Ponies of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Fog crept into the town, casting an eerie twilight pall. An armed search party was moving along the street, looking for the pirate. Pinkie peeked up from his hiding place beneath the eaves of a building, having somehow removed the chains and manacles. Across the street from him was a shop with a sign of a black anvil: the blacksmith. Pinkie looked around as the search parties moved away, and quickly ran into the blacksmith shop.

There were no windows in the shop. The forge was dark, lit by various lanterns. There was stuff scattered around: wagon wheels, broken iron gates, pipes, and even a broke cannon. However, all of the tools were in place, and the workbench was tidy and neat. A noise surprised Pinkie, and he turned around to see an old, sleeping blacksmith, cradling a bottle. Pinkie gave him a hard poke, but the stallion didn't move.

There was the sound of the latch on the door, and Pinkie dove for cover under a table. He watched as a young stallion entered, and shut the door behind him. Rainbow, who had just shut the door, glanced around the room. His eyes narrowed at seeing hoofprints on the ground.

"Who's there?" asked Rainbow, just as a sword was suddenly pointed at him.

Pinkie stood, holding his sworn level at Rainbow. Rainbow backed away from the sword, and Pinkie walked forward.

"You're the one they're looking for," said Rainbow angrily, "The pirate."

"Indeed I am," said Pinkie, "Boy, what's your name?"

"I don't need to tell you."

"I'm holding a sword in your face."

Rainbow quickly grabbed a nearby sword, and pointed it at Pinkie.

"And I'm holding one in your's." said Rainbow, his eyes narrowing.

"Do you think that it's wise to cross blades with a pirate?" asked Pinkie, "I just want to know your name."

"You threatened Miss Breeze."

"Not threatened, per say, just used to escape. Plus, I gave her a helpful little warning, and she in return led me to here."

Rainbow suddenly thrust the sword at Pinkie, who parried it. The two exchanged several feints, thrusts, and parries, until Pinkie spoke again.

"Your name, please."

"I will not tell a pirate my name!" said Rainbow.

The two began to circle each other, and Pinkie gave a small smile.

"You know what you're doing with that sword. Maybe if I knew your name, I would be able to tell you something of interest."

"You're lying!" snapped Rainbow, thrusting at Pinkie, again.

They began to fight once more, until Pinkie suddenly hit Rainbow's sword out of his hoof. Rainbow simply picked up another sword, and Pinkie became aware that the room was filled with many different bladed weapons.

"Who makes these?" asked Pinkie as they fought.

"I do!" said Rainbow, "And I practice with them three hours every day!"

"You really need to find yourself a mare," Rainbow began to fight with more vigor, "Or maybe the reason you practice for three hours a day is that you've found a mare, but can't get her? Perhaps Miss Breeze? Listen, I just need to know your name."

"Why do you care about my name?" asked Rainbow.

"Because if you're who I think you are, then I know that you're probably looking for your father."

"Wh-what?!?"

That caught Rainbow off guard, and Pinkie quickly disarmed Rainbow. He quickly pulled out his gun, and pointed it at Rainbow, who froze.

"You cheater..." said Rainbow softly.

"I'm a pirate, what do you expect?" asked Pinkie, "Now, just tell me your name, and I promise I won't shoot."

"Rainbow Dash."

"Was that really so hard?" Pinkie lowered his gun, much to Rainbow's surprise, "Now, listen. And don't just grab a sword, because as you can see, I'm trying to talk with you." Rainbow's eyes narrowed, but he didn't reach for any weapon, "Thank you. Listen, Rainbow, I need your help with something."

"Why would I ever help you?" snapped Rainbow.

"Two reasons. One: I can tell you who your father was. Two: pirates are coming to Port Royal. Does a gold-and-silver medallion sound familiar to you?"

"... My father sent one to me as a gift..."

"Well Miss Breeze has it, and that's what the pirates are after. They'll stop at nothing to get it."

"Why?"

"Because-"

Before Pinkie could say another word, he collapsed on to the ground. The unconscious blacksmith had woken up, and smacked Pinkie with his bottle. The door burst open, and Royal guards ran in. Rarity rushed forward to see Pinkie on the ground, and smiled.

"Excellent work, Mr. Brown," said Rarity, speaking to the blacksmith, and not Rainbow, "You've aided in the capture of a dangerous fugitive." he looked down at Rainbow, "I believe you will always remember this as the day Captain Pinkie Pie almost escaped. Take him away."

The guards hauled Pinkie away, and Pinkie followed them. Rainbow stared at them, unable to say a word.

"He broke my bottle." grunted Mr. Brown, and Rainbow rolled his eyes.

Pinkie laid down on the straw in his cell, not doing anything. In the cell next to him, the prisoners were trying to coax over a dog who was holding the keys in his mouth.

"Come here, boy!" said one of the prisoners, "Come here, ya pup!"

"You can keep doing that, but the dog is never going to move." said Pinkie.

"Excuse us if we resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet."

"Well, I suppose that's a good point."

There was a sudden cannon blast, and Pinkie's ears perked up. There were more blasts, and Pinkie quickly jumped up to look out the window.

"I know those guns!" cried Pinkie, as the other prisoners looked out the window, "It's the Black Pearl!"

"The Black Pearl?" asked one of the prisoners nervously, "I've heard stories... She's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years... And never leaves any survivors."

"There sure are many stories," said Pinkie, "But if they leave no survivors, then where do the stories come from?"

"Huh. That's a pretty good point."

"I know."

Rainbow looked outside at the chaos as cannon balls were launched into buildings, people, and everything else. He quickly grabbed several axes and swords, and ran outside to help. The pirates had come ashore.

Fluttershy looked out her bedroom window in horror at the scene below. Even through the thick fog, she could see many fires, and heard many shouts and cries of pain. She noticed movement below, and saw two shadowy figures approaching the house: pirates. She quickly bolted from her room, and ran towards the door. Just as she reached the railing overlooking the foyer, the butler opened the door, and was shot. Fluttershy quickly ducked down so she couldn't be seen, and stifled her scream. The pirates scanned the foyer, and one of them looked up at the railing.

"Up there!" the pirate cried to his friend, and the two ran towards the stairs.

Fluttershy scrambled into the nearest room, and locked the door shut. She bumped into her maid, Stella, who looked terrified.

"Miss Fluttershy!" said Stella, "You must hide! They're likely to try and kidnap you! The governor's daughter would be very valuable for ransom!"

Fluttershy nodded, "Stella, they haven't seen you yet. Get out while you can!"

Stella nodded, and Fluttershy dashed off into another room to hide. She heard the door in the other room swing open, and slam against the wall. She continued running, until she suddenly felt somepony grab her mane. Fluttershy whipped around to see a pirate holding her mane, and instinctively kicked him away. The pirate lost their grip on her mane, and Fluttershy continued running.

She ran into the dining room, and shut the door, bolting it shut. She looked around for something to protect herself with, but there was nothing. The blade of an axe suddenly broke through the door, and in a panic, Fluttershy jumped into the dumbwaiter box.

"We know you're here, posy," came the pirate's voice, "Come out and we promise we won't hurt you!" Fluttershy tried not to make any noise, "We will find you, posy... You've got something of ours! It calls to us!"

"The gold calls to us!" said the second pirate.

Fluttershy looked down at the gold-and-silver medallion around her neck, and held it with her hoof. Pinkie had been telling the truth! The pirates were after the medallion! But why? Fluttershy looked up to see the pirate looking in the dumbwaiter through a crack in it.

"Hello, posy."

The pirates whipped the door open, and Fluttershy quickly thought about what she had learned about pirates, when she remembered something.

"P-parlay!" she cried as they brandished their swords.

"What?" asked the first pirate.

"Parlay!" Fluttershy tried to remain calm, "According to the Pirate Code, you must take me to your captain!"

"I know the code!"

"Th-then bring me to your captain! You can't harm me until the parlay is complete!"

"It appears that you do, too."

"To blazes with the code!" snapped the second pirate.

"She wants to be taken to the Captain, and she'll go without a fuss. Right, girl?" Fluttershy nervously nodded, "Then we must honor the code."

The pirates roughly grabbed Fluttershy, and began to lead her outside. Fluttershy tried not to panic.

Rainbow was running towards the Governor's Mansion. Fluttershy was in trouble! Suddenly, Rainbow was smacked in the head by something, and fell on the ground, unconscious.

"Duck!" cried Pinkie, as a cannon ball came flying towards the prison.

Everypony jumped down on the ground as the cannon blasted through the wall, leaving a large opening in the cell next to Pinkie's. The other prisoners quickly scrambled outside, and Pinkie stared at them.

"My sympathies, friend!" called one of the prisoners, "You've no manner of luck at all!"

"You just go and be free!" cried Pinkie, "Hurry!"

Pinkie sighed, and looked at the dog holding the keys.

"You gonna help me out or you just gonna sit there?"

The dog got up, and ran off. Pinkie sighed again, when he heard a ruckus at the top of the stairs.

"This isn't the armory!" said a pirate.

"It's the dungeon." said a second one, before noticing Pinkie, "Hold up, Twig. What do we have here? Captain Pie."

The two pirates walked down near Pinkie, but stayed out of the single beam of moonlight that saw shining through.

"Huh," said Twig, "Last time I saw you, you were all alone on a God-forsaken island, shrinking into the distance. I'd heard you'd gotten off, but I didn't believe it. Too bad your fortunes aren't improved much!"

"Worry about your own fortunes," said Pinkie, "The lowest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers."

The other pirate reached through the bar, and grasped at Pinkie's neck. Pinkie's eyes widened: in the moonlight, the other pirate was skeletal. The pirate glared at Pinkie, and shoved him backwards, moving back out of the moonlight.

"The stories are true..." whispered Pinkie.

"And you know nothing of hell." said the other pirate, before he and Twig left Pinkie in the cell.

Pinkie smiled as they left, and laid back down on the straw.

"Too bad you don't know where Mr. Dash is..." he said softly, "And tomorrow, I'll probably be free..."