The Prism Head Hunter: Part I

The sun shone high over the sea, across the gold and silver waves, changing into water sprays and the seagull's screaches pierced the ears our two heros, Pinkie D. Pie and Pipsqueak.

"Can't they shut up?" Pinkie sounded extraordinarily grumpy, namely because of her sudden awakening. "Turn the lights off!"

"It's already noon and that's the bloomin' sun. After your sha on the cruiser, it's kinda strange ter clock ya sleepin'. Ya looked loike an energy filled, sugary rubber band, mate. "

"Well that's what you get for eating the Party Fruit. Yawn. I'm kinda made out of rubber, now. Many confuse me for a blob of bubblegum, that came to life. Hi hi." She just streched a little and there she was. As energetic and bubbly as on the cruiser.

Pipsqueak was taking a look on the map, that they had on board - which fortunately showed the location of their destination, the island, and navy-base, Shellstown - while Pinkie was climbing around on the mast. For his age, he had quite some navigation skills. Still, not perfect, but he could bring you from one island to the other. As long as he had a map and, at least, some clue of where he was.

"'ey, Pinkie. Why am I the bloody wahn 'oo 'as ter get us there? Can ya take over for an 'our? I'm tired."

"Sorry, no can do. Can't read maps."

"WOT? Then 'a did ya think ya were gettin' ter places?"

"Dunno. I kinda just thought I'll eventually end up somewhere."

He just adjusted the course and after an unspecified amount of time had passed they arrived at their destination. The island had a small harbour. Not much more than a few wooden planks, but, nonetheless, almost completely occupied.

The island itself is just one big hill. There was the harbour, then some houses on each side of a broad road that leads uphill, on which a street market was held. And at the very top, a huge wall, with the navy symbol on it. A stylized sea gull, basically two arches, holding a horizontal wrench and the word "MARINE" under it. It presumably also has a flight shielding bubble around it to stop Pegasi from entering from above.

They managed to get the last spare moornings to tie up their small boat. An action Pipsqueak was surprised to find Pinkie Pie doing. She, apparently, also has some understanding of how to use a boat.

So, they walked up hill, along the market. There were several market stalls. Some of them had the newest knife variations. Others had self-made wicker baskets. Heck, there were even some that sold guns and swords. But those were mostly in the secluded sections of the fair.

But the thing that was mostly sold, much to Pipsqueak's dismay, was food. Not the fact that it was almost everywhere, no he kinda expected that. It was the fact that Pinkie Pie stopped at every stand that vended anything remotely edible. Pip was, again, surprised at how much she could eat.

"Come on, mate, we 'ave neither the money nor the time ... You're eating wax fruit, for Poseidon's sake." Pinkie took a second to look down at her hoof and what she saw confirmed that, what her friend was talking about, was, indeed, true.

"So that's why it tastes like nothing." Pipsqueak had to laugh at that last comment. "You're right, I guess. Let's go find that Rainbow Dash."

As soon as she spoke Rainbow's name, the entire market went silent. Heads turned to face the pink pirate and her entourage.

"I guess she's popular around here."

"Nah wonder. Accordin' ter 'earsay, it took an entire Navy ship, led by Captain Spoiled Rich, ter capture 'er. "

As the town heard the name of the navy captain, who led this navy base, they ran off. Every single pony that stood in the streets quickly jumped into barrels, narrow alleyways or ducked behind the stands of the tradesponies. Some of them still peeked out of their hiding place to see what Pinkie and Pipsqueak would do next.

"She's apparently even more popular."

Without a care for what just happened, they strolled off towards the big wall in the middle of the island. They walked around it, only to find that there is only one big gate and it was guarded by dozens of guards.

"So where do you think they keep her?", Pinkie asked her spotted friend.

"I'm not sure." While he  thought of some ideas for where such a dangerous mare could be kept, Pinkie used her rubber legs to grab a hold of the top of the wall, which actually wasn't that high as it seemed to be from far away, just 4-5 meters tall, and catapulted herself up there.

"She's prolly locked up in the bleedin' deepest of dungeons, behind a labyrinf of 'allways and dozens of locked doors, guarded by crocodiles wif ..."

"Or she's just bound to a pole, out in the open", Pinkie screamed down, before pulling Pipsqueak up to her, to witness the display in a spacious, plane area of the base. One wooden cross, a couple of worn out ropes and one mare.

A mare who has a cyan blue coat and rainbow-colored mane and tail. Around her waist was a royal blue haramaki, a garment that is worn around the midriff and which is supposed to both provide warmth and serve as a talisman to ward away harm (learned something?). Bound to her head was a bandana, which seems to be black, but when the light hit it right, shimmered dark-blue.

Her body was limp. Only her forelegs being restricted so low, that it forced her to lay on her back. The rest just kinda laying on the ground. And her head floppily fallen forward. To be honest, she seemed to be as dead as anypony could look. And also sounded like it.

"Hey, you two. Get lost. I don't need any spectators." Her voice was as raspy as extra rough sandpaper, grinding a pile of extra crunchy cornflakes, on an overused, tarred street.

Pipsqueak almost fell down the wall as he heard the mare proclaim her discomfort with the two of them staring at her defeated form, but Pinkie caught him and pulled him up again and found a ladder being placed right next to them. And up the ladder climbed a little, red maned filly, whose purple glasses fell off her muzzle as she jumped down the 4-5 meters.

She eventually put them on again and made her way towards the devestated bounty hunter. "What are you doing here, kid?" Without saying a word, she grabbed inside her saddlebags and pulled out some candy canes. Rainbows look turned into terrified and the tone in her voice more pressing. "Get lost. If they see you here ..."

She was interrupted by another filly entering the open prison. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here." Her coat is a pale magenta and she is sporting a light, grayish violet mane, with white streaks running through it. She was also a little taller than the intruder, who was about as tall as Pipsqueak. But the most noticable thing about her was the shiny crown thingy on her head.

And now Pinkie and Pipsqueak knew why Rainbow was forced to half lay on the ground. So that even this filly could talk down on her.

"Is that the Captain who captured her?", Pinkie whispered over to Pip. Both of them have decided to duck, in order to not be seen.

"'re ya kiddin'? She's just a foal."

Meanwhile, the pink filly proceeded to circle around the cream colored one. "I may be mistaken, but I am pretty sure we don't provide visiting hours for our prisoners." Then she saw the candy canes in her hooves and her expression changed from devious smirk to rage mode.

"Especially when they want to mess up an agreement." She took the candy canes with one clean motion and grabbed the red maned filly by her hair. "You know damn well why she is here and what the conditions are. If you try something like that again, I'll have my mother, Captain Rich, execute you and your entire family. Understood?" The filly nodded in response.

"Did ya 'ear that, Pink?", Pipsqueak whispered to momentary supervisor. "'er mother is Spoiled Rich. That means she must be 'er daughter, Diamond Tiara."

Diamond Tiara released the frightened foal from her grip and took a second look at the candy canes. They looked pretty tasty. She swipped them from the cream colored hooves with one quick motion, causing her to fall and tear up. But her eyes went wide as soon as she took the first lick. She coughed and coughed and scraped her tongue to get the strong aroma of mint out of her mouth.

"You stupid, incompetent imbecile. cough cough. That's way too strong. Have you ever heard of sugar? cough cough , she forced her vocal cords to utter.

She only hesitantly responded, with a nasal lisp in her voice (which I cannot write): "I-I thought, since she is an adult, she mi-might like it stronger." She pointed to Rainbow Dash, who didn't want to watch and was looking away since Diamond Tiara showed up.

Diamond Tiara didn't want to hear any of this. She looked furious. And she showed it by smashing the over minted treats on the ground and stomping all over them, until not much more than dust and crumbs were left. She watched as the filly cried her eyes out, mourning about the candy, that she had spent hours making.

But that wasn't enough for the little devil. Diamond Tiara, once again, grabbed her by her mane and pulled her close to her face.

"Tell me. What is your name?", Diamond said terrifyingly calm, half lidded and deviously smiling.

"It-it-it's 'Twist'", she said, still crying.

"Tell me Twist, uhm, did you make these?" She pointed down to the crushed canes. Twist just nodded, but just earned an expectant look on the pink filly's face.

"Ye-yes. I-I-I made them." She rose her chin and stopped crying. She tried to sound confident, ...

"Then I suppose you should eat them." ... only to be brought down to the ground.

Diamond Tiara held her just an inch above the ground, where the red and white remains of her hard work laid. The tears from before came back as she pressed her jaws and lips together, while Diamod Tiara just laughed maniacally at the display.

Pipsqueak couldn't believe his eyes and ears. How could the offspring of a navy captain be so cruel to a civilian? She was supposed to protect her from such brutes, not bully her herself. Pinkie Pie instead asked herself, how it even came to all of this.

After a couple of moments, Diamond released Twist from her iron grip.

"I think that's enough. GUARDS", she yelled and the two guards, who acccompanied her quickly stood by her side. "Throw her over the wall!"

"But Miss Tiara. She's just a little filly."

"Are you disobeying my orders? Did you forget what my mother does with traitors?"

"No, Miss Tiara." The guard went up to the little intrudor, hesitating at every single step. He picked her off the ground, where she laid in a fetal-like position and just before he threw her, he said "I'm sorry."

She flew through the air and flapped her arms in a measly attempt to keep her in the air. Unfortunately, that was untimately useless, since the lack of a horn or a pair of wings prevented any and all efforts of defying gravity or even just softening the touchdown.

What was fortunate, however, was the fact that the guard just happened to throw her in that exact direction Pip and Pink were. The second Twist flew over their heads, Pinkie extended her leg and got ahold of the filly. Then she threw herself between Twist and the ground. Her rubber body absorbed most of the force.

"Th- Thank you."

"No problem. Pipsqeak?" He jumped down, hurting two of his legs. "Take this filly home."

"Wot abaht ya, Pink'?"

"I'll find you two, somehow." And like that she trotted back to the barrier and catapulted herself over it, making her way towards Rainbow Dash. Twist noticed that, somehow, a cupcake with crossed candy canes has appeared besides her.

"Now, what do you want?", Rainbow asked annoyed. Pinkie just laughed that one off.

"Hi. My name is Pinkamena D. Pie. And I take that you are Rainbow Dash?"

"What tipped you off, Cotton Candy Head?

"Hi hi. Nice one. That coming from the pony who looks like a bag of Skittles melted on hers, which was what tipped me off, by the way."

Pinkie continued to laught at her own comparison for a couple of seconds, until Rainbow interrupted her. Now, more angry than annoyed. "What do you want?"

"I thought I'd break you outta here."

"You've got to be joking."

"No. I'm dead serious. Well, more alive serious. Were did that expression even come from?"

"Listen Balloon Butt, ..." Pinkie interrupted her.

"My name's Pinkie Pie. Did I forget to tell you that?" Her eyes drifted off. She apparently really couldn't remember whether or not she had already introduced herself.

"Okay, Pinkie Pie, I have my reasons for being here. Trust me, I would not be here if I wanted to be somewhere else. Why would you even do that."

"So that you owe me and join my crew."

"Sorry girl, I'm not a pirate.

"So why did they arrest you?" Rainbow looked up at her with a sly grin on her face.

"I am so awesome, it's ciminal."

"Really?" Pinkie's eyes sparkled in amazement.

"No, not really. I mean, I am so awesome that it's criminal, but that's not why I'm held here."

"Does it have to do with that 'agreement' that pink filly mentioned? I always thought ruthless bounty hunters worked WITH the navy." Rainbow snickered a little.

"So that's how ponies see me?"

"What? Am I supposed to take the 'ruthless' back?" Pinkie asked, worried if she might have offended her interlocutor.

"No. The 'bounty hunter'. I have never been such a thing. Every criminal I have brought down was a means for me to have money to eat and drink or have a bed to sleep in when it rained. I have never killed a mare or stallion, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it, if it's neccessary. It's none of your business, what kind of deal I have with the daughter of a Captain."

Pinkie let all of that sink in and decided it may be best, for now, to head back and find Pip again.

"Wait." Rainbow suddenly burst out, needily and a little bit embarrassed. "One more thing." She looked to the crumbs on the ground. "Can you ... gimme those?"

"Seriously? I think that's more dust and dirt than candy anymore."

"Shut up and give it to me."

Pinkie complied, muttering a "That's what she said." under her breath, and scooped the remains of the former treats, the ones that still could have been eaten at least, up. The pegasus raised her head and Pinkie dropped them into her open maw. She heard her crunching them vigurously with her teeth.

"Thanks," she said with sincere gratitude in her voice, which made Pinkie Pie smile. "I needed that."

Without saying another word, Pinkie turned around and headed off to find Pipsqueak and Twist again ... this time for real.

After she climbed the wall back down she made her way across the market place again. She figured that, once Pip got the little filly home, he'd wait for her somewhere around there. That sounds reasonable, right? But, unfortunately, he wasn't, so she figured: "Might as well fill my tummy".

Meanwhile, inside the large building, in the middle of the island ... the navy base, in case I haven't established that enough, already. Anyways, inside the building, completely independant from the spectacle outside, a familiar white pony was about to crack the lock on one of the doors.

She fumbled with her equipment around in that tiny hole. "Come on. Come on." Until she heard hoofsteps coming from around the corner. She dropped the  They kept getting closer and closer. She had to think quickly.

"What are you doing here, Ma'am?", a guard asked her and she broke out in tears. She collapsed to the ground and crawled over to this guys legs.

"Please, please. You gotta help me. My-my-my husband is the janitor here. And he has diabetes. And he forgot to take his medicin today. And he called to tell me that he would be waiting for me in this room to bring him his insulin." Her breathing became more and more ragged as tears rolled down her face, completely ruining her make-up. "He-he-he couldn't even finish his last sentence. And now, the door won't open. And if I don't ... don't. 'pause' Oh Poseidon, he's probably already dead. 'cry cry scream'"

"O-okay, Miss. Do-don't cry. I'll open the door." With that, he took his key ring from his waist and hastily fumbled around the keyhole. After a few seconds he finally managed to unlock the wooden obstacle.

"Quick. Give him the...?" was all he could say, before she smacked him over the head with a bust.

"That's for making me ruin my mascara."

Back on the market place, Pinkie found a stand that sold various types of pastries, like cupcakes and muffins. It was like an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet. The keyword being "almost".

"Uhm. Miss?", the sales pony said quite concerned, while Pinkie devoured the last bite of the last muffin. "That's quite a lot you ate there. How are you planning to pay for it?"

"Easy, with this." She used her front hoof to seemingly search through her mane. The sales pony could swear she heard a cat like scream while the pink pony did so. After a while, she finally found a small bag of bits and placed it on the counter. She was just about to leave, but the pony stopped her.

"That doesn't cover everything. You ate my entire booth empty. This is just about one sixth of what you owe me." She underlined her statement by reaching under the counter and laying a baseball bat right on it. Pinkie responded by running away as fast as she possibly could.

To be continued.