique, and the magnifique! I am Rarity, the proprietress of this humble collection, and this is my good friend Fluttershy."
The yellow pegasus hid her face behind her long, pink mane, awkwardly brushing her smock with a few feathers.
"...She runs the pet shop next door," Rarity added helpfully.
"Oh, you're that Fluttershy!" Twilight said brightly. "Officer Dash said you were old friends."
The pegasus nodded once, her eyes still hidden behind her long mane.
"...Ah." Rarity coughed into her hoof. "You'll have to forgive the poor dear... her name is terrifyingly accurate. She really is quite charming, once you get to know her!"
"I... see." Twilight cleared her throat. "Well, anyway, I am Twilight Sparkle, and this young dragon is--"
The pegasus seized up suddenly. "D-D-Dragon?!" Her breathing grew quick and desperate, her mossgreen dewy eyes filling with terror as her gaze snapped around the shop.
"Young!" Twilight said hastily. "Not a grown dragon! Just a baby, really!"
"Hey!" Spike snapped. "I'm twelve years old!"
Twilight glared at him, flicking her eyes toward the panicking pegasus.
"...which is, apparently, a baby by dragon standards," he reluctantly added.
"Oh! Oh. Oh..." Fluttershy took a few, shuddering breaths, closing her eyes for a moment or two. "R-right. Right. Sorry." She smiled nervously, slinking out from behind the desk. "I... It's just... I'm just... I need to go check on my shop it was nice meeting you!"
She darted out of the shop, bumping shoulders with a roughly-dressed mare as she passed.
Twilight blinked as the door swung shut. "...I take it she has dracophobia?"
"Among... other things," Rarity admitted reluctantly. "My apologies, ma'am! My friend had a minor panic attack. I'll be with you in a moment, just as soon as I'm finished helping miss Sparkle."
"Ach, no need ta worry yer head lass. Aye just be looken' fer somfin what give ta me sis." The pink mare tipped her tricorn. "Keep yer talk goin', mateys, Aye'll just be browsing down these aisles herein." She gave them all a wide grin, sweeping her longcoat along the ground as she slunk between the shelves.
Twilight stared at her for a moment. "Did she... look familiar to you?"
"...No, I don't believe so." Rarity shook her head, turning back to her and Spike. "I'm terribly sorry about Fluttershy's behavior, young sir. I can assure you she didn't mean it at all personally." She tilted her head. "I never did catch your name..."
"I am known as Spike, my fair lady." The dragon lightly gripped the unicorn's hoof, giving it a gentle peck. "Might I ask where you obtained that lovely dress of yours?"
Rarity gave him an amused smile. "This thing? Well, I do have some skill with needle and thread."
"Ah, that makes perfect sense. It is, after all, the second most beautiful thing in this shop."
A ripple of laughter poured from Rarity's throat. "My my my! Your son is quite the charmer, miss Sparkle."
"Oh he's not--well, legally, he is, but we see each other more as brother and sister." Twilight smiled awkwardly. "I was only five when I hatched his egg, after all."
Rarity gave her a look of surprise. "Only five? However were you allowed to even attempt--?"
"It's a long story, involving lots of studying, a magic surge, and an unexplained explosion." Twilight cleared her throat. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you about why I came here?"
"Oh, of course." Rarity gestured toward the desk, levitating a pair of stools from behind it. "Would you care to have a seat?"
Twilight gave her a thankful nod as she and Spike sat down. "Right. So, I am... currently attempting to earn my doctorate in Advanced Alternative Magical Theory, but to do that I need to earn my underdegree in magical history by writing a thesis on an ancient magical artifact. I've done some research tracking, and I believe--though I'm not entirely sure, mind you--that there might be such an artifact here on Pony Island."
"My word, really?" Rarity gave her a small smile, lifting her teacup in her magical levitation. "That would be something. Is it from the reformation era, perhaps?"
The other unicorn shook her head. "No. I suspect the artifact predates Old Equestria itself."
Rarity choked briefly as her drink went down the wrong tube. "HKKhngg! Hkk... heh, ahem." She rearranged her mane with a light cough. "Predates Old Equestria? Well, that... that would be something! I doubt anything on these shelves comes from more than half a century before the flood, to be perfectly honest. Not that they aren't priceless works in and of themselves, but.... Miss Sparkle, darling, are you sure you're not wrong?"
"Fairly sure." Twilight arranged her notes, pulling a few of them out. "According to my research, the last ruler of Old Equestria gave a set of precious artifacts to various noble houses when the Flood started. I've tracked the genealogies, but most of them get somewhat lost--understandable, given the circumstances. However, some of the old stories I've read imply that some of the noble families married the settlers of new lands, and a few partial texts I've come across seem to refer to an island 'in the shape of our founder.'"
"Hence your reason for coming," Rarity mused, tapping her chin.
"Yes. I was hoping you could tell me who would be most likely to have the artifact." Twilight shrugged. "It would have to be an old family, not necessarily powerful or rich but very firmly... entrenched, as it were."
"Hmmm. Well... the Apple family is one of the oldest clans on Pony Island," the ivory unicorn said in a speculative tone. "I can't guarantee that they have it, of course, but all the other old families can trace their roots only back to the Reformation."
"Then I guess I'll have to go talk to the Apples. Where do they live?"
"Just follow the Apple Branch thoroughfare east," Rarity replied. "Their orchards are at the end of the road, about ten minutes away."
Twilight stood up, brushing her shirt off. "Thank you for your help, miss Rarity."
"Oh, it was no trouble at all, darling. Do tell me how it turns out before you go." The ivory unicorn let out a little sigh. "Finding out a priceless pre-Equestrian artifact has been hiding under my nose this whole time... I should like to look at it, if nothing else!"
The violet unicorn smiled. "I'll try to arrange it. Come on, Spike, let's go."
"Actually..." Spike glanced towards the west wall. "I was thinking, maybe I should go apologize to that pegasus for frightening her. And maybe try to help her with her animals or... something."
Rarity smiled fondly. "You are truly the gentledrake, aren't you? I'll take you over right away--that is, with your permission miss Sparkle."
"Um...." Twilight glanced between the dragon and the unicorn. "I... guess that would be alright? I should be back in three quarters of an hour, if all goes well..."
With a nod, Rarity stepped out from behind the counter. Spike quickly hopped down from his stool, opening the door for her and Twilight before he stepped out himself. The violet unicorn gave him a brief hug, leaving him flustered, before turning round and heading down the road.
It was only half a minute later that Rarity returned to her store. "Now then, Miss, what can I...?"
She paused, her eyes wandering around the shelves.
"...where did that odd mare go? I could have sworn she was browsing before I left...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight rose an eyebrow as she approached the red barn. It was a fairly standard farm domicile, in her opinion; one large space for hay and farming tools, with an attached and perhaps interwoven house-like structure. Row upon row of apple trees stretched as far as she could see, their fruits jostling slightly in the breeze. She could see one of the farmhands casually pulling a heavy plow through a square dirt field, a small filly following after him and planting seeds as she wiped sweat from her brow. An elderly mare lounged in a chair gently rocking on the porch, muttering half-comprehensible words in her slumber.
This wasn't what one would expect from a family devoted to keeping a royal artifact safe.
Then again, all things considered, this wasn't at all outside of the realm of possibility.
With a shrug, Twilight trotted onto the porch, giving the old mare an odd glance as she rose her hoof and knocked on the front door. The wrinkly pony fidgeted in her sleep for a moment, grumbling something about pirates.
"Hold yer horses, Ah'm comin'!" There were a few odd clanks, the clip of hooves on a wooden floorboard, and then the door swung open to reveal an orange mare with an annoyed freckled face. "Apple Bloom, if this is another--Oh. Hello Miss!" The mare quickly pulled her blonde mane back behind her stetson, dusting off her brown overalls with an embarrassed chuckle. "Ah'm sorry, Ah wasn't spectin' tha mayor to send anypony down just yet--"
"Oh, I'm not with the government," the unicorn reassured her quickly. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm a student from New Canterlot... are you, um, the head of the household?"
The mare leaned out, checking on the sleeping pony. "Well... up till Granny Smith wakes up, anyway. Name's Applejack!" She jutted out an orange hoof with a wide grin.
Twilight took it with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miiIIiiIIiiIIiiIIssSS AAaappPPppLLllLLlleeEEeeJJjjJJjjJJaaAAaaAAccCCccKKkkKKkk!" The world suddenly became a vibrating mass of color as Twilight tried desperately to gain sealegs she didn't know she'd need.
"Now what could bring a Canterlot student all tha way down to mah home?" Applejack asked as she pulled back her hoof.
"SSssSSssooOOooOOoorrRRrrRRrrRRrrRRrryyYYyyYYyy?"
The orange mare rolled her eyes and put her hoof firmly on Twilight's shoulder, restoring the world to something she could stumble around in. "Sorry 'bout that. Forget mah own strength sometimes..."
"It's... it's fine." Twilight shook her head. "Really, I... uh... right." She took a breath, regained her composure, and smiled politely. "Like I was saying, I'm a student doing some research for a paper of mine--I need it to earn my underdegree, you see--and I stumbled across a description of an artifact. I have reason to believe it might be here, actually." Her horn lit up as she levitated a few papers out of her saddlebags. "It would be an orange gem, relatively large, in the shape of an irregular dodecahedron. I think it's called a rupee cut?" She shrugged helplessly as she handed the illustrations to Applejack.
After a long moment, the mare nodded. "Ah think Ah know what this is. Ya don't want ta take it, do ya?"
"No! Nonono, if I'm right it's a family heirloom and, well." Twilight waved a hoof. "I'm more interested in the magical properties anyway."
"Well then, sugarcube, ya'll are in for a real treat." Applejack rolled the image up and stepped back. "Come on in and have a seat. Ah'll need ta find tha darn thing anyway..."
Twilight walked through the door, glancing around what was clearly a living room as the other mare trotted up some stairs. She passed a large wicker chair and instead chose to sit down on the plush green sofa, letting her weight settle with a slight creak. Her eyes roamed across the large number of portraits hanging on the wall, the sheer number of ponies portrayed by the pictures being preposterously large. Old, young, filly, colt, all working or playing or posing with smiles. There was almost no way, in her opinion, all these ponies could have come from one family...
"Sorry for tha wait." Applejack trotted down the stairs, carefully balancing a small chest on her back.
"Oh, it wasn't long at all, really." Twilight nodded toward the chest. "Is that it?"
"Well, yes and no." The farm-mare put the chest on the small table in the center of the room. "See, what ya'll described is what us Apples call tha dead form of tha shiftstone. It only gets like that when the current bearer passes. After we bury them, though, we pass the shiftstone around and..."
Pulling a key from around her neck, she unlocked the chest and turned it around. Twilight's eyes widened as she leaned in, examining the golden torc resting on a plush cushion. The orange gem in the center looked nothing like her pictures; if anything, it resembled a stylized form of the trees outside. "It... takes on a tree shape?"
"Actually, it takes on tha shape of the new bearer's cutie mark." Applejack adjusted her hat self-consciously. "Ah mean, mah cutie mark isn't orange. It's brown and green with red spots, like an apple tree should be, but the durn shiftstone never changes color. Just takes on a new shape, generates that fancy necklace, and blam! That's it." She shrugged. "No idea what it is, just been in tha family for generations."
"Miss Applejack..." Twilight began slowly. "This is, quite possibly, an artifact predating old Equestria, entrusted to your family by the royals before the flood." She took a steadying breath, cautiously brushing a hoof around the golden filigree. "And, apparently, not only is it still magically active, but whatever enchantments are on it have a form of discernment."
"...shoot, really?" The farm mare let out a low whistle. "That all sounds very impressive. What does it mean, exactly?"
"...This... this is beyond what a student should be studying. This is..." Twilight let her hoof fall down, forcing her gaze up. "Miss Applejack, This is, quite literally, ancient and potent treasure."
"And that," came a bright voice from the doorway, "makes it all the more valuable."
The two startled mares looked up as a pink pony sauntered confidently through the front door, tipping her tricorn to them. "Good afternoon, me hearties!"
"Wait..." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you that mare that came into Rarity's store after miss Fluttershy left?"
"Aye, lass." The pink pony swept her longcoat back as she bowed. "The name be Pinkimena, professor o' valuables and whatnot."
"You said you were in the shop to find something for your sister."
Pinkimena's blue eyes shot toward the unicorn. "Fine memory ye have tharrrrr, me heartie! And tis' true, Aye was searching fer somfin what give me bonnie lass on the sun o' her birth!" She twirled a hoof round her poofy mane. "O' course, that dinnae mean Aye coulnae find interest in what ye be talking for. An artifact from old times, well... hooked me interest right like a fresh mackerel, savvy?"
Applejack glowered at the mare, putting her hooves protectively on the chest. "Ya say yer a professor? What university id ya get yer pee aaje dee from?"
"Why, only the great university of Oceani Æstus herself!"
"Ah've never heard of the place."
Twilight furrowed her brow. "...isn't that just old Equus for 'Ocean Mirage?'"
The pink mare's eyes darted from one suspicious pony to the other. "....Alright. Ye caught me. Aye actually be on a quest ta defeat Nightmare Moon, what be prophesied ta return next Summer Sun, and Aye need that ancient artifact ta be handlin' it!"
There was a moment of complete and total silence.
"...Ye arrrr never going ta be buyin' that, arrrrr ye."
Applejack snapped the chest shut.
"A prophecy?! That's even more ridiculous then pretending to be a professor!" Twilight sputtered. "And trust me, that is saying something, because where I come from--"
"Ach, screw it."
The mare bounded onto the table, twirling and giving a firm buck right into the surprised Applejack's face. Twilight gasped, rushing over to the orange mare as she mentally ran through what first aid procedures she had read about. The pink mare kicked the chest into one foreleg, pulling a sabre out from under her coat as Twilight turned to glare at her.
"Now, lass, ye best be waltzing off and forgetting this whole thing if ye know what's best fer ye--"
"You're never going to get away with this!" Twilight growled.
The mare rolled her eyes. "This be yer first time dealing with a pirate, am Aye right?"
"A pirate?" Twilight snorted. "You're just some common thief."
"...Really?" The mare gave her an incredulous look, gesturing at her hat with her sword. "Tricorn? Sabre? Nautical terms? Tha whole accent, what with 'me hearties' and 'bonnie lass' and the way Aye roll me arrrrrrrrrs?"
"Oh come on," the unicorn countered, "that's just in the books! The only real pirate crazy enough to speak that way is--"
Her eyes stopped mid-roll, the blood in her veins freezing.
"...That's where I saw you before! The wanted posters in my brother's office!" She pointed at the pink pony. "You're Captain Piepan, sixth most wanted pirate in the Equestrian remnant!"
Captain Piepan pouted. "What, only sixth? What mangy cur knocked me down from tha top five?"
"Well, with commodore Ironbeak's recent raids on border trading, the GEC agreed to--Hey!" Twilight shouted, rising to her hooves as the crazy mare rushed out the door. "GET BACK HERE!"
Applejack groaned, rubbing her face as she pushed herself up. "Owww... What just happ--?" Her eyes went wide as they fell on the table. "Where's tha shiftstone?!"
"That mare just ran off with it!"
"What?!"
Twilight was already rushing out the door. "I'll get it back, don't worry!" She galloped down to the road, her eyes darting left and right before falling on the red stallion groaning on the ground. "Oh no... did she get you with her sword?!"
"Nah, she just pounded him real good." The yellow filly rubbing the stallion's bruises looked up at the unicorn. "Who was that anyway? Some pirate captain?"
"Yes, she just stole... something important. Which way did she go?"
The filly pointed down the road, getting to her hooves. "It looked like tha chest mah sis keeps tha shiftstone in. Come on, let's go!"
"Hold yer horses Apple Bloom!"
Twilight looked back, amazed to see Applejack galloping up to her. "What are you doing?! You just got kicked in the face, you should be resting--"
"That mare has just stolen Apple Family Property. Ah'm not going ta lie on mah flank while somepony else risks life and limb to get it back!" She snapped her gaze to the filly. "And YOU are not gonna follow me when Ah go after a pirate, young missy! Understand?"
"But--" The filly held up a hoof to object, before catching the expression on her sister's face. "...Fine..."
"Good." Applejack turned back to Twilight. "Well, what are we waitin' for? We've got us a thief ta catch!"
"It's my fault, really, I should be the one to--"
"Less talk more chase!" The farm mare galloped down the road.
The unicorn blinked for a moment. Then she shook her head, sighed, and ran after her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...and I, um, I know that it's really unfair to you how I feel. It's an irrational phobia and... I do really appreciate your help." Fluttershy awkwardly cleared her throat, almost glancing at her current assistant as she finished scrubbing the cloth litterbox liner. "I, uh, hope you don't feel... I mean... I'm sorry if I--"
"No, it's perfectly fine." Spike finished filling the communal food bowl, watching in bemusement as a large dog allowed a parakeet to perch on its head while they both ate. "To be totally honest, I'm afraid that I could grow up to be a big heartless monster. Of course, I'd like to think that I won't, but... well." He shrugged. "In any case, I completely understand."
"Oh. Well, that's... that's okay then. I guess..."
The young dragon cleared his throat, glancing about nervously. "So... how long have you been friends with miss Rarity?"
"Oh! Well, she helped me settle into town after... um... I moved here. That was about twelve years ago, I think..."
"Hmmm. Do you know if she's... well... seeing anypony?"
The front window shattered suddenly as a pink pony barreled through it, rolling into a slather of surprised snakes before spinning around and giving the two of them a wide grin. "Pardon me, hearties, but this fine establishment might be having a back door, aye?"
Fluttershy, shocked beyond belief, shakily rose a wing to point toward the rear of the shop.
"Thank ye kindly." The mare marched quickly to the indicated door, pausing to look at a fruitbat in a cage. "Hmmm."
"Oh, that..." Fluttershy cleared her throat. "That's Rosewing, she's really a very, um, friendly sort."
"Perfect! Aye'll be taking her along then." With a smirk and a wink, she hooked the cage onto her coat collar, kicked the door open, and swung out just as Twilight and some other mare burst into the shop.
Spike boggled. "Did that pony just steal a fruitbat?!"
"Ain't the only thing she's stolen today!" the orange mare proclaimed. "Beg yer pardon, miss Fluttershy, but where does that door lead to?"
"The, uh, the alleyway off of Fetlock Street--"
"Gotcha! Come on, Twi, Ah know a way ta cut her off!"
The two mares rushed out the front door.
Spike rose a hesitant claw. "What... exactly just happened...?"
"She took Rosewing," Fluttershy murmured.
"Um, yeah, I caught that."
"She. Took. Rosewing."
Spike stared at the pegasus. "...are you... feeling okay?"
Fluttershy blinked, turning to look at him as though just noticing he was there. "Ah. Um. Mister Spike, would you mind terribly holding down the fort while I go after that rot-hoofed flood-cursed daughter of sea slime?" she asked sweetly.
"Well, I..." the dragon's eyes darted left and right. "I'm not sure--"
"Miss Rarity did say you were a gentledrake," the pegasus continued with a wide, twitching smile, "and it would help ever so much."
"Ah... I..." Spike's shoulders slumped and he let out a resigned sigh. "Sure. I'll start sweeping up the glass I guess."
"Thank you!"
And with that Fluttershy shot through the door, her wings snapping out and pushing her into the air the moment she was clear. She winced briefly as she rose above the rooftops, but her eyes darted over the crowd irregardless. It wasn't long before she had caught up with Twilight and the other mare, gliding into a gallop alongside them.
"Wha--oh!" Twilight smiled widely, dodging a startled sofa salespony. "Hey! I was just telling Applejack that a pegasus would be a great benefit in finding captain Piepan!"
"Well, um, I'll do what I can." Fluttershy somehow managed to look embarrassed even as she slid around a confused pair of window shoppers. "But you should know I, um, have a bit of a problem flying. Fillyhood wing injury, it... never quite healed properly."
"Gettin' into the air is more than we can do," Applejack panted, leaping over an oblivious changeling checking his watch. "Why don'cha fly down to tha docks and get whoever's down there on alert?"
"Sublieutenant Rainbow Dash," Twilight helpfully reminded her.
"Oh." Applejack snorted. "...Well, we need all the help we can get, Ah suppose."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Fluttershy asked. "Dash has always served Pony Island to the best of her abilities!"
"Ah know, and if she didn't have her head in tha clouds she'd be a darn fine officer!" Appljack rolled her eyes. "But that ego of hers won't let her do anything less than take all the credit, and part o' being in any military is being a team player--!"
"Would you two stop arguing?!" Twilight snapped. "At this rate, we'll make it to the docks before... oh." She skidded to a stop, peering out over the watery horizon. "Uh... never mind then."
Fluttershy glided over to the bored-looking officer. "Rainbow Dash! Something just awful has happened! A pony, she smashed into my shop, and she took Rosewing, and--"
"Whoa! Slow down Fluttershy!" Cyan hooves gripped the panicking pegasus's shoulder. "Somebody stole one of your animals?"
"And a valuable Apple family heirloom!" Applejack added. "Last Ah know she was headed here to make some kind of getaway!"
"Right." Rainbow Dash pulled out her notebook and pen. "Do you have a description of the mare?"
"Not just a description, an identity." Twilight Sparkle stepped forward. "The perpetrator exactly matches the description of the pirate captain Piepan."
The pegasus froze, giving Twilight an incredulous look. "...Captain Piepan?"
"Yes ma'am."
"The Laughing Menace?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Fifth most wanted pirate in the Equestrian Remnant?"
"Sixth now, ma'am."
"How would you--right. Your brother's in the navy." Rainbow snorted. "Look, if there was a pirate on Pony Island, I'm pretty sure I would have noticed their ship in these docks." She waved a hoof around. "And hey, none of these look like pirate ships to me! So I'm pretty sure I can absolutely guarantee that whoever stole your stuff, it absolutely wasn't--"
A pink hoof shoved her aside as a mare in a tricorn and long coat hopped into the floating washtub, slicing the rope and pushing off with a single swing of her sabre. "Fair tides, me hearties, and thank ye for the loot! Yarrhaarharrhaarr!" She grabbed the double-ended paddle, attached it to a metal gadget under her sleeve, and held it behind her as it began to spin rapidly. The ponies stared as the washtub suddenly darted forward like a powered boat.
Applejack rose an eyebrow. "...You were sayin'?"
"...Oh just shut up and let me catch her."
The cyan pegasus propelled herself forward, her wings flapping mightily as she gained momentum. The pink pony glanced behind her with a wild grin, resting her other foreleg on the edge of the speeding tub. "Hail, me lass! What seems to be the trouble?"
"Captain Piepan, you are under arrest for-owOWowOWowOW--!"
"What was that?" Piepan asked, lazily holding up the still spinning paddle and smirking as the officer backed off. "Aye heard somfin about arrrrrrrrr rest, arrrrrr ye selling rooms what be in some sort of inn?"
"AAAAUGH! Rainbow reached for the sword on her belt and swung it at the spinning paddle. "There! Now what are you going to--WHOA!" She dodged the pirate's own sword swing, strafing around. "Oh, think you're clever, do you?"
"Lass, Aye manage to outwit the best ye regals throw at me every week!" Piepan parried the officer's blade with an unworried giggle. "Aye dinnae merely think Aye be clever, Aye know it fer a fact!"
"Oh yeah?!" The pegasus twirled her blade about, spinning it round the sea captain's sabre with lightning speed. "Well out-think THIS!" She suddenly darted up, grabbing the top of the primitive mast and levering it down. The washtub tipped over into the pale white water, filling quickly as the pirate and her loot spilled out into the shallow current. "How are you going to get away without a boat?!"
Captain Piepan smiled. "...Ye didn't read me file very well, did ye?"
"I don't need to to know that not even you can swim out far enough to get away before I can drag you back to the island and put you in a cell where you belong!"
"Lass... Look down."
Rainbow blinked, looking down at the water beneath her. It... seemed far whiter than it had been mere seconds ago. And come to think of it, the way the water was flowing seemed almost as though there was something--
A great mass of metal suddenly burst out of the ocean, water cascading off with the sound of a mighty splash. The wooden tub rolled along the surface, flinging the pegasus off its mast before the pirate brought it to a stop with a single hoof. A large round hatch slid apart behind her, two ponies hopping out and gathering up the cargo that had spilled out onto the deck.
"Take care with that fruitbat, she probably be in quite the panic fer now!" Piepan gave Rainbow a shrug. "Ye be right, lass, Aye cannae swim meself out to sea on me lonesome. Lucky fer me, Aye dinnae have to."
Rainbow growled and lunged at the pink pony, but she swung up a leg and kicked the air out of her lungs with a laugh. The other two ponies, having passed their cargo down into the depths, rolled the bucket boat into the hatch and disappeared. Piepan glanced behind her for a second, then turned back to the hovering pegasus with a wide grin.
"Aye like ye, lass. Ye've got heart, courage, and no small amount o' skill with the blade. But Aye be afraid Aye must cut this little soujourn short."
Blowing the officer a final kiss, the pink mare backflipped into the hatch seconds before it snapped shut. Rainbow could only stare in simmering rage as the metal surface sank once more under the waves.
She flew back to the docks after a few seconds, letting her hooves hit the wooden boards before she walked up to the three anxious mares. "I'm sorry. She... she got away."
Applejack let out a sigh. Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane.
"I mean, the pony had a freaking submarine!" Rainbow Dash grumbled. "How in the hay was I supposed to know that?!"
Twilight Sparkle brought a hoof to her forehead and dragged it down her face slowly.
Author's Note
RIGHT! THE SOUND OF THUNDER PROJECT BEGINS ANEW!
This is the long delayed product of a lot of collaborative AU worldbuilding. Basically, after quite a few false starts I decided to write the central story, while the other authors agreed to write sidestories set in the same verse.
The Sound of Thunder: Gathering Storm
"The Logical Defiance?" Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Of course I know about it! It's a one-of-a-kind submersible with a dual quintet of massive rotary mounted propellers that also serve as aerial choppers, which provide lift in combination with an internal electrolysis-enchanted system of hydrogen-fueled buoyancy, the same system that provides oxygen for the rear rockets while it's in flight, and the ship is equipped with a set of sonic-based magicannons on top of the regular ventral and dorsal set of cannon hatches!"
Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle all stared across the table as she gave out a bedazzled sigh.
Rainbow caught their shocked gazes. "What? I like ships! But... what does the Logical Defiance have to do with anything?"
The voices of chatting cafe customers and the eager consumption of pastries filled the background as the three ponies simply continued their shocked gaze. The stout blue pony behind the counter spared a glance at the partially-eaten pastries on their plates--the assortment of meals had been rather wide-spread among the group--before turning back to the line of hungry ponies, adjusting her pink mane as she smiled and took another set of orders. Sweet scents wafted out from the swinging doors that led to the kitchen, swirling about the yellow-walled room before sinking to the floorboards.
"Rainbow...." Twilight finally managed. "The Logical Defiance is Captain Piepan's ship."
"Wait, what?! When did this happen?!"
"It's always been Captain Piepan's ship!" Twilight cried. "From the very first time she raided Manehattan! It wasn't ever seen before then!"
"...Seriously?"
Applejack nodded. "Every story Ah've ever heard bout Piepan had her with the flying submarine."
"I overheard some ponies talking about it once," Fluttershy offered awkwardly. "They, um, mentioned the Laughing Menace...."
"How in the hay can you know detailed specs about a unique one of a kind ship and not know about its equally unique and infamous captain?!" Twilight demanded.
"Hey, look," Rainbow held up her hooves, "I don't go for the whole 'pirate tales' kind of thing. I'm more into awesome marines and cool ships and... not boozed up thieves. I mean, look at the sea angels! Taking down whole armadas on their own--"
"Like they'd let ya in after what just happened," Applejack snorted.
"Hey! I can take Piepan!" The officer stood up suddenly. "Matter of fact I'll prove it! I'm going to get out there, find her, and rip that stone of yours out of her hooves!"
"And how exactly are ya plannin' on findin' her?"
Rainbow Dash held up a hoof for a moment.... then sat down with a sigh. "I hate it when you're right," she muttered, crossing her forehooves together and glowering at the floor.
"Poor Rosewing," Fluttershy murmured, poking at the plate in front of her. "Trapped in a metal can hurtling underwater to who knows where.... I hope she's okay. She's probably terrified."
Twilight bit her lip, awkwardly patting the yellow pegasus on the shoulder. "It... might not be all that bad. Maybe captain Piepan just wanted a pet...?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't... I don't know. I just... I just don't know."
"That shiftstone's been in mah family for generations," Applejack muttered. "And it's been guarded by its chosen for just as long. But the minute Ah decide ta show it off... whoosh." She gestured with her hoof. "Ah failed. Supposed ta keep tha thing safe.... and Ah lost it."
"You didn't lose it," Rainbow grumbled, "it was stolen. Completely different. I'm sure your family will understand."
"Ah don't think so," Applejack glumly told the sulking pegasus. "Thing was one-of-a-kind."
"Six of a kind," Twilight absently corrected.
The farm mare's eyes widened slightly. "Beg pardon?"
Twilight looked up, noticing three gazes fixed on her. "Oh! Right, well... according to my research, there were once six magical artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony. They were used at some point near the beginning of Old Equestria to 'banish chaos', although I don't exactly know what that means, and there are sparse but consistent mentions of them throughout all pre-flood documentation. I don't know how much of it is true," she quickly clarified, "but they remained in the hooves of the princess until the flood itself began. After that, she entrusted them to various noble families... or at least that's what I've gathered, details from the Flood are sketchy."
She sighed, letting her head rest on the table. "I was only able to track down one of them on an old story, a hunch, and a lot of luck. And it got stolen by the world's craziest pirate--who was probably listening in while I was talking to miss Rarity," she realized suddenly. "Flood damn it this is all my fault..."
Fluttershy took a breath. "...I... I don't think it's anypony's fault but Piepan's. I mean, she's the one who came here looking for something, and she's the one who stole the shiftstone... or Element, I guess... and... she broke my windows... and she took Rosewing..." She rubbed her hooves together with a quiet sigh, letting her mane droop over her eyes.
"Mmmrngh." Rainbow managed to pull herself partway out of her sulk. "Shy, you know I would be out there in a second if I knew how to find that boat... Flood dammit! I hate this! I hate feeling this... useless!" She turned to Twilight. "You're some sort of professional wizard magic pony, right? Can't you track the shiftstone or something?"
"Technically I'm a sorcerer with a mage equivalent in general wizardry," Twilight replied as she lifted her head. "Although I specialize in arcane spell construction and analysis--"
The pegasus groaned. "So is that a yes or a no?!"
"I mean..." Twilight sighed. "Look. In theory, if I had another one of the Elements I could maybe get some sort of resonance tracking going on, or if I had had time to study that one before it was stolen, but I can't construct a scrying spell if I don't know what I'm looking for! As is, there's no way we can get anywhere unless somepony here has a way to seek out magical artifacts--"
There was a sudden loud THUNK as something rammed against the front door of the cafe. Various ponies stared in confusion as a smaller thump came again, accompanied by a feminine voice cursing. The door was abruptly swung open just as a white unicorn skidded in, dragged along by her glowing horn.
"Terribly sorry, everyponeeeeeeee!" Rarity flailed a bit as she was dragged around the cafe. "Just a minor magical mishap--oh, sorry--I'm sure it will stop soon--"
She slid to a stop in front of the small group, her hornlight fading.
"...enough." She dusted off the edges of her gown, blushing faintly as she gave them all a small smile. "Well, that was, ah, an adventure!"
Fluttershy tilted her head. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. Applejack settled for raising an eyebrow.
"Did..." Twilight blushed a bit, clearing her throat. "Did you just have a spell surge?"
"Ahahaha, no!" Rarity tittered, her eyes darting around as she waved off the question. "A spell surge, moi? How could you even suggest such a thing? But, ah, on an unrelated note, I would love to know why you have all gathered together." She cleared her throat. "For curiousity's sake, you see--"
"Whoa, hold up there partner." Applejack was looking between the two unicorns. "What in tha hay's a spell surge?"
"It, um..." Twilight cleared her throat, awkwardly rubbing her hooves together. "Well, sometimes, when a unicorn is... it's actually fairly complicated, you see, since it's a rarer form of a magic surge, but if there's a resonance between a mystical presence in a connecting leyline and a unicorn's own thaumic field, they..." She gestured vaguely, her blush increasing as the other ponies continued to stare. "They can, um, get dragged along."
"Oookay." Rainbow ruffled her feathers. "So... why are you two acting like fillies who walked in on their parents?"
The two unicorns' faces both grew incredibly red. "What?! We're not--" "Darling, please, it isn't anything like--"
Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Um, Dash? Spell surges usually only happen with blank flanked ponies, since they don't have a destiny yet. Having a spell surge late in life is... not very common."
"Ooooooooooh, so it's 'wet the bed' embarrassment. Gotcha."
"Oh dear goddesses..." Rarity dragged a hoof down her flushing face. "Can we please change the subject? I am actually quite curious as to why you all are sharing a table."
Twilight sighed. "That pink mare that followed me into your shop was actually captain Piepan. She stole the artifact I was looking for from Applejack, then broke into Fluttershy's store and stole a fruit bat, and she made a pretty clean getaway despite Rainbow's attempts to capture her." She shrugged. "So we were all just standing on the dock, Applejack said she needed some comfort food, one thing led to another--"
"Ah did not say Ah needed comfort food," Applejack retorted. "Ah just said Ah wanted ta drop by a cafe on the way home."
"Right." The lavender unicorn sighed. "Basically, we want to chase a pirate submarine to get back the artifact and Fluttershy's bat, but the only way I can think of to locate the thing is some sort of tracking spell on the artifact, and I can't--"
She paused.
"...Rarity, how exactly do you locate things for your antique store?"
"Oh, you know," Rarity replied vaguely, "looking over passing merchant wares, heading for various trade gatherings, the occasional black market purchase, a detection spell for enchanted objects--"
Rainbow started. "Wait, what?!"
"A detection spell," Rarity clarified. "It helps me find enchantments, although I'll admit I have fine tuned it to search for older magical objects as that is my trade--"
"No, you said something about a black market."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."
"But--"
"Hold up," Applejack interrupted. "Could ya locate something that was enchanted before Old Equestria was around?"
"Well, I suppose I could," Rarity mused, "although I don't exactly have the strongest magical potential--"
"Well I have a Kohaku class Schooner," Twilight interjected. "If you were to cast your spell through the gem matrix, we'd probably be at least able to locate one of the Elements--"
"--and from there we could use tha Element itself to locate the other Elements," Applejack continued, "like tha one Piepan has!"
"Leading us right to her!" Rainbow finished. "Where we can break in, take back AJ's shiftstone, and bring it home!"
"Um, and rescue Rosewing?"
"Oh! Yeah, that..." The blue pegasus glanced at the yellow one. "That too Fluttershy. That's a part of the plan."
"Well, that's that then," Twilight declared firmly. "I cannot in good conscience let a pirate captain retain hold of a powerful ancient artifact, and the fact that she has taken one of Fluttershy's animals prisoner is beyond the pale. I am going to find the Elements, I am going to find Piepan, and I am going to take back what she's stolen from the citizens of Pony Island! Who's with me?!"
"Shucks, Ah ain't just goin' ta let ya sail tha seas alone, Twi! 'Sides, tha shiftstone's mah responsibility, all things figgered."
"Count me in! I'd never leave a pony hanging, and there's no way I'm going to miss out on an adventure like this!"
"I... I can't stand by knowing ponies are working hard to rescue Rosewing. I'll come too, if that's alright with you all..."
"Well... I suppose since this whole operation hinges on my spell, I'll come along as well. This could be quite exciting!"
"Then it's settled! Pack your bags and meet me at the docks in an hour. We have a pirate ship to hunt down!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the middle of the ocean, on a small runabout boat, a minty-coated pegasus ran her hooves over the roughshod shirt she was wearing. "Come on, where is it.... Ahah!" With a flourish she produced a glowing stone from a small pocket."Permission to come aboard, captain?"
"Password, me lass!"
The pegasus groaned, dragging a hoof through her rough amber mane. "Come on, you know it's us! Who else could know the rendezvous point?!"
"Aye dinnae hear ye givin' me a word o' pass!"
"She's your sister," the pegasus grumbled to the other pony in the crate-laden runabout. "Why do I have to be the one to say this?"
The grey earth pony adjusted her black dress with a small smile. "I suspect it's meant as part of your punishment, Lightning Dust."
"Ugh..." With a sigh, the pegasus rose the glowing stone to her mouth. "'I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel witty and pretty and bright.'"
"...That be last week's password, lass."
"What?! But Octavia said--"
Lightning Dust cut herself off, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the smiling pony across from her. "You... you planned this, didn't you?"
"No, actually, it was the chief engineer." Octavia held out her hoof. "Allow me?"
Lightning tossed over the stone, crossing her forelegs and glowering. "Flood damn higher-ups and their flood-damn pranks and this flood-damn probation..."
"Ahem. 'I'll have the triple-scoop sundae, no sauce.'"
"Good to hear yer voice, sis! Oy, get this tub up to the currents!"
It wasn't long before an odd rocking overtook the runabout. Octavia leaned over the bowsprit, sliding a pair of rubber capped wooden slats outward and locking them into place; Lightning Dust matched her actions with an aft set of struts before returning to her sulk. The ship was jolted moments later as a metal deck surfaced underneath it, water sliding off into the ocean.
"Good show Pinkie." The grey pony looked around as she spoke into the glowing stone. "We're between... the third and fourth dorsal hatches, closer to the fourth."
"Position acknowledged, Aye'm sending the crew up through the fourth. Ye best be heading fer the third one."
"Roger that, over and out."
Lightning Dust rolled her eyes, hopping over the edge as Octavia pocketed the stone. "It's not a radio, you don't have to sign off or anything."
"Just because something's not necessary doesn't mean it's not polite." The earth pony primly slid off the polished oak.
"Polite? In this crew?" The two of them walked down the deck, Lightning glancing behind her at the diamond dogs clambering out of the hatch behind them. "I don't know if you forgot, but we are friggen' pirates! Flood, the chief engineer checks your leaky valve once a week!"
"My valve is not leaky!"
"What's all that squeaking then, huh?"
Octavia, stopping in front of the closed hatch, barely managed to keep her face straight. "That's when I tighten her bolts."
The pegasus actually let loose a bark of laughter. "Tightening her bolts! Oh sweet goddesses, that... that is a good one. I'm going to have to remember that one." She absentmindedly put her hoof in a small indentation, dragging it back as far as it could go before removing it and sticking it in the next slot. "See, that's my point. Not even you are as uptight as the jerkwads in the navy. But you should still loosen up a little!"
"I'll take your suggestion under advisement." Octavia raised an eyebrow as she watched Lightning repeat her motions. "But in return, I would suggest that you become a little less impulsive."
A brief THUNK sounded from the hatch and Lightning pulled her hoof out of the slot. "Yeah, yeah, nearly got myself killed with that stunt, yadda yadda yadda." She grabbed the wheel on the hatch, loud squealing accompanying her effort to turn it. "You know... sometimes... the captain... reminds me... of my mom!" With a final grunt, the thick metal door was tugged back.
Octavia climbed down a ladder into the small chamber, resting her forelegs on the empty cannon mounted in the center of the floor. "Well, sometimes you remind her of a petulant teenager."
"I am a teenager!" Lightning flapped in, grabbing the inner hatch handle and pulling it shut behind her. " But I'm not... petulant!" she insisted as she rotated it.
"Mmmhmm. So I suppose it was I who went on and on about my incredible aerial ability to everypony I met whilst you were the responsible one who actually purchased the rations the crew needs to survive?"
"Okay, first of all, I am awesome," Lightning stated, opening a panel on the wall and tugging on the thick chains behind it. "Secondly, how in the hay is that petulant?" she demanded as the floor started to descend. "Bragging isn't the same as complaining!"
"Hmm, true enough." Octavia shrugged as the floor began to descend beyond the small chamber's walls. "But putting oneself first, making their own claim to fame... well, that doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in your social skills." The two of them emerged into a long, wide hallway, the square pillar they were on continuing to sink into the ground. "In all honesty, Lightning, your sole problem is your ego. Whether or not you are, quote unquote, awesome is besides the point. On a ship this big, you are part of a group and you have to take orders."
"...but we're fricking pirates!"
"That just means we follow our own laws, instead of the Equestrian Remnant's." Octavia stepped off the platform as it meshed into the ground. "You had best wise up and learn them soon, otherwise the captain might make you walk the plank. Or worse." She leaned toward Lightning conspiratorially. "You know how... creative my sister can be..."
"Talkin' about me a'hind me back?" a pink mare quipped, saddling up to the two mares with a broad grin. "Aye hope ye not be tellin' Dusty here any family secrets, sis!"
"Don't worry, Pinkie, I would never even bother." Octavia rolled her eyes. "She wouldn't believe the skeletons in our closet. No offense, Rattler," she added, nodding to the pegasus skeleton standing on Pinkie's left.
He waved it off casually, clacking his wings against his ribs.
"Suddenly I'm very curious," Lightning Dust said dryly. "And just as suddenly I've decided I really don't want to know. If you'll excuse me, captain, I need to head to the showers and--"
"Lass, ye still have swabbin' ta be attendin'. Get ye flank down to tha mess and whip a mop, savvy?"
"But--Captain, I just got back from--!"
"Tha showarrrrs will still be tharrr once ye scrub tha deck!" growled the pink mare. "Now get ye flank movin' afor Aye give it a cat'o'nines!"
"But--"
"NOW, LASS!"
Lightning Dust held up a hoof, paused, and let out a resigned sigh. "Fine," she grumbled as she slouched to the stairs. "Fine, whatever. It's not like I took out a whole line of enemy cannons single-hoofed or anything, noooooo, I'm only good enough for deck scrubbings, and the captain obviously knows best, even if she never explains what she's thinking to anyone, and I'm pretty sure that we actually have a dedicated cabin boy on board anyway..."
Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Rattler, would ye keep an eye on tha sea pup?" The pegasus skeleton nodded briefly before galloping down the stairs. "Honestly, tha lass runs her yap like a shark chompin' fish."
"You know she only joined us because of your reputation for free living," Octavia reminded her. "No rules, no responsibilities--"
"Aye, Aye know. Aye just dinnae like bein' so harsh on me crew, even those what do be needin' a swift buck to the noggin." Pinkie gave Octavia a sly smirk. "Aye prefer me underlin's ta be likin' bein' under me. Makes everyfin' so much easier... an' not just a bit more fun, savvy?"
"Yes, yes, I understand. Not that I agree, mind you, but you are my little sister, and I need to keep you out of...." Octavia shook her head. "I was going to say 'out of trouble' but then I remembered what we do for a living."
"Harrharrharr!" Pinkie roared, slapping a firm hoof on her sister's shoulders. "Don't ye worry, Aye get what ye mean. Speakin' o' gettin' ye, Aye got ye a lil' somefin while ye was off at the markets."
"Oh?"
"Aye!" With a flourish, the perky pink pirate pulled a particularly precious torc out of her top pocket. "Ta-da!"
"Oh my! It's beautiful!" Octavia took the torc in her hooves. "Who exactly did you steal it from?"
"A farmer off o' Pony Island," Pinkie explained casually. "Belonged ta a princess once, if'n memory serves right."
"Well I don't doubt it." Octavia lowered her head and slipped it on. "Something this lovely must have come--"
The tree-shaped gem suddenly shone brightly. Octavia only had enough time for her eyes to widen before she was suddenly flung backwards, Pinkie rushing after her as the torc flew by her head. "Octy! Sis! Are you--Arrrr ye alright, lass?!"
"Ungh. I'm... I've got some bruising on my barrel, and I think I twisted my ankle." The grey mare looked past her sister. "It... The torc. It said... well, it didn't say, exactly, but it told me that I wasn't the pony to wear it. In my head."
"Right, right." Pinkie helped her sister up, her eyes darting about. She caught sight of the small crowd of diamond dogs and ponies staring at them. "Oy! What are ye sorry lot lookin' at?! Get them crates down ta storage afore Aye lock ye in thar!"
"Pinkie... what is that thing?"
"...Aye dinnae know, lass." The captain's gaze fell on the now inert piece of jewelry. "Aye think... Aye think ye should head down to quarters. Aye'll take that o'r ta tha first mate an' let her have a looksee."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The salty wind whisked through the manes of five ponies and the scales of one dragon, all sitting tightly packed in a small boat slicing through the ocean waves. Spike had a claw casually resting on the outboard motor, occasionally making one or two course corrections or checking the gauge crystal to see how much magic was left. Twilight stood in the bowsprit, peering across the waves for any distant islands, any ships, anything that would tell them where they were headed. Fluttershy sat starboard of her, fidgeting with her mane and glancing down at the deck. Across from the other pegasus, Rainbow Dash leaned against the edge of the boat, her eyes shut and her shoulders slumped. She started to lean to the right, but Applejack gently pushed her back with a roll of her eyes.
From her seat next to Fluttershy, Rarity took a moment to look around at her travelling companions. She frowned as she noted the nervous fidgeting, silent sleeping, and annoyed nudging going on around her. "Well now, this simply will not do!"
"What?" Twilight glanced back. "Do you think you need to modify the spell you put into the gem matrix?"
"No, darling, I'm sure it's fine." She gestured at the other ponies. "I was referring to the silence in our fair vessel! After all, we're all going to be traveling together for a while, it might behoove us to open up and talk."
"Ah reckon you're right an' all," Applejack agreed, "but what is it we should talk about? Ah mean, Ah'm a farmer, ya'll are an artifact saleswoman, Rainbow's in the military, Shy has a pet shop..." She paused, turning to the yellow pegasus. "Who all's tendin' to your shop while you're gone?"
"Oh! Um, I... I asked a pegasus called Flitter to, um, look after my animal friends.." Fluttershy flicked her wings out, managing to move her gaze up to Applejack's. "She's... well, she's not the kindest of ponies but she... she can handle them..."
Twilight turned around. "I'm sorry if I dragged you all into this without thinking... I mean, you have lives back on Pony Island, and I just came in and--"
"Don't ya worry none, sugarcube." Applejack glanced back over her shoulder. "Mah family can keep the farm runnin' while Ah'm with ya."
"And all I have to worry about are my shop and my sister," Rarity added. "Oh, I do hope she's not giving miss Hooves any trouble..."
"Ya have a sister?"
"Yes, little Sweetie Belle." Rarity rolled her eyes with a smile. "Precocious little thing, loves to play with my merchandise... which has caused more than a few broken artifacts, but I just can't stay mad at her for too long."
"Heh. Sounds like Apple Bloom." Applejack chuckled, idly pushing Rainbow back up. "Mah lil' sis ropes herself into these crazy situations... honestly, sometimes Ah think she has to be smarter than me just ta do what she does, but she doesn't seem ta think very long term. Not anything like mah older brother, he's very... well, Ah know he's smarter than me, but he's not the kind to think fast if he can help it." She shrugged, turning to the other unicorn. "Ya got any siblings, sugarcube? Ah heard Dash mention your brother or somethin'..."
"Oh yeah. Navy captain, Shining Armor." Twilight shook her head with a small smile. "He's really big on chivalry, very much an officer and a gentleman... and great at what he does. I mean, I... don't see him as often as I'd like, he's constantly on deployment, but he always makes time for me when he gets shore leave... Well me and Cadance, my old foalsitter." She giggled. "I'm pretty sure they're dating 'behind my back', it's so obvious it's hilarious. Oh, and there's Spike, too, he's kind of like a little brother--"
Spike snorted as he shifted the motor to turn around a small coral reef. "Kind of?"
"Okay, exactly like a little brother."
"Thank you."
"Very helpful," she continued with a smirk, "but also very annoying."
"Hey!"
"What about you, Fluttershy?" Twilight turned to the yellow pegasus. "Any siblings?"
Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. "...I would... really rather not talk about it."
"...Oh."
For the briefest of moments, an awkward silence threatened to scend on the small crew.
Then Rainbow Dash let out a massive snore.
Rarity huffed. "Honestly, how can that mare sleep at a time like this?"
"It's a military thing," Twilight explained with a wave of her hoof. "Whenever my brother comes home, he gets as much sleep as he can, but just poke him and he's bright-eyed right off the bat. Apparently they conserve energy so that they can be fully aware when they're on duty." She shrugged. "I can see the sense behind it, but you have to be really devoted to train your body like that."
"But it makes for some really funny pranks," Spike quipped. "Remember the waffle hat?"
"Oh goddesses, the waffle hat." Twilight blushed and groaned. "I don't like to think about the waffle hat."
Applejack's eyebrow rose. "Waffle hat?"
"Oh, uh..." Twilight blushed. "It... I was being a stupid foal, see. I kind of maybe got a little bit jealous, because he was sort of dating another pony and, you know, I was only six years old, and--" She shook her head and laughed. "SO! That was... good talk, we all learned something I guess, how close are we Rarity?"
Rarity smiled slyly. "We're still far enough out that I want to know more about this waffle hat."
"It, uh, it's kind of--well, I mean, I don't really want to, uh--"
Spike snorted. "It made the papers."
Twilight descended into an awkward squeak.
"And it made Cadance very happy," Spike added casually. "That's the pegasus that Shining was dating... they actually got married earlier this year, it was a big thing."
"Yeah... yeah, they deserve each other." Twilight shook her head. "And they forgave both of us for the waffle hat thing years ago, so let's all just drop it and move on."
"Oh very well," Rarity said, the smile not leaving her face. "I suppose I could always go to Canterlot and look through back copies of the papers when all is said and done." She blinked for a moment. "Ah! I think we're slowing down..."
"Oh! That has to mean we're close!" Twilight returned to looking forward, peering across the blue horizon. "I think... Yes! There's a small islet up ahead. Not much more than a sandbar, really... what's a sandbar doing this far from a shoreline anyway?" She tilted her head. "I mean, there's nothing for the current to push it against, unless there's some sort of underwater mountain range..."
Applejack and Rarity shared a concerned glance as Twilight pulled a notebook out of one saddlebag and a sextant out of the other. Their eyes widened when she pulled another odd device out, lining it up with the sextant as she gave a ponderus hmm.
It wasn't until the boat was in hoof's reach of the small scrap of sand that Twilight put the instruments away. "Right. I don't know what's going on here, but there's simply no reason for this island to exist. At all." She prodded at the yellowish beach cautiously.
With a snort, Rainbow Dash blinked herself awake. "Huh... We stopped. We're here, then?"
"Well, we're wherever here is," Applejack explained, gesturing toward the sand. "Apparently, the first shiftsone's somewhere over there."
"Huh." Dash flapped her wings, hovering over the beach with a critical eye. "Rarity, can you feel the doohicky from here?"
Rarity frowned, letting her magic flow from her horn. "It's further inland... well, it would be if this island weren't so small." She disembarked from the boat with graceful practice. "Honestly, there's only enough room here to build a house! Well, if one wanted to build a house on sand--"
"Rarity!" Twilight hissed. "Get back in the boat!"
"Why?"
"This island makes no sense! For all we know it could lose stability and dissolve at any moment!"
The white unicorn frowned, stomping at the ground experimentally. "Seems firm enough to me..."
"Look, if the island suddenly starts breaking apart, I'll grab her and bring her back," Rainbow assured Twilight. "Right now, though, she needs to find the... thingy that'll let us find Piepan."
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "'Thingy.'"
"Well, you call it an Element of Harmony, AJ calls it a shiftstone, Rarity calls it an artifact..." The pegasus shrugged. "When you all can agree on a name, I'll stop calling it a thingy."
"Over here, darlings!" Rarity had trotted to the center of the island and was waving back at them. "It's under quite a bit of sand, but I think I can dig it out." A shovel emerged from her saddlebags, diving into the sand in her telekinetic grip as she hummed a happy tune.
"Wait... are you saying that it's..." Rainbow held her hooves over her muzzle. "BURIED TREASURE?!"
"Highly unlikey, miss Dash." Rarity gave a wide sweeping gesture with her shovel. "Most cases of 'buried' treasure are simply the result of years of natural inclement weather layering sand over the object in question. Very few people, pony or otherwise, would choose to hide something valuable under what amounts to a layer of disintegrated rock."
"Well, this island is apparently magical or something. How do you know it wasn't made specifically to bury this treasure?"
"...hmmm. I suppose you do have a point..." Rarity looked down at the hole she was digging and grinned. "Ah, here we are! Some... wooden object. Definitely not a gemstone, but it could well be a container of sorts..." She reached down with her magic, tugging at the exposed artifact. "Just... Give me a momeEEEP!"
Rainbow swooped up, catching the small chest as it flew into the air. "Whoa! You alright there, Rarity?"
"I have sand all inside my gown!"
"I'm taking that as a yes. Hey Twilight! Catch!"
The scholar barely had time to light up her horn before the chest went flying toward the boat. "RAINBOW DASH! You shouldn't just throw things like this around, it could be easily damaged!"
"You caught it, didn't you?"
Twilight huffed. "Right." She examined the chest carefully, watching out of the corner of her eye as Rarity righted herself and trotted back toward the boat. "Hmm. These are old Equestrian runes..."
Fluttershy leaned out, helping Rarity board the boat again. "Really? What--hmmf--what do they say?"
"Hmmm." She tilted the chest around. "It says the object within was entrusted to a family by 'the goddess', but the family began to die out... the last members anchored an enchantment to this chest in hopes that someone worthy would one day find it." She paused. "Or anchored this chest to an enchantment. It's not entirely clear. Anyway, the family hoped..."
She frowned. Spike leaned forward. "What? What did they write?"
"...they hoped that whoever found this," Twilight said slowly, "would use it to end the flooding before all of Equestria was covered in oceans."
For a brief moment, the only sound was the lapping of the current against the sides of the boat.
"Wow. That sucks." Rainbow Dash hovered back to her seat. "So how do we open it?"
Twilight gave a helpless shrug. "I... don't know, actually. There doesn't seem to be a latch. I mostly research and examine, I've never worked with old chests or containers--"
"Oh, give it here," Rarity sighed. "I think I might be able to open it."
"Really?" Twilight allowed Rarity's blue aura to take the box, watching as she rotated it carefully. "I mean, I suppose you would have a better idea on how to handle ancient artifacts than I would--"
"It's definitely enchanted," Rarity mused, peering at one side carefully. "Otherwise the water damage would be quite severe... Ah! Here we go." Two slats slid outward in her magical grip, snapping flat against the sides as Rarity unfolded the entire container. "It appears to be a simple enough puzzle box--well disguised though, I must admit..."
The words died in her throat as she finished opening it. There, nestled in the wispy remains of a silken cushion, was a deep purplish gemstone shimmering with reflected sunlight.
"...eeeyup," Applejack breathed, "that's another shiftstone."
"It's quite beautiful," Rarity murmured, her hoof reaching toward the artifact. "It almost seems as though it was--"
White fur met purple crystal, and there was a blinding flash.
When Twilight had blinked the sparkles away, she noticed that the gem was no longer in the box. Her eyes darted toward Rarity's neck and she couldn't help but gasp; a purple gem in the form of an ancient urn was resting in the golden torc now around the other unicorn's neck.
Applejack recovered first. "Well well well! Looks like Ah've found another old family member, eh Twi?"
"It might not be that," Twilight mumbled. "It could have chosen her for... any number of reasons!"
"I... I'm descended from a noble family?" Rarity looked down at the gem, brushing it in awe. "I had no idea--"
"I just said that it might not be that! For all I know it could have chosen you because you were... born on a Wednesday or something!" Twilight huffed, crossing her forelegs.
Rainbow Dash smirked. "What, you jealous?"
"NO! I'm not jealous. The family's dead anyway, so it doesn't mean anything." Twilight looked away. "I just thought... you know, we could examine the thing in its dormant form. Now I don't know if I'll be able to distinguish its magical signature from Rarity's--"
"Um." Fluttershy held up an awkward hoof. "Does anybody else hear a hissing sound?"
Spike's eyes widened, and he pointed. "LOOK! THE ISLAND'S DISINTEGRATING!"
The ponies all turned their gazes and saw he was indeed right. Sand was rolling into the waters, in grains and clumps, and the small landmass broke apart before their very eyes. In moments, the waves had claimed the grains; no sign of the former beach remained.
"...That," Rainbow Dash finally managed, "was incredibly freaky."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"GIT YER FLANKS MOVIN YE BILGE RATS! IF AYE SEE ONE ARRRRRSE LEFT BEHIND IT'LL BE BENT O'R WHILE THE OWNER BE LICKEN' THE WHOLE ENGINEERIN' DECK!"
A blonde pegasus mare paused, giving the Laughing Menace a glance and a smirk. "Will you be watching, captain?"
"Nay, Kicky." Captain Piepan gave her the stinkeye. "Don't ye be temptin' me."
"Oh poo. I suppose I'll be in the raid then." The violet pony took off from the deck and joined the other ponies already swinging down to the skyscraper rising from the ocean depths.
Ah, Manehattan. A wonder of the modern world, built floor by floor even as the flood drowned the previous residents. Members of every race could be found running away and screaming as the pirates dove off the hovering Logical Defiance, some rushing across skyways while others simply dived into the water. Piepan caught sight of the local guardsponies gathering a few blocks off and gave them a cheerful wave; figuring they might not have noticed her, she then launched a rocket in their direction and giggled as they scattered. Not that the rocket was particularly powerful; after all, she'd ordered her crew to keep from firing cannons until the local navy had caught up with her, on account of Manehattan's general structural fragility. But it still spewed enough flame and explosives to... discourage any regal-falutin' protectors from trying to get in the way of her crew.
With one final check to make sure the raiding party was completely off board, Captain Piepan shrugged her shoulders and galloped off the edge of her vessel, flinging a long rope ahead of her. Blasts of sound coming from the massive propellers below her as she fell for the briefest of moments; then the hook at the end of her rope caught on one of the skyway safety rails and she was swinging towards a lower window. Her piercing laughter drowned out the noise of the propeller behind her and she slammed through a window hooves first, rolling across the tiled floor into a standing position with sabre drawn at the startled crowd.
"LISTEN UP! If ye be valuing yer hide, ye be doing exactly what Aye tell ye!" She swung her sword suddenly, pointing it at a shocked unicorn. "No spells!" The sabre twisted to a changeling, who gulped. "No hive-contacts, Aye know how ta spot 'em!" With a twirl, she pointed at an elderly kirin. "And no followin me when Aye leave, savvy?! Now go through your desks and throw the documents out the window!"
"But these are important files regarding--"
A pie to the face cut the pegasus off, and he collapsed with a gurgle.
"That," Piepan said, "was chloroform. This!" She held up another piepan. "Be ACID! Anypony have anything else to say?!"
The crowd whimpered and shied away.
"GOOD!" Piepan smiled, surprisingly gently. "Aye know ye lot aren't fighters, and Aye only be here for one thing. Everypony have a cupcake ON ME!"
A yell went out out as she pulled out what looked to be a massive wooden cannon, and everybody dived for cover as the unmistakable sound of rapid gunfire commenced. When it stopped, however, there was no smoking stain on the wall, no crater on the floor, and a series of immaculate cupcakes on every desk.
One pegasus poked his head out, prodding the confectionary curiously. "Did... did she really just shoot cupcakes at us?"
"That's captain Piepan," a unicorn muttered. "Battier than a thestral, she is."
"I hear she screwed the pirate captain Scorn over," another pony commiserated. "Figuratively and literally!"
"She once robbed Canterlot of all its booze in one night! She's the reason the rum is always gone!"
Captain Piepan had already left the room, but she smirked as she heard excited chatter echo behind her. Technically it had been three nights, but a legend is a legend, and that wine had tasted great.
Reaching into the pocket of her longcoat, she held out the torc she had stolen from the orange farmer. "Come on, come on... Show me what ye want, little friend." The torc rotated in the grip of her frog, and she trotted through the halls in the direction the gem was pointing. Perhaps what she was following was just a hunch, but her hunches had always been good in the past. And if she was right, the sister gem was right... about...
"AHA!"
"EEP!" A gangly earth pony lept behind a table covered in old urns and gemstones. "S-Stay back! I'm armed! With... a gun!"
"Ach, laddie, ye've got ta show a wee bit more backbone afor any lass be lookin' twice at ye." The mare tutted as she waltzed in, pocketing the torc and letting her eyes flick around the room. "How much arrrrrrrrre they payin' ye ta be locked in this dingy room? It looks like ye be starin' at age-old junk and serchin' fer secrets long gone, aye?"
"I... I'm a researcher, yes, but what does that have to do with--?"
Pinkie slammed her sword down on the table hard enough to make all the artifacts bounce. "LET ME TELL YA SOMEFIN LADDIE! This is almost all total trash! Ye want to know how Aye know that? Cause it be doin' nofin! No magic, no pony comin' through what be seekin' a purchase, this be the garbage o' the elders!"
"H-hey! That's not true!" The gangly pony rose up and glared nervously at her. "This is all very valuable, you know! I mean, would you be here if it wasn't?"
The pirate smiled. "Ah, there's a nit o' backbone in ye after all! But Aye did say 'almost'. That gem thar?" She pointed at a blue gem. "That's the only thing Aye be here fer!" She reached out to swipe it up--
--and was blinded by a flash of light. When her vision cleared, she could see the colt blinking, but the gem was gone. An odd weight on her neck caused her to glance down, where she spotted a blue gem shaped in the outline of a feline face, set into a golden torc.
"...what?" The colt stared at it. "What have you done?"
"Laddie, Ah've claimed me destiny." Captain Piepan smiled at him broadly. "Hold still."
"What? Why would AAAAAAUGH OH MY FACE OH GODDESSES MY FACE YOU CUT MY FACE!"
"Ach, ye'll thank me later." The pink mare turned toward the door. "It'll scar, and mares like scars, savvy?"
"IT'S BLEEDING EVERYWHERE OH GODDESS WHYYYYYYYYY?!"
"Oh shut yer yap, Aye did ye a favor!" With those words of wisdom, the pirate walked out the door. "Honestly, some ponies..."